In Deep Water: Towards a Greater Commitment for Human Rights in Sea Operations Coordinated by FRONTEX?

Introduction: The paper is organized in four sections. The first section of this paper will be devoted to analysing the broad concept of border surveillance adopted by the Regulation on the sea border operations coordinated by Frontex. In the following two sections, the paper will focus on examining to what extent the new rules applicable to the detection, interception of vessels, and search and rescue situations respect the obligations arising from the main international law treaties binding on the Member States. Finally, in the fourth section, the paper provides a detailed exam of the principle of non-refoulement in the context of Frontex operations. It is important to determine the content and scope of the principle of non-refoulement when interception of vessels takes place in the territorial seas and contiguous zone of the Member States. Furthermore, it is crucial to know whether the principle applies extraterritorially, in particular on the high seas and in the territorial waters of third states

Bose-Einstein Condensates in Optical Quasicrystal Lattices

We analyze the physics of Bose-Einstein condensates confined in 2D quasi-periodic optical lattices, which offer an intermediate situation between ordered and disordered systems. First, we analyze the time-of-flight interference pattern that reveals quasi-periodic long-range order. Second, we demonstrate localization effects associated with quasi-disorder as well as quasiperiodic Bloch oscillations associated with the extended nature of the wavefunction of a Bose-Einstein condensate in an optical quasicrystal. In addition, we discuss in detail the crossover between diffusive and localized regimes when the quasi-periodic potential is switched on, as well as the effects of interactions

Braneworld inflation from an effective field theory after WMAP three-year data

In light of the results from the WMAP three-year sky survey, we study an inflationary model based on a single-field polynomial potential, with up to quartic terms in the inflaton field. Our analysis is performed in the context of the Randall-Sundrum II braneworld theory, and we consider both the high-energy and low-energy (i.e. the standard cosmology case) limits of the theory. We examine the parameter space of the model, which leads to both large-field and small-field inflationary type solutions. We conclude that small field inflation, for a potential with a negative mass square term, is in general favored by current bounds on the tensor-to-scalar perturbation ratio rs.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures; references updated and a few comments added; final version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Transatlantic Transfer of Personal Data: Rebuilding Trust in EU-US Data Relations?

Introduction: This paper aims to analyse firstly, the extent to which the NSA scandal has damaged trust in EU-US transfer of data. PNR and SWIFT already raised serious concerns regarding breaches of data protection rights of EU citizens but the NSA scandal constituted the last straw in the already troubled waters of transatlantic data exchanges. While PNR and SWIFT are not the only existing data transfer agreements between the EU and the US, they are the most contentious. Secondly, this paper will try to examine whether the Umbrella Agreement can contribute to rebuilding trust in EUUS relations by laying down a sufficient and effective framework for data protection in the context of transatlantic cooperation. For that purpose, this paper will first look at the implications of the NSA scandal for trust in transatlantic data relations. Secondly, the challenges to transfers of data in EU-US relations will be examined, paying particular attention to weak level of protection in SWIFT and PNR as well as to their review process and issues of accountability. Thirdly, an analysis of the Commission’s Non- Paper on the state of play of negotiations on the Umbrella Agreement will serve as a ground to assess whether the agreed proposals will provide sufficient safeguards against the identified concerns. Finally, provisional conclusions will be drawn on the basis of the current state of negotiations

Evaluation of a Local Fault Detection Algorithm for HVDC Systems

A great increase in the amount of energy generated from clean and renewable sources integrated in the electric power system is expected worldwide in the coming years. High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems are seen as a promising alternative to the traditional Alternating Current (AC) systems for the expansion of the electric power system. However, to achieve this vision, there are some remaining challenges regarding HVDC systems which need to be solved. One of the main challenges is related to fault detection and location in HVDC grids. This paper reviews the main protection algorithms available and presents the evaluation of a local fault detection algorithm for DC faults in a multi-terminal Voltage Source Conversion (VSC) based HVDC grid. The paper analyses the influence of the DC voltage sampling frequency and the cable length in the performance of the algorithm. © 2019, European Association for the Development of Renewable Energy, Environment and Power Quality (EA4EPQ).The authors thank the support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (project ENE2016-79145-R AEI/FEDER, UE) and GISEL research group IT1083-16), as well as from the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (research group funding PPG17/23)

Factors Associated with Pre-drinking Among Nightclub Patrons in the City of São Paulo

Aims: the aim of the study was to describe the phenomenon of pre-drinking (alcohol consumption before entering nightclubs or bars) and to identify factors associated with pre-drinking practices among patrons in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: Individual-level data were collected by a portal survey of 2422 patrons at the entrance and at the exit of 31 nightclubs. the nightclubs were selected by two-stage sampling using a probability proportional to the establishments' capacity in the first stage and a systematic sample of patrons in the second stage. Breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) was measured. Face-to-face interview identified pre-drinking characteristics and past-year risk behaviors. Analysis used sample weights to compensate for nightclubs or patrons that were possibly over- or under-represented. Results: of the study participants, 41.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 33.7-49.3) engaged in pre-drinking on the night of the interview. Being male (odds ratio (OR) = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.45-2.71), past-year binge drinking (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.70-3.07), previous episodes of severe effects from drunkenness (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.40-2.22) and sexual risk behavior (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.20-2.33) were associated with recent pre-drinking. Pre-drinking predicted higher BrACs at the nightclub exit. Conclusion: Pre-drinking is prevalent among nightclub patrons and associated with risk behaviors, and is associated with alcohol intoxication at nightclub exits. Environmental prevention strategies must consider pre-drinking as a potential risk factor for alcohol intoxication in nightclubs.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Prevent Med, Epidemiol Sect, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Informat Hlth, Sect Stat, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Sect Bioestat, Dept Prevent Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Prevent Med, Epidemiol Sect, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Informat Hlth, Sect Stat, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Sect Bioestat, Dept Prevent Med, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2011/51658-0FAPESP: 2012/03832-4Web of Scienc

The GAPS Programme with HARPS-N at TNG. X. Differential abundances in the XO-2 planet hosting binary

Binary stars hosting exoplanets are a unique laboratory where chemical tagging can be performed to measure with high accuracy the elemental abundances of both stellar components, with the aim to investigate the formation of planets and their subsequent evolution. Here, we present a high-precision differential abundance analysis of the XO-2 wide stellar binary based on high resolution HARPS-N@TNG spectra. Both components are very similar K-dwarfs and host planets. Since they formed presumably within the same molecular cloud, we expect they should possess the same initial elemental abundances. We investigate if the presence of planets can cause some chemical imprints in the stellar atmospheric abundances. We measure abundances of 25 elements for both stars with a range of condensation temperature $T_{\rm C}=40-1741$ K, achieving typical precisions of $\sim 0.07$ dex. The North component shows abundances in all elements higher by $+0.067 \pm 0.032$ dex on average, with a mean difference of +0.078 dex for elements with $T_{\rm C} > 800$ K. The significance of the XO-2N abundance difference relative to XO-2S is at the $2\sigma$ level for almost all elements. We discuss the possibility that this result could be interpreted as the signature of the ingestion of material by XO-2N or depletion in XO-2S due to locking of heavy elements by the planetary companions. We estimate a mass of several tens of $M_{\oplus}$ in heavy elements. The difference in abundances between XO-2N and XO-2S shows a positive correlation with the condensation temperatures of the elements, with a slope of $(4.7 \pm 0.9) \times 10^{-5}$ dex K$^{-1}$, which could mean that both components have not formed terrestrial planets, but that first experienced the accretion of rocky core interior to the subsequent giant planets.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics. Numbering of the series change