Male Reproductive Problems May Contribute To Falling Fertility Rates

Reduced male fertility may be making it even harder for couples to conceive and be contributing to low birth rates in many countries, reveals a new European Science Foundation (ESF) report launched last week at the IPSEN meeting in Paris.

More than 10% of couples worldwide are infertile, contributing to the growing demand for assisted reproduction techniques such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for which Robert G. Edwards won the Nobel Prize in Medicine last month.

Sperm counts have dropped significantly in the last 50 years in developed countries. Today, at least one in five 18-25 year old men in Europe have semen quality in the subfertile range. Testosterone levels are also declining. This is mirrored by increasing testicular cancer in most industrialised countries and more developmental abnormalities such as undescended testes. All of these factors are linked to reduced fertility and may have common origins during foetal development.

"The important impact of men's reproductive health on a couple's fertility is often overlooked," said Professor Niels Skakkebæk from the University of Copenhagen, who co-authored the report. "Women postponing motherhood have reduced fertility, and we now see that poor sperm may be making it even harder to conceive. While poor sperm may be part of the reason more couples are using IVF it may also be making those therapies less successful."

Skakkebæk continues: "We need a common strategy in Europe to target research so we can address the poor state of men's reproductive health. That this decrease in male reproductive health has occurred in just a few decades suggests it's caused by environmental and lifestyle factors rather than genetics. So it is preventable if we correctly identify the causes."

In men some lifestyle factors such as obesity and smoking can affect sperm counts, but the effects are small. In contrast, if women smoke heavily in pregnancy, a much larger fall in sperm count is likely in their sons when they grow up. Testosterone levels naturally drop as men age, which may predispose men to cardiovascular and metabolic health problems that pose large financial and healthcare issues for national governments. Low sperm counts and low testosterone levels are both associated with increased risk of early death for men.

Cancer survivor to become a father... with sperm he had frozen 16 years ago

A cancer survivor who had sperm frozen 16 years ago - when he has first diagnosed - is to become a father.Christopher Stone, aged 33, was just 17 when he was told that he had testicular cancer. And now, after repeatedly battling the disease - he is looking forward to the birth of his first child, conceived through IVF. Christopher, from Heeley, Sheffield, was told the most effective treatment was to have an operation to remove the affected testicle - a procedure that doctors initially believed had been permanently successful. Before the operation, samples of sperm were collected and stored to ensure that Christopher had the option of trying to have children at a later date if he chose.
The disease returned on several occasions over the following years, most heartbreakingly in 2006 when Christopher was told he had testicular cancer again and would need a second operation.But today his check-ups have been reduced to once a year, and he and his wife Fiona are looking forward to the birth of a baby boy in January.Christopher said: 'It's absolutely amazing. We've been under the care of the Jessop's hospital and the second lot of IVF was successful.'Physically I feel fine and, although it's still worrying each time I go for an appointment, it feels now like we're turning a corner and looking forward.'Once the baby is here in January it will definitely feel like a new chapter - we're really excited and just can't wait!'
Christopher was only a teenager when he first became concerned about symptoms that suggested something was wrong.
'It was pretty horrendous for a 17-year-old boy to think about and to deal with,' he said.'And then to be told the only effective treatment was to have the operation - well, that's a tough thing to get your head round at any age, but especially at that time in your life.' Doctors believed they had caught the disease before it spread, but months later Christopher was told he would also need chemotherapy at Weston Park Cancer Hospital in Sheffield.Christopher had started a degree in IT at Sheffield Hallam University, but was forced to give it up because of the demands of his treatment.But, soon after the chemotherapy, things started to look more positive, and he married college sweetheart Fiona when he was 20.Just two weeks after the wedding, Christopher faced another setback, with news that doctors had found tumours in his stomach. The couple spent their honeymoon in the North General Hospital while he had surgery, only to discover he needed another operation six months later to remove benign tumours from his throat.
After these setbacks, Christopher began to move forwards. He returned to Sheffield Hallam University to complete a degree in business information systems before getting a job.But by the summer of 2006 he noticed the all-too-familiar symptoms again, and he was given a second testicular diagnosis.Christopher said: 'It was 10 times more devastating thanwhen I was 17. Having to undergo that operation again was heartbreaking.' After a course of radiotherapy, Christopher was finally given the all-clear and now his follow-up appointments have been reduced to annually.He has been backing the Movember fundraising and awareness campaign for men's cancer - where supporters grow a moustache throughout the month of November.

