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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 9:59:04 pm

Beyond Spectacle

Ganeshotsav is at its best when it brings Maharashtra together. For ten days, neighbourhoods become communities and homes become welcoming spaces as devotion spills naturally into the streets. There is music, modaks and the unmistakable sense that the festival belongs to everyone. Few public celebrations have such a powerful capacity to create shared joy. Yet, in recent years, Ganeshotsav festivities have tended towards bombastic spectacle, be it the height of an idol or the decibels...

Beyond Spectacle

Ganeshotsav is at its best when it brings Maharashtra together. For ten days, neighbourhoods become communities and homes become welcoming spaces as devotion spills naturally into the streets. There is music, modaks and the unmistakable sense that the festival belongs to everyone. Few public celebrations have such a powerful capacity to create shared joy. Yet, in recent years, Ganeshotsav festivities have tended towards bombastic spectacle, be it the height of an idol or the decibels generated by a noisy sound system. This year’s controversies on the festivities have acquired a significance beyond their immediate headlines. The collapse of a 22-foot idol during an arrival procession in Bhuleshwar last month that killed two people was a grim reminder that grandeur has consequences. Mumbai has no general government-prescribed ceiling on idol height, and some mandals have dramatically increased their scale in recent years. But when an idol becomes a statement of prestige, the safety of devotees and immersion sites must take precedence. The same principle applies to the increasingly contentious question of noise. The trouble over DJs and high-decibel systems in Pune has exposed the growing tension between the right to celebrate and the right of others to live without suffering excessive noise. The assault on activist Vidyanand Bapat after he campaigned against high-decibel celebrations was particularly disturbing. More than 1,000 citizens subsequently joined a protest seeking action against loud sound systems. Maharashtra has a long and rich tradition of public celebration, and music is inseparable from that tradition. But celebration in a shared public space also carries an obligation to show consideration for senior citizens, patients, children and others particularly vulnerable to noise. A festival can be vibrant without becoming oppressive. The festival’s enormous popularity also carries a great responsibility with it. The larger the Ganeshotsav becomes, the greater its impact on public spaces, the environment and civic infrastructure. This is the larger test facing Maharashtra. A festival that has survived generations does not need to prove its vitality by becoming progressively bigger, louder or more extravagant. Its strength lies in its ability to adapt without losing its soul. The finest Ganeshotsav is not necessarily the one with the tallest idol or the loudest sound system but the one that leaves behind a sense of happiness, togetherness and goodwill. It is one in which faith does not have to compete with civic responsibility, and celebration does not come at the expense of others. As Ganeshotsav begins today, Maharashtra should celebrate its great public festival with all its customary warmth and exuberance but without allowing excess and spectacle to overwhelm its deeper meaning. For Bappa has always stood as the remover of all obstacles and the bringing together of communities with the promise of renewal. Ganpati Bappa Morya.

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

Writer: Dr. Ramnath Babu T J
Dr. Ramnath Babu T J
Nov 7, 2024
3 min read

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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