Washington, Feb 15 (ANI): The malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) changes into a banana shape before sexual reproduction, an Australian research team has found.

The finding could provide targets for vaccine or drug development and may explain how the parasite evades the human immune system.

The team was led by Dr Matthew Dixon and PhD student Megan Dearnley from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute at the University of Melbourne.

Dr Dixon said the new study solves a 130-year old mystery, revealing how the most deadly of human malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum performs its shape-shifting.

"In 1880 the banana or crescent shape of the malaria parasite was first seen in the blood of a patient. Using a 3D microscope technique, we reveal that malaria uses a scaffold of special proteins to form a banana shape before sexual reproduction," said Dr Dixon.

"As the malaria parasite can only reproduce in its 'banana form', if we can target these scaffold proteins in a vaccine or drug, we may be able to stop it reproducing and prevent malaria transmission entirely," he added.

When in its banana shape, the malaria parasite is passed from a human host to a mosquito where it reproduces in the mosquito gut. The study found that specific proteins form scaffolds, called microtubules, which lie underneath the parasite surface and elongate it into the sexual stage banana shape.

The work suggests that when the parasites are ready for sexual reproduction, they adopt the banana shape so that they can fit through the tiny sinusoidal slits in the spleen. This enables them to avoid the host's mechanical filtering and immune surveillance mechanisms and to survive in the circulation long enough to be picked up by a mosquito and transmitted to the next victim.

The banana shape was revealed in greater detail than ever before by using high-end imaging techniques - 3D Structured Illumination Microscopy and Cryo Electron Microscopy - conducted with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science.

The discovery has been published in the Journal of Cell Science. (ANI)

Original post:
Sex makes malaria parasite go 'bananas'

New Libyan regime pledged to support Human Rights

By Rob Cooper

Last updated at 9:01 PM on 14th February 2012

A Libyan delegate sparked outrage after telling a United Nations human rights panel that gay people threaten the future of the human race.

The unnamed official made the remarks as violence based on sexual orientation was being discussed.

His outburst came despite the new Libyan leaders promising to respect human rights following the downfall of Colonel Gaddafi.

Outburst: Libya were only reinstated to the 47-nation United Nations Human Rights Council in November. It is separate from the General Assembly

Libya were only recently restored to the 47-nations UN Human Rights Council.

The delegate said that the topics being discussed 'affect religion and the continuation and reproduction of the human race', the non-governmental organisation UN Watch reported.

He also claimed that Libya would have opposed a resolution that denounced violence on the grounds of sexual orientation last June, if they had not been suspended.

The homophobic remarks sparked an angry backlash and an immediate rebuke from the UN Human Rights council president Laura Dupuy Lasserre.

Abuses: Under Colonel Gaddafi gays were routinely imprisoned in Libya

She said: 'The Human Rights Council is here to defend human rights and prevent discrimination.'

Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch who led a campaign to have Gaddafi's Libya thrown off the council said following the remarks: 'This is not the Arab Spring we hoped for.'

Mr Neuer added: 'The homophobic outburst by the new Libyan government, together with its routine abuse of prisoners and other ongoing violations, underscores the serious questions many have about the new regime's commitment to improving on the dark record of its predecessor.'

Libya were thrown off the Human Rights Council in March last year but allowed back on in November after the death of Gaddafi.

While the dictator was in power, gays were routinely flogged and imprisoned, human rights experts have claimed.

The Human Rights Council is separate from the UN General Assembly - and with 47 members it is a lot smaller.

As they were re-instated, Ibrahim Dabbashi, deputy UN envoy, said: 'the new Libya deserves to return to the Human Rights Council to contribute with other members to the promotion of values of human rights.'

See original here:
Outrage as Libya tells United Nations: 'Gays threaten the future of the human race'

WOBURN, Mass., Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MBL International Corporation, a leading life science company focused on providing high quality products and solutions for life science research and clinical diagnostics, today announced the launch of AngioPhase™,  an angiogenesis kit which allows for the analysis of all known phases of the angiogenic process in a convenient and flexible format.

Angiogenesis is the multistep process whereby new blood vessels develop from pre-existing vasculature. It plays a key role in the natural process of healing and reproduction but also in many pathological processes including cancer, skin diseases, age-related blindness, diabetic ulcers, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

AngioPhase™ incorporates a patented technology, developed by TCS Cellworks Limited, Buckingham, UK, in which human endothelial cells are co-cultured with other human cells in a specially designed medium. Under the terms of the non-exclusive agreement with TCS Cellworks Limited, MBL International Corporation has been granted a license to manufacture and sell the assay in North and South America.

"MBL International is excited about adding AngioPhase to our growing portfolio of life sciences products," said Dennis Walczewski, CEO MBL International Corporation. "This technology offers many benefits to researchers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries by offering a ready-to-use angiogenesis kit in which test compounds can be added at any time. Moreover, both angiogenic simulators and inhibitors can be assessed as well as tubule formation."

"We are pleased to enter into this licensing agreement with MBL International Corporation," stated Tim Almond CEO of TCS Cellworks. "They have demonstrated not only a strong commitment to manufacturing high quality products but also an impressive business model which leverages the superior technical expertise of their commercial team."

About MBL International Corporation

MBL International Corporation is a leading life science company focused on providing high quality products and solutions for life science research and clinical diagnostics. Our products are used widely in academic research institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies, as well as hospital and reference laboratories. By providing a consultative approach, superior technical and customer support, and convenient purchasing options, MBL International Corporation is your partner in solving your scientific and clinical challenges.

