Reproductive behavior

Desde 1998, ano em que ofereci na pós-graduação em Demografi a do Cedeplar/UFMG, pela primeira vez, a disciplina Métodos Qualitativos Aplicados à Demografi a, eu acalentava o sonho de, um dia, sob forma de livro, reunir artigos baseados em pesquisas qualitativas em Demografi a. O plano inicial era reunir alguns trabalhos da própria disciplina -a qual serviu de ponto de partida, por exemplo, para o artigo de Dimitri Fazito, que abre esta coletânea. Algumas pesquisas e orientações depois, esse sonho fi cou um pouco mais focalizado, pois imaginei um volume sobre saúde sexual e reprodutiva na perspectiva qualitativa. Um passo adiante foi o convite que fi z a Andréa Branco Simão, minha primeira orientanda de Doutorado e grande parceira nas pesquisas que venho desenvolvendo, para dividir comigo a organização do livro, que passou a ser, então, um sonho compartilhado por nós

Within an interdisciplinary context of public health, reproductive health, and women's rights, this book chronicles the interaction of public policies and private reproductive behavior in the 28 formerly socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the USSR successor states from 1917 to the present. Focusing on the interaction of public policies and private behaviors, special emphasis is placed on the status of women-from producers of labor to reproducers of families. Consideration is given to societal values and traditions, Marxist theory, socialist and patriarchal perceptions of gender roles, status of women, changes in legislation facilitating or constraining access to modern contraceptives and abortion, pronatalist influences on demographic trends, attitudes of public health service providers, views on sex education, adolescent sexual behavior, and emerging roles of public services and nongovernmental organizations.

Young, rural Indian women lack sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and agency and are at risk of negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Youth-focused interventions have been shown to improve agency and self-efficacy of young women to make decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health. The objectives of this study were to assess young women's sexual and reproductive health knowledge; describe their health-seeking behaviors; describe young women's experiences with sexual and reproductive health issues, including unwanted pregnancy and abortion; and identify sources of information, including media sources. A cross-sectional survey with a representative sample of 1381 married and unmarried women young women (15-24 years) from three rural community development blocks in Jharkhand, India was conducted in 2012. Participants were asked a series of questions related to their SRH knowledge and behavior, as well as questions related to their agency in...

Background: During the 1980s, approximately three million people migrated from Afghanistan to Pakistan and sought refuge in several cities including the city of Karachi. After the initial settlement of the refugees, the international organizations transitioned the health care of these refugees to the two local non-profit service agencies in Karachi. One of these agencies subsidized health care to the refugees under their care and the other agency encouraged the refugees under their care to utilize governmental and non-governmental private health resources at the disposal of general public. Our objective was to measure the effect of health subsidy on the uptake of contraception among Afghan refugee women and compare them to the group of Afghan women without such a subsidy. Methodology/Principal Findings: A randomly selected group of 650 married Afghan women-325 women in each groupparticipated in a detailed survey regarding the knowledge, attitude and practices of family planning and contraceptive use. 90 percent of the women in the health subsidy group had had heard of family planning, compared to the 45 percent in the non-subsidized group. The use of contraceptives was greater than two-fold in the former versus the latter. Results of logistic regression analysis revealed that the refugee women who had had access to subsidized healthcare were significantly more likely to use the contraceptive methods with advancing age as compared to the women in the non-health subsidy group. The difference remained significant after adjusting for other variables. Conclusions/Significance: Refugee women who are provided subsidized healthcare are more inclined to use contraceptives. It is therefore important that Afghan refugee women living elsewhere in Pakistan be provided healthcare subsidy, whereby their reproductive health indicators could improve with reduced fertility. We strongly encourage facilities introducing such subsidies to refugees in resource poor settings to assess the impact through similar inquiry.

Over the past several years we have developed a research program to increase knowledge of giant panda behavioral biology to facilitate efforts to reproduce giant pandas in captivity, particularly at the Wolong Breeding Center in Sichuan, China. Studies of estrus and reproductive behavior have enabled us to better pinpoint the timing of the fertile period and evaluate problems when a pair's behavior diverges from the norm. Experiments with chemosignals demonstrate that pandas possess a sophisticated chemical communication system, extracting information about the signaler's sex, reproductive status, age, social status, and individual identity, as well as the age of the chemosignal. The effects of scent on sexual motivation have important applications for captive breeding. Given the proper behavioral environment, most pandas now mate naturally at Wolong. Following observations documenting several behavioral problems, we developed an environmental enrichment program to reduce abnormal behaviors, encourage behavioral diversity, and promote well being. Females are monitored closely for signs of pregnancy and we are evaluating behavioral and morphological indices to distinguish pregnancy from pseudopregnancy. Identification of pregnant females is important because they are managed differently than nonpregnant females. In cases of maternal abandonment of cubs, we have developed a method to train the mother to accept her cubs. The result of such behavioral research, coupled with efforts by other disciplines and basic husbandry changes, is a dramatic increase in the number of natural matings, pregnancies, births and cub survivorship. The highly endangered giant panda may be the most popular animal in the world. What other animal draws such huge crowds and the constant scrutiny of the global media? Given such popularity, it is surprising how slow scientists have been to take up the cause and devote their time and energies to understanding their biology and behavior. Despite some early efforts (e.g.,

