Category Archives: Embryology

Embryology

On World Veterinary Day Let us Celebrate the Diversity of the Noble … – Rising Kashmir

Veterinarian in common parlance means an Animal Doctor. This noblest of all noble acts of healing a sick animal constitutes a very small part of a Veterinarians Job Profile. Will Rogers has rightly said, The best doctor in the world is a Veterinarian. He can't ask his patients what is the matter - he's got to just know.A Veterinarian is not only the guardian of animal health but human health as well. One Health Concept is dedicated to improving the lives of all species - human and animal - through the integration of Human Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Environmental Science. It seeks to promote, improve, and defend the health and well-being of all species by enhancing cooperation and collaboration between Physicians, Veterinarians, other scientific health and environmental professionals and by promoting strengths in leadership and management to achieve these goals. Veterinarian as a farm manager manages dairy, sheep and poultry farms to produce milk, meat and egg for nutritional security, a step ahead of food security. As an animal breeder he works towards improvement of animal productivity, as a nutritionist he devises optimum feeding regimen for better productivity and as food technologist he looks for ways and means to enhance the shelf life of animal products and their value addition.

Veterinary and Animal Science Education, Research and Training

Veterinary and Animal Science Education and Research presently falls under the Ministry of Agriculture. Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has nationwide network of Deemed Universities, Directorates, Project Directorates, Research Institutes, National Research Centers, National Bearuex, Network Projects and All India Co-ordinated Research Projects dedicated to research and education in fields of Agriculture and allied sectors. Out of the vast network a few institutes are dedicated exclusively to Animal Sciences. State Agriculture Universities invariably have Veterinary and Animal Science Faculties/ Colleges taking care of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Veterinary education. Many states have separate Veterinary Universities with Faculties/Colleges of Veterinary Sciences, Fisheries, Dairy Technology etc. Southern state of Tamil Nadu has established a network of extension centers on lines of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) linked to Veterinary University known as Veterinary University Training and Research Centres (VUTRCs) and state of Karnataka has established Animal Science Polytechniques to create much needed para-veterinary manpower. A statutory body called Veterinary Council of India (VCI) has been established that presently regulates undergraduate teaching, while post-graduate education, research and extension continue to be regulated by ICAR. Veterinary and Animal Science Education in State of Jammu and Kashmir is taken care of by two Faculties of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, one each in Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir and Jammu (SKUAST-K and SKUAST-J). Besides BVSc and AH degree programme Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Faculties offer Postgraduate and Doctoral Degree programmes in as many as 18 disciplines.

A rigorous five and a half years undergraduate programme during which a student goes through a wide range of subjects like: Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, Physiology, Climatology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology, Parasitology, Public Health and Food Safety, Livestock Production and Management, Poultry Science, Wild life Science, Fodder Production and Grassland Management, Animal Nutrition, Feed Technology, Animal Genetics and Breeding, Medicine, Surgery, Radiology, Animal Reproduction, Gynecology and Obstetrics Extension Education, Veterinary Medical Ethics, Animal Products Technology followed by a rigorous Clinical and Farm management practice leads to the award of Bachelors Degree in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry (B. V. Sc& A. H). As diverse are the subjects so are the animal species about which Veterinary student is supposed to study. These include Cattle, Buffalo, Equines, Swine, Sheep, Goat, Rabbit, Laboratory Animals, Canines, Felines and Avians like Chicken, Duck, Turkey, Guinea fowl etc. to name a few.

Veterinarians in Service of Society

A Veterinarian serves society in a wide variety of ways:

Government Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services: In Departments of Animal and Sheep Husbandry a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon has multifarious responsibilities including, Animal health care, Disease diagnosis and surveillance, Epidemiology, Dairy, Sheep, Goat and Poultry Development. Genetic improvement of livestock, Production of Biologicals, Maintenance of semen and germplasm banks and hatcheries, Feed formulation, compounding and quality control, Livestock and Poultry Farm Management, and providing Vetero-legal opinion whenever required

Research teaching and education: Post graduate Veterinarians take up Research, Teaching and Extension assignments in State Agricultural/Veterinary Universities, KVKs, Research Institutes under Agricultural Research System and in Departments of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Defence Research Development Organization, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research etc.

Defence Veterinary Services: Indian Army has Remount Veterinary Corps that inducts Veterinarians to take care of number of Military Dairy farms, Equine studs and other Livestock farms and Canine squads. Besides they are involved in meat and milk inspection at various military establishments. For similar assignments paramilitary forces like BSF, ITBF, and CRPF etc also induct Veterinarians in their ranks

Banking and Insurance: Public and private sector banks and Insurance companies induct Veterinarians for looking after Cattle/Animal Husbandry finance schemes and livestock insurance sectors respectively

Private Practice and Consultation: A Veterinarian as a consultant to Dairy Sheep and Poultry enterprises contributes immensely in increasing the availability of animal products.

