Necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for optimization problems in function spaces and applications to control theory

We consider an abstract formulation for optimization problems in some Lp spaces. The variables are restricted by pointwise upper and lower bounds and by finitely many equality and inequality constraints of functional type. Second-order necessary and sufficient optimality conditions are established, where the cone of critical directions is arbitrarily close to the form which is expected from the optimization in finite dimensional spaces. The results are applied to an optimal control problem governed by a partial differential equation. Finally we compare the conditions obtained by applying this abstract procedure and those ones derived by using the methods adapted to the optimal control problem

La colaboración empresa-universidad en el ámbito de las razas ovinas autóctonas españolas: el ejemplo de Melovine

Se describe la colaboración establecida desde los años 90 hasta la actualidad entre un laboratorio veterinario (CEVA Salud Animal) y una universidad española (Universidad de Zaragoza), con la hormona pineal melatonina como eje. Los objetivos fundamentales han sido la descripción de los mecanismos básicos de actuación de esta hormona sobre la estacionalidad reproductiva de la especie ovina y la realización de pruebas de campo en ganaderías comerciales españolas, en un buen número de razas autóctonas, con el fin de difundir los resultados obtenidos en condiciones reales de explotación. Este hecho ha involucrado a todos los eslabones del sector ovino español, desde el laboratorio, el ganadero, la cooperativa, el veterinario, las asociaciones de defensa sanitaria, las administraciones públicas, las asociaciones de razas, coordinados todos ellos por un departamento universitario. Se ha trabajado con las razas autóctonas Castellana, Churra, Latxa, Manchega, Merina, Ojalada, Ojinegra, Rasa Aragonesa, Ripollesa y Segureña, además de otras como la Assaf y Lacaune. Se han descrito protocolos de uso de los implantes de melatonina en ovejas adultas, corderas y moruecos, en distintos momentos fisiológicos y sistemas de explotación. Todos ellos han sido difundidos al sector ovino español a través de publicaciones científicas y técnicas y a través de congresos, ponencias y cursos destinados a veterinarios y ganaderos

Repercusiones de los ritmos reproductivos en un rebaño extensivo de raza manchega de carne

Se muestra la evolución de los resultados productivos en los últimos 22 años de una explotación de ovino de carne de la raza Manchega, destinado a la producción de lechazo, en función del sistema de cubriciones aplicado, el número de machos en cubrición y la utilización de melatonina para las cubriciones en épocas de anestro. Desde 1985 a 1992 se aplicaba en la explotación un sistema de tres partos en dos años. En 1993 se comenzó a utilizar el sistema STAR, de 5 cubriciones al año. En 2000 se aumentó el número de machos a más de un 5%. A partir de 2002 se comenzó a aplicar melatonina en las cubriciones que establece el sistema STAR en anestro estacionario (marzo y junio). Todas las modificaciones han mostrado beneficios en los resultados productivos. Los resultados de los últimos 5 años muestran la eficacia y la compatibilidad del sistema STAR en nuestras explotaciones de ovino en extensivo, acompañado de un número de machos importante que asegure buenas cubriciones (>5%). La aplicación de la melatonina optimiza este sistema de manejo, estabilizando las cubriciones de anestro, lo que hace que se produzca un mayor número de corderos útiles (vendidos + reposición), una venta de corderos mayor en el segundo semestre y se estabilicen los resultados entre años

Neutralino Dark Matter in BMSSM Effective Theory

We study thermal neutralino dark matter in an effective field theory extension of the MSSM, called "Beyond the MSSM" (BMSSM) in Dine, Seiberg and Thomas (2007). In this class of effective field theories, the field content of the MSSM is unchanged, but the little hierarchy problem is alleviated by allowing small corrections to the Higgs/higgsino part of the Lagrangian. We perform parameter scans and compute the dark matter relic density. The light Higgsino LSP scenario is modified the most; we find new regions of parameter space compared to the standard MSSM. This involves interesting interplay between the WMAP dark matter bounds and the LEP chargino bound. We also find some changes for gaugino LSPs, partly due to annihilation through a Higgs resonance, and partly due to coannihilation with light stops in models that are ruled in by the new effective terms.Comment: 37 pages + appendi

