Doctors in Sweden successfully transplant wombs

The experimental surgery may allow infertile women to become pregnant but is not without critics

Nine women in Sweden have successfully received transplanted uteruses donated from relatives in an experimental procedure that has raised some ethical concerns. The women will soon try to become pregnant with their new wombs, Dr. Mats Brannstrom, the leader of the pioneering project, has revealed.

The women were born without a uterus or had it removed because of cervical cancer. Most are in their 30s and are part of the first major experiment to test whether it's possible to transplant uteruses into women so that they can give birth.

In many European countries, including Sweden, using a pregnancy surrogate isn't allowed.

Lifesaving transplants of organs such as hearts, livers and kidneys have been done for decades, and doctors are increasingly transplanting hands, faces and other body parts to improve patients' quality of life. Uterus transplants — the first ones are intended to be temporary, just to allow childbearing — push that frontier even farther.

There have been two other attempts to transplant uteruses — in Turkey and Saudi Arabia — but both failed to produce babies. Scientists in Britain, Hungary and elsewhere are planning similar operations, but the efforts in Sweden are the most advanced.

"This is a new kind of surgery," Brannstrom told The Associated Press in an interview from Goteborg. "We have no textbook to look at."

He said the nine uterus recipients are doing well. Many already had their periods six weeks after the transplants — an early sign that the wombs are healthy and functioning. One woman had an infection in her new uterus, and others had some minor rejection episodes, but none of the recipients or donors needed intensive care after the surgeries, he said. All left the hospital within days.

The operations did not connect the uteruses to the fallopian tubes, so the women are unable to become pregnant naturally. But all who received a womb have their own ovaries. Before the transplants, the women had some eggs removed and fertilized in vitro. The embryos were then frozen, and doctors plan to transfer them into the new uteruses, allowing the women to carry their biological children.

The transplants have ignited hope among women unable to have children because they lost their uterus to cancer or were born without one. About 1 in 4,500 women is born with a syndrome, known as MRKH, in which she doesn't have a uterus.

Fertility experts have hailed the project as significant but stress it's unknown whether the transplants will result in healthy babies.

Ethical concerns

Some experts have raised concerns about whether it's ethical to use living donors for an experimental procedure that doesn't save lives.

In Britain, doctors planning to perform uterus transplants will use wombs only from dying or dead people, as the transplant team in Turkey did last year. The Turkish doctors announced their patient got pregnant but miscarried after two months.

Dr. Richard Smith, head of the U.K. charity Womb Transplant UK, which is trying to raise $823,000 to carry out five operations in Britain, said Brannstrom "has done something amazing, and we understand completely why he has taken this route, but we are wary of that approach." 

He said removing a uterus for donation is like a radical hysterectomy but requires taking a bigger chunk of the surrounding blood vessels to ensure adequate blood flow, raising the risk of complications for the donor. Smith said British officials don't consider it ethical to let donors take such chances for an operation that isn't lifesaving.

But John Harris, a bioethics expert at the University of Manchester, didn't see a problem with that, as long as donors are fully informed. He said donating a kidney isn't necessarily lifesaving yet is widely promoted.

"Dialysis is available, but we have come to accept and to even encourage people to take risks to donate a kidney," he said.

Smith said the biggest question is how any pregnancies will proceed.

"The principal concern for me is if the baby will get enough nourishment from the placenta and if the blood flow is good enough," he said.

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New Zealand Woman Breaks World Record, Runs For 311 Miles In 81 Hours Without Sleeping

For someone who does not especially enjoy running, Kim Allan is pretty good at it.

Allan, a 47-year-old mother of four from New Zealand, recently broke the record for running without sleep, covering 311 miles in 86 nonstop hours.

For Allan, it's not the running that she enjoys, per se, it's the mental stimulus.

"There's ultra runners who go out and train huge miles - that’s not me," she told a local reporter. "It’s the beating my own mind that I like. Thinking you can’t do something then you go out and do it.”

                             

After breaking her leg a decade ago Allan, a former jockey, determined that when her leg healed she would never "take for granted the ability to get out of bed and walk." She tried to break the world record of 302 miles in 80 hours last year, but she had to stop after experiencing hallucinations and losing all her toe nails.

Allan fought through stomach pain, as well as severe blisters on her feet, this year to finish the unbelievable challenge. She's said that for her, going on a two-hour run is "just a drag." But somehow she was able to will herself through the equivalent of 12 marathons.

According to the New Zealand Herald, Allan used her performance to collect money for the New Zealand Spinal Trust, and thus far she has raised several thousand dollars.

