Visitors to the Youth Building during this years Fayette County Fair at the Fayette County Fairgrounds in Dunbar Township will have opportunities to see an embryology project, build Lego structures that reflect local landmarks and participate in geocaching as well as learn about 4-H.

Jennifer Deichert, Penn State Extension assistant, explained this years programs are being set up to run in blocks of time to allow fairgoers more flexibility to stop by anytime during these segments to learn about the subjects being presented.

The embryology project, which will be available in an area of the building throughout the fair, teaches life development. The project, which has been undertaken in several local schools through the years, uses chicken eggs that hatch into young chicks.

A program called Explore Embryology with 4-H will be available from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, July 28 where presenters will be able to explain the process and answers questions to those who visit.

Well let them look at the little chicks and talk about opportunities in 4-H, said Deichert.

Explore Geocaching with 4-H will be presented with Williams Energy from noon to 4 p.m. July 31 to Aug. 4. Geocaching is a hobby in which a participant uses a GPS to search for hidden items called geocaches. Deichert said participants will learn how to geocache to find sites and exhibits throughout the fair.

Steel City LEGO User Group returns with building activities from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 30.

Im real excited. (Steel City LUG founder) Josh Hall will be here on Sunday with challenges that relate to something in the Laurel Highlands, Deichert said.

Without revealing specific commands, those challenges include:

Jumonville cross Participants will be asked to make a replica of the Great Cross of Christ that is a local landmark at this Christian camp in North Union Township.

Fallingwater Participants will be challenged to build a cantilever porch based on the concept used at Frank Lloyd Wrights internationally known Fallingwater in Mill Run.

Cave Those participating will be asked to build a cave similar to Laurel Caverns in Farmington, home to Pennsylvanias largest cave.

National Road markers Participants will try building a replica of the markers that denoted miles along the National Road, Americas first federal highway, that runs through Somerset, Fayette and Washington counties in Pennsylvania.

The 4-H Robotics Club will help with the LEGOS program and have their own demonstration from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 30. The club will also host LEGO challenges from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1 and Thursday, Aug. 3.

Carnegie Science Center returns with a liquid nitrogen Make It and Take It activity from 2 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 4.

Other programs being held in the Youth Building during the fair include:

Explore STEM with 4-H from 3-6 p.m. Monday, July 31, and 2-5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2.

Explore Agriculture and Plant Science with 4-H, 2-5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 1; Cloverbud Day: Activities for youths ages 5-8, 2-5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 4 and Explore Health with 4-H, 3-6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 5.

Agriculture-related videos will run in the Youth Building during the fair.

In addition, GoPro cameras will be available to 4-H members to use for filming a video about the fair. Deichert noted one of this years new clubs is a 4-H Video Production Club.

A Fayette County tourism grant is providing funds for a television with a DVD player to show the agricultural videos as well as 10 GPS units for geocaching, LEGOS for the building challenges and GoPro cameras.

The Youth Building is also the site of the opening ceremony for the 63rd annual Fayette County Fair during which Bill Jackson, fair board president, welcomes the public and introduces fair board members, visiting officials and this years candidates for fair queen. The ceremony takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 28.

4-H clubs will have to set up displays about their clubs, 2-5 p.m., Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, that will be judged later in competition.

The Youth Building will also hold the popular Pennsylvania Preferred Chocolate Cake and Cookie competition Sunday. Entries are accepted from 9 a.m. to noon with judging at 1 p.m.

On Sunday, the 4-H Robotics Club will have a demonstration, 1-2:30 p.m., while the annual 4-H Fashion Show is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the 4-H Communication Contest is slated for 5 p.m.

4-H entries for a variety of projects are being accepted 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, July 31, with judging from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1.

The LH Literacy Van is slated to visit the Youth Building from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 4.

