Evaluación de incertidumbres de medición en plataforma de ensayo para pequeños aerogeneradores

El presente trabajo desarrolla aspectos relativos a la evaluación de incertidumbres en la medición de curva de potencia para pequeños aerogeneradores, en consonancia con la metodología indicada por la norma IEC 61400-12-1 (2005) y en base a los resultados obtenidos en la primera camada de ensayos en el laboratorio del INTI en Cutral-Có, Neuquén, desde su inauguración en junio de 2012. Este laboratorio permite la obtención de la curva de potencia de cuatro aerogeneradores tipo off-grid para carga de baterías en simultáneo, empleando dos torres meteorológicas, y se construyó por iniciativa del centro Neuquén del INTI como parte de una estrategia para impulsar la implementación de sistemas eólicos de baja potencia de producción argentina. La evaluación de las incertidumbres en la medición resulta de extrema importancia a efectos de contrastar resultados con otras experiencias internacionales, en particular las llevadas adelante por la Small Wind Association of Testers (SWAT) en el marco de la IEA (International Energy Agency). Se incluye una breve introducción a la teoría de las incertidumbres, la aplicación general de incertidumbres en el método de los bins de la IEC, y un estudio particular para las fuentes de incertidumbre en los equipos PWRC2 utilizados y las incertidumbres en la curva preliminar de un equipo IVS4500 de la empresa INVAP.This work presents a very brief treatment of the subject of uncertainties in the measurement of power curves in wind turbines, with reference to the IEC 61400-12-1 (2005) standard, and its Annex H specifications regarding small, battery- charging wind turbines. A case study for a limited data set is presented based on measurements taken at the INTI (National Institute for Industrial Technology) Small Wind Turbine Test Center in Cutral-Có, Neuquén, which started operations in June 2012. The measurements and uncertainties evaluation are performed on a 4.5kW INVAP small wind turbine. It is expected that these evaluations will give incentives for comparison and cooperation with other international experiences such as those performed by the Small Wind Association of Testers (SWAT) within the IEA (International Energy Agency), and aid continuing progress in the quality of locally produced machines.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Evaluación de curva de potencia en plataforma de ensayo para aerogeneradores de baja potencia

El presente trabajo expone los resultados del ensayo de curva de potencia de un aerogenerador de baja potencia, en configuración para carga de baterías, según lo metodología definida por la norma IEC 61400-12, anexo H. Las mediciones implicadas en este ensayo se realizaron entre mayo y agosto de 2013 en el Laboratorio de Ensayos de Aerogeneradores del INTI en la ciudad se Cutral-Có (Neuquén). El aerogenerador, cuyos resultados se exponen, es uno de los equipos de fabricación nacional que están siendo ensayados por INTI en el marco de un programa nacional de fortalecimiento sectorial. Se presentan las curvas de potencia para tres niveles de carga de banco de baterías, la energía anual producida y la intensidad de turbulencia, entre otras mediciones realizadas durante el periodo en el que se extendieron las pruebas.This paper presents the results of power curve measurements of a battery charging small wind turbine. The measurement method used is defined by IEC 61400-12, Annex H standard. The testing process was performed between May and August 2013 in INTI Wind Energy Laboratory, in Cutral-Có city. The wind turbine under test, is one of the several Argentinian devices being tested by INTI, under a national sectorial supporting program. Power curve for three different battery bank voltages, turbulence intensity, annual energy production, among other testing results are shown throughout this work.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Unusual structures are present in DNA fragments containing super-long Huntingtin CAG repeats.

