Life history parameters of the ladybird populations, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), collected at two locations in Iran (Karaj and Sari) were recorded on two prey species, Aphis fabae Scopoli, 1763 and Aphis gossypii Glover, 1877 (Homoptera: Aphididae). The duration of most developmental stages (egg, first, second and third instar larva...

• Epidemiological investigations – including the identification of cases and patterns of exposure – should eventually identify the likely place(s) of infection; molecular identification of the parasite should determine the origin of the introduction(s) and its population dynamics, as well as the parasite’s presence in the intermediate host. These factors define the focality and seasonality of t...

private healthcare services in vietnam are seen as a major part of the solution to the rapid increase in need and demand for healthcare services. formally recognized over 20 years ago, the private health services coexist with public services and are available all over the country. however, the scale and size of private sector is still small compared to the public sector and public acceptance an...

How rapidly can two populations diverge when exposed to different selection pressures? And what mechanisms contribute to rapid population divergence? A remarkable new study by Badyaev et al. of house finches Carpodacus mexicanus suggests that simultaneous maternal adjustment of offspring sex ratio and growth rates has played an important role in rapid population differentiation associated with ...

Endogeic earthworm activities can strongly influence soil structure. Although soil microorganisms are thought to be central to earthworm-facilitated aggregate formation, how and where within the soil matrix earthworm-facilitated influences on soil microbial communities are manifested is poorly defined. In this study we used 16S rRNA gene-based terminal restriction fragment polymorphism (T-RFLP)...