Comparing infertility-related stress in high fertility and low fertility countries

Agroforests and woodlots offer Northland hill country farmers investment and diversification opportunities. Agroforests have less effect on the "whole farm" financial position than woodlots, especially where a progressive planting regime is adopted and where no further borrowing is required. Establishment and tending costs for agro-forests are lower, and returns come much sooner. The proven opportunity for continued grazing under trees established in this manner, apart from a short post-planting period, further enhances the agroforesty option. Even where there is reluctance on a farmer's part to plant trees on high fertility land, the expected financial returns from agroforests on low and medium fertility land will increase the overall long-term profitability and flexibility of the whole farming operation. Woodlots may be more appropriate on low fertility areas where weed reversion is likely. Joint ventures may be worth considering where farm finances are a limited factor. Keywords: On-farm forestry development, Northland hill country, agroforestry, woodlots, diversification, joint ventures, progressive planting regimes, grazing availability.

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SUATU PENDEKATAN ANALISIS MULTIVARIAT TENTANG TINGKAT KELAHIRAN PADA BEBERAPA KELOMPOK DAN ETNIS WANITA PERNAH KAWIN DI IRIAN JAYA

Populasi ◽

10.22146/jp.10809 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Pieter J. Soumokil

Keyword(s):

Rural Women ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Women ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Low Fertility ◽

Dominant Factor ◽

High Fertility ◽

Irian Jaya ◽

Lower Fertility

It has been argued by many demographers that socio economic development with its associated fundamental changes in the role of women and the value of children is the dominant factor in the transition from high to low fertility. Research in less developed countries has found lower fertility levels in urban population compared to rural population. It was therefore assumed that the modernizing role of urbanlife helped bring about a decline infertility levels.This study in Irian Jaya, however, convincingly shows that fertility of urban women in Irian Jaya is higher than that of rural women. This differential infertility in favour of urban women in Irian Jaya appears to be real and not a result of underreporting of total live births in rural areas.The reasons for lower fertility in the rural areas in IrianJaya remain unknown, and more research is therefore needed. However, this study strongly suggests that the traditional system of swidden agricultyure in Irian Jaya, which places a highvalue on the labour input of women, may play a major role in constraining fertility in rural area of this province. On the other hand, high fertility in urban areas takes place because urbanwomen have their first birth earlier thanwomen inthe rural areas.

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Changes in Bull Semen Metabolome in Relation to Cryopreservation and Fertility

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10061065 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1065

Author(s):

Valentina Longobardi ◽

Michal A. Kosior ◽

Nunzia Pagano ◽

Gerardo Fatone ◽

Alessia Staropoli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seminal Plasma ◽

Glycine Betaine ◽

Low Fertility ◽

High Fertility ◽

Over Expression ◽

Bull Semen ◽

Before And After ◽

Associated Proteins ◽

Cellular Compartments

Semen cryopreservation determines several sperm damages, including the loss of fertility-associated proteins. The purpose of the study was to compare the metabolite contents in bovine sperm and seminal plasma before and after cryopreservation, and between high- and low-fertility bulls in vitro. Forty-eight ejaculates, collected from eight bulls (six per bull), were analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Cryopreservation resulted in an over-expression of lysophosphatidylcholine (0:0/18:2(9Z,12Z)) in seminal plasma. In addition, higher levels of glycine betaine and pyro-l-glutaminyl-l-glutamine were observed in cryopreserved compared to fresh spermatozoa. The fresh seminal plasma of high-fertility bulls showed an over-expression of l-acetylcarnitine, glycerol tripropanoate, 2,3-diacetoxypropyl stearate and glycerophosphocholine, and an under-expression of lysophosphatidylcholine and butyrylcarnitine, compared to low-fertility bulls. Higher levels of glycerophosphocholine and lysophosphatidylcholine (16:0/0:0) were recorded in fresh spermatozoa from high-fertility bulls. In high-fertility bulls, a greater content of glycerophosphocholine and lower levels of butyrylcarnitine, glycine betaine and l-carnitine were found in cryopreserved seminal plasma, and lower levels of glycine betaine were detected in cryopreserved spermatozoa. In conclusion, cryopreservation affects bovine semen metabolome at both plasmatic and cellular compartments, and metabolic profile differs between high- and low-fertility bulls.

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Transcriptome profile and association study revealed STAT3 gene as a potential quality marker of bovine gametes

Zygote ◽

10.1017/s0967199419000765 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 116-130

Author(s):

Nasser Ghanem ◽

Dessie Salilew-Wondim ◽

Michael Hoelker ◽

Karl Schellander ◽

Dawit Tesfaye

Keyword(s):

Estrous Cycle ◽

Semen Quality ◽

Sperm Quality ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Cdna Array ◽

Transcript Abundance ◽

Low Fertility ◽

High Fertility ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Genetic Merit

