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/

Does Bitter Melon Contain Anti-Diabetic Substances? - Diabetes 13

Three different sizes of bitter melon

We sometime buy bitter melon (Momordica sp) to make our traditional food. You might know that bitter melon is among most bitter of vegetables.

Many people consume bitter melon as a juice and as a tea, like a green tea.

Because of its bitterness, people in Asian countries use it for medical purposes. One of them is to control diabetes, type 2 diabetes.

People believed that bitter melon could lower blood sugar. It is because bitter melon substances bring glucose into cells, and burned down or used it for energy.

In addition, the cell processes the glucose to be stored in the organs such as muscles and liver or change the glucose to be fat.

Does Bitter Melon Contain Ant-Diabetic Substances? Yes. Some anti-biotic substances are following:

- Charantin

This is a hypoglycaemic property responsible to lower blood sugar

- Vicine

This is “a glycosidic compound,” it has been known for reducing plasma glucose in diabetes mellitus patients.

- Polypeptide-p.

This is “an insulin like compound” to control blood sugar.

Now, some pharmaceutical companies or herbal product companies or food companies extracted bitter melon and sold in capsules as a dietary supplement to “support healthy glucose metabolism.”

The size of one small bottle is range from 60 to 120 pills. Price is around US$ 2.74 to US$ 11.61.

It is suggested to consume capsules when patients have blood glucose already in the normal condition (normal range).

Have you tasted bitter melon and know its medical benefits?

What Country is the First in Using Drone for Medical Supplies Delivery?

A drone to deliver medical supplies, credit to DroneZon

You might know that Israel was the first country to develop drone for military purposes. Israeli doing it after 1973 war with Arab countries.

However, USA was the first country to use armed drone to strike Taliban in 2001. Afterward, several countries adopted military drones for war or secure their borders from any intruders.

Then, What is the First Country Using Drone for Medical Supplies Delivery? The answer is quite surprising me that Rwanda, an African country. The program started in 2016.

“No one in Ghana should die because they can’t access the medicine they need in an emergency,” said Ghana’s president to follow Rwanda steps.

Ghana extensively use drone as tools to deliver medical supplies, may be the largest in the world to make everyone in the country to access lifesaving medicines.

After these two African countries, the USA relate institutions study the possibility to use drones for medical transportation, especially for organ transplants.

As reported by Freeman (2019) that “There are now more than 113,000 people in need of an organ transplant. According to the most recent data, an average of 18 people die each day while waiting for one.”

Engineers, researchers, aviation experts and medical doctor collaborated to develop daytime and nighttime organ drones to access to transplants as low cost and quick as possible.

The result that Americans able to transport an organ transplant, a kidney by a drone in April 19, 2019. Doctor successfully to transplant the kidney into a patient in southwestern Baltimore hospital.

The organ transplant delivery by a drone was the first time in the world.

Reference

Freeman, D. 2019. A drone just flew a kidney to a transplant patient for the first time ever. It won't be the last. NBC News. Retrieved from https://www..msn.com /en-us/news/us /a-drone-just-flew-a-kidney-to-a-transplant-patient-for-the-first-time-ever-it-wont-be-the-last/ar-AAARarx?ocid=spartandhp

What Jobs that Many People don’t Want, but Pay Well?

Washing a dog, credit to 123RF

Just for illustration that USA GDP per capita is US$ 65,062, nominal and PPP are the same for USA case in 2019 (Please see statisticstimes.com).

There are many jobs with salary more than average, and off course much more below average.

You might not imagine that these 3 jobs have salary above US$ 65 thousands per year. No college degree required, but appropriate licenses:

1. Dog Cleaners

Many dog owners pay for their pets cleaning service, this attitude is source of income for dog groomers.

Dog groomers refer to people who provide services for cleaning and hygienic caring of dogs. The job included to bath, clean ear and eye, nail clipping, hair cut and dryer.

If owners want to show their dogs for competition, then the groomers will enhance physical appearance of dog as well.

Hourly wage for groomers is U$$ 45, the average income per year is around US$ 67,500, even higher if groomer would like to work long hours.

2. Truck Driver

A truck driver, especially a long distance driver is hard work for who don’t like harsh weather, heavy traffic and stay away from families and friends.

Salary for truck driver reaches average of US$ 82 thousands per year. No need college degree, but an appropriate driving license.

3.Crime Scene Cleaners

Cleaning and sanitizing of crime sites are part of Crime Scene Cleaners job descriptions.

Sites related to industrial accidents, car accidents, homicides, brutal injured or suicides.

Salary reach up to US$ 80 per year, and average is around US$ 75 thousands. Not only in the USA, a crime scene cleaners may get AU$ 62,400 per year in Australia.

Finally, what is well pay job without college degree and not many people want in your country?