Have You Seen a Half-Male Half-Female Bird?

From left to right: female, a Half-Male Half-Female and male birds,

credit to Daily Mail

Hermaphrodite is a term refers to organisms which have both sexes, male and female. Well known example is worms (earth worms).

How about if an organism has a “Half-Male Half-Female” sex organ? It is called as a “bilateral gynandromorph.”

This kind of anomaly cause a half body as a male and another part is female.

In case of bird, a cardinal bird, for simplify that a male is identified by his red color, while female is shown by her pale brown or gray brown or brownish yellow.

We are easy to distinguish male and female by color of cardinal birds.

Recently, a bird watcher in Pennsylvania, USA, Shirley Caldwell observed a cardinal with “split coat” in her backyard.

Experts believed the bird is a Half-Male Half-Female organism. 

As reported by Gray (2014) that this kind of “bilateral gynandromorph” bird was first time spotted in 2008. It regularly visited Rock Island, Illinois. 

Female cardinal in nature

Uniquely, a cardinal with rare sex appearance had never sing, no mate, lonely, not “bullied” and ignored by other cardinals.

Even thought a rare case, scientists believed that bilateral gynandromorph could be found in all bird species, especially to species with distinctly different between male and female.

Male cardinal in nature

Have you ever seen bilateral gynandromorph or Half-Male Half-Female birds?

Reference

Gray, R. 2014. The lonely life of the half-male half-female bird: Northern cardinal with bizarre split plumage is ignored by its peers in Illinois. Retrieved from Daily Mail, 31 December 2014. 

Impressions of Ancient Greece and Roman

Illustration for different between Roman and Greece (credit to Google)

I knew several mythological gods; statues and architectural building, but that confused me whether belongs to ancient Greece or Roman. 

As always, many times I mixed up the different between Zeus and Jupiter; Poseidon and Neptune; Hades and Pluto; and Hermes and Mercury. 

Then, in term of statues; the beauty, medium and heroic quality of Greece and Rome sculptures looks the same for me. 

In respect to architectural buildings, since they were characterized by pillars to support in front roof, I thought they are exactly similar in size and style.

However, recently, my impression is quite little bit changes in ancient culture. I understand now that Romans assimilated Greece in many ways (aspects) due to their long time to occupy the Greece. 

Even though, as conquerors, Roman structures and paintings have strong human values. In addition to totally copy of Greece, then Romans has their own conception too. They also combine the Greek and their own arts. 

As an early stage of understanding art history, I myself feel that Parthenon and Pantheon have helped my changed of thought to ancient Greece and Roman cultures.

Both architectural buildings have similarities in term of initial function and number of columns in front of the entrance. 

Some of different that the building is the Pantheon for serving many gods, while Parthenon for one god only, Athena; and the Parthenon is a rectangular form, while Pantheon is built in a spherical structure.

What do you know about different between Roman and Greece?

Can We Have Feeling of No Pain and No Fear?

Illustration, credit to Ayelet Keshet/Fotolia

Scientists surprised that a woman, Jo Cameron, lives without pain, anxiety or fear for 71 years.

In medical term, it is called as “congenital insensitivity to pain” where people have not able to feel pain in any part of their body.

The question is why? It is because “a gen” that responsible to pains and senses had mutated genetically.

This is “a rare genetic mutation” caused people did not feel pain due to such as broken bone and wounded, and loss senses of fear, anxiety and smell or anosmia.

Mutation affects on “the peripheral nervous system, which connects the brain and spinal cord to muscles and to cells that detect sensations such as touch, smell, and pain” (National Institute of Health, NIH, 2019)

Diamond (2019) reported that only two people found have this kind of genetic mutation.

Moreover, NIH (2019) mentioned of 20 reports of rare mutations in the medical publications. Not that many compared to billions of human being ever live on earth.

Two effects of “congenital insensitivity to pain,” positive and negative.

Negative effects lead to undetected health conditions such as wounds that could be accumulated. Thus, might caused to decrease life expectancy.

More than 300 million people who faced surgery worldwide every year, unluckily half of them got extreme pain problems.

The positive ones that this finding could stimulate further researches to help people who have “severe pain” due to surgery.

Have you know any one who that has no pain, no fear and no anxiety in her or his life?

References

Diamond, C. 2019. The woman who doesn't feel pain. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com./news/ uk-scotland-highlands-islands-47719718

NIH. 2019. Congenital insensitivity to pain. Retrieved from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov./ condition/congenital-insensitivity-to-pain#statistics

Are Dwarf Burford Holly Fruits Poisonous?

Pink or red fruit

Actually, I don’t know the name of these fruits exactly. The fruits dangles from trees which function as fences close to my work place.

From reading and searching through Google, I guess this shrub is a “Dwarf burford holly.” Their fruits look so beautiful and attractive due to its color and shape.

