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The Beginner's Guide To Growing Carrots
Second only to the potato, the carrot is one of the most popular vegetables in the world. For gardeners, the carrot is by far the most diverse and simple root vegetable to grow. Even those without a green thumb can manage to reap a plentiful harvest. Suitable for any British garden, everyone is bound to find a carrot to suit their tastes.
Which Variety Is Best For Your Garden?
We have all been there, standing and staring at countless packets of seeds without the foggiest idea of what to choose. Not at all surprising, as there are hundreds of varieties of cultivated carrot to choose from. Luckily, help is at hand. Below is a handful of diverse varieties, all of which are perfect for beginners.
Adelaide (F1 Hybrid)
The Adelaide carrot is one of the earliest to mature as the roots are very quick to grow into delicious baby carrots. Seeds can be planted as early as February under cloches or indoors. Adelaide carrots do not have a core yet they are beautifully sweet. A well-loved classic and a lovely addition to any vegetable garden.
Parmex carrot seeds should be sown from March to May to ensure a good crop from June to August. The root is characteristically round, short and fat. Their unusual shape makes them perfect for containers, pots or grow bags. It is also possible for them to be planted into stony or shallow soils where longer varieties of carrot would normally struggle.
Tapered, slender and crisp, the Mignon is what comes to mind with the word 'carrot'. This variety is perfect for those looking to introduce children to growing their own produce. They are quick to mature, taking roughly 10 weeks to fully develop. Sow from April to July to ensure sufficiently warm weather.
Nantes 'Tip Top'
Although they take 16 weeks to mature, the 'Tip Top' is well worth the wait. A hearty, thick and juicy carrot perfecting for storing. The seeds can be sown in March with good weather but it is advisable to wait until April.
Flyaway (F1 Hybrid)
The Flyaway variety was bred specifically to solve the problem of root fly. This variety is extremely resistant to root fly without compromising tapering, taste or texture. Sow from March to July for optimum results.
How To Perfectly Plant Carrots
In most cases, you will buy your carrots inexpensively as seeds. Generally, once carrots are planted they are very easy to maintain. To ensure this, they must be nurtured correctly from the very start. The carrots should, ideally, be kept inside for a few weeks as they begin to sprout. This will prevent them being wiped out by a late frost, especially if seeds are sown early in the year. Carrots will do just fine in a standard compost mix as long at there are no large sticks, stones or clumps. A container will be needed to start off your carrots, preferably with enough space to give each seed a little bit of growing room (approximately 1cm). Take your compost and put about 2-3 inches in the bottom of the container. Simply spread your seeds lightly across the surface of the compost, leaving enough space between each to prevent crowding. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost and place by a window for some much-needed sunlight. You should water your seeds every other day but take care to only dampen them, not flood them. Although it depends on your variety, typically carrots will take a couple of weeks to begin to sprout, so do not be disheartened if they do not show signs of life straight away.
Thinning is vital for the young carrots to be able to reach maturity. Usually, this should be done as soon as the plants are strong enough to be handled. If you are planting from a container to the ground, this is when you should make the transition. They will grow best in full sun but partial shade is also acceptable. Be very gentle taking the young plants from the container as any damage may affect further growth. For optimum advancement, the carrots should be at least a thumbs width apart. After roughly a month the plants can be thinned once more with a spacing of 8-10cm. Only water the crops when the soil appears to be dry to prevent rotting.
It is advisable to pull out a carrot every so often during the harvesting period to taste, as carrots should be harvested when they are the sweetest. To harvest the carrots simply grab the visible leaves at the base and pull upwards gently. If there is a lot of resistance, remove soil around the top of the root by hand, taking care not to damage it. Once the crop is collected it is ready to eat immediately (after washing the dirt off, of course).
Getting To The Root Of The Problem
There are a few common issues that may affect your carrots. The most common complaint is an abundance of snails and slugs feasting on the young crops. Many products on the market claim to eradicate this problem, although most gardeners would like to avoid dousing their vegetables in chemicals. Fortunately, there are a variety of home remedies. A personal favourite is to leave out a couple of saucers of beer, which attracts the pests and effectively drowns them.
Temperature can be a big factor in crop failure, also. Conditions that are too warm can cause the seed to not germinate or cause fungal diseases. Too cold, the carrots may return to seed.
It is also possible for roots to twist, fork and split. This can result in roots becoming difficult to lift from the ground. Damage such as this will occur when the crops are planted too close to one another as they are not given adequate space to grow correctly. To prevent this from occurring, take care when thinning out the seedlings.
Extra Tips
By following the steps above you should be able to harvest a plentiful crop of carrots. To go that extra mile, there are some additional things you can do;
- Compost used should ideally be rich in potassium to promote the growth of sweet and crunchy carrots. Wood ashes can be used at the base to provide a boost of potassium to the roots.
- Nitrogen-rich soil will cause hairy and deformed carrots. Using compost in addition to the regular soil in your garden can avoid this.
- If you have clay soil in your garden you will still be able to grow carrots. Try mixing in some sand to break up the soil and allow the growth of bigger roots.
- It is common practice to switch growth sites every year. This will prevent the build up of carrot killing diseases in one area.
- If the root begins to poke above the surface of the ground, cover it back up with compost. Exposure to the elements will cause discolouration.
- When growing fly resistant carrots, it is beneficial to plant non-resistant carrots next to them. Carrot flies will be attracted to the non-resistant carrots, providing extra protection for the main crop.


text: scunny 1,457 Report post Posted May 25, 2015 Thanks to OHTRTA for this suggestion. If you add to this post please just post a description of the video and the link. I'll update this post with credit to you, your description and link to the video. I'll then remove your post so that all descriptions and links will be in this one post and hopefully make it easier to find the video without wading through dozens of posts. OHTRTA says, NOTE: Although the video does have one huge mistake. The devices being paired will NOT appear until after the hub is reconnected to the internet!!! Pairing problems https://youtu.be/TTsFvFFUHbc From OHTRTA GE Z-Wave - Dimmer Swtichhttps://youtu.be/zR75Keeqn6s From OHTRTA GE Z-Wave - On/Off Switchhttps://youtu.be/dCFzyaw4R_U From OHTRTA GE Z-Wave - 3 way dimmer kithttps://youtu.be/HL8zarx_y-s From OHTRTA GE Z-Wave - 3 way On/Off kithttps://youtu.be/xzFAbTQHhcY 1 OHTRTA reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites

subset: commoncrawl


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Summer may officially be a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean we can't cling to our summer state of mind with fun pastel colors and sweet treats. Angie worked with prop stylist Jesse Silver to bring cheery colors and contemporary energy to her recent editorial shoot, and the photos look positively perfect. We enjoyed having Jesse in the studio because she's a stellar prop stylist, but we probably would have asked her to visit just so we could hear about her life as a houseboat resident. Even talking about houseboats make us feel like summer is still pumping through our veins.
If we keep shooting jobs like this, it can be summer all year…right?


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|With Dr. Jakob von Wagner, Chief of Cultural Affairs at the Consulate General
It was especially nice to have my mother with me for the occasion, who had just flown in all the way from Germany.
If you'd like to see more photos, I'll be slowly adding some to this Facebook Album.
The show is still up till November 29th, open on weekdays, 9-5.30pm, 871 United Nations Plaza.
Thanks again to everybody who came out, and especially to Dr. Jakob von Wagner and Dr René Rubbeling.
|With Whitney Sherman, Professor at MICA, and her husband (left) and my mother.


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Welcome to the
Tri-State Homeschool Network
We are a non-profit organization providing extra-curricular activities for homeschooled children and a friendship network for homeschooling parents. We are currently headquarted in Newark, Delaware and serve about 400 families living in the surrounding areas of Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey including, but not limited too:
- New Castle County, Delaware
- Kent County, Delaware
- Cecil County, Maryland
- Delaware County, Pennsylvania
- Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Salem County, New Jersey
The Blog
Latest News
A Guide to Home Schooling Benefits
If you're new to home schooling and haven't a clue regarding what to do about curriculum besides buying a set from a catalog, there is a plethora of learning possibilities that are available to you. Home schooling takes an enormous quantity of time and effort on the portion of the parents. It has been around for a long time now and involves more than one million children in the US alone and experience means that are many options open to parents today. It has been around for quite some time now. It may not be able to bring out that perfect level of confidence in the kids. Parents who are considering home schooling their children will need to thing about the mental part of teaching them at home.
Rumors, Lies and Home Schooling Benefits
Many reasons make homeschooling a great idea. Homeschooling is an excellent alternate to public schools and something that gives a way out from having to send your kid to a conventional school. Homeschooling can use up a terrific part of your day. Homeschooling isn't quite as attractive as once you compare it to attending a normal school in the very long run. Homeschooling your son or daughter can allow it to be a great deal easier that you control who your child comes in touch with and becomes friends with.
Only you and your child know whether you should home-school your son or daughter. If he or she is not of an age where they can be left home alone then you will have to be a little more creative. Though a youngster can take a class taught by somebody who's paid, obtaining a paid tutor as the principal teacher in a homeschool can at times be problematic. Now that you've decided that you're likely to homeschool your children, you're likely to require a classroom, or at least, a fair facsimile. Now think about that should you teach your kid to read at home, they will be receiving your full, one-on-one attention for the length of their lesson, be it for 5 minutes or an entire hour. Bear in mind you have to be with your homeschooling child all through out their lesson.
Home tuition is absolutely worth considering in the event you need your kid to increase their grades in school. Generally speaking, it is needed when your child is having difficulty in a subject that you may not be familiar enough to properly teach or if you simply do not have the time. Therefore, home tuition or private tuition might be necessary in order to have a superior education. It helps the student in analysing or correcting answers at every step. In such situations, correct home tuition is the response to their needs that will assist them with their education.
If you home school your child it's imperative that you get them interaction another way. If you opt to home school your children, you're going to have a really huge job ahead of you. People who would like to home school ought to be in a position to pay for a high quality education for their children.
The Insider Secret on Home School Exposed
If my student appears to have a difficult time in a specific area of studies. School is the area where students learn surrounded by other people that have many differences. The majority of the curriculum comprises religious content. Distributed Learning is an internet program that's directed by means of a teacher that meets provincial standards for education. The next tip to think about is the experience. Send Learning Home Be Explicit Parents wish to help but don't understand how, and that means you will need to make opportunity and tell everyone about your aims. Curricular help is provided by the Australian Government.
Learn more about TRI-STATE HOMESCHOOL NETWORK
You might have to be brave facing your student and admit it. You have to fall in accordance with everything a student athlete would need to do, he explained. It is perfect to keep supplies where they'll be used if you've got the space. Art can be accomplished in a sketch book. Studies also have examined the effect of homeschooling on students' GPAs. There is likewise the tip of review you have to take into account. You should conduct a review of the ideal homeschool curriculum providers hence you might be in a position to opt for the very best.
The Appeal of Home School
Once kids get in their rhythm and their everyday schedules, they do it independently. There ought to be some type of accountability to ensure these kids are making progress, she explained. Helping kids learn to learn' in a self-directed manner is a specific challenge should they attend a testing-focused school.
Parents may add in their very own doctrinal beliefs as desired. Some parents supply a liberal arts education utilizing the trivium and quadrivium as the primary models. They will also be positive that their particular children are generally secure at dwelling realizing that they are able to attain them by way of the particular telephone at any time that they need to. Thus, the very first sort is wanted simply by lots of parents that are looking forward to invest longer superior superior occasion using children to have the ability to intensify loved ones bonding.
Above all, reflect what's important to you and your child within your house. The children obtain their calendar Monday morning and glue it in their composition notebook in order that they know precisely what they will do that week. Allow the children to take part in assisting you to keep this up.
Some children need special learning aids and tutors, and cannot be home-schooled. A growing number of individuals are opting to home-school everyday and a number of those folks quickly realize that their kids' education is better left to professionals. By comparison towards the typical approach within training performed in a mutual learning establishment where a few children have a tendency to be most likely in order to come up with inferiority complicated as well as other men and women who are faster individuals.
A Startling Fact about Home School Uncovered
These days, homeschooling is now popular in many countries for several reasons. Homeschooling is legal in a few nations. Homeschooling may be used as a type of supplemental education and as a manner of assisting children learn under specific conditions. Homeschooling didn't look like such a huge leap after all. Homeschooling might also be a component in the option of parenting style.


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I don't know about you, but when we started homeschooling, I actually thought the housework part of life would get a little easier. After all, we would all be home all day—surely that would making keeping up with the dishes/laundry/bathroom cleaning a little easier, right?
Nope. At least not for us. Homeschooling didn't give me more housework time—it just meant we were home to make bigger and more exciting messes. I've accepted the fact that homeschooling and a shiny clean house don't go together for everyone, but if we want to have a happy homeschool, it's also important to recognize that the burden of housework should not fall on one person's shoulders.
Even very young kids can help with things like sorting laundry or tearing up lettuce for a salad, and older kids can take ownership of tasks from start to finish. It makes sense to collaborate on this. Sit down with your kids and make a list of all the housework that has to get done every day, then figure out together a fair way to divide it up. Be clear about expectations—what, specifically, does picking up the family room entail?—and deadlines—should work be finished before lunch or before bedtime? Be open to changing things as you go along. Treat it like any homeschool project—a work in progress that you'll figure out together. Don't think of it assigning chores: Instead, treat housework as a shared responsibility that everyone participates in. Between reminders and overseeing and that never-ending to-do list, you might only squeeze out 30 minutes of free time a day from letting your kids take on some of the daily duty—but hey, that's 30 minutes, and as you settle into your new routine, that time may grow.
And don't think divvying up the housework list is just for you: Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that helping with household tasks is the number-one predictor for future success—more than IQ, more than extracurricular activities, more than social status.


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ABBYY Lingvo Dictionaries Integrated with Moon+ Reader eBook App
[MobilePRwire] – Android users can enjoy new reading experience from integration between ABBYY Lingvo Dictionaries and Moon+ Reader. With the new translation ability, reading books using Moon+ Reader goes as follows: select an unfamiliar word with a long touch, find a "Dict" item in the context menu and tap it to get a brief dictionary entry containing popular translation alternatives and recorded pronunciation. A single tap on any entry will launch the Lingvo app with detailed information on an unfamiliar word.
Starting today, Android users can enjoy new reading experience from integration between ABBYY Lingvo Dictionaries and Moon+ Reader, a most popular eBook application, via ABBYY's dictionary API. Now it is easy to get instant and precise translation of words and set expressions in up to 30 languages directly in the text, without switching attention away from the reading material and leaving the app.
With the new translation ability, reading books using Moon+ Reader goes as follows: select an unfamiliar word with a long touch, find a "Dict" item in the context menu and tap it to get a brief dictionary entry containing popular translation alternatives and recorded pronunciation. If the requested word is found for several different language combinations at time, you can simply switch among dictionary entries looking up translations belonging to each language pair. A single tap on any entry will launch the Lingvo Dictionaries application with detailed information on an unfamiliar word collected from multiple dictionaries including: translation alternatives, transcriptions, synonyms, and word usage examples.
ABBYY Lingvo Dictionaries for Android is a mobile dictionary application that provides fast and accurate translation of words and phrases without Internet connection when at work or leisure, studying and travelling. It delivers reliable dictionary content from authoritative publishers and supports smart search for misspelled or inflected words in various general translation, explanatory, idiomatic and subject dictionaries. With ABBYY Lingvo, you can access more than 250 dictionaries for a total of 30 languages and create your own custom dictionary sets, ideal for your goals. Through the new dictionary API, ABBYY Lingvo Dictionaries can now be integrated into any other application for Android providing very easy word translation, advanced dictionary support and creating even more enjoyable user experience.
For leveraging Lingvo translation feature when reading books with Moon+ Reader, both applications should be installed on the same Android device. Moon+ Reader will forward translation queries to Lingvo and then display the results to the user. Moon+ Reader, Moon+ Reader Pro and Lingvo Dictionaries are all available via Google Play. For more information about Moon+ Reader, please visit www.moondownload.com… More information about ABBYY Lingvo Dictionaries for Android is available at www.abbyy.com… You can also find some more details on ABBYY's dictionary API at www.abbyy.com…
© 2012. ABBYY. All rights reserved.
ABBYY, the ABBYY Logo, FineReader, ABBYY FineReader, Lingvo, ABBYY Lingvo, FlexiCapture, ADRT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of ABBYY Software Ltd. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby recognized.
ABBYY is a leading provider of document recognition, data capture and linguistic technologies and services. Its key products include the ABBYY FineReader line of optical character recognition (OCR) applications, ABBYY FlexiCapture line of data capture solutions, ABBYY Lingvo dictionary software, and development tools. ABBYY Language Services provides comprehensive linguistic solutions to corporate customers. Paper-intensive organizations from all over the world use ABBYY solutions to automate time- and labour-consuming tasks and to streamline business processes. ABBYY products are used in large-scale government projects such as those of Australian Taxation Office, Lithuanian Tax Inspectorate, Ministry of Education of Russia, Ministry of Education of Ukraine, Montgomery County Government of the USA, and Government of Canada. Companies that license ABBYY technologies include BancTec, Canon, EMC/Captiva, Hewlett-Packard, KnowledgeLake, Microsoft, NewSoft, Notable Solutions, Samsung Electronics and more. ABBYY OCR applications are shipped with equipment from the world's top manufacturers such as Epson, Fujitsu, Fuji Xerox, Microtek, Panasonic, Plustek, Ricoh, Toshiba, and Xerox. ABBYY is headquartered in Moscow, Russia, with offices in Germany, the UK, the United States, Canada, Ukraine, Cyprus, Australia, Japan and Taiwan. For more information, visit www.ABBYY.com….
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Laurel Hill/
Jewelry designer Laurel Hill came across my radar a few months back after I won these earrings in a giveaway hosted by The Shiny Squirrel. (Yesssssss.)
Laurel and I got to talking over email, as you do. We figured out that we were from the same state. Then, that we were from the same area. And then, that we went to the same high school but never knew each other. Crazy, right? How tiny is the internet, and how tiny is the world?
Laurel is a tried and true metalworker who designs out of a cute, Montana studio. All of her pieces are handmade and she has a sharp focus on sustainability which my little green, hippie heart just loves.
Anyway, our gal Laurel just released her Ceremony Collection and I had to share with you guys – these pieces, like all of her pieces, are made to elevate a mood, or your daily jeans and tee, or button up and sneakers. Basically, to take your daily uniform and bring it to a new level. (Which is my favorite thing about jewelry – how quickly it changes your mood, and your outfit. But I digress).
Here's a look at Laurel's Ceremony Collection -


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|Lessons from elective in vitro fertilization (IVF) in, principally, non-infertile women.
|Jump to Full Text
MedLine Citation:
|PMID: 22716082 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE
|BACKGROUND: We here report the first investigation of exclusively elective in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles in women with no apparent history of infertility. Since IVF outcome in women with infertility are always influenced by underlying causes of infertility, a study on non-infertile women may offer new insights.
METHODS: We investigated 88 females without history of infertility in 109 consecutive elective IVF cycles, almost exclusively performed for purposes of preimplantation genetic screening (PGS; i.e., elective gender selection). The following questions were addressed: (i) impact of PGS on IVF pregnancy chances; (ii) impact of transfer of 1 vs. ≥2 embryos on IVF pregnancy chances; (iii) correlation of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels to embryo ploidy (iv) effect of gonadotropin dosage used in stimulation on available embryos for transfer; and (v) in form of a 1:1 case control study, compared 33 elective PGS cycles with matched control cycles without PGS, performed in couples with either prior tubal ligations and/or severe male factor infertility as indication of IVF.
RESULTS: The overall clinical pregnancy rate for the group was 36.7%; pregnancy was associated with number of euploid (P = 0.009) and number of embryos transferred (P = 0.001). Odds of pregnancy were 3.4-times higher if ≥4 euploid embryos were produced in comparison to <4 (95% CI 1.2 to 9.2; P = 0.019), and odds of pregnancy were 6.6-times higher if greater than or equal to 2 rather than <1 euploid embryos were transferred (95% CI 2.0 to 21.7; P = 0.002). Increasing AMH (P = 0.001) and gonadotropin dosage used in ovarian stimulation (P = 0.024), was, independently, associated with number of available euploid embryos. Increasing AMH, but not follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), was associated with number of embryos available for biopsy and PGS (P = 0.0001). Implantation rates were 26.4% with PGS and 9.5% without (P = 0.008). Women undergoing PGS, demonstrated 4.58-times higher odds of pregnancy than matched controls (95% CI 1.102 to 19.060, Exp 4.584, P = 0.036).
CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that outcomes of elective IVF cycles may significantly deviate from infertility-associated cycles. Affirming proof of concept for PGS, utilizing day-3 embryo biopsy and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH), both widely held responsible for earlier failures to establish such proof, suggests that the principal cause of prior failures were likely not insufficient laboratory techniques but poor patient selection for PGS. Such a conclusion questions the current reintroduction of PGS with improved techniques and technologies in absence of prior determination of suited patient populations.
|Norbert Gleicher; Ann Kim; Andrea Weghofer; David H Barad
Publication Detail:
|Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2012-06-20
Journal Detail:
|Title: Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E Volume: 10 ISSN: 1477-7827 ISO Abbreviation: Reprod. Biol. Endocrinol. Publication Date: 2012
Date Detail:
|Created Date: 2012-11-12 Completed Date: 2013-04-15 Revised Date: 2013-07-12
Medline Journal Info:
|Nlm Unique ID: 101153627 Medline TA: Reprod Biol Endocrinol Country: England
Other Details:
|Languages: eng Pagination: 48 Citation Subset: IM
|Center for Human Reproduction, New York, NY 10021, USA. email@example.com
Export Citation:
|APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex
|MeSH Terms
Anti-Mullerian Hormone / blood
Embryo Transfer / methods
Embryo, Mammalian
Fertilization in Vitro*
Follicle Stimulating Hormone / administration & dosage
Infertility, Female
Menotropins / administration & dosage
Pregnancy Rate
Preimplantation Diagnosis / methods
Sex Preselection*
Single Embryo Transfer
Treatment Outcome
Reg. No./Substance:
|61489-71-2/Menotropins; 80497-65-0/Anti-Mullerian Hormone; 9002-68-0/Follicle Stimulating Hormone
|Full Text
Journal Information
Journal ID (nlm-ta): Reprod Biol Endocrinol
Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Reprod. Biol. Endocrinol
Publisher: BioMed Central
Article Information
Download PDF
Copyright ©2012 Gleicher et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Received Day: 26 Month: 3 Year: 2012
Accepted Day: 9 Month: 6 Year: 2012
collection publication date: Year: 2012
Electronic publication date: Day: 20 Month: 6 Year: 2012
Volume: 10First Page: 48 Last Page: 48
PubMed Id: 22716082
Publisher Id: 1477-7827-10-48
|Lessons from elective in vitro fertilization (IVF) in, principally, non-infertile women
|Norbert Gleicher12
|Email: email@example.com
|Ann Kim1
|Email: email@example.com
|Andrea Weghofer13
|Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
|David H Barad12
|Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
1Center for Human Reproduction, New York, NY, 10021, USA
2Foundation for Reproductive Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
3Department of Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Medical University Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
Clinical utilization of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is almost exclusive to female and/or male infertility [1]. A rare exception is IVF in association with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), in, otherwise, presumed normally fertile women [2]. Such IVF cycles are usually assessed and reported as part of a center's general IVF outcome statistics [3].
IVF cycle outcomes can, however, be expected to vary depending on whether conducted in infertile women or women with presumed normal fertility. IVF studies in only non-infertile patient populations, however, do not exist since they are rare and, therefore, difficult to accumulate at single IVF centers.
Likely for the first time, this study, therefore, reports on a homogenous cohort of IVF cycles, exclusively performed for non-infertility associated indications. Analyzing such cycles may allow for new insights into IVF without, otherwise, unavoidable patient biases from underlying causes of infertility.
One of the most important unresolved issues in IVF is whether selection of euploid embryo by eliminating aneuploid embryos before embryo transfer improves pregnancy rates and reduces miscarriage rates. To achieve this goal preimplantation genetic diagnosis, in this indication widely called preimplantation genetic screening, (PGS) [4], was widely utilized, until shown to be largely ineffective, and, indeed, reducing pregnancy chances in older infertile women [5-8]. Largely lacking underlying causes of infertility, a non-infertile patient population may, however, be better suited to assess the validity of PGS.
To assess the value of PGS for embryo selection in IVF appears of utmost importance because, despite current consensus that PGS is ineffective [5-8], PGS is still widely utilized for this indication. This study, therefore, attempted to utilize elective IVF cycles in non-infertile women to assess the value of PGS within a concept of embryo selection, and for a number of other unresolved issues in IVF relating to embryo ploidy.
The study reports on 88 consecutive women undergoing 109 elective IVF cycles involving preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for fertility-unrelated indications (i.e., PGS).
Our center voluntarily follows U.S. national guidelines for PGS, including most recent opinions of the Ethics Committee of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) in regards to elective gender selection, as summarized by Robertson in 2003 [9], and published in updated form by the Committee in 2004 [10]. This means that IVF is not performed solely for purposes of gender selection.
IVF is offered in association with PGD for medical indications, including single gene disorders, parental translocations, sex-linked diseases, and in medico-social circumstances, when mental health care providers determine that circumstances warrant gender selection. Our center, for example, serves a large gay community, where a desire for gender selection is common, and supported by the mental health community. The study, however, also includes one heterosexual, single female with psychiatric disease, where psychiatric clearance strongly recommended gender selection for female.
If other medical reasons exist for IVF, gender selection by PGS may be added if requested by the patient. Examples include tubal ligation or clinical indications for PGS (i.e., repeated unexplained aneuploidies in prior pregnancies). We currently do not offer PGS for purposes of embryo selection to improve IVF pregnancy chances and/or reduce miscarriage rates. In accordance with opinions expressed by the Ethics Committee of ASRM [10], we have been offering gender selection in non-medical cases only for family balancing purposes.
In this study we included only women undergoing IVF + PGS for the purpose of gender selection. Almost all cases involved elective gender selection for family balancing purposes but 12 cases involved psychiatric recommendations and three sex-linked diseases. Cycles where PGD was performed for single gene diseases were excluded.
PGD involves analysis of single blastomeres for chromosomal abnormalities and/or single gene diseases. As noted, when with the intent of reducing miscarriage risk and increasing pregnancy chances used to assess embryo ploidy, the procedure is now described under the acronym PGS [8].
To qualify for inclusion in this study, women had to undergo PGS without evidence of a concomitant infertility diagnosis. A history of tubal ligation or male factor infertility was, however, permitted since neither affects IVF outcomes. In cases of semen abnormalities, our center uniformly utilizes intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to maximize embryo yields, thus eliminating potential male factor issues.
Fertility-reducing pathologies in study patients can, however, not be ruled out. Indeed, a degree of unknown infertility can be expected in a population, which has not attempted to conceive. Whatever infertility exists can be expected to be moderate in degree since PGS requires minimum embryo numbers, thus precluding significantly diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Milder degrees of DOR, however, had to exist in a significant number of patients as abnormal anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels demonstrate (Table 1).
For 53 patients, undergoing 69 IVF cycles, complete sets of AMH, FSH and estradiol data were available prior to first IVF cycle start, as well as total gonadotropin stimulation dosages. This sub-set of patients/cycles was used to determine how AMH and FSH, as markers of functional ovarian reserve, and gonadotropin dosage used for ovarian stimulation, relate to embryo ploidy.
To assess potential effects of PGS on pregnancy chances, a case control group was required, which did not undergo embryo biopsy and PGS. Controls were selected from the center's infertility patient pool but had to have undergone IVF with principal indication of male factor infertility. This control group was chosen to isolate, within the PGS procedure, the potential negative effects of embryo biopsy on implantation chances, while preserving potential beneficial effects from embryo selection. Women with secondary diagnoses of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or tubal infertility, were, therefore, disqualified to preserve controls devoid of potentially additive female infertility causes that could contribute to lower implantation/pregnancy rates.
In addition, age of controls had to be within ± 1 year of study patients, and ovarian reserve had to be similar, defined as oocyte yields within ± 2 oocytes. To control for the laboratory environment and changes in clinical protocols, all cycles had to be conducted after 2008 since no significant staff and/or protocol changes have occurred since.
These strict matching criteria only yielded 25 women, undergoing 33 IVF cycles (from 109 elective cycles) and a control group of 28 women. Both groups underwent 33 IVF cycles (25 study patients 1 cycle each, and 4 having 2 cycles), while amongst 28 controls, 28 had 1 cycle, 1 had 2, and another 1 underwent 3 cycles.
Since here presented data represent a retrospective analysis, the methodology utilized to perform PGS involved standard techniques and technologies utilized worldwide during the study period. This means that PGS was performed after day-3 embryo biopsy (6–8 cell stage). A single blastomere was removed and examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for seven chromosomes (X, Y, 13, 16, 18, 21, 22).
It, therefore, is important to point out that here utilized techniques and technologies are the same as widely utilized during initial failed attempts at introduction of PGS for embryo selection, with purpose of improving IVF pregnancy rates [5-8].
Ovarian stimulation was uniform: Patients with normal age-specific ovarian reserve were down-regulated with luteal phase agonist (leuprolide acetate, Lupron™, Abbot Pharmaceutical, North Chicago, IL) and stimulated with between 225–450 IU of follicle stimulating hormone and human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG), both from different manufacturers. Patients with abnormal ovarian reserve received microdose agonist (Lupron™), followed by the same combination of gonadotropins but with maximal combined dosage of 600 IU daily. All patients received gonadotropin as FSH, except for 150 IU, given as hMG.
Normal versus abnormal ovarian reserve was determined for each patient/cycle based on previously reported normal age-specific ranges for FSH [11] and AMH [12].
Only clinical intrauterine pregnancies were considered, with exclusion of chemical pregnancies and ectopic pregnancies from statistical consideration. A clinical pregnancy was defined as a normally developing intrauterine pregnancy with fetal heart, seen on ultrasound.
Since 109 cycles in 88 women were distributed amongst 69 patients with one, 17 with two, and two with three IVF cycles, all statistical models were adjusted for repeat cycles.
Categorical data were expressed as numbers and percentages, and numerical data as mean ± standard deviation (SD), except when specified. Student's t-test, chi - square and Fisher's exact test were used as appropriate. Associations of cycle characteristics with outcomes of interest were evaluated using logistic regression analyses, and are reported as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Significance was defined as P < 0.05.
Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine independent predictors for clinical pregnancy. Covariates were included in the adjusted models, based on evidence of statistical significance to an association with a respective outcome on univariate analysis or when plausibility for such a relationship was obvious. For example, since in the case–control part of this study gonadotropin dosages and embryo numbers varied to a significant degree between both groups, both were included as covariates in the model.
All statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science, version 19.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL)
The center's Institutional Review Board (IRB), for this study required only expedited review since it involved only retroactive data/chart review. All patients presenting to our center sign at time of first visit an informed consent, which allows for use of their medical record for research purposes, as long as the patients' anonymity remains protected and the medical record remains confidential. Both conditions were met here. In addition, the center's research staff with access to medical records is under federal HIPAA rules in writing committed to confidentiality. Written informed consents are available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal.
Table 1 summarizes patient data for all 88 patients and 109 IVF cycle: mean age was 36.8 ± 5.0 years; an average of 7.0 ± 3.6 embryos were biopsied, of which approximately half (3.6 ± 2.3) proved euploid; 1.7 ± 0.7 embryos were transferred.
Table 2 demonstrates that 109 IVF cycles led to 40 pregnancies (36.7%). Pregnant women were non-significantly younger than of those who failed to conceive. Number of embryos biopsied also did not differ between pregnant and non-pregnant patients.
As shown in Table 2, pregnant patients, however, produced significantly more euploid embryos (4.5 ± 2.4 vs. 3.3 ± 2.2; P = 0.009). Logistic regression for clinical pregnancy, adjusted for age, number of embryos biopsied and transferred found that patients who had produced ≥4 euploid embryos demonstrated 3.4-times the odds of pregnancy in comparison to those with ≤3 euploid embryos (95% CI 1.2 to 9.2; P = 0.019). This translated into a clinical pregnancy rate of 47.1% if a cycle resulted in ≥4 euploid embryos (even if fewer embryos were transferred, as will be demonstrated below) versus 27.6% with ≤3 embryos (Figure 1)
Pregnant patients received significantly more embryos (2.1 ± 0.7 vs. 1.6 ± 0.8; P = 0.001). Logistic regression, adjusted for age, attempted cycle number, number of euploid embryos and depending on whether ≤1 or ≥2 embryos were transferred, demonstrated 6.6-times the odds of pregnancy with transfer of ≥2 embryos (95% CI 2.0 to 21.7; P = 0.002). For statistical reasons patients had to be classified as receiving ≤1 or ≥2 embryos, though no patient, of course, received less than one embryo.
Table 1 also demonstrates that there was no difference in cycle characteristics between the whole study cohort of 88 women (and their 109 cycles) and the smaller study cohort for which AMH, FSH and dosage of gonadotropin stimulation, were available (53 women, 69 cycles).
This smaller patient group allowed construction of a model to determine associated patient factors with embryo euploidy. In a model, adjusted for number of embryos biopsied, AMH and patient age, increasing AMH levels and increasing gonadotropin dosages were significantly associated with increasing numbers of euploid embryos (AMH, P = 0.001; gonadotropin dosage, P = 0.024). AMH (P = 0.0001) but neither FSH nor estradiol related to number of embryos biopsied.
As Table 3 demonstrates, in the case–control study both groups were well matched: Ages were 38.7 ± 4.0 and 39.2 ± 4.0 years (range 27.1–45.0 and 27.7–45.4); oocyte yields 9.7 ± 5.6 and 9.7 ± 5.4 (range for both groups, 2–25); AMH values were 1.5 ± 1.4 and 1.4 ± 1.8 ng/mL, respectively. None of these values differed between the two groups.
Total gonadotropin dosages for ovarian stimulation were 4840 ± 1825 IU in PGS patients and 5934 ± 2330 IU in controls, a marginally larger dose in the latter group (P = 0.046). Controls also received significantly more embryos (2.9 ± 1.0 vs. 1.6 ± 0.8; P < 0.0001).
Table 3 also summarizes implantation, pregnancy and miscarriage rates: Amongst PGS patients, 14/53 (26.4%) of transferred embryos implanted; in control cycles only 9/95 (9,5%; P = 0.008). Pregnancy rates were higher in PGS (12/33, 36.4%) than control patients (7/33, 21.2%). Likely due to small cycle numbers, unadjusted, this difference did not reach significance. Similarly, miscarriage rates were lower in PGS cycles (1/12, 8.3%) vs. controls (1/7, 14.3%) but, likely, because of low miscarriage rates, this difference did not reach statistical significance, either.
In PGS cycles logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, number of prior IVF cycles, number of embryos transferred and gonadotropin dosage, demonstrated, however, 4.58-times the odds of achieving a clinical pregnancy in comparison to controls (95% CI 1.102 to 19.060, P = 0.036).
Patient ages, FSH, AMH and gonadotropin dosages, utilized for ovarian stimulation, demonstrate that here investigated patients are neither especially young nor do they have unusually favorable ovarian reserve. They, indeed, appear to represent a rather unfavorable middle-aged patient population. Especially if not having attempted conception, as usually the case in couples desirous of elective gender selection, they will not be devoid of fertility problems. They, however, still, can be expected to differ from standard infertile populations, and, therefore, should demonstrate distinct IVF outcome variations. Their investigation may, therefore, offer interesting new information.
Though in humans never been proven, improved embryo aneuploidy should better IVF pregnancy rates, [8,13]. We previously suggested that a principal reasons why PGS so far has failed to demonstrate improvements in IVF outcomes has been poor patient selection [13]. Because aneuploidy increases with advancing female age, older women, have been widely considered the best candidates for PGS [14]. In older women, PGS, however, was actually demonstrated to reduce pregnancy chances [7,15]. How can that be?
