Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes in a Belgian population sample and identification of a micro-variant with a flanking site mutation at DYS19

Allele frequencies and haplotypes for 12 Y-chromosomal STR loci included in the Powerplex System (Promega, Madison, USA) were determined in a sample of 113 unrelated males of Belgian origin. Ninety-nine different haplotypes were observed with an overall haplotype diversity of 0.997.     

Overcoming Weak Entrepreneurial Infrastructures for Academic Spin-Off Ventures

We discuss the characteristics of academic “spin-off policies” in environments outside of high tech clusters and where technology transfer and entrepreneurship infrastructures have been weak. We explore whether the policies could explain the lack of growth potential of spin-off ventures that have repeatedly observed. We studied the case of Belgium, gathering data from nine of spin-off policies in the eight largest academic institutions and in 47 firms. We propose that spin-off policies in academic institutions significantly affect the growth potential of ventures.     

Sourcing explosives: A multi-isotope approach

Although explosives are easily identified with current instrumental techniques, it is generally impossible to distinguish between sources of the same substance. To alleviate this difficulty, we present a multi-stable isotope (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, δ¹⁸O, δD) approach for appraising the possibility of discriminating explosives. The results from 30 distinct PETN, TNT and ANFO samples show that the different families of explosives are clearly differentiated by both their specific isotope signatures and their combination with corresponding element concentrations. Coupling two or more of the studied isotope systematics yields an even more precise differentiation on the basis of their raw-material origin and/or manufacturing process.