Biodegradation kinetics of dissolved organic matter chromatographic fractions

Controls on the degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) are complex but key to understand the role of freshwaters in the carbon cycle. Both the origin and previous degradation history have been suggested to determine DOM reactivity, but it is still a major challenge to understand the links between DOM composition and biodegradation kinetics. An appropriate context to study these links are intermittent rivers, as summer drought naturally diversifies DOM sources and sinks. Here we investigated the biodegradation kinetics of DOM in the main aquatic environments present in a temporary river. During dark incubations we traced the dynamics of bulk DOM and its main chromatographic fractions defined using LC-OCD: high molecular weight substances (HMWS), low molecular weight substances (LMWS), and humic substances and building blocks. Bulk DOM decay patterns were successfully fitted to the reactivity continuum (RC) biodegradation model. The RC parameters depicted running waters as the sites presenting a more reactive DOM, and temporary pools, enriched in leaf litter, as the ones with slowest DOM decay. The decay patterns of each DOM fraction were consistent throughout sites. LMWS and HMWS decayed in all cases and could be modeled using the RC model. Notably, the dynamics of LMWS controlled the bulk DOM kinetics. We discuss the mechanistic basis for the chromatographic fractions' kinetics during biodegradation and the implications that preconditioning and summer drought can have for DOM biodegradation in intermittent rivers

One-loop Correction and the Dilaton Runaway Problem

We examine the one-loop vacuum structure of an effective theory of gaugino condensation coupled to the dilaton for string models in which the gauge coupling constant does not receive string threshold corrections. The new ingredients in our treatment are that we take into account the one-loop correction to the dilaton K\"ahler potential and we use a formulation which includes a chiral field $H$ corresponding to the gaugino bilinear. We find through explicit calculation that supersymmetry in the Yang-Mills sector is broken by gaugino condensation. The dilaton and $H$ field have masses on the order of the gaugino condensation scale independently of the dilaton VEV. Although the calculation performed here is at best a model of the full gaugino condensation dynamics, the result shows that the one-loop correction to the dilaton K\"ahler potential as well as the detailed dynamics at the gaugino condensation scale may play an important role in solving the dilaton runaway problem.Comment: 19 page

Estudio comparativo de diferentes técnicas geofísicas para el control de la intrusión salina en acuíferos costeros: Aplicación al acuífero de Oued Laou (Marruecos)

Groundwater is a fundamental and strategic resource for water supply of coastal areas, especially in the Mediterranean basin where the irregularity of precipitation, both seasonally and year-onyear, put at risk the availability of surface water in the rivers, which go from being dry for long periods to causing torrential discharges. In particular, if the exploitation of coastal aquifers is not properly managed and the quality of groundwater is not monitored regularly, important sectors of the aquifer may be affected by saltwater intrusion, and cause the abandonment of the wells. Geophysical methods are a very effective complement to provide indirect information on groundwater salinity in areas of the aquifer where wells or piezometers are not available for sampling. This study presents the results obtained from the application of different geophysical methods in the coastal aquifer of Oued Laou (Morocco) as a complement to hydrochemical data. Four geophysical methods, two electrical: vertical electrical sounding and electrical resistivity tomography, and two electromagnetic: frequency domain EM and time domain EM sounding. The comparative analysis of the results obtained by each method has made it possible to assess the coherence and complementarity of each method, as well as their corresponding advantages and limitations in terms of resolution and cost-effectiveness

Model for a Universe described by a non-minimally coupled scalar field and interacting dark matter

In this work it is investigated the evolution of a Universe where a scalar field, non-minimally coupled to space-time curvature, plays the role of quintessence and drives the Universe to a present accelerated expansion. A non-relativistic dark matter constituent that interacts directly with dark energy is also considered, where the dark matter particle mass is assumed to be proportional to the value of the scalar field. Two models for dark matter pressure are considered: the usual one, pressureless, and another that comes from a thermodynamic theory and relates the pressure with the coupling between the scalar field and the curvature scalar. Although the model has a strong dependence on the initial conditions, it is shown that the mixture consisted of dark components plus baryonic matter and radiation can reproduce the expected red-shift behavior of the deceleration parameter, density parameters and luminosity distance.Comment: 11 pages and 6 figures. To appear in GR

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis with Gaussian Inhomogeneous Neutrino Degeneracy

We consider the effect of inhomogeneous neutrino degeneracy on Big Bang nucleosynthesis for the case where the distribution of neutrino chemical potentials is given by a Gaussian. The chemical potential fluctuations are taken to be isocurvature, so that only inhomogeneities in the electron chemical potential are relevant. Then the final element abundances are a function only of the baryon-photon ratio $\eta$, the effective number of additional neutrinos $\Delta N_\nu$, the mean electron neutrino degeneracy parameter $\bar \xi$, and the rms fluctuation of the degeneracy parameter, $\sigma_\xi$. We find that for fixed $\eta$, $\Delta N_\nu$, and $\bar \xi$, the abundances of helium-4, deuterium, and lithium-7 are, in general, increasing functions of $\sigma_\xi$. Hence, the effect of adding a Gaussian distribution for the electron neutrino degeneracy parameter is to decrease the allowed range for $\eta$. We show that this result can be generalized to a wide variety of distributions for $\xi$.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, added discussion of neutrino oscillations, altered presentation of figure