Veterinarians in Wild life Conservation: Veterinarians contribute to Wildlife conservation in capacity of Wildlife Veterinarians in National Parks / Sanctuaries and Zoos. In event of Wild Animal- Human Conflict the Veterinarians are called upon to control the strayed Wild animal in order to ensure its safe return to natural habitat.

Veterinarians as Guardians of human health: Veterinarians act as guardians of human health in capacity of Livestock Inspectors in municipalities and local bodies, Meat inspectors at Slaughter houses, Milk and Milk product inspectors in Dairy Plants. In event of outbreak of Zoonotic disease Veterinarians are called upon to use their expertise in controlling the disease.

Veterinarians as administrators: Being accustomed to rigorous study schedule and hard work Veterinarians find it easy to crack Civil services Examinations like IAS, IFS, State Administrative Services etc. and many Veterinarians have in recent years made it to coveted positions in administration.

Besides there are number of other fields where services of Veterinarians are required

World Veterinary Day

On last Saturday of April every year the global Veterinary community comes together to celebrate World Veterinary Day. Created by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Veterinary Association (WVA), World Veterinary Day first celebrated in year 2001 is meant to raise public awareness about the important roles veterinarians undertake. The celebrations are cantered on focusing attention to the crucial role veterinarians play in the development of more sustainable Animal Husbandry practices, which improve not only the health of animals, but also the health and well-being of people and the environment. By implementing a One Health Approach, Veterinarians are working together with other health professionals to improve and develop new production systems that are also respectful of animal welfare and the environment, By doing so, veterinarians are contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to reduce poverty and ensure zero hunger, good health, and economic growth. Each year, WVA declares a theme for World Veterinary Day.

This year the theme for World Veterinary Day is Promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness in Veterinary Profession. Along with the global Veterinarian Community, the Veterinarians at SKUAST of Kashmir comprising Scientists, Teachers, Extension workers, Students and Research Scholars celebrate World Veterinary Day with traditional enthusiasm at Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-Kashmir, Shuhama, Alusteng. On 29th of April 2023 the last Saturday of April this year SKUAST-K Veterinarians shall converge at the Faculty Lawns, where Chief Guest, Honble Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K shall unfurl the World Veterinary Association Flag and unveil the new issue of Vets Vision. This would be followed by a Veterinary Day Rally to Multi-speciality Veterinary Clinics, inauguration of Animal Clinical Camp, Felicitation of achievers, theme lecture by Organizing Secretary and scores of other programmes. The visit of School Children and retired Veterinarian shall also add colour to celebrations.

( The Author is a Veterinarian serving at SKUAST-K as Associate Director Research and Officer on Special Duty to Vice Chancellor The views expressed in the write-up are the views of the author and need not represent the views of the Institution. He can be contacted at azmatalamkhan@gmail.com)

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On World Veterinary Day Let us Celebrate the Diversity of the Noble ... - Rising Kashmir

Embryology

Can exercise help with Endometriosis? – EchoLive.ie

MARCH is Endometriosis Action Month, the annual event that aims to shine a spotlight on the gynaecological disease that affects one in 10 women.

The condition, where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes, can present itself in a number of ways.

Symptoms include chronic, sometimes debilitating pelvic pain, painful periods, painful bowel and bladder movements, painful sex, fatigue, and difficulty getting pregnant, saysFaye Farthing, head of campaigns and communications at Endometriosis UK (endometriosis-uk.org).

The cause of endometriosis hasnt been determined by researchers, theres no known cure, and it can be difficult to get a diagnosis due to a lack of awareness and understanding of symptoms.

Treatment and management of symptoms can include surgery, hormonal treatments and painkillers, said Farthing.

Endometriosis and exercise

For those who have received a diagnosis, navigating exercise and pain can be a challenge, but there is some evidence that movement can help alleviate painful symptoms.

Guidance from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE, eshre.eu) makes what it calls a cautious recommendation that those with endometriosis should consider exercise, says Farthing.

Its not just the physical effects that make a difference when it comes to chronic pain.

Exercise can help improve symptoms for some women who have endometriosis, helping them feel better, both mentally and physically, says Amanda Place, personal trainer and founder of Sculptrition (sculptrition.com).

The mood-boosting effects from exercise is especially important.

While Abbie Watkins, personal trainer at OriGym (origympersonaltrainercourses.co.uk), explains: Exercise, regardless of intensity and duration, releases endorphins, which help us feel happier and can prolong periods of time where endometriosis sufferers feel pain-free.

Thats why we talk about runners high but you dont have to embark on a gruelling fitness regime to get those endorphins flowing.

Slow and steady

My first tip would be to take it slowly, making time to find the balance between what works for you and your fitness levels, and what helps with your endometriosis, Watkins continues.

Too quickly, and youll run the risk of burning yourself out, or worsening the pain you feel.

Yoga, pilates, or any other type of low to moderate impact workouts, such as swimming, brisk walking and cycling, are typically the best types of exercise to opt for when experiencing endometriosis-related symptoms, Place advises.

She also suggests incorporating exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor, such as heel slides and Kegel exercises.

Aim to exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day, up to five days a week.

However, the most important thing you can do is listen to your body.

