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Correspondent

21 August 2024 at 10:20:16 am

Unending War

The collapse of the United States-Iran ceasefire in less than a month is a stark reminder that peace in West Asia has become a remarkably perishable commodity. The ink on the ceasefire with Iran had scarcely dried before missiles are once again crossing the Gulf as oil tankers flee the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump’s triumphalist declaration last month that Iran had accepted an “unconditional surrender” has aged with astonishing speed. The latest cycle of escalation was almost preordained....

Unending War

The collapse of the United States-Iran ceasefire in less than a month is a stark reminder that peace in West Asia has become a remarkably perishable commodity. The ink on the ceasefire with Iran had scarcely dried before missiles are once again crossing the Gulf as oil tankers flee the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump’s triumphalist declaration last month that Iran had accepted an “unconditional surrender” has aged with astonishing speed. The latest cycle of escalation was almost preordained. Iran struck commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington retaliated with attacks on more than 80 Iranian targets and restored crippling oil sanctions. Tehran answered by targeting American military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. Once again, each side believes escalation demonstrates strength, even as it steadily reduces the space for negotiation. The flaw lay in the agreement itself. It addressed symptoms rather than causes. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief created an uneasy commercial bargain but ignored the larger strategic contest involving Israel, Hezbollah and Iran's regional ambitions. A ceasefire that leaves the principal combatants pursuing contradictory military objectives is deferred conflict. The consequences extend far beyond the Gulf. Nearly a fifth of the world's traded crude oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Even without a complete blockade, heightened risks push insurance premiums higher, directly affecting oil prices, which have already begun to climb. Financial markets, already grappling with slow growth and persistent inflation, now confront another geopolitical shock. For India, the implications are particularly severe. Despite diversifying its energy basket, the country remains heavily dependent on imported crude, much of it originating in or transiting through the Gulf. Higher oil prices threaten to widen the current account deficit, weaken the rupee and strain government finances already balancing welfare commitments with ambitious infrastructure spending. Inflation, which policymakers have so far fought hard to contain, could once again become stubbornly entrenched. Dearer crude means more expensive petrol and diesel, higher freight charges, rising food prices and increased costs for everything from airline tickets to household essentials. Businesses face shrinking margins while consumers absorb yet another round of inflation that has nothing to do with domestic policy failures. The tragedy is that none of the principal actors appears capable of recognising this wider cost. Washington continues to mistake military punishment for strategic resolution. Tehran clings to maritime coercion as leverage. Israel remains convinced that only sustained military pressure guarantees its security. Collectively, they are engineering strategic catastrophe. The world has seen this script too many times in recent months. The Strait of Hormuz has become the global economy’s most dangerous choke point. And the greatest casualty of this renewed conflict is the fragile economic stability upon which billions of ordinary people depend.

AI in Sperm Sorting: An Unbiased Decision for A Better Outcome

Artificial Intelligence or AI is revolutionising fertility treatments of the future. The inclusion of AI enhances the accuracy, efficiency, and objectivity of sperm selection, hence potentially improving fertility outcomes by leaps and bounds. Traditionally, sperm sorting through manual methods is subjective to judgments. Processes like centrifugation and swim-up methods are used to separate sperm based on motility and morphology. Although they are effective, they have their limitations, leading to human errors that affect the success rates of fertility treatment. For instance, studies have shown that traditional sperm sorting techniques can have variability in success rates, with reported live birth rates ranging between 15 per cent to 25 per cent per cycle depending on the method and quality of sperm. Hence the introduction of AI helps in maintaining consistency in evaluations of sperm, using the same data set for every sample which leads to better judgments.


Automation and Standardisation- Automation of sperm selection and also introduction of AI in the process have improved the results in ART. AI-assisted sperm selection improves the accuracy in choosing high-quality sperm for fertilisation purposes, and also, pregnancy and live birth rates might be improved. Technologies like Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection along with AI ensure the chances of pregnancies increase by about 10-20 per cent compared to the standard procedures. AI and Automation will decrease time taken to analyze sperm and increase opportunities to select better sperm with DNA integrity for better development and higher success rates in embryo selection. These processes ensure that the sperm selection process follows consistent criteria, reducing variability in outcomes caused by human error.


Analysing Complex Data for Better Outcomes- AI plays a crucial in improving IVF outcomes by analysing complex data and providing tailored recommendations. AI-driven tools and models such as those on SpOvum.ai point towards an opportunity to optimise ovarian stimulation decisions by assessing patient characteristics and follicle growth patterns. A study revealed that the use of AI in IVF improved egg yield and reduced medication costs. AI enables fertility specialists to make data-driven choices, improving overall IVF success rates and streamlining treatment processes.


Reducing Human Error- AI models can continuously learn and refine their performance by being trained on newer data. This adaptability ensures the technology remains unbiased and up-to-date with the latest scientific insights into sperm quality and fertility success rates. Studies have shown that AI-driven sperm sorting can decrease human-related errors by up to 25 per cent, improving sperm selection quality in terms of morphology and motility.


Reduction of Sperm Damage- The new AI-driven sperm sorting techniques also include microfluidic systems that are known to exhibit several advantages over the most commonly used conventional method, which is centrifugation. Traditional centrifugation methods, such as density gradient centrifugation, also cause severe oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation of the sperm because of the very high mechanical forces involved. The AI-infused microfluidic sorting minimises this damage significantly by involving gentler processes that mimic the natural pathway of sperm selection. The studies show that the process of microfluidic sorting decreases DNA fragmentation in sperm, which gives improved opportunities for success for IVF. For example, DNA fragmentation is 20 percent lower in sperm sorted using microfluidic processes than in traditional processing methods.


AI is bound to play an increasingly definitive role in fertility treatments, which will improve the outcomes for couples experiencing infertility.


(The author is a Co-Founder & CEO at SpOvum® Technologies. Views personal.)

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