Genetic study of grape cultivars belonging to the muscat family by random amplified polymorphic DNA markers

Eleven decamer primers of arbitrary nucleotide sequence were used to amplify genomic DNA through the polymerase chain reaction (PCR-RAPD) in order to identify and discriminate between 14 grape cultivars (types or synonyms) belonging to the muscat family. Over 115 reproducible polymorphic fragments were generated by this method. On the basis of these fragments the degree of genetic similarity was calculated and the dendrogram of the 14 cultivars was established. The results indicate that there is genetic variation among the cultivars of the muscat family with values of the genetic similarity ranging from 0.666 to 1.00. On the basis of the observed bands it was possible to identify and discriminate between the cultivars studied except for Moschato aspro and Moscudi which were found to be identical

Identification and discrimination of eight Greek grape cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.) by random amplified polymorphic DNA markers

Fifteen decamer primers of an arbitrary nucleotide sequence were used to amplify genomic DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR-RAPD) in order to identify and discriminate between 8 cultivars of Vitis vinifera L., grown at the Island of Crete. Over 140 reproducible polymorphic fragments were generated by this method. Each grape cultivar showed a unique banding pattern for more than 5 of the primers used. Herefrom, the degree of genetic similarity was calculated and the dendrogram of the 8 cultivars was constructed. The results show that RAPD is a reliable and very useful method for the identification and genomic analysis of grape cultivars

Lessons learnt from mining meter data of residential consumers

Tracking end-users' usage patterns can enable more accurate demand forecasting and the automation of demand response execution. Accordingly, more advanced applications, such as electricity market design, integration of distributed generation and theft detection can be developed. By employing data mining techniques on smart meter recordings, the suppliers can efficiently investigate the load patterns of consumers. This paper presents applications where data mining of energy usage can derive useful information. Higher demands, on one side, and the energy price increase on the other side, have caused serious issues with regards to electricity theft, especially among developing countries. This phenomenon leads to considerable operational losses within the electrical network. In order to identify illegal residential consumers, a new method of analysing and identifying electricity consumption patterns of consumers is proposed in this paper. Moreover, the importance of data mining for analysing the consumer's usage curves was investigated. This helps to determine the behaviour of end-users for demand response purposes and improve the reliability and security of the electricity network. Clustering load profiles for large scale energy datasets are discussed in detail

Proučavanje seizmičkog zoniranja na području Grčke na osnovi magnitude najbolje opažljivog potresa

The Greek seismicity file developed by Makropoulos and Burton (1981) for earthquakes up to 1978 and extended up to 1983 (Makropoulos et al., 1986), is examined in terms of magnitude frequency using Gumbel’s third type asymptotic distribution of extreme values. The forecasting parameters are obtained by subdividing Greek seismicity in a cellular manner. Combination of the Gumbel III earthquake occurrence statistics for each cell with acceleration attenuation law leads to perceptibility curves which give the probability of perceiving specific acceleration levels from each earthquake magnitude up to local upper bound magnitude w. These curves show a peak probability which occurs at similar magnitudes defined as the “most perceptible” earthquake. The range of these “most perceptible” earthquake magnitudes is for an Ms of about 5.3 to 7.2. The results are presented as contouring maps for two average depths of 10 km and 20 km respectively. The features of the contoured perceptibility maps are compatible with existing hazard maps of Greece based on different approaches. This, coupled with the fact that these values may be used as a criterion for choosing engineering design time histories, shows the usefulness of the method for seismic zoning problems

Greece in crisis: austerity, populism and the politics of blame

Within the broader debate on the Greek crisis, the theory of ‘populist democracy’ postulates that populism is fundamental to the sustenance of the Greek political system and is at the heart of Greece's endemic domestic weaknesses. This article tests this assumption empirically through the use of a sophisticated framing analysis of speeches delivered by the leaders of the five parties in the Greek parliament in the period 2009–11. The findings confirm that populism: (a) is expressed through the narratives of political actors; (b) is observed across the party system; (c) is expressed in the forms of blame-shifting and exclusivity; and (d) differs depending on position in the party system. The article contributes to the debate by testing and building on the theory of democratic populism, providing a novel way of measuring and operationalizing populism and identifying a new typology that distinguishes between mainstream and fringe populism

Capturing Desire: Rhetorical Strategies and the Affectivity of Discourse

In this article I argue that psychoanalytical theory can help us understand the emotional force of political rhetoric. I undertake a theoretical enquiry into the method of interpreting political speeches as strategies of affective persuasion. Both rhetorical and psychoanalytical studies converge in their concern with the production of ‘plausible stories’ that aim to fold psychic investments into political judgements. To capture desire, I claim, political rhetoric must articulate ‘symptomatic beliefs’ in relation to wider situational exigencies. I sketch three distinct psychoanalytical approaches, each of which emphasises a different scenario of unconscious organisation where rhetorical strategies are pertinent: namely Freudian, Kleinian, and Lacanian approaches. These are then applied to the example of a controversial rhetorical intervention – Enoch Powell’s infamous Birmingham speech of 1968 – to demonstrate the various potential focii when undertaking analysis

Populist communication in the new media environment: a cross-regional comparative perspective

The changing terms of mediation place new demands, opportunities and risks on the performance of the political persona. Visibility has become a double-edged sword, leaving representatives vulnerable to exposure while new tools provide opportunities for emerging entrepreneurial actors. This double risk to elites’ mediated personas—exposure and challenge from entrepreneurs—renders their armour of authenticity dangerously fragile, which nourishes a public sense of being inefficaciously represented. It is this climate in which populism currently flourishes around the globe. Three primary criteria of mediated self-representation by politicians—visibility, authenticity and efficacy—form the focus of this paper: how do populists negotiate such demands in different democratic contexts, and wherein lies the symbiosis between populism and the new media environment suggested by the literature? To answer this, the paper compares two populist cases responding to different democratic contexts: UKIP, a right-wing party from an established democracy (UK), and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a left-wing party from a transitional democracy (South Africa). The objects of study are disruptive performances by these parties, which are considered emblematic manifestations of populist ideology as they establish a Manichaean relationship between the elite and populist actors who embody the people. The paper introduces disruption as a multi-faceted and significant analytical concept to explain the populist behaviour and strategies that underlie populist parties’ responses to the demands for visibility, authenticity and efficacy that the new media environment places upon political representatives. Using mixed methods with an interpretive focus, the paper paints a rich picture of the contexts, meanings and means of construction of populist performances

Discourse of the real kind: A post-foundational approach to organizational discourse analysis

In response to the postmodern invasion of organization studies, some critics have issued increasingly loud cries that we should ‘get real’ about organizational discourse analysis. But what precisely do these proponents take to be the ‘real’? In this article we trace out some of the attempts of ‘getting real’, arguing that these approaches have some important limitations. We then explore the relevance of a post-foundational approach to discourse, which, we argue, have far reaching implications for the study of organizational discourse. We argue that such approach offers us a way of theoretically linking the ‘real’ with (1) the way discourses are structured around fundamental gaps, (2) how discourses are brought together through nodal points and (3) how discourses generate affective and emotional attachment. We then offer some suggestions of how these points can be used to study organizational processes. We conclude by reflecting on some of the limitations of this approach to studying discourse