Reduced Fertilization Rates Research Articles

Lupus progression deteriorates oogenesis quality in MRL/lpr mice.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the activation of the immune response against self antigens. Numerous reproductive complications, including reduced birth rate and complications for the mother and the fetus during pregnancy, have been observed in women with SLE. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of SLE development on oocyte meiosis in lupus-prone mice. Lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice were used for the experiments: disease-free (4weeks of age) and sick (20weeks of age, virgin and postpartum). The immune response was monitored by flow cytometry, ELISpot, ELISA, and histology. Oocytes were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy based on chromatin, tubulin, and actin structures. The lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice developed age-dependent symptoms of SLE with increased levels of various autoantibodies, proteinuria, and renal infiltrates and a tendency for the immune response to worsen with changes in cell populations and the cytokine profile. The number and quality of oocytes were also affected, and the successful pregnancy rate of MRL/lpr mice was limited to only 60%. Isolated oocytes showed severe structural changes in all studied groups. Systemic alterations in immune homeostasis in SLE affect the quality of developing oocytes, which is evident from a young age. The data obtained is in line with the trend of reduced fertility in lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice. The phenomenon can be explained by changes in the microenvironment of the relevant organs and close connection between ovulation and inflammatory processes.

Examining the Effects of Nutrient Supplementation on Metabolic Pathways via Mitochondrial Ferredoxin in Aging Ovaries.

As women age, oocytes are susceptible to a myriad of dysfunctions, including mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired DNA repair mechanisms, epigenetic alterations, and metabolic disturbances, culminating in reduced fertility rates among older individuals. Ferredoxin (FDX) represents a highly conserved iron-sulfur (Fe-S) protein essential for electron transport across multiple metabolic pathways. Mammalian mitochondria house two distinct ferredoxins, FDX1 and FDX2, which share structural similarities and yet perform unique functions. In our investigation into the regulatory mechanisms governing ovarian aging, we employed a comprehensive multi-omics analysis approach, integrating spatial transcriptomics, single-cell RNA sequencing, human ovarian pathology, and clinical biopsy data. Previous studies have highlighted intricate interactions involving excessive lipid peroxide accumulation, redox-induced metal ion buildup, and alterations in cellular energy metabolism observed in aging cells. Through a multi-omics analysis, we observed a notable decline in the expression of the critical gene FDX1 as ovarian age progressed. This observation prompted speculation regarding FDX1's potential as a promising biomarker for ovarian aging. Following this, we initiated a clinical trial involving 70 patients with aging ovaries. These patients were administered oral nutritional supplements consisting of DHEA, ubiquinol CoQ10, and Cleo-20 T3 for a period of two months to evaluate alterations in energy metabolism regulated by FDX1. Our results demonstrated a significant elevation in FDX1 levels among participants receiving nutritional supplementation. We hypothesize that these nutrients potentiate mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) activity or electron transport chain (ETC) efficiency, thereby augmenting FDX1 expression, an essential electron carrier in metabolic pathways, while concurrently mitigating lipid peroxide accumulation and cellular apoptosis. In summary, our findings underscore the potential of nutritional intervention to enhance in vitro fertilization outcomes in senescent cells by bolstering electron transport proteins, thus optimizing energy metabolism and improving oocyte quality in aging women.

Impact of wind flow and global warming in the dynamics of prey–predator model

Prey–predator interaction is among the most crucial aspects of ecology. In this paper, the dynamics of a prey–predator system in which the prey and predator populations experience a birth rate reduction due to global warming and the wind flow effect on them are investigated. The system’s well-posedness before presenting findings about the existence of potential equilibrium points is studied. Conditions under which a different number of interior equilibria exist are also derived here. It is very important to know that when the positive equilibrium point is stable, this reflects positively on the ecosystem, its continuity and persistence. The conditions that have been identified are conditions that preserve the ecosystem from extinction when environmental influences such as global warming and wind speed are present. In addition, the local stability study around all equilibrium points and established the transversality criteria for the occurrence of transcritical bifurcations and Hopf bifurcations is conducted. The existence of different equilibrium points numerically by altering the prey’s global warming effect is illustrated , also showcasing the model’s dynamic character from a mathematical perspective. For significant amounts of global warming, its notice that the system exhibits periodic behavior. Thus, ecologists can approximate the parameters necessary to investigate and obtain such crucial findings regarding nonlinear systems with the aid of the current study.

