Large genetic diversity for fine-flavor traits unveiled in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) with special attention to the native Chuncho variety in Cusco, Peru

The fine-flavor cocoa industry explores mainly six chocolate sensory traits from four traditional cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) varieties. The importance of cocoa pulp flavors and aromas has been ignored until we recently showed that they migrate into beans and into chocolates. Pulp sensory traits are strongly genotype dependent and correlated to human preference. Growers of the native Chuncho variety from Cusco, Peru, which is the cocoa that the Incas consumed, make pulp juices from preferred trees (genotypes). Evaluations of 226 preferred trees evidenced presence of 64 unique mostly multi-trait sensory profiles. Twenty nine of the 40 flavors and aromas identified mimic those of known fruit and flower or spice species such as mandarin, soursop, custard apple, cranberry, peach, banana, inga, mango, nut, mint, cinnamon, jasmine, rose and lily. Such large sensory diversity and mimicry is unknown in other commercial fleshy fruit species. So far, 14 Chuncho-like pulp sensory traits have been identified among different cocoa varieties elsewhere suggesting that Chuncho is part of the “centre of origin” for cocoa flavors and aromas. Stable expression of multi-trait Chuncho sensory profiles suggest pleiotropic dominant inheritance, favoring selection for quality traits, which is contrasting with the complex sensory trait determination in other fleshy fruit species. It is inferred that the large sensory diversity of Chuncho cocoa can only be explained by highly specialized sensory trait selection pressure exerted by frugivores, during evolution, and by the indigenous “Matsigenkas”, during domestication. Chuncho beans, still largely employed as a bulk cocoa source, deserve to become fully processed as an extra-fine cocoa variety. The valorization of the numerous T. cacao sensory profiles in chocolates, raw beans and juices should substantially diversify and boost the fineflavor cocoa industry, this time based on the Matsigenka/Inca and not anymore on the Maya cocoa traditions

Three Generation Long-wavelength Vacuum Oscillation Solution to the Solar Neutrino Problem

We investigate the current status of the long-wavelength vacuum oscillation solution to the solar neutrino problem and to what extent the presence of a third neutrino can affect and modify it. Assuming that the smaller mass squared difference that can induce such oscillations, $\Delta m^2_{12}$, is in the range $10^{-11}-10^{-8}$ eV$^2$ and the larger one, $\Delta m^2_{23}$, in the range relevant to atmospheric neutrino observations, we analyze the most recent solar neutrino data coming from Homestake, SAGE, GALLEX, GNO and Super-Kamiokande experiments in the context of three neutrino generations. We include in our vacuum oscillation analysis the MSW effect in the Sun, which is relevant for some of the parameter space scrutinized. We have also performed, as an extreme exercise, the fit without Homestake data. % While we found that the MSW effect basically does not affect the best fitted parameters, it significantly modifies the allowed parameter space for $\Delta m^2_{12}$ larger than $\sim 3 \times 10^{-10}$ eV$^2$, in good agreement with the result obtained by A. Friedland in the case of two generations. % Although the presence of a third neutrino does not essentially improve the quality of the fit, the solar neutrino data alone can give an upper bound on $\theta_{13}$, which is constrained to be less than $\sim 60^\circ$ at 95 % C.L.Comment: 35 pages, 14 png figures: good quality postscript figures can be found in http://neutrinos.if.usp.br/gefan/papers/publicados/ps/GNZ

The New Hampshire, Vol. 105, No. 48 (May. 5, 2016)

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire

Global Analysis of the post-SNO Solar Neutrino Data for Standard and Non-Standard Oscillation Mechanisms