Overexercising can worsen pain, so pace yourself, take frequent breaks, and gradually increase the intensity of your workouts.

Yoga can also help, Watkins says: Certain yoga poses, such as the happy baby, chair pose, or mountain pose, offer significant benefits for the pelvic floor.

Farthing agrees that no matter what activity you choose, listening to your body is key: If in doubt, you should ask your GP, or another medical professional, such as a gynaecologist or endometriosis nurse specialist.

Particularly if youve had surgery, she says: Its really important to be careful with physical activity when recovering from surgery, so make sure you get advice from health professionals.

For an additional boost, you could buddy up with a friend, attend an exercise class or join a sports team.

Fitness includes benefits for mental health, especially if there is a social aspect to exercise, Farthing adds.

And we know that those with endometriosis are more likely than others to have symptoms of mental ill health.

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Can exercise help with Endometriosis? - EchoLive.ie

Embryology

Fertility expert shares the seven things you need to know before freezing your eggs – The Mirror

Embryologist Cynthia Hudson encourages women to consider their fertility earlier to better prepare them for the future

With a growing number of women choosing to have children later on, they are increasingly finding themselves in a race against the biological clock to start a family.

For many women, egg freezing is a great way to preserve fertility if they are planning to have a family in the future, but not any time soon. The process involves collecting a woman's eggs, freezing them and thawing them later so they can be used in treatment.

While the thought of starting a family may seem like a distant idea for some, lead embryologist Cynthia Hudson at fertility tech company TMRW Life Sciences, says considering your fertility earlier can better prepare you for the future.

Cynthia said: If a woman is unsure about whether she wants children at the moment, she can freeze her eggs to give her more options for family building in the future. She may never need or want to use them, but sometimes having that 'insurance policy' can help to relieve stress and anxiety.

Speaking to the Mirror, the expert answered the most frequently asked questions about egg freezing. Heres everything you need to know:

She said: There is no one right answer to this question, however, the younger you are when you freeze your eggs, the better your chances are of having a successful pregnancy later.

The quality and quantity of a womans eggs decline with age in line with traditional IVF cycle success rates. What this means is if youre over 35 you'll need to bank more eggs to get the same chance of success as someone who froze them when they were under 35.

She added: All of these questions should be discussed with your fertility specialist to determine the options that give you the best chances of achieving your parenthood dreams.

The rules on how long you can store frozen eggs changed in the UK on July 1, 2022, increasing from 10 years to up to 55 years. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) explained that for storage to lawfully continue you will need to renew your consent every 10 years.

This extended time period affords women the freedom to confidently freeze their eggs without the worry that they will need to use them within 10 years or else have to discard them, said Cynthia.

The expert highlighted: It is important to think of egg freezing as an insurance policy rather than a guarantee it helps you to preserve your fertility for longer and gives you options, but cannot promise success.

The fertility industry is regulated and licensed by the HFEA and information can be found on their website on the different treatment options available, as well as clinic ratings and reviews.

To date, only small numbers of women in the UK who have frozen their eggs have actually gone back to use them, so it's difficult to draw firm conclusions from this sample.

Universally though, those using frozen eggs during IVF cycles have pregnancy rates that correspond to the age of the egg when it was frozen, not the age of the person that received embryos created from those frozen eggs," informed Cynthia.

Not every egg will fertilise, not every fertilised egg will result in a viable embryo, and not every viable embryo will lead to a live birth.

She added: This is why its important to understand all of the data and options available to you your fertility specialist will be able to answer all of your questions and advise you accordingly.

According to the HFEA, the average cost of having your eggs collected and frozen in the UK is 3,350, with medication being approximately 500 to 1,500 on top of that. Storage costs and other treatment options are not included in this number.

The embryologist explained: That said, freezing your eggs will require an IVF cycle later, so these costs need to be considered as well. Definitely speak to your fertility specialist about all of this.

With something as precious as a womans future fertility at stake, choosing the right fertility clinic is important. The HFEA is responsible for licensing and inspecting UK fertility clinics and their website details how clinics have scored against their inspections. This can give you an indication of the success rates and patient ratings of a clinic.

Women may also want to inquire about the technology and equipment used by clinics to freeze and store eggs and embryos. The current standard of care relies on manual identification, tracking, and written record keeping. As the numbers of frozen specimens under management increase, this can put pressure on human abilities to maintain accurate inventories, she said.

TMRW Life Sciences is changing these processes by bringing an automated platform for specimen management, identification, and storage of frozen human eggs and embryos to the field.

The egg freezing process is very similar to anyone undergoing IVF treatment in that it requires a standard evaluation and workup, followed by an ovarian stimulation plan to produce multiple eggs.

Cynthia said: The differences start at this point, because instead of making embryos with a partner or donor sperm source and attempting to fall pregnant, the eggs will be frozen on the day they come out.

When youre ready to use them, which could be years on, is when youll need to consider the second phase of this process (IVF). In the meantime, making sure theyre safe and secure until that point in time is critical to your eventual success, so be sure you bring all of these questions to your fertility specialist.