Here we use sexual selection theory to develop a logistically simple, yet effective, method for the manipulation of female reproductive behavior for conservation goals. Mate choice leading to nonrandom mating patterns can exacerbate the loss of genetic diversity in small populations. On theoretical grounds, females should choose high-quality mates. A prediction stemming from chemical communication theory is that competitive males will be better able to saturate an area with scent marks. If this is true, females should mate preferentially with males whose odors they encounter most frequently. We tested this hypothesis with the pygmy loris, Nycticebus pygmaeus, a threatened and poorly studied nocturnal prosimian. For several weeks females were exposed repeatedly to the urine from a particular male, and were then allowed to choose between a male whose odors were familiar and one whose odors were novel. Females showed an unusually strong preference for the familiar-odor male, as indicated by several behavioral measures of mate preference. Conservation managers can use this method as a tool to obtain reproductive pairings that will maximize genetic compatibility and diversity. For example, unsuccessful males may be given the opportunity to reproduce. In captive populations, studbook managers often select pairs in order to optimize outbreeding, but these selected pairings may not coincide with the preferences of the individual animals involved. Although several authors have made theoretical arguments for manipulating mate choice for conservation, this is a novel test of a proximate mech-anism that can be manipulated, cultivating applications rather than mere implications.

Este artículo revela algunos dilemas enfrentados por mujeres entre el desempeño del rol materno y de actividades laborales. Se parte de una caracterización de la dinámica de la población objeto de estudio demostrándose la existencia de una reserva laboral femenina. Se emplea una metodología triangulada que combina el análisis de datos estadísticos sobre la población, con historias reproductivas de mujeres seleccionadas. Se concluye reflexionando sobre la necesidad de políticas sociales que apoyen el desempeño del rol reproductivo por las mujeres respectando sus derechos reproductivos y propiciando su participación laboral como importante vía de empoderamiento.

We conducted field studies to investigate the involvement of volatile cues in early-season host plant colonization by striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Wind-directed traps were baited with male or female A. vittatum, potted cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings that were of near-isogenic lines which either contained or lacked cucurbitacin, or combinations of male or female A. vittatum feeding

To understand reasons for persistent high fertility rate, we explored perceptions and influences of fertility motivation among young people from Uganda. Qualitative inquiry was used, data were organised using NVivo 2 package and latent content analysis performed. Major themes that emerged on factors that entrench high fertility included "Sustenance of 'men's blood' through the male child"; "poverty, joblessness and child bearing", and "other socio-cultural issues: religion, kin, elders and child bearing". Factors that reduce fertility included "perception on women emancipation, job security and couple fertility communication". Young peoples' views on motivation for childbearing in Uganda are embedded in cultural norms and linked strongly to patriarchy, social respectability and women's sustenance. Innovative cultural practices and programs that increase women's social respectability such as emphasis that a girl can be heir and inherit her father's property are needed to reduce sonpreference and fertility rates in the younger generation (Afr J Reprod Health 2010; 14[1]:71-81). Pas un garçon, pas un enfant » : etude qualitative sur les impressions des jeunes gens sur la procreation en Ouganda. Pour comprendre les raisons pour lesquelles le taux de fécondité demeuré élevé, nous avons exploré les perceptions et les influences de la motivation de la fécondité chez les jeunes gens en Ouganda. Nous avons fait une enquête qualitative et les données ont été organisées à l'aide d'un programme de NVivo 2 et nous avons fait une analyse du contenu latent. Parmi les thèmes importants que nous avons découverts concernant les facteurs qui retranchent la stérilité élevée il y avait la « préservation du sang des 'hommes a travers un garçon » ; « la pauvreté, le chômage et la procréation », et « d'autres problèmes socio-culturels : la religion, les parents,

An agonistic display by a white shark was observed and photographed during a cage dive at Guadalupe Island in November 2015. Exhibiting exaggerated pectoral fin depression, agonistic behaviors have been previously observed and described in several shark species. This account may be the first record of a white shark in close proximity to a caged diver, exhibiting strong pectoral fin depression significantly dipped, in the mid-agonistic display. Such displays should be considered as aggressive and potentially life-threatening by those using the ocean for recreational or professional purposes.