For more information visit http://www.mblintl.com or call 800-200-5459.

About TCS Cellworks Limited

TCS Cellworks is a UK based cellular biology company specializing in the development and application of human primary cell tissue models for the bioscience and pharmaceutical business sectors. The success of the AngioPhase kit in Europe is now being expanded to other markets through carefully selected business partners.  TCS also acts as a distributor for a number of international manufacturers in the cell biology field. For further information visit http://www.tcscellworks.co.uk or call 0044 1280 827475.

See more here:
MBL International Corporation Introduces AngioPhase™ Angiogenesis Kit

New Libyan regime pledged to support Human Rights

By Rob Cooper

Last updated at 9:01 PM on 14th February 2012

A Libyan delegate sparked outrage after telling a United Nations human rights panel that gay people threaten the future of the human race.

The unnamed official made the remarks as violence based on sexual orientation was being discussed.

His outburst came despite the new Libyan leaders promising to respect human rights following the downfall of Colonel Gaddafi.

Outburst: Libya were only reinstated to the 47-nation United Nations Human Rights Council in November. It is separate from the General Assembly

Libya were only recently restored to the 47-nations UN Human Rights Council.

The delegate said that the topics being discussed 'affect religion and the continuation and reproduction of the human race', the non-governmental organisation UN Watch reported.

He also claimed that Libya would have opposed a resolution that denounced violence on the grounds of sexual orientation last June, if they had not been suspended.

The homophobic remarks sparked an angry backlash and an immediate rebuke from the UN Human Rights council president Laura Dupuy Lasserre.

Abuses: Under Colonel Gaddafi gays were routinely imprisoned in Libya

She said: 'The Human Rights Council is here to defend human rights and prevent discrimination.'

Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch who led a campaign to have Gaddafi's Libya thrown off the council said following the remarks: 'This is not the Arab Spring we hoped for.'

Mr Neuer added: 'The homophobic outburst by the new Libyan government, together with its routine abuse of prisoners and other ongoing violations, underscores the serious questions many have about the new regime's commitment to improving on the dark record of its predecessor.'

Libya were thrown off the Human Rights Council in March last year but allowed back on in November after the death of Gaddafi.

While the dictator was in power, gays were routinely flogged and imprisoned, human rights experts have claimed.

The Human Rights Council is separate from the UN General Assembly - and with 47 members it is a lot smaller.

As they were re-instated, Ibrahim Dabbashi, deputy UN envoy, said: 'the new Libya deserves to return to the Human Rights Council to contribute with other members to the promotion of values of human rights.'

See more here:
New Libyan rulers tell United Nations: 'Gays threaten continuation of human race'

W.Va. lawmaker still hopes for reproduction services coverage

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- One of the physicians serving in the West Virginia Legislature hopes to revive a measure extending pregnancy and birth control coverage to the dependents of insurance policyholders.

Senate Health and Human Resources Chairman Ron Stollings, D-Boone, said Friday that he's reaching out to members of the Banking and Insurance Committee after they rejected the bill Thursday.

"There is hope that this bill will be reconsidered and, if need be, amendments made," said Stollings, who is a doctor.

Banking and Insurance Chairman Joe Minard said the potential price tag for insurers likely prompted the close vote against advancing the bill to the full Senate.

The Public Employees Insurance Agency, for instance, estimates that expanding this coverage would increase its costs by $12.6 million over the next three years.

The agency cites federal law that allows children to remain on their parents' insurance policies up to age 26. The agency projected that 2,856 dependents would seek contraceptive services during that three-year period. The estimate for that time also predicts 26 births for teens aged 16 to 19, and 625 more for those 20 to 26.

"That might have been the major issue," Minard said Friday.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- One of the physicians serving in the West Virginia Legislature hopes to revive a measure extending pregnancy and birth control coverage to the dependents of insurance policyholders.

Senate Health and Human Resources Chairman Ron Stollings, D-Boone, said Friday that he's reaching out to members of the Banking and Insurance Committee after they rejected the bill Thursday.

"There is hope that this bill will be reconsidered and, if need be, amendments made," said Stollings, who is a doctor.

Banking and Insurance Chairman Joe Minard said the potential price tag for insurers likely prompted the close vote against advancing the bill to the full Senate.

The Public Employees Insurance Agency, for instance, estimates that expanding this coverage would increase its costs by $12.6 million over the next three years.

The agency cites federal law that allows children to remain on their parents' insurance policies up to age 26. The agency projected that 2,856 dependents would seek contraceptive services during that three-year period. The estimate for that time also predicts 26 births for teens aged 16 to 19, and 625 more for those 20 to 26.

"That might have been the major issue," Minard said Friday.

Lawmakers have debated extending such coverage to teens and young adults through their families' policies for several years. West Virginia is also the only state to see its teen pregnancy rate increase while the national rate hit a seven-decade low.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the pregnancy rate for West Virginia girls between 15 and 19 years old increased by 17 percent from 2007 to 2009. The national rate, meanwhile, fell 8 percent.

A 2010 study by Marshall University's Center for Business and Economic Research estimated that teen pregnancies cost West Virginia taxpayers $45 million a year. That figure included $11 million for public health care and $14 million for child welfare.

"The teen mother and the child that's born, the studies have shown that they both have terrible outcomes," Stollings said. "The societal cost of that is great."

