Research Produces Tools to Study Stallions' Subfertility Aug 31, 2010
30, 2010) Subfertility of breeding stallions -- meaning the horses are less able to sire foals -- is a well-recognized problem that has caused multi-million-dollar losses in the equine industry, experts say. Texas A&M researchers believe they are making progress in solving the problem by using an approach that might provide tools and resources necessary to study subfertility without causing stallions the angst of providing testicular samples for testing ... The RNA isolation technique from... (Science Daily)
National Development Minister answers public queries on housing and low fertility rate Aug 31, 2010
" onclick="Next();" src="/images/butt_next. The fact that you don't have a house straight away doesn't mean you cannot have babies. (Channelnewsasia.com)
Exposure to Low Doses of BPA Alters Gene Expression in the Fetal Mouse Ovary Aug 29, 2010
(June 12, 2009) Exposure during pregnancy to the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, found in many common plastic household items, is known to cause a fertility defect in the mother's offspring in animal studies, and now. (Feb. (Science Daily)
Ancient Rome spawns modern TV and movie ventures — again — this year and next Aug 29, 2010
The producers including Sam Raimi break new ground by focusing on how the anxious, striving middle class (Batiatus and his adoring, scheming wife, played by Lucy Lawless) lose sleep over debts, social status, and fertility issues, yet are thoughtlessly cruel to their slaves. And those slaves aren t the faceless, nameless background players of previous epics; they re the resentful, beaten-down, terrorized majority who finally realize that the dream that was Rome doesn t include them. (Boston Globe)
Teenage baby boom sparks call for better sex education Aug 29, 2010
The teen fertility rate in NSW rose 15 per cent from 2007 to 2008, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics ... Australia's teenage fertility rate of 17 births per 1000 teens is lower than the rate in the US (51 per 1000), Britain (27 per 1000) and New Zealand (26 per 1000) ... We are not doing as well as the Netherlands or Scandinavia in terms of helping teenagers manage sex and fertility. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Forum: The 'population bomb' has fizzled Aug 29, 2010
A United Nations committee reported in 2009 that global fertility declined from 5 children per woman in 1965-70 to 2. 6 children in the past five years. (Athens Banner-Herald)
New Zealand, French Genetics Promoted For Grazing (1) Aug 29, 2010
Breeding is simple, but we make it very complicated, Wicks contends, suggesting producers focus on breeds with the highest genetic merit, combined with fertility ... Jersey and a Jersey cross can bring in that fertility ... That insight has been confirmed consistently, he maintains, in interactions with U.S. producers whose herds are suffering loss of functionality in fertility and longevity, owing to over selection for productivity and secondarily, dairyness. (Agri-View, WI)
Family planning forced by recession Aug 28, 2010
"It doesn't matter how you look at it - fertility has declined," Ventura said. The situation is a striking turnabout from 2007, when more babies were born in the United States than any other year in the nation's history. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Book Review: ‘Half Baked’ is poignant account of the making of a mom Aug 27, 2010
When she and her husband, Scott, tried yet again, she endured a battery of intrusive tests and fertility treatments the highlights of which are (hilariously) recalled in the book. She sees a reproductive endocrinologist who is a former veterinarian. (Boston Globe)
Unpacking the Global Human Egg Trade Aug 26, 2010
Modern fertility technology has made parenthood a possibility for thousands more people, but it has also created a lucrative -- and ethically questionable -- global trade in human genetic material ... In 1992, he made the Guinness Book of World Records after a 49-year-54-day-old patient he had impregnated via in vitro fertilization delivered a healthy baby girl; at the time, the mother was the oldest person ever to have given birth after IVF. Trokoudes's record has since been shattered (two... (FastCompany)
Obama should move quickly to restore stem-cell research Aug 26, 2010
On Monday, US appellate Judge Royce Lamberth blocked federal funds for experiments on stem cells created with embryos left over from fertility treatments. There is strong public support for such research, and for good reason. (Boston Globe)
- US officials vow to appeal ban on stem-cell funding Aug 26, 2010
Opponents say it is wrong to destroy human embryos, even days-old embryos to be discarded from fertility clinics. In his ruling, Judge Royce Lamberth said legislation tacked onto the Health and Human Services spending authorization every year, called the Dickey-Wicker amendment, bans federal funding of all such research. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Justice Dept. to Appeal Stem-Cell Ruling Aug 25, 2010