Female Labor Force Participation and Fertility: A Survey Based Study of Southern Punjab, Pakistan

Rapidly increasing population is challenging for almost all the developing countries which triggers the issues like poverty, ill-health, illiteracy, lower living standard and environmental degradation. Female participation in labor force may increase the opportunity cost for bearing and rearing children. This increased opportunity cost for having children may put pressure on families to have less number of children and offer more women time in labor market. This induces the women to allocate more time to work and develops their preferences to have less number of children. However, taking the 400 respondents as sample size, this study was conducted in Multan division, known as area of southern Punjab, Pakistan. Keeping in view the non-negative nature of dependent variable, this study used Negative Binomial Model to find out the relationship between fertility and female labor force participation. The estimates of the model indicates that monthly income of wife, education and use of birth control devices are major factors lessening the fertility rate of females. However, this mechanism for lowering demand for children by family may be helpful in reducing fertility rate (number of children per women) and increasing economic activity and wellbeing by involving more and more women in paid work. In this way, a society can achieve the targets of birth control in an invisible way to impede the pace of undesirable population growth. Finding of proposed research may help population welfare department, Punjab and Pakistan Population council, provincial and federal government in formulating an indirect and invisible population/birth control policies to overcome the burden of over-population.

What factors influence couples’ decisions to have children? Evidence from a systematic scoping review

BackgroundOne of the most significant demographic challenges over the past three decades has been the substantial reduction in fertility rates, worldwidely. As a developing country, Iran has also experienced a rapid decline in fertility over the past decades. Understanding factors influencing fertility is essential for development programs. Moreover, it’s crucial to study the parameters that affect the intention for childbearing in any society. Therefore, through a systematic scoping review, the present study investigates the factors influencing couples’ decisions toward childbearing.MethodsThis study was a systematic scoping review conducted in 2023. To design and conduct this scoping review, Joanna Briggs Institute’s Protocol (Institute TJB, The Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers ’ manual 2015; methodology for JBI scoping reviews, 2015) was used and the framework presented by Levac et al. (2010) was also used as a guide for conducting this review. Studies were searched in three main databases including ISI Web of Sciences, PubMed, and Scopus, using a predefined search strategy. Google Scholar was also used for complementary search. The search period was from 2002 to 2022.ResultsA total of 18,454 studies were identified across three primary databases. After evaluating articles in three distinct phases based on title, abstract, and full-text, 46 articles were deemed eligible for inclusion in the scoping review. The qualitative analysis of the collected data from the selected studies through the scoping review led to classifying factors influencing households’ desire for childbearing into eight main themes and 101 sub-themes. The main themes associated with factors impacting households’ intention for childbearing encompass individual determinants, demographic and familial influencing factors, cultural elements, social factors, health-related aspects, economic considerations, insurance-related variables, and government support/incentive policies.ConclusionsComprehensive and holistic attention from governments and officials toward the various factors affecting households’ intention and behavior regarding childbearing appears beneficial and effective. Furthermore, given the relative ineffectiveness of some of the current government’s supportive/incentive policies to increase couples’ desire for childbearing, it seems necessary to review and amend these policies. This review should address the most significant challenges and factors contributing to couples’ reluctance to childbearing or strengthen factors that can play a substantial role in fostering fertility and childbearing desires.

The impact of juvenile curfews on teenage birth rates.

