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The mystery around the indigenous Quimbaya tribe who lived in prehispanic Colombia is deep and it has not been resolved till now. Systematically exterminated by the Spanish crown there is not much information that exists about them. There is no knowledge about their mythology and the gods they worshipped are unknown. Very few books and research about this subject in comparison with other indigenous Colombian tribes. The first study on mushroom cult between the Quimbayas were published by Schultes and Bright (1979). In this research we discussed more observations to reconfirm the ideas proposed by Schultes and Bright from different samples examined at museums of gold and archaeology in Bogota. This will bring new insights around the possible use of mushrooms by the Quimbayas in Prehispanic Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Affordability plays an important role in the utilisation of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and non-IVF fertility treatments. Fertility treatments are associated with increased risk of multiple births. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between the affordability of fertility treatments across US states and the percentage of multiple births due to natural conception, non-IVF treatments, and IVF, and the association between these percentages and state-specific multiple birth rates.Methods: State-specific per capita disposable personal income and state-specific infertility insurance mandates were used as measures of affordability. Maternal age-adjusted percentages of multiple births due to natural conception, non-IVF treatments, and IVF were estimated for each state using birth certificate and IVF data. Scatter plots and regression analysis were used to explore associations between state-level measures of affordability, the percentage of multiple births due to natural conception and fertility treatments, and state-specific multiple birth rates.Results: In 2013, age-adjusted contributions of natural conception, non-IVF fertility treatments, and IVF to multiple births in US were 58.2, 22.8, and 19.0% respectively. States with greater affordability of fertility treatments had higher percentages of multiples due to IVF and lower percentages due to natural conception. Higher percentages of multiples due to IVF and lower percentages due to natural conception were associated with higher state-specific multiple birth rates.Conclusion: Increasing affordability of fertility treatments may increase state-specific multiple birth rates. Policies and treatment practices encouraging single-gestation pregnancies may help reduce multiple births resulting from these treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Committee Opinion provides practitioners with suggestions for optimizing the likelihood of achieving pregnancy in couples/individuals attempting conception who have no evidence of infertility. This document replaces the document of the same name previously published in 2013, Fertil Steril 2013;100(3):631-7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Clinical studies have reported reduced fertility in women with inflammatory bowel disease ( IBD). Aim To compare fertility rates in women with IBD to those in women without IBD and assess whether the relative fertility differed following IBD diagnosis, flares and surgery. Methods Women aged 15-44 years in 1990-2010 were identified from a UK primary care database. We estimated overall and age-specific fertility rates by 5-year age bands for women with and without IBD. We used Poisson regression to calculate adjusted fertility rate ratios ( AFRR), adjusted for age, smoking and socioeconomic deprivation. Results There were 46.2 live births per 1000 person-years [95% confidence interval (95% CI); 44.6-47.9] in 9639 women with IBD and 49.3 (95% CI 49.2-49.5) in 2 131 864 without ( AFRR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89-0.96). Excluding periods of contraception use, the AFRR was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.95-1.03). Before diagnosis, the AFRR for women with ulcerative colitis ( UC) was 1.07 (95% CI: 0.99-1.16) and was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81-0.97) for women with CD. After diagnosis, AFRRs were 0.87 (95% CI: 0.82-0.94) for