Predicting the Amplitude of a Solar Cycle Using the North-South Asymmetry in the Previous Cycle: II. An Improved Prediction for Solar Cycle~24

Recently, using Greenwich and Solar Optical Observing Network sunspot group data during the period 1874-2006, (Javaraiah, MNRAS, 377, L34, 2007: Paper I), has found that: (1) the sum of the areas of the sunspot groups in 0-10 deg latitude interval of the Sun's northern hemisphere and in the time-interval of -1.35 year to +2.15 year from the time of the preceding minimum of a solar cycle n correlates well (corr. coeff. r=0.947) with the amplitude (maximum of the smoothed monthly sunspot number) of the next cycle n+1. (2) The sum of the areas of the spot groups in 0-10 deg latitude interval of the southern hemisphere and in the time-interval of 1.0 year to 1.75 year just after the time of the maximum of the cycle n correlates very well (r=0.966) with the amplitude of cycle n+1. Using these relations, (1) and (2), the values 112 + or - 13 and 74 + or -10, respectively, were predicted in Paper I for the amplitude of the upcoming cycle 24. Here we found that in case of (1), the north-south asymmetry in the area sum of a cycle n also has a relationship, say (3), with the amplitude of cycle n+1, which is similar to (1) but more statistically significant (r=0.968) like (2). By using (3) it is possible to predict the amplitude of a cycle with a better accuracy by about 13 years in advance, and we get 103 + or -10 for the amplitude of the upcoming cycle 24. However, we found a similar but a more statistically significant (r=0.983) relationship, say (4), by using the sum of the area sum used in (2) and the north-south difference used in (3). By using (4) it is possible to predict the amplitude of a cycle by about 9 years in advance with a high accuracy and we get 87 + or - 7 for the amplitude of cycle 24.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, Published in Solar Physics 252, 419-439 (2008

Genetic mapping of semi-polar metabolites in pepper fruits (Capsicum sp.): towards unravelling the molecular regulation of flavonoid quantitative trait loci

Untargeted LCMS profiling of semi-polar metabolites followed by metabolite quantitative trait locus (mQTL) analysis was performed in ripe pepper fruits of 113 F2 plants derived from a cross between Capsicum annuum AC1979 (no. 19) and Capsicum chinense No. 4661 Selection (no. 18). The parental accessions were selected based on their variation in fruit morphological characteristics and fruit content of some target phytonutrients. Clear segregation of fruit colour and fruit metabolite profiles was observed in the F2 population. The F2 plants formed three clusters based on their metabolite profiles. Of the total of 542 metabolites, 52 could be annotated, including a range of flavonoids, such as flavone C-glycosides, flavonol O-glycosides and naringenin chalcone, as well as several phenylpropanoids, a capsaicin analogue, fatty acid derivatives and amino acid derivatives. Interval mapping revealed 279 mQTLs in total. Two mQTL hotspots were found on chromosome 9. These two chromosomal regions regulated the relative levels of 35 and 103 metabolites, respectively. Analysis also revealed an mQTL for a capsaicin analogue, located on chromosome 7. Confirmation of flavonoid mQTLs using a set of six flavonoid candidate gene markers and their corresponding expression data (expression QTLs) indicated the Ca-MYB12 transcription factor gene on chromosome 1 and the gene encoding flavone synthase (FS-2) on chromosome 6 as likely causative genes determining the variation in naringenin chalcone and flavone C-glycosides, respectively, in this population. The combination of large-scale metabolite profiling and QTL analysis provided valuable insight into the genomic regions and genes important for the production of (secondary) metabolites in pepper fruit. This will impact breeding strategies aimed at optimising the content of specific metabolites in pepper frui

Physics of Solar Prominences: II - Magnetic Structure and Dynamics

Observations and models of solar prominences are reviewed. We focus on non-eruptive prominences, and describe recent progress in four areas of prominence research: (1) magnetic structure deduced from observations and models, (2) the dynamics of prominence plasmas (formation and flows), (3) Magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) waves in prominences and (4) the formation and large-scale patterns of the filament channels in which prominences are located. Finally, several outstanding issues in prominence research are discussed, along with observations and models required to resolve them.Comment: 75 pages, 31 pictures, review pape

Imaging Observations of Quasi-Periodic Pulsatory Non-Thermal Emission in Ribbon Solar Flares

