Liking to be in America: Puerto Rico’s Quest for Difference in the United States

The interaction between wind turbines in simple wind farm layouts is investigated with the purpose of observing the influence of wake loss phenomenon on the energy production of downwind turbines. Following an intensive exploration stage about wind farm aerodynamics and wake modeling subjects, several tests cases are designed to represent various wind farm configurations, consisting of different number of wind turbines. These cases are simulated by using DNV GL WindFarmer software which provides the opportunity of performing simulations with two different wake modeling techniques, namely Modified PARK and Eddy Viscosity. Various terrain and ambient turbulence intensity conditions are considered during the test cases. Also three different turbine types having different hub heights, rotor diameters and power-thrust coefficients are used in order to observe the effect of turbine characteristics on wake formation. Besides WindFarmer, WAsP and MATLAB tools are used in some simulation stages in order to generate input data such as wind and terrain conditions or farm layout configurations; and to process the data obtained in the end of these test cases. Simulations which are executed in the presence of a predominant wind direction from a narrow direction bin indicate that, even though there exists no significant interaction between the turbines placed in abreast configurations, successive turbine rows affect each other strongly due to the existence of the wake region of upwind turbines. It is observed that downwind spacing between turbine rows required to recover wake deficit up to a certain level changes depending on terrain and ambient turbulence intensity conditions together with turbine characteristics. For instance increasing surface roughness length (or ambient turbulence intensity) of a given site by keeping all the other parameters constant can provide up to 20% (or 30%) decrease in the required downstream distance to reduce wake loss to 5% level in a simple tandem layout consisting of two wind turbines. Further test cases are executed with various numbers of wind turbines in different configurations to observe the effect of partial, full and multiple wake regions on total farm efficiency. The results obtained from these cases are used in order to have a comparison between several farm layouts and evaluate their advantages and drawbacks

Six Degrees of Separation: from derivative suits to shareholder class actions

Trans-individual litigation has revolutionized modern law. Specifically,corporate law has partaken in this phenomenon. For instance, derivative suits allow individuals to sue for a large collectivity in relation to corporatematters. This paper aims to analyze this derivative suits, comparing then to shareholder class actions, explaining that the two procedures resemble each other only superficially and that they diverge from each other on a more profound level. Derivative suits aim at the vindication of a genuinely collective and indivisible right, while shareholder class actions seek to enforce an aggregation of individual entitlements. Consequently, these mechanisms also differ in the kind of representation they entail, in theobjective they pursue, in how they construct fairness internally, and in how they approach the central problem of adequacy of representation. An appreciation of this dichotomy contributes to an understanding not only of the inner workings of each of these two devices but also of the corporation itself and of the relationship among the corporate entity, the board of directors, the investors, and even the stakeholders. In addition, it suggests the need for a new interpretation of the key distinction between both actions one should focus on the nature of the right at stake.As ações transindividuais revolucionaram o direito contemporâneo. Especificamente, o direito empresarial tomou parte neste fenômeno. Por exemplo, na ação derivativa, indivíduos – os acionistas – estão legitimados a litigar em nome de uma coletividade, em relação a assuntos da corporação. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar essa ação derivativa, comparando-as com as ações coletivas de acionistas em geral, explicitando que os dois procedimentos detêm apenas similitudes superficiais, mas divergem em nível mais profundo. A ação derivativa objetiva a proteção de um genuíno direito coletivo e indivisível, enquanto as demais ações coletivas de acionistas asseguram uma agregação de direitos individuais. Consequentemente, diferem na forma de representação, sobretudo em sua adequação, na equidade interna do procedimento e no objetivo que perseguem. O estudo dessa dicotomia contribui não só na compreensão dessas duas formas de processo, mas noentendimento da própria corporação e a relação entre ela e a sua diretoria, investidores e mesmo os demais stakeholders. No mais, sugere-se a necessidade de uma nova interpretação para a distinção entre as citadas ações, considerando a natureza do direito em jogo

Pondering language rights: a novella

This article maintains that a campaign to exterminate a language cannot but aim at annihilating a community itself. The present piece of fiction might enable the reader effectively to re-imagine discriminatory oppression in the United States. How does U.S. law regulate linguistic practices and cultures? Does it operate explicitly, through the constitutional or statutory officialization of English? This approach will help to underscore how discrimination operates radically differently as provincialism, as subordination, and as colonialism. One would then fully visualize why the struggle for liberation must, alternatively and depending on the context, extol the virtues of pluralism, combat social subjugation, and pursue decolonization. Latin@ characters could vividly show how their community faces and fights against colonial domination. Most groups identify staunchly with and often define who they are through their tongue. The central argument of this article maintains that an onslaught on a particular language ordinarily emasculates the people who speak it