Since it considered as a shrub, we could categorize Dwarf burford holly fruits, Ilex cornuta as berries. Unfortunately, based on information gathering, this berry can’t be consumed by human and animals.

Fruits are smaller than grapes

These berries contain poison that could cause drowsiness, gastrointestinal problems and vomiting, but not kill human and pets. The toxic compound includes toxic glycosides, theophylline and other relate toxic compounds.

I check the price of a small Dwarf burford holly trees, they are quite expensive at a nursery in my city. The lower price is US$ 49.50, the cost higher compared to many fruit trees as we know such as a fig tree, tangerines and avocado trees.

Dangling pink or red fruit

The Walmart price is quite reasonable, US$ 15.45 for tiny Dwarf Burford holly. The evergreen shrubs have green glossy leaves. Together with their pink or red berries, they look beautiful during spring and summer seasons.

The trees reach 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall naturally, but could be maintained at 3 to 6 feet tall (1 to 2 meter) as fences or hedges around our homes.

The plants grow easily because they grow any kind of soils, tolerate to wet environment and drought resistant.

Do you know about Dwarf Burford Holly shrubs and their fruits?

What do Diet Role in Prostate Cancer Prevention?

Vitamin D could reduce prostate cancer progression, credit to imh.ae

Environment (diet) and genetic are important factors that contribute to risk of prostate cancer. Especially, diet (good nutritional intakes) are considered very crucial in recent days.

In respect to diet, some believe that diets high in animal fats and milk products may be associated with a higher prostate cancer risk. 

Lack a diet high in red meat and Vitamin D may raise a person's chances of developing prostate cancer. 

In case of Vitamin D, Ware (2016) wrote that hormonal active form of vitamin D called “calcitriol” has ability to reduce cancer progression. 

On the other hand, (Nordqvist, 2016) said that Vitamin D deficiency would have several effects:

- cause cancer development un-checked 

- cause progression of prostate cancer more rapidly

A device to tract prostate cancer

In addition to Vitamin D, the following nutrients are suggested to prevent prostate cancer progression:

- Boron is important element found in vegetable (spinach), grains, nuts and fruits.

- Cruciferous Vegetables such as cabbage and turnips

- Green tea extract

The robot to conduct prostate cancer surgery

Nutrient intake is considered as one of reasonable methods to prevent cancers, not only prostate cancer but also breast cancers and other cancers.

Researches are going on in many institutions with promising results

References

Nordqvist, C. 2016. Prostate Cancer: Symptoms and Causes. Medical News

Today. Retrived from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com /articles/150086.php?page=2 #causes_of_prostate_cancer

Ware, M. 2016. Vitamin D: Health Benefits, Facts and Research. Medical News

Today. Retrived from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618.php

A Cute Baby Sea Lion Found in the Crowd Street

A baby sea lion was rescued, credit to WPBN

In addition to swim thousand miles away, one of the characteristics of sea lion(Zalophus californianus) is its ability to walk, usually reach 4 hours long to walk in the beach.

Why? It is because it has strong force to rotate its flippers forward. Sea lion flippers also support its heavy body weight while walking.

Since it could walk at a quite fair distance, actually, not surprise if we spot this marine animal at a road side near a beach in any place in the world.

Recently, motorist saw a cute baby sea lion wandering in crowd highway in San Francisco, California.

It is believed the pup lost it way from small creek to Pacific ocean, then climbed to the nearby street.

California Highway Patrol rescued this mammal and brought it to the Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, California.

Hope, one year old sea lion recovers soon from stress and wounded, before returning to its wild habitat. 

What Dog Breeds are Good Friends of Cats?

A beagle and a cat, credit to Simply for Dogs

Dogs and cats have two different characters: a dog is a loyal animal, while cats are independent. Cats can be loyal based on their choice, not humans or others.

Yes, Cats and dogs can make a friendship. But not all dogs can be the best friend of cats.

Top ten the most popular dogs in the world and in the USA are slightly different. Here are in the America (list from American Kennel Club): 

1. Labrador retriever

2. German shepherd

3. Golden retriever

4. French bulldog

5. Bulldog

6. Beagle

7. Poodle

8. Rottweilers

9. Yorkshire terrier

10. German short-haired pointer

The question then, of these 10 breeders, which one is a good friend of cats? The answer from Gibeault (2018) are following:

- Labrador retriever

- Golden retriever

- Bulldog

- Beagle

Thus, 4 only of 10 (ten) most popular dogs are good friends of cats, at least they could exist together.

However, we are happy to hear, if you have non popular dogs as list at above that the best friend of your cats. Have you?

Reference

Gibeault, S. 2018. Cat Owners Wanting to Get a Dog Should Take a Look at These Breeds. Retrieved from https://www.akc.org. /expert-advice/lifestyle/dogs-that-are-good-with-cats/