CD and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86-1.00) for UC. The fertility rate was lower following flares ( AFRR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.59-0.82) or surgery ( AFRR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.77-0.92). Women with pouch and non-pouch surgery had similar overall fertility though the reduction after surgery was greater for pouches ( AFRR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.23-0.99). Conclusions Women with Crohn's disease have marginally lower fertility rates. These rates decreased following flares and surgical interventions. Fertility rates returned almost to normal when women were not prescribed contraception but the reduction following surgical intervention remained. As the lifetime effect of pouch vs. nonpouch surgery on fertility is small, the reduction post-pouch surgery should be interpreted with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present approach was designed to evaluate the extender effects on sperm quality and fertility of short-term refrigerated seminal doses from Landrace boars lodged in husbandry-controlled conditions. For this purpose, we analyzed the sperm quality of seminal doses diluted in short-term (Beltsville Thawing Solution) and extra-long-term (Duragen) extenders from Days 0 to 2 of storage at 17 °C during an 8-month period. Pregnancy rates and litter size were evaluated from double inseminations within an interval of 12 hours (36 and 48 hours of refrigeration) of multiparous females using seminal doses diluted in each extender type. Sperm quality was assessed from the analyses of sperm motility and kinetics, sperm viability, expressed as plasma and acrosome membrane integrity, membrane lipid disorder, intracellular calcium levels, and acrosin activity. Results indicated significant differences between the extenders in the sperm quality of seminal doses. Therefore, the seminal doses diluted in Duragen had higher percentages of progressive motile spermatozoa and membrane-intact spermatozoa than those diluted in Beltsville Thawing Solution throughout all the experimental months. Nevertheless, despite these differences in preserving the sperm quality, pregnancy rates (>90%) and litter sizes (>10 piglets born per litter) were similar between the extenders. Our results had great relevance from a practical point of view because they reported lack of an extender effect on the reproductive performance of seminal doses during short-tem storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salminus brasiliensis is a migratory fish that has attracted considerable interest for aquaculture. Several procedures for induced spawning are known; however, there is a lack of protocol which enables the use of cryopreserved semen. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the use of cryopreserved semen using different volumes of cryopreserved semen relative to oocytes, different activators solutions and different maintenance time during the fertilization of dourado to evaluate the impact of these parameters on the fertilization rate. The semen was collected, cryopreserved in 0.5mL straws and stored in a dry shipper. Oocytes samples were fertilized according to each treatment. The different activator solutions and the contact times of the gametes with activators affected significantly the fertilization rates, which ranged between 13.4 and 27.8%, while fresh semen fertility rate was 80.8%. The relationship between oocyte and cryopreserved semen was significant, being the best ratio 0.05mL of cryopreserved semen per 10g of oocytes, while upper or lower volumes promoted a reduction in fertilization. The use of cryopreserved semen was effective to fertilize S. brasiliensis oocytes, however produced lower fertility rate than fresh semen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article proposes a re-reading of biblical texts in order equip prophets to identify and expose the pious talk and hidden allegiances of misguided evangelism. Topics discussed include identifying "fertility cult" based on concept proposed by Charles Taylor in "Secular Age," and exposing irrelevant pious talks of the church. It also explores modern-day prophet John Stott's concept of evangelicalism that focuses on the majesty of Jesus Christ and the lordship of the Holy Spirit.