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Embryology, LEGOS AND geocaching among activities at Youth Building - Uniontown Herald Standard

NEW DELHI, July 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Dr. Sangeeta Jain MBBS, MD (Obst & Gynae), Founder, JoyIVF Clinic, attended European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) 2017 that took place in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this month.This was the 33rdannual meeting of ESHRE which is aimed at promoting interest in, and understanding of, reproductive biology and medicine. It does this through facilitating research and subsequent dissemination of research findings in human reproduction and embryology to the different stakeholders.

A technical exhibition of pharmaceutical, surgical and laboratory products was organised in the sidelines of the congress. Several Pre-congress Courses were organised by ESHRE's Special Interest Groups on a variety of subjects including male infertility, enhancing endometrial receptivity, embryo transfer process and techniques, etc.

Several industry-sponsored sessions were also part of the programme. Some of the interesting topics included personalizing ovarian stimulation, natural diversity in ART outcome, insulin sensitizers and PCOS, amongst others.

JoyIVF believes that learnings from the annual meeting are valuable to the medical and scientific industry and it is important that they are brought into India.

Dr. Jain has close to 30 years of experience in fertility research and treatment and continues to advance this field. Dr. Sangeeta has had a brilliant career run with gold medals in academics and practice successfully from the past many years. After completing her MBBS and post-graduation in Obestrics and Gynaecology from King George's Medical College, Lucknow, she has been training with distinguished experts like Dr. R. Rajan and Dr. B. N.Chakravarty, the pioneers of India's first test tube baby at Institute of Reproductive Medicine.

She founded JoyIVF Clinic in New Delhi to maintain the set benchmarks in form of fertility services.

About JoyIVF Clinic:

Joy IVF Clinic,in East Delhi under brilliant guidance of Dr. Jain, has been able to achieve its aims with high rates of success. It has been able to help couples from all spheres of life toenjoy and celebrate the emotions attached to parenthood.

For more details, visit:

Joy IVF Clinic – Where dreams are born

Dr. Sangeeta Jain of JoyIVF Clinic participates in ESHRE 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland

Media Contact:Ms. Sucheta Sunderiyalmail@joyivf.com+91-8010790790JoyIVF Clinic

SOURCE JoyIVF Clinic

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Senior IVF Specialist Dr. Sangeeta Jain Participates in ESHRE 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland - PR Newswire India (press release)

A new study has shown the benefits of a fertility treatment for the first time - finding a three-fold increase in pregnancy rates among infertile couples.

The research, carried out by Professor Cindy Farquhar of Auckland District Health Board's Fertility Plus, found intrauterine insemination (IUI) combined with clomiphene, a medication used to treat women who did not ovulate, was three times more effective than continuing to try to get pregnant without treatment.

The process involves taking medication for about five days before having sperm inserted into the uterus.

The procedure was less invasive and cheaper than in vitro fertilisation (IVF). One round of IVF was about the same cost as three or four IUI cycles, Farquhar said.

While IUI had been used for many years, its success rate had never been studied and in 2013 the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended the procedure no longer be used because of that.

Farquhar said her study had proven it was a technique worth using.

The study of 201 couples who were "relatively infertile" saw half continue to try to conceive naturally while the others were given up to three IUI cycles.

Nine of the women not receiving treatment conceived naturally during the trial while 31 of those who received IUI became pregnant.

Farquhar, who presented the results of the clinical trial at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Annual Meeting in Geneva, said the treatment gave couples a helping hand by encouraging more eggs to be released, timing it right and getting sperm halfway to the egg before releasing them.

Professor Cindy Farquhar of Auckland District Health Board's Fertility Plus has completed a study showing the benefits of intrauterine insemination. Photo/Supplied

The study gave women better information when they were considering fertility treatments, she said.

Many women tried IUI while waiting for the time frame to pass to allow them to qualify for publically funded IVF, and Farquhar agreed it was a good first treatment option.

"Now we've actually shown it has benefit, whereas people have been disregarding it for years."

Katrina Foster was 35 when she and her partner decided it was time to start a family.

They thought it would be easy but by the time she was 39 they had still not conceived naturally so they turned to fertility treatments.

Katrina Foster with her son Lochlan. Photo / Doug Sherring

"People say, 'your clock is ticking' but you don't know the facts," she said. She was told, because of her age, she had a 10 per cent chance of becoming pregnant.

Her specialist suggested intrauterine insemination and Foster was eligible to take part in the trial.

She expected it would likely take all three rounds of treatment to succeed, but just weeks after the first round, tests confirmed she was pregnant.

At the age of 40 she gave birth to her son, Lochlan.

Speaking to the Herald three years after he was born, Foster said having a fertility treatment was a big decision but one she is glad they made.

"We were really thrilled," she said.

A year later the couple decided to try again but after three rounds of IUI and one of IVF, they decided not to continue.

"Even thought I was really disappointed that I couldn't have number two, I have to remember that I'm lucky," she said. "It's a massive emotional rollercoaster."

Foster said she would encourage others in the same situation to give it a go.

"At the end of the day, what have you got to lose?"

Originally posted here:
New study shows benefit of treatment as alternative to IVF - New Zealand Herald

Farming is a tough job by any measure. Hours are unpredictable, there is a lot of hard labor involved, and we are met with unpredictable challenges often. However, you would be hard pressed to find a more rewarding use of time. Some of my biggest pleasures are eating that first squash out of the garden in the summer or watching a newborn calf run around its mother as she watches cautiously. Those simple moments make the work and worry completely worth it all. It is nice to know that I am not alone in having these joys, and many people in the area are interested in beginning to farm as a hobby, second job, or career.

I can see nothing but a positive in the Back to Ag social movement that we are experiencing. High school agriculture classes and FFA groups across our high schools are growing, and those participating are taking what they are learning to serve their neighbors and community through service projects with the elementary schools and other groups. For example, South Stokes FFA students are raising chickens from elementary embryology programs, processing themselves, and donating them to the East Stokes outreach ministry. Pre-registration numbers for the small farmer courses offered through Forsyth Tech and Cooperative Extension show that there is significant interest in people moving toward agriculture. I am excited to assist in helping people learn how to farm as a part of this movement and look forward to see what happens as a result in our community.

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Livestock News - The Stokes News

More women are freezing their eggs because men are mostly trash, according to study "); } AFP/Getty Images

A new study out of Yale University found that more women are freezing their eggs after graduating from college and finding that there just arent any quality men to partner up with. This man deficit, as the study puts it, flies right in the face of other recent studies that assumed more women were freezing their eggs so that they could pursue their career and wanted to buy themselves some time to stack their dough. To be honest, theres nothing wrong with either reason: If you think you want kids at some point in your life, but not anytime soon,freezing your eggs is not a bad way to go.

The study interviewed 150women at eight IVF clinics in the U.S. and Israel, between June 2014 and August 2016. When asked why they were doing it, 90 percent of respondents said that they justcouldnt find a suitable partner.

Study authorMarcia Inhorn elaborated at theEuropean Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Geneva, Switzerland. She said,Women lamented the missing men in their lives, viewing egg freezing as a way to buy time while on the continuing online search for a committed partner. The desire to find a man who wanted to settle down, so to speak, was more common in women who were highly educated. The results, Inhorn says, show that women are outpacing their male peers, which is a phenomenon thats been brewing for some time.

The new survey is interesting. But it was merely 150 women at a handful of clinics, all in the same demographic, and mostly in their late 30s or 40s.Women are freezing their eggs more than they used to, likely thanks to better medical science and less stigma remember it wasnt until 2012 that theAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicinetook away the experimental label from the procedure.

Despite the high price tag, women are taking advantage of science, much like they did with birth control and emergency contraception, pretty much as soon as it was available. Now that they are freezing their eggs, though, the need to place women who do so in a box, like Cant Find A Man or Selfishly Wants A Career is not the way to go. However you interpret the results of studies like this, there still seems to be a lot of judgement about why women choose to freeze their eggs.

