Results from MAGIC's first observation cycle on galactic sources

During its Cycle I, the MAGIC telescope targeted about 250 hours several galactic sources sought to be, or detected previously by other experiments in the same energy domain, gamma-ray emitters. This paper reviews some results of such MAGIC observations covering, among others, supernova remnants, the Galactic Center and microquasars. We will concentrate on the recent discovery at very high energy gamma-rays of the microquasar LS I +61 303.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures. Prepared for "The Multi-messenger Approach to High-energy Gamma-ray Sources", Barcelona (Spain) 4-7 July 200

Optimal life stage for radiation sterilization of Anopheles males and their fitness for release.

Mating by male Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) was evaluated in the laboratory to assess fitness effects of radio-sterilization applied during different life stages of the malaria vectors An. stephensi Liston and An. gambiae Giles sensu stricto. After reproductive sterilization by gamma-irradiation (120 Gy), equal proportions of sterile and fertile (unirradiated) male adults were released into cages with virgin females and allowed to compete for matings. Radio-sterilization was applied when the males were pupae aged 0-7 h or 24-32 h, or adults aged <24 h or 24-55 h. After being radio-sterilized in the adult stage, males of both species competed effectively with unirradiated males, whereas those sterilized in the pupal stage obtained significantly fewer matings than unirradiated males from the same cohort. There was no evidence of females obtaining multiple inseminations. These findings emphasize the need to radio-sterilize males as adults in order to minimize the fitness cost. Such males may be intended for sterile insect technique population suppression or for trial releases of transgenic anophelines