Using RHESSI and some auxiliary observations we examine possible connections between spatial and temporal morphology of the sources of non-thermal hard X-ray (HXR) emission which revealed minute quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) during the two-ribbon flares on 2003 May 29 and 2005 January 19. Microwave emission also reveals the same quasi-periodicity. The sources of non-thermal HXR emission are situated mainly inside the footpoints of the flare arcade loops observed by the TRACE and SOHO instruments. At least one of the sources moves systematically both during the QPP-phase and after it in each flare that allows to examine the sources velocities and the energy release rate via the process of magnetic reconnection. The sources move predominantly parallel to the magnetic inversion line or the appropriate flare ribbon during the QPP-phase whereas the movement slightly changes to more perpendicular regime after the QPPs. Each QPP is emitted from its own position. It is also seen that the velocity and the energy release rate don't correlate well with the flux of the HXR emission calculated from the sources. The sources of microwaves and thermal HXRs are situated near the apex of the loop arcade and are not stationary either. Almost all QPPs and some spikes of HXR emission during the post-QPP-phase reveal the soft-hard-soft spectral behavior indicating separate acts of electrons acceleration and injection, rather than modulation of emission flux by some kinds of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) oscillations of coronal loops. In all likelihood, the flare scenarios based on the successively firing arcade loops are more preferable to interpret the observations, although we can not conclude exactly what mechanism forces these loops to flare up.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure

Nuclear Interactions Of Super High Energy Cosmic-rays Observed In Mountain Emulsion Chambers

Here we present a summary of joint discussions on the results of three mountain experiments with large-scale emulsion chambers, at Pamir, Mt. Fuji and Chacaltaya. Observations cover gamma quanta, hadrons and their clusters (called "families"). The following topics are covered, concerning the characteristics of nuclear interactions the energy region 1014-1016 eV: (i) rapid dissipation seen in atmospheric diffusion of high-energy cosmic-rays; (ii) multiplicity and Pt increase in produced pi-mesons in the fragmentation region; (iii) existence of large-Pt jets, (iv) extremely hadron-rich family of the Centauro type; (v) exotic phenomena in the extremely high energy region beyond 1016 eV. © 1981.1911125(1977) Acta Univ. Lodz ser. II, (60)(1973) 13th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 3, p. 2228(1975) 14th Int. Cosmic-Ray Conf., 7, p. 2365(1979) AIP Conf. Proc. no. 49, p. 334(1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 6, p. 344(1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 6816th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf. (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 284(1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 294(1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 13, p. 87(1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 13, p. 92(1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 13, p. 98(1979) AIP Conf. Proc. no. 49, p. 94(1979) AIP Conf. Proc. no. 49, p. 145(1979) AIP Conf. Proc. no. 49, p. 317(1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 6, p. 350(1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 6, p. 356(1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 6, p. 362Nikolsky, Proc. 9th Int. High-energy Symp. (1978) CSSR, 21. , ToborMiyake, (1978) Proc. 19th Int. Conf. on High-energy physics, p. 433Vernov, (1977) Physica, 3, p. 1601Khristiansen, (1978) JETP Lett., 28, p. 124(1973) 13th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 3, p. 2219Izv. Acad. Nauk USSR, ser Phys. (1974) Izv. Acad. Nauk USSR, ser Phys., 38, p. 918(1975) 14th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 2365(1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 68Dunaevsky, Urysson, Emelyanov, Shorin, Tashimov, (1975) FIAN preprint no. 150Dunaevsky, Urysson, Emelyanov, Shorin, Tashinov, (1979) Acta Univ. Lodz ser. II, (60), p. 199Ivanenko, Kanevskya, Roganova, (1978) JETP Lett., 40, p. 704Ivanenko, Kanevsky, Roganova, (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 101Ivanenko, Kanevsky, Roganova, (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 198Wrotniak, (1977) Acta Univ. Lodz ser. II, (60), p. 165Krys, Tomaszevski, Wrotniak, (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 182Krys, Tomaszevski, Wrotniak, (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 186Fomin, Kempa, Khristiansen, Levina, Piotrowska, Wdowczyk, (1977) 15th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 248Fomin, Kempa, Khristiansen, Levina, Piotrowska, Wdowczyk, (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 13, p. 82Azimov, Mullazhanov, Yuldashbayev, (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 262Azimov, Mullazhanov, Yuldashbayev, (1977) Acta Univ. Lodz ser. II, (60), p. 275Kasahara, Torri, Yuda, (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 13, p. 70Kasahara, Torii, Yuda, (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 13, p. 79Shibata, (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 176H. Semba, T. Shibata and T. Tabuki, Suppl. Prog. Theor. Phys., to be publishedZhdanov, Roinishvilli, Smorodin, Tomaszevski, (1975) FIAN preprint no. 163Lattes, Fujimoto, Hasegawa, Hadronic interactions of high energy cosmic-ray observed by emulsion chambers (1980) Physics Reports, 65, p. 152Ellsworth, Gaisser, Yodh, (1981) Phys. Rev., 23 D, p. 764Baradzei, Smorodin, (1974) FIAN preprint nos. 103, 104Baradzei, Smorodin, (1977) Acta Univ. Lodz ser. II, (60), p. 51Zhdanov, (1980) FIAN preprint no. 140H. Semba, T. Shibata and T. Tabuki, Suppl. Prog. Theor. Phys., to be publishedShibata, (1980) Phys. Rev., 22 D, p. 100Slavatinsky, (1980) Proc. 7th European Symp. on Cosmic rays, , Leningrad, to be published(1979) AIP Conference Proc. no. 49, p. 145Azimov, Abduzhamilov, Chudakov, (1963) JETP (Sov. Phys.), 45, p. 40713th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf. (1973) 13th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 5, p. 326Acharya, Rao, Sivaprasad, Rao, (1979) 16th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 6, p. 289Ellsworth, Goodman, Yodh, Gaisser, Stanev, (1981) Phys. Rev., 23 D, p. 771Bariburina, Guseva, Denisova, (1980) Acta Univ. Lodz, 1, p. 9415th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf. (1977) 15th Int. Cosmic-ray Conf., 7, p. 184(1979) AIP Conf. Proc. no. 49, p. 33