It is important to remember there are also alternative paths to parenthood. These could include introducing donor eggs, sperm or embryos to your journey.

Cynthia explained: Donor conception is a great way to achieve your goals if youre not producing high quality or enough eggs of your own, if you are in a same sex relationship, or you have a high risk of passing on an inherited disease.

You may need to partner with a gestational carrier to bring your child to this world. Yet another approach to having a child is choosing to foster or adopt; there are many paths to parenthood, and there is no one right way to do it."

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Fertility expert shares the seven things you need to know before freezing your eggs - The Mirror

Embryology

Arlington and Alexandria Bring Home the 4-H Ribbons – Virginia Connection Newspapers

If you grew up in the Midwest like I did, 4-H would be about the best strawberry jam and the handsomest looking hog at the state fair. But Deborah Madden, Associate Extension Agent for Arlington, says, The program really reflects what area you live in. Locally the kids are surrounded by defense and the government. We dont have an agriculture program here. She explains that in Fairfax they still do a lot of animal science and horses.

But she says that when they did a survey of 4-H summer camp participants the youth said they wanted to learn about agriculture in Virginia which is the number one industry in the state. So they are going to bring the Virginia State University mobile agriculture van to summer camp this year where the campers will be able to walk in and learn about agriculture in Virginia.

Sharon Toth, 4-H Youth Extension Agent for Alexandria says the 5-day overnight summer camp at Front Royal is the biggest event they do. There will be 200 youth from the northern Virginia area participating in canoeing, yoga, archery, high ropes and this year performing arts. It will be technology free and will concentrate on leadership, teamwork and self motivation.

Madden says the 4-H core values of learning self-reliance, to be a good citizen and life skills have always been the same over time; its just that the programs are designed to fit the environment. For instance, in Arlington they have programs in recreation centers and schools that focus on things like urban gardening, culinary education and STEM. She adds they are rebuilding programs on entomology and embryology where they will hatch chickens from eggs.

Barcroft Elementary has an after school club focusing on water and air quality. She says they also have a military club at Henderson Hall that concentrates on STEM. This club has also included creative writing, aviation and cooking. The youth director decides.

Madden says, Currently I am still working with Williamsburg Middle School on Teen Cuisine, a six-week program offered during extended day. It looks at nutrition. She recalls the chicken bite salsa. Were also looking at sugary snacks, good and bad fat. Next they will head into embryology and then a gardening program.

We plan to have a full 4-H Club at Drew Elementary in two months, then Carlyn Springs library in the fall with drop in activities for teens.

Id like to test the waters on a teen club. Were missing out on the biggest opportunity in this age group.

In Alexandria Toth says they are working in recreation centers and schools to rebuild programs. Currently there are two clubs, one focusing on wellness and adventure at John Marshall Library and the other focusing on nature and animals at Billy Ford Nature Center. All it takes to set up a 4-H club is an adult mentor to serve as a leader and positive role model and with a topic the youth have an interest in. The programs are youth-driven to instill leadership. And when kids are busy, they are less likely to engage with drugs.

She remembers she was in a traditional 4-H program in New Jersey. It had the same goals, same focus on youth leadership. 4-H is designed to fit its environment.

Toth says she would really like to start a dog training club how to take care of your animal, the different breeds. I think it would really do well in Alexandria. They really love their dogs.

She adds that Gabriella Coussens Douglas MacArthur Elementary School in (4th grade) Alexandria recently won a blue ribbon for her project on entomology at the 4-H Fairfax County Contest Day. It focuses on the importance of insects and why they are important to the ecosystem.

In Arlington blue ribbon winners included: Landon Gould (10), Taylor Elementary1st place Presentations; 1st place, Extemporaneous Speaking; 2nd place, Share-the-fun. Meridian Nilles (9), Oakridge Elementary1st place, Table Setting; 1st place, Extemporaneous Speaking. Annabelle Cunningham (12), Gunston Middle School, 1st place Table Setting. Samien Chowdhury (11), Barcroft Elementary1st place, Presentations; 1st place Extemporaneous Speech.

These winners will advance to the Northeast District Contest in Spotsylvania, Va. on April,15, 2023. Toth says 4-H programs are open to kids age 5-19.

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Arlington and Alexandria Bring Home the 4-H Ribbons - Virginia Connection Newspapers

Embryology

PINNACLE FERTILITY ANNOUNCES THE PROMOTION OF BETH … – PR Newswire

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinnacle Fertility (Pinnacle), the nation's fast-growing physician-led fertility care platform, is proud to announce the promotion of Beth Zoneraich to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pinnacle Fertility. Beth brings over two decades of experience in scaling businesses and unparalleled expertise in fertility practice innovation and development. Under Beth's leadership, the Pinnacle team will be able to catalyze the transformation of patient care, outcomes, and experience across the Pinnacle network.

Jerry Rhodes, Executive Chairman - Pinnacle Fertility, said, "Beth's appointment as our CEO allows us to leverage her exceptional skills and expertise to steer Pinnacle Fertility's expansion worldwide. We are excited about the future of fertility healthcare and are confident that Beth's vision, integrity, and leadership will be instrumental in our team's success."

