INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The most common test for testosterone involves your physician drawing a tube of blood from your vein. In addition to the blood sample, your physician will also perform a physical exam. Because low testosterone may be an indicator for an underlying problem, like a problem with the pituitary gland, liver disease, an inherited disease, or Addison's disease, your doctor may want to test you for an underlying problem if you have low testosterone. Depending on your physical exam, your symptoms, and your history, other tests may be required after the testosterone test. Your doctor may test for thyroid function, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Testosterone can also be measured in your saliva, though not many mainstream physicians offer this option. The test is reasonably reliable, but it is too new of a method to be totally accepted. Two reputable labs that test for salivary testosterone are ZRTLabs and Labrix. If your total testosterone from your screening lab test comes back abnormal, ask to have the test for "free" or bioavailable testosterone. The most important testosterone value is the "free" and/or bioavailable testosterone. This is not always measured because it is not so easy to measure. The tests for "free" or bioavailable testosterone are considered better biomarkers. There are things that might affect the results of your test. Taking medicines with estrogen or testosterone (including birth control), digoxin, spironolactone, and barbiturates may interfere with the test. Medicines for prostate cancer and that raise prolactin levels may also have a negative effect. Hypothyroidism can also interfere with the test. If your testosterone levels are low, talk to your physician about testosterone replacement therapy. Testosterone is available as a gel or patch, muscular injections, or tablets that can be dissolved under the tongue. There are also some natural options including dietary approaches, increased exercise, and herbs such as Tribulus terrestris, Ashwagandha, Ginkgo Biloba, Maca, and Yohimbe.

SUMMARY: Go to the doctor for a testosterone test. Be prepared for additional tests. Get an oral test. The most common test is for "total testosterone," which is the testosterone that is bound to other proteins in the blood. Consider what affects the test. Choose a testosterone replacement therapy.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Chickens are capable of learning. If you constantly use one specific call for one task they will respond to it. Remember to be patient and consistent. For example, if you say "Scraps!" every time you bring food out, they will learn to come get food when you say that word. A short, high-pitched "tuck tuck tuck" sound is chicken code for "I've found food, come check it out!" You can mimic this sound when you want to give your chickens something to eat, or if you need to do a role call because you've seen a fox lurking nearby. Both hens and roosters use this call. Ring the bell and throw some mealworms on the ground where the chickens can see them. Continue to ring the bell as they eat the worms so they clearly associate the ringing of the bell with the tasty treat. Do this every day for about a week so they will catch on. Make sure that every chicken gets some mealworms when they come, even those on the bottom of the pecking order. This will ensure that all the chickens have a good reason to come when you ring the bell. After they get used to the bell, you don't have to give them the worms every single time you call them. Be sure to still give them mealworms sometimes so they continue to have an incentive to respond to the bell.

SUMMARY: Use one word or sound consistently to teach the chickens. Call your chickens to you using their food call. Train the chickens to come to a certain spot with a bell.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You need to know exactly what you want to happen when you have the conversation. Do you want to go to a dance? Do you want a later curfew? Do you want to go out to a special dinner with your parents? Think about what you want from the conversation. It can even help to write it down. Make sure you have all the important details. Having details will help you answer questions. Answering questions will calm your parents down. For instance, if you want to spend the night at friend's house, you'll need to know if her parents will be there, when the night will start, what you'll need to bring, and when your parents can pick you up. It also might help to have a phone number for your friend's parents. That way, your parents can call her parents. You don't want to talk when your parents are busy. Pick a time when they have a moment to sit down with you. It should be a time when you can have their full attention. If you can't figure out a time, ask your parents when a good time would be. If you keep trying to draw it out, you're just going to get more nervous. As soon as you get your parents together, just begin what you have to say. For instance, you could start by saying, "I have something I want to discuss with you, and I hope you will keep an open mind. I'd like to go to the dance this Saturday night." If you absolutely can't get it out right away, it's okay to start the conversation with something else, as long as you get to the point eventually. A good way to convince someone to do something is to tell the person what good it will do them.Think about how your parents will benefit from what you are doing, and bring that up. As an example, if you're trying to get your parents to let you go out for a night, you could say, "As an added bonus, you'd get the house all to yourself!" Another example is if you're trying to get your parents to eat out somewhere, mention their favorite dishes. If you try to lie or give a half truth, your parents may not trust you in the future if they find out. Plus, they know you pretty well, so they can probably tell when you're lying. That is, you might have a tendency to blame your parents. Most people do in serious conversations. However, you should try to stick to what you're feeling or thinking, not what you blame your parents for. In other words, use "I" instead of "you." Say, "I feel upset when I can't go out when my friends do," not "You're awful for not letting me go out with my friends." The second one puts your parents on their guard, while the first one just expresses what you're feeling. If you can, have details to back up what you say. As noted in the previous section, having details about where you're going is important. But it's equally important to have details in other conversations, too. Having someone with more authority than you, such as one of your friend's parents, a teacher, or a researcher through an article, to back you up can help persuade your parents. For instance, if you're trying to convince your parents that you should be in the band, you could have research articles stating how music can help you do better in math. You could say, "As this research shows, being in band can help me do better in math. I'll let you have these pages so you can read up on it." If you are trying to get your parents to do something they don't want to do, then hearing why may help you. Your parents may have good points to bring up about the problem. In turn, you may be able to deal with those problems by finding solutions. It's important that you approach your parents politely. Getting angry or upset will not help you convince them of anything. In fact, it makes you seem immature.

SUMMARY:
Decide what you want your parents to do. Write down what you want to say. Pick a good time and place. Begin talking. Let them know what's in it for them. Speak the truth. Talk about yourself. Back up what you say. Hear your parents out. Be civil.