The direct response of the gonads to cues of stress in a temperate songbird species is season-dependent.

The gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) system in the hypothalamus is often considered the final point in integration of environmental cues as they pertain to the reproductive axis. However, cues such as stress and food availability are detectable in the plasma (as glucocorticoid and metabolic fuel fluctuations). Vertebrate gonads express glucocorticoid receptor, therefore we hypothesized that the gonads can detect and respond directly to cues of stress. We provide evidence here that, in addition to regulation by the brain, the gonads of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) respond directly to fluctuations in corticosterone and metabolic fuels by modulating sex steroid secretion. Using a 4-h gonad culture, we show that physiologically-relevant concentrations of corticosterone and metabolic stress (via use of the glucose utilization inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose and the fatty acid oxidation inhibitor ethyl 2-mercaptoacetate (2DG/MA)) can directly decrease testosterone and estradiol secretion from luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone (LH/FSH)-stimulated testes and ovaries. This effect is regulated seasonally. Prior to the breeding season, testes and ovaries respond to corticosterone and 2DG/MA by significantly decreasing gonadal steroid release. Within the breeding season, the testes do not respond to these cues of stress, while the ovaries respond only to corticosterone. This seasonal difference in response may be due in part to the influence of these cues of stress on gonadal neuropeptide expression: corticosterone upregulates GnIH expression in the testes while metabolic stress upregulates GnIH in the ovaries. Thus the gonads can directly respond to fluctuations in corticosterone and metabolic fuels during a time of critical importance to the onset of breeding

Negotiating contradictory expectations: Stories from ‘secret’ sex workers in Andhra Pradesh

Drawing upon research in rural coastal Andhra Pradesh, this article analyzes sex workers’ negotiations of family and social life with their work in a highly stigmatized profession. Such women routinely described the double bind presented by their work, which simultaneously provides these relatively low status individuals with a sense of personal worth while exposing them to severe violence and stigma. Findings presented here accordingly document the processes by which sex workers collude with members of their social networks to purposefully foreground their actions as “good” woman and to underplay or even hide their sex work

Twentieth Century Etiquette (Part 3)

The full title for this book is Twentieth Century Etiquette: An Up-To-Date Book for Polite Society Containing Rules for Conduct in Public, Social and Private Life, at Home and Abroad including suggestions for oriental teas, church festivals, charity socials, costume parties, bazaars, Germans, indoor games, outdoor sports, tally-ho parties, masquerades, etc., etc. also correct dress for weddings, receptions, and all other occasions designed for both men and women, young and old. This last section of the book contains chapters titled Servants, Maids and Assistants, Births and Christenings, Funerals and Mourning, Special Suggestions, Graceful Development of the Body, Unselfishness-The Key to Graciousness, The Possibilities of Women, Women in Business, Real and Fancied Wrongs, Higher Culture, The Shaping of Character, Women Beautiful, and The Language of the Hand.https://openworks.wooster.edu/motherhomeheaven/1101/thumbnail.jp

Twentieth Century Etiquette (Part 2)

The full title for this book is Twentieth Century Etiquette: An Up-To-Date Book for Polite Society Containing Rules for Conduct in Public, Social and Private Life, at Home and Abroad including suggestions for oriental teas, church festivals, charity socials, costume parties, bazaars, Germans, indoor games, outdoor sports, tally-ho parties, masquerades, etc., etc. also correct dress for weddings, receptions, and all other occasions designed for both men and women, young and old. This second section of the book includes chapters about Telephoning-Business and Social, Social Etiquette at Washington, Calling-When and How, Dinners and Luncheons, Etiquette at the Table, Receptions, Lectures, Church, Etc., Costume Parties and What to Wear, Dress-Its Attractiveness and Appropriateness, Correspondence-Business and Social, Horseback Riding and Driving, Cycling, Golf, Dancing and Games, Courtship and Its Demands, Weddings and How to Conduct Them, Anniversaries and How to Celebrate Them, and Traveling-Home and Abroad.https://openworks.wooster.edu/motherhomeheaven/1100/thumbnail.jp

Social Culture: A Manual of Etiquette and Deportment (Part One)

The full title of this book as listed on the title page is Social Culture: An Up-to-Date Book for Polite Society Containing Rules for Conduct in Public, Social and Private Life, at Home and Abroad Including Suggestions for Oriental Teas, Church Festivals, Charity Socials, Costume Parties, Bazaars, Germans, Indoor Games, Outdoor Sports, Tally-Ho Parties, Masquerades, Etc., Etc. Also Correct Dress for Weddings, Receptions, and All Other Occasions Designed for Both Men and Women, Young and Old. It is also, Embellished with nearly half a hundred full page engravings and numerous drawings by George Speil.https://openworks.wooster.edu/motherhomeheaven/1093/thumbnail.jp

Social Culture: A Manual of Etiquette and Deportment (Part Two)

The full title of this book as listed on the title page is, Social Culture: An Up-to-Date Book for Polite Society Containing Rules for Conduct in Public, Social and Private Life, at Home and Abroad Including Suggestions for Oriental Teas, Church Festivals, Charity Socials, Costume Parties, Bazaars, Germans, Indoor Games, Outdoor Sports, Tally-Ho Parties, Masquerades, Etc., Etc. Also Correct Dress for Weddings, Receptions, and All Other Occasions Designed for Both Men and Women, Young and Old. It is also, Embellished with nearly half a hundred full page engravings and numerous drawings by George Speil.https://openworks.wooster.edu/motherhomeheaven/1094/thumbnail.jp

