The level of melatonin in the blood and follicular fluid in women with infertility in the program of assisted reproductive technologies and the effectiveness of its application

Objective was to investigate the level of melatonin in the blood and follicular fluid in women treated with infertility by ART method and evaluate the effectiveness of melatonin in their preparation for programs.Material and methods. 89 women were examined. The first (control) group included 13 healthy women oocyte donors who gave birth to their own healthy children, the second group - 33 women with infertility, who two weeks before and during ovulation stimulation were taken simultaneously at the same time before bedtime 3 mg of the drug "Vita-melatonin" produced by "Kyiv Vitamin Plant", the third group - 43 women with infertility who did not take the drug melatonin during ovulation stimulation. ELISA (Germany) reagent kits were used to determine melatonin levels. Melatonin levels were determined in blood plasma, and follicular fluid obtained during the puncture at 9:00 am.Results. The level of melatonin in the blood of female donor oocytes was 130.85 ± 16.91 pg/ml. This rate in the blood of women who used the drug melatonin before and during ovulation stimulation was significantly higher than in the blood of women who did not take the drug (respectively, 143.06 ± 14.87 pg/ml and 123.40 ± 12.65 pg / ml, p <0.05), and in the follicular fluid there was an inverse relationship: the level of melatonin in women of the first group was 97.15 ± 8.69 pg / ml, the second group - 39.46 ± 4.52 pg/ml, which is significantly less (p <0.05), the third group - 62.34 ± 3.94 pg / ml, which is almost twice more (p <0.05) compared with women who took melatonin, but less (p <0.05) compared with the first group. The frequency of pregnancy on transfer in patients of the first group was 80.0 ± 11.01%, in women of the second group probably less - 60.6 ± 8.25% (p <0.05), but also probably higher compared to women in the third group - 45.0 ± 7.62% (p <0.05). A similar pattern was observed by us on the onset of pregnancy in general: in the first group - 100.0%, in the second - 68.9 ± 8.05% (p <0.05), in the third - 60.5 ± 7.47% (p> 0.05).Conclusions. The low level of melatonin in the follicular fluid obtained by us in women who underwent ovulation stimulation in ART programs in the treatment of infertility requires further scientific interpretation. At the same time, the best results of pregnancy in women in ART programs who took melatonin in preparation are encouraging.

A view of women in painting from the past to the present: the image of women in art and women painters

The woman, has been one of the main themes of art throughout all art processes. Social processes and the place of women in society were also reflected in art and shaped the image of women in art. The same, artwork sheds light on the social conditions of the period. The fact that women remain in the background in social life is seen in the art of painting as in many other fields since the transition to the patriarchal order. Although the image of the woman has changed over the years, the woman is outside of her identity; It continued to be processed as a mother, wife or sexual object. Despite many advances in the individual works of contemporary artists and in the art that values women, a prejudiced view towards women has not yet been prevented. When the number of women engaged in art increases, women's self-expression has brought a different dimension to this commodification instead of the male gaze. The inclusion of feminist discourse and the changing structure of the world in art has also affected the role of women in social life. Art is one of the methods that can be used to achieve social change. For this reason, it can be said that women should continue to raise their voices for their rights and freedoms through art. One of the biggest roles in this regard falls to female artists. In this research; Throughout history, the image of women in painting and women painters have been examined, and the process of women's existence in art has been evaluated. For this purpose, written documents on the image of women, women painters and their lives from past to present have been examined. The image of women in art and its change throughout history, prominent female painters in the world, the image of women in Turkish painting and Turkish women painters, have revealed the place of women in the field of painting. Levina Teerlinc, Artemisia Gentileschi, Rosa Bonheur, Käthe Kollwitz, Frida Kahlo, Jeny Saville, Mihri Müşfik, Fahrünnisa Zeid, Şükriye Dikmen, Neşe Erdok, Nur Koçak and Gülsün Karamustafa, among the prominent painters in terms of Turkish and world history, were discussed. ​Extended English summary is in the end of Full Text PDF (TURKISH) file. Özet The woman, has been one of the main themes of art throughout all art processes. Social processes and the place of women in society were also reflected in art and shaped the image of women in art. The same, artwork sheds light on the social conditions of the period. The fact that women remain in the background in social life is seen in the art of painting as in many other fields since the transition to the patriarchal order. Although the image of the woman has changed over the years, the woman is outside of her identity; It continued to be processed as a mother, wife or sexual object. Despite many advances in the individual works of contemporary artists and in the art that values women, a prejudiced view towards women has not yet been prevented. When the number of women engaged in art increases, women's self-expression has brought a different dimension to this commodification instead of the male gaze. The inclusion of feminist discourse and the changing structure of the world in art has also affected the role of women in social life. Art is one of the methods that can be used to achieve social change. For this reason, it can be said that women should continue to raise their voices for their rights and freedoms through art. One of the biggest roles in this regard falls to female artists. In this research; Throughout history, the image of women in painting and women painters have been examined, and the process of women's existence in art has been evaluated. For this purpose, written documents on the image of women, women painters and their lives from past to present have been examined. The image of women in art and its change throughout history, prominent female painters in the world, the image of women in Turkish painting and Turkish women painters, have revealed the place of women in the field of painting. Levina Teerlinc, Artemisia Gentileschi, Rosa Bonheur, Käthe Kollwitz, Frida Kahlo, Jeny Saville, Mihri Müşfik, Fahrünnisa Zeid, Şükriye Dikmen, Neşe Erdok, Nur Koçak and Gülsün Karamustafa, among the prominent painters in terms of Turkish and world history, were discussed.