As noted in the introduction, the principal purpose of PGS is embryo selection. Older women, however, usually no longer produce large enough embryo numbers to warrant embryo selection [13]. They, therefore, end up with all the downsides of PGS without any of its benefits: decreased implantation/pregnancy chances from embryo biopsies but no compensatory benefits from embryo selection.
Considering here studied patients' ages, their ovarian reserves (Table 1), that all embryos underwent biopsy for PGS, known to reduce pregnancy chances [13,16], and that gender selection results in "loss" of approximately half of all embryos (the undesired sex), the observed clinical pregnancy rate of 36.7% per cycle start is not only excellent but reflective of the national average IVF pregnancy rate reported in Annual Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports. Here utilized patients, therefore, appear well suited to investigate effects of ploidy in IVF.
This is further supported by here reported cycle characteristics, for example that women who conceived were only insignificantly younger than those who did not, had similar numbers of embryos biopsied and, therefore, demonstrated no significant differences in oocyte and embryo yields.
Yet, women who did conceive produced significantly more euploid embryos (4.5 ± 2.4 vs. 3.3 ± 2.2, P = 0.009). Availability of ≥4 embryos, in comparison to <4, resulted in 3.4-times the chance of pregnancy (P = 0.019; Figure 1), though much fewer embryos were really transferred (2.1 ± 0.7 in cycle leading to pregnancy and 1.6 ± 0.8 in failed cycles).
All factors being equal, some women, therefore, have better IVF pregnancy chances because they produce more euploid embryos than others, independent of age. Those embryos also exhibit higher pregnancy potential. The conclusion is that embryo quantity, in principle, runs in parallel with embryo quality, though specific conditions, like polycystic ovaries or age, may favor one or the other. Effectiveness of PGS should, therefore, vary in different patient populations [13].
In cycles leading to pregnancy significantly more embryos were transferred (2.1 ± 0.7 vs. 1.6 ± 0.8; P = 0.001). Logistic regression, adjusted for relevant confounders, confirmed the importance of numbers of transferred embryos: Cycles with ≥2 resulted in 6.6-times the pregnancy chance of cycles with only one transferred embryo (P = 0.002), an observation with considerable relevance to the currently ongoing debate about single embryo transfer [17]. Here presented data confirm that single embryo transfer significantly reduces pregnancy chances in comparison to two-embryo transfers [18].
Increasing AMH levels (P = 0.001) and gonadotropin dosages (P = 0.024) were, independently, associated with increasing proportions of euploid embryos (i.e., increasing number of normal embryos available for potential transfer). The AMH association supports reports that AMH reflects functional ovarian reserve quantitatively [12] as well as qualitatively [19].
This suggests that FSH and/or AMH ratios per oocyte or embryo could be predictive of ploidy in eggs and embryos. We recently, indeed, demonstrated that a ratio of FSH per oocytes (FSHo) at all ages is constant and highly predictive of pregnancy with IVF [20]. The potential benefit of such ratios is also suggested by declining AMH production per oocyte with advancing female age [21], and variations of AMH levels per oocyte between races/ethnicities [22]. Finally, the association of rising AMH with improving ploidy is also supported by dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation in women with DOR [23], leading to lower embryo aneuploidy [24] miscarriage rates [25] and higher pregnancy and live birth chances [26-28].
Here observed positive association between increasing total gonadotropin dosage for ovarian stimulation and improving proportions of available euploid embryos for embryo transfer is important because it contradicts published literature in two ways: Some authors, in contrast to our data, have associated increasing gonadotropin dosages with increasing aneuploidy rates [29,30]; and others have claimed that oocyte and embryo yields no longer improve beyond a rather low ceiling in gonadotropin stimulation dosage [31]. These differences may, indeed, be reflective of differences in investigated patient populations. Adverse effects of gonadotropin stimulation on ploidy should not be considered established: In patients, who spontaneously or after FSH stimulation conceived, ploidy did not differ [32].
Since daily ovarian stimulation in this study included 150 IU of hMG, here reported findings support previously reported data (in long agonist protocols) demonstrating that luteinizing hormone (LH)-containing stimulation improves ploidy versus stimulation with pure FSH [33]. FSH, and indirectly LH (through control over the follicle's androgen production in theca cells) [34,35], plays an essential role in early stages of follicle development. Longer and/or higher gonadotropin exposure may, therefore, beneficially affect follicle maturation. Just as androgens used to be viewed as damaging to follicle maturation, and are now recognized as essential [36,37], gonadotropins may, therefore, actually be beneficial to developing follicles and oocytes.
Improving ploidy in transferred embryos has been the main argument in favor of PGS [4]. Based on PGD/PGS pioneers, like Kuliev and Verlinsky, recommending that PGS become integral to routine IVF [38], centers around the world, indeed, initiated routine PGS use until a Dutch randomized study proved PGS ineffective, and in older women actually demonstrating that it reduces pregnancy chances [39]. Since then, utilization of PGS in attempts of improving IVF pregnancy chances has been widely discouraged [5-8].
The failure of PGS was widely attributed to inadequate procedural techniques, especially embryo biopsy (day-3 removal of 1–2 blastomers) and aneuploidy detection by fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) [16]. Others, however, pointed towards poor patient selection as principal cause [8,13]. Currently ongoing active efforts at reintroducing PGS into routine IVF, this time utilizing improved techniques and technologies [40], stresses the urgency of resolving this conflict, as any such reintroduction is, likely, bound to fail again if patient selection, indeed, proves to have been the decisive factor in the earlier PGS failure.
The case–control part of this study was designed to resolve this issue: If, indeed, inadequate techniques and technologies had been responsible for the initial PGS failure, we should be unable to establish proof of concept for PGS, utilizing FISH and day-3 embryo biopsy in this study. Confirmation proof of concept for PGD would, however, strongly suggest that patient selection was the cause.
In a retroactive analysis, elective IVF cycles require well-matched controls [41]. Choosing rigidity of the matching process over study size, only 33 of originally 108 elective IVF cycles could be properly matched. Here reported statistically significant results, however, validate this approach. Though small in size, this sub-study, nevertheless, confirmed proof of concept: Embryo selection by PGS, indeed, improved embryo implantation rates and pregnancy chances by demonstrating that in age-matched patient cycles (with identical ovarian reserve), implantation rates were significantly higher after PGS (P = 0.008).
Likely due to the small study size, pregnancy rates in univariate analysis missed significance. Appropriate statistical adjustments for number of embryos transferred and gonadotropin dosages (both significantly different by univariate analysis, Table 3) and repeat cycles, demonstrated, however, that the odds of pregnancy were actually 4.58-times higher after PGS (P = 0.036).
Considering the small study size, these results are surprisingly robust statistically. Since definition of miscarriage required prior fetal heart activity, and so-called missed abortion, therefore, were not considered, it would be unrealistic to expect significant results in regards to pregnancy loss. Missed abortions in a majority, represent aneuploid pregnancies [42]. Their inclusion, therefore, even in this small study may also have demonstrated a statistical benefit from PGS on pregnancy loss. This is supported by the observed 14.3% miscarriage rate in controls, representing the expected miscarriage rate in a general population after spontaneous conception [43], while PGS patients, at 8.3%, demonstrated almost half the rate.
This first study ever exclusively performed in elective IVF cycles, thus, offers new information on a number of important unresolved issues: (i) Embryo ploidy varies between women, even when controlled for covariates, such as age and ovarian reserve. Moreover, since pregnancy potential of euploid embryos also varies between women, ploidy is not the only pregnancy-determining factor; (ii) Single embryo transfer significantly reduces pregnancy chances in comparison to ≥2 embryos; (iii) Increasing AMH levels reflect increasing euploid embryo numbers, confirming AMH as a quantitative as well as qualitative assessment; (iv) Available euploid embryos actually increase with increasing gonadotropin dosages, suggesting that up to 600 IU daily may contribute to better IVF pregnancy rates; and (v) Embryo selection via PGS in properly selected patients can, indeed, improve embryo implantation and IVF pregnancy rates and will, likely, also reduce miscarriage rates.
Confirmation of proof of concept for PGS with use of traditional techniques and technologies suggests that the original worldwide clinical failure of PGS was based on patient selection, and not inadequate techniques and technologies. Newly proposed embryo biopsy timing (trophectoderm biopsy day-5, blastocyst-stage) and improved ploidy assessment technologies (arrays, offering assessments of all chromosomes), therefore, will be unlikely to beneficially affect the clinical utility of PGS in association with IVF.
One, of course, would have preferred a prospectively randomized study having led to these conclusion but prospectively randomized studies in IVF are often very difficult, if not impossible, to perform [41]. An eagerly anticipated clinical trial of PGS under the auspices of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) has been announced [44]. Until results of properly conducted clinical trials become available, other study formats have to be accepted as best available evidence [41]. Here presented data in form of a rigorous case control study, currently, therefore represent best available evidence, even in comparison to larger, uncontrolled studies.
Any retroactive analysis of outcome data is, of course, open to unrecognized biases. While non-infertile women in elective IVF cycles avoid many selection biases of infertile patients, even such a patient population cannot avoid all biases.
Further studies are required to better define patient populations, which will benefit from PGS. To prevent a second premature introduction of PGS, the procedure experimental, and should be offered only with experimental informed consent, and under study conditions.
This study for the first time presents an IVF experience of exclusively elective not-infertility related cycles. Such cycles in some aspects vary from what has been reported for IVF cycles in infertile women, suggesting that, in interpreting IVF outcomes, current literature may not always properly differentiate between outcome contributions from underlying infertility and the IVF procedure, itself. Utilizing day-3 embryo biopsy and FISH, the study also established proof of concept that, in properly selected patients, PGS, indeed, improves pregnancy chances with IVF and, likely, reduces miscarriage risk. This observation suggests that earlier failures in proving the efficacy of PGS were, likely not the result of poor techniques and technologies, as has been suggested, but the consequence of poor patient selection.
AMH: Anti-Müllerian hormone; DHEA: Dehydroepiandrosterone; DOR: Diminished ovarian reserve; FISH: Fluorescence in situ hybridization; FSH: Follicle stimulating hormone; hMG: Human menopausal gonadotropin; ICSI: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection; IVF: In vitro fertilization; LH: Luteinizing hormone; PCOS: Polycystic ovarian syndrome; PGD: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis; PGS: Preimplantation genetic screening.
N.G, A.W. and D.H.B. have in the past received research support, speakers' honoraria and travel funds from various pharmaceutical and medical device companies, none, however, related to the subject of this paper. N.G and D.H.B, are listed as co-inventors of two awarded U.S. patents, claiming therapeutic benefits for DHEA, and potentially other androgens, in women with DOR. Both authors have other pending patent applications, regarding DHEA, and other androgens, and, unrelated to this presentation, the FMR1 gene's effects on ovaries. N.G. owns shares in Fertility Nutraceuticals, LLC, a company that sells a DHEA product. N.G. and D.H.B. are receiving patent royalties from this company. N.G. is also the owner of The CHR, where this research was conducted.
N.G. and D.H.B., overall, contributed equally to the manuscript. N.G. wrote the manuscript, D.H.B. performed data analysis. A.K. contributed to data and statistical analyses. A.W. contributed to study design. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
The study was supported by the Foundation for Reproductive Medicine and intramural grants from the Center for Human Reproduction.
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[Figure ID: F1]
Figure 1
Clinical pregnancy rates depending on number of euploid embryos generated in IVF cycle. Figure 1a demonstrates that patients who achieved pregnancy produced significantly more euploid embryos (4.5 ± 2.4 vs. 3.3 ± 2.2, P = 0.009), while 1b demonstrates that patients who in their IVF cycles produced ≥4 euploid embryos, with transfer of similar embryo numbers, produced a 47.5% clinical pregnancy rates, while patients who only produced ≤3 euploid embryo in their cycle achieved only a 26.6% clinical pregnancy rate, creating for women with ≥4 euploid embryos 3.4-times higher odds of pregnancy (95% CI 1.2 to 9.2; P = 0.019).
Comparison of patient characteristics and IVF cycle outcomes for both patient cohorts
|Total cohort
Patients (n)
| Age (years)
|36.8 ± 5.0
|35.1 ± 4.5
IVF cycles (n)
Embryos biopsied (n)
|7.0 ± 3.6
|6.3 ± 3.5
Euploid embryos (n)
|3.6 ± 2.3
|3.4 ± 1.0
| Embryos transferred (n)
|1.7 ± 0.7
|1.4 ± 1.0
|23.8 ± 3.7
AMH (ng/mL)
|2.3 ± 2.1
FSH (mIU/mL)
|9.8 ± 3.8
Estradiol (pg/mL)
|47.1 ± 26.0
|Total gonadotropin dosage (IU)
|4637 ± 2078
Both patient cohorts did not differ in age and IVF cycle outcomes.
IVF cycle characteristics for pregnant versus non-pregnant patients
|Not pregnant
Percent of total cycles
Age (years)
|36.5 ± 5.3
|37.0 ± 4.6
Embryos biopsied (n)
|7.7 ± 3.7
|7.0 ± 3.8
≤ 6 n (%)
|20 (50.0)
|35 (50.7)
≥ 7 n (%)
|20 (50.0)
|34 (49.3)
Euploid embryos (n)1
|4.5 ± 2.4
|3.3 ± 2.2
≤ 3 n (%)
|16 (40.0)
|42 (60.9)
% pregnant
≥ 4 n (%)
|24 (60.0)
|27 (39.1)
% pregnant
Embryos transferred (n)
|2.1 ± 0.7
|1.6 ± 0.8
≥ 2 euploid embryos available2
n (%) pregnant ET x 1
|4/35 (11.4)
|n (%) pregnant ET x 2
|36/74 (48.6)
Pregnant and non-pregnant women neither differed in age nor in number of embryo biopsied. 1Logistic regression for pregnancy, adjusted for age and depending on whether ≥4 or ≤3 euploid embryo were present in cycle, adjusted by number of embryos biopsied and transferred, demonstrated over 3 fold pregnancy odds in women who had ≥ 4 euploid embryos (95% CI 1.224 to 9.201, Exp 3.356, P = 0.019). 2Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age cycle number, euploid embryos and depending on whether ≤1 or ≥2 euploid embryo were transferred demonstrated 6.553-times the odds of pregnancy with transfer of ≥2 embryos (95 CI 1.979 to 21.695, Exp 6,553, P = 0.002).
Patient/cycle characteristics for case–control study
|PGS Group
|Control Group
n IVF cycles
Age (years)
|38.7 ± 4.0
|39.2 ± 4.0
| Range
AMH (ng/mL)
|1.5 ± 1.4
|1.4 ± 1.8
Total gonadotropin dosage (IU)2
|4840 ± 1825
|5934 ± 2330
Oocyte yields (n)
|9.7 ± 5.6
|9.7 ± 5.4
| Range
Embryos transferred (n)1
|1.6 ± 0.8
|2.9 ± 1.0
Implantation rate (%)3
Heartbeats/Embryos transferred
Pregnancy rate (%)4
| n
Miscarriage rate (%)
1 Controls had significantly more embryo transferred (P < 0.0001), and 2 utilized marginally more total gonadotropins (P = 0.046). 3 The implantation rate was significantly higher in PGS cycles (P = 0.008). 4 In univariate analyses pregnancy rates and miscarriage rates did not differ significantly. After appropriate adjustments, logistic regression analysis demonstrated 4.58-times the odds of clinical pregnancy after PGS than in controls (95% CI 1.102 to 19.060, Exp 4.584; P = 0.036).
Article Categories:
Keywords: In vitro fertilization (IVF), Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), Aneuploidy, Pregnancy rates, Gonadotropin dosage, Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), Single embryo transfer.
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Amid the avalanche of articles and blogs and well-meaning advice I've consumed about surviving my oldest child leaving for college, the most helpful was something Amanda Docter offered at a PPN meeting last spring. She said she's come to think of her kids' departures as the end of a really good book. A book she's enjoyed immensely, one she had a hard time putting down while she was reading it, but one she can no longer deny she's finished. By turning the last page and placing it in an honored spot on her very favorite bookshelf, she gets to choose a new, exciting book to read next.
I've officially entered The Week I've been dreading for months. Within a few days I'll deposit both daughters and a significant part of my heart on two beautifully groomed campuses all the way across the country. I'm out-of-my-mind excited to see what comes next for each of them, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm also bruised by the raw sadness of them leaving.
Chad and my responses to the upcoming transition have been polar opposites. He, who had so little doubt about having kids that he joked about things we'd tell our grandchildren on our second date, is having a more traditional, soiled-nest type of reaction. He's been gritting his teeth all summer, alternating between enjoying the swarm of chaos around our two about-to-go girls and raging against the slovenly state of their bedrooms and their endless needs for rides, takeout food, and goodbye parties. He claims he's completely ready for them to move on to the bright beautiful world that awaits them. But I'm not fooled that his sudden, intense escape fantasies (Santa Fe! Upstate New York!) are unrelated to their impending departure.
I, on the other hand, entered adulthood convinced I was going to be one of those very cool childless aunts who could be counted on for vaguely inappropriate, impractical gifts and graduation trips to Paris. I was befuddled when my 30s brought three babies of my own to oversee. For years I was low-key panicked by how much they needed and how little I slept and how they didn't seem to ever go away. But now they're going away. And I'm heartbroken.
As one of the many how-to-survive-drop-off posts emphasized, it's not a death; it's not even a tragedy. But it's not nothing. It's the end of a million days filled with a million questions – what's for dinner? where's my chromebook? how late can I stay out? – and the beginning of a new, time-constrained relationship via FaceTime and school breaks.
The reason I love Amanda's analogy so much is that I've always had a bit of a problem with book transitions. When the end of a book I've loved approaches, I've been known to slow down and resist for weeks, saving the final ten pages for a special night when I can give it proper attention. Picking a new book, too, is always hard for me. I'm overwhelmed with how many great choices there are out there and paralyzed by the opportunity cost of all I'll miss by choosing one.
So be gentle with us. Don't bother with the stories of how your parents sent you on a plane to college alone, and you were fine, or of how you didn't even check in for a month and discovered your folks were having the time of their lives without you. We're a different generation. We transformed 'parent' from a noun to a verb, and this is going to be a lot harder for us. Eventually I'll find a fantastic new book to read. I always do. It's just hard to imagine right now that it'll be as magical as my last.