The Marshall study, reported to lawmakers as part of the debate over dependent coverage, also touted the potential savings through insurance for birth control. Stollings said the same is true for coverage of pregnancy and maternity services.

"The point I'm making is, the state of West Virginia is paying for those deliveries anyway, because many of these end up as Medicaid deliveries," Stollings said. "The problem is, we lose out on good prenatal care. That increases your risk [to the baby]."

A House-Senate interim committee had drafted and endorsed the bill during last year's monthly study meetings. If Minard's committee agrees to reconsider the measure, Stollings said he would ask that Senate Finance review it as well and scrutinize the potential costs and savings.

View original post here:
W.Va. lawmaker still hopes for reproduction services coverage

(SOFIA) - Bulgaria pledged Monday to shut its dilapidated mental homes after the European Court of Human Rights condemned Sofia over an inmate held for years after being wrongly diagnosed as schizophrenic.

"A strategy of closing mental homes for adults, currently being worked out, will happen over a period of 10 years at least," Valentina Simeonova, deputy social affairs minister, told a news conference.

Rights groups pressured Sofia after the Strasbourg court ruled in favour of Rusi Stanev, 55, who said he was held against his will in a "decaying, dirty and rarely heated" home some 400 kilometres (250 miles) away from his home town.

Patients in the Pastra home were not provided with any therapeutic activities and Stanev was unable to leave after being stripped of his legal rights. His guardian repeatedly refused his requests to apply for a release.

He was only let out three times for 10 days each during his 2002-2006 stay and was forcefully taken back to the home after failing to return within the deadline the last time.

A private psychiatric report in August 2006 found that Stanev was incorrectly diagnosed as schizophrenic and that his symptoms were instead due to his alcohol abuse.

The ECHR Grand Chamber ruled on January 17 that the man's health "was being damaged by his stay in the home" and ordered Bulgaria to pay him 15,000 euros ($19,700) in damages.

"This case must trigger reforms of the mental homes systems and the whole judicial disability notion in Bulgaria and the other east European countries, where the situation is similar," the head of the human rights Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Krasimir Kanev, said Monday.

About 4,000 adults and 1,200 minors live in around 50 mental homes in Bulgaria. The government launched two years ago a wide-reaching effort to improve conditions and close all children's institutions.

The government aims to replace the homes with more modern institutions and to encourage families to house their relatives while they receive treatment during the day.

Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.

Read more:
Bulgaria pledges to shut mental homes

(CBS) The HPV vaccine should be given to all males between the ages of 11 and 21, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PICTURES: HPV vaccine: 20 states that shun the shot

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said in its 2012 recommendations, that the human papillomavirus vaccine should be "routine" for all boys aged 11 to 12 years old and it also recommends "catch-up" vaccinations for males ages 13 to 21.

Last October, the committee first recommended the vaccine for boys, HealthPop reported, but the recommendations weren't formalized until they were published this week, according to the CDC. The recommendations are published in the Feb. 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, and the Feb. 3 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The immunization committee is comprised of 16 other medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians.

CDC epidemiologist Dr. Eileen Dunne told the New York Times that the move came because new data over the past two years showed the vaccine was "very effective" in preventing genital warts in men and women, as well as some cancers.

At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women get infected with HPV at some point, but few develop symptoms or get sick, according to the CDC. Some infections lead to warts, cervical cancer and other cancers, including of the head and neck.

A recent study found that 16 million Americans between the ages of 14 to 69 have HPV in their mouths or throat, but most were found not to have the kind most strongly linked to cancer, according to HealthPop.

The HPV vaccine has been recommended for girls since 2006, but only 49 percent of adolescent girls have gotten at least one of the three HPV shots, according to recent estimates.

The new HPV vaccine recommendations were just two of the changes the CDC announced. Changes were also made to when mothers should receive the tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) booster that protects infants from pertusiss. According to the 2012 schedule, women should receive the vaccine during pregnancy, preferably after 20 weeks of gestation. Adult patients should continue to be vaccinated against influenza.

Read the original post:
CDC: HPV vaccine now recommended for all boys

The differing approaches toward infertility treatments between the US and Europe may be responsible for the enormous discrepancy in pregnancy rates.

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 06, 2012

Recent reports of plateauing IVF pregnancy rates in Europe are in stark contrast to still-rising rates in the US, according to Norbert Gleicher, M.D., a prominent fertility expert and Medical Director of the Center for Human Reproduction (CHR) in New York City. Behind this difference may be a fundamental difference in approaches to the patient-physician relationship in Europe and the US.

Focus on Reproduction, the official magazine of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), recently reported that in Europe overall IVF pregnancy rates have leveled off.

As first reported by Dr. Gleicher’s team in 2006(1,2), European IVF pregnancy rates are significantly lower than American rates. The most recent European data show clinical pregnancy rate per cycle of 32.5%. Conservatively assuming a miscarriage rate of 15%, this would translate into delivery rates of 26.6%. During the same time period, the US delivery rate was 40.7%.

The question is why.

“A part of the reason is the recent propagation of single-embryo transfer (sET) in Europe,” explains Dr. Gleicher. “In Europe, fertility experts and governments alike consider the reduced risk of multiple pregnancies through sET a good enough reason to offset lower pregnancy chances caused by sET. Thus, many European countries mandate sET despite irrefutable evidence that patients value nothing more than better chances of pregnancy in choosing their infertility treatments.

“This is a good example for the fundamental difference in the socio-medical philosophy between Europe and the US,” points out Dr. Gleicher: “Europe values what they perceive as the ‘common good’ over individual rights of patients. What they fail to recognize, however, are the unintended consequences affecting the patient-physician relationship and, most importantly, IVF outcomes.”

He continues: “Not only do patients end up with much lower pregnancy chances with IVF than their U.S. counterparts, they, in the end, are also forced to undergo more IVF cycles , at more cost, and, of course, more risks.” Europe, therefore, performs more than three-times as many IVF cycles per capita than the US. The same philosophy in Europe also results in outright rationing. For example, most Scandinavian countries withhold all IVF treatment from women above age 40-41, an approach unthinkable in the US.

“If there is a lesson to be learned here,” says Dr. Gleicher, “it is that IVF pregnancy rates in the U.S. will continue to improve, as long as IVF research and clinical care remain largely unaffected by government interference, and primarily driven by success in the marketplace, as they have over the last few decades.”

(1)Gleicher et al. A formal comparison of the practice of assisted reproductive technologies between Europe and the USA. Hum Reprod 2006;21:1945-50; (2)Gleicher et al. Update on the comparison of assisted reproduction outcomes between Europe and the USA: the 2002 data Fertil Steril 2007;87:1301-5.

About Center for Human Reproduction

Center for Human Reproduction, or CHR, is a leading fertility center in the United States with a worldwide reputation as a "fertility center of last resort," specializing in treatment of infertility in women with diminished ovarian reserve. Under the leadership of Dr. Norbert Gleicher, CHR has been helping many European patients—in addition to local New York and North American patients—receive state-of-the-art fertility treatments. Dr. Gleicher is available for additional comments.

###

Communications Manager
Center for Human Reproduction
212-994-4400 4491
Email Information

Go here to see the original:
Plateauing IVF Pregnancy Rates in Europe a Stark Contrast to the US Rates, Says a Fertility Expert

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The morning-after pill may help shrink painful fibroids and relieve excessive bleeding, new research indicates.

Fibroids are benign tumors that form on the wall of a woman's uterus; as many as 80 percent of all women may have fibroids. Many cause no symptoms, but one in four women experiences symptoms that are severe enough to require treatment, according to the National Uterine Fibroids Foundation. Symptoms may include heavy periods, anemia, bloating, constipation, infertility and miscarriage. Treatment may involve surgery to remove the uterus and/or hormone treatments such as Lupron (leuprolide) or oral contraceptives.

Now, two new studies in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that the 'morning-after' pill Ella (ulipristal) works just as well as Lupron in treating fibroid-linked uterine bleeding, with less risk of hot flashes. The new studies were funded by PregLem, which markets a form of ulipristal acetate called Esmya.

The drug, used as an emergency contraceptive to prevent pregnancy when taken within five days of unprotected sex, lowers levels of the hormone progesterone, which feeds fibroids.

In one study, women with fibroids who took 5 milligrams (mg) or 10 mg of Ella for 13 weeks had less bleeding and their fibroid shrank when compared to women who took a placebo. A second study showed that women who took either dose of Ella were less likely to have hot flashes than women who received injections of Lupron. Both studies were conducted by researchers from the Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc Catholic University of Louvain, in Brussels.

"Clearly women with fibroids need more alternatives to hysterectomy, especially as they pursue educations and working and not having children until after they have developed fibroids," said Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, a reproductive endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. who wrote an editorial accompanying the new studies. "Surgical solutions are not ideal, so we need more medical treatments. This study suggested that these drugs work equivalently to our standard medical treatment for fibroids and what I am hoping is that future studies will confirm this. Women could then take a drug like this for three months and then come off."

One of the concerns with Ella was that the medication caused worrisome, potentially precancerous changes in the lining of the uterus. These changes appear to be reversible, Stewart said. "If you can reverse these changes and keep your symptoms under control, this treatment can be used in the long term."

Dr. Micheline Chu, director of the recurrent pregnancy loss program at the Center for Human Reproduction at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., said there may be a role for this pill in certain women with fibroids. Lupron puts people in to a premature medical menopause, can't be taken indefinitely due to side effects, and when you stop talking it, the fibroids grow back. Chu often prescribes Lupron to women to reduce the size of their fibroid before surgery. "This pill is better for the type of person who is done having kids and is bothered by fibroids or bleeding," she said. "It can offer a long-term fix for these women."

Dr. Elizabeth Poynor, a gynecologic oncologist and pelvic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said that a new way to treat fibroids is needed. "A lot of our medications don't work so well for fibroids, so I see a great role for this medication," she said. "It is a potential long-term treatment for women who want to avoid surgery."

More information

Find out about fibroids at the National Uterine Fibroids Foundation.

Excerpt from:
'Morning-After' Pill May Be New Option to Treat Painful Fibroids

The foot is a noble appendage. None other than Leonardo da Vinci recognized that. As further evidence, think about the upcoming Super Bowl XLVI. Millions of people around the world will be watching this momentous FOOTball game. How many could you round up to watch a HANDball match no matter what kind of a halftime show you promised?

"The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art," Leonardo said. I'm sure he knew what he was talking about. He was known to improve his knowledge of anatomy by dissecting cadavers.

I count 14 Apostles' feet in a reproduction of da Vinci's famous Last Supper" painting which took three years to create. The original had two more feet, but about 150 years after he painted the mural inside a convent, a new doorway was installed that eliminated the feet of Christ.

