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A atual crise civilizatória tem suscitado uma série de acontecimentos – agendas, conferências, comissões, relatórios – que buscam saídas para a emergência em que a humanidade e o planeta se encontram. Todas as agendas apontam a educação, na perspectiva da aprendizagem e educação ao longo da vida, como uma peça fundamental para superar os desafios que a própria humanidade criou. Considerando o contexto internacional contemporâneo e os artigos publicados na revista Em Aberto, analisa-se como o conceito da educação de adultos vem evoluindo nos últimos 40 anos. A hipótese proposta é que, ao longo desse período, a educação de jovens e adultos tem sido tratada majoritariamente como escolarização tardia/educação compensatória ou como um processo de formação/adaptação contínua de “recursos humanos” competentes para o mercado de trabalho. O enfrentamento da crise requer uma mudança de paradigma; consequentemente, a nova narrativa da educação de adultos deverá orientar-se por uma ecopedagogia que reestabeleça um equilíbrio entre seres humanos e natureza.

PANDA (anti-proton annihiliation at Darmstadt) is planned to be one of the four main experiments at the future international accelerator complex FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) in Darmstadt, Germany. It is going to address fundamental questions of hadron physics and quantum chromodynamics using cooled antiproton beams with a high intensity and and momenta between 1.5 and 15 GeV/c. PANDA is designed to reach a maximum luminosity of 2 × 1032 cm−2 s. Most of the physics programs require an excellent particle identification (PID). The PID of hadronic states at the forward endcap of the target spectrometer will be done by a fast and compact Cherenkov detector that uses the detection of internally reflected Cherenkov light (DIRC) principle. It is designed to cover the polar angle range from 5° to 22° and to provide a separation power for the separation of charged pions and kaons up to 3 standard deviations (s.d.) for particle momenta up to 4 GeV/c in order to cover the important particle phase space. This document describes the technical design and the expected performance of the novel PANDA disc DIRC detector that has not been used in any other high energy physics experiment before. The performance has been studied with Monte-Carlo simulations and various beam tests at DESY and CERN. The final design meets all PANDA requirements and guarantees sufficient safety margins.

Aim Tissue samples taken during vascular surgical operations are commonly sent for microbiological analysis, owing to the relatively high incidence and serious consequences of infection in these cases. Delays in obtaining results from these samples can hinder clinical management, leading to prolonged inpatient stay and adverse clinical outcomes. The aim of this audit was to identify causes for delay in obtaining microbiology results and to improve the service. Method A closed loop quality improvement project performed at a tertiary vascular centre in London. We initially identified all tissue microbiology samples sent from vascular surgical operations performed during April 2019 and record the time when samples reach microbiology laboratory and the time when results were made available. Re-audit data was collected in November 2019. Results Initial audit showed that on average, results were available for clinicians 9.1 days after the sample was taken and 7.3 days after the sample had reached the laboratory. Samples required an average of 44 hours to transit to the laboratory and notably there is delay if surgery is performed on Friday (71 hours). Additionally, one sample was missing. Following utilization of the urgent sample pathway and raising awareness amongst staff, re-audit data showed significant reduction in average time of transit (33 hours) with much reduced transit time on Friday (36 hours). Results were available 7.7 days following sample date, compared to 9.1 days before. Conclusions Utilization of existing pathway and staff training can reduce delays in microbiology sample processing. However, further analysis is necessary to ensure sustained improvement.