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While we at Pursuit of Portraits would of course be the first to agree that a picture tells a thousand words, we thought we'd try telling a story a little differently this time...Because sometimes the numbers speak for themselves:
1 Year since the Pursuit began.
5 Instameets across New York, Orlando, and Singapore.
13 Teammates with wildly diverse personal, professional, and geographic backgrounds. Thousands of hours committed to cultivating and growing the portrait-loving community.
And just this past week?
50 thousand Instagram community members.
100 thousand #pursuitofportraits posts.
Thank you all for your support. We couldn't be more grateful that you enabled us to hit these milestones, and are excited for you to be part of what's to come. Stay tuned.


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In this week's issue, Keith Gessen writes about the development of Kazakhstan's new capital, Astana. As Gessen notes, the construction of Astana's architecturally ambitious buildings is funded in significant part by the sale of oil from the country's Tengiz oil field. The ownership of Tengiz was an important point of negotiation between Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Russia's Boris Yeltsin during the breakup of the Soviet Union:
As Nazarbayev relates in his memoirs, at a meeting in Moscow not long after independence Yeltsin asked why Nazarbayev wouldn't give Tengiz to Russia. The Russians had discovered it, and how was Kazakhstan going to get all that oil out of the ground? "I looked at him and saw he wasn't kidding," Nazarbayev writes. A ticklish situation. He played it cool. "I said: 'Only if you give us the Orenburg province. Orenburg used to be the capital of Kazakhstan.' He said, 'Do you have any territorial claims on Russia?' I said, 'Not really.' He laughed. I laughed." Another international crisis averted. Not long afterward, Nazarbayev announced a multiyear, multibillion-dollar contract with Chevron to develop Tengiz.
In 2001 Seymour M. Hersh wrote a World of Business article about Mobil Oil's efforts to gain access to Tengiz in the mid nineties after Chevron's relationships inside Kazakhstan soured. Hersh detailed the complex negotiations involving, among others, Nazarbayev, Viktor Chernomyrdin, the Mobil executive Bryan Williams, the oil trader Friedhelm Eronat, and James Giffen, a banker who represented the Kazakh government:
Mobil concluded its negotiations for the Tengiz oil field on May 3, 1996. The final price was just over a billion dollars, and bought Mobil a twenty-five-per-cent share in Tengizchevroil, or T.C.O., the consortium that managed Tengiz. Chevron maintained its fifty-per-cent investment in the field, leaving the Kazakhs with twenty-five per cent; both Mobil and Chevron set up offices in Almaty to market the oil. Tengiz now produces well over a billion dollars in crude-oil revenues each year.
Hersh's article also covered Mobil's dealings in Russia and other former Soviet states, and reported on accusations of Mobil's involvement in an oil swap between Kazakhstan and Iran—a role that would have been illegal for an American company at the time because of sanctions against Iran. As Hersh writes, significant sums of money from the 1996 deal and the later oil swap went missing or were redirected:
In 1999, Swiss banking officials discovered that about eighty-five million dollars that was destined for a Kazakhstan government account had been shifted to what seemed to be a personal account belonging to President Nazarbayev. Some of the money had been transferred there through accounts linked to James Giffen. The evidence was passed on to the Department of Justice—Giffen was, after all, an American citizen—and the U.S. investigation got under way.
There were published reports last summer that payments of more than sixty million dollars from three American oil companies—Mobil, Amoco, and Phillips—operating directly or through foreign subsidiaries, had allegedly been made to Swiss bank accounts linked to Giffen. Some thirty million dollars of that money, Swiss officials say, was subsequently shifted by Giffen into accounts controlled by Nazarbayev; his oil minister, Balgymbayev; and the opposition leader, Kazhegeldin. Kazhegeldin publicly admitted that he had received six million dollars via the bank transfers, but insisted through his attorney that he had returned the money. Later, it became known that a second federal investigation, focussing on the swap, had begun in Washington.
Giffen was indicted on federal bribery charges in 2003 and a long legal battle ensued, during which the affair became known as "Kazakhgate." Though Giffen and his lawyers argued that he had been working as an agent of the United States government, he finally pleaded guilty in August of last year to a single tax-related charge under the anti-corruption laws. During the interim, however, Hollywood got hold of the story. A character based on Giffen and played by Tim Blake Nelson appeared in the 2005 oil and espionage drama, "Syriana."
_The entire article—and the complete archives of The New Yorker, back to 1925—is available to subscribers. Non-subscribers can purchase the individual issue.
Any favorite New Yorker articles come to mind? Send us an e-mail.
Illustration by Guy Billout.