From his post mortems, da Vinci would have learned that our two feet contain a total of 52 bones or 25 percent of the entire bone count in the human body. If you suffer from foot pain, it could be in one of the 33 joints or 107 ligaments in each foot or maybe just from the corns and calluses your feet create in response to the friction of ill-fitting shoes.

Some podiatry experts claim that three out of four people wear the wrong size shoes and women have four times as many foot problems as men. That's probably because most men like comfortable clodhoppers while the ladies are attracted to the latest designer footwear which might feature towering spiked heels or slippery clogs. The barefooted Zulu tribes are said to have the world's healthiest feet

Another interesting foot fact is that not all animals hit the ground with the entire bottom surfaces of their feet. Humans do, and so do baboons, bears, gators and frogs, but dogs, cats and birds walk on their toes. Paleontologists say that T-Rex, the huge dinosaur, also walked on his toes. It's hard to believe that this seven-ton, meat-eating monster would be able to sneak up on his prey by tiptoeing through the jungle. Wouldn't they notice the ground was shaking?

Some modern heavyweights also try to be graceful on their feet. A portly friend of mine was taking ballroom dancing lessons and thought he was making progress. Waltzing with his wife at a wedding reception, he boasted, "I think I'm getting close to being a talented dancer."

"You're just two feet away," she replied. "Two big, clumsy feet."

Read the original post:
A look down out our amazing feet

Medical and social work experts are "on call" at no charge to assist with embryo donation questions

Farragut, TN (PRWEB) January 31, 2012

Funded by a new grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Embryo Donation Services Center (EDSC), provides answers and guidance to families and medical, legal and social services professionals who have questions and concerns about donating embryos or the families hoping to become pregnant through embryo adoption (ED/EA). This service is free to those seeking clarity on a wide range of issues surrounding this life giving choice.

Independent physician Reginald Finger and social worker Nancy Lesslie are available to answer pertinent ED/EA questions, either by phone or email. They will respond as soon as possible, but no later than the following business day. EDSC can also address questions and concerns regarding the legal and ethical aspects of ED/EA. EDSC can be contacted at (719) 213-7680, reg(dot)finger(at)hotmail(dot)com. Ms. Lesslie can be contacted at 865-296-2022, nancy(dot)lesslie(at)tds(dot)net.

Through the success of fertility treatments and reproduction technology over the past three decades, there are now an estimated 600,000 frozen human embryos in the United States. While most are retained for future children by the genetic parents, approximately 2-3% remain in limbo with uncertain futures. Embryo disposition options available are – thaw and dispose, donate to research or donate them to other infertile couples hoping to have a baby. The EDSC provides free support for those faced with their embryo disposition dilemma, those hoping to become pregnant and have a baby through embryo adoption, as well as the medical, legal and adoption professionals who assist them.

“The overall goal of EDSC is the expansion of embryo donation services,” says Dr. Finger. “To that end, we offer phone and e-mail consultation from a knowledgeable research physician and a knowledgeable and experienced social worker, quickly and conveniently available at no charge, to any person with a question about embryo donation. We also offer in-person visits or office televisits at no charge to any professional who has clients/patients that may have an interest in donating or adopting embryos.” The office visit for professionals is designed to be a two-way exchange of information, communicating the latest developments in the field, and discussing the availability of different national and local agencies who are involved with embryo donation/adoption.

While Dr. Finger and Ms. Lesslie are very knowledgeable about embryo donation and adoption, their consultations do not constitute the practice of medicine or social work, and are not intended to replace individual services provided by a fertility clinic or non-profit agency trained in embryo donation and adoption services.

About Reginald Finger, MD, MPH

Dr. Finger received his medical education and residency training in public health at the University of Washington in Seattle. From 1985-1997 he served as communicable disease director and state epidemiologist in Kentucky. Since 1997 Dr. Finger has lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he has served in a variety of assignments including local public health investigations, research and medical writing. Since 2006, Dr. Finger has worked as an independent medical researcher, primarily in the field of embryo donation and adoption. His responsibilities included outcomes research, writing and editing for both newsletters and professional journals, literature reviews, teaching and lecturing in settings from high school classrooms to conferences at major medical centers.

About Nancy Lesslie, BS

Nancy Lesslie brings 25 years of adoption experience to the EDSC. She began her career in adoption when she served as a child welfare worker and case worker supervisor at a state public child welfare service program. After rearing her own children, she returned to adoption practice and became the founding director of the local office of Bethany Christian Services in Knoxville, TN. While with Bethany, she counseled birthparents considering adoption placement and prepared and assessed couples desiring to receive a child by domestic, international or embryo adoption. She also assisted the National Embryo Donation Center in developing the protocol for their Embryo Donation and Adoption Program. Since 2010, she has been providing supportive services to families specifically considering embryo donation and adoption.

###

STEPHANIE MOYERS
National Embryo Donation Center
865-777-2013 x3, x1
Email Information

Excerpt from:
New, Free Program Answers Questions on Embryo Donation and Getting Pregnant Via Adopted Embryos

When she first approached her mentor in 2002, Marla Davis was
12 years old and five months along with her first child. She
had not told a soul she was pregnant.

"I was scared," Davis said. "I knew my grandmother would be
disappointed in me, and I knew she wouldn't expect that from
me."

Jacquelyn Seldon, the mentor and now the executive director of
the Eastern Shore Pregnancy Center, took Davis under her wing.
The two went to the local health department and Seldon helped
Davis tell her grandmother and guardian, Nancy Stimis.