Inhorn did add that women were happy to be taking control of their fertility. She said, Almost all of the women that I spoke to were glad that theyd done it. They felt it had given them some measure of control, a kind of peace of mind, and it actually took the desperation out of dating and feeling like they were under the pressure of the biological clock.

Take Kaitlyn Bristowe, for example, who found her fianc on The Bachelorette (talk about a fairy tale!). The 31-year-old is happily engaged and employed, but decided to take advantage of her options. Im taking control of my future! she said in a tweet when a fan asked her why she was at a fertility clinic. Bristowe added, As a woman theres always pressure to have babies, and this puts my mind at ease for when IM ready.

Given the expensive nature of IVF treatments, its a privilege to be able to make that kind of choice, and many women who would like to take advantage of science, simply cannot. Its nice that as a society were finally starting to examine why women are choosing to freeze their eggs, now that the procedure is more common and accessible to some segments of the population. Lets do more science! But lets not assume that if women were able to freeze their eggs decades ago that they wouldnt have and that it might not have anything to do with men at all.

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More women are freezing their eggs for a *way* different reason than we thought - HelloGiggles

11 July 2017 Most couples do not get divorced after infertility struggles A study found that couples who seek in vitro fertilisation are not at greater risk of divorce.

Most couples want to have children, and the inability to do so can put strain on their relationship.

It's been suggested that the disappointment of infertility and the stress of treatment can push relationships to the breaking point. However, those who undergo fertility treatment are no more likely to break up, according to a new study.

According to Health24, infertility can be diagnosed when a couple has tried to conceive for longer than a year but is unsuccessful. Normally, a couple will fall pregnant within six to 12 months of trying to conceive.

Benefits to relationship

A study of more than 40 000 women in Denmark who had fertility treatment between 1994 and 2009 found no link between the treatment and separation or divorce. Researchers said 20% split up within 16 years, compared to 22% of women who were not treated.

The study was presented this week at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Geneva, Switzerland.

Researcher Mariana Martins said the findings should reassure couples who have had or are considering in vitro fertilisation.

"Findings on the security of relationships and parenthood can be particularly helpful in supporting patients' commitment to treatment," said Martins, a psychology faculty member at the University of Porto in Portugal.

"We have previously found that subjects who divorce, re-partner and come back to treatment are the ones that five years before had the most stress," she said in a meeting news release.

"We also know that despite all the strain that this infertility can bring, going through [assisted reproduction treatment] can actually bring benefit to a couple's relationship, because it forces them to improve communication and coping strategies."

Read more:

Treatment for infertility: is it ever too late?

Fertility get the timing right

The A-Z of infertility

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Most couples do not get divorced after infertility struggles - Health24

Category: Endocrinology | Family Medicine | Gynecology | Nursing | Psychiatry | Urology | Conference News

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Study finds couples who seek in vitro fertilization are not at added risk of divorce

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MONDAY, July 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Couples who undergo assisted reproduction treatment (ART) do not have a higher likelihood of divorce, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, held from July 2 to 5 in Geneva.

The study included 42,845 women in Denmark who had ART between 1994 and 2009.

The researchers found no link between ART and separation or divorce. They added that 20 percent of women who underwent ART separated or divorced within 16 years, compared to 22 percent of women who were not treated.

"Findings on the security of relationships and parenthood can be particularly helpful in supporting patients' commitment to treatment," Mariana Martins, Ph.D., a psychology faculty member at the University of Porto in Portugal, said in a news release from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. "We have previously found that subjects who divorce, re-partner, and come back to treatment are the ones that five years before had the most stress. We also know that despite all the strain that this infertility can bring, going through ART can actually bring benefit to a couple's relationship, because it forces them to improve communication and coping strategies."

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Treatment for Infertility Does Not Appear to Raise Risk of Divorce - Doctors Lounge

Female cancer survivors are 38 percent less likely to become pregnant compared with women in the general population, according to a study presented at the annual European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Geneva.