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A political action committee or PAC is an organization that collects contributions from its members and uses these inputs as funds for a particular candidate or use it against another candidate or a political party. In the United States, a known PAC is called the End Citizens United (ECU). In 2010, the US Supreme Court decision denationalized the limits on independent spending for or against a particular candidate. However, the ECU in 2015 fought against the 2010 decision, and they lifted the restrictions.
End Citizens United started in the year 2015, gaining 25 million dollars during their first election cycle in 2016. The End Citizens United is funded by principal donors. Their primary objective is to oppose the decisions and statements made by Citizens United. End Citizens United would want to show those who are elected future candidates and the citizens as well, on how ECU's major and principal donors fight against the boldness of those billionaires who are trying to buy votes.
To be able to achieve what they have in mind and be able to fulfill their mission, End Citizens United has steps and guidelines to follow to be able to make their objective successful. First, the must elect candidates who are supporting reform. Second is to be able to bring up the issue of money in politics as a major problem every election and make it as a national priority. To be able to pass pro-reform laws by using ballot measures in the United States. Lastly is to be able to demonstrate the political power and highlighting the issues in politics by being able to establish principal memberships to create funds.
The End Citizens United support Democrats who are in favor of reform and have a broad vision for proper change in the country and are against the Citizens United. The ECU believes that if they support these Democrats, change can happen with their help. They mainly support candidates mainly Democrats who are dedicated to not only reforming the country but also mending the broken finance system. The favored democratic candidates who were endorsed by the End Citizens United are Hillary Clinton, Russ Feingold and Zephyr Teachout. Recently, End Citizens United had announced that they are supporting Democrat Conor Lamb to represent Pennsylvania, in Congress. The president of the End Citizens United, Tiffany Muller, was the one who announced the committee's support for Lamb.
End Citizens United is political action committee who is fighting for finance reform. Although other groups are also competing for the same cause, the ECU is different because this group does not only fight for the improvement in funding but also together with this supports candidates who are willing to fight for the same cause.