I examine the effect of city-level juvenile curfews on teenage birth rates using the National Center for Health Statistics birth data from 1982 to 2002. I compare differences in birth rates between younger and older age groups in cities with and without curfew ordinances. Before curfew adoption, the age differential in birth rates trended similarly for cities that did and did not adopt a curfew. There were significant decreases in the age differential birth rates in cities that adopted a curfew relative to cities that did not. Curfews reduced birth rates by approximately 3 births per 1000 women ages 15-17. I find a decrease in birth rates among white women. The main results are corroborated using a variety of robustness checks and specifications.

Enhancing Utilization of Long-Acting Contraceptive Methods among Women: A Study in Hoima Regional Referral Hospital

Family planning is crucial for reducing fertility rates, maternal mortality, and infant welfare. Reversible long-acting contraceptives (LACMs) are effective for women who want to limit childbearing and space births, potentially playing a significant role in reducing maternal mortality. However, the use of LACMs has not kept pace with short acting methods like oral contraceptives and injectables. A study was conducted to determine the level of utilization of long-acting contraceptive methods among women attending the MCH clinic at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital and related factors. The majority of participants (50.9%) were aged 30-39, married (68.4%), housewives (40.4%), protestant (36.8%), and had attained tertiary education (47.4%). The most common contraceptives used were pills (33.3%), injectable (24.6%), condoms (15.8%), implants (10.5%), IUCD (3.5%), and others (12.3%). Eight participants were using long-acting methods, accounting for 14.0% of the study. Factors associated with the utilization of long-acting contraceptive methods included marital status, level of education, residence, partner involvement, knowledge of LACMs, attitude towards LACMs, and access to the desired method of contraception. The study highlights the need for improved access to long-acting contraceptive methods among women of reproductive age. Keywords: Long-Acting Contraceptive, Women, MCH Clinic, Maternal mortality

Determining optimal range of reduction rates for nitrogen fertilization based on responses of vegetable yield and nitrogen losses to reduced nitrogen fertilizer application

Vegetable production is commonly accompanied by high nitrogen fertilizer rates but low nitrogen use efficiency in China. Reduced fertilization has been frequently recommended in existing studies as an efficient measurement to avoid large amount of nutrient loss and subsequent nonpoint source pollution. However, the reported responses of vegetable yield and nitrogen losses to reduced fertilization rates varied in a large range, which has resulted into large uncertainties in the potential benefits of those recommended reduction rates. Thus, we constructed the relationship between responses of nitrogen losses and vegetable yield to reduced nitrogen fertilization rates to determine the optimal range of reduction rates for nitrogen fertilization in a proportional form based on data reported in literatures across China's mainland, and evaluated the roles of greenhouse, managing options, and vegetable species on the responses. The relationships were constructed separately for 4 subregions: Northern arid and semiarid, loess plateau regions (NSL), Temperate monsoon zone (TMZ), Southeast monsoon zone (SMZ), Southwest zone (SWZ). The optimal nitrogen fertilizer reduction range for the TMZ, SMZ and SWZ were 51 % to 67 %, 40 % to 66 % and 54 % to 80 %, respectively and no reduction for NSL. Vegetable yields were not be sacrificed when fertilizations were reduced within the optimal ranges. Greenhouse and managing options showed no significant effect on the responses of both vegetable yield and nitrogen losses by the optimal reduction range but vegetable species played a relatively important role on the responses of vegetable yield. This indicated that the optimal reduction rates can be effective on reducing nitrogen loss in both open-field and greenhouse conditions across China's mainland without extra managing options. Therefore, the optimal reduction rates can still serve as a good starting point for making regional plans of nitrogen reduction that help balancing the chasing of high vegetable yield and low nitrogen loss.