We studied sexual and habitat-specific variation in herbivores' host exploitation patterns and tested for a hypothesis on sex-specific adaptation in replicated landscapes. The hypothesis has not to our knowledge been previously tested either in a marine environment or for the host exploitation traits of an herbivore. The hypothesis states, first, that populations may show different adaptations due to spatially differing selective environments, and second, that males and females that differ ecologically (e.g. in reproductive behavior, in host use patterns) will respond to selective environments in distinct ways. We investigated possible differences in the host exploitation patterns of the marine generalist crustacean grazer Idotea baltica between the sexes or among populations originating from different habitats: plant assemblages dominated by either a brown alga or an angiosperm species. We determined the preferences for both the structure and nutritive quality of five common host species and compared these to the actual performance on the hosts. We found that performance on the hosts differed between the sexes and differently so in the two habitat types, supporting the hypothesis of sex-specific adaptation between distinct selective environments. Habitatspecific preference for the structural host further supported ecological divergence between habitat types. The different approaches for testing host exploitation resulted in a very different rank order of the hosts, indicating the complexity of the factors involved. The herbivore differentiates for the chemical quality of the hosts, but this alone does not explain host exploitation; rather it supports the theory of enemy-free space as a determinant of host choice. We also discuss the chemical characteristics of the host associated with the exploitation patterns found.

En 1978, le Sénégal avait participé au projet Enquete Mondiale sur la Fécondil~ afin d'accéder å une meilleure connaissance de la fécondité et de ses déterminants. En vue d'enrichir les données eollectées à cet effet et d'apprécier l'évolution du phénomène, il a été réalisé en 1986, l'Enqu~te Démographique et d e santé (EDS) qui constitue ainsi la seconde opération de cette nature. L'EDS fournit en outre, des renseignements précieux et pour la première fois au niveau national sur la sant~ de la mère et de l'enfant. Le présent rapport qui constitue la première publication, présente la méthodologie et les principaux résultats. Dans la partie consacrée tt l'analyse, plusieurs thèmes sont étudiés: la nuptialité,

The Renauld's Ground-cuckoo l :snot common in aviculture and is not kept by the average aviculturist. Only if one has a very large aviary and is looking for a challenge, does one acquire this challenging bird. The Renauld's or Coral-billed Ground-cuckoo, Carpococcyx renauldi, along with the Sunda Ground-cuckoo, C radiceus, belong to a Southeast Asiatic group of ground dwelling cuckoos, which unlike many other cuckoos, incubate their eggs and raise their young themselves. Only these two species are in this genus. The Renauld's Ground-cuckoo ranges from Indochina to Thailand and appears to still he fairly common in its thick undergrowth habitats. The Sunda Ground-cuckoo is found in two forms on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The Bornean subspecies, C. r. radiceus, seems to be quite rare and has only local distribution. The Sumatran subspecies, C. r. viridis, is found on the Barisan Range from Singgalang southwards to Dempu ranging from heights of 300 m (980 ft) to 1700...

In an experiment performed to characterize the reproductive behavior of the discus fish in captivity, couple formation with two females was observed. The observations were carried out in captivity, based on ad libitum methodology. Adult individuals were allowed to naturally form couples. The couple formation was considered when individuals performed the substrate cleaning behavior. Fifteen couples were selected. The eggs of three couples did not initiate embryonic development and became infeasible within three days after spawning. We found that these spawnings belonged to all-female couples. The sex of the individuals in same-sex couples was confirmed through subsequent couple formation and spawning of fertile eggs with known males. Eggs were deposited by one or both females in the same-sex couples. Double spawnings were larger and differentially colored. The motivations that lead individuals of the same sex to form couples in this species are still unknown.

The blue discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus) is often sold for ornamental purposes. It is a neotropical cichlid from South America, which is native to the rivers of the Amazon basin of Brazil, Peru and Colombia. The purpose of this study was to characterize the reproductive behavior of S. aequifasciatus and identify features that can later be used by breeders to facilitate the handling and reproduction of this species in captivity. The experiment was divided into two stages: the first dealt with partner selection and couple formation to observe the behaviors of territoriality, pursuing, fleeing, biting, stay, protecting and cleaning of the substrate. The second stage documented mating behavior, nesting and parental care, to observe vibration, spawning, permanence with the offspring, aeration of eggs, cleaning of spawning, color change and shift-taking in parental care. The results of the study allowed identifying disputes for and establishment of territory, as well as the selection ...

