<p>Sjuksköterskor kommer i hälso- och sjukvårdsarbete i kontakt med framtida föräldrar och skulle, om de hade kunskap, kunna informera om faktorer som påverkar fertiliteten hos kvinnor och män. Syftet med studien var att undersöka vad sjuksköterskestudenter kunde om kvinnans och mannens fertilitet innan sjuksköterskeutbildningens kurs om detta samt om kunskapen i fertilitet utvecklades under utbildningen. För att göra det fick en klass sjuksköterskestuderanden på en högskola i Mellansverige vid två tillfällen svara på en enkät som handlade om fertilitet. Det var 49 studeranden med en medelålder på 30,5 år som svarade på enkäten både före samt efter genomgången kurs där gynekologi ingick. Huvudresultatet visade att andelen som sades ha inhämtat sin kunskap om fertilitet från sjuksköterskeutbildningen ökade till 30 % från 4 %. Det fanns en skillnad i vissa sjuksköterskestuderandes svar mellan mättillfälle ett och två i vissa kunskapsfrågor, andelen som svarat med korrekt svarsalternativ på frågorna var däremot näst intill oförändrat. De flesta hade kännedom om när mannen och kvinnan var mest fertila vid båda mätningarna men överskattade längden på mannen och kvinnans fertila ålder.</p> / <p>Nurses´ working with heathcare comes in contact with future parents, and would, if they had the knowledge, be able to provide information on factors affecting fertility. The aim of this study was to examine what nursing students knew about men and women’s fertility before education in the subjekt, and if that knowledge developed during education. In order to examine this, a class of nursing student at a college in central Sweden responded on two separate occasions to a questionnaire about fertility. There were 49 students with an average age of 30.5 years answered the questionnaire both before and after the course, there one part was gynecology. The main result showed that the amount of respondents who said they had acquired the knowledge of fertility from the nursing education increased to 30 % from 4%. There was a difference in some nursing student's responses between occasion one and two in some of the knowledge questions. The proportion of respondents with correct answers, however, was almost unchanged. Most of the students were aware of when men and women are the most fertile on both occasions but overestimated the length of both sexes fertility age.<strong></strong></p>

<p>This thesis study women’s possibility to take reproductive decisions in Babati, Tanzania. Tanzania has one of the highest total fertility rates in Sub-Saharan Africa and hence a high child- and maternal mortality rate. Family planning service can help individuals to reach their reproductive goals but it is not always available or accessible. The purpose is to see what socioeconomic factors affect women’s ability to influence family planning, make a comparison between urban and rural settings, and see if women perceive themselves to have the freedom to choose. A field work in Babati was conducted during three weeks in the spring of 2009. The research questions were answered through a qualitative study with semi structured group interviews, mainly done with women but also with health personnel. The result was analysed through the concepts of gender, power and education. The respondents expressed that the husband is the main obstacle for their possibility to decide over their own fertility. Urban women generally felt free to take reproductive decisions, but rural women did not. The difference between the two settings is explained by women’s negotiating skills that depend on their status within the family and the society. Urban women are more often educated and therefore have more status and more power to influence decision-making, including reproductive decisions. Other problems in rural areas are that family planning services are less accessible and facilities sometimes lack resources. Rural health workers do not always keep statistics which makes it difficult for health planners to know what needs to be improved. The Ministry of Health and other actors need to promote women’s access to the facilities. Further recommendations suggest programs that empower women and educate men in family planning issues.</p>

<p>In this study I analyze the Swedish parental benefit system focusing on a certain component, the basic level, and its effects on childbearing. The basic level consists of a fixed monetary amount given to parents. The compensation level was raised three times between 2002 and 2004, which would, according to economic theories, imply increased incentives for having children. I use longitudinal data of women in fertile age between 1993 and 2005. Applying a difference-in-differences model on comparison groups based on region of birth I conclude that the policy changes probably did not cause increased probabilities of having children.</p>