Description of Knowledge and Age of Couples of Reproductive Age Using Long-Term Contraception Methods in Kunden Hamlet, Sendangsari Village

Government policy in order to reduce the rate of population growth is the Family Planning (KB) movement. The longterm contraceptive method (MKJP) has a high level of effectiveness in minimizing the number of births. This method can be used for a long period of time, can reduce birth rates or terminate pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of knowledge about MKJP and age with the use of long-term contraceptive methods. The method used in this research is to use descriptive method. The population used in this study were couples of childbearing age who live in Kunden Hamlet. Sampling in this study using probability sampling technique based on inclusion and exclusion criteria amounted to 74 respondents. The research instrument used was a questionnaire distributed to respondents. Data analysis is presented in the frequency distribution table. The results of this study found that most of the respondents had a relatively low level of knowledge, namely 50 respondents (67.6%) and the other 24 respondents (32.4%) had a sufficient level of knowledge. Based on frequency distribution data, only 2 respondents (28.6%) were aged 20 years old using long-term contraception methods (28.6%), 4 respondents were aged 20-35 years (57.1%) and those aged 35 years were only amounted to 1 respondent (14.3%). So it can be concluded that the description of knowledge about long-term contraceptive methods is in the less category. While the age is dominated at the age of 20-35 years.

Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Associated Factors of Implant Use in Women, Ethiopia.

The world is in a dramatic expansion of population that resulted from the continued high birth rates in developing countries. At present, only a handful of countries have reduced fertility rates. That is enough to make gains as a result of reduced fertility or to ensure that their population will stabilize unforeseeable future. Ethiopia is the second largest country by population in Africa, but contraceptive use in Ethiopia is still low. The main objective of the study was to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice and associated factors towards implant use among married reproductive age group women. An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was used to collect the data from 272 married reproductive age group women attending the family planning clinic at Ejere Health Center from October 9, 2021 to November 24, 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select and approach the study subjects. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS window version 21, and bi variable, multivariable logistic regression was used to test the association between independent and dependent variables. A P value of less than 0.05 and 95% CI was considered to be statistically significant. Finally, the result was presented using tables and graphs. The finding shows that most of the respondents know implant (87.6%). Concerning the practice of implants, the overall prevalence of implants was 51 (20.6%), and in attitude towards implant utilization among study clients, most of them wrongly believed that using implant can result in irregular uterine bleeding and cause pain during insertion and removal. Mothers who attended primary school 2.580 times (AOR = 2.580, 95% CI: 1.255-5.305, P value =0.01) had more positive attitudes than those who could not read and write. Mothers having positive attitude were 2.066 times (AOR = 2.066, 95% CI: 1.185-3.600, P value =0.01) knowledgeable about implant than those with negative attitudes. Even if most of the respondents were knowledgeable, practice and attitude towards implant utilization were low. To overcome this gap, we recommended adequate early counseling, on possible side effects, and creating awareness on implant contraceptive services and refresher courses for health workers regarding implant contraception should be given regularly regarding reproductive issues.

Analysis of Factors Influencing the Decision of Couples of Childbearing Age to Participate in the Family Planning (KB) Program in Purwakarta Regency, Indonesia

Introduction: The family planning (KB) program is a government program that aims to control the rate of population growth. In Indonesia, the family planning program has been launched since 1970 and has shown significant results in reducing birth rates. However, there are still several obstacles in implementing the family planning program, one of which is the low participation rate of couples of childbearing age (PUS).
 Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design with 384 PUS as respondents. Data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed using logistic regression.
 Results: The results of the study showed that the factors that significantly influenced PUS' decision to take part in the family planning program in Purwakarta Regency were knowledge about family planning (OR = 2.89; 95% CI: 1.73-4.82), husband's support (OR = 2.15 ; 95% CI: 1.28-3.59), and access to family planning services (OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.10-3.05).
 Conclusion: Factors that significantly influence PUS's decision to participate in the family planning program in Purwakarta Regency are knowledge about family planning, husband's support, and access to family planning services.

Reduction in birth rates and preterm births following the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan

Reduction in birth rates and preterm births following the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan

Implementing health system and the new federalism in Somalia: challenges and opportunities.

