Wave farm planning through high-resolution resource and performance characterization

Wave farm planning in a coastal region should lead to the selection of: i) the type of technology of wave energy converter (WEC) providing the highest performance at specific sites and ii) the sites for wave farm operation allowing an integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). On these bases, the deployment of a wave farm should be based on an accurate analysis of the performance of different WECs at coastal locations where wave energy exploitation does not interfere with other coastal uses, and the environmental impact is minimised (or positive, e.g. allowing coastal protection). With this in view, in this piece of research the intra-annual performance of various WECs of the same type (buoy-type) is computed at different locations in NW Spain allowing an ICZM perspective. For this purpose, the intra-annual version of WEDGE-p® (Wave Energy Diagram Generator – performance) tool is implemented. The results show that, as opposed to previous analysis on WECs with different principle of operation, the level of performance of buoy-type WECs at specific locations may present strong similarities. In this case, an accurate computation of different performance parameters along with their joint analysis emerge as a prerequisite for an informed decision-making

Relationship Between Jump Capacity and Performance in BMX Cycling

The objective of this study is to assess the relationship between the results obtained on different vertical jump tests and the top score recorded during a BMX (Bicycle Moto-Cross) test and the rider''s performance. To do so, 10 BMX pilots participated in this study; 5 regarded as the elite group (EG) (age: 18.8 +/- 3.7, weight: 68.4 +/- 8.5 kg, height: 174 +/- 9 cm and previous BMX experience: 8 +/- 3.8 years) and 5 regarded as the recreational group (RG) (age: 19.8 +/- 4.8, weight: 69.2 +/- 11.7 kg, height: 170 +/- 9 cm, previous BMX experience: 4.2 +/- 1.3 years). Vertical jump capacity was obtained using the Bosco protocol, i.e. vertical squat jump (SJ), vertical countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ) and repetitive jump (RJ), and time in race in a BMX circuit was determined. The results indicate a direct relationship between the time used to complete the circuit and the height of the jump reached in SJ (r: -.801; p:.017), CMJ (r : -.798; p :.018) and DJ (r : -.782; p:.022). This all suggests that assessing jump capacity using the Bosco test may be a useful tool for assessing BMX performance

Missing Doublet Multiplet as the Origin of the Doublet-Triplet Splitting in SUSY SU(6)

In a $SU(6)$ gauge theory we found the irreducible representation (175-plet) which does not contain the Higgs doublet. Using this representation we construct two SUSY $SU(6)$ models in which the doublet-triplet splitting occurs naturally, without fine tuning. The crucial role is played by the ``custodial" global $SU(2)_H$ in combination with discrete or continuous $R$ symmetries.Comment: 11 pages, LaTe

Experimental aspects of SU(5)xU(1) supergravity

We study various aspects of $SU(5)\times U(1)$ supergravity as they relate to the experimental verification or falsification of this model. We consider two string-inspired, universal, one-parameter, no-scale soft-supersymmetry-breaking scenarios, driven by the $F$-terms of the moduli and dilaton fields. The model is described in terms of the supersymmetry mass scale (\ie, the chargino mass $m_{\chi^\pm_1}$), $\tan\beta$, and the top-quark mass. We first determine the combined effect on the parameter space of all presently available direct and indirect experimental constraints, including the LEP lower bounds on sparticle and Higgs-boson masses, the $b\to s\gamma$ rate, the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, the high-precision electroweak parameters $\epsilon_1,\epsilon_b$ (which imply m_t\lsim180\GeV), and the muon fluxes in underground detectors (neutrino telescopes). For the still-allowed points in $(m_{\chi^\pm_1},\tan\beta)$ parameter space, we re-evaluate the experimental situation at the Tevatron, LEPII, and HERA. In the 1994 run, the Tevatron could probe chargino masses as high as 100 GeV. At LEPII the parameter space could be explored with probes of different resolutions: Higgs boson searches, selectron searches, and chargino searches. Moreover, for m_t\lsim150\GeV, these Higgs-boson searches could explore all of the allowed parameter space with \sqrt{s}\lsim210\GeV.Comment: latex, 36 pages, 25 figures (not included). Figures are available via anonymous ftp from hplaa02.cern.ch (/pub/lopez) as either 33 ps files (Easpects*.ps, 8.1MB) or one uuencoded file (AllFigures.uu, 3.7MB