Objetivo: Avaliar o nivel de conhecimento dos profissionais intensivistas de um hospital da cidade de Santos a respeito da pneumonia associada a ventilacao mecânica (PAV), e elaborar um plano de orientacoes acerca da tematica apos a coleta de dados. Metodos: A avaliacao do conhecimento sobre a PAV foi realizada atraves da aplicacao de um questionario aos profissionais intensivistas do referido hospital localizado na cidade de Santos, abordando questoes sobre a PAV. Resultados: Foram entregues 20 questionarios para os profissionais intensivistas no mes de fevereiro de 2017. Foram incluidos, 13 questionarios, sendo respondidos por medicos, fisioterapeutas, enfermeiros, auxiliares/tecnicos de enfermagem. Em nossos resultados, os profissionais demonstraram que possuiam conhecimento regular sobre a PAV. Conclusao: Os profissionais demonstraram possuir conhecimento regular. Alem disso, os mesmos demonstraram a necessidade de treinamento e orientacao sobre o tema em questao.

The Phayre troop consisted of two adult males, four adult females (including the hybrid), two juveniles, and three infants. The identified adult hybrid female in the forest patch of Dargakona Tea Estate had mixed morphological features resembling both the capped langur and Phayre's langur (Figure ). During the survey, an isolated adult male capped langur was observed at several instances near the Phayres' troop. The dorsum of the capped langur was gray or brownish gray, Phayres' langur was light black, while the back side of the hybrid was blackish to ash grey color, i.e., a mixture of both parents. It was lighter than the adult female Phayre's langur of the troop. The upper ventrum of the male capped was yellowish buff or light yellowish orange in the wet season and golden-yellow or yellowish orange in the dry season. But the lower ventrum of the male capped langur was light yellow and the female capped langur was orange-yellow (Figure ). The ventrum of Phayre's langur was creamy white irrespective of gender and seasons (1B and 1C) while the abdomen of the

Globally, adolescent pregnancy constitutes a serious public health problem of a multifactorial nature. Specifically for women, it entails various educational, economic and social implications that affect their life project and widen the social gaps in this age group. Furthermore, adolescent girls are more vulnerable because of the health risk involved with pregnancy at a younger age. According to the World Health Organization, "the probability of maternal death is twice as high in adolescents in comparison with women aged between 20 and 30 years, and for those younger than 15 years, the risks are five times higher". In general, adolescents are in great need for education on sexual and reproductive health issues, which should be aimed at increasing information and knowledge about correct use and access to modern contraceptive methods, as well as at demystifying fears and beliefs around their possible side effects. Ensuring proper counseling with trained personnel is equally vital. Public institutions have a social responsibility to support efforts aimed at preventing adolescent pregnancy, based on relevant lines of action and health policies.

Selection clearly focuses on differences in reproduction, but studies of reproductive physiology generally have been carried out in a near vacuum of modern evolutionary theory. This lack of contact between the two fields may be about to change. New ideas indicate that sexual selection by cryptic female choice has affected the evolution of products in male semen that influence female reproductive behavior and physiology.

This study examined how health professionals signify the religiosity and faith of patients under cancer treatment and how they themselves experience such phenomena. This is a qualitative-descriptive study, using the phenomenological framework as set out by Stein and Ales Bello, as a way of understanding the human being in its totality -physical, mental and spiritual. Most professionals report they are spiritualists, two are Catholics, one physician is a Buddhist and another is a Spiritist. They believe that religion is inherent to all human beings. Professionals convicted of their religion (less than half) believe in divine protection and recognize religiosity as a support and comfort for patients and their families in coping with illness. They expect patients to live their faith with prudence, never losing sight of reality.

This study examined how health professionals signify the religiosity and faith of patients under cancer treatment and how they themselves experience such phenomena. This is a qualitative-descriptive study, using the phenomenological framework as set out by Stein and Ales Bello, as a way of understanding the human being in its totality -physical, mental and spiritual. Most professionals report they are spiritualists, two are Catholics, one physician is a Buddhist and another is a Spiritist. They believe that religion is inherent to all human beings. Professionals convicted of their religion (less than half) believe in divine protection and recognize religiosity as a support and comfort for patients and their families in coping with illness. They expect patients to live their faith with prudence, never losing sight of reality.

saúde da mulher Laqueadura tubária em mulheres entre 20 a 25 anos de idade atendidas em uma UBS de Pimenta no Bueno-RO no período de 2005 a 2006 Este estudo de caráter descritivo e abordagem quantitativa objetivou analisar a frequência da laqueadura tubária nas mulheres com idade entre 20 e 25 anos atendidas na Unidade Básica de Saúde Pastor Jonas, Pimenta Bueno-RO, nos anos de 2005 e 2006; traçar o perfil sociodemográfico, bem como verificar os motivos da opção pelo método e as consequências na vida das mesmas. A população estudada foi composta por 18 mulheres que se submeteram a laqueadura tubária. Dentre as mulheres pesquisadas, 55,55% tinham ensino fundamental; 77,77% viviam em união estável; 66,66% com renda familiar de um a trés salários. Quanto aos motivos para escolha da laqueadura, 88,89% referiram a dificuldade financeira e, na mesma proporção, a satisfação com o número de filhos já existentes; 77,78% das mulheres participaram de reunião de planejamento familiar e 72,22% tiveram a participação do parceiro na decisão pela laqueadura, e a maioria referiu satisfação com o resultado. Os resultados mostram a necessidade de uma melhor organização da estrutura de serviços de saúde que atenda a população de forma universal e com equidade, no que tange ao programa de planejamento familiar, principalmente entre a população jovem. Descritores: Laqueadura tubária, Saúde da mulher, Planejamento familiar.

