Polarimetric Evidence of Non-Spherical Winds

Polarization observations yield otherwise unobtainable information about the geometrical structure of unresolved objects. In this talk we review the evidences for non-spherically symmetric structures around Luminous Hot Stars from polarimetry and what we can learn with this technique. Polarimetry has added a new dimension to the study of the envelopes of Luminous Blue Variables, Wolf-Rayet stars and B[e] stars, all of which are discussed in some detail.Comment: 8 pages, 2 encapsulated Postscript figures, uses lamuphys.sty. Invited review to appear in IAU Coll. 169, Variable and Non-Spherical Stellar Winds in Luminous Hot Stars, eds. B. Wolf, A.Fullerton and O. Stahl (Springer

Elastic Form Factors of 3,4^{3,4}He up to Large Q2Q^2

Elastic electron scattering off $^3$He and $^4$He has recently been studied at forward and backward scattering angles in Hall A at JLab. The results will provide accurate data on the elastic form factors, charge and magnetic for $^3$He and charge only for $^4$He, up to squared momentum transfer $Q^2$-values of 3.2 GeV$^2$.Comment: 3 pages, Proceedings of EFB2

Breeding of resistant strawberry cultivars for organic fruit production – Diallel crossing strategies and resistance tests for Botrytis cinerea and Xanthomonas fragariae

Organic strawberry production suffers from high yield losses caused by numerous fungal and bacterial diseases. Two of the most important diseases are the grey mould disease caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers. (teleomorph Botryotinia fuckeliana), and the bacterial angular leaf spot disease caused by Xanthomonas fragariae (Kennedy & King). Beside cultivation methods and organic plant protection measures, the development of resistant cultivars seems to be the most promising strategy in order to improve the productivity in organic strawberry cultivation. Therefore, we established resistance tests to determine resistant and susceptible strawberry cultivars and breeding selections. In a first run, 40 different cultivars and selections were tested for their susceptibility towards B. cinerea by artificial inoculation of fruits and leaves and evaluation of the disease symptoms. Plants of 40 cultivars were tested for susceptibility to X. fragariae by artificial inoculation in the greenhouse. In a diallel crossing approach, 12 commonly cultivated strawberry cultivars have been crossed reciprocally and propagated in a field trial. Important characteristics of the progeny such as ripening time, yield, morphological traits and occurrence of diseases have been evaluated for a period of two consecutive years and lead to the determination of general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities. Together with the results of the resistance tests we identified a set of genotypes that show resistant characteristics towards B. cinerea and might be suitable for use in organic cultivation systems. Furthermore, they can be used for targeted breeding experiments in the future

Advanced flight control system study

A fly by wire flight control system architecture designed for high reliability includes spare sensor and computer elements to permit safe dispatch with failed elements, thereby reducing unscheduled maintenance. A methodology capable of demonstrating that the architecture does achieve the predicted performance characteristics consists of a hierarchy of activities ranging from analytical calculations of system reliability and formal methods of software verification to iron bird testing followed by flight evaluation. Interfacing this architecture to the Lockheed S-3A aircraft for flight test is discussed. This testbed vehicle can be expanded to support flight experiments in advanced aerodynamics, electromechanical actuators, secondary power systems, flight management, new displays, and air traffic control concepts

Evaluation of adoption potential of modern technologies in potato value chain by smallholder farmers in Kenya: Nyandarua County pilot case study.

In Kenya, smallholder potato farmers endeavor to increase their production through various approaches, most commonly by expanding areas under production and repeatedly planting potato on the same site, with the latter resulting in build-up of diseases. Compounded with limited access to options to improve productivity, these farmers yield less than 10 t ha, much below realistic yields of 20 to 30 t ha. In an attempt to address these constraints, a study in the framework of the pilot project Potato Initiative Africa lead by International Potato Center (CIP) evaluated modern interventions to improve yields and reduce harvest and post-harvest losses along the production chain

Testing the Higgs Mechanism in the Lepton Sector with multi-TeV e+e- Collisions

Multi-TeV e+e- collisions provide with a large enough sample of Higgs bosons to enable measurements of its suppressed decays. Results of a detailed study of the determination of the muon Yukawa coupling at 3 TeV, based on full detector simulation and event reconstruction, are presented. The muon Yukawa coupling can be determined with a relative accuracy of 0.04 to 0.08 for Higgs bosons masses from 120 GeV to 150 GeV, with an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse-ab. The result is not affected by overlapping two-photon background.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, submitted to J Phys G.: Nucl. Phy