Obama expanded up to 75 so far the number that could be used but with additional caveats: that the original embryo was left over from fertility treatment and the woman or couple who donated it did so voluntarily and was told of other options, such as donating the embryo to another infertile woman. The lawsuit was filed by two scientists who argued that Obama's expansion jeopardized their ability to win government funding for research using adult stem cells ones that have already matured to... (Time.com)
Justice Department will appeal ruling in stem cell case Aug 25, 2010
Writes Brachear, "At this time last year, doctors say, the absence of government funds combined with the economic downturn stalled most meaningful embryonic science, making donations to research a riskier and more radical option. Some laboratories stopped accepting donations, forcing some fertility centers to hold on to embryos despite parents' preference to devote them to research." So, wait, deciding that you'd like your embryos to go to science somehow becomes "risky" and "radical" if there's... (Salon)
Our view: Stem cell ruling puts onus on Congress Aug 25, 2010
Scientists point out that days-old embryos are a collection of cells barely the width of a human hair; that the embryos are surplus to fertility procedures and ; and that rules require that the donors sign waivers to allow the embryos to be used for research. Even so, the issue has gotten tangled up in abortion politics and tormented politicians for more than a decade. (USA Today)
Fertility rule overhaul Aug 24, 2010
Britain's fertility regulator is planning a shake-up of the strict rules governing egg and sperm donation to try prevent childless couples from seeking treatment abroad ... In a joint statement the pair said they were "sadHave you heard the one about the funniest joke?Judges sat through thousands of gags at this year's Edinbugh Fringe FestivalThe Director of Emergency Operations for UNICEF, Louis-George Arsenault, spoke to Mary Nightingale. She began by asking whyEngland's ambition to... (ITV news, UK -- News)
Scientists Find Genes Linked to Testicular Cancer Aug 24, 2010
It is considered one of the most treatable cancers because it usually responds well to chemotherapy, but survivors often have fertility problems after treatment. The disease has a strong genetic component and men who have a brother affected by testicular cancer have an eight- to tenfold increased risk of developing the disease than men with no family history. (MEDLINEplus)
Q&A: US stem cell debate Aug 24, 2010
Scientists generally harvest embryonic stem cells from embryos left over after in vitro fertilisation attempts at fertility clinics but they can also be produced using cloning technology ... The creation of embryos is a routine practice in private fertility clinics. (BBC News -- Americas)
Surrogate Motherhood Is Booming in India Aug 23, 2010
In 2007 the came to visit India's "Surrogacy Queen," Dr. Nayna Patel, founder of the Akanksha Infertility Clinic ... "I think women should be free to choose what they do with their bodies," says Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, a fertility specialist in Mumbai ... In fact, one might even suggest that India is moving towards a surrogacy-based economy, in which Indiansin call centers and fertility clinics alikespecialize in substituting Westerners in a cheaper, more efficient way. (Slate)
Sexy thanks to hormones Aug 23, 2010
"The desire for women at peak fertility to unconsciously choose products that enhance appearance is driven by a desire to outdo attractive rival women," said Kristina Durante, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and lead author of the study. "If you look more desirable than your competition, you are more likely to stand out.". (iAfrica.com)
'Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other' Aug 23, 2010
Although the road to parenthood is a long one for Simon and his wife, he revisits it without rancor, laughing off visits to a fertility doctor - "There are a lot of words to describe a couple who are trying to reproduce on demand. 'Romantic' isn't among them" - and sharing the absurdity of being listed, in China, as "author of sports books," so as to avoid any distrust of Western journalists. "I had hoped," he writes, "that we wouldn't get into an interview and have an official ask, 'How 'bout... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Australia's real challenge is population ageing Aug 23, 2010
It is changes in the fertility rate - not in migration levels - that will substantially alter the age composition of our population ... And a combination of low immigration and low fertility would be a demographic disaster ... Only high fertility can slow the inevitable ageing of our population. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
Study of cell division sheds light on special mechanism in egg cells Aug 23, 2010
The discovery of an "inside out" mechanism by which egg cell chromosomes separate from each other may shed light on mistakes made in chromosome distribution that can lead to Down syndrome, high miscarriage rates in humans, and the age-related decrease in fertility in human females ... Egg cells, especially in humans, are prone to mistakes in dividing the chromosomes during meiosis; mistakes which result in reproductive problems in humans such as Down syndrome, infertility and miscarriages ...... (EurekAlert!)
Cougar Love Just a Theory? Aug 21, 2010
"A wide variety of evidence has shown that women, when considering a potential long-term partner, focus more than males on cues indicative of wealth and status and these logically accumulate with age. "Males conversely focus more intently on physical attractiveness cues and these are clearly correlated with the years of maximum fertility. " A UWIC release added: "Madonna and Demi Moore are said to be influencing a whole new generation of 'cougar' women who see much younger men as their goal when... (Fox News)
'Functional Medicine' practice opening Aug 21, 2010
She treats conditions including allergies, asthma, athletic performance, autism, anxiety, depression, cancer prevention, ADHD, diabetes, detox, fatigue, fertility, weight loss and many others. Most Read Stories. (Austin Business Journal, TX)
Repros stock gets boost on analyst upgrade Aug 21, 2010
Repros also recently announced that the agreed with the company s proposal to conduct two Phase III placebo and active controlled studies in order to demonstrate the benefit of Androxal in normalizing testosterone levels while preserving fertility. sent shares of the public company as high as 47 cents on Aug. 9 before closing at 36 cents. (Houston Business Journal, TX)
Hormone Therapy Doesn't Boost Brainpower Aug 21, 2010
But they assumed that because the participants were similar across most other measures, there should be no difference in their thinking and memory skills before some started hormone therapy, they write in the study, which is published in Fertility and Sterility ... com/tus95n Fertility and Sterility, online July 29, 2010. (MEDLINEplus)
Do We Need Another Indiana Jones? Aug 21, 2010
We like Indy swapping out fertility idols with all-too-light bags of sand, and having to spell out the word of God while hop-scotching across an ancient Scrabble death trap. In short, Indy seems to work best when doing that which made him so cool and iconic and believable in the first place, something the three original films knew all too well. (IGN FilmForce)
Mystery of the"basement babies" Aug 21, 2010
" See? We've already had one prime-time abortion this year. We're not due again till 2048. But ever since Roe v. Wade, the vague notion of "choice" has come up pretty regularly on television, just usually with the convenient outcome of a well-timed miscarriage, a ratings-grabbing baby, or an abstract look at the issue, like when of a group of doctors dedicated to fertility. A few abortions have managed to slip through here and there, however, notably that hedged its bets by letting a minor... (Salon)
Are They Mine? Confessions of a Sperm Donor Aug 20, 2010
Sperm Donors Admit to Fathering Hundreds of Children and Call for Regulation of Fertility Industry - ABC News ... Films 'The Switch' and 'The Kids Are Alright' Paint Pretty Picture of an Ugly Fertility Industry ... He and others say the fertility industry should be better regulated. (ABC News)
NFL upholds four-game suspension for Cushing Aug 20, 2010
Cushing tested positive for hCG, a fertility drug banned by the NFL ... The reigning Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year was suspended in May for testing positive for HCG, a fertility drug that is on the NFL's banned substances list. (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- NFL)
Discovery may aid search for anti-aging drugs Aug 19, 2010
In addition, drugs might be designed to avoid other disadvantages of this level of dietary restriction, which include reduced fertility. C. elegans is a tiny roundworm, a nematode whose two-week lifespan is a great advantage for scientists studying aging. (EurekAlert!)