Twentieth Century Etiquette (Part 1)

The full title for this book is Twentieth Century Etiquette: An Up-To-Date Book for Polite Society Containing Rules for Conduct in Public, Social and Private Life, at Home and Abroad including suggestions for oriental teas, church festivals, charity socials, costume parties, bazaars, Germans, indoor games, outdoor sports, tally-ho parties, masquerades, etc., etc. also correct dress for weddings, receptions, and all other occasions designed for both men and women, young and old. This first section of the book contains chapters entitled The Makers of Manners, The Test of the Lady and Gentleman, Importance of Social Observances, Home-The Life Immortal, Little Folks-Their Entertainment and Dress, Self-Consciousness-How to Overcome It, Introductions-Their Importance, Greeting and Leavetaking, Conversation, Etiquette of School Days, Going Into Society, Misses and Unmarried Women, What Etiquette Demands of a Gentleman, Obligations of Bachelors, and Etiquette in the Street.https://openworks.wooster.edu/motherhomeheaven/1099/thumbnail.jp

Quality Assurance Strategy on Organizational Performance: Case of Kenyatta University

This study seeks to establish the effectiveness of ISO 9001:2008 certification on customer satisfaction, employee productivity, inflow of revenue and internal procedures and processes at Kenyatta University. Chapter one covers general background literature reviews on ISO 9001 certification. The background literature reviewed is from developed economies, emerging economies and also from Kenya. Other sections covered under chapter one  are; statement of the problem, purpose of the study, study objectives, research questions, scope of the study, justification, significance, limitations, delimitations, theoretical framework, conceptual framework and operationalization of variables. The external improvement theory has been reviewed under the theoretical framework. Chapter two has reviewed literature from recent studies relevant to the area of study while chapter three has described the various methodologies that were employed to assist in achieving the research objectives. In summary, the internal improvement theory suggests ISO 9001:2008 certification would improve internal business processes such that production becomes lean and reduce costs. The research findings indicate that the level of appreciation and participation in ISO certification as a means to quality assurance strategy has improved customer satisfaction, improved organizational outcomes and increased the revenue inflows for development. The internal processes have also been greatly enhanced by university management. Key Words: Quality, Strategy, Performanc

Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Fibrin with Decalcified Freeze-Dried Bone Allograft Compared to Decalcified Freeze-Dried Bone Allograft Alone in Mandibular Grade–II Furcation Defects: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) with decalcified freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA) compared to DFDBA alone in mandibular grade–II furcation defects. Material and Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted on nine patients with chronic periodontitis, each having two almost identical mandibular grade II furcation defects. Test sites (left mandibular first molars) were treated with open flap debridement (OFD), DFDBA, and PRF, whereas control sites (right mandibular first molars) received OFD and DFDBA alone. Clinical parameters (plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), vertical clinical attachment level (VCAL) and horizontal clinical attachment level (HCAL) into the furcation defect) and radiographic measurements (mean alveolar bone defect) were done at baseline and after six months postoperatively. Results: The gain in relative horizontal clinical attachment level (RHCAL) in the test sites was 2.94±0.52 mm compared to 1.33±0.35 mm in control sites (p=0.01). Improvement in mean alveolar bone defect (MABD) (was 1.21±0.5 mm2 at test sites compared to 1.15±0.7 mm2 at control sites) probing pocket depth (PPD), recession, relative vertical attachment level (RVCAL), and percentage of bone fill was found in the test sites compared to control, which statistically insignificant. Conclusion: The test sites had better outcomes than control sites, which was significant for the parameter RHCAL. Therefore, combining the biological benefits of autologous PRF with DFDBA is an efficient and economical treatment modality for the management of mandibular grade II furcation defects

Quantitative global sensitivity analysis of a biologically based dose-response pregnancy model for the thyroid endocrine system

A deterministic biologically based dose-response model for the thyroidal system in a near-term pregnant woman and the fetus was recently developed to evaluate quantitatively thyroid hormone perturbations. The current work focuses on conducting a quantitative global sensitivity analysis on this complex model to identify and characterize the sources and contributions of uncertainties in the predicted model output. The workflow and methodologies suitable for computationally expensive models, such as the Morris screening method and Gaussian Emulation processes, were used for the implementation of the global sensitivity analysis. Sensitivity indices, such as main, total and interaction effects, were computed for a screened set of the total thyroidal system descriptive model input parameters. Furthermore, a narrower sub-set of the most influential parameters affecting the model output of maternal thyroid hormone levels were identified in addition to the characterization of their overall and pair-wise parameter interaction quotients. The characteristic trends of influence in model output for each of these individual model input parameters over their plausible ranges were elucidated using Gaussian Emulation processes. Through global sensitivity analysis we have gained a better understanding of the model behavior and performance beyond the domains of observation by the simultaneous variation in model inputs over their range of plausible uncertainties. The sensitivity analysis helped identify parameters that determine the driving mechanisms of the maternal and fetal iodide kinetics, thyroid function and their interactions, and contributed to an improved understanding of the system modeled. We have thus demonstrated the use and application of global sensitivity analysis for a biologically based dose-response model for sensitive life-stages such as pregnancy that provides richer information on the model and the thyroidal system modeled compared to local sensitivity analysis