We study a generic reaction-diffusion model for single-species population dynamics that includes reproduction, death, and competition. The population is assumed to be confined in a refuge beyond which conditions are so harsh that they lead to certain extinction. Standard continuum mean field models in one dimension yield a critical refuge length Lc such that a population in a refuge larger than this is assured survival. Herein we extend the model to take into account the discreteness and finiteness of the population, which leads us to a stochastic description. We present a particular critical criterion for likely extinction, namely, that the standard deviation of the population be equal to the mean. According to this criterion, we find that while survival can no longer be guaranteed for any refuge size, for sufficiently weak competition one can make the refuge large enough (certainly larger than Lc) to cause extinction to be unlikely. However, beyond a certain value of the competition rate parameter it is no longer possible to escape a likelihood of extinction even in an infinite refuge. These unavoidable fluctuations therefore have a severe impact on refuge design issues.

The frequency of definitive childlessness in women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) may be higher than in the general population. MS may also affect decisions on the delivery procedure and on breastfeeding issues. Aim of the study was to assess: the frequency of childlessness and its possible causes, the proportion of cesarean deliveries (CD), and the frequency of breast-feeding in patients and controls who have reached the end of their reproductive period. METHODS Female MS patients (>43 years) and controls (>45 years) filled-out a questionnaire. RESULTS We enrolled 303 patients and 500 controls. MS was associated with a higher frequency of childlessness (22% vs 13%) and less patients were in a stable relationship (83% vs 89%). There was no difference in the reported rates of infertility and miscarriages, while elective abortions were more frequent in patients (20% vs 12%). MS did not significantly affect the frequency of CD or of breast-feeding. MS-related reasons for childlessness, reported by 16% of childless patients, included: disability/fear of future disability, fear of genetically transmitting MS, fear of not starting/discontinuing treatments, discouragement by physician. CONCLUSION Definitive childlessness is more frequent in women with MS compared to controls. A portion of voluntary childlessness may be avoided through correct/tailored information to patients.

The frequency of definitive childlessness in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be higher than in the general population. MS may also affect decisions on the delivery procedure and on breast-feeding issues. Aim of the study was to assess the frequency of childlessness and its possible causes, the proportion of cesarean deliveries (CD), and the frequency of breast-feeding in patients and controls who have reached the end of their reproductive period. Female MS patients (>43 years) and controls (>45 years) filled out a questionnaire. We enrolled 303 patients and 500 controls. MS was associated with a higher frequency of childlessness (22 vs 13%) and less patients were in a stable relationship (83 vs 89%). There was no difference in the reported rates of infertility and miscarriages, while elective abortions were more frequent in patients (20 vs 12%). MS did not significantly affect the frequency of CD or of breast-feeding. MS-related reasons for childlessness, reported by 16...

In this paper intergenerational dimensions of reproductive behavior are studied within the context of the experience of a mid-sized Spanish town just before and during the Demographic Transition. Different indicators of reproduction are used in bivariate and multivariate approaches. Fertility shows a small, often statistically significant intergenerational dimension, with stronger effects working through women and their mothers, than those stemming from the families of their husbands. These effects are materialized mainly through duration-related fertility variables, are singularly absent for variables such as age at first birth or birth intervals, and are much stronger in the case of first-born daughters than with later siblings. There is a substantial increase in the strength of intergenerational effects during the course of the Demographic Transition, most visible in age at last birth and duration of reproduction (between women and their mothers), as well as in the effects working through the families of their husbands. These results underscore the ongoing importance of biological dimensions of reproduction as well as the way attitudes towards