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10 things never say to a man

To you, it's just a few words. To him, it's a short sentence that he'll never, ever forget. Here, the seemingly innocent observations that can really rock a relationship.

"I really don't respect you." 

"My wife and I probably use the word 'respect' about as much as we use the word 'love.' Both words were in our wedding vows," says Dave, 36, about why the R-word is just as important to him as the L-word. "And when I hear that she doesn't respect me, it's almost like her saying she doesn't love me. Luckily, she's never said it-precisely because we had a whole conversation about how we'll never throw around that word like that." 

Your tummy is so cute! 

"Please, call it what it is-a beer gut!" jokes Chad, 38. All kidding aside, the men we spoke with said that they have the same body image issues as women, which means that making fun of him when he's gained a few will make him feel insecure too. 

"I love when you get all mad." 

Is he fuming because he's behind a car that's oh-so-annoyingly crawling along in the left lane? Sure, it's fine to make a joke, but Jeff, 40, suggests making it at the other driver's expense. "I know I can get worked up about minor stuff, but when I hear this, I feel like it's harder to be honest about my feelings when it comes to things that really matter to me, because I'm worried she's going to shoot me down." 

"He acts like such a baby when his team loses." 

"This is something I've overheard my wife say on the phone to her friends," says Charles, 38. "I know she's talking about me, but she uses the same voice she uses when she's talking about our 3-year-old having a temper tantrum." While no one likes to be talked about behind their back, guys are especially sensitive to lack of loyalty. Yes, the way he freaks out when his team blows a playoff game is funny-but if he's not laughing, it's best to keep it on the DL, at least while your husband is in earshot. There's another reason: "When I hear her talking about me to her friends when she thinks I'm not listening, I can't help but wonder what else she may talk about." 

"Do whatever you want." 

Unless you're saying this with a smile because it's his birthday or he just bought a winning lottery ticket, when guys hear this, their stomachs sink. "I feel like I'm on a game show. Just tell me the right answer!" begs Bryan, 29. Men everywhere agree: If you have something in mind, spill it instead of making him play a guessing game. 

"Do you think I actually believe you?" 

This ties back to respect, says David, who asks, "If she doesn't believe me, then why are we even trying to have a conversation?" If you're questioning his honesty and integrity-and not whatever lie you think he may be covering up-that's what you two need to have a serious discussion about. 

"You're just like your dad." 

"I love my dad, but when my girlfriend is scowling at me and saying that, I don't want to be like him," says James. And even if he and his father get along great, it's not always ideal to compare them. Instead, speak directly to whatever he's doing that's bothering you. 

"What do you think that was about?" 

When said in the bedroom, this phrase hits below-the-belt-literally. Performance issues happen, and the more you ask about them, the more likely they are to come (er) up again. "Sometimes things don't work the way they should, either because I've had too much beer, or am stressed out, or just because. And trust me, I'm obsessing over it...and I'd like to at least pretend you aren't too," says George, 40. If it only happens once in a while, just let it go. 

"Should I call the emergency room and let them prepare?" 

"I admit that my D.I.Y. projects may have landed me in the emergency room once or twice in the past, but reminding me only makes me feel like an idiot, and more likely to mess up," explains Avery, 28. If you're nervous about your guy cleaning the gutters, powering up the lawn mower, cutting down branches, or wielding a glue gun, the best way to get around it may be to discreetly hire a pro while his mind is on something else. 

"Are you sure we can afford that?" 

"The worst is when she says this in front of a salesman," says Chad. "I feel like I'm a failure." If you're heading out to buy a big-ticket item and don't want to blow the budget, research prices beforehand and use phrases like, "This seems over our target," so it sounds strategic, not like you and your guy are scraping the bottom of your savings account.

By Anna Davies, 

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What's the etiquette of 'Selfies' at funeral?

On its face, the now-viral photo of Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt taking a "selfie" with President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron—at amemorial service for anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, no less—looks wildly inappropriate. And no question, President Obama has taken a lot of media heat for participating. (It didn't help that the expression on Michelle Obama's face appeared to be disapproving.)

In the realm of funeral etiquette, those two factors—the memorial service, the glowering wife-- taken together, scream "social faux pas." But there was more to the story behind the image. Roberto Schmidt, the photographer who captured the photo told the "Today" show that he shot the picture during a jovial, celebratory portion of the service. He said people were dancing, singing and laughing as they celebrated the life of Nelson Mandela. Michelle Obama, he said, had been laughing along with the trio seconds before he snapped the image.

