“Green” Reproduction, Resource Conservation, and Ecological Responsibility

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-172
Author(s):  
Cristina Richie

This paper will draw on Catholic resources to examine the impact of population and consumption vis-à-vis reproduction in the developed world as it relates to theological/ moral obligations to the earth. By examining both natural and artificial means of procreation, an assessment of “green” reproduction can be made. I will explore contraception as an option for limiting natural procreation, and the avoidance of assisted reproductive technologies [ARTs] as a way of preventive artificial reproduction. However, both family size and carbon footprint must be scrutinized for ecologically sound consumer practices in accordance with biblical principles to ensure the global magnitude of the ecological crisis is examined; therefore the role of consumption that stems from procreation will also be discussed. The paper will conclude by envisioning alternative parenting options as they relate to ecological practices, and I will assert that all things considered, on the continuum of ecologically oriented reproductive choices, non-biological parenting and thereby a reduction in procreation and consumerist practices is the most ethical and ecological solution to the environmental crisis that surely escalates with each birth.

Author(s):  
A. V. Kaminskiy ◽  
A. V. Serbeniuk ◽  
O. O. Tsisarzh

According to statistics, every fifth married couple has problems with pregnancy. It is known that among all the factors of infertility, the first place is occupied by the tubal-peritoneal factor, and the most common cause of non-pregnancy is a violation of the receptive ability of the endometrium. In the study of the endometrium in patients with unsuccessful attempts at assisted reproductive technologies and severe endometrial insufficiency, there are changes in receptivity, impaired development of foaming, decreased expression of implantation molecules. The development of new methods for correcting the receptive function of the endometrium remains an important step. It should be noted that currently there are no standardized approaches to pre-pregnancy preparation of endometrial receptivity with pronounced signs of lag. Also today, special attention is paid to the impact of carbohydrate metabolism disorders on women's reproductive health. Based on the analysis of literature data and the results of their own retrospective observations, the team of authors identified the role of disorders of carbohydrate metabolism and autoimmunization with food allergens in the violation of endometrial receptivity. It is noted that severe endometrial insufficiency is significantly correlated with an increase in the number of women with disorders of carbohydrate metabolism. The initial algorithm of preliminary preparation of the endometrium of normal immune systems and carbohydrate conversion of heirs in accordance with the mode of processing and analysis is developed and offered. Created, adherence to the elimination diet increases the receptivity of the endometrium with a collection of women according to standard schemes. The proposed training algorithm also improves the overall health of patients, reduces metabolic manifestations.The results of the studies indicate the need for a differentiated approach to the correction of endometrial receptivity and pre-pregnancy preparation of the endometrium before subsequent cycles of ART.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 5918
Author(s):  
Paweł Kordowitzki ◽  
Gabriela Sokołowska ◽  
Marta Wasielak-Politowska ◽  
Agnieszka Skowronska ◽  
Mariusz T. Skowronski

The oocyte is the major determinant of embryo developmental competence in all mammalian species. Although fundamental advances have been generated in the field of reproductive medicine and assisted reproductive technologies in the past three decades, researchers and clinicians are still trying to elucidate molecular factors and pathways, which could be pivotal for the oocyte’s developmental competence. The cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix communications are crucial not only for oocytes but also for multicellular organisms in general. This latter mentioned communication is among others possibly due to the Connexin and Pannexin families of large-pore forming channels. Pannexins belong to a protein group of ATP-release channels, therefore of high importance for the oocyte due to its requirements of high energy supply. An increasing body of studies on Pannexins provided evidence that these channels not only play a role during physiological processes of an oocyte but also during pathological circumstances which could lead to the development of diseases or infertility. Connexins are proteins that form membrane channels and gap-junctions, and more precisely, these proteins enable the exchange of some ions and molecules, and therefore they do play a fundamental role in the communication between the oocyte and accompanying cells. Herein, the role of Pannexins and Connexins for the processes of oogenesis, folliculogenesis, oocyte maturation and fertilization will be discussed and, at the end of this review, Pannexin and Connexin related pathologies and their impact on the developmental competence of oocytes will be provided.


1999 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A Damario ◽  
Owen K Davis ◽  
Zev Rosenwaks

Age is perhaps the most important single variable influencing outcome in the assisted reproductive technologies (ART). The effect of advancing age on clinical ART outcome is manifested not only in the pattern of ovarian response to stimulation regimens, but also in reduced implantation efficiency and an increased spontaneous abortion rate. The clinical importance of these factors is compounded by the fact that increasing numbers of older women are presenting for ART treatment. Delayed childbearing is becoming increasingly common in the western world. The availability of methods of birth control, educational and career priorities for women, and the increased rates of divorce and remarriage are some of the factors contributing to this phenomenon.


Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 728
Author(s):  
Eguzkine Ochoa

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are the treatment of choice for some infertile couples and even though these procedures are generally considered safe, children conceived by ART have shown higher reported risks of some perinatal and postnatal complications such as low birth weight, preterm birth, and childhood cancer. In addition, the frequency of some congenital imprinting disorders, like Beckwith–Wiedemann Syndrome and Silver–Russell Syndrome, is higher than expected in the general population after ART. Experimental evidence from animal studies suggests that ART can induce stress in the embryo and influence gene expression and DNA methylation. Human epigenome studies have generally revealed an enrichment of alterations in imprinted regions in children conceived by ART, but no global methylation alterations. ART procedures occur simultaneously with the establishment and maintenance of imprinting during embryonic development, so this may underlie the apparent sensitivity of imprinted regions to ART. The impact in adulthood of imprinting alterations that occurred during early embryonic development is still unclear, but some experimental evidence in mice showed higher risk to obesity and cardiovascular disease after the restriction of some imprinted genes in early embryonic development. This supports the hypothesis that imprinting alterations in early development might induce epigenetic programming of metabolism and affect long-term health. Given the growing use of ART, it is important to determine the impact of ART in genomic imprinting and long-term health.


2021 ◽  
pp. 70-76
Author(s):  
Abuduwaili Ruziguli ◽  
Nikolai Nikolaevich Rukhliada ◽  
Anna Nikolaevna Taits ◽  
Tatyana Ivanovna Prohorovich ◽  
Tatyana Aleksandrovna Libova

This article is devoted to the assessment of the role of ALK5 in the profile of early reproductive losses in the use of assisted reproductive technologies, in particular, by using immunohistochemical study in the group of patients with early spontaneous abortion after the procedure of embryo transfer, a lower level of ALK5 expression in the decidual tissue was revealed (in comparison with control), which may be related to the occurrence of early reproductive losses caused by the imbalance in Th1 / Th2 and its effect on the increase in the concentration of natural killer cells.


2004 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
pp. 147-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
PAULL WEBER ◽  
MICHAEL SCHAPER

Demographic trends in the developed world indicate that older entrepreneurs will play an increasingly important part of economic activity as populations age, yet this cohort has been largely ignored in entrepreneurship research. This paper provides an overview of current research about the so-called "grey entrepreneur" (also known as senior, older, third age or elderly entrepreneurs), drawing on research from a number of nations. The extant literature indicates that a majority of older entrepreneurs are male, although the number of older female entrepreneurs is increasing; they are also less likely to possess formal educational qualifications than younger entrepreneurs. Some of the advantages that such entrepreneurs possess include greater levels of technical, industrial and management experience; superior personal networks; and a stronger financial asset base. Some of the disadvantages or potential barriers faced by older entrepreneurs can include lower levels of health, energy and productivity; ageism; and the value that his or her society places on active ("productive") ageing. Numerous issues still remain to be investigated in this field of research. These include the differences between younger and older entrepreneurs; their motives and success criteria; the impact of financial, knowledge and other resources on venturing behaviour; the role of government policies in fostering or hampering individual enterprise; and the significance of cultural differences amongst older entrepreneurs. Research in this field is currently also hampered by a multiplicity of terms and definitions, a lack of age-related data about different entrepreneurial cohorts, and the problems inherent in operationalising the concept of the "grey entrepreneur."


1998 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 378-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni B La Sala ◽  
Rossella Montanari ◽  
Luisella Dessanti ◽  
Corrado Cigarini ◽  
Fabrizio Sartori

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelynne Paris-Oller ◽  
Sergio Navarro-Serna ◽  
Cristina Soriano-Úbeda ◽  
Jordana Sena Lopes ◽  
Carmen Matas ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: In vitro embryo production (IVP) and embryo transfer (ET) are two very common assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in human and cattle. However, in pig, the combination of either procedures, or even their use separately, is still considered suboptimal due to the low efficiency of IVP plus the difficulty of performing ET in the long and contorted uterus of the sow. In addition, the potential impact of these two ART on the health of the offspring is unknown. We investigated here if the use of a modified IVP system, with natural reproductive fluids (RF) as supplements to the culture media, combined with a minimally invasive surgery to perform ET, affects the output of the own IVP system as well as the reproductive performance of the mother and placental molecular traits.Results: The blastocyst rates obtained by both in vitro systems, conventional (C-IVP) and modified (RF-IVP), were similar. Pregnancy and farrowing rates were also similar. However, when compared to in vivo control (artificial insemination, AI), litter sizes of both IVP groups were lower, while placental efficiency was higher in AI than in RF-IVP. Gene expression studies revealed aberrant expression levels for PEG3 and LUM in placental tissue for C-IVP group when compared to AI, but not for RF-IVP group.Conclusions: The use of reproductive fluids as additives for the culture media in pig IVP does not improve reproductive performance of recipient mothers but could mitigate the impact of artificial procedures in the offspring.


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