Swaziland: A Culture That Encourages HIV/Aids Aug 19, 2010
Swaziland is mainly rural, but in the northern Hhohho Region, where the capital, Mbabane, is located, the fertility rate is 3 ... The fertility rate among women whose education finished at primary school was 5 ... The poorest Swazi women have a fertility rate of 5. (allAfrica.com)
Free to be ... a Target commercial Aug 19, 2010
The findings aren't all that surprising and certainly fall in line with past research on fertility and sex appeal -- like the study finding that women or the one demonstrating that strippers What I find most fascinating (also: horrifying, depressing) is that these results are being framed as a potential marketing tool. It reminds me of the "Hormonology Guide to Holiday Shopping" that Rebecca Traister way back in Broadsheet's infancy. (Salon)
Studying Yeast to Better Understand Male Infertility Aug 18, 2010
The scientists are studying yeast in order to shed light on the numerous cases of male infertility related to the malfunction of this process during spermatogenesis ... Over the last fifty years, male fertility has declined steadily ... Defects in the compaction process are responsible for numerous cases of male infertility. (Science Daily)
U.N. says millions without help in Pakistan floods Aug 18, 2010
As fresh rains fell Thursday, bloated rivers gushed toward southern Sindh province, where hundreds of thousands of the most impoverished Pakistanis live along the water because of its fertility and because it is cheaper than safer ground. The Indus originates in the Himalayas and travels through the country, emptying into the Arabian Sea. (Salon)
Can Cloned Plants Live Forever? Aug 18, 2010
By coupling estimates of clone age with a measure of male fertility, they found that long-lived aspen clones do indeed suffer reduced sexual fitness with age. "One reason the evidence for aging in trees is scarce is because it is very difficult to obtain long-term demographic data. Imagine trying to follow cohorts of plants that live on average 100 years of age and don't start reproducing until they are 25 yrs; its impossible within the timeframe of a Ph.D. or even over an entire career," says... (Science Daily)
High Stress Levels May Delay Women Getting Pregnant, Study Suggests Aug 18, 2010
The study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, suggests that some couples wanting to become pregnant may benefit from relaxation techniques ... This large study has recruited 1500 healthy women in the UK trying to become pregnant and aims to see whether a fertility monitor could help them ... Unipath Corporation provided fertility monitors and pregnancy tests used in the study. (Science Daily)
Only children not so lonely Aug 17, 2010
He adds that when he and his colleagues found the small deficit in socialization among the kindergarten children, they didn t recommended that parents have a second child to "improve their first child s social skills." "The differences just weren t large enough for parents to make fertility decisions based on them," he says. . (Scientific American)
Wild horse advocates write in protest of Wyoming wild horse roundup Aug 17, 2010
The agency plans to use a combination of helicopter roundups and fertility control methods to reduce wild horse numbers in the adjacent herd management areas ... " Over objective The two herd management areas are located in southeastern Sweetwater County, south of Wamsutter and Interstate 80. The BLM released its environmental assessment July 22. The document said the two herd units are way over their appropriate management levels. Agency officials said population surveys conducted in July 2009... (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
Pakistan Farmers Bear Brunt of Deadly Floods Aug 17, 2010
"We need to support the farming community in the best way so they make up their losses by capitalizing on the golden fertility that the River Indus has brought down.". Thinking that far ahead is a struggle for many farmers. (CBS News -- Health)
Ovaries: the new shopping guide Aug 17, 2010
According the results of a new research conducted by The University of Minnesotas Carlson School of Management, women at peak fertility unconsciously choose sexier clothes than they do at other times of the month. The researchers also noted that in most cases, women tend to buy sexy clothing during ovulation in an attempt to look good to rival a potential love interest. (India Times, India)
The Mushroom World Aug 17, 2010
Author Katie Letcher Lyle also believes the mushroom is phallic in appearance, which is represented in an ancient fertility cult from which the Christ figure purportedly derives. In the Mexican town of Chignahuapan, Puebla, there was alleged to be a church that venerated fungus in the 1970's. (Suite101.com)