"It was really a shocker," Stimis said. "I'd heard about girls
15 and 16 years old getting pregnant, but Marla was only 12.
She was just a little kid."

Abortion wasn't an option because Davis was too far along, so
she planned to give the baby up for adoption. Throughout her
pregnancy, Davis stayed in school and was ridiculed by other
students.

"Everybody was talking about me, and some of the teachers were
pregnant, which made me feel uncomfortable," she said.

The day Davis was scheduled to meet a couple interested in
adopting her daughter, she went into labor. After Davis gave
birth to Alissa, she decided to raise the child on her own,
which proved to be no easy task. Stimis quit her job to stay
with the baby during the day, so Davis could keep going to
school.

"I had a lot of support, but I'm not going to say it was easy,"
Davis said. "It was hard getting up in the middle of the night
with the baby, and going to school the next day."

Also, Davis had to rely on Stimis for financial support.

"We had our ups and downs," Stimis said. "I was ready to retire
and any plans I had for my golden years had gone out the
window."

It was important, however, that Davis stayed in school, Stimis
added.

At 17, Davis gave birth to her second daughter, Aaliyah Holden.

"The best thing I could do was love her, help her, take care of
her and do whatever I could do for her," Stimis said. "She
graduated from high school. She stood up and just did what she
had to do, and I'm really proud of her for that."

Now 21, Davis is a freshman at the University of Maryland
Eastern Shore, majoring in exercise science. She holds a 3.5
GPA.

Davis said her grandmother has been her rock, and she's certain
she could have never raised two children and finished school
without Stimis' support.

"If she wasn't there, I don't know what I would have done,"
Davis said.

___

Pregnancy Center

It was around the time Davis had her first child that Seldon
became executive director at ESPC, a nonprofit, faith-based
organization that provides free services to women of all ages
facing an unplanned pregnancy.

Seldon was also a teen mom, having her first child when she was
17.

"I remember the turmoil and the shame; but I was blessed
because I had a family who really supported me and encouraged
me to continue my education," Seldon said. "With everything
I've been blessed with, and everything I've been able to
accomplish, I really want to be able to give that to the young
women in my community and show them they can do this."

ESPC assists roughly 400 women each year. In 2011, 27 percent
of those women were between the ages of 15 and 19.

Among ESPC's free services include pregnancy tests, mentoring,
pregnancy and parenting classes and adoption education. The
center also offers the Bundles of Love incentive program, which
allows pregnant women to earn "Mommy Bucks" they can use to get
supplies like diapers, bottles, baby clothes and formula. Mommy
Bucks can be earned by keeping prenatal appointments, enrolling
in GED programs and attending parenting courses, among other
things.

Assistance for teen parents is also available through programs
offered by the Wicomico County Health Department. The Babies
Born Healthy program provides pregnant women of all ages with
free pregnancy tests, multivitamins and portable cribs with
information on how to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

___

By the numbers

According to Chavonda Carr, community health educator with
WCHD, a review of the 2009 Maryland Vital Statistics -- the
most recent available -- shows a declining trend in the teen
birth rate in Wicomico County. The birth rate for girls ages
15-19 declined from 52.5 per 1,000 adolescents in 2000 to 44.7
in 2009. However, despite this decrease, the county birth rate
is still higher than the state birth rate -- 31.2 -- and the
county is the fourth highest out of 24 Maryland jurisdictions.

___

Prevention

According to Tracy Sahler, a spokeswoman for Wicomico County
Public Schools, teen pregnancy is taught within the Family Life
and Human Sexuality unit of the health curriculum in grades
eight and 10.

Students in grade eight learn about fetal development and teen
pregnancy. Instructors assess the impact of unplanned pregnancy
on a teenager's life and outline the reasons why women get
pregnant -- by accident, by not using contraception, to keep a
partner and by not practicing abstinence.

Students in grade 10 receive more in-depth information,
including a review of the process of human reproduction, how to
distinguish between healthy and unhealthy relationships and how
to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Sahler would not provide the number of pregnant teens now
enrolled in Wicomico County schools and said, "We wouldn't
release that kind of information if we had it."

Carr teaches some courses at local schools, sometimes focusing
on abstinence and sometimes on forms of contraception.

"It's important for (the kids) to know this stuff because they
are growing up and being exposed to things earlier," she said.
"However the parents are the primary sexuality educators, and
I'm just a supplement."

Carr added parents who need advice on how talk to their
children about sex should contact the health department.

Davis said she definitely doesn't regret having her daughters,
but she urges teenage girls to wait.

"It's so much harder when you have children," she said. "Teens
should wait to have sex, because it's not worth it. If they are
having sex, they should use protection because a child is a big
responsibility."

For teens who do get pregnant and decide to raise the child,
Davis said they should stay in school.

"Don't give up because it's not the end, it's just the
beginning," she said. "It's not ideal, but if it happens, just
keep going."

Continued here:
Groups offer assistance to teenage mothers

Waruna Padmasiri

Despite contributing immensely to the development of the country and the national economy for decades, the people working in the tea plantations remain under extreme poverty and heavily marginalized with alarming rates of child and maternal malnutrition.

These are among many other issues faced by the plantation community highlighted in the book titled ?Red Colour of Tea? written by P. P. Sivaprgasm and Dr. A. S. Chandrabose in what has been termed an activist piece of research by Prof Tudor Silva of Peradeniya University. The book was launched on January 24 at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute.