In the 21st century, healthcare stands out as a formidable, contentious social responsibility for governments due to its high costs. This study delves into Somalia's healthcare system under Federal Government leadership, scrutinizing the complexities of health governance and financing. The Federal Government (FGS), along with governmental states (FMS) and regional authorities, collectively shoulder leadership and governance roles within Somalia's healthcare framework. Vital to resilient and inclusive development, the health sector holds a pivotal role. A strategic investment in healthcare not only drives substantial demographic dividends through enhanced life expectancy and reduced fertility rates, but also paves Somalia's trajectory toward progress. The Federal Government of Somalia confronts a multitude of challenges in its pursuit of effective healthcare implementation. A prominent obstacle lies in health financing. Somalia relies heavily on international and private sources for health support, primarily due to limited government revenue generation. This financial shortfall restrains the government's capacity to allocate ample funds for public services and critical investments, including healthcare. This paper sheds light on the present healthcare landscape in Somalia and expounds on the hurdles confronted by healthcare systems under federal governance. Moreover, it delves into the historical evolution of Somalia's healthcare system and the advent of new federalist principles. In doing so, this study comprehensively examines the dynamics of healthcare governance, financing, and historical progression in Somalia.

Progesterone in Pregnancy: Evidence-Based Strategies to Reduce Miscarriage and Enhance Assisted Reproductive Technology.

The incidence of miscarriage in early pregnancy, between 5-20 weeks, is common, with a prevalence of between 5-22% of all pregnancies. Miscarriage can have physical, social, and mental health impacts on women and their families. In societies such as Taiwan, where the birth rate is falling and life expectancy is increasing, there is concern that factors that reduce birth rates will have detrimental economic and societal effects. Progesterone has a significant role in maintaining early and successful pregnancy to term. Evidence from preclinical and clinical research on the roles of progesterone has supported recent clinical guidelines in obstetrics and gynecology to reduce rates of early miscarriage and improve methods of assisted reproductive technology (ART). This article aims to present an evidence-based review of current recommendations for the use of progesterone in early pregnancy to reduce miscarriage rates and in luteal phase support for ART, including embryo transfer.

Reimagining gendered community interventions: the case of family planning programs in rural Bangladesh

Family planning programs in Bangladesh have been successfully operating for over half a century, achieving phenomenal reductions in fertility rates. Acknowledging restrictions on women’s freedoms, much of the initial program design was concentrated on giving household supplies for women priority. However, one unfortunate impact of these outreach services is that, by bypassing the opportunity to challenge patriarchal attitudes directly, they inadvertently reinforce the power relationships of the status quo. Hence, we problematise the decision-making structures within Bangladesh’s family planning programs. We argue that the fundamental flaw with Bangladesh’s family planning program is the lack of conscious effort to understand women’s health choices and decision-making as a complex contextual process of relational, structural, and institutional forces. Additionally, avoiding men in these programs often creates new dependencies for women, as this approach does not directly seek to build relational bridges based on equality between genders. As a result, many women still depend on permission from their husbands and family for reproductive health services and face constrained family planning choices and access to care. We recommend that family planning programs adopt a broader vision to create new and more sustainable possibilities in an ever-evolving social relations landscape where gender is constantly negotiated. Such strategies are even more pressing in the post-Covid world, as national systems are exposed to uncertainty and ambiguity.

Prevalence and factors associated with intention to use contraceptives among women of reproductive age: a multilevel analysis of the 2018 Guinea demographic and health survey

