Strictly Anomaly Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking

We consider an MSSM extension with anomaly mediation as the source of supersymmetry-breaking, and a U(1) symmetry which solves the tachyonic slepton problem, and introduces both the see-saw mechanism for neutrino masses, and the Higgs mu-term. We compare its spectra with those from so-called minimal anomaly mediated supersymmetry breaking. We find a Standard Model-like Higgs of mass 125 GeV with a gravitino mass of 140 TeV and tan(beta)=16. However, the muon anomalous magnetic moment is 3 sigma away from the experimental value. The model naturally produces a period of hybrid inflation, which can exit to a false vacuum characterised by large Higgs vevs, reaching the true ground state after a period of thermal inflation. The scalar spectral index is reduced to approximately 0.975, and the correct abundance of neutralino dark matter can be produced by decays of thermally-produced gravitinos, provided the gravitino mass (and hence the Higgs mass) is high. Naturally light cosmic strings are produced, satisfying bounds from the Cosmic Microwave Background. The complementary pulsar timing and cosmic ray bounds require that strings decay primarily via loops into gravitational waves. Unless the loops are extremely small, the next generation pulsar timing array will rule out or detect the string-derived gravitational radiation background in this model.Comment: 38 pages, 1 figure. Discussion of 125GeV Higgs possibility, and of U(1) decoupling limi

Performances of multi-gap timing RPCs for relativistic ions in the range Z=1-6

We present the performance of Multi-gap timing RPCs under irradiation by fully stripped relativistic ions (gamma*beta=2.7, Z=1-6). A time resolution of 80 ps at high efficiency has been obtained by just using standard `off the shelf' 4-gap timing RPCs from the new HADES ToF wall. The resolution worsened to 100 ps for ~ 1 kHz/cm2 proton flux and for ~ 100 Hz/cm2 Carbon flux. The chambers were operated at a standard field of E=100 kV/cm and showed a high stability during the experiment, supporting the fact that RPCs are a convenient choice when accommodating a very broad range of ionizing particles is needed. The data provides insight in the region of very highly ionizing particles (up to x 36 mips) and can be used to constrain the existing avalanche and Space-Charge models far from the usual `mip valley'. The implications of these results for the general case of detection based on secondary processes (n, gamma) resulting in highly ionizing particles with characteristic energy distributions will be discussed, together with the nature of the time-charge correlation curve.Comment: 31 pages, 19 figures, submitted to JINS

Robust Compensation of Delay and Diffusive Actuator Dynamics Without Distributed Feedback

[EN] This paper deals with robust observer-based output-feedback stabilization of systems whose actuator dynamics can be described in terms of partial differential equations (PDEs). More specifically, delay dynamics (first-order hyperbolic PDE) and diffusive dynamics (parabolic PDE) are considered. The proposed controllers have a PDE observer-based structure. The main novelty is that stabilization for an arbitrarily large delay or diffusion domain length is achieved, while distributed integral terms in the control law are avoided. The exponential stability of the closed loop in both cases is proved using Lyapunov functionals, even in the presence of small uncertainties in the time delay or the diffusion coefficient. The feasibility of this approach is illustrated in simulations using a second-order plant with an exponentially unstable mode.This work was supported in part by Project TIN2017-86520-C3-1-R, Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, in part by the 16/17 UPV Mobility Award, and in part by the FPI-UPV 2014 Ph.D. Grant, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain.Sanz Diaz, R.; García Gil, PJ.; Krstic, M. (2019). Robust Compensation of Delay and Diffusive Actuator Dynamics Without Distributed Feedback. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control. 64(9):3663-3675. https://doi.org/10.1109/TAC.2018.2887148S3663367564

Moving ahead from food-related behaviours: an alternative approach to understand household food waste generation

Food waste prevention is a hot topic on the policy agenda. According to available data, urgent measures need to be undertaken to significantly reduce the current generation of food waste. However, it is important to thoroughly understand consumers' behaviour to define measures that will lead to a long-lasting change in the situation. The aim of the present work is to analyse consumer food waste behaviour by means of a model that brings together food-related and waste management variables. To do so, a survey was given to 418 consumers of the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Results show that food waste is directly influenced by purchasing discipline, waste prevention habits and materialism values and indirectly influenced by environmental values. This highlights the importance of addressing the problem from different perspectives and emphasizes the importance of considering this problem as a transversal element for policy makers. We suggest that household food waste prevention and reduction needs to be included as a key element in different policy areas.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Geometría de la raíz cortical bajo la Cordillera del Rif