Beth joined Pinnacle Fertility as Chief Operating Officer in October 2021, concurrently with the acquisition of Advanced Fertility Care, where she had served as Co-Founder and CEO. At Pinnacle, Beth pioneered the Pinnacle Embryology School in collaboration with the Medical, Lab, and Business Leadership Boards. Alongside Dr. John Jain of Santa Monica Fertility, Beth has assisted in the expansion of Pinnacle's third-party reproduction services through the launch of Pinnacle Surrogacy and Pinnacle Egg Bank. These key partnerships and operational improvements have been essential to Pinnacle's tremendous growth.

Beth Zoneraich remarked, "At Pinnacle Fertility, we are passionate about helping families experience the miracle of parenthood. I joined Pinnacle for its commitment to a patient-first vision and a collaborative, physician-led approach. By setting the gold standard in fertility medicine and prioritizing exceptional patient experiences and successful outcomes, we are poised for significant growth. I am honored to work alongside this compassionate and talented team."

Pinnacle Fertility encompasses 34 top-tier fertility clinics and comprehensive fertility service providers across the nation. The Pinnacle network boasts some of the top 100 fertility clinics in the country, renowned for their innovation, success, and dedication to compassionate, patient-centric care.

About Pinnacle Fertility

Pinnacle Fertility is a patient-first, physician-led fertility care platform, supporting high-performing fertility clinics and comprehensive fertility service providers nationwide. Under a united mission of fulfilling dreams by building families, Pinnacle clinics offer innovative technology and processes, compassionate patient care, and comprehensive fertility treatment services, ensuring families receive a high-touch experience on their path to parenthood.

For more information about Pinnacle Fertility, visit pinnaclefertility.com.

Contact:Walt Conrad[emailprotected]

SOURCE Pinnacle Fertility

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PINNACLE FERTILITY ANNOUNCES THE PROMOTION OF BETH ... - PR Newswire

Embryology

Delay in early development of the embryo associated with likelihood of miscarriage – News-Medical.Net

Embryos in pregnancies that end in miscarriage take longer to develop in the womb than those in pregnancies that result in live births, according to new research published today (Monday) in Human Reproduction, one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals.

For the first time, researchers in The Netherlands have been able to look at the way embryos develop while pregnancies are ongoing. They used state-of-the-art imaging technology, including 3D ultrasound with high resolution transvaginal probes and virtual reality techniques, to create 3D holograms of the embryo.

This enabled them to assess the overall development of the embryo, including arms and legs, the shape and length of the brain and the curvature of the embryo. 3D ultrasound and virtual reality techniques also enabled them to measure embryonic volume and the distance between the crown of the head and the bottom of the embryo's buttocks (crown-rump length).

Dr Melek Rousian, a gynecologist at Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, who led the study, said: "We found that in the first ten weeks of the pregnancy, embryos in pregnancies that end in a miscarriage took four days longer to develop than babies that did not miscarry. We also found that the longer it takes for an embryo to develop, the more likely it is to miscarry.

"In the future, the ability to assess the shape and development of embryos could be used to estimate the likelihood of a pregnancy continuing to the delivery of a healthy baby. This would enable health professionals to provide counseling to women and their partners about the prospective outcome of the pregnancy and the timely identification of a miscarriage. This would be particularly useful for couples who have had previous pregnancies that have ended in miscarriage; we might be able to indicate the risk of another miscarriage or maybe offer some early reassurance."

The researchers collected data from women taking part in the ongoing Rotterdam Periconception Cohort (PREDICT study), a large prospective study embedded in patient care in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam. A total of 611 ongoing pregnancies and 33 pregnancies ending in a miscarriage were included from women recruited to the study between 2010 and 2018 when they were between seven and ten weeks pregnant.

To study the internal and external characteristics and measurements of an embryo, known as embryo morphology, the ability to see the embryo in 3D is important. The researchers used virtual reality to create holograms to look at the embryos' development and they compared the morphology against established stages of embryo development, known as the Carnegie Stages.

Without the aid of 3D and virtual reality, it is far more difficult to examine the development of the embryo. For instance, the 3D virtual reality technology makes it much easier to see the development of the arms and legs. In the Carnegie staging system, the curvature and position of the arms and legs have an important role. Many historic studies have examined the products of miscarriage, but this is the first time we have been able to look at the developing pregnancy while the pregnancy was still intact."

Dr Carsten Pietersma, first author of the study, PhD candidate and ultrasonographer at Erasmus MC

The Carnegie stages of embryonic development cover the first ten weeks of gestation and run from 1 to 23. Compared to an ongoing pregnancy, a pregnancy ending in a miscarriage was associated with a lower Carnegie stage and the embryo would reach the final Carnegie stage four days later than an embryo from a pregnancy that resulted in a healthy baby. A delay in Carnegie stage increased the likelihood of a miscarriage by 1.5% per delayed stage.