Younger generation

Co-author Sivapragasm, in his welcoming address said that as a son of two estate workers he understands many of the issues in that community. A few generations ago when asked about ?what are the issues that you are facing?? people would have said ?housing, working conditions, health facilities, citizenship etc?. During the research for the book the common theme among the views expressed by the younger generation was ?recognize us as human beings. Give us our human dignity?.

One of the main reasons for the younger generation leaving the plantations is this much broader issue of human dignity. It?s not that the other issues do not exist. But the awareness of the younger generation and their view point has changed.

Sivapragasm highlighted that despite the 30 years of war, Nuwara eliya has a higher rate of poverty than Mullaithivu. However only a fraction of the people are receiving government assistance through programmes such as Samurdhi.

Human rights

He said that even some of the fundamental human rights of women, right of reproduction is being determined by the estate managers rather than the women decides the size of the family. Thousands of women are having sterilization operations in the estates. However, since the permission form is signed or has a thumb print on it, it?s difficult to prove how much pressure there is on the women to have these operations.

National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara, the chief guest at the event said that the lives of the plantation workers are still owned by the management. Public servants, even the police sometimes play a role in this dehumanisation by asking ?Where is the letter from the superintendent??

Estate sector

He said that a programme of mobile services providing birth certificates and national identity cards in the war affected areas to those who have lost theirs has already begun. At the discretion of the commissioner, identity cards can be provided even without a birth certificate. Minister Nanayakkara said that government services must be provided to all citizens, especially to the most vulnerable people. While the Samurdhi programme will be extended to the Northern Province starting from this year, the minister called for better coverage of assistance in the estate sector as well.

Prof. Tudor Silva making the first review of the publication said that the intention of the publication is not to merely be an academic piece of writing but to bring about positive changes and have an impact on the lives of the people.

He said that over the 150 year history of the tea industry in Sri Lanka, a lot of things have changed around the world and in our own country. However, the living conditions of the estate worker has had little change.

This is despite as a country Sri Lanka being ranked relatively high in the Human Development Index.

Professor commended the use of the term Indian Origin Tamils as opposed to calling the plantation workers Indian Tamils who have been in the country for over four generations. Since a lot of people have moved out of the plantation sector and the areas of their traditional abode, the latest census figures taken in 2001 might be under representative of the true size of the community.

Domestic violence

Though this is a positive occurrence since the people are seeing themselves as Sri Lankans as opposed to Indian Tamils. The flip side of this is that as a political force, the smaller the size the less influence they will have.

The book highlights the reality of the wages received by plantation workers. Although the management argues that if the workers fulfill certain conditions they will be able to make in excess of Rs 10,000 per month, in reality the actual income of the worker will be closer to Rs 5,000 per month. There are various practical obstacles being placed before plantation workers.

There is however progressive changes in the sector. An increasingly large number are working outside the plantations.

The industry is having to compete with other employers. The education level has also improved. There is an educated generation of plantation youths.

A number of internal issues such as domestic violence and alcohol abuse were not sufficiently addressed in the book according to Prof Silva. Co-author Dr. Chandrabose delivering the vote of thanks accepted the criticism of Prof Silva and vowed to research into those issues not covered in the book in the future. He also eluded to the fact that the rate of people leaving the plantation work could create the demise of the industry in another 10 to 15 years.

Read more:
‘Give us our human dignity’

16-10-2010 02:21 Reproductive System of Humans! :))

Link:
Human Body Systems: Reproductive System - Video

29-09-2011 08:54 Click here to learn more about this film: http://www.classroomvideo.co.uk This DVD illustrates the biological functions of the male and female reproductive systems, showing how millions of sperm race through the uterus and into the fallopian tube where fertilization occurs, and how the fertilized egg develops into an embryo. The film also describes the basics of menstruation and the different stages or trimesters of embryonic and foetal development, and follows a couple through pregnancy and birth, emphasising the importance of good nutrition, sleep, low stress, and avoidance of alcohol and drugs.

Read the rest here:
Human Reproduction and Childbirth (excerpt) - Video

There are many examples in assisted reproduction technology, where new technology and methods have been introduced into the clinical setting without appropriate development and evidence-based medicine to show that the procedure is safe and beneficial to the patient. Examples include preimplantation genetic screening, assisted hatching, in vitro maturation, blastocyst transfer and vitrification. Changes to culture media composition, stimulation regimes and laboratory protocols are also often established internationally without adequate validation. More recently, novel equipment that needs to be validated before it enters routine clinical use is being developed for IVF. With technologies such as producing gametes from stem cells around the corner, it is vital to ensure that the necessary research and development is conducted before bringing new techniques into clinical practice. Ideally, this should include preliminary work on animal models, such as mice/rats/rabbits/larger mammals, followed by studies on human embryos donated for research and finally well-designed RCTs with a follow up of all children born from the procedure. If such preliminary studies are not performed and published, it is possible that technology bringing no clinical benefit or leading to adverse health outcomes in the children born by these practices may be introduced. All IVF clinics need to consider the safety and efficacy of new technologies before introducing them.