Professor Richard Anderson at Edinburgh University, UK, and his team studiedpregnancy rates in 23,201 female cancer survivors of reproductive age on the Scottish Cancer Registry and matched controls, over a 30-year-period. They found that 29 percent of cancer survivors achieved pregnancy, compared with 46 percent in the control group.

Reduction in fertility after cancer is often attributed to the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Chemotherapy 'could add a decade to a womens reproductive age', commented Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director of IVI Midland in Tamworth, UK. She emphasised the importance of accurate and comprehensive patient counselling.

Professor Anderson stressed that the results of his study only measure pregnancy post- cancer diagnosis, and do not indicate incidence of infertility. He explained that 'some women may have chosen not to have a pregnancy' and 'having a pregnancy after cancer does involve a range of complex issues' No increased risk of miscarriage or stillbirth was found.

The impact of cancer was more pronounced when it came to first pregnancies, with an almost 50 percent reduction in likelihood of a first pregnancy for women post-diagnosis compared with the control group. A reduction in pregnancies was observed in all types of cancer, but the largest effects occurred in survivors of breast and cervical cancer, and leukaemia.

The study highlights the need for renewed focus on fertility preservation, both in terms of driving forward further development in the field, as well as ensuring that there is consistent access to these medical interventions across the world. Professor Anderson described current fertility preservation services as 'very variable', even in the USA and Europe.

In 2016, Professor Anderson led the team which successfully re-implanted a section of ovarian tissue into an infertile cancer survivor, a decade after the tissue had been extracted. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy, becoming one of only a handful of women in the world to give birth after an ovarian tissue cryopreservation procedure, and the first in the UK.

While emphasising that this is very much an experimental procedure, Professor Anderson added: 'It comes at a time when NHS services for fertility preservation are developing across the UK, and we hope it will be the impetus to provide that to all who are in need.'

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Surviving cancer means lower pregnancy rates in women - BioNews

When does a human life begin?

This question should not be hard to answer but in todays culture, the topic is more contentious than ever.

"This is not about opinions, politics, or religion nor should it be. It is about modern, objective, relevant science," Brooke Stanton, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Contend Projects, wrote on her organization's website. Based in Washington, D.C., and founded two years ago, the secular and nonpartisan Contend Projects is working to inform people, based on science, about when life begins.

"Although we live in a secular and scientific society, it's surprising how many intelligent, educated and otherwise informed people don't know fundamental truths about the beginning of human life, sexual reproduction, and human embryology," said Stanton.

She added, "Throughout my research and learning, I kept returning to the idea of taking a step back and separating the objective science from the drama and politics surrounding these issues."

Statisticsabout sex, abortion, and pregnancies can be alarming. "By their 19th birthday, seven in 10 teens have had intercourse," notes the Contend Projects site. And: "A new human being could beginto exist (and pregnancy could begin) within hours of sexual intercourse."

Related:The Newest Planned Parenthood Fetal-Tissue Scandal

Yet 22 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds think human life begins at birth, according to data from market research firm YouGov; 36percent of this demographic believe life begins at conception.

"It's surprising how many intelligent and educated people don't know fundamental truths about human life."

"Nearly half of pregnancies among American women in 2011 were unintended (2.8 million), and about fourin 10 of these were terminated by abortion," according to Contend Projects. "Unintended pregnancy rates are highest among women aged 18-24."

In 2014, there were about926,200 abortions in America, according to research from the Guttmacher Institute.

"These decisions are some of the most important we will make [in] our lives but surprisingly, the basic scientific facts about reproduction are widely misunderstood, or not understood at all," said Contend Projects.

For example, fertilization begins in a woman's fallopian tube. The embryo grows and in about a week implants itself in the uterus.

"As early as 12-24 hours after fertilization begins, pregnancy can be confirmed by detecting a protein called 'early pregnancy factor' or EPF in the mother's blood," said Contend Project. "Just as you and I were once toddlers, we were once embryos. Human development is a continuum, and at any point along this continuum including the very beginning there exists the same whole, individual, integrated human being. He or she is not a 'potential' human being, or a 'possible' human being, or a 'pre-embryo,' or 'just a cell.'"

