An investigation of Fe XVI emission lines in solar and stellar EUV and soft X-ray spectra

New fully relativistic calculations of radiative rates and electron impact excitation cross sections for Fe XVI are used to determine theoretical emission-line ratios applicable to the 251 - 361 A and 32 - 77 A portions of the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray spectral regions, respectively. A comparison of the EUV results with observations from the Solar Extreme-Ultraviolet Research Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS) reveals excellent agreement between theory and experiment. However, for emission lines in the 32 - 49 A portion of the soft X-ray spectral region, there are large discrepancies between theory and measurement for both a solar flare spectrum obtained with the X-Ray Spectrometer/Spectrograph Telescope (XSST) and observations of Capella from the Low Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (LETGS) on the Chandra X-ray Observatory. These are probably due to blending in the solar flare and Capella data from both first order lines and from shorter wavelength transitions detected in second and third order. By contrast, there is very good agreement between our theoretical results and the XSST and LETGS observations in the 50 - 77 A wavelength range, contrary to previous results. In particular, there is no evidence that the Fe XVI emission from the XSST flare arises from plasma at a much higher temperature than that expected for Fe XVI in ionization equilibrium, as suggested by earlier work.Comment: 6 pages, 4 tables, 1 figure, MNRAS in pres

Corporate Entrepreneurship: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained?

Recent literature has suggested that adopting elements of the organization of independent venture capital (VC) firms may enhance the performance of corporate venture (CV) units (Chesbrough, 2000; Sahlman, 1990). This assertion has only been subject to minimal empirical research: typically restricted to small-sample qualitative studies or to examining the respective influences of independent VC firms and CV units on the performance of portfolio firms (Gompers & Lerner, 1998; Maula & Murray, 2001). A longitudinal survey of 95 CV units across three continents found mixed empirical support for the suggestion. Of the VC structures and practices investigated, strongest support was found for CV unit engagement with the VC community which was consistently associated with superior corporate venturing performance along both strategic and financial dimensions. VC-like equity-based compensation systems were not found to influence CV performance even where CV units were strongly focused on financial goals. Overall, the adoption of VC practices, partially mediated by venture unit performance, was positively associated with CV unit survival. These results suggest that selective adoption of elements of the VC model may enhance CV unit performance and survival

Rancang Bangun Sistem Pengelolaan Perkreditan Furniture Pada CV Surya Abadi

CV Surya Abadi merupakan perusahaan yang begerak dibidang furniture yang menjual secara kredit berbagai jenis furniture yang beralamat di Kendal, Jateng. CV Surya Abadi saat ini menghadapi permasalahan dalam pengolahan data penjualan perkreditan dan stok barang karena masih menggunakan pencatatan transaksi secara manual dengan mencatat semua transaksi dan data barang kedalam nota dan kemudian diinputkan satu persatu kekomputer dengan menggunakan Ms. Excel sehingga dari segi keamanan dan ketelitian kurang terjamin. Skripsi ini bertujuan untuk memudahkan CV Surya Abadi dalam mengolah data penjualan perkreditan dan stok barang. Pembuatan aplikasi ini menggunakan Lazarus sebagai program aplikasi desktop dan MySQL sebagai databasenya yang dibuat khusus untuk pihak CV Surya Abadi. Proses penelitian yang dilakukan dengan mencari data-data dengan observasi dan wawancara. Tahap pembuatan aplikasi ini yaitu analisa kelemahan sistem lama, pencarian data, perancangan, pembuatan, pengetesan, dan implementasi dari sistem informasi penjualan dengan Lazarus dan MySQL. Hasil akhir aplikasi pengelolaan perkreditan yang telah dibuat berupa laporan barang,dan laporan penjualan perkreditan yang berisi data transaksi penjualan dan pembelian secara keseluruhan guna diserahkan kepada pimpinan atau pemilik dari CV Surya Abadi

Representational Difference Analysis to Identify Genomic Differences between Musa Acuminata X Balbisiana Cv Mutiara and Musa Acuminata X Balbisiana Cv Rastali in Relation to Fusarium Tolerance

Inherited characteristics of an organism are the reflections of gene structure and organization, including interactions among different genes and their products, as well as environmental factors. Thus, variations in other genes may affect the expression or activity of proteins encoded by specific genes. The study of genetic variation is essential in order to examine differences among members of the same species, such as to differentiate between individuals. Musa acuminata x balbisiana cv Rastali is very susceptible to Fusarium Wilt Race 1 and Race 4, which is caused by the soil inhibiting fungus known as Fusarium oxyporum f. sp. Cubense. Micropropagation of Fusarium wilt tolerant M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Rastali selection has been successfully developed by United Plantations Bhd. These bananas have shown a high tolerance to Fusarium wilt race 4 and it is known as M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Mutiara. Fusarium wilt tolerant M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Rastali selection is based on the screening of banana clones by field testing in the “Fusarium Hot-Spot”. The process is time consuming and the process may result in a disease outbreak. Thus, polymorphic markers to differentiate M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Rastali from M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Mutiara will facilitate the early identification and screening process. In this study, representational difference analysis (RDA) approach has been used to identify genomic differences between M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Mutiara and M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Rastali. A total of 56 difference products were isolated from the variable sequences present in the genomes of both cultivars with two enzymes and four subtractions. These clones were selected for sequencing and homology search against the available databases. Generally, the two cultivars showed a high degree of genomic similarity (identities > 98 %). Base changes and short deletions of DNA sequences of both cultivars were detected by the sequence analysis of 8 interesting clones that were expressed during the infection of M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Mutiara. One of the prospective clone, 1.2-5b is homologous to chitinase class III which is a plant defence related gene. It was found to only express in the root of infected M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Mutiara although it was present in both M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Mutiara and M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Rastali genomic DNA. The amplified DNA fragment using primer 1.2-5b for both cultivars is different in length. The most variable region was found at the sequence after the specific forward primer site and the identity of sequence was found at the second half of the sequence. Besides, primer 2.2-9 also gave a different amplified product size, whereby the amplified fragment of M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Mutiara is 25 bp longer than the M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Rastali. Homology search of the sequence from M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Mutiara was unknown. Both cultivars can be easily distinguished from each other by using primers 1.2-5b and 2.2-9. The highly variable region in the sequence of 1.2-5b and 2.2-9 for both cultivar might be due to the natural mutation and environment stresses for the M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Mutiara which derived from M. acuminata x balbisiana cv Rastali to be Fusarium tolerance and survived. The RDA approach has successfully isolated and identified potential variable regions of DNA fragments that might be related to their genotype as Fusarium wilt tolerant and Fusarium wilt susceptible cultivars

Inference of biogeographical ancestry and pigmentation phenotype using single nucleotide polymorphisms

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Science.Conventional DNA profiling of Short Tandem Repeats (STR) provides little evidentiary value in the absence of reference profiles or in the case of a non-match. Recently, the forensic DNA intelligence field has flourished to provide investigators with valuable information from DNA samples that can narrow the collection of potential matches by identifying previously unknown reference individuals. Intelligence data of special interest includes the biogeographical ancestry (BGA) and external visible characteristics (EVC) such as the eye, hair and skin colour of unknown DNA samples donors. Innovative technological advances like next-generation sequencing and microarrays have been crucial to the establishment of population diversity repositories comprising millions of DNA markers, the most abundant of which include single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Large-scale SNP studies of global populations have enabled reconstructions of mitochondrial (mtDNA) and non-recombining Y-chromosome (NRY) phylogenies, providing highly comprehensive population specific patterns of maternal and paternal genetic variation. Similarly, numerous patterns of autosomal genetic variation have been identified between different populations. These studies have culminated in panels of markers capable of resolving ancestry at the continental level. The identification of autosomal SNPs associated with human pigmentation variation has also resulted in the discovery of specific SNPs capable of predicting EVCs. Several DNA intelligence and phenotyping assays for the inference of BGA and for the prediction of eye, hair and skin colour have subsequently been developed. However, most of these intelligence tools have primarily focused on the analysis of one class of SNPs, hence limiting the amount of ancestry intelligence that could be obtained. The scarcity and often environmentally compromised nature of forensic biological evidence means that performing numerous individual intelligence tests is not optimal and a consolidated DNA intelligence diagnostic test is very much needed. This study aimed to develop a SNP genotyping system that combined autosomal, NRY and mtDNA markers for comprehensive predictions of BGA and EVCs. Candidate SNPs were selected through literature and database searches to identify loci exhibiting skewed allele frequency differences between Sub-Saharan African, North African, Middle Eastern, European, South and East Asian populations. A hierarchical arrangement comprising five separate multiplexes was implemented, in which SNP typing was performed by single-base extension assays. The haploid mtDNA and NRY SNPs were grouped into Multiplex 1 to 4, with SNPs defining maternal and paternal lineages (haplogroups) affiliated with the same geographic region grouped in the same reaction. The markers defining basal haplogroups were included in Multiplex 1, which is then used to identify the subsequent multiplex(es) required to achieve further haplogroup resolution and to minimise the number of tests required. The autosomal SNPs are typed separately in Multiplex 5. A performance evaluation of the 5-multiplex SNP assay was undertaken on 146 individuals originating from the six major population groups of interest. Population genetic analyses of the mtDNA and NRY haplotypes and autosomal genotypes revealed that a greater degree of population differentiation was achieved with the selected NRY and autosomal SNPs than with the mtDNA SNPs. Moreover, the results indicated that the assay primarily allowed for the differentiation of continental ancestry, with populations in close proximity within continents, such as Europe, the Middle East and South Asia, often difficult to distinguish. However, the observed correlation between the declared and inferred geographic regions of maternal and paternal origin was high; 73-100% for maternal and 79-100% for paternal regional BGA. The bi-parental BGA predictions ranged from 85 to 95%, provided Middle Easterners and Europeans were grouped into a single Western Eurasian population. In 99% of cases, two of the three SNP classes correctly predicted the same ancestry from one of the five broad geographical regions (Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, Western Eurasia, South Asia and East Asia). High prediction accuracies were also observed for the inference of EVCs including hair (86-88%) and eye colour (81-95%). The DNA intelligence assay also demonstrated advanced performance with low starting amounts of genomic DNA, with full profiles observed for up to 100pg of template and for the analysis of routine casework biological samples. Consequently, this study presented the successful development of a novel, consolidated DNA intelligence tool that has displayed high performance for the inference of regional (continental) BGA and EVC in preliminary tests. Further validations of the assay are required; however the developed 5-multiplex SNP assay remains a valuable DNA intelligence diagnostic tool for the forensic science community

Inertial effects of an accelerating black hole

We consider the static vacuum C metric that represents the gravitational field of a black hole of mass $m$ undergoing uniform translational acceleration $A$ such that $mA<1/(3\sqrt{3})$. The influence of the inertial acceleration on the exterior perturbations of this background are investigated. In particular, we find no evidence for a direct spin-acceleration coupling.Comment: Proceedings of the XVI Conference of the Italian Society for General Relativity and Gravitation (SIGRAV), Vietri (SA), September 13-16, 2004. Prepared using revtex4 macro

Geometrical Structures of Space-Time in General Relativity

Space-Time in general relativity is a dynamical entity because it is subject to the Einstein field equations. The space-time metric provides different geometrical structures: conformal, volume, projective and linear connection. A deep understanding of them has consequences on the dynamical role played by geometry. We present a unified description of those geometrical structures, with a standard criterion of naturalness, and then we establish relationships among them and try to clarify the meaning of associated geometric magnitudes.Comment: To appear in the AIP Conference Proceedings of the XVI International Fall Workshop on Geometry and Physics, Lisbon - Portugal, 5-8 September 2007. 5 page