Understood. But a few questions remain. Is it proper to take a selfie at a funeral? And was President Obama out of line for doing so -- because he is the president, you know.

Under the circumstances Schmidt described, I'd say the selfie was not necessarily in poor taste for the President. But was it poor form? As President of the United States, a man watched and scrutinized at every angle, he is no doubt very careful about how his behavior is perceived. He surely knew that picture would wind up pinging around the Internet and on the evening news and cleverly headlined front pages. Perhaps he wanted to send a message to the people, anyway, to say, "Hey, I'm just like you."

Now if he wanted to avoid the scrutiny altogether and send a more somber message to the public, he might have held off and joined in on the picture in a more private setting. The moment, however, did not seem to call for such discretion. What's my bottom line? President Obama's behavior was appropriate for that particular occasion, for that particular culture at that precise moment.

And what is the protocol for behavior at funerals for the rest of us: selfies and beyond?

Well, if you, too, happen to attend a funeral or memorial service at a stadium where the people are up dancing and singing and laughing in the aisles, then it's perfectly fine to take a selfie with your seat mates.

The key here is that there is a proper time and place for everything, and that's where decorum comes in. That I would need to explain this will seem surprising to some, but this is, after all, a time when websites such as Selfies at a Funeral exist. So bear with me: Firing off a selfie during a solemn moment such as the prayer or scripture reading is highly inappropriate and terribly disrespectful.

The same shot during the gathering or meal service afterward is all right. Taking photos within the confines of the church or synagogue or funeral home can be perceived as highly inappropriate. It is important to be aware of this and remain respectful of the family, the culture and the environment you are in.

Funerals and memorials take on a different meaning from culture to culture; some are very somber, others quite celebratory. It is our duty to be sensitive to the entire moment and in some cases it might be difficult to tell what that requires. Here's a handy rule of thumb: To avoid offending, err on the side of caution and just hold off on that selfie until the funeral has ended.

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The Shahara Bridge

Shahara Bridge is one of the greatest historical engineering feats in Yemen

this bridge was built in the 16th century and served the purpose of connecting the village of Shahara to that of Shaharat Al-Fays across a gorge of 300 meters deep, so people could at that time move easily from town to another. A rumor was common that the bridge was built to fight the Turkish invaders, in connection with legend that the bridge could be removed when danger loomed, but recognized sources did not mention anything of that. It designed and built by Salah Al-Yemen at the orders of Al-Asta Saleh Al-Suaidi, its construction cost more than a 100,000 silver rials.

                          

the bridge is used by the locals on a daily basis, and is widely regarded an architectural masterpiece. It also attracts visitors from around the world, but the area is inhospitable and not easily accessible. Shaharah and Shaharat Al-Fays are only accessible by car, which must either be personally owned or a rental. Safety measures do no allow visitors to take a taxi, unless accompanied by an official tour guide.

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Avoid sitting on anything in your back pocket

It is very important safety tip, as we do not focus on this in our daily life, therefore sitting on your anything in your back pocket, for long time this might cause multiple problems in the spine especially for those who got used to keep their wallets or money in their back pocket for long hours. Anyone drives more than half hour he/she should not sit on his/her wallet.

Therefore you have to make sure that you already got everything out from your back pocket whenever sit in any chair.

(Do not ever sit on your wallet or anything else)

Your wallet can be real pain for your back and waist, and it can even lead to shooting pains down and legs. Sitting on a wallet for prolonged hours every day can compress sciatic nerve which passes beneath piriformis muscle and will lead to piriformis syndrome, low back pain and self-inflicted sciatica.

This wallet acts as a wedge that forces pelvis spine and body out of alignment.  

The safely tip

The healthiest option for this is to move the wallet to your front pocket, if it is must to keep wallet in your back pocket, and then remove it before you sit down to any elsewhere.

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Future Men's Fashion is Terrifying

In the near future you could find yourself standing outside a dressing room at the mall as your boyfriend determines whether he's got the shoulders to pull off a strapless mini-dress. at London's Men's Fashion week, the fall winter 2013-2014 collections proved men are about to embark on a major makeover.

This week, menswear designers took a giant step for all mankind. Now they might want to take a few baby steps back. The London Men's Collection, a week-long preview of cutting edge collections for the Fall/Winter 2013-2014 season, is supposed to offer a glimpse into the future of menswear. Instead it was a harbinger of a fashion apocalypse. Wooden face barricades, toxic waste jumpsuits, and strapless dresses worn by dour male pixies. Ladies, meet your new stylish man. He's your worst nightmare and he knows it.

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