The seismic experiments conducted in northern Morocco during the last decade have provided detailed information on the geometry of the crust beneath the Rif Cordillera. In the mainframe of the RIFSIS project, 2D models of velocity / depth along two 300 km-long profiles oriented NS and EW, have revealed the presence of a thickened area, with depths of Moho near 50 km under the External Rif. The crustal geometry of this area has also been investigated using passive seismic data using methods based on the analysis of receiver functions and obtaining consistent values. The origin of the thickening under the External Rif is related to the slab of Alboran, which would still be connected to the lithosphere under this area, hence causing the crustal deformation.La financiación para este trabajo proviene del Ministerio de Economía mediante los proyectos CGL2009-09727 (RIFSIS), CSD 2006-00041 (TopoIberia), CGL2007-63889 (SIMA), CGL2008-3474 (TopoMed) y de la subvención de la Generalitat de Catalunya 2009SGR996. Hemos utilizado también datos del proyecto PICASSO, financiado por el proyecto EAR0808939 de la NSF de Estados UnidosPeer Reviewe

Constraining the crustal root geometry beneath Northern Morocco

Consistent constraints of an over-thickened crust beneath the Rif Cordillera (N. Morocco) are inferred from analyses of recently acquired seismic datasets including controlled source wide-angle reflections and receiver functions from teleseismic events. Offline arrivals of Moho-reflected phases recorded in RIFSIS project provide estimations of the crustal thicknesses in 3D. Additional constraints on the onshore-offshore transition are inferred from shots in a coeval experiment in the Alboran Sea recorded at land stations in northern Morocco. A regional crustal thickness map is computed from all these results. In parallel, we use natural seismicity data collected throughout TopoIberia and PICASSO experiments, and from a new RIFSIS deployment, to obtain receiver functions and explore the crustal thickness variations with a H-κ grid-search approach. This larger dataset provides better resolution constraints and reveals a number of abrupt crustal changes. A gridded surface is built up by interpolating the Moho depths inferred for each seismic station, then compared with the map from controlled source experiments. A remarkably consistent image is observed in both maps, derived from completely independent data and methods. Both approaches document a large crustal root, exceeding 50. km depth in the central part of the Rif, in contrast with the rather small topographic elevations. This large crustal thickness, consistent with the available Bouguer anomaly data, favors models proposing that the high velocity slab imaged by seismic tomography beneath the Alboran Sea is still attached to the lithosphere beneath the Rif, hence pulling down the lithosphere and thickening the crust. The thickened area corresponds to a quiet seismic zone located between the western Morocco arcuate seismic zone, the deep seismicity area beneath western Alboran Sea and the superficial seismicity in Alhoceima area. Therefore, the presence of a crustal root seems to play also a major role in the seismicity distribution in northern Morocco.Funding for this project has been available from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under grants: CGL2009-09727 (RIFSIS), CSD 2006-00041 (TopoIberia), CGL2007-63889 (SIMA), and CGL2008-3474 (TopoMed), and by Generalitat de Catalunya grant: 2009SGR996. We have also used data from the PICASSO project, founded by the U.S. NSF grant EAR0808939.Peer reviewe

Ethanol-Induced Oxidative Stress Modifies Inflammation and Angiogenesis Biomarkers in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells (ARPE-19): Role of CYP2E1 and its Inhibition by Antioxidants

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays a key role in retinal health, being essential for the protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nevertheless, excessive oxidative stress can induce RPE dysfunction, promoting visual loss. Our aim is to clarify the possible implication of CYP2E1 in ethanol (EtOH)-induced oxidative stress in RPE alterations. Despite the increase in the levels of ROS, measured by fluorescence probes, the RPE cells exposed to the lowest EtOH concentrations were able to maintain cell survival, measured by the Cell Proliferation Kit II (XTT). However, EtOH-induced oxidative stress modified inflammation and angiogenesis biomarkers, analyzed by proteome array, ELISA, qPCR and Western blot. The highest EtOH concentration used stimulated a large increase in ROS levels, upregulating the cytochrome P450-2E1 (CYP2E1) and promoting cell death. The use of antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and diallyl sulfide (DAS), which is also a CYP2E1 inhibitor, reverted cell death and oxidative stress, modulating also the upstream angiogenesis and inflammation regulators. Because oxidative stress plays a central role in most frequent ocular diseases, the results herein support the proposal that CYP2E1 upregulation could aggravate retinal degeneration, especially in those patients with high baseline oxidative stress levels due to their ocular pathology and should be considered as a risk factor.LVG was recipient of a pre-doctoral fellowship (EDUCV-PRE-2015-006). Financial support by grant #94/2016 from the PROMETEO program from the Generalitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain, to FJR