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2hr Group Intro Course
From: R990
2 hours Group Intro Course (R990)
We offer a 2 hour intro course for those people who want to give kitesurfing a try or a taste and understanding of how things work.
We will teach you all the first steps you need to know as:
- Theory about safety and wind explanations.
- Firstly kite flying with a small kite (foil kite, for learning safety the kite control).
- All you need to know, i.e. Kite set up, how to pump your kite, and to connect your lines independently.
- Safety systems.
- Kite flying skills.
Want to know what the wind is doing on your lesson day?
Check out the Windguru forecast below and scroll down to the description below to find out how to read it.
Windguru forecasts have all the details you need to know about the wind as a budding kitesurfer. It is used by beginners, instructors and even professional kiteboarders to find out what the wind conditions are going to be like at their local spot. But understanding what all the colors, numbers and arrows mean can be confusing for a novice. Below is a key to help you understand what conditions are forecasted at Big Bay in Cape Town for the next 72 hours.
Windguru Key and Lesson Capabilities.
What you are looking for:
- Wind Strength: Between 10 - 15 knots. Good for Beginner Lessons
- Wind Strength: Between 15 - 30 knots. Good for Body Dragging and Board Riding Lessons
- Wind Strength: Color Between Green and Red.
- Wind Direction: ESE - S.
- Wind Direction: Arrows pointing up between South toEast


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Friday, August 30, 2013
Page 3 of My New Comic + Process
The linework was drawn in Manga Studio 4EX and colorwork in Photoshop CS6. Here are some early thumbnails for this page (used legal paper and pencil!), followed by the roughs for anybody that's interested in seeing that kind of stuff:
Posted by Chris Purdin at 11:18 AM No comments:
Monday, August 19, 2013
Page 2 of My New Comic
Posted by Chris Purdin at 11:43 PM 3 comments:
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text: A whimsical, informal account of American university life as it now stands. Matthews (Journalism/New York Univ.; Where the Buffalo Roam, 1992, etc.) structures her book as a journey through the academic year. It runs from summer to summer, beginning with a look at how colleges and universities make their (often undignified) pitch to high-school students and ending with a reunion of old-timers at Princeton. The author's ambition is sweeping. She aims to touch on all kinds of four-year institutions, leaving no part untouched: student drinking, faculty salaries, academic standards, tenure, mathematicians who dress funny, and so forth. The result is an entertaining glimpse of what goes on behind the ivy-covered walls of elite schools (which are likely to conceal faulty plumbing), at state-financed mega-universities (``where you can get a good education, if you want one,'' she writes in evident innocence of her prejudice), and in the hardscrabble world of small and marginal institutions with trailer-park dorms. There is Sinte Gleska, for example, a college in South Dakota that is struggling to carve a niche for itself in the already competitive ``academic marketplace'' of Native American higher education. Matthews gets a good deal of mileage out of anecdotes from student life, with punch lines like ``I told him there was a pizza under the sofa!'' Faculty are good for laughs, too: ``How can she whine for money to the dean when she wears two-hundred-dollar shoes?'' (overheard at a Renaissance scholars' conference). ``After tenure,'' Matthews notes, ``a campus asks only one thing of its professors: keep your brain alive. Many do not, will not, cannot.'' Over the long haul all Matthews's knowing cuteness wears pretty thin. Her touch is informed but light--the result is less journalism than infotainment.


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Cathy Erway is an author, writer, and healthy food advocate living in New York City. Her food blog, "Not Eating Out in New York" inspired her first book, the memoir "The Art of Eating In: How I learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove." Her second book, a cookbook entitled "The Food of Taiwan", will be released in March 2015.
Erway hosts a weekly radio show, "Let's Eat In", for Heritage Radio Network and does freelance copywriting work for digital advertising agencies. Erway earned a B.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College.