The environment under which fish are maintained as broodstock before reproduction is often stressful; however, the impact of stress on broodstock and gamete quality is not well known. We investigated the effects of stress over the final stages (i.e. the 3 months preceding ovulation) of sexual maturation of female rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, on their reproductive performance and physiology and that of their progeny. Stress was administered over the period of early vitellogenesis (one and a half months), late vitellogenesis-final maturation (one and a half months), or during both periods (three months). Each stress treatment and control was triplicated with eight females in each replicate (n=24 fish per treatment). The eggs and progeny of each female were kept separate and observations made for four months after transfer to rearing tanks. Cortisol levels were measured in plasma, ovarian fluid and eggs by radioimmunoassay. Fish that experienced stress during final maturation and those that were under stress during the whole experiment spawned on average two weeks earlier than the control group. In contrast, fish stressed during the period of early vitellogenesis spawned at the same time as the controls. Absolute fecundity and fertilization were not significantly affected in any treatment group; however, significant differences were found in relative fecundity. Stress applied early in vitellogenesis resulted in smaller eggs and swim-up fry; but, these differences were not found in juveniles 8 weeks after hatching. Furthermore, we found no differences in survival of the progeny or resistance to the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum. Circulating levels of cortisol were high at ovulation in all groups, but significantly less cortisol was observed in the ovarian fluid and eggs. Sex hormone concentrations were high in plasma; however, they were several orders of magnitude lower in the ovarian fluid. These differences were not as extreme as those observed for cortisol. Lower levels of cortisol and sex steroids in ovarian fluid and eggs compared to that which is available from plasma suggests that there is a mechanism by which the female protects the eggs from potentially deleterious effects of prolonged exposure to elevated concentrations of steroids. / Graduation date: 1996

The United States has seen tremendous growth since it has achieved a population of 300 million. Interestingly, events like this mask the heterogeneity of fertility behavior particularly along racial/ethnic lines. Unfortunately, despite the voluminous literature examining the dynamics and differentials of fertility, extant studies suffer from several limitations including the treatment of racial/ethnic groups as homogenous, the cross-sectionality of their analyses, or their focus on either current or cumulative fertility ultimately underplaying the complexity of fertility behavior. Therefore, this dissertation investigates the fertility behavior of Mexican American and white women paying particular attention to race/ethnicity and social mobility by conducting a quantitative analysis of current and cumulative fertility behavior of women at three different points in their life course. The findings demonstrate the significant effect that socioeconomic characteristics and race have on explaining the higher fertility of Mexican American women in the United States thus, encouraging the adoption of a racial/ethnic stratification framework in studies of fertility.

In this study I analyze the Swedish parental benefit system focusing on a certain component, the basic level, and its effects on childbearing. The basic level consists of a fixed monetary amount given to parents. The compensation level was raised three times between 2002 and 2004, which would, according to economic theories, imply increased incentives for having children. I use longitudinal data of women in fertile age between 1993 and 2005. Applying a difference-in-differences model on comparison groups based on region of birth I conclude that the policy changes probably did not cause increased probabilities of having children.

This thesis study women’s possibility to take reproductive decisions in Babati, Tanzania. Tanzania has one of the highest total fertility rates in Sub-Saharan Africa and hence a high child- and maternal mortality rate. Family planning service can help individuals to reach their reproductive goals but it is not always available or accessible. The purpose is to see what socioeconomic factors affect women’s ability to influence family planning, make a comparison between urban and rural settings, and see if women perceive themselves to have the freedom to choose. A field work in Babati was conducted during three weeks in the spring of 2009. The research questions were answered through a qualitative study with semi structured group interviews, mainly done with women but also with health personnel. The result was analysed through the concepts of gender, power and education. The respondents expressed that the husband is the main obstacle for their possibility to decide over their own fertility. Urban women generally felt free to take reproductive decisions, but rural women did not. The difference between the two settings is explained by women’s negotiating skills that depend on their status within the family and the society. Urban women are more often educated and therefore have more status and more power to influence decision-making, including reproductive decisions. Other problems in rural areas are that family planning services are less accessible and facilities sometimes lack resources. Rural health workers do not always keep statistics which makes it difficult for health planners to know what needs to be improved. The Ministry of Health and other actors need to promote women’s access to the facilities. Further recommendations suggest programs that empower women and educate men in family planning issues.

<p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 1994. Spikblad saknas</p>