What can we learn from solar neutrino observations? Is there any solution to the solar neutrino anomaly which is favored by the present experimental panorama? After SNO results, is it possible to affirm that neutrinos have mass? In order to answer such questions we analyze the current available data from the solar neutrino experiments, including the recent SNO result, in view of many acceptable solutions to the solar neutrino problem based on different conversion mechanisms, for the first time, using the same statistical procedure. This allows us to do a direct comparison of the goodness of the fit among different solutions, from which we can discuss and conclude on the current status of each proposed dynamical mechanism. These solutions are based on different assumptions: (a) neutrino mass and mixing, (b) non-vanishing neutrino magnetic moment, (c) the existence of non-standard flavor-changing and non-universal neutrino interactions and (d) the tiny violation of the equivalence principle. We investigate the quality of the fit provided by each one of these solutions not only to the total rate measured by all the solar neutrino experiments but also to the recoil electron energy spectrum measured at different zenith angles by the Super-Kamiokande collaboration. We conclude that several non-standard neutrino flavor conversion mechanisms provide a very good fit to the experimental data which is comparable with (or even slightly better than) the most famous solution to the solar neutrino anomaly based on the neutrino oscillation induced by mass.Comment: Minor changes in the solar magnetic field profile used, and some refferences added. Final version to appear in PR

IceCube3--a new window on the Universe

This paper gives an overview of the scientific goals of IceCube with an emphasis on the importance of atmospheric neutrinos. Status and schedule for completing the detector are presented.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, to appear in A.I.P. Conf. Proceedings, 3rd Latin American School on Cosmic Rays, Arequipa, Peru, September, 200

Searching for cavities of various densities in the Earth's crust with a low-energy electron-antineutrino beta-beam

We propose searching for deep underground cavities of different densities in the Earth's crust using a long-baseline electron-antineutrino disappearance experiment, realized through a low-energy beta-beam with highly-enhanced luminosity. We focus on four cases: cavities with densities close to that of water, iron-banded formations, heavier mineral deposits, and regions of abnormal charge accumulation that have been posited to appear prior to the occurrence of an intense earthquake. The sensitivity to identify cavities attains confidence levels higher than $3\sigma$ and $5\sigma$ for exposures times of 3 months and 1.5 years, respectively, and cavity densities below 1 g cm$^{-3}$ or above 5 g cm$^{-3}$, with widths greater than 200 km. We reconstruct the cavity density, width, and position, assuming one of them known while keeping the other two free. We obtain large allowed regions that improve as the cavity density differs more from the Earth's mean density. Furthermore, we demonstrate that knowledge of the cavity density is important to obtain O(10%) error on the width. Finally, we introduce an observable to quantify the presence of a cavity by changing the orientation of the electron-antineutrino beam, with which we are able to identify the presence of a cavity at the $2\sigma$ to $5\sigma$ C.L.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures; matches published versio

A Brief Review of the Literature on Earnings Mobility in Developing Countries

[Excerpt] The literature on income and earnings mobility falls into three categories: 1. Macro mobility studies address the entire economy. They ask the question, how much income mobility and/or earnings mobility is there in the economy? 2. A second group of studies, micro mobility studies, examines patterns of income and earnings change over time for different individuals or groups. They ask the questions, which individuals or households experience movements of what magnitudes, and what are the correlates and determinants of these movements? 3. Within the micro mobility studies are a number of studies that look specifically at poverty dynamics. These studies ask the question, how many households move into and out of poverty within a certain time frame and what are the correlates and determinants of these movements? The current project asks the following questions about earnings mobility: * Who benefits the most from the growth process, and how much do they benefit? * Who is left behind or made more vulnerable? * Who is hurt when economic decline takes place and by how much (and who can withstand or even see income gains in such environments)? * What are the forces behind these changes and behind the experiences of different groups of individuals? Given these questions, this literature review focuses on studies of micro earnings mobility. This review excludes a number other literatures: studies that present transition matrices across income classes; studies of macro mobility; studies of poverty dynamics, which necessarily are based on data on household incomes from all sources and/or household consumption; studies that use pseudo-panels rather than true panels or retrospective data; and studies using data from one or a very small number of villages, cities, or occupational groups