Synthetic blood: 'Red blood cells created from IVF embryos' Aug 16, 2010
In their research, the scientists used more than a 100 spare embryos left over from treatment at fertility clinics to establish several embryonic stem cell "lines". A line, RC-7, was transformed into blood stem cells before being converted into red cells containing oxygen-carrying haemoglobin. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
How to Telax the PC Muscle Aug 16, 2010
The only time you should stop urinating in mid-flow is to find your PC muscle, says the male fertility site Bigger Loads ... According to the male fertility website No premature ejaculation, work up to contracting the PC muscle for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds and doing up to 15 repetitions per set. (Suite101.com)
Infertility treatment: informed consent, miraculous options Aug 15, 2010
RE by Sylvia Pagan Westphal (Op-Ed, Aug. 8): A few days after reading of the birth of a healthy baby boy to the woman who herself was the first baby born in the United States after in vitro fertilization (Globe staffer Elizabeth Comeau, , Page A1, Aug. 6), we were surprised to read Westphal s harsh criticism of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection and other fertility treatments. Chromosomal abnormalities are the cause of infertility in only a small minority of patients ... Infertility physicians... (Boston Globe -- Editorial)
Officials in Japanese community play Cupid online Aug 15, 2010
The fertility rate has dropped to 1 ... Three-fourths of the decline in Japan s fertility rate between 1975 and 2005 can be explained by the decision of more women to delay or forgo marriage, according to Miho Iwasawa, a researcher at the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. (Boston Globe)
Stress May Impede Fertility, Researchers Find Aug 14, 2010
POSTED: 3:18 pm PDT August 12, 2010UPDATED: 4:09 pm PDT August 12, 2010. -- There is a widespread belief that stress may reduce a woman's chance of getting pregnant. (KERO 23, CA)
Technique to preserve fertility in young women may be unsafe for patients with leukemia Aug 14, 2010
(WASHINGTON, August 13, 2010) Although the use of ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation has lead to 13 live births in women with lymphoma or solid tumors, this method of fertility preservation may be unsafe for patients with leukemia, according to a recent published online in Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology ... As most acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients are diagnosed with the disease at a young age, consideration of the preservation of their... (EurekAlert!)
Tot's development went through ice age Aug 14, 2010
The process begins the same way as in-vitro fertilization, retrieving a woman's eggs by stimulating her ovaries with fertility drugs, said Dr. Thomas Huang, med 00004000 ical director for the institute ... The process begins the same way as in-vitro fertilization, retrieving a woman's eggs by stimulating her ovaries with fertility drugs, said Dr. Thomas Huang, medical director for the institute. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Biofuels have supporters, but scale remains an obstacle Aug 14, 2010
If managed properly, operations can enhance the fertility of the soil. As obtainable oil supplies become increasingly scarce and prices likely rise, so do the prospects for biofuels. (Pacific Business News, HI)
Kenya: Shortage of Skills for Reproductive Health Aug 14, 2010
" Kenya has only 340 registered gynaecologists serving a population of 38 million. Karanja says the shortage of these highly-qualified personnel is exacerbated by the uneven distribution of the few who are available. "With so few specialists, it means women in rural and peri-urban areas have no access to a gynaecologist because the few who are available are concentrated in urban areas and they are expensive," Karanja says. Only a tiny proportion of African women have access to skilled medical... (allAfrica.com)
New Techniques, Technology Helping Las Vegas Heart Attack Victims Aug 13, 2010
The Fertility Center of Las Vegas provides state-of-the-art fertility services to couples who are longing to become parents. University of Southern Nevada College of Dental Medicine offers affordable, high quality orthodontic care for children, adolescents and adults. (KLAS-TV.com, NV)
Obesity Linked to Lower Sperm Count in Young Men Aug 13, 2010