BackgroundContraceptive use is a key indicator of improving the health and well-being of women, mothers and their families, preventing unwanted pregnancies, and reducing maternal and child mortalities. Despite a lot of investments from the Government of Guinea to improve contraceptive use, studies reveal that contraceptive use still remains low in Guinea. However, the intention to use contraceptives in Guinea has not been well examined. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the factors associated with the intention to use contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Guinea.MethodsThe study made use of data from the Guinea Demographic and Health Survey (GNDHS) conducted in 2018. For this study, we included a weighted sample of 6,948 women who were either married or cohabiting and responded to all the variables of interest. The data were analyzed using Stata version 14.2. Descriptive and multilevel logistic regression were carried out to examine the factors associated with the intention to use contraceptives. The results of multilevel logistic regression were presented using adjusted odds ratios at 95% confidence intervals and p-value < 0.05 to determine the significant associations.ResultsThe prevalence of intention-to-use contraceptives among women was 19.8% (95% CI18.3%–21.5%). Women with secondary/higher educational levels [aOR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.26–1.99], women whose partners had secondary/higher educational level [aOR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.04–1.52], women who were cohabiting [aOR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.13–2.68] and were exposed to mass media [aOR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.35–1.89] were likely to have higher intentions to use contraceptives. Additionally, women from the Kankan Region [aOR = 4.26, 95% CI = 2.77–6.54] and women who belong to the richer wealth quintile [aOR = 1.36, 95% CI = 0.91–1.89] were likely to have higher odds of intentions to use contraceptives. However, women aged 45–49 years, those from the Peulh ethnic group, and those who lack the competence to make healthcare decisions alone had lower odds of intention to use contraceptives.ConclusionThe study revealed a low prevalence of intention to use contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Guinea. The study has highlighted that both individual-level and household/community-level factors were significantly associated with the intention to use contraceptives. Therefore, policymakers and stakeholders need to consider these factors discussed in this paper when developing policies and interventions to promote and enhance intention-to-use contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Guinea. The findings call on the Government of Guinea and all stakeholders in Guinea to ensure that female education is promoted to help improve their social status, decision-making on fertility, and reduce fertility rates and maternal mortality.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived apoptotic vesicles ameliorate impaired ovarian folliculogenesis in polycystic ovary syndrome and ovarian aging by targeting WNT signaling.

Rationale: It has been emergingly recognized that apoptosis generates plenty of heterogeneous apoptotic vesicles (apoVs), which play a pivotal role in the maintenance of organ and tissue homeostasis. However, it is unknown whether apoVs influence postnatal ovarian folliculogenesis. Methods: Apoptotic pathway deficient mice including Fas mutant (Fasmut ) and Fas ligand mutant (FasLmut ) mice were used with apoV replenishment to evaluate the biological function of apoVs during ovarian folliculogenesis. Ovarian function was characterized by morphological analysis, biochemical examination and cellular assays. Mechanistical studies were assessed by combinations of transcriptomic and proteomic analysis as well as molecular assays. CYP17A1-Cre; Axin1fl /fl mice was established to verify the role of WNT signaling during ovarian folliculogenesis. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) mice and 15-month-old mice were used with apoV replenishment to further validate the therapeutic effects of apoVs based on WNT signaling regulation. Results: We show that systemic administration of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived apoptotic vesicles (MSC-apoVs) can ameliorate impaired ovarian folliculogenesis, PCOS phenotype, and reduced birth rate in Fasmut and FasLmut mice. Mechanistically, transcriptome analysis results revealed that MSC-apoVs downregulated a number of aberrant gene expression in Fasmut mice, which were enriched by kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis in WNT signaling and sex hormone biosynthesis. Furthermore, we found that apoptotic deficiency resulted in aberrant WNT/β-catenin activation in theca and mural granulosa cells, leading to responsive action of dickkopf1 (DKK1) in the cumulus cell and oocyte zone, which downregulated WNT/β-catenin expression in oocytes and, therefore, impaired ovarian folliculogenesis via NPPC/cGMP/PDE3A/cAMP cascade. When WNT/β-catenin was specially activated in theca cells of CYP17A1-Cre; Axin1fl /fl mice, the same ovarian impairment phenotypes observed in apoptosis-deficient mice were established, confirming that aberrant activation of WNT/β-catenin in theca cells caused the impairment of ovarian folliculogenesis. We firstly revealed that apoVs delivered WNT membrane receptor inhibitor protein RNF43 to ovarian theca cells to balance follicle homeostasis through vesicle-cell membrane integration. Systemically infused RNF43-apoVs down-regulated aberrantly activated WNT/β-catenin signaling in theca cells, contributing to ovarian functional maintenance. Since aging mice have down-regulated expression of WNT/β-catenin in oocytes, we used MSC-apoVs to treat 15-month-old mice and found that MSC-apoVs effectively ameliorated the ovarian function and fertility capacity of these aging mice through rescuing WNT/β-catenin expression in oocytes. Conclusion: Our studies reveal a previously unknown association between apoVs and ovarian folliculogenesis and suggest an apoV-based therapeutic approach to improve oocyte function and birth rates in PCOS and aging.