Two trials were conducted over consecutive years to examine the effects of ewe body condition and post-mating nutrition on ovulation rates and embryo survival. Trial 1 used 146 Polypay ewes ranging in age from 5 to 8 years in a 3 x 2 factorial array of pre-mating (high-H, low flushed-LF and low unflushed-L) and post-mating nutrition (high and low) treatments. Trial 2 was a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial array of 60 Polypay and 60 Coopworth x Polypay (C x P) three year old ewes, two pre-mating (H and LF) and two post-mating (high and low) treatments. To estimate timing and extent of embryo loss, two methods of embryo detection were employed during Trial 2. Real-time ultrasound was performed on all ewes at 21, 28, 34 and 45 days post-mating. Blood samples were also collected on these days for analysis of Pregnancy-specific Protein B (PSPB) levels. There was no effect of pre-mating treatment or ewe age on ovulation or conception rates for Trial 1. Pre-mating treatment was significant in Trial 2, with H ewes having higher ovulation rates than LF ewes. Pre-mating treatment, post-mating treatment, ewe age (for Trial 1) and genotype (for Trial 2) had no effect on mean litter size in either trial. Analysis of litter size among ewes with twin and triple ovulations showed pre-mating treatment to be significant among triple ovulators in Trial 1, where L ewes had much lower litter size (1.86) than LF (2.37) or H (2.60) ewes. In Trial 2, post-mating treatment was significant among the ewes with triple ovulations, with ewes on low nutrition having lower litter size (2.01) than ewes on high nutrition (2.59). Two-way interactions were significant among twin and triple ovulators in Trial 2. Breed x pre-mating interaction among twin ovulating ewes showed C x P LF ewes to have lower litter size (1.43) than the H ewes (1.87), while the opposite was true for Polypay ewes. Pre- x post-mating treatment interaction among triple ovulators showed LF ewes on low post-mating nutrition had lower mean litter size. This effect is largely due to lower litter size in the C x P triple ovulators on low post-mating nutrition. Data available from the ultrasound diagnosis showed little indication of treatment effects on amount or time of embryo loss. Ewes bearing single or multiple embryos differed in PSPB level at day 45, but not at earlier times. However, there were no differences in PSPB levels in ewes with twin or triple embryos at any of the trial days. Assay for PSPB failed to facilitate detection of the amount or time of embryo loss, as determined by ultrasound. / Graduation date: 1991

Verticillium wilt of 'Willamette' hops (Humulus lupulus) was investigated to identifY the causal organism, to determine the incidence of the disease, and to explore the possibility of interactions with soil fertility and/or nematodes. In the first year of a three year study, sampling of yards followed a "searching for extremes approach". Selection of yards was based on a preliminary survey of all (35) hop growers in the Willamette Valley. Participating growers (10) were asked to identify one "good" and one "not-so-good" yard. Each of the 20 specified yards was subdivided into 4 plots; two representing a "good" and two representing a "not-so-good" area. In all 80 plots, data were collected to determine incidence of vascular colonization by Verticillium and stem necrosis in vines; soil and root parasitic nematode populations; concentrations of nitrate-N, ammonium-N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and pH in the soil surface, and nitrate-N, ammonium- N , and K in the subsoil; concentrations of total-P, K, and Zn in the leaves; and concentrations of nitrate-N, phosphate-P, and K in the petioles. The causal agents of the wilt were Verticillium dahliae in 13 yards and V. albo-atrum in one yard. Recovery of the pathogen within a yard ranged from 0 to 50% of sampled vines, while stem necrosis ranged from 0 to 68%. The frequency of infection was not significantly different among plots or yards, which suggests that the disease is present in all hop growing districts in Oregon. Soil nematode populations ranged from 0 to 3000 juveniles/100 g of dry soil. Heterodera humili (hop-cyst nematode) was the predominant parasitic nematode, while Pratylenchus (root-lesion nematode) and Paratylenchus (pin nematode) were recovered only occasionally. Densities of nematodes extracted from roots ranged from 0 to 2000 juveniles/g of moist root material and were primarily H. humili. A significant association between nematode populations and Verticillium incidence was not detected. Soil nutrient concentrations exhibited a high degree of variability among yards. The nitrate-N content, measured to a depth of 36" (90 cm) for individual hop yards, ranged between 65 (73) and 417 lb/A (468 kg/ha) with a mean value of 270 lb/A (302 kg/ha). Concentrations of ammonium-N were determined to be approximately one-fourth of the nitrate concentrations. Phosphorus and potassium concentrations ranged from 55 to 155 ppm and 118 to 799 ppm, respectively, in the surface soil. For the same depth, soil pH ranged from 5.15 to 6.78. Petiole concentrations of nitrate-N and potassium ranged from 0.16 to 1.3% and from 1.26 to 6.84%, respectively. While it is believed that the duration of the sampling period may have been responsible for the wide range in nitrate-N values, petiole potassium concentrations are thought to reflect the potassium content in the soil. The concentrations of K in petioles increased steadily with increasing soil test values up to 350 ppm K. Soil and tissue nutrient concentrations found within and among hop yards did not correlate significantly with the incidence of Verticillium wilt. However, petiole nitrate-N concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in plots infected with Verticillium (0.73%) as compared to noninfected plots (0.56%). / Graduation date: 1991