Things That Can Affect A Man's Sperm

Things That Can Affect A Man's Sperm

Things that can affect a man’s sperm You probably know about some of the biggies like smoking, alcohol, illicit drug use or hot tubs impairing a man’s fertility but here are a few things you may not know about: 1. Morning sex = higher sperm count: If you are trying to conceive, time intercourse when his sperm count is at its highest. Researchers have found that men generally have a higher sperm count in the mornings. Men’s intimate interest may be higher in the mornings as well. 2. His weight matters: Women are not the only ones who have weight related fertility issues. Men who are overweight or underweight are more likely to have problems with infertility. Having too much or too little body fat may affect a man’s hormone levels. Scientists in one Finnish study found that a 20 lb weight gain may increase a man’s chance of being infertile by 10 percent. 3. Have more sex not less: Men with low sperm counts are often advised to abstain from sex in order to improve their sperm count, but new research suggests that while this may improve sperm count, too much abstinence can damage the DNA of the sperm that is produced. Australian researchers have found that having daily sex actually improves the quality, if not the quantity of sperm. The thought behind this is that regular ejaculations get rid of the old sperm and make way for newer healthier sperm. 4. Folic acid is not only good for the goose, but it is also good for the gander. Most women know that taking a folic acid supplement is important during childbearing years because it can prevent certain birth defects. You may not have known that it is also important for men to eat a diet containing folic acid. A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Berkley found that men who had lower levels of folic acid (or folate) in their diets had a higher rate of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm. 5. Avoid soy products. A recent study published by Oxford University Press’s online publication Human Reproduction, suggests that eating a diet high in soy foods could cause men to have a lower sperm count. According to the study, men who ate soy foods were more likely to have lower sperm counts (although not necessarily abnormally low) than men who did not eat soy. 6. Skip the lubricants. Lubricants can impede the movement of sperm. A woman’s cervical mucous is designed to help transport sperm, but many commercial lubricants have the opposite effect. Lubricants like KY Jelly, baby oil, or petroleum jelly have been shown to slow down or damage sperm. Saliva can also damage sperm. One lubricant that is okay to use is Pre-seed. According to one study in the ASRM’s journal of Fertility and Sterility, Pre-seed was not shown to harm or slow down sperm. 7. Watch out for cell phones and laptops. There have been a few studies that have shown that excessive use of laptops or cell phones can cause sperm damage. Laptops, if placed on a man’s lap, get hot over time. The increase in scrotal temperature may have a negative effect on a man’s sperm if he keeps a laptop sitting on his lap for extended periods of time. Similarly, cell phone emissions might also cause sperm damage. Keeping a cell phone in a close proximity to a man’s scrotum could potentially cause a decrease in sperm quality, according to a small research study from the Cleveland Clinic.

First Liver Surgery With Tablet Computer In Germany

First Liver Surgery With Tablet Computer In Germany

The following are images from Germany of a liver surgery, one of the first surgeries of its kind in the country with the support of a tablet computer to access and visualize planning data. The tablet uses augmented reality, which allows the liver to be filmed with an iPad and overlaid during an operation with virtual 3D models reconstructed from the real organ.

Developed by Fraunhofer MEVIS in Bremen, this procedure helps locate critical structures such as tumors and vessels and is expected to improve the quality of transferring pre operational resection plans into actual surgery.

A piece of a tumorous liver, which was removed during surgery supported by a tablet computer to access and visualize planning data, lies next to a pair of scissors, at the Asklepios Hospital Hamburg-Barmbek August 15, 2013. The tablet computer uses augmented reality, which allows the liver to be filmed with an iPad and overlaid during an operation with virtual 3D models reconstructed from the real organ. Developed by Fraunhofer MEVIS in Bremen, this procedure helps locate critical structures such as tumors and vessels and is expected to improve the quality of transferring pre-operational resection plans into actual surgery.

http://news.yahoo.com/lightbox/first-liver-surgery-with-tablet-computer-in-germany-slideshow/first-liver-surgery-with-tablet-computer-in-germany-photo-1377012369330.html

 

Yahoo beats Google in traffic for first time since 2011

Marissa Mayer has said she wants the company to focus on consumers' "daily habits" in order to make products that will become a part of users' routines.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

In the longstanding battle of Yahoo vs. Google, score one for the underdog.

For the first time in more than two years, Yahoo sites were the most visited in the country in July, according to a monthly report from comScore, which tracks unique visitors to U.S. properties across the Web.

With 196.6 million visitors to 192.3 million who visited Google properties, Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500) bested its competitor, which has long held onto the top spot, for the first time since May 2011. Yahoo's unique visitors were up by roughly 20% compared to July of last year, when it came in third behind Google and Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500), according to comScore.
July's no. 1 spot is a notable win for Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who has made a number of changes since taking over the troubled company last July. Yahoo did not respond to a request for comment.
The comScore report is inclusive of desktop traffic only. A more comprehensive report is due out next week. Though Google typically beats Yahoo handily in mobile traffic, Mayer has noted that Yahoo has seen a recent uptick in mobile.
Since Mayer took the reins, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company has acquired more than a dozen start-ups, most notably Tumblr, and revamped a number of the sites.
Related: Study: Smarter, richer people use Google
Traffic for Tumblr -- which was the web's 28th most popular U.S. property in July, according to the report -- did not directly contribute to Yahoo's visitor tally, said Andrew Lipsman, comScore's vice president of industry analysis.
In an earnings call last month, Mayer noted that Yahoo page views were rising after more than a year of declines, citing recently refreshed versions of Yahoo mail, weather, sports, news and Tumblr, both on desktop and mobile.
The revamped Yahoo mail app for tablets, for instance, brought a 120% increase in daily active Yahoo mail users, according to the company.
Mayer has repeatedly said that she wants the company to focus on consumers' "daily habits" in order to make products that will become a part of users' routines.
Yahoo's stock was down slightly Wednesday, but is up more than 80% from a year ago.