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99.9% of the time I'd say I'm way too chickenshit to run with the bulls in Pamplona. Mostly I enjoy the marked lack of extraneous holes in my body, but also I am just lazy. I mean, it looks like you have to run really really fast to avoid being gored by a giant razor sharp bull horn. Does that sound like relaxing good times? Not particularly. But .01% of me doesn't want a relaxing good time. Part of me craves adventure -- the adrenaline rush of living life on the daring edge of inexorable boldness. Bolditude. Boldosity. Yeah.
I'm probably not taking my death wish to the Spanish streets anytime soon (and if I do, somebody please stop me), but I do have the overwhelming urge to shake things up. A little.
All the black and brown in my house is pretty (I hope) but not so adventurous. Maybe too timid and relaxing. Comfortable. Now I'm not saying I'm planning a stampede of sorts, but perhaps a little flash and danger is in order.
Or maybe I just need one of those jackets.
And now, an important announcement: tomorrow the hilariously talented Rebecca of The Reluctant Floridian (who no longer lives in Florida) will be guest posting right here...
I know! Right here!
You simply must tune in to check her out. The power of Crisis compels you.
See you dudes tomorrow.


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Charlie Graingers is Coming to Charlotte, Join Us!
The Charlie Graingers franchise opportunity is coming to Charlotte. Charlie Graingers is a Wilmington-based franchise restaurant that specializes in hot dogs, brisket, and bbq. Our story dates back to 1939 and after 75 years in the business, we are ready to expand.
Our executive team has targeted the Charlotte area as a focus for our expansion. It is a natural progression of the Charlie Graingers brand to move up I-74 and begin our expansion from the Charlotte area.
Charlotte serves as a national and international hotspot for banking, technology and innovation. The largest city in North Carolina, Charlotte has emerged recently as a focal city for innovation and entrepreneurship. The area attracts millions of visitors from across the country and around the world each year.
The Charlie Graingers restaurant concept is the perfect concept for the Charlotte area. We specialize in serving a quick, affordable lunch - 16 hot dogs, 5 sandwiches. Our stores are only open from 11am - 4pm, allowing us to specialize and focus solely on lunch. By creating that scarcity tendency, Charlie Graingers becomes the first to mind when thinking of lunch. Our clientele has no socio-economic barriers. Our Wilmington restaurant often sees Mayor Bill Saffo sitting between a group of construction workers and Congressman Thom Goolsby.
Charlie Graingers plans to put up to 25 locations in the Charlotte area. Whether you are interested in developing the whole territory or just an individual store, we encourage you to reach out to us to get more information. Use the form at right to contact us or email a member of our franchise development staff at firstname.lastname@example.com
We encourage you to continue learning about us:
- $50k - $150k All-in Costs
- Staff of 2-3 People
- Locations are Under 1000 sqft
- Only Open For Lunch
- Easy to Produce Menu
Learn more about opportunities to expand with Charlie Graingers in Charlotte:


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A collection of shorts by SEAT
Seattle Experimental Animation Team
Doors 7:30pm £5 on the door
Animator Tess Martin presents a collection of short animations that explore inter-actions - action between each frame of motion as well as between each subject on screen. Made individually by twelve members of SEAT (Seattle Experimental Animation Team) these thought-provoking films reflect on love, insanity, faith and murder.
1. Britta Johnson, Two Dots, 4:39 (2009) Marbles illustrate the subtle math of a relationship in this video made for Lusine's song 'Two Dots.' Marbles, dental floss and wax animated frame by frame.
2. Drew Christie, The Man Who Shot the Man Who Shot Lincoln, 5:15 (2010) TMWSTMWSL is an animated interpretation of the strange and bizarre life of Boston Corbett, the man who killed John Wilkes Booth. Animated on the pages of 12 books with charcoal, pastel and crayon. Contains one instance of nudity and violence not suitable for a young audience.
3. Aaron Wendel, Dwellings, 3:53 (2010) Over time, two houses slowly destroy each other. Hand drawn on paper.
4. Tess Martin, Plain Face, 10:42 (2011) In a fantastical land, a stranger arrives and is the subject of prejudice, violence and love. We follow her journey through memory as she decides whether to give up her heart. Paper and plastic cut-outs animated on a light-box. Contains one scary moment that may not be suitable for a young audience.
5. Amanda Moore, Bridging Wounds, 5:00 (2009) A whimsical exploration of the lives of strangers told through silhouette puppet animation.
6. Davis Limbach, Loopforms, 5:03 (2010) Loopforms is a dance of energy or spirit expressed in 'maximized loops'. A traditional narrative is omitted in favor of a sensual, emotionally affecting experience. Ink and pencil on paper.
7. Sarah Jane Lapp, Chronicles of a Professional Eulogist, 6:30 (from 26min film, 2009) A eulogist in training interviews his mentor on the eve of war. India ink, wax and gouache on paper.
8. Clyde Petersen, The Dirty Street, 4:44, (2010) A found footage film, recut, projected and rephotographed using the "Hipstamatic" app for IPhone one frame at a time. Music by Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death. Footage: "Jealousy" - a Prelinger Archives film from the Series, Marriage for Moderns. (1954)
9. Webster Crowell, Parasol, 8:30 (2008) Parasol is a short, quick revenge film about bicycles, dancing and speed; animated with pastels across the surface of a few thousand paper parasols.
10. Stefan Gruber, Both Worlds, 10:17 (2011) In an Eden like garden, cartoon deities sit upon mountaintops ready to trade gardening tips about their mountainside utopias. Hand-animated in Flash.
11. Salise Hughes, Somewhere, 4:00 (2010) Somewhere between a 1950s sock hop and the Wild West, a Technicolor and Black and White pair of lovers meet to belt out a tune from "West Side Story." Found footage manipulated frame by frame.
12. Bruce Bickford, The Comic That Frenches Your Mind, 5:28 (2008) Bruce Bickford's latest complete pencil animation is a trip - this is your mind on eggs. Contains nudity and drug use.
Total running time: 74 mins


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29 January 2014
After spending two years in search of a thirty pound pike from a certain venue, the effort finally paid off for Neville Fickling.
11 January 2014
With the first signs of daylight in the sky, Brian Skoyles is on his way to Withernsea on the East Yorkshire coast, to report on the Daiwa Junior Open and Daiwa Open sea angling events.
21 December 2013
Find out how Steve Ringer and the rest of Team England got on in day two of the Feeder Fishing World Championships 2013.
21 December 2013
Martyn Skoyles has been in search of chub the last few months, with a string of 5lb fish coming his way from a number of different rivers.
15 December 2013
Steve Ringer has just got back from the Feeder World Championship 2013 in South Africa. Read on for the first part of his blog revealing how he got on during the first day...
23 November 2013
After a slow season so far by his standards, Neville Fickling was relived when a trip to Chew Valley produced the goods.
23 November 2013
Just occasionally watching someone else catch a fish that is special to them can be as exciting as catching yourself, as Brian Skoyles experienced on his last two trips to the River Trent.
17 November 2013
Mistress Sea Angling Charter in Whitby has been among the fish this season, as skipper of the Daiwa backed boat Rich Cope reveals.
04 November 2013
The deteriorating weather over the last few weeks hasn't stopped the bass from feeding, as Zen 2's Austin Goldsmith reveals.
26 October 2013
It's October and the first week is traditionally the start of the latest round of Daiwa Tradeshows so armed with camera, notepad and pen Consultant Brian Skoyles headed for Doncaster.


text: Suniac Report post Posted December 10, 2011 Hi! I am some what new to the forum even though I have been on before but it has been quite a while. Anyway I have been wanting to get into driving for quite a while and this summer was finnaly able to get a cart and harness. I have trained a few horses to ground drive and to pull me in a plastic sled without much trouble so I'm training my 3yr old APHA colt Tarzan myself. I just got started yesterday. Harnessed him up and took him for a short ground driving session in the yard. He got the hang of it after a while and did pretty good with that. So today I took him into my arena/play pasture and ground drove him again and had him pull a tire. He did great, didn't mind the tire at all and even listened to the lines a little better too. So my questions now are... #1 How soon should I start introducing the cart? I plan on working with him a lot more before I actually hitch him and I will have someone there to help me when I do. #2 What kind of bit would be good to start a driving horse in? Right now I am just using the hackamore that I normally ride him in. He listens to this pretty well now but I guess I question whether or not it will be enough to control him when he's pulling. I've never herd of any one driving a horse without a bit. Other than that I guess any other advice you can think of will be appreciated. Thanks in advance! Here's a pic of him from today in his harness! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Recently my friend Neil sent this to me and I was not sure I understood.
Well, here he is at it again, however this time I think I get it.
Often times I am asked in the local church were I serve "how does one become a cultural architect of/for the Gospel?" While this is a multifaceted question with a number of answers, I think the biggest contributor to being a cultural architect of/for the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to be creative.
Creativity is often thought of like eye color - some people have "it" (in this case blue eyes) and some people do not. But the fact of the matter is, creativity is less like eye color and more like eyes - everyone has eyes to see but some people practice looking.
The post Neil sent to me is one example of a person who walked through life seeing all sorts of things. In many cases, he saw the same things every day. But one day, he decided to practice looking. In his efforts to look at the world he no longer saw a boy as a possible set up for exploitation for money. He no longer saw an old man but looked at him in his eyes. He stopped looking for a moment and saw the world and what it was intended to be.
If you want to "be the change" or if you want to be a cultural architect live out of creativity. If you do not think you are creative, then perhaps the first step is to stop looking and see the world as God intends for it to be.
Who knows what story you will experience or what you will see.