After the tenth week there is no staging system for embryo development, and so the researchers used foetal growth and birth weight to assess development thereafter. They found that a pregnancy ending in a miscarriage was linked to a shorter crown-rump length and smaller embryonic volume.

"We are able to show a significant association between miscarriage and a delay in the early development of the embryo, even if the miscarriage was after ten weeks of gestation," said Dr Pietersma.

The researchers adjusted their analyses to take account of factors that could affect pregnancy outcomes such as whether or not the women had been pregnant previously, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, alcohol use, smoking and use of folic acid or other vitamin supplements.

A limitation of the study is that it includes a relatively small number of pregnancies that ended in miscarriage from a group of women attending tertiary care hospital for preconception and prenatal care and so they may not be representative of the general population. Results of genetic testing following a miscarriage were not available to the researchers, so they do not know if the embryos that miscarried had abnormal chromosome numbers, which could have contributed to the non-viability of the pregnancies.

Dr Denny Sakkas is Chief Scientific of Boston IVF (USA) and the embryology specialist deputy editor of Human Reproduction. He was not involved with the study. He said: "The emotional burden of a miscarriage is incredibly high for women with established pregnancies. This novel study by Carsten Pietersma and colleagues examines the development of embryos in the womb and finds differences in pregnancies that end in miscarriage compared to those that result in live births. The stages of development are calculated from examination of holograms generated from state-of-the-art 3D ultrasound imaging and virtual reality. Use of this technology could prepare patients for an early adverse pregnancy outcome, possibly allowing them to obtain supportive care in case of an adverse outcome."

Source:

Journal reference:

Pietersma, C. S., et al. (2023). Embryonic morphological development is delayed in pregnancies ending in a spontaneous miscarriage. Human Reproduction. doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead032.

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Delay in early development of the embryo associated with likelihood of miscarriage - News-Medical.Net

Embryology

Rumi Scientific Appoints Allen A. Fienberg, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of – EIN News

NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rumi Scientific (Rumi), a developer of therapies for rare and neurodegenerative diseases discovered using its high throughput organoid phenotypic screening platform, announced the appointment of Allen Fienberg, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Our human organoid-based high throughput drug discovery platform has already identified multiple molecules and targets warranting further development, said Ali H. Brivanlou, Ph.D., co-founder of Rumi Scientific, and the Robert and Harriet Heilbrunn Professor and head of the Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology at The Rockefeller University. Having reached this point, it became clear that a CEO with expertise in advancing preclinical programs to clinical-stage candidates was needed to drive our continued progress. Allens extensive neuroscience research and drug development experience positions him ideally to lead the advancement of our lead program in Huntingtons disease (HD) and of our earlier-stage programs in autism spectrum disorder and Alport syndrome. On behalf of the Rumi Scientific team, I am pleased to welcome Allen to the Company and look forward to its ongoing evolution under his leadership.

Dr. Fienberg joined Rumi after serving for more than 20 years as Vice President of Business Development at Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (ITI), which he co-founded in 2002. While at ITI, he was responsible for all business development activities along with various preclinical science initiatives. As a co-founder Dr. Fienberg also participated in early-stage fundraising, investor relations, legal and various administrative functions. From 1999-2001, Dr.Fienberg was a staff scientist at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation and was appointed a Research Assistant Professor at The Rockefeller University from 2001-2002. Dr.Fienberg earned his A.B. degree in Genetics from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Ph.D. in Human Genetics from Yale University. He completed post-doctoral studies at The Rockefeller University under the direction of the late Dr.Paul Greengard from 1991-1999.

What attracted me to Rumi was their highly innovative, phenotype-based drug discovery capabilities based on their unique high throughput organoid screening platform, said Dr. Fienberg. The platform evaluates drug-induced changes in phenotypes observed in neural organoids, rather than employing the traditional approach of identifying targets against which molecules are then tested. The platform has already identified molecules with the potential to impact several underlying pathological processes in HD. The platform is adaptable to almost any disease and thus has tremendous potential. I look forward to working with the talented team at Rumi to advance this and other potential therapeutic candidates.

About Rumi ScientificRumi Scientifics mission is to identify and develop novel therapeutics for rare and neurodegenerative diseases by employing its revolutionary synthetic human tissue platform to produce more predictive data leading to a safe and faster clinical trial process. The Companys lead program is an orally available bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9) inhibitor in lead optimization for the treatment of Huntingtons disease. Founded in 2016, Rumi licensed foundational technology from The Rockefeller University developed by co-foundersAli H. Brivanlou, Ph.D., and Eric D. Siggia, Ph.D. For more information on Rumi Scientific, please see http://www.rumiscientific.com or contact info@rumiscientific.com.