Gaming world's eyes are on Germany for Gamescom

"Fighter Within," for the new Xbox One, will use the Kinect motion controller for more realistic fighting action.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Gamescom opens in Germany on Wednesday
• Event is world's largest trade fair for video games
• Sony, Microsoft expected to show off new consoles, titles
• "XCOM," "Diablo" and "Dead Rising" updates to be shown

(CNN) -- Gamescom brings video game fans, developers and companies together in one place to discover what's new, and what's coming, in the gaming industry.

Held in Cologne, Germany, the event is billed as the world's largest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment. Boasting 275,000 visitors in its third year, the gathering, which opens Wednesday, has been a place for gaming companies to show off their new products and for fans to get their first experience with new titles.

With their next-generation video game consoles scheduled for release later this year, Sony and Microsoft are expected to reveal what games can be played on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One respectively. But there are always surprises at Gamescom, and this year will surely be no different.

Sony continues to roll along after an outstanding showing at E3 in Los Angeles earlier this summer. Unveiling new games for the portable PS Vita, as well as the new PlayStation 4, Sony also made a point of showcasing a wide variety of independent games that will be coming to the new console.

The company has now announced launch dates for the PlayStation 4 -- November 15 in North America and November 29 in Europe. The new console is expected to be in 32 countries at launch. Sony also lowered the price on the PS Vita ($199) and is making a 12GB PlayStation 3 available for a relatively meager $199.

In "XCOM: Enemy Within," players can use alien technology to enhance their troops

Microsoft is showing off its Xbox One lineup at Gamescom, featuring 51 new games (including 20 at console launch) with many being exclusive titles or having exclusive content for the new home console.

Attendees will have the chance for hands-on experience with "Ryse: Son of Rome," "Dead Rising 3," and "Forza Motorsport 5" among others.

Gaming companies will be making "surprise" announcements at the event to showcase their new titles -- and possibly tip their hands about the directions they expect to go in the near future.

Many companies also are attempting to bridge the coming console generation gap by letting customers upgrade their games from current-generation to next-generation for a small fee.

UbiSoft will introduce a new fighting game designed specifically for the Xbox One, "Fighter Within." The new game aims to provide realistic fighting competition by using the Kinect controller and giving players more precision and responsiveness.

This game is destined to get players moving, sweating and involved as they battle against their friends. The 1-to-1 motion tracking with Kinect should deliver realistic moves and "injuries."

Blizzard took this opportunity to announce additional content for its popular "Diablo 3" game. Called "Reaper of Souls," the new content aims to give players the experience many have been clamoring for since the release of the game.

"Reaper of Souls" will have a new melee class, more monsters and environments, and, of course, new loot. "Diablo 3" will be making its console debut this fall on current generation and next-gen consoles.

Fresh off the success of "XCOM: Enemy Unknown," 2K Games wants players to take another plunge into the world where you defend Earth against alien invaders. "XCOM: Enemy Within" will be announced at Gamescom and offers upgraded weapons, abilities and enemies in the battle for the future.

More than just an expansion pack, it will enable players to actually utilize alien technology -- making their squads more than human. While the endgame is still the same, how you get there radically changes with the new tactical elements.

Electronic Arts, Warner Bros. Interactive, Activision, Bethesda and many others are also at the show, touting new features to games previously announced. Many of the new games will be playable at the event, which is why so many fans flock to Germany for a taste.

Galaxy Gear' Watch-like Phone By Samsung To Be Introduced Next Month

Samsung Electronics Co. will introduce a wristwatch-like device named the Galaxy Gear next month that can make phone calls, surf the Web and handle e-mails, according to two people familiar with the matter.The Galaxy Gear will be powered by Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android operating system and go on sale this year to beat a potentially competing product from Apple Inc. (AAPL), the people said. The device will be unveiled Sept. 4, two days before the IFA consumer electronics show begins in Berlin, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the plans are private.

Asia’s biggest technology company is racing other electronics makers, including Sony Corp. , to create a new industry of wearable devices as the market for top-end handsets nears saturation. The global watch industry will generate more than $60 billion in sales this year, and the first companies to sell devices that multitask could lock customers into their platform, boosting sales of smartphones, tablets and TVs.

“It will carve a niche for sure as this is an initial product in the market,” said Chung Chang Won, an analyst at Nomura Holdings Inc. in Seoul. “Wearable devices could be one of the trends in the smartphone market, but I’m not sure yet whether watches or glasses will set the trend.”

The Galaxy Gear being released next month won’t have a flexible display, though the company is continuing to work on developing a bendable screen, one person said. It will be unveiled the same day as Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3, a combination smartphone and tablet computer.

Apple had a team of about 100 designers working on watch-like device, two people familiar with the matter said in February. The Cupertino, California-based company is seeking to introduce its device this year, one of the people familiar said at the time.Samsung became the world’s largest smartphone maker last year, overtaking Apple.

The Suwon, South Korea-based company had about 33 percent of the global smartphone market in the second quarter, while the iPhone maker fell to a three-year low as more consumers chose inexpensive handsets from Chinese makers, according to researcher Strategy Analytics.Samsung posted second-quarter earnings July 26 that missed analyst estimates as sales growth for the flagship Galaxy S4 was curbed by slowing demand for high-end handsets.