Mating and reproduction behaviors and strategies are fundamental aspects of an organism's evolutionary and ecological success. In locusts, intra-as well as inter-phase reproductive interactions among gregarious and solitarious locust populations have a major impact on the locust population dynamics. However, practically all previous work on locust sexual behavior has been limited to the gregarious phase. Here we provide a first detailed description of pre-copulatory behavior of solitarious desert locusts. We compare our findings with those of previous reports of pre-copulatory behavior of gregarious locusts, focusing on the behavioral elements that serve in inter-sex signaling and communication. We also studied inter-phase (mixed pairs) reproductive interactions. Solitarious males were found to invest more in pre-copulatory courtship and signaling compared to their gregarious counterparts; and the solitarious females played a comparatively more dominant role in the inter-sex communication. The solitarious females were also less prone to demonstrate the typical rejection-related behavioral patterns displayed by the gregarious females. As a consequence of the particular characteristic behavior of each phase, the most successful among intra-and inter-phase pairs were gregarious males with solitary females. Least successful were solitary males encountered with gregarious females, indicating a strong asymmetry in inter-phase reproductive interactions. We discuss these results in the context of non-random or assortative mating in locust mixed or sympatric solitarious-gregarious populations.

The total fertility rate has declined in certain countries, dropping below the replacement level. The attitudes and desires of some families regarding having children have also shifted. To cultivate positive societal views on childbearing, there is a need for updated educational initiatives, such as a multi-theory model. Although the multi-theory model has been used in various contexts to facilitate health behavior change, with its effectiveness validated in predicting and influencing behaviors, there has been no documented use of this model in the context of fertility, either in Iran or globally. Developing fertility encouragement programs requires cultural sensitivity and attention to accepted social norms and customs, which can enhance program efficacy. We believe the Multi-Theory Model can be effective and useful in encouraging couples to increase fertility.

The Life Journeys of Young Women Project is the first population-based study to examine the role of economic uncertainty throughout early adulthood on age at first childbirth. A retrospective cross-sectional component was added to an existing cohort study that is based on a birth cohort of women born during 1973-1975 in Adelaide, South Australia (n ~1,000). An event history calendar instrument was used to obtain data regarding a range of life domains including partnering, educational attainment, home ownership, higher education debt, employment, and pregnancies over a 20-year period (sometimes as detailed as at monthly intervals). Interviews were conducted between 2007 and 2009. An analysis framework applying time-varying and time-constant survival analysis techniques within a life-course framework was developed that will guide analyses to examine the role of duration and life-course timing of economic uncertainty on age at first childbirth. This paper discusses study objectives and design, fieldwork procedures, planned statistical analyses, and recruitment outcomes, focusing on novel features that would facilitate analogous epidemiologic research.

To gain a better understanding of the relationship between the female rat reproductive system and preproenkephalin (PPE) expressing neurons under physiological conditions, we examined changes in PPE mRNA levels in the mediobasal hypothalamus during the rat estrous cycle by means of northern blotting and in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH). In the Northern blot studies, we found that PPE mRNA levels in the mediobasal hypothalamus were significantly increased by noon of proestrus compared to those in the morning and stayed high until diestrus day 1, and returned toward low levels on diestrous day 2. In contrast, measured as controls, glyceraidehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase mRNA levels were significantly higher on proestrus regardless of time of day compared to diestrus day 2, and levels of calcineurin mRNA on proestrous and estrous were significantly lower than diestrous day 1 and day 2. ISHH studies revealed that these changes in PPE mRNA levels were specific in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus pars ventrolateralis (VMHVL), since we could not see any significant changes in signal in other parts including ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus pars dorsomedialis and arcuate hypothalamic nucleus. In the VMHVL, PPE mRNA levels in the afternoon of proestrous were significantly higher than those in the afternoon of diestrous day 2 whereas no significant change in PPE mRNA was observed in the caudate-putamen. The present study provides additional information relevant to possible implications of PPE gene expression in female reproductive systems, since changes in PPE mRNA levels may be associated with estrogen as well as progesterone or other hormonal concentrations during the estrous cycle. Its high levels on diestrous day 1 may suggest that its involvement in female reproductive behavior is not limited to lordosis itself.

Mitochondrial DNA fragments comprising more than 400 bases of the 16S rDNA from nine spider species have been sequenced : Cupiennius salei, C. getazi, C. coccineus and Phoneutria boliviensis (Ctenidae), Pisaura mirabilis, Dolomedes fimbriatus (Pisauridae), Pardosa agrestis (Lycosidae), Clubiona pallidula (Clubionidae) and Ryuthela nishihirai (syn . Heptathela nishihirai; Heptathelidae: Mesothelae) . Sequence divergence ranges from 3-4% among Cupiennius species and up to 36% in pairwise comparisons of the more distantly related spider DNAs. Maximally parsimonious gene trees based on these sequences indicate that Phoneutri a and Cupiennius are the most distantly related species of the examined Lycosoidea . The monophyly of the family Ctenidae is therefore doubted ; and a revision of the family, which should include DNA-data, is needed .

