Why Family Planning and Reproductive Health are Critical to the Well-Being of Youth

An unprecedented number of young people are entering their reproductive years, most of whom live in the developing world. U.S. policy makers should assist in effortS to ensure that youth worldwide are able to make informed decisions about their sexuality and receive the family planning and reproductive health care that they require. The U.S. should support these efforts by providing adequate funding for international family planning and reproductive health programs. Young people's access to family planning and reproductive health is a fundamental right. The international community recognizes that youth must have access to comprehensive, evidence-based, scientifically accurate, and youth friendly family planning and reproductive information, services, and supplies. The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action endorsed by 179 countries identifies young people's reproductive rights as a priority. Youth were also a key consideration in the 2009 review of the ICPD

Women Reproductive Rights in India: Prospective Future.

Reproductive rights were established as a subset of the human rights. Parents have a basic human right to determine freely and responsibly the number and the spacing of their children. Issues regarding the reproductive rights are vigorously contested, regardless of the population’s socioeconomic level, religion or culture. Following review article discusses reproductive rights with respect to Indian context focusing on socio economic and cultural aspects. Also discusses sensitization of government and judicial agencies in protecting the reproductive rights with special focus on the protecting the reproductive rights of people with disability (mental illness and mental retardation)

Mycoplasma suis infection in suckling pigs on a Belgian farm

Mycoplasma suis (formerly known as Eperythrozoon suis) is an epicellular bacterium that affects porcine red blood cells. M. suis infections occur worldwide and are associated with weakness and anemia in suckling and weaned pigs, and reproductive disorders in sows. The present field report describes the detection of M. suis in anemic piglets originating from a Belgian farrow-to-finish herd. The herd was experiencing increased piglet mortality (16%) in the farrowing unit and had a high percentage of repeat breeders (22%). A control program using antimicrobials and hygienic and sanitary measures significantly decreased the number of clinically anemic piglets and the mortality rate in the farrowing unit. However, it did not have any significant influence on the reproductive failure of the farm. The lack of a significant effect on reproductive failure was probably due to the circulation of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) on the farm

Effects of duration of water stress at different growth stages on growth and yield of soybeans (Glycine max (L) Merrill) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agriculture in Plant Science at Massey University

Four soybean cultivars (viz. Evans, Geiso, Maple Arrow and S.J.4) were subjected to water stress at three different reproductive growth stages: i)entire reproductive growth stages (R1 to R7) ii) early reproductive growth stages (R1 to R4) and iii) late reproductive growth (R4 to R7). The experiment was conducted in the climate laboratory at the Plant Physiology Division D.S.I.R. Palmerston North, New Zealand, with 31°/23°c (day/night temperature) 70/90% RH (day/night relative humidity) and 14 hours photoperiod. The growth and development of the soybeans were markedly affected by water stress. Leaf area, final plant length, number of nodes and total plant dry weight from the stress treatments were reduced. Seed yield per plant from the three stress treatments were only 10.7, 49.6, and 24.1% relative to that of control treatment. The response of soybean yield depended on both the timing and the duration of stress in relation to growth stages whilst some other plant characters such as plant length and the number of nodes responded more to the timing rather than the duration of stress. Cultivars with the determinate growth type (viz. Evans and Maple Arrow) were apparently more sensitive to stress at the early phase of reproductive growth (R1 to R4) whilst the indeterminate growth type (viz. Geiso and S.J.4) were more sensitive to water stress at the later phase of reproductive growth (R4 to R7). The number of pods per plant was the most important yield component in determining yield although in Evans and the early stress treatment the average seed weight was the most important component. The rank of cultivars, from low to high sensitivity to water stress is Maple Arrow, Evans, Geiso and S.J.4. S.J.4 also reacted differently from the other three cultivars in many aspects. The drought tolerance test estimated through a measurment of electrolyte leakage from the cells was used and discussed. Two methods of genotype x environment interaction analysis (regression analysis and discriminant analysis) were used. The discriminant analysis had some advantages in the study of GE interaction e.g. it could be done with several characters at once and compared with the regression method it could be used with a much lesser number of cultivars and environments. Key words: Soybeans, water stress, growth stages, yield and yield components, drought tolerance test, GE interaction, discriminant analysis, principal component analysis

Assisted reproductive technology in the USA: is more regulation needed?

The regulation of assisted reproductive technologies is a contested area. Some jurisdictions, such as the UK and a number of Australian states, have comprehensive regulation of most aspects of assisted reproductive technologies; others, such as the USA, have taken a more piecemeal approach and rely on professional guidelines and the general regulation of medical practice to govern this area. It will be argued that such a laissez-faire approach is inadequate for regulating the complex area of assisted reproductive technologies. Two key examples, reducing multiple births and registers of donors and offspring, will be considered to illustrate the effects of the regulatory structure of assisted reproductive technologies in the USA on practice. It will be concluded that the regulatory structure in the USA fails to provide an adequate mechanism for ensuring the ethical and safe conduct of ART services, and that more comprehensive regulation is required

Sex allocation and reproductive success in the andromonoecious perennial, Solanum carolinense (Solanaceae). II. paternity and functional gender

The work was supported by a National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement grant (DEB‐9411513), by the Society for Sigma Xi, and by a Hutcheson Memorial Forest grant.According to Bateman's principle, male fitness in entomophilous plant species should be limited by mating opportunity, which is influenced by the size or number of flowers. We determined male-specific fitness consequences of floral phenotype in andromonoecious Solanum carolinense, examined the relationship between male and female reproductive success within plants, and evaluated the distribution of functional gender among plants. A maximum likelihood-based paternity analysis, based on multilocus allozyme phenotypes of parents and offspring from four experimental plots, was used to determine male reproductive success and its relationship to floral phenotype. Male success was enhanced by an increase in the proportion of male flowers produced but not by an increase in total flower number, even though all flowers contain male parts. Larger flower size increased male success in only one plot. Male and female reproductive success were negatively correlated, and plants varied in functional gender from completely female to completely male. This gender specialization may occur because hermaphroditic and male flowers differ in their ability to contribute to male and female success. Although sex allocation theory predicts a positive relationship between the size or number of plant parts and reproductive success, this study indicates that aspects of floral morphology that affect gender specialization should also be considered.Peer reviewe

Spermatogenesis and sperm structure in the black-striped pipefish <i>Syngnathus abaster</i> (Teleostei, Syngnathidae) = Spermatogenesi e struttura degli spermatozoi in <i>Syngnathus abaster</i> (Teleostei, Synghathidae)

The gonads of adult males of the black-striped pipejish Syngnathus abaster were observed during the reproductive season to describe mature sperm both quantitativel/y and qualitatively. The results show that: a) the sperms number is always very low and, does not vary significantly during the reproductive season; b) all mature sperms observed may be assigned to the introsperm-like type. These data suggest that the unique and functional sperm of Syngnathids pertain to the introsperm type typical of internally fertilizing teleostean bony fishes