The Predictors of Graduation: Social Skills, Mental Health, Academic Characteristics

Abstract: Not completing the undergraduate course in the time expected in the curricula can put the universities and students at a disadvantage, with a delay to enter the labor market. The aim was to identify predictors of graduation, considering social skills, mental health, initial academic performance and socio-demographic and academic characteristics. In total, 287 students participated, of both genders and fromthe humanities, exact and biological areas, who answered the instruments: Social Skills, Behaviors and Context Assessment Questionnaire for University Students, Short version of the Social Phobia Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Predictors were: female, humanities area and average or above-average initial academic performance. The social skills and mental health differentiated the groups in the univariate analyses. This data suggests a need for attention to academic performance in the initial stages of the course, and preventive measures for male students of the exact and biological areas

Metabolite biodiversity in pepper (Capsicum) fruits of thirty-two diverse accessions : variation in health-related compounds and impliciations for breeding

A comprehensive study on morphology and biochemical compounds of 32 Capsicum spp. accessions has been performed. Accessions represented four pepper species, Capsicum annuum, Capsicum frutescens, Capsicum chinense and Capsicum baccatum which were selected by their variation in morphological characters such as fruit color, pungency and origin. Major metabolites in fruits of pepper, carotenoids, capsaicinoids (pungency), flavonoid glycosides, and vitamins C and E were analyzed and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that composition and level of metabolites in fruits varied greatly between accessions and was independent of species and geographical location. Fruit color was determined by the accumulation of specific carotenoids leading to salmon, yellow, orange, red and brown colored fruits. Levels of both O- and C-glycosides of quercetin, luteolin and apigenin varied strongly between accessions. All non-pungent accessions were devoid of capsaicins, whereas capsaicinoid levels ranged from 0.07 up to 80 mg/100 g fr. wt. in fruit pericarp. In general, pungent accessions accumulated the highest capsaicinoid levels in placenta plus seed tissue compared to pericarp. The non-pungent capsaicinoid analogs, capsiates, could be detected at low levels in some pungent accessions. All accessions accumulated high levels of vitamin C, up to 200 mg/100 g fr. wt. The highest vitamin E concentration found was 16 mg/100 g fr. wt. Based on these metabolic data, five accessions were selected for further metabolic and molecular analysis, in order to isolate key genes involved in the production of these compounds and to assist future breeding programs aimed at optimizing the levels of health-related compounds in pepper fruit

Secondary Metabolites of Capsicum Species and Their Importance in the Human Diet

The genus Capsicum (pepper) comprises a large number of wild and cultivated species. The plants are grown all over the world, primarily in tropical and subtropical countries. The fruits are an excellent source of health-related compounds, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), carotenoids (provitamin A), to copherols (vitamin E), flavonoids, and capsaicinoids. Pepper fruits have been used for fresh and cooked consumption, as well as for medicinal purposes, such as treatment of asthma, coughs, sore throats, and toothache. Depending on its uses, there are several main characters important for product quality; pungency, bright attractive colors, highly concentrated extracts, and a small number of seeds are the main characters on which quality is based and priced. Herein, a general overview of biochemical composition, medical properties of these compounds, and characteristics of quality attributes of pepper fruits is presented