What are You All Going to Do to Keep Black Women in Art Therapy?

In this viewpoint, the authors describe their impressions of a 2018 conference and the significance of participating in a learning environment that centered on arts therapists of color. Collectively, two art therapy educators, a music therapy educator, one new professional art therapist, and one art therapy graduate student, question the maintenance of professional norms that have at times motivated BIPOC students and practitioners to leave the creative arts therapies in search of other professional places to thrive. The article concludes with a Womanist Manifesto for Arts Therapies Education.

African Women in Art

The intersecting histories of African women artists are often found in three historical categories: traditional/classical, modern, and contemporary. As historical categories they mark the transitions in conceptualizations of gender, race, and class. Treated as a linear progression of history, these categories may, on the one hand, be useful in understanding the radical impact of imperialism and colonialism on African societies and specifically African women and their creative practices. On the other hand, however, they obscure the intricacies of intertwined creative practice, separating urban and cosmopolitan art forms from rural, localized ones, drawing more attention to art that circulates in market-driven international exhibitions, making it harder to comprehend and account for nuanced historical narratives of African women artists. Furthermore, the hangover of hypermasculine colonial bureaucratic structures not only displaced African histories but more specifically silenced gendered perspectives on art and creative practice in general. The modern African nation, though liberated, confined women to colonially constructed gendered spaces. However, through nationalist ideologies the figure of the woman—or at least as male artists generally portrayed her—came to symbolize rebirth and the rising nation. This artistic rendition of women did not materialize into the formal recognition of the work of women artists, making it possible to declare that “African women artists remain unknown to the Western world,” as art historian Freida Tesfagiorgis states. This is affirmed by the sparse literature on African women artists and analyses of their work. There are more resources about internationally recognized contemporary women artists than there are about modern women artists or women whose work has been foundational in the so-defined traditional category. These categories, then, are indicative not only of the gaps in art history but also of the incongruent methodological approaches to how that gendered history is constructed. In this article, these categories are used loosely to reflect on gender and creative practice in Africa.

Redefining #YourAverageMuslim woman: Muslim female digital activism on social media

Orientalist discourses have largely shaped how Muslim women have come to be represented in western visual media as oppressed, subjugated or foreign. However, with the advent of social media platforms, Muslim women are utilizing social media spaces to rearticulate the controlling images promulgated through orientalist narratives. This article examines the complex relationship visual media shares with Muslim women and demonstrates that the lens of orientalism continues to structure the imaginaries that shape visual representations of Muslim women in art, news and film. This article addresses how visual platforms and social media spaces such as YouTube are being utilized by Muslim women to undertake digital activism that seeks to subvert essentialist narratives. At the centre of this discussion is YouTuber Dina Tokio’s (2017) documentary, titled ‘#YourAverageMuslim’, which tackles western preconceived notions, and instead offers a redefined version of the ‘Muslim woman’ predicated on resisting three narratives: (1) Muslim-Woman-As-Oppressed, (2) Muslim-Woman-As-Subjugated and (3) Muslim-Woman-As-Foreign-Other. This documentary clearly demonstrates how Muslim women are using social media platforms in specific ways to shape the discourses around Muslim women. In doing so they are demonstrating their agentic capabilities, taking control of their representations, and speaking for themselves instead of being spoken for by others.

Where are the Women on the whole Scene of Art?

The text offers an analysis of the role of women in art and society today and poses fundamental questions regarding the visibility of female artists in Bulgaria. This study was created in connection with the Women's Artistic Projects Fund, a project of the Bulgarian Women's Fund. The fund aims to act against the under-representation of women in the professional arts and the cultural sector, to give visibility to the creativity of female artists and to increase their access to financial resources.

Keeping On

Nell made several visits to Griffin’s farmhouse in the Austrian Tyrol, capturing the glorious view in her paintings. Like all her trips abroad, they involved enormous preparatory efforts and airlines unequipped to deal with a disabled person. In 1976, she moved to the Fischbach Gallery, where her shows continued to be well reviewed. But in an interview, she sounded skeptical about gains for women in art and expressed hostility to the art world’s love of “aggression” and “novelty.” Nell’s micromanagement style was part of her need to feel in control. During the winter months, the friend who was Nell’s housesitter in Gloucester received many demanding, complaining letters. In the late 1960s, Nell returned to printmaking to make a lithograph for a book commemorating Frank O’Hara. A deluxe version of her sketchbook, printed in Italy according to her detailed specifications, was published in 1986 with an introduction by John Ashbery.