BACKGROUND: In the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease (HD), expansion of the CAG trinucleotide repeat length beyond about 300 repeats induces a novel phenotype associated with a reduction in transcription of the transgene. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We analysed the structure of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-generated DNA containing up to 585 CAG repeats using atomic force microscopy (AFM). As the number of CAG repeats increased, an increasing proportion of the DNA molecules exhibited unusual structural features, including convolutions and multiple protrusions. At least some of these features are hairpin loops, as judged by cross-sectional analysis and sensitivity to cleavage by mung bean nuclease. Single-molecule force measurements showed that the convoluted DNA was very resistant to untangling. In vitro replication by PCR was markedly reduced, and TseI restriction enzyme digestion was also hindered by the abnormal DNA structures. However, significantly, the DNA gained sensitivity to cleavage by the Type III restriction-modification enzyme, EcoP15I. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: "Super-long" CAG repeats are found in a number of neurological diseases and may also appear through CAG repeat instability. We suggest that unusual DNA structures associated with super-long CAG repeats decrease transcriptional efficiency in vitro. We also raise the possibility that if these structures occur in vivo, they may play a role in the aetiology of CAG repeat diseases such as HD

An Experimental Approach to Inform Venus Astrobiology Mission Design and Science Objectives

Exploring how life is distributed in the universe is an extraordinary interdisciplinary challenge, but increasingly subject to testable hypotheses. Biology has emerged and flourished on at least one planet, and that renders the search for life elsewhere a scientific question. We cannot hope to travel to exoplanets in pursuit of other life even if we identify convincing biosignatures, but we do have direct access to planets and moons in our solar system. It is therefore a matter of deep astrobiological interest to study their histories and environments, whether or not they harbor life, and better understand the constraints that delimit the emergence and persistence of biology in any context. In this perspective, we argue that targeted chemistry- and biology-inspired experiments are informative to the development of instruments for space missions, and essential for interpreting the data they generate. This approach is especially useful for studying Venus because if it were an exoplanet we would categorize it as Earth-like based on its mass and orbital distance, but its atmosphere and surface are decidedly not Earth-like. Here, we present a general justification for exploring the solar system from an astrobiological perspective, even destinations that may not harbor life. We introduce the extreme environments of Venus, and argue that rigorous and observation-driven experiments can guide instrument development for imminent missions to the Venusian clouds. We highlight several specific examples, including the study of organic chemistry under extreme conditions, and harnessing the fluorescent properties of molecules to make a variety of otherwise challenging measurements

An Experimental Approach to Inform Venus Astrobiology Mission Design and Science Objectives

Exploring how life is distributed in the universe is an extraordinary interdisciplinary challenge, but increasingly subject to testable hypotheses. Biology has emerged and flourished on at least one planet, and that renders the search for life elsewhere a scientific question. We cannot hope to travel to exoplanets in pursuit of other life even if we identify convincing biosignatures, but we do have direct access to planets and moons in our solar system. It is therefore a matter of deep astrobiological interest to study their histories and environments, whether or not they harbor life, and better understand the constraints that delimit the emergence and persistence of biology in any context. In this perspective, we argue that targeted chemistry- and biology-inspired experiments are informative to the development of instruments for space missions, and essential for interpreting the data they generate. This approach is especially useful for studying Venus because if it were an exoplanet we would categorize it as Earth-like based on its mass and orbital distance, but its atmosphere and surface are decidedly not Earth-like. Here, we present a general justification for exploring the solar system from an astrobiological perspective, even destinations that may not harbor life. We introduce the extreme environments of Venus, and argue that rigorous and observation-driven experiments can guide instrument development for imminent missions to the Venusian clouds. We highlight several specific examples, including the study of organic chemistry under extreme conditions, and harnessing the fluorescent properties of molecules to make a variety of otherwise challenging measurements

Experimenting with Trinucleotide Repeats: Facts and Technical Issues

Part of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series (MIMB, volume 2056)International audienceTrinucleotide repeats are a peculiar class of microsatellites involved in many neurological as well as developmental disorders. Their propensity to generate very large expansions over time is supposedly due to their capacity to form specific secondary structures, such as imperfect hairpins, triple helices, or G-quadruplexes. These unusual structures were proposed to trigger expansions in vivo. Here, I review known technical issues linked to these structures, such as slippage during polymerase chain reaction and aberrant migration of long trinucleotide repeats during agarose gel electrophoresis. Our current understanding of interactions between trinucleotide repeat secondary structures and the mismatch-repair machinery is also quickly reviewed, and critical questions relevant to these interactions are addressed