Cycle 23 Variation in Solar Flare Productivity

The NOAA listings of solar flares in cycles 21-24, including the GOES soft X-ray magnitudes, enable a simple determination of the number of flares each flaring active region produces over its lifetime. We have studied this measure of flare productivity over the interval 1975-2012. The annual averages of flare productivity remained approximately constant during cycles 21 and 22, at about two reported M or X flares per region, but then increased significantly in the declining phase of cycle 23 (the years 2004-2005). We have confirmed this by using the independent RHESSI flare catalog to check the NOAA events listings where possible. We note that this measure of solar activity does not correlate with the solar cycle. The anomalous peak in flare productivity immediately preceded the long solar minimum between cycles 23 and 24

The optical depth of white-light flare continuum

The white-light continuum emission of a solar flare remains a puzzle as regards its height of formation and its emission mechanism(s). This continuum, and its extension into the near UV, contain the bulk of the energy radiated by a flare, and so its explanation is a high priority. We describe a method to determine the optical depth of the emitting layer and apply it to the well-studied flare of 2002 July~15, making use of MDI pseudo-continuum intensity images. We find the optical depth of the visible continuum in all flare images, including an impulsive ribbon structure to be small, consistent with the observation of Balmer and Paschen edges in other events

Ectopic gestation: a study illustrated by 25 cases

In this thesis I propose, after reviewing the historical aspect of ectopie gestation, and discussing the etiology, to examine the mode of implantation and growth of the impregnated ovum, to follow its subsequent course and fate, with special reference to the anatomical positions and relations which it may assume, and to submit a classification.I shall then go into the signs, symptoms and differential diagnosis of the various conditions, largely based on 25 cases.I shall close my thesis with the history of these cases, and a brief commentary on each. I have personally observed and taken the histories of all of them and have assisted or been present at most of the operations

An Evaluation of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, 1983-86.

The primary objective of this study was to determine the extent to which dietary behavior changes were made by the EFNEP participants in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, and whether or not they were retained after they were graduated for six months but less than one year. Data were obtained by personal interviews conducted by paraprofessional nutrition aides on the 208 homemakers who participated in the EFNEP during 1983-86. The 24-hour dietary recall instrument was the basis upon which homemakers\u27 diets were evaluated. The dependent variable in this study was the mean difference in dietary scores at three different points in time (entry, graduation, and post-graduation) as evaluated by the 24-hour food recall instrument. The independent variables which were compared with the dietary score were age, family size, income, participation in assistance programs, and educational level. The data show that the 208 homemakers in this study made statistically significant dietary behavior improvements during the two years of enrollment (1983-85). The data also show that the homemakers retained their improved dietary behavior at a statistically significant level after graduation (6-12 months). However, where dietary change was compared with age, family size, income, educational level, and participation in assistance programs, there was found to be no statistically significant relationship. On the basis of the findings in this study, the EFNEP in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, 1983-86, was effective in improving the dietary behavior of low-income homemakers and that the improvement was statistically significant

The impact of the Louisiana Master Gardener Program on the perceived and actual horticultural knowlede levels of program participants

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the impact of participation in the master gardener program on: a. Self-perceived knowledge in selected horticultural areas; b. Knowledge in selected areas of horticulture as measured by a researcher designed test; and c. Use of best management practices (BMPs) in horticultural practice. Gardening is a favorite pastime in the United States that has therapeutic and rewarding benefits. Currently, there is a great demand for accurate gardening (horticultural) information from green industry users such as gardeners from all backgrounds and areas. There is a need for research-based horticultural information to be provided to the home gardener by reputable sources. In 1972, the Master Gardener concept was initiated in Washington State due to the high demand to answer consumer horticultural questions. The main objective of this program is to increase horticultural knowledge of program participants so they, in turn can transfer this research-based information to consumer horticultural clientele. The program quickly spread throughout the United States. It reached Louisiana in 1994 and was expanded throughout most metropolitan areas by 1997. No formal evaluation has ever been conducted to determine the horticultural knowledge impacts of this program. All 257 2004 Louisiana Master Gardener program participants were surveyed both before and after participation in this program to determine programmatic impacts. The survey used was a researcher-developed instrument designed to measure self-perceived knowledge, tested knowledge, and Best Management Practices (BMPs) used. Data were collected by currently employed master gardener coordinators and submitted to the researcher after each phase of data collection (pre and post). Results of the study revealed that the LMG participants were highly educated, mostly Caucasian, and mostly female. Significant improvements were identified in all of the knowledge and practice measurements included in the study. These included self-perceived knowledge, tested knowledge, and use of BMPs. It was concluded that the 2004 Louisiana Master Gardener program was effective in increasing the self-perceived horticultural knowledge and tested horticultural knowledge of program participants. In addition, the study concluded that the 2004 Louisiana Master Gardener program improved the use of BMPs among the participants

‘Who are we trying to protect?’ The role of vulnerability analysis in New Zealand’s law of negligence

New Zealand has incorporated ideas of vulnerability within its law of negligence for some years. It has not, however, clarified what is meant by vulnerability or the role the concept plays within the broader duty of care framework. Several obiter comments in Body Corporate No 207624 v North Shore City Council (Spencer on Byron) suggest the concept ought not to be part of the law due to its uncertain and confusing nature. Subsequent cases have, however, continued to use the concept, and continue to use it despite both its historically ill-defined nature and the additional uncertainty added by Spencer on Byron. This essay argues that vulnerability can and ought to be a part of New Zealand negligence law. With a consistent adoption of a single test for vulnerability–that established in the High Court of Australia in Woolcock Street Investments Pty Ltd v CDG Pty Ltd (Woolcock)–vulnerability can be a conceptually certain concept that provides useful insight into the issues posed by the law of negligence

Soft X-ray Pulsations in Solar Flares

The soft X-ray emissions of solar flares come mainly from the bright coronal loops at the highest temperatures normally achieved in the flare process. Their ubiquity has led to their use as a standard measure of flare occurrence and energy, although the overwhelming bulk of the total flare energy goes elsewhere. Recently Dolla et al. (2012) noted quasi-periodic pulsations (QPP) in the soft X-ray signature of the X-class flare SOL2011-02-15, as observed by the standard photometric data from the GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) spacecraft. In this paper we analyze the suitability of the GOES data for this kind of analysis and find them to be generally valuable after September, 2010 (GOES-15). We then extend the Dolla et al. result to a complete list of X-class flares from Cycle 24, and show that most of them (80%) display QPPs in the impulsive phase. The pulsations show up cleanly in both channels of the GOES data, making use of time-series of irradiance differences (the digital time derivative on the 2-s sampling). We deploy different techniques to characterize the periodicity of GOES pulsations, considering the red-noise properties of the flare signals, finding a range of chracteristic time scales of the QPPs for each event, but usually with no strong signature of a single period dominating in the power spectrum. The QPP may also appear on somewhat longer time scales during the later gradual phase, possibly with a greater tendency towards coherence, but the sampling noise in GOES difference data for large irradiance values (X-class flares) makes these more uncertain. We show that there is minimal phase difference between the differenced GOES energy channels, or between them and the hard X-ray variations on short time scales. During the impulsive phase the footpoints of the newly-forming flare loops may also contribute to the observed soft X-ray variations.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure