In chapter one, the existing literature on ovarian ageing and fertility is reviewed. In it I (a) discuss the natural history and the potential causes of ovarian ageing (b) assess available tests of ovarian ageing and their limitations (c) discus the trends in the age of first childbirth, its causes and health service consequences. In chapter two, I explore women’s awareness of issues associated with delayed childbearing, including their social and medical implications and the limitations of available treatment. In chapter three, I surveyed IVF clinics throughout the United Kingdom, to determine (1) proportion of women aged 40 or more in each clinic (2) attitudes of clinicians towards older women and (3) clinicians’ views on an upper age limit for IVF. In chapter four, I investigated trends in the age at which women present to general infertility clinics (a step prior to IVF) in Grampian region. Women were grouped according to their age at first presentation to the infertility clinic (&lt;30, 30-34, 35-39 and ≥40 years). I tested the hypothesis that women of advanced reproductive age have a different diagnostic profile than younger women (&lt;30 years). In particular older women are more likely to be diagnosed with unexplained sub-fertility, probably due to ovarian ageing. This hypothesis was tested based on routinely collected data from a single secondary care centre. In chapter five, a systematic review of currently available dynamic tests of ovarian reserve assesses their power to predict fertility outcomes. In chapter six, I calculated the costs of achieving a live birth in different age groups (< 30, 30-34, 35-39 and ≥40 years) following IVF. In chapter seven, I summarize the results of the studies reported in this thesis and consider how they have improved our understanding of various aspects of delayed childbearing.

The focus of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers toward female administrators and the differences in male and female teachers' perceptions of their effectiveness. The study also investigated the influence of demographic characteristics (age, education, experience, sex) on teachers' attitudes and perceptions of effectiveness and the correlation between attitudes and perceived effectiveness. The population of this study consisted of teachers from a large urban school system in northwestern Georgia. The study looked at forty randomly chosen elementary schools, half headed by female administrators and half by males. Eight hundred twenty seven teachers participated. The instruments used to gather data were the Women As School District Administrators: A Measure of Attitudes Toward Women In Administrative Positions (WASDA), used to assess attitudes toward women as administrators, and the Profile for Assessment of Leadership (PAL), used to assess administrators' competencies. A personal Data Sheet was used to collect demographic data. This study utilized the descriptive survey method. With the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), a Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences between male and female teachers on their attitudes toward female administrators as well as on their perceived effectiveness of male and female administrators. A Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationship between teachers' demographic characteristics and their attitudes toward female administrators. This statistical technique was also used to measure the strength of association between attitudes and perceived effectiveness. Correlations between gender and attitude were statistically significant for Factors 2 (stereotypic barriers) and 3 (stereotypic traits) on the WASDA. The results of the PAL indicated that male principals were perceived to be significantly more competent in (1) supervision and evaluation and (2) protecting time on task. The perceived difference between male and female administrators on these two factors were about 8 and 6 percentage points respectively. Implications and findings were discussed and recommendations were presented.

This study attempts to categorize the major women characters of Faulkner, and with a brief description of each, cast light upon the relationship of that character to Faulkner's other women and to the author's ultimate view of womankind.

The study explored the perceptions of thirteen, female student-athletes who chose to participate in intercollegiate athletics, specifically basketball. Each of the participants was enrolled at a Division I institution in the same athletic conference. Both institutions are nationally ranked institutions in their primary (revenue generating) sport (NCAA, 2004). All of the participants were offered full athletic scholarships to other institutions, yet they made their college choice decision based on multiple factors. The data revealed that although student-athletes undergo a similar process as non-athletes, their experience in many ways was different due to the additional factors they have to consider. As indicated by the findings of this study, the process to choose a college was a challenge for student-athletes as they considered the opinions of others, the prestige of the coach and the collegiate athletic program and their commitment to academic performance. Overall, participants were satisfied with their college choice process and felt they identified the institution that fit their personal and academic goals.

Social and economic changes that happened in Brazil in the 1990s have changed the organization of female employment in the country. In this study, I examine the participation of women in the informal sector in Brazil in 1996 and 2005. Using micro-level data from the Brazilian Monthly Employment Survey, I find Brazilian female workers became older, more educated, and that female informal employment increased over the period studied. Although selfemployment was reduced, an increase in wage-employment in informal manufacturing was noticed, which indicates growth in subcontracting. Higher share of female headed households, lower income and higher poverty levels were predominantly found among informal sector female workers. Large share of female informal work in disadvantaged conditions indicates the existence of a dual labor market in Brazil. Globalization and the adoption of neoliberal practices in Brazil seem to have exacerbated the underprivileged condition of working women in the country.

Entrepreneurial activity is a vital part of any economy whether developed or developing. In South Africa the primary focus of the government has been on the development of previously disadvantaged communities and designing programs to encourage the participation of women in entrepreneurship. This study sought to profile South African female entrepreneurs as well as investigate their risk taking propensity in relation to other constructs. T-tests as well as ANOVAs were conducted on data obtained from 122 female entrepreneurs across South Africa. The results indicated that the female entrepreneurs in the current study were typically white, English speaking, married with children, were well educated and possessed previous working experience mainly in managerial positions. The results also indicated a significant difference in risk taking propensity according to age with entrepreneurs who are 35 years and younger having a higher risk taking propensity than those who are 36 years and older. However, no significant differences were found in risk taking according to entrepreneurial motivations, gender role orientation, level of education and previous experience. The practical implications of the study are discussed together with the limitations.

No description available.

Thesis(M Med.(Family Medicine))--University of Limpopo, 2009. / Aim: The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of female rape survivors seen at Bopanang Centre in Upington, Northern Cape Province. The objectives of the study were: 1 To describe the experiences of female rape survivors who received health care at Bopanang Centre Upington, Northern Cape. 2 To enable caregivers understand the experiences of women who survived rape. Design: The design was a descriptive exploratory qualitative study using in depth interviews on females who survived rape. The interviews were conducted in both English and Afrikaans and recorded on audio tapes while field notes and a research diary were documented by the researcher. Setting: The setting was Bopanang Centre in Upington town in the Northern Cape. Study population: The study population was all female rape survivors seen at Bopanang Centre, Upington in the Northern Cape Province. The sample size of women interviewed was 10 participants. Results: Most female rape survivors recall exceptionally well the events leading to the rape. All the survivors experienced various post rape distressful feelings ranging from anger, bitterness, humiliation, sadness, and confusion, self-blame and guilt, lack of trust and fear of men to the most extreme feelings such as crushed dignity and dead inside even considering committing suicide. Variable and inconsistent care of services had been offered to them, without fully considering their specific needs and experiences of females who had survived rape. Victimization and stigma were barriers for disclosure and reporting of the rape. Excessive alcohol use and abuse of sleeping pills had been reported by some of the survivors as a means to alleviate the post rape distress. From the study disclosure was the most important factor in determining how one was able to cope with distress following the rape. All those survivors who had good family support could cope reasonably well to deal with post rape distress. Conclusion: The study concludes that the experiences of female rape survivors seenat Bopanang Centre in Upington Northern Cape have not been adequately addressed by health care providers and stakeholders, health care and post rape services offered to them. Female rape survivors having a good family support cope reasonably well despite the distressful post rape feelings experiences they experience on a daily basis.

The purpose of this project was to evaluate diflubenzuron ovicidal effects on adult female alfalfa weevils " Hypera postica in the laboratory. There was little relationship of weevil mortality to dosage or length of exposure of the adult to the chemical. An indirect result of diflubenzuron was an increase in muscardine fungus (Beauveria Sp.). Other effects of the chemical on the adults were yellow deposits and tissue extending from the tip of the abdomen. The main effect of dilfubenzuron when fed to female alfalfa weevils was on the eggs. The effects were dosage related, especially on eggs viability. The viability was dropped from 99% in the control to 38.9% on the treated insects in ten days using the highest dosage. Another effect of diflubenzuron on alfalfa weevil eggs was on the shape of the eggs. The treated insects laid longer and lighter color eggs.

This thesis engages with the feminist argument that women need to create a culture of the female and rediscover female genealogy. The misogynistic, theological and philosophical narratives on Woman are deconstructed. Using the metaphor of divining as a tool for searching for a source the author seeks to discover the source of Woman, one not bound by male definition and control. In removing the stigma of Woman as 'misbegotten male' and cause of 'original sin' Woman's sexuality and spirituality are recognised. Female sex is acknowledged and the difference reframed so that male sex no longer holds the dominant position. Woman becomes Divine, and it is a divinity that signifies her earthly interactions in her spiritual, social and personal life. After the divining a female genealogy is created and the divine is drawn out in woman. The writing and analyses of Virginia Woolf and Luce Irigaray are drawn on to establish the basis of the research methodology. Creativity, myths, story, poetry, fiction and feminist analysis are used to find the woman hidden in traditional patriarchal rendering of history. This thesis is both a historical and autobiographical research taken within the context of the author's cultural influences. It is a transdisciplinary research within a set framework, concentrating on women's sexual and spiritual specificity. Greek and Celtic history, Wicca, Christianity and Buddhism are included, with an inclusive but not in-depth analysis of these traditions. The underlying theme of this thesis is women's disconnection from each other. In the author's personal story it concerns her mother, sister and herself. In the collective story it is about women's loss of their female genealogy and connection to their women's history. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)