Size and mortality rates of Glossina pallidipes in the semi-arid zone of southwestern Kenya

Seasonal changes in the mean size of tsetse, Glossina pallidipes Austen, as indicated by wing vein length, were monitored during 1983-86 at Nguruman, southwestern Kenya. Changes in size of nulliparous females and wing fray category 1 males were shown to be correlated with the relative humidity 2 months before they were captured. Soil temperature when flies were in the pupal stage had much less effect. Size dependent mortality was demonstrated, with the mean size of flies emerging from pupae significantly less than that of field-caught flies. This mortality must occur at emergence, since there was no evidence of size-dependent mortality once the flies became available to the trap. Size was correlated with density-independent mortality acting on the parent population 2 months previously. It might therefore be possible to use size as an index of the intensity of such mortality. This could be useful when assessing the level of additional mortality required to suppress tsetse populations.     

Nuclear DNA sequences from late Pleistocene megafauna

We report the retrieval and characterization of multi- and single-copy nuclear DNA sequences from Alaskan and Siberian mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius). In addition, a nuclear copy of a mitochondrial gene was recovered. Furthermore, a 13,000-year-old ground sloth and a 33,000- year-old cave bear yielded multicopy nuclear DNA sequences. Thus, multicopy and single-copy genes can be analyzed from Pleistocene faunal remains. The results also show that under some circumstances, nucleotide sequence differences between alleles found within one individual can be distinguished from DNA sequence variation caused by postmortem DNA damage. The nuclear sequences retrieved from the mammoths suggest that mammoths were more similar to Asian elephants than to African elephants.      

Comparison of methods for assessing geometric efficiency on multi-detector CT scanners

The aim of the current study was to compare the film method against the method based on a new CT slice detector in assessing geometric efficiency (GE) of x-ray beams utilized by a multi-detector CT (MDCT) scanner. Measurements of GE were performed using radiographic films and a solid state CT slice detector for all beam qualities, collimations and focal spot sizes available on an MDCT scanner. Repeatability of GE measurements was assessed. The radiographic film and the solid state detector methods were compared to each other in regard to efficacy in measuring free-in-air GE. The values of GE determined using the radiographic film method were found to range between 48.5% and 90.6%. Differences between values obtained with the radiographic film method and corresponding values obtained with the solid state detector were less than 10% exceeding 5% for only one case. Both methods show that wide beams have higher GE values compared to thin ones. The use of large instead of small focal spot was found to deteriorate GE values by up to 23.1%. Beam quality did not seem to influence GE of the various collimations. When thin beam collimations are employed, a considerable amount of the radiation is wasted for non-imaging purposes. Both film and solid state probe methods are capable of measuring GE of thin as well as wide collimations. The solid state detector is the easiest to use, however its usefulness is reduced by the fact that it cannot measure dose profiles of beam collimations available for step-and-shoot mode of operation.