Thesis (Ph.D.)--Wayne State University, 2001. / Adviser: Jay H. Levin. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1983. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Changes in follicular dynamics were monitored in forty-four Brahman multiparous (n=30) and primiparous (n=14) cows randomly assigned to control (n=22) and once-daily suckling (n=22) treatments. Daily transrectal ultrasonography images were taken from d 21 through 88 post-calving or detection of first estrus. Suckling treatment was introduced on d 28 post-calving. Follicular waves were profiled and characterized by development and regression of a variable number of small and medium sized (2-9 mm) follicles before one of the follicles differentiated and became the dominant follicle. Primiparous cows had 34% more (P<0.04) follicular waves (4.8 + 0.6) than did the multiparous cows (3.1 + 0.4) prior to first ovulation (FO). Once-daily suckled multiparous cows had 37% fewer (P<0.03) follicular waves (2.4 + 0.5) prior to FO than controls. Interval from calving to FO was reduced (P < 0.05) by an average of 12 d by once-daily suckling in multiparous cows. Primiparous cows developed 30% more (P<0.02) dominant follicles (6.3 + 0.6) from d 21 to estrus than did the multiparous cows (4.3 + 0.4). Ovulation before d 88 occurred in 42 of 44 (95%) cows. Behavioral estrus was not detected in 40 of 42 (95%) cows at FO. The length of the subsequent estrous cycle was short (<17 days) in 39 of 42 (93%) cows. We can conclude from these data that ovarian function is resumed shortly after parturition and ovulation of a dominant follicle ends postpartum anestrous. Primiparous cows experienced more follicular waves and therefore grew more dominant follicles prior to first estrus. Once-daily suckling hastened return to estrus and reduced the number of follicular waves prior to first post-partum estrus in multiparous cows. The incidence of first ovulation being associated with behavioral estrus was low. Short cycles followed first ovulation. It appears obligatory that postpartum Brahman cows experience a silent ovulation with formation of functional luteal tissue prior to resumption of normal estrous cyclicity.

Changes in follicular dynamics were monitored in forty-four Brahman multiparous (n=30) and primiparous (n=14) cows randomly assigned to control (n=22) and once-daily suckling (n=22) treatments. Daily transrectal ultrasonography images were taken from d 21 through 88 post-calving or detection of first estrus. Suckling treatment was introduced on d 28 post-calving. Follicular waves were profiled and characterized by development and regression of a variable number of small and medium sized (2-9 mm) follicles before one of the follicles differentiated and became the dominant follicle. Primiparous cows had 34% more (P<0.04) follicular waves (4.8 + 0.6) than did the multiparous cows (3.1 + 0.4) prior to first ovulation (FO). Once-daily suckled multiparous cows had 37% fewer (P<0.03) follicular waves (2.4 + 0.5) prior to FO than controls. Interval from calving to FO was reduced (P < 0.05) by an average of 12 d by once-daily suckling in multiparous cows. Primiparous cows developed 30% more (P<0.02) dominant follicles (6.3 + 0.6) from d 21 to estrus than did the multiparous cows (4.3 + 0.4). Ovulation before d 88 occurred in 42 of 44 (95%) cows. Behavioral estrus was not detected in 40 of 42 (95%) cows at FO. The length of the subsequent estrous cycle was short (<17 days) in 39 of 42 (93%) cows. We can conclude from these data that ovarian function is resumed shortly after parturition and ovulation of a dominant follicle ends postpartum anestrous. Primiparous cows experienced more follicular waves and therefore grew more dominant follicles prior to first estrus. Once-daily suckling hastened return to estrus and reduced the number of follicular waves prior to first post-partum estrus in multiparous cows. The incidence of first ovulation being associated with behavioral estrus was low. Short cycles followed first ovulation. It appears obligatory that postpartum Brahman cows experience a silent ovulation with formation of functional luteal tissue prior to resumption of normal estrous cyclicity.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-123).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-149).

In this thesis an international investment filter rule is used to test both the tendency for Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) to hold in the long run and the hypothesis of foreign exchange market efficiency for the four most actively traded currencies in the world vis-a-vis the United States dollar: the British pound, the Japanese yen, the Germany mark, and the Canadian dollar. One way to examine whether there is a tendency for PPP to hold in the long run and whether the foreign exchange market is efficient, is to place more money in the 'undervalued' currency according to PPP deviations or to invest according to PPP deviations, putting more money into interest bearing securities in the 'undervalued' currency, the more this currency is undervalued. The return can then be compared with a reference rule which does not use this filter, but instead puts an equal value of money into the currencies or the securities of each country. This thesis has produced three results. First, using the PPP filter in the exchange money market yields no significantly abnormal rate of return compared with the reference rule. The result suggests that we can not reject the hypothesis that the tendency for PPP to hold in the long run does not exist. Second, using the PPP filter to invest in securities also yields no significantly higher rate of return compared with the reference rule. And third, when comparing the domestic (or foreign) interest rates with the rates of return for the domestic (or foreign) investor who uses the PPP filter, there is no significant difference between these rates in the long run. The last two results suggest that we can not reject the hypothesis that the foreign exchange-market is efficient. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

How does gender-related legislation interact with the existing political, social, and religious norms? How do these interactions contribute to social changes, as well as to the theoretical discussion around gender norms and feminism in Africa? In the early 1990s, Africa saw a surge of women’s movements and activism supported by the wave of democratization on the continent. Along with discussions about women’s rights, there has been increased attention to how to improve women’s political visibility and participation in the region. Many countries have therefore turned to gender quotas and laws to remedy the relative absence of women in politics, and current research has partially shown that these legislative measures have some positive impact. Particularly, scholars have shown that gender quotas and laws have improved women’s political situation by discrediting the stereotypes that women are less capable than men, by increasing political opportunities for women, and by implementing policies directly related to women’s interests. This dissertation builds on these results and goes further by using the case of the gender parity law in Senegal to 1) examine some challenges these laws encounter, and 2) provide an African feminist framework. Based on in-depth interviews, ethnographic observation, and text analysis, the present research takes into account Senegal’s tradition, culture, and religion (Islam) to analyze the difficulties the gender parity law has had to face, including a weak legislative body and “religious justifications” as to why women should not hold the same political responsibilities as men. In a second part, the dissertation examines the discourse used by women in Senegal and highlights how the movement before and after the law, the language and the strategies used by the women can be interpreted within the larger debate in African feminist theories and traditions. Overall, the dissertation argues that 1) despite the initial success of the gender parity law, an overall consensus on the legitimacy of the law, especially from the male population, is still needed and the existing form of government (strong executive, weak legislative) and its effect on the law in the long term cannot be ignored. However, 2) the law remains part of the larger picture of the important and historical women’s movement in Senegal and contributes to the expansion of how to define gender norms specifically in Senegal and Africa.

There has been significant interest in the empirical performance of the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) hypothesis. Initial studies were, in general, unfavorable for PPP. Recent research has found that trend-break unit root test derived form linear models do not support the hypothesis of long-run PPP for real exchange rates. In this paper, we propose unit root tests that use STR models and minimum LM unit root tests that endogenously determine structural breaks to investigate long-run PPP in real exchange rates for Asia Pacific countries.

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