The findings, reported in the journal Fertility and Sterility, add to evidence tying obesity to relatively poorer quality sperm ... Studies have so far come to conflicting conclusions as to whether obesity actually impairs a man's fertility ... And these latest findings do not reveal whether the difference in sperm count between obese and normal-weight men would be enough to also make a difference in their fertility, according to lead researcher Dr. Uwe Paasch, of the University of Leipzig in... (MEDLINEplus)
Shrinking Societies: The Other Population Crisis Aug 13, 2010
Japan's fertility rate fell from 1 ... In Germany, where the fertility rate is 1 ... Even in Iran, where the fertility rate is 1. (BusinessWeek)
Charcoal Takes Some Heat Off Global Warming: Biochar Can Offset 1.8 Billion Metric Tons of Carbon Emissions Annually Aug 13, 2010
"Biochar offers one of the few ways we can create power while decreasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. And it improves food production in the world's poorest regions by increasing soil fertility. It's an amazing tool.". The study is the most thorough and comprehensive analysis to date on the global potential of biochar. (Science Daily)
Oh baby: the impact of a child on your sex life Aug 12, 2010
It seems painfully obvious to talk about the significance of sex in relation to fertility and childbirth ... Most women embark on a fertility crusade supported by an army of assistants ovulation predictors, thermometers and the like. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
Defect Risk Higher for Assisted Fertility Babies Aug 12, 2010
LONDON (Reuters) - Babies born to couples who had fertility treatment have a greater risk of birth abnormalities and doctors should be prepared to warn potential parents about these risks, French scientists said on Sunday ... She said this was around double the rate seen in the general population, but added that she thought most doctors working in fertility clinics in France only told couples about such risks if they were asked specific questions ... Viot's team conducted a survey of 33 French... (MEDLINEplus)
Repros gets patent for Androxal Aug 12, 2010
The company proposed conducting two Phase III placebo and active controlled studies in order to demonstrate the benefit of Androxal in normalizing testosterone levels while preserving fertility. Most Read Stories. (Houston Business Journal, TX)
Stress may make women less likely to get pregnant Aug 12, 2010
By Rita Rubin, USA TODAY Practically everyone has heard of a couple who, after fertility treatments fail, adopt a baby and then all of a sudden get pregnant ... But a new study in the current issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility lends credence to a link between stress and time to conception, and not just in couples dealing with infertility ... The study involved 274 British women 18 to 40 years old in the Oxford Conception Study, which examined whether information from... (USA Today)
Cholesterol Levels Fluctuate with Menstrual Cycle Aug 12, 2010
The women also charted the phases of their cycles using at-home fertility monitors that detect hormone levels indicating ovulation. Most of the women were physically active and did not smoke. (MEDLINEplus)
If Overtrained Athletes Syndrome flies ... Aug 12, 2010
You will hear explanations in the vein of The dog ate my homework that will go something like this: I was driving along in traffic, with my arm out the window, just enjoying the breeze and the sun, when the doors to a hospital van in front of me flew open and a syringe filled with a banned fertility drug flew out and nailed me in the biceps. After Overtrained Athletes Syndrome, that will sound plausible by comparison. (MSNBC -- Sports)
Zimbabwe: External Help Raises Food Production but Some Still Hungry - UN Aug 11, 2010
FAO also promoted conservation agriculture that helped farmers to improve soil fertility through the use of techniques such as maintaining soil organic cover, reducing tillage and better crop rotation. The programme also promoted the use of vouchers which farmers used to get the inputs they needed from local suppliers. (allAfrica.com)
Clorox goes green with new natural product line Aug 10, 2010
She said the company still sells cleaning products "that contain potentially hazardous chemicals," including ones linked to asthma, birth defects and reduced fertility. "Clorox should extend the philosophy behind Green Works to all of their products," she wrote. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Repros drug gets positive FDA feedback Aug 10, 2010
Androxal is a drug for use in the treatment of secondary hypogonadism in men wishing to preserve fertility. The FDA issued a letter to Repros stating that the company could conduct a Phase 3 test of the drug, and results of both the Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies could be submitted for review. (Houston Business Journal, TX)