The saddest story of the century

I would like to sum up our performance in the 20th century in one sentence. Indians have succeeded in countries ruled by whites, but failed in their own.

This outcome would have astonished leaders of our independence movement. They declared Indians were kept down by white rule and could flourish only under self-rule. This seemed self-evident. The harsh reality today is that Indians are succeeding brilliantly in countries ruled by whites, but failing in India . They are flourishing in the USA and Britain .

But those that stay in India are pulled down by an outrageous system that fails to reward merit or talent. Fails to allow people and businesses to grow, and keeps real power with netas, babus, and assorted manipulators. Once Indians go to white-ruled countries, they soar and conquer summits once occupied only by whites.

Ronu Dutta has become head of United Airlines, the biggest airline in the world. Had he stayed in India , he would have no chance even in Indian Airlines. Even if the top job there was given to him by some godfather, a myriad netas, babus and trade unionists would have ensured that he could never run it like United Airlines.

Rana Talwar has become head of Standard Chartered Bank, one of the biggest multinational banks in Britain , while still in his 40s. Had he been in India , he would perhaps be a local manager in the State Bank, taking orders from babus to give loans to politically favoured clients.

Rajat Gupta is head of Mckinsey, the biggest management consultancy firm in the world. He now advises the biggest multinationals on how to run their business. Had he remained in India he would probably be taking orders from
some sethji with no qualification save that of being born in a rich family.

Lakhsmi Mittal has become the biggest steel baron in the world, with steel plants in the US , Kazakhstan , Germany , Mexico , Trinidad and Indonesia . India 's socialist policies reserved the domestic steel industry for the public sector. So Lakhsmi Mittal went to Indonesia to run his family's first steel plant there. Once freed from the shackles of India , he conquered the
world.

Subhash Chandra of Zee TV has become a global media king, one of the few to beat Rupert Murdoch. He could never have risen had he been limited to India, which decreed a TV monopoly for Doordarshan. But technology came to his aid: satellite TV made it possible for him to target India from Hong Kong . Once he escaped Indian rules and soil, he soared.

You may not have heard of 48-year old Gururaj Deshpande. His communications company, Sycamore, is currently valued by the US stock market at over $ 30 billion, making him perhaps one of the richest Indians in the world. Had he remained in India , he would probably be a babu in the Department of Telecommunications.

Sabeer Bhatia invented Hotmail and sold it to Microsoft for $ 400 million. Victor Menezes is number two in Citibank. Shailesh Mehta is CEO of Providian, a top US financial services company. Also at or near the top are Rakesh Gangwal of US Air, Jamshed Wadia of Arthur Andersen, and Aman Mehta of Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp.

In Washington DC , the Indian CEO High Tech Council has no less than 200 members, all high tech-chiefs. While Indians have soared, India has stagnated. At independence India was the most advanced of all colonies, with the best prospects.

Today with a GNP per head of $370, it occupies a lowly 177th position among 209 countries of the world. But poverty is by no means the only or main problem. India ranks near the bottom in the UNDP's Human Development Index, but high up in Transparency International's Corruption Index.

The neta-babu raj brought in by socialist policies is only one reason for India 's failure. The more sordid reason is the rule-based society we inherited from the British Raj is today in tatters. Instead money, muscle and influence matter most.

At independence we were justly proud of our politicians. Today we regard them as scoundrels and criminals. They have created a jungle of laws in the holy name of socialism, and used these to line their pockets and create patronage networks. No influential crook suffers. The Mafia flourish unhindered because they have political links.