SummaryThe present study was aimed to investigate differences in molecular signatures in oocytes derived from Holstein-Friesian heifers with different genetic merit for fertility, euthanized during day 0 or day 12 of the estrous cycle. Moreover, association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ODC1 and STAT3 genes and bull fertility traits was investigated. The gene expression patterns were analyzed using cDNA array and validated with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The result revealed that several genes have shown not only to be regulated by fertility merit but also by the day of oocyte recovery during the estrous cycle. The STAT3 gene was found to be upregulated in oocytes recovered from animals with high fertility merit at both day 0 and day 12. Some other genes like PTTG1, ODC1 and TUBA1C were downregulated at day 0 and upregulated at day 12 in high, compared with low, fertility merit recovered oocytes. In contrast, the transcript abundance of TPM3 was upregulated at day 0 and downregulated at day 12 in high, compared with low, fertility merit recovered oocytes. In addition, ODC1 and STAT3 were found to be associated (P < 0.05) with sperm quality traits as well as flow cytometry parameters. Therefore, the expression of several candidate genes including ODC1 and STAT3 was related to the genetic merit of the cow. In addition polymorphisms in these two genes were found to be associated with bull semen quality.

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Planning a family in Nairobi’s informal settlements: results of a qualitative study

Journal of Biosocial Science ◽

10.1017/s0021932019000452 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 52 (2) ◽

pp. 286-299 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Catriona A. Towriss ◽

Donatien Beguy ◽

Alison Wringe ◽

Barwako Hassan Hussein ◽

Ian M. Timæus

Keyword(s):

Family Planning ◽

Focus Group ◽

Family Size ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Low Fertility ◽

Present Moment ◽

High Fertility ◽

Focus Group Discussions ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Childbearing Intentions

AbstractChildbearing intentions among women in high-fertility contexts are usually classified into those wanting to have a baby, those wanting to ‘space’ a birth and those wanting to ‘limit’ their family size. However, evidence from Africa increasingly suggests that women’s intentions are more complex than this classification suggests, and that there is fluidity in these intentions. This research explores women’s accounts of their childbearing intentions and decisions in order to examine how this fluidity plays out in a low-fertility context in urban Africa. Six focus group discussions were conducted in April and May 2012 with women of reproductive age in Nairobi, Kenya. Participants were recruited using random and purposive sampling techniques. The focus group discussions had an average of seven participants each. Data were coded thematically and analysed using Nvivo software. The analysis explored the factors that women consider to be influential for childbearing and found that the health of the mother and child, costs of raising a child and relationships were commonly reported to be important. Evidence of intentions to space births and limit family size was found. However, the data also showed that there is fluidity in women’s family planning intentions, driven by changes in relationships or household finances, which often result in a desire to avoid pregnancy in the present moment. The fluidity observed in women’s childbearing intentions cannot be accounted for by the concepts of either ‘spacing’ or ‘limitation’ but is best explained by the concept of ‘postponement’. The research reveals the need for family planning clinics to provide a full method mix, as well as high-quality counselling, to enable women to choose a method that best suits their needs.

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Effects of CO2 in interaction with temperature and soil fertility on the foliar phenology of alder, birch, and maple seedlings

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b95-018 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 73 (2) ◽

pp. 149-157 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Takayoshi Koike

Keyword(s):

Low Fertility ◽

High Fertility ◽

Betula Platyphylla ◽

Leaf Production ◽

Bud Formation ◽

Alnus Hirsuta ◽

Low Levels ◽

Sympodial Growth ◽

Acer Mono ◽

Foliar Phenology

The foliar phenology of potted 1-year-old seedlings of alder (Alnus hirsuta Turcz.), maple (Acer mono Maxim.), and birch (Betula platyphylla Sukatch. var. japonica Hara) was observed from May to September in eight growth environments: factorial combinations of temperatures (light:dark, 30:20 °C and 26:16 °C), CO2 level (70 and 36 Pa), and nutrient regime (high versus low levels of fertilization). Seedlings grown at high fertility always had more leaves, and under high CO2, shed leaves slightly later than seedlings grown at low fertility. Except for maple, production of newly formed shoots and leaves was accelerated by high CO2. In maple, high CO2 only increased the number of flushes of the leader shoot. Alder and birch accelerated sylleptic shoot and leaf production at high CO2 in fertile conditions. The production of new leaves by alder grown at high CO2 and low fertility was almost the same as that grown under normal CO2, at high fertility. At high CO2, the timing of winter bud formation of monopodial alder and maple was delayed, while that of sympodial birch was almost the same as at ambient CO2. Key words: foliar phenology, elevated atmospheric CO2 and temperature, monopodial versus sympodial growth, nutrient levels, winter bud formation, global change.

