Interaction Between Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) and Coptera haywardi (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) for the Management of Anastrepha obliqua (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The interaction between the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) and the parasitoid Coptera haywardi (Oglobin), as potential biological control agents for Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) fruit flies, was evaluated under laboratory and semi-protected field cage conditions. The effects of the parasitoids and fungus were individually and jointly assessed in Plexiglas cages. Application of B. bassiana dry conidia to soil produced 40% mortality in A. obliqua adults. However, mortality was lower (21.2%) on evaluation under field cage conditions. According to the multiple decrement life table analysis, the probability of death of A. obliqua was 88% when C. haywardi parasitoids and B. bassiana conidia were used in conjunction, 89% when only C. haywardi parasitoids were released and 23% when only B. bassiana conidia were applied. These results demonstrate that no synergistic, additive or antagonistic interaction took place with the simultaneous use of these natural enemies, since the presence of B. bassiana had no effect on the C. haywardi parasitism. These results indicate that the parasitoid is a better natural enemy for the control of A. obliqua, and show that, although the two biological control agents can be used simultaneously, their joint application will not produce increased control.

A multiple decrement analysis for studying the patterns of mortality in Bangladesh

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The effect of mortality on population structures is to reduce the component of the population in which the mortality occurs. The purpose of this analysis was to examine the probability patterns of deaths in 2000, 2004, and 2008 year by age due to a cause of death in presence of all causes to identify the main causes of disease those influence the mortality rate.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> Data were collected from the health and demographic surveillance system of ICDDR, B. Patterns of mortality were examined by multiple decrement life table and line diagram. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The conditional probabilities of deaths from specific cause Dα (α=1, 2, 3, 4), naqαx (α=1, 2, 3, 4) of Matlab males by different years provide that for age &lt;1, the female trends show the same pattern like male except maternal complications. For the age group 1-39, nearly injury and miscellaneous related causes affect most specially by drowning and accident for male. After the age 40, roughly the highest values of density function indicate non-communicable cause. For female, before age 40, mixed causes influence deaths, neonatal and maternal, communicable, injuries and miscellaneous causes. But after the age 40, more or less non-communicable disease is the leading cause in the year 2008.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Death from non-communicable diseases was found to be higher for males than females. Policies aimed at increasing governmental and non-governmental services shall generally contribute to a reduction of non-communicable death rates.</p>

PREMARITAL FERTILITY IN NAMIBIA: TRENDS, FACTORS AND CONSEQUENCES

Premarital fertility, defined as fertility before first marriage, was found to be highly prevalent in Namibia. According to data from the 1992 and 2000 DHS surveys, the proportion of premarital births was 43% for all births, and 60% for the first birth. This seemed to be primarily due to a late mean age at first marriage (26·4 years) and low levels of contraception before first marriage. Data were analysed using a variety of demographic methods, including multiple decrement life table and multivariate logistic models. Major variations were found by ethno-linguistic groups: Herero and Nama/Damara had the highest levels of premarital fertility (above 60%); Ovambo and Lozi had intermediate levels of premarital fertility (around 40%); Kavongo and San appeared to have kept a more traditional behaviour of early marriage and low levels of premarital fertility (around 20%). The largest ethno-linguistic group, the Ovambo, were in a special situation, with fast increasing age at marriage and average level of premarital fertility. Whites and mixed races also differed, with Afrikaans-speaking groups having a behaviour closer to the average, whereas other Europeans had less premarital fertility despite an average age at marriage. Ethnic differences remained stable after controlling for various socioeconomic factors, such as urbanization, level of education, wealth, access to mass media, and religion. Results are discussed in light of the population dynamics and political history of Namibia in the 20th century.