АНАЛІЗ ВІТЧИЗНЯНОГО РИНКУ ПРАЦІ В УМОВАХ ВІЙНИ

The article examines the economic and demographic factors characterizing the population. The population is the main carrier of the labor resource and entrepreneurial spirit. Thanks to its knowledge, skills and abilities, the economic resource of labor acquires special importance in the modern conditions of the knowledge economy. It becomes the most important of all factors of economic growth and development. An economically active population directly affects the functioning of the labor market in the economic system. The economic activity of the population depends on the processes of reproduction and migration. The level of employment, age and social structure of labor resources affects the country’s labor supply. All this determines the relevance of the research topic and requires a detailed analysis of problems related to the peculiarities of the functioning of the domestic labor market in the modern market economy. During the war in Ukraine, the labor market is faced with many problems that require urgent study and solution: population decline, birth rate reduction and death rate increase, aging of the nation, increase in unemployment rate, intensification of migration flows, etc. This situation is aggravated due to the reduction of production, the closure of many firms due to military operations. External forced migration has intensified in Ukraine, which causes significant psychological problems: anxiety, depression, fear, despair. It differs from labor migration in terms of duration and structure. Reconstruction and restoration of Ukraine after the war will require, first of all, human capital with its physical and mental abilities, powerful intellectual potential. It is extremely important to return migrants to their homeland, to include them in the economically active population of our country and to create a gross domestic product. In addition to migration policy, labor market regulation by the state should include appropriate demographic policy, employment policy, as well as social and personnel policy. The active policy of the state in the labor market involves the development of a mechanism for institutional, informational and legal support for the implementation of a unified strategy for human resources management.

Spermatogenic Inhibition Properties of a Phenolic Phytoestrogen Isolated from Momordica charantia (Bitter Guard) Seeds

Mechanisms and potencies of phytoestrogens are not completely clarified and they may be considered potential endocrine disruptors, and therefore caution should be exercised while taking them. Eating very high levels of some phytoestrogens may pose some health risks. Reproductive problems have been documented in laboratory animals, farm animals and wildlife that ate very high (up to 100% of their diet) amounts of phytoestrogen-rich plants. Sheep consuming large amounts of clover showed infertility and reproductive disorders. Cheetahs in captivity also had reduced fertility rates when consuming a feline diet composed of a soybean product, which was reversed when it was removed from the diet. Toxicities associated with herbal medicines that include phytoestrogens have also been reported in the literature.&#x0D; Phenolphthalein a phenolic phytoestrogen has been isolated from the crude ethanol extract of Momordica charantia Linn. seeds. After preparative HPLC whitish amorphous compound was obtained. Its structural elucidation using IR, NMR and Mass spectral data revealed that the molecule isolated from the ethanol extract of M. charantia seeds was surprisingly, phenolphthalein. In order to clarify testicular influence of ethanol extract, fractions and isolated phenolphthalein were treated for sixty days to adult male albino rats. All the treated groups showed statistically significant reduction in testis weight. On histological examinations of testis showed spermatogenic inhibition effect, as the number of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa were significantly decreased.

CONFRONTING PAKISTAN'S OVERPOPULATION ISSUE FOR LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS

CONFRONTING PAKISTAN'S OVERPOPULATION ISSUE FOR LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS