We show that the following $K_0$-monoid properties of $C^*$-algebras in the class $\Omega$ are inherited by simple unital $C^*$-algebras in the class $TA\Omega$: (1) weak comparability, (2) strictly unperforated, (3) strictly cancellative.

We investigate the behavior of the quasi-Baer and the right FI-extending right ring hulls under various ring extensions including group ring extensions, full and triangular matrix ring extensions, and infinite matrix ring extensions. As a consequence, we show that for semiprime rings $R$ and $S$, if $R$ and $S$ are Morita equivalent, then so are the quasi-Baer right ring hulls $\widehat{Q}_{\mathfrak{qB}}(R)$ and $\widehat{Q}_{\mathfrak{qB}}(S)$ of $R$ and $S$, respectively. As an application, we prove that if unital $C^*$-algebras $A$ and $B$ are Morita equivalent as rings, then the bounded central closure of $A$ and that of $B$ are strongly Morita equivalent as $C^*$-algebras. Our results show that the quasi-Baer property is always preserved by infinite matrix rings, unlike the Baer property. Moreover, we give an affirmative answer to an open question of Goel and Jain for the commutative group ring $A[G]$ of a torsion-free Abelian group $G$ over a commutative semiprime quasi-continuous ring $A$. Examples that illustrate and delimit the results of this paper are provided.

A ring $R$ is called {\it quasi-Baer} if the right annihilator of every right ideal of $R$ is generated by an idempotent as a right ideal. We investigate the quasi-Baer property of skew group rings and fixed rings under a finite group action on a semiprime ring and their applications to $C^*$-algebras. Various examples to illustrate and delimit our results are provided.

We prove that a separable, nuclear, purely infinite, simple $C^*$-algebra satisfying the universal coefficient theorem is weakly semiprojective if and only if its $K$-groups are direct sums of cyclic groups.

Using ideas of S. Wassermann on non-exact $C^*$-algebras and property T groups, we show that one of his examples of non-invertible $C^*$-extensions is not semi-invertible. To prove this, we show that a certain element vanishes in the asymptotic tensor product. We also show that a modification of the example gives a $C^*$-extension which is not even invertible up to homotopy.

Let $\cal A$ be a $C^*$-algebra and $E$ be a Banach space with the Radon-Nikodym property. We prove that if $j$ is an embedding of $E$ into an injective Banach space then for every absolutely summing operator $T:\mathcal{A}\longrightarrow E$, the composition $j \circ T$ factors through a diagonal operator from $l^{2}$ into $l^{1}$. In particular, $T$ factors through a Banach space with the Schur property. Similarly, we prove that for $2
Keywords:$C^*$-algebras, summing operators, diagonal operators,, Radon-Nikodym property
Categories:46L50, 47D15

Let $\cZ$ be the unital simple nuclear infinite dimensional $C^*$-algebra which has the same Elliott invariant as $\bbC$, introduced in \cite{JS}. A $C^*$-algebra is called $\cZ$-stable if $A \cong A \otimes \cZ$. In this note we give some necessary conditions for a unital simple $C^*$-algebra to be $\cZ$-stable.