Related:'Life Doesn't Always Go According to Plan,' Says Pro-Family Ad

"One of the basic insights of modern biology is that life is continuous, with living cells giving rise to new types of cells and, ultimately, to new individuals," according to the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute. "The conclusion that human life begins at sperm-egg fusion is uncontested, objective, based on the universally accepted scientific method of distinguishing different cell types from each other and on ample scientific evidence (thousands of independent, peer-reviewed publications)."

As any mother-to-be knows well the growing baby inside the womb is living and active.

In the Bible, the Lord says in Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

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'When Does a Human Life Begin?' Answered by Science | LifeZette - LifeZette

For Jana Schwartz, no two days are alike. Schwartz is a 4-H associate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Center and helps coordinate 4-H projects within Scotts Bluff County.

One day, Schwartz may be helping with entries for the Scotts Bluff County Fair and spend all day in the office and another day, she may be out doing projects or at the Wildcat Hills teaching children about trees.

Schwartz said projects she coordinates vary from helping 4-H members with their own projects, helping them join clubs or entering students in the fair to the extension center taking part in teaching classrooms about agriculture and animal science, agricultural literacy and more.

One of the many projects Schwartz takes to classrooms is an embryology life cycle project where the students hatch chicken eggs within a classroom. They also teach about electricity, robotics and wearable technology.

Ive been in extension for 15 years now and I was a part of the 4-H program for about 8 years as a child. I really loved what the 4-H program did for me, Schwartz said. It gave me the opportunity to try new things and find out what I was good at.

Schwartz said she didnt go to college expecting to go into extension. Schwartz grew up in Chase County on a cattle ranch and thought shed go into something related to agriculture or veterinary medicine.

I started as a vet tech and ended up on this path, Schwartz said. I started with an internship in Dawes County and that lead to the job here in Scotts Bluff County.

Every state has an extension program that is tied to a university, here in Nebraska it is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The extension is an outreach program which takes any discoveries by the university that are applicable to the public.

For example, in Nebraska agriculture is the biggest portion of extension and producers are able to learn about the best practices for producing different agricultural products. However, the program also does a lot outside of agriculture such as youth development, 4-H, healthy living and nutrition.

The 4-H program started over 100 years ago in 1902 and its main purpose was to take research that scientists discovered to help producers have higher yields from corn.

They tried to teach the discoveries to the adults, but as adults, we dont maybe want to change the ways we are doing things, so people from the university started the first 4-H youth club and taught them new ways to produce crops, Schwartz said. The kids actually started to out-yield their parents.

Schwartz also said that the main purpose of 4-H is to teach kids life skills, but she said the life skills they taught 100 years ago are quite different from skills youth need to know now. Although things such as responsibility, trust, communication and leadership are still important to the organization, lessons and project categories have been tweaked to fit the times.

There are still projects that have to do with agriculture as well as cooking, sewing, robotics, photography, lots of science, technology, art and math, Schwartz said. Thats what youth are needing today.

Right now, Schwartz and members of the 4-H portion of the extension center are making sure that they are prepared for the Scotts Bluff County Fair.

Its kind of the 4-H members Super Bowl, so were making sure all of the details are taken care of so people and families have the best experience possible, Schwartz said.

Schwartz said her favorite thing about her job is the people and volunteers that she gets to work with.

The kids are amazing to work with and to see them grow and change and meet their potential is great, Schwartz said. Volunteers mean a lot to me because of how much they give to the program and what they do for the kids in their community.

Projects will be shown and judged from Saturday, July 22 through Sunday, Aug. 8 at the Scotts Bluff County Fairgrounds in Mitchell.

Call 308-632-1480 for more information on or questions about the local 4-H program.

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Jana Schwartz leads local 4-H'ers - Scottsbluff Star Herald