Brain Changes during Reproduction Process – Part 1 – Brain Plasticity 2

Body requires adaptation during pregnancy for offspring’s demand by modification behavior of emotional and foraging.

Image 1- Areas of amygdala and hippocampus (credit to Google)

Many animals such as Deer mouse of California with scientific name Peromyscus californicus have experienced parenting neuroplasticity until late adulthood,

Unexpectedly, these experiences happen to both male and female even though male never got pregnancy.

Brain plasticity during reproduction period in animals has multiple purposes either relate to baby directly or not.

Image 2- Christmas decoration, illustration

Few examples of brain plasticity with relate between parents to their baby include:

- sensitivity to baby’s odors.
- to care of offspring

Image 3- A house decoration at our neighborhood

However, parents for some animals to adapt long-fasting, a kind of Ramadhan fasting. Sure, they will loss weight, but improve some their physiology conditions.

Image 4- Street in the morning, illustration

Other critters have developed their brain plasticity during reproduction process:

- to protect memory deficits
- to improve of maternal visual system

# To be continued to part 2

## Previous postings:

- A Bird on the Exit Sign in the Library – Part 1
- Attractive Yellow Flowers at the Corner – Part 2 – Nature 19
- When the Georgian Chicken Came to My Kitchen – Part 2 – Food 12
- Can Alzheimer's Disease be Passing Down from Parent to Child? - Part 1 - Alzheimer's 4

A Pheasant in Neighborhood – Nature 45

Quite surprising that we met with a pheasant when we were walking in our neighborhood area recently.

Image 1- A pheasant, lonely

Morning walking or jogging for 35 minutes is our routines, almost daily. Sure, we encounter a lot of critters.

It was the first time to see a pheasant. Since this critter is normally a wild animal, and it should be live in areas such as:

- farmlands with multiple crops
- woodland edges
- brushy meadows
- and open areas

Image 2- Amaryllis flowers

Image 3- Decoration at neighborhood

We assumed some people must be raising this critter close by. People raise pheasants for several purposes: just for pets, a source of food, and return their back to nature.

In case of introducing to the wild, the pheasants then for hunting purposes. It is quite popular in several parts of America.

Have you seen a pheasant? Where?

# Previous postings:

- How did Alzheimer find out the change in his patient's brain? - Part 2 - Alzheimer's 3
- Attractive Yellow Flowers at the Corner – Part 1 – Nature 19
- When the Georgian Chicken Came to My Kitchen – Part 1 – Food 12
- May Smartphones Lead You Older Quickly? - Part 2 – Health Life 18

Leprosy is One of the Oldest Ancient Diseases - Part 2 - Healthy Life 27

You may read previous post (Part 1):

- Leprosy is One of the Oldest Ancient Diseases - Part 1 - Healthy Life 27

Image 1- Miniature roses

A healthy person is also can be infected by leprosy if the person breaths in the air that contaminated with bacteria. The bacteria cause leprosy is called Mycobacterium leprae.

CDC mentioned that a person will not get infection through:

-Hugging and Shaking hands
-Sitting next each other in subway or bus
-Sitting together in the dinner table.
-Not passing on from mother to her baby during pregnancy

Image 2- Foggy, illustration

Image 3- A gift, illustration

There are about 200.000 cases per year in the worldwide, sure, mostly in developing countries.

Leprosy is rare in the US, but it still exist, and there are about 200 new cases per year.

Finally, this disease is curable with multiple antibacterial drugs. The treatment is amazingly effective.

# Previous postings:

- How did Alzheimer find out the change in his patient's brain? - Part 1 - Alzheimer's 3
- Biscotti and “The Blissful Feast” by Teresa Lust – Part 2 – Reading 9
- Lord of the Ducks in the Garden – Part 2 – Nature 18
- May Smartphones Lead You Older Quickly? - Part 1 – Health Life 18

Why are We Worry with Human Extinction? - Science 29

Human extinction has been discussed since many decades ago, and even lead to worry in recent days.

Image 1- Illustration only

The fact that our world just reaches 8 billion people this year. This number is projected to increase in coming years.

World population is projected by United Nation (2022):

- in 2030 hit 8.5 billion people
- in 2050 reaches 9.7 billion people
- in 2100 hit 10.4 billion people

So, why are we worry with human extinctions?

Image 2- Neighborhood in the morning

Image 3- One corners of our small city

Yes, population seem increasing year by year, but it will reach peak in 2100. Since then, world population is expected to decrease.