Approximately 37 thousand Malians currently reside in France as part of the West African diaspora. Primarily Muslim, both women and men confront challenges to their understandings of Islamic prohibitions and expectations, especially those addressing conjugal relations and reproduction. Biomedical policies generate marital conflicts and pose health dilemmas for women who face family and community pressures to reproduce but biomedical encouragement to limit childbearing. For many women, contraception represents a reprieve from repeated pregnancies and fatigue in spite of resistance from those who contest women's reproductive decisions as antithetical to Islam. French social workers play a particularly controversial role by introducing women to a discourse of women's rights that questions the authority of husbands and of religious doctrine. Women and men frame decisions and debate in diverse interpretations of Islam as they seek to manage the contradictions of everyday life and assert individual agency in the context of immigration and health politics.

Family. When someone says that word, the first images that come to mind consist of a mother, father, and siblings. However, this is not always the case. For example, what if it was one of the parents that were being asked, "how's the family?" The images could be quit different, yet similar. The meaning of 'family' within the Euro-Canadian and American culture is defined as a father, mother, and children. The term 'family' within this context also implies the role that each family member plays. Yet, if one asks the same question to a member of the Ma'anyan or Nayar culture, the definition of 'family' takes on a whole different meaning.

Intergenerational Transmission of Reproductive Behavior during the Demographic Transition Is fertility between parents and their children positively correlated? Although the ªrst study of intergenerational fertility was conducted more than a century ago, the number of studies remains few. Most investigators report a positive correlation between the fertility of mothers and that of their daughters, but results vary widely. The mechanism linking fertility across generations is also unclear. Early research that advanced the genetic inheritance of fecundity has given way to studies emphasizing a wide range of possible linkages, including the importance of socialization within the family, the transmission of cultural practices and socioeconomic status across generations, and the inheritance of such psychological and biological characteristics as sex drive, fecundity, and health.

Mechanisms that influence body temperature patterns in blacktailed prairie dogs are not well understood. Previous research on both free-ranging and laboratory populations of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) has suggested that reductions in ambient temperature and food and water deprivation are the primary factors that stimulate torpor in this species. In other species, however, torpor has been shown to be influenced by a multitude of factors, including innate circadian and circannual timing mechanisms, energy status, and reproductive behaviors. Our objective was to clarify the influence of weather, sex, and intrinsic timing mechanisms on the body temperature patterns of free-ranging black-tailed prairie dogs. We monitored body temperatures of eight adult (11 yr) prairie dogs from November 1999 to June 2000. Prairie dogs showed distinct daily and seasonal body temperature patterns, which reflected changes in ambient temperatures that occurred during these periods. These patterns of daily and seasonal heterothermy suggest that body temperature patterns of black-tailed prairie dogs may be driven by an innate timing mechanism. All prairie dogs entered torpor intermittently throughout winter and spring. Torpor bouts appeared to be influenced by precipitation and reductions in ambient temperature. Our results also suggest that reproductive behaviors and circadian timing may influence torpor in this species.

Synopsis Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) controls the reproductive physiology and behavior of vertebrates by stimulating synthesis and release of gonadotropin from the pituitary gland. In 2000, another hypothalamic neuropeptide, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), was discovered in quail and found to be an inhibiting factor for gonadotropin release. GnIH homologs are present in the brains of vertebrates, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and fish. These peptides, categorized as RF amide-related peptides (RFRPs), possess a characteristic LPXRF-amide (X ¼ L or Q) motif at their C-termini. GnIH/RFRP precursor mRNA encodes a polypeptide that is possibly cleaved into three mature peptides in birds and two in mammals. The names of these peptides are GnIH, GnIH-related peptide-1 (GnIH-RP-1) and GnIH-RP-2 in birds, and RFRP-1 and RFRP-3 in mammals. GnIH/RFRP is synthesized in neurons of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in birds and the dorsomedial hypothalamic area in mammals. GnIH neurons project to the median eminence, thus providing a functional neuroanatomical infrastructure to regulate anterior pituitary function. In quail, GnIH inhibits gonadal activity by decreasing synthesis and release of gonadotropin. The widespread distribution of GnIH/RFRP immunoreactive fibers in all animals tested suggests various actions within the brain. In accordance, GnIH/RFRP receptor mRNA is also expressed widely in the brain and the pituitary. GnIH/RFRP immunoreactive axon terminals are in probable contact with GnRH neurons in birds and mammals, and we recently demonstrated expression of GnIH receptor mRNA in GnRH-I and GnRH-II neurons in European starlings. Thus, GnIH/RFRP may also inhibit gonadotropin synthesis and release by inhibiting GnRH neurons in addition to having direct actions on the pituitary gland. Intracerebroventricular administration of GnIH/RFRP further inhibits reproductive behaviors in songbirds and rodents, possibly via direct actions on the GnRH system. The expression of GnIH/RFRP is regulated by melatonin which is an internal indicator of day length in vertebrates. Stress stimuli also regulate the expression of GnIH/RFRP in songbirds and rodents. Accordingly, GnIH/RFRP may serve as a transducer of environmental information and social interactions into endogenous physiology and behavior of the animal. Recently, it was shown that GnIH/RFRP and its receptor are also expressed in the gonads of birds, rodents and primates. In sum, the existing data suggest that GnIH/RFRP is an important mediator of reproductive function acting at the level of the brain, pituitary, and the gonad in birds and mammals. From the symposium ''Advances in Neurobiology session (S6)'' presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology,