Extragalactic magnetism with SOFIA (SALSA Legacy Program) : the magnetic fields in the multiphase interstellar medium of the Antennae Galaxie

Mergers are thought to be a fundamental channel for galaxy growth, perturbing the gas dynamics and the magnetic fields (B-fields) in the interstellar medium (ISM). However, the mechanisms that amplify and dissipate B-fields during a merger remain unclear. We characterize the morphology of the ordered B-fields in the multiphase ISM of the closest merger of two spiral galaxies, the Antennae galaxies. We compare the inferred B-fields using 154 μm thermal dust and 11 cm radio synchrotron emission polarimetric observations. We find that the 154 μm B-fields are more ordered across the Antennae galaxies than the 11 cm B-fields. The turbulent-to-ordered 154 μm B-field increases at the galaxy cores and star-forming regions. The relic spiral arm has an ordered spiral 154 μm B-field, while the 11 cm B-field is radial. The 154 μm B-field may be dominated by turbulent dynamos with high 12CO(1-0) velocity dispersion driven by star-forming regions, while the 11 cm B-field is cospatial with high H i velocity dispersion driven by galaxy interaction. This result shows the dissociation between the warm gas mainly disturbed by the merger, and the dense gas still following the dynamics of the relic spiral arm. We find a ∼8.9 kpc scale ordered B-field connecting the two galaxies. The base of the tidal tail is cospatial with the H i and 12CO(1-0) emission and has compressed and/or sheared 154 μm and 11 cm B-fields driven by the merger. We suggest that amplified B-fields, with respect to the rest of the system and other spiral galaxies, may be supporting the gas flow between both galaxies and the tidal tail

microRNA Expression and Its Association With Disability and Brain Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Treated With Glatiramer Acetate.

Background: MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA that regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level affecting several cellular processes including inflammation, neurodegeneration and remyelination. Different patterns of miRNAs expression have been demonstrated in multiple sclerosis compared to controls, as well as in different courses of the disease. For these reason they have been postulated as promising biomarkers candidates in multiple sclerosis. Objective: To correlate serum microRNAs profile expression with disability, cognitive functioning and brain volume in patients with remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis. Methods: Cross-sectional study in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients treated with glatiramer acetate. Disability was measured with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and cognitive function was studied with Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Brain volume was analyzed with automatic software NeuroQuant® . Results: We found an association between miR.146a.5p (rs:0.434, p=0.03) and miR.9.5p (rs:0.516, p=0.028) with EDSS; and miR-146a.5p (rs:-0.476, p=0.016) and miR-126.3p (rs:-0.528, p=0.007) with SDMT. Regarding to the brain volume, miR.9.5p correlated with thalamus (rs:-0.545, p=0.036); miR.200c.3p with pallidum (rs:-0.68, p=0.002) and cerebellum (rs:-0.472, p=0.048); miR-138.5p with amygdala (rs:0.73, p=0.016) and pallidum (rs:0.64, p=0.048); and miR-223.3p with caudate (rs:0.46, p=0.04). Conclusions: These data support the hypothesis of microRNA as potential biomarkers in this disease. More studies are needed to validate these results and to better understand the role of microRNAs in the pathogenesis, monitoring and therapeutic response of multiple sclerosis.post-print1410 K

A One-Scale Model of Dynamical Supersymmetry Breaking

A model of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking is constructed in which the low-energy physics depends on a single dynamical scale. Strong coupling dynamics of gauge theories plays an important role, in particular through its effects on beta functions and through confinement. The model does not have distinct messenger and supersymmetry-breaking sectors. The scale of supersymmetry breaking is of order 10-100 \TeV, implying that the decay of the next-to-lightest superpartner into the gravitino is prompt. Superoblique corrections are enhanced. A Dirac fermion and one complex scalar, in a 10 or \bar{10} of (global) SU(5), are predicted to be relatively light and to satisfy certain mass relations with the standard model squarks and sleptons.Comment: 28 pages, uses revtex, h-physrev.bs