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Changes in Women's Attractiveness Perception of Masculine Men's Dances across the Ovulatory Cycle: Preliminary Data

Evolutionary Psychology ◽

10.1177/147470491301100503 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 147470491301100 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tessa Cappelle ◽

Bernhard Fink

Keyword(s):

Motion Capture ◽

Low Fertility ◽

High Fertility ◽

Ovulatory Cycle ◽

Video Clips ◽

Dance Movements ◽

Optical Motion ◽

Fitness Benefits ◽

Optical Motion Capture ◽

Women’S Preferences

Women's preferences for putative cues of genetic quality in men's voices, faces, bodies, and behavioral displays are stronger during the fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle. Here we show that ovulatory cycle-related changes in women's attractiveness perceptions of male features are also found with dance movements, especially those perceived as highly masculine. Dance movements of 79 British men were recorded with an optical motion-capture system whilst dancing to a basic rhythm. Virtual humanoid characters (avatars) were created and converted into 15-second video clips and rated by 37 women on masculinity. Another 23 women judged the attractiveness of the 10 dancers who scored highest and those 10 who scored lowest on masculinity once in days of high fertility and once in days of low fertility of their ovulatory cycle. High-masculine dancers were judged higher on attractiveness around ovulation than on other cycle days, whilst no such perceptual difference was found for low-masculine dancers. We suggest that women may gain fitness benefits from evolved preferences for masculinity cues they obtain from male dance movements.

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Changing Families as European Societies Age

European Journal of Sociology ◽

10.1017/s0003975603001231 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 155-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

SARAH HARPER

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Family Structure ◽

High Mortality ◽

Life Transitions ◽

Low Fertility ◽

High Fertility ◽

The European Union ◽

Family Transitions ◽

Demographic Ageing ◽

The Impact

The trends towards falling fertility and mortality and increasing longevity, which have led to the demographic ageing of all Western industrialized societies, have not occurred in isolation. More specifically, we are also seeing a combination of forces which are resulting in the ageing of some life-transitions. While public and legal institutions may be lowering the age threshold into full legal adulthood, individuals themselves are choosing to delay many of those transitions which demonstrate a commitment to full adulthood. This shift from a high-mortality/high-fertility society to a low-mortality/low-fertility society and the ageing of family transitions within these societies have significant implications for both family structure and kinship roles. Drawing on recent demographic figures for the European Union, this paper highlights the impact of these main trends on individuals and families.

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Morphometric traits predict educational attainment independently of socioeconomic background

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-019-8072-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Markus Valge ◽

Richard Meitern ◽

Peeter Hõrak

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Educational Attainment ◽

Human Body ◽

Tertiary Education ◽

Low Fertility ◽

Socioeconomic Background ◽

Cumulative Probability ◽

High Fertility ◽

Exact Nature ◽

Morphometric Traits

Abstract Background Aim of this study is to describe the relationship between anthropometric traits and educational attainment among Estonian schoolchildren born between 1937 and 1962. We asked whether height, cranial volume and face width (a testosterone-dependent trait), measured in childhood predict later educational attainment independently of each other, family socioeconomic position (SEP) and sex. Associations between morphometric traits and education and their interactions with biosocial variables are of scholarly importance because higher education is nearly universally associated with low fertility in women, and often with high fertility in men. Hence, morphometric traits associated with educational attainment are targeted by natural selection and describing the exact nature of these associations is relevant for understanding the current patterns of evolution of human body size. Methods Data on morphometric measurements and family background of 11,032 Estonian schoolchildren measured between seven and 19 years of age were obtained from the study performed by Juhan Aul between 1956 and 1969. Ordinal logistic regression was used for testing the effects of morphometric traits, biosocial variables and their interaction on the cumulative probability of obtaining education beyond primary level. Results Of biosocial variables, family SEP was the most important determinant of educational attainment, followed by the sex, rural vs urban origin and the number of siblings. No significant interactions with morphometric traits were detected, i.e., within each category of SEP, rural vs urban origin and sex, taller children and those with larger heads and relatively narrower faces were more likely to proceed to secondary and/or tertiary education. The effect of height on education was independent of cranial volume, indicating that taller children did not obtain more educations because their brains were larger than those of shorter children; height per se was important. Conclusions Our main finding – that adjusting for other morphometric traits and biosocial variables, morphometric traits still robustly predicted educational attainment, is relevant for understanding the current patterns of evolution of human body size. Our findings suggest that fecundity selection acting on educational attainment could be partly responsible for the concurrent selection for smaller stature and cranial volume in women and opposite trends in men.

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Population Planning in Egypt: An Attempt at Conceptualization

International Journal of Health Services ◽

10.2190/mb22-bxkm-9mtc-v06q ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 797-801

Author(s):

Aziz Bindary

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Development ◽

Low Fertility ◽

High Fertility ◽

Economic Plan ◽

Population Planning ◽

Sudden Decrease ◽

Oriented Activity ◽

The Masses ◽

Proportional Decrease

Population in developing countries is generally considered a problem because of the adverse effect population growth has on the welfare of the masses. If a developing country is to improve its standard of living, the sudden decrease in death rate resulting from socioeconomic development has to be offset by a proportional decrease in fertility rate. This can be realized only if the population plan is inscribed in and implemented through a total economic plan. Therefore, family planning crash programs, which are started in some countries as a health oriented activity and are supported by advertising campaigns, meet ultimately with limited success. Presently the Egyptian population can be divided into three categories: (a) a rural community inclined to high fertility; (b) an urban community conditioned to low fertility norms; and (c) a transitional society which is ready to but has not yet adopted a small family norm. The economic plan should gear itself toward increasing the size of the last two categories by creating new social and economic situations which conflict with traditional behavior favoring high fertility. The role of population planning in this case will be limited to speeding up this transition.

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