El artículo enfoca en la relación entre erotismo y sexualidad en el contexto del pensamiento y las prácticas religiosas. Se reflexiona sobre los ritos de fertilidad, la asociación de prácticas sexuales con ritmos de la naturaleza y la significación religiosa del poder masculino. También se menciona la presencia de relaciones incestuosas en las mitologías.

El artículo enfoca en el culto fálico mesoamericano y su relación con la fecundidad agraria y la masturbación ritual. El autor hace referencia a piezas prehispánicas que representan la masturbación ritual masculina provenientes de diversos sitios arqueológicos incluyendo los de Uxmal, Xunantunich y Altos Orientales.

This article examines a number of contested and contentious issues in the reception of Hosea 1–3, exploring how readers through the centuries have engaged with the interpretive challenges found in the initial chapters of this prophetic text. These include (1) debates concerning whether the marriage of Hosea and Gomer should be understood literally or figuratively; (2) questions concerning the identity of the woman in chp. 3 in relation to the events of chp. 1; (3) proposals on how to understand the metaphorical elements related to Hosea's marriage and Israel's infidelity; (4) ethical, theological, and rhetorical concerns raised by these chapters, including feminist critiques; (5) the place of Gomer's children in the opening chapter of the book; (6) the themes and rhetoric of chp. 2, including the punishment and wooing of the wife and Israel; and (7) the role of Hos 1–3 in Jewish and Christian liturgical traditions. This study offers soundings from across historical, religious, and interpretive traditions that give a sense of the wide-ranging ways in which this book has been read and understood through the centuries. In particular, it highlights that while specific questions and issues related to Hosea have persisted through the years, the underlying interpretive assumptions and approaches to these questions have shifted considerably in various historical periods, which in turn has led to considerable diversity in the reception of this prophetic text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women’s attractiveness has been found to be negatively correlated with waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in many studies. Two components of this ratio can, however, carry different signals for a potential mate. Hip size indicates pelvic size and the amount of additional fat storage that can be used as a source of energy. Waist size conveys information such as current reproductive status or health status. To assess which of these two dimensions is more important for men’s perception of female attractiveness, we used a series of photographs of a woman with WHR manipulated either by hip or waist changes. Attractiveness was correlated negatively with WHR, when WHR was manipulated by waist size. The relation was inverted-U shape when WHR was changed by hip size. We postulate that in westernized societies with no risk of seasonal lack of food, the waist, conveying information about fecundity and health status, will be more important than hip size for assessing a female’s attractiveness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents an archaeological discussion of the cult of the fertility goddess Aphrodite originating from Cyprus. Archaeological evidence for the sanctuary of the goddess at Palaiapaphos; Cultic activity at the sanctuary; Male consort of the Cypriot Aphrodite; Rantidi, the sanctuary of the Paphian Aphrodite's consort; Reference to the Paphos/Rantidi cult in the ancient text known as the Acts of Barnabas.

Understanding the changes in genetic variance which may occur as populations move from nature into captivity has been considered important when populations in captivity are used as models of wild ones. However, the inherent significance of these changes has not previously been appreciated in a conservation context: are the methods aimed at founding captive populations with gene diversity representative of natural populations likely also to capture representative quantitative genetic variation? Here, I investigate changes in heritability and a less traditional measure, evolvability, between nature and captivity for the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, to address this question. Founders were collected from a 100-km transect across the north-eastern US, and five traits (wing colour, pronotum colour, wing length, early fecundity and later fecundity) were recorded for founders and for their offspring during two generations in captivity. Analyses reveal significant heritable variation for some life history and morphological traits in both environments, with comparable absolute levels of evolvability across all traits (0-30%). Randomization tests show that while changes in heritability and total phenotypic variance were highly variable, additive genetic variance and evolvability remained stable across the environmental transition in the three morphological traits (changing 1-2% or less), while they declined significantly in the two life-history traits (5-8%). Although it is unclear whether the declines were due to selection or gene-by-environment interactions (or both), such declines do not appear inevitable: captive populations with small numbers of founders may contain substantial amounts of the evolvability found in nature, at least for some traits.Heredity (2004) 93, 51-61. doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6800479 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines relationships between agrarian ritual observances and specific maize cycle periodicities in Tepoztlan, Morelos. Mesoamerican calendar; Aztec planting ceremonies; Aztec rituals of death; Aztec harvest; Selected Aztec and Tepoztecan agrarian festivals; Meteorological references; Discussion; Conclusions.

This article compares the declines in fertility in Europe and the Third World. Lower levels of fertility were largely due to the adoption of innovative behavior within marriage. So far this transformation of reproduction has been monotonic and rapid. Socioeconomic development is associated with the timing of the onset of the transition and is responsible for differences among groups during the transition, although it is not yet possible to rule out alternative explanations such as ideational or institutional change The pace and pervasiveness of the declines, however, suggest that a mechanism of diffusion is involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the functionalities of sperm cells in light with the ß-defensins. It mentions that the latter is a family of cationic peptide and is an important component for the innate immune system. It also cites the study of Zhou and colleagues on the role of the said defensins in the fertility of male mouse particularly in their genomes.

Reports on an examination of terracotta wombs from the Etruscan area of Vulci, Tarquinia, Italy. The region having sanctuaries connected to cults of fertility; Wombs containing a moveable sphere; Age estimation of the artifacts.