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BACKGROUND

External quality assessment is essential in modern andrology laboratories. To assess the proficiency of laboratories participating in an external quality assessment programme (EQAP), limits for acceptable variability must be determined. Limits currently specified largely depend on criteria set by the organizers of individual EQAP schemes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the different criteria described in ISO 13528: 2005 for calculating acceptable variability in EQAP when applied to basic semen analysis parameters.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The data used in this study were the means and standard deviations obtained for independent samples from two EQAPs, one national (Spanish) and one international (European). The acceptable variability according to ISO 13528: 2005 was calculated using four types of criteria: (i) ±3 standard deviations of the results of all participating laboratories; (ii) ±3 standard deviations of the results of expert laboratories; (iii) quality specifications based on biological variability, state-of-the-art and clinicians’ opinions and (iv) the same quality specifications adjusted for the uncertainty of the assigned value. The first two strategies resulted in very wide ranges of acceptable variability. Conversely, the strategy based only on quality specifications resulted in very narrow ranges. For the fourth strategy, acceptable ranges were intermediate between the results produced with the other strategies. The third and fourth strategies did not produce observable differences in acceptable ranges when the model used for calculating the specifications of analytical quality was changed.

CONCLUSIONS

It is essential that EQAPs for semen parameters should determine the ranges for acceptable variability in results. Moreover, these ranges must be clinically useful, i.e. the variability should have a minimal negative impact on clinical decisions. The exact definition of ‘expert laboratory’ is more important than the model chosen for estimating analytical quality specifications in an EQAP for semen parameters in basic semen analysis.

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http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/rss/current.xml

BACKGROUND

Despite the improved success rate of sperm retrieval by microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE), methods to stimulate spermatogenesis in men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) remain unexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of hCG-based hormonal stimulation in men with NOA on the success of sperm retrieval by micro-TESE.

METHODS

Forty-eight men with NOA who had negative sperm retrieval results by the micro-TESE procedure were included. A second micro-TESE was subsequently performed on these men: 20 were not treated by any hormonal therapy, and 28 subjects received daily subcutaneous injections of hCG for 4–5 months prior to the second micro-TESE. Recombinant FSH was added if endogenous gonadotrophin levels decreased during the hCG stimulation. The sperm retrieval rate at the second micro-TESE; the levels of gonadotrophins, testosterone and estradiol; and the effects of hormonal therapy on testicular histology were evaluated.

RESULTS

Among the 28 men with hCG stimulation, 15 (54%) showed decreased LH and FSH levels (0.67 ± 0.10 and 0.96 ± 0.14 mIU, mean ± SEM, respectively) due to elevated serum testosterone (9.5 ng/dl). Sperm were obtained at the second micro-TESE from six men who had received hormonal therapy (21%), whereas no sperm were retrieved from untreated men (P < 0.05). Success at the second micro-TESE was more likely if histology at the first micro-TESE showed hypospermatogenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

The Leydig cells of the testis can respond positively to exogenous hCG even under hypergonadotropic conditions. HCG-based hormonal therapy prior to a second micro-TESE attempt is effective in men with hypospermatogenesis.

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BACKGROUND

Although early development of testes appears normal in boys with Klinefelter syndrome (KS), spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) depletion occurs in mid puberty, leading to infertility. Cryopreservation of SSCs prior to stem cell loss is an option that is currently offered to boys who have to undergo gonadotoxic treatments. This study aimed to explore the possibility of preserving SSCs in pubertal KS adolescents by testicular tissue banking.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in seven non-mosaic 47,XXY adolescents, aged 13–16 years, who were invited for an experimental testicular tissue banking programme during their follow-up at the Paediatric Endocrinology Department of the UZ Brussel between 2009 and 2011. Paraffin-embedded testicular tissue was sectioned and stained with haematoxylin-eosin, and immunostainings were performed for Mage-A4, anti-Mullerian hormone, Inhibin α and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. The presence of spermatogenesis and/or spermatogonia was evaluated.

RESULTS

Massive fibrosis and hyalinization was observed in all but one KS patients. Although spermatogonia were seen in five patients, spermatogonia were only present in tubules showing normal architecture in the youngest patient who also had normal follicle-stimulating hormone and inhibin B concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

Testicular tissue cryopreservation in KS adolescents should be recommended as soon as possible, probably before hormonal changes of failing Sertoli cell function are detected.

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BACKGROUND

The risk of pre-eclampsia (PE) increases in twin pregnancies, especially when assisted reproduction technologies (ART) are used. The aim of this study was to assess angiogenic/anti-angiogenic factors in maternal serum in the first trimester of twin pregnancies and establish if the mode of conception influences angiogenic status.

METHODS

This prospective study enrolled women with twin (n = 61) and singleton (n = 50) pregnancies. Dichorionic twin pregnancies were divided into two groups according to their mode of conception. Singleton pregnancies were used as the control group. Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase (sFlt-1), free placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble endoglin (sEng) concentrations were measured in the first trimester maternal serum.

RESULTS

In the first trimester, women with twin pregnancies had higher serum concentrations of the anti-angiogenic factor sFlt-1 than that with singleton pregnancies (3924 ± 250 versus 2426 ± 162 pg/ml, respectively; P < 0.001). Maternal serum PlGF concentrations were lower in singleton pregnancies than those in twin pregnancies (37 ± 3.7 versus 59 ± 5.6, respectively; P < 0.001). Serum concentrations of sFlt-1 were higher in twin pregnancies conceived by ART than those in spontaneous twin pregnancies (4313 ± 389 versus 3522 ± 300 pg/ml, respectively; P < 0.05). No differences between groups were observed for sEng.

CONCLUSIONS

In the first trimester, twin pregnancies conceived using ART showed a heightened anti-angiogenic status that could explain the increased risk of PE in these cases.

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