Synopsis Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) controls the reproductive physiology and behavior of vertebrates by stimulating synthesis and release of gonadotropin from the pituitary gland. In 2000, another hypothalamic neuropeptide, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), was discovered in quail and found to be an inhibiting factor for gonadotropin release. GnIH homologs are present in the brains of vertebrates, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and fish. These peptides, categorized as RF amide-related peptides (RFRPs), possess a characteristic LPXRF-amide (X ¼ L or Q) motif at their C-termini. GnIH/RFRP precursor mRNA encodes a polypeptide that is possibly cleaved into three mature peptides in birds and two in mammals. The names of these peptides are GnIH, GnIH-related peptide-1 (GnIH-RP-1) and GnIH-RP-2 in birds, and RFRP-1 and RFRP-3 in mammals. GnIH/RFRP is synthesized in neurons of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in birds and the dorsomedial hypothalamic area in mammals. GnIH neurons project to the median eminence, thus providing a functional neuroanatomical infrastructure to regulate anterior pituitary function. In quail, GnIH inhibits gonadal activity by decreasing synthesis and release of gonadotropin. The widespread distribution of GnIH/RFRP immunoreactive fibers in all animals tested suggests various actions within the brain. In accordance, GnIH/RFRP receptor mRNA is also expressed widely in the brain and the pituitary. GnIH/RFRP immunoreactive axon terminals are in probable contact with GnRH neurons in birds and mammals, and we recently demonstrated expression of GnIH receptor mRNA in GnRH-I and GnRH-II neurons in European starlings. Thus, GnIH/RFRP may also inhibit gonadotropin synthesis and release by inhibiting GnRH neurons in addition to having direct actions on the pituitary gland. Intracerebroventricular administration of GnIH/RFRP further inhibits reproductive behaviors in songbirds and rodents, possibly via direct actions on the GnRH system. The expression of GnIH/RFRP is regulated by melatonin which is an internal indicator of day length in vertebrates. Stress stimuli also regulate the expression of GnIH/RFRP in songbirds and rodents. Accordingly, GnIH/RFRP may serve as a transducer of environmental information and social interactions into endogenous physiology and behavior of the animal. Recently, it was shown that GnIH/RFRP and its receptor are also expressed in the gonads of birds, rodents and primates. In sum, the existing data suggest that GnIH/RFRP is an important mediator of reproductive function acting at the level of the brain, pituitary, and the gonad in birds and mammals. From the symposium, ''Advances in Neurobiology'' presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology,

Since the discovery of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in mammals at the beginning of the 1970s, it was generally accepted that GnRH is the only hypothalamic neuropeptide regulating gonadotropin release in mammals and other vertebrates. In 2000, however, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), a novel hypothalamic neuropeptide that actively inhibits gonadotropin release, was discovered in quail. Numerous studies over the past decade and a half have demonstrated that GnIH serves as a key player regulating reproduction across vertebrates, acting on the brain and pituitary to modulate reproductive physiology and behavior. In the latter case, recent evidence indicates that GnIH can regulate reproductive behavior through changes in neurosteroid, such as neuroestrogen, biosynthesis in the brain. This review summarizes the discovery of GnIH, and the contributions to GnIH research focused on its mode of action, regulation of biosynthesis, and how these findings advance our understandi...

This article analyzes the available morphological (morphometric, meristic, and coloration patterns) and molecular evidence that supports the taxonomic validity of Austrolebias reicherti. The species can be differentiated from A. charrua Costa & Cheffe, recently proposed as a senior synonym (Costa 2006), by the following combination of characters (characters of A. charrua in parenthesis): 1) origin of dorsal fin anterior to that of the anal fin (origin of dorsal fin posterior to that of the anal fin), 2) 18 to 24 caudal fin rays (23–26), 3) black supraorbital band well developed (moderately developed), 4) a vertical band present on the posterior borders of dorsal and anal fins (band absent), 5) base of dorsal fin banded and anal fin uniformly pigmented (both fins dotted at least on their proximal section), and 6) vertical dark bands on body flank narrower or equal in width to the lighter space between bands (vertical bands equal or wider than space between bands). According to morpho...