Rumi Scientific:Allen Fienberg, Ph.D.Chairman and Chief Executive Officerallen@rumiscientific.com

Fred Etoc, Ph.D.Chief Scientific Officerfred@rumiscientific.com

Investors:Burns McClellan Lee Roth / Cameron Radinoviclroth@burnsmc.com / cradinovic@burnsmc.com

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Rumi Scientific Appoints Allen A. Fienberg, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of - EIN News

Embryology

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority consults on proposed … – Solicitors Journal

The HFEA has proposed changes that it believes should be made to modernise the law

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) launched a public consultation on 28 February on proposed changes to the law on fertility treatment regulation and embryo research. The consultation comes in response to the UK governments request that the HFEA puts forward recommendations for change.

The impetus for the review centres on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, which is over 30 years old, and has only been updated once since its enactment to reflect the significant changes in the fertility sector. Changes cited by the HFEA that have occurred in the past three decades include: changing attitudes to fertility treatment, evolutions in the science as well as new technologies, debates around new ethical issues and treatment options, and changes to the size of the sector and the services offered. The regulator also highlights limitations to its powers compared to some other UK regulators that have a wider and more effective range of powers to improve compliance and protect patients and consumers than those available to the HFEA.

The only changes to the law were implemented in 2008, focusing on new treatment options for parents seeking to avoid serious inherited mitochondrial disorders, removing potential barriers to licensed treatment for female same-sex couples, and widening the scope of who could become a parent. Other related changes brought about through regulations or secondary legislation include: enabling complex data to be shared with researchers to explore infertility and the impact of IVF, and changes to the storage period for gametes and embryos.

The changes proposed in the consultation are grouped into four areas: patient safety and promoting good practice; access to donation information; consent; and scientific developments. The proposed changes related to scientific developments includes measures to future proof the law to ensure it is better able to respond to scientific developments and therefore speed up potential access tonew treatment options for patients. It is envisaged that this would allow Parliament to approve new scientific and clinical developments through regulation without having to modifythe Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act every time.

The consultation is open for feedback until 14 April 2023. Following the consultation, the HFEA will submit its final recommendations to the Department of Health and Social Care.

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Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority consults on proposed ... - Solicitors Journal

Embryology

Abortion may be legal in Argentina but women still face major obstacles – BBC

5 March 2023

Mara was 23 when she decided to have an abortion.

At the health centre where she had gone for treatment, she says she overheard one doctor saying to a colleague: "When will these girls learn to keep their legs closed?"

Mara lives in Salta, a religiously conservative province in north-west Argentina, where many healthcare workers are still against abortion.

She was eventually given a pill to end her pregnancy, but she says the nurses were reluctant to treat her and wanted to make her feel guilty: "After I expelled the pregnancy tissue, I could see the foetus."

"The nurses put it in a jar to make sure I saw it and they told me, 'This could have been your child.'"

Argentina relaxed its law on abortion in 2020, allowing a woman to choose to terminate her pregnancy in the first 14 weeks, Previously, it was only allowed in the case of rape or if the woman's life or health was at risk.

Abortion is a highly contentious issue in Argentina, where more than 60% of people are Catholic and 15% are evangelical Christians, with the leadership of both groups opposing the practice.

Maria says she was shown the foetus and told: "This could have been your child."

The new law allows health workers in Argentina to abstain from performing abortions.

"As soon as the law was passed, I declared myself a conscientious objector," says Dr Carlos Franco, a paediatrician from the same area as Mara, who estimates that 90% of health workers in the province's main public hospital have done the same.

He says his years studying embryology left him with the belief that life begins at fertilisation.

"My duty, as a doctor, is to take care and protect the human life from the embryonic stage," he adds.

This helps explain why women like Mara are having so much trouble accessing legal abortions.

Mara had initially spent two days at the health centre just waiting to be seen by a doctor.

Eventually, when none came, she turned to social media for help and found Mnica Rodriguez, a local activist, who helped her file a complaint at the hospital and secure an appointment.

Ms Rodriguez says she gets about 100 phone calls a month from women in Salta who are having similar difficulty getting access to safe abortions.

She tells the BBC her main job is simply to listen: "While I don't recommend abortion, I don't romanticise motherhood either."

The campaign to expand abortion rights in Argentina has taken decades, but Valeria Isla, director of sexual and reproductive health at the national health ministry, says that significant progress has been made.

She cites official figures showing that the number of mothers dying from abortions has dropped by 40% since the law was enacted in 2021.

The number of public health centres that provide abortions has gone up by more than a half over the same period, and the drug misoprostol, which chemically induces abortions, is now being manufactured in the country, making it more widely available.

Long waits for treatment and the social stigma surrounding abortions can make women vulnerable to corrupt practices.

There have been cases reported of women being forced to pay hundreds of dollars for treatment that should be free in public health facilities.

"There is a mafia," says Dr Mara Laura Lerma, a psychologist based in a remote mountain community in Jujuy in the country's north-west. "In many rural areas of Argentina, some doctors who work in the public hospital take patients to their private clinics."

The government has urged women to report allegations of corruption, but many women in rural areas are too scared to do so.

Anti-abortion activists are trying to block the law allowing the procedure

Doctors who do agree to perform abortions have been targeted with spurious legal complaints.

In September 2021, one doctor in Salta was briefly detained following an accusation by the aunt of a 21-year-old patient that she had performed an "illegal abortion".