The sons of police officers believe they have a licence to rape and kill (ask the Mattoo family). Talent cannot take you far amidst such rank misgovernance. We are reverting to our ancient feudal system where no rules applied to the powerful. The British Raj brought in abstract concepts of justice for all, equality before the law. These were maintained in the early years of independence. But sixty years later, citizens wail that India is a lawless land where no rules are obeyed.

I have heard of an IAS probationer at the Mussorie training academy pointing out that in India before the British came, making money and distributing favors to relatives was not considered a perversion of power, it was the very rationale of power. A feudal official had a duty to enrich his family and caste. Then the British came and imposed a new ethical code on officials. But, he asked, why should we continue to choose British customs over desi ones now that we are independent?

The lack of transparent rules, properly enforced, is a major reason why talented Indians cannot rise in India . A second reason is the neta-babu raj, which remains intact despite supposed liberalisation. But once talented Indians go to rule-based societies in the west, they take off. In those societies all people play by the same rules, all have freedom to innovate without being strangled by regulations.

This, then, is why Indians succeed in countries ruled by whites, and fail in their own.

It is the saddest story of the century.

-Anonymous

PS. Look at what the visionary Mr Ajit Gulabchand is facing today on account of Lavasa. A decade back, he took over barren forested land and converted it to a modern paperless city - India's first man-made hill station after independence! Anyone who has seen Lavasa compares it to the best in the world - be it Switzerland or USA! We were finally showing off India's architectural & infrastructure capabilities to the world. We were showing the world how Biomimicry & Environmental Protection ideas from India would lead the change globally! And the political Mafia struck in the form of Mr Jairam Ramesh's Environment Ministry. Instead of seeing the mess created by rapid & random decrees given to multi-storied hospitality projects along India's coastline openly flouting the CRZ regulations & the pollution in most major metros, our environment Ministry selects its "targets" politically! Instead of seeing the potential National benefits of this future city and the humungous employment and tourism related revenues the city would generate, the mafia wants its slice of pie & has locked down the city with a stop-construction stay order! Today, the political class is unpatriotic & loyal only to their Swiss Bank accounts.

Yes. It is the saddest story of the century.

The TSAs & the Stewardess

Why Batteries Die?

Inside almost every gadget lurks a ticking time bomb. In two years, or maybe three or four, it will die, rendering your gadget useless. Possibly permanently. So, what are these awful little bastards? They're called batteries.

The concept of battery death is ingrained in any gadget buyer's psyche, whether he knows it or not. Just as a computer's software always seems to slow down, or a phone mysteriously accumulates scratches, batteries' slow creep toward uselessness is simply a part of the fraught relationship between gadgets and time. But who, or what, is to blame? Of course, the companies that make and sell these batteries are somewhat guilty, but you know what? So are we.

How Rechargeable Batteries Work

When we talk about rechargeable batteries in gadgets, we almost always mean lithium ion batteries, or something very similar.

In short, the lithium ion batteries work like this: A positive electrode (cathode), made of non-metallic lithium, is connected to a negative electrode (anode), made of carbon. To charge a battery is to repel ions (electrically charged atoms) of from the lithium cathode over to the carbon anode, where they deposit themselves. The release of these ions later—or more specifically, the current caused by their flow back to the lithium cathode—is where your laptop or cellphone gets its power from.

At its heart, this is a chemical process; charging and discharging are both chemical reactions, and the passage of ions from cathode to anode, or vice-versa, represents a fundamental change in the makeup of each.

Virtually every other kind of battery works on these same physical principles; lithium ion batteries are just some of the best suited for use in consumer electronics. They're light, compact, hold a hell of a charge, and most importantly, can be charged hundreds of times before deteriorating significantly. They have long lives. But not unlimited ones.

Why They Die

Battery death starts the second they leave the factory. It's unavoidable and irreversible, and in lithium ion batteries, can totally destroy even a rarely used, mildly charged battery in as little as a few years.

Saving your battery

Those of us stuck with the slowly expiring batteries of today will have to help ourselves. Luckily, there's quite a bit we can do. Lithium ion batteries degrade much more quickly when hot, so keeping a laptop ventilated is vital. (This is as easy as not using a pillow as a laptop table, or placing a bit of folded paper under the rear of the laptop's base to enhance air flow.)
Rechargable batteries also die more quickly if they're left fully charged, so instead of keeping a laptop plugged in all the time, let it rest a bit, or plug/unplug it through a workday. Accordingly, phone batteries tend to last longer than laptop batteries simply because of how people charge and de-charge them. For the stunning correlation between heat, charge level and battery life, see Battery University's article here.

constant use (and abuse), a lithium ion's lifespan can be under two years-less—if losing more than a third of its capacity counts as death. Knowing that batteries work using a chemical process, it's reasonable to expect some degradation. After all, no chemical reaction is perfect, and all result in some kind of energy loss, often producing unwanted results or substances. Batteries are no different.

"As batteries age, obstacles arise that reduce ion flow, and eventually make them unusable," says Isidor Buchman, President of battery diagnostics and analysis company Cadex. "There are certain buildups that occur on the electrodes that inhibit ion flow," he says. This results in a steady decline in performance.

What he's talking about, mostly, is the gradual degradation of the cathode—the lithium part—by means of slow, unavoidable chemical changes. Repeated subtraction and addition of ions actually alters the structure of the lithium material, making it less receptive to future exchanges—a bit like a rag that's been soaked and wrung a few hundred times too many. It becomes threadbare, molecularly speaking.

More destructively, the repeated and constant chemical reactions inside the battery leave dissolved metal on the cathode and, to a lesser extent, the anode. This can eventually form a sort of unwanted metallic plating on both.

Additionally, electrolytes in the battery are prone to decomposing. They oxidize on the cathode, leaving something like rust blocking the way of ions that are trying to jump back and forth. Common shorthand for this phenomenon is corrosion, and its effects are profound: The resulting battery, with its tired electrodes, broken-down electrolytes and corroded surfaces, is the picture of aging. It's now terrible at being a battery.

Buchman says that this process in an inherent part of current battery technology, but that it doesn't have to be so bad. ""The consumer doesn't want to pay much. [Batteries have] to be cheap. And they have to run for a long time; in a cellphone or laptop, run time is important." It's our demands and habits, he claims, that essentially give gadget and battery makers permission to sell us batteries with such close expiration dates. "Consumers don't want to pay more, don't want a bigger battery to carry, and demand a higher run time." The trade-off for a cheap, small, long-running battery: one that corrodes easily.

On top of that, the natural lifespan of some of our most valued electronics is extremely and artificially short. People get new phones every two years because their contracts are structured as such. Laptop specs become obsolete (or really, "obsolete") at nearly the same rate.

Think of it this way: Your iPod from two years ago might still work, but you'd rather have the new one, right? Your first gen unibody MacBook is stil a nice computer, but you're tempted by the new 13" Air. There's a reason we don't talk about battery death all the time, despite its severity.

How Things Can Get Better

Time heals all, including battery technology. Buchman says that the practical limits of lithium ion batteries have nearly been reached, but that new technologies are on the horizon. "Most of the research has been focused on the cathode. The anode has traditionally been a carbon product, but some are working on perhaps adding silicon, to gain higher energy density." In English: battery makers are concocting a new brew in search of a better cell.

The development of electric cars has also been a boon to battery research. Unlike Apple or Dell, car companies can't ship a device that's useless after a few years, so significant money and time are being expended to develop batteries that are powerful, capacious, and long-lived.

As for what Buchman sees as the root cause of the problem—consumer pressure—that could be healed, too. If cellphone contracts become longer, or just disappear, or if one spec race or another cools down, consumers may not be clamoring for a new set of gadgets every other season, and battery death will become a more pressing problem. Then, just as car manufacturers are scrambling for longer-lived battery right now, the consumer electronics industry may need to find their own.

That moment just before the pain begins...

Kalahari

Here are the wildlife photography taken by the photographer Hannes Lochner.Hannes Lochner is from South Africa.The photographer spent nearly 800 days in the Kalahari desert to take these photos.He published this images in his book called Colors Of Kalahari. Kalahari is a national park....