We are witness decreasing population in many countries such as Japan and South Korea. No growth in China anymore, population will decrease next several years.

Moreover, in term of biology, surprisingly, men sperm production is decreasing since decades ago:

- between 1973 to 1999, about 1.2% reduction of sperm count per year
- since 2000, about 2.6% reduction of sperm count per year

Acceleration of sperm reduction has been occurred all over the world. If this trending continue, human extinction is highly possible in the future.

# Previous postings:

- Lord of the Ducks in the Garden – Part 1 – Nature 18
- Corned Beef Harsh - The Popular Breakfast in Louisiana – Part 2 – Food 11

White Hominy Pearls Tossed with Coconut Shreds – Part 1 – Food 32

It was 710 days ago, the new virus to be a “breaking news” when we were ready to celebrate the Rat Year of the Chinese New Year.

Image 1- White Hominy Pearls, sold by Walmart

Then I posted about this new coronavirus:

- The Gloomy in the Beginning of the Year of Rat – Part 1
- The Gloomy in the Beginning of the Year of Rat – Part 2

It is over two years since this type of virus, then we called it Covid-19, came up and spread.

Today, the viruses are still hanging around in this world, even many of us got booster vaccines (third times vaccinated).

Image 2- Just for illustration

Image 3- The colder weeks and we “stay in our bubbles”

The viruses do not want away from us. They developed and becoming new strains instead of leaving us.

At the beginning, the new strains were more virulent than their original, and we have to be aware.

About two years ago “A physician from Baton Rouge, Dr O'Neal, warns us not to get out in the next couples of weeks. He encouraged us to stay in our bubbles”.

# To be Continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Reducing Number of Amazon River Pink Dolphin? - Part 2 – Nature 17
- Biscotti and “The Blissful Feast” by Teresa Lust – Part 1 – Reading 9

Black Cobra Chili Plants – Food 31

We used to have several kinds of Chili plants in our yard. Just few are Red chili, Jalapeno and hybrid chilies.

Image 1- Fruit with black color

A Black Cobra Chili plant is our new project for fun now. It seems the plant grows well in the backyard, and reach maturity about 90 days or more, depends on many factors include:

- weather (temperature).
- using of fertilizer
- some diseases

Strange and interestingly that fruits color was black at the beginning (please see at Image 1), then the color changes to red after few weeks.

Image 2- Plant height in inches

In my mind that It is a kind of “adorable” and ornamental plant when color of fruit is at black stage.

Image 3- A Black cobra chili plant crawling up

Image 4- Eastern garter, black snake with little white dots, illustration.

Sure, chili (fruit) of black cobra chili is edible, and yes, quite spicy compared to other several chilies such as:

- Jalapeno
- Serrano.
- and Chipotle

In term of Scoville Heat Units (SHU), the unit to measure spiciness (hotness) of chili shows that black cobra chili is in the range of 20,000 to 40,000 SHU scale.

Have you tasted Black Cobra chili? If yes, do you like it?

# Previous postings:

- The Early Person who Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Diseases - Part 2 – Alzheimer's 2
- Corned Beef Harsh - The Popular Breakfast in Louisiana – Part 1 – Food 11

Learning Process Based on My Own Experienced – Part 1 – Science 28

During my human medicine study at a college, one of courses was Pathophysiology class (BIOL-4310).

Image 1- Learning process level of Bloom’s Taxonomy 

(credit to Cehdclass)

The last session of the class was the student presentation. I chose pathophysiology of shock from the list of assignment.

Before presentation we were assigned to do research from the journals with the peer reviews, and then we write certain pages of term paper about the assigned topic.

The professor would check the paper before we present it and give some feedback, include comments, suggestions and recommendation for further improvement.

Image 2- Neighborhood, just illustration

Whenever, everything in the "the right tracts", the topic then was ready to be presented.

Image 3- Wrap, Illustration only

Shock is a manifestation of pathological condition rather than diseases as many people know.

I understand that diagnosis and management of shocks are require extensive knowledge and clinical experience.

At the beginning, I identified and retrieved my knowledge in Anatomy and Physiology class about how does our heart work (remembering level).

# To be continued to part 2

## Previous posting:

- Sweet Chocolate Candies and a Yummy Book – Part 2 – Reading 8
- Reducing Number of Amazon River Pink Dolphin? - Part 1 – Nature 17