The accusation was untrue, but it took a year for a court to dismiss the case.

"Anti-abortion organisations have historical connections with judges and people in power and they use them to generate fear and endanger the freedom of doctors who provide abortions," says Roco Garca Garro, a lawyer for pro-choice campaign group Catholics for the Right to Decide.

Anti-abortion campaigners are also using the courts to try and get the abortion law declared unconstitutional.

Cristina Fiore, a local parliament representative in Salta, is one of them.

"We believe human life starts at conception and we are against this throwaway culture," she says.

So far, all legal challenges have failed.

Mara is clear why she made the choice not to continue with her pregnancy: "I had never wanted to be a mum My parents abandoned me and that's a trauma which has taken me years to overcome."

She says she wants training to be improved for nurses and gynaecologists to prevent others suffering like her.

"There are many women, especially in the small rural towns, who are discriminated against like me and not all of them dare to speak."

*Names of some contributors have been changed to protect their privacy.

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Abortion may be legal in Argentina but women still face major obstacles - BBC

Embryology

Scientists urge pregnant women to avoid using plastic bottles – Daily Mail

By Xantha Leatham Deputy Science Editor For The Daily Mail 19:00 03 Mar 2023, updated 19:00 03 Mar 2023

Experts have recommended drinking out of glass or metal bottles due to growing fears that tiny plastic particles may wreak havoc on our health.

Dr Luisa Campagnolo, an expert in histology and embryology at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, warned there is mounting evidence that micro and nano-plastics are ending up in human tissue.

Previous studies have shown microscopic particles a byproduct of the degradation of plastic can end up in the human bloodstream and even the placenta.

But a new study in rats, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual conference, shows ingested plastics can end up in the organs of the foetus itself.

'There are indications that most likely the foetus is a target for plastic particles, because the placenta is,' Dr Campagnolo, who was not involved in the study, said.

'I would avoid stuffing the placenta with plastic particles, in order not to have the foetus affected.'

Previous research has suggested plastic particles that penetrate human tissue can impact the production of certain hormones and may therefore impair biological processes.

And while research into the effect of plastic particles on human health is in its infancy, and it is important not to jump to conclusions about the potential dangers, there are simple steps we can all take to protect our health, Dr Campagnolo said.

Disposable plastic bottles can release debris, particularly when exposed to sunlight, which we then drink.

Dr Campagnolo said: 'It's probably less handy but we should not drink bottled water in plastic bottles.

'We don't have to freak out if we sit on a plastic chair, but I think we should avoid whatever is disposable, whatever is in contact with food, such as using plastic containers in the microwave oven. We should go back to glass.

'Disposable plastic took over probably 30 to 40 years ago but we can rethink this approach.'

Dr Philip Demokritou, an expert in nanoscience and environmental bioengineering at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said recent findings from animal studies were 'very alarming'.

His study in rodents, published last month in the journal Nanomaterials, is thought to show the first evidence that ingested plastics can be passed to a foetus.

He said: 'From the stomach of the pregnant animal, 24 hours later we found these micro- and nano-plastics in the placenta.

'More importantly, we found them in every organ of the foetus, which points to potential developmental effects.'

Dr Demokritou called for more investment in research to understand the implant of plastic particles on human health, and renewed efforts to recycle materials or switch to more biodegradable alternatives.

He said: 'I don't want to scare people but this is an emerging contaminant and we have a lot of unknowns in terms of the risks.

'Every person consumes roughly 5g of micro- and nano-plastics per week. That's the equivalent of a credit card going into your stomach on a weekly basis.

'We cannot go back to the Stone Age, but as a society we need to become smarter, embrace sustainable concepts, to avoid crises like this.

'All of us, scientists, the public, society at large, regulators, we need to rethink how we produce and use materials and chemicals in general.'

Urban flooding is causing microplastics to be flushed into our oceans even faster than thought, according to scientists looking at pollution in rivers.

Waterways in Greater Manchester are now so heavily contaminated by microplastics that particles are found in every sample - including even the smallest streams.

This pollution is a major contributor to contamination in the oceans, researchers found as part of the first detailed catchment-wide study anywhere in the world.

This debris - including microbeads and microfibres - are toxic to ecosystems.

Scientists tested 40 sites around Manchester and found every waterway contained these small toxic particles.

Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic debris including microbeads, microfibres and plastic fragments.

It has long been known they enter river systems from multiple sources including industrial effluent, storm water drains and domestic wastewater.

However, although around 90 per cent of microplastic contamination in the oceans is thought to originate from land, not much is known about their movements.

Most rivers examined had around 517,000 plastic particles per square metre, according to researchers from the University of Manchester who carried out the detailed study.

Following a period of major flooding, the researchers re-sampled at all of the sites.

They found levels of contamination had fallen at the majority of them, and the flooding had removed about 70 per cent of the microplastics stored on the river beds.

This demonstrates that flood events can transfer large quantities of microplastics from urban river to the oceans.

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Scientists urge pregnant women to avoid using plastic bottles - Daily Mail