Bound nuclear systems with two units of strangeness are still poorly known despite their importance for many strong interaction phenomena. Stored antiprotons beams in the GeV range represent an unparalleled factory for various hyperon-antihyperon pairs. Their outstanding large production probability in antiproton collisions will open the floodgates for a series of new studies of systems which contain two or even more units of strangeness at the PANDA experiment at FAIR. For the first time, high resolution gamma-spectroscopy of doubly strange Lambda Lambda-hypernuclei will be performed, thus complementing measurements of ground state decays of Lambda Lambda-hypernuclei at J-PARC or possible decays of particle unstable hypernuclei in heavy ion reactions. High resolution spectroscopy of multistrange Xi(-) -atoms will be feasible and even the production of Omega(-) -atoms will be within reach. The latter might open the door to the vertical bar S vertical bar = 3 world in strangeness nuclear physics, by the study of the hadronic Omega(-) -nucleus interaction. For the first time it will be possible to study the behavior of Xi(+) in nuclear systems under well controlled conditions. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The $\overline{{\rm{P}}}\mathrm{ANDA}$ (anti-Proton ANnihiliation at DArmstadt) experiment will be one of the four flagship experiments at the new international accelerator complex FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) in Darmstadt, Germany. $\overline{{\rm{P}}}\mathrm{ANDA}$ will address fundamental questions of hadron physics and quantum chromodynamics using high-intensity cooled antiproton beams with momenta between 1.5 and 15 GeV/c and a design luminosity of up to 2 × 1032 cm−2 s−1. Excellent particle identification (PID) is crucial to the success of the $\overline{{\rm{P}}}\mathrm{ANDA}$ physics program. Hadronic PID in the barrel region of the target spectrometer will be performed by a fast and compact Cherenkov counter using the detection of internally reflected Cherenkov light (DIRC) technology. It is designed to cover the polar angle range from 22° to 140° and will provide at least 3 standard deviations (s.d.) π/K separation up to 3.5 GeV/c, matching the expected upper limit of the final state kaon momentum distribution from simulation. This documents describes the technical design and the expected performance of the $\overline{{\rm{P}}}\mathrm{ANDA}$ Barrel DIRC detector. The design is based on the successful BaBar DIRC with several key improvements. The performance and system cost were optimized in detailed detector simulations and validated with full system prototypes using particle beams at GSI and CERN. The final design meets or exceeds the PID goal of clean π/K separation with at least 3 s.d. over the entire phase space of charged kaons in the Barrel DIRC.

Nos últimos anos, a educação da pessoa privada de liberdade foi colocada na pauta político-educativa brasileira como um direito subjetivo. Apostou-se nela como ferramenta indispensável para a chamada reintegração social da pessoa encarcerada, porquanto pode contribuir para diminuir os índices alarmantes de reincidência. Neste artigo, refletimos sobre a problemática da reintegração com base nas histórias de vida narradas por mulheres presas em um presídio de João Pessoa – PB. Sem negar a importância da proposta pedagógica que a escola do presídio oferece, consideramos necessário estabelecer um diálogo entre as aprendizagens de vida e a experiência escolar da mulher antes de ser presa; as aprendizagens da prisão e suas expectativas e/ou planos para a vida em liberdade ao concluir a sentença e buscar se inserir numa sociedade regida por preconceitos sociais ainda enraizados. Questionamos se a escola prepara as mulheres para um mundo real ou para um mundo ilusório. De acordo com os depoimentos das mulheres, verificamos as inúmeras dificuldades que a escola da prisão enfrenta, para garantir às encarceradas o ideal ressocializador necessário ao enfrentamento do mundo real dentro e fora das grades. Também concluímos que, na prisão, é preciso investir em projetos e programas que estabeleçam mais articulação entre educação e trabalho e que contribuam para que a sociedade participe mais das proposições e ações voltadas aos ideais de reintegração social dessa população. Consideramos esse apartheid social também uma questão educacional que precisa ser aprofundada em âmbito acadêmico e enfrentada politicamente.In recent years, the education of people deprived of their freedom was placed on the political-educational agenda in Brazil as a subjective right. Great faith was placed in it as an indispensable tool for the so-called social reintegration of the imprisoned person, with its potential of contributing to diminishing the alarming rates of recidivism. In the text we reflect upon the problematic of reintegration based on life stories recounted by women prisoners from a prison in João Pessoa in the State of Paraiba (Brazil). Without denying the importance of the pedagogical proposal which the prison school offers, we consider it necessary to establish a dialogue between the life learning and school experience of each woman before she was imprisoned and the prison learning and their expectations and/or plans for freedom on concluding their sentences and seeking their re-entry into a society governed by deep-rooted social prejudices. We question if the school prepares the women for a real or for an illusory world. On the basis of the women’s testimonies, we can affirm the innumerate difficulties which the school prison faces in order to guarantee the necessary re-socializing ideal for the female inmates to face up to the real world inside and outside the prison bars. We also conclude that it is necessary to invest in projects and programs in the prison which establish a stronger link between education and work and which contribute to a stronger societal participation with regard to propositions and actions directed at the goal of social integration of this population. We consider this social apartheid as an educational question which needs to be further researched in the academy and politically faced up to.

We implemented team building activities to build a better resident during our orientation process and we have refined the choice of activities each year since. Resident satisfaction with their team building actives provided feedback to improve the following years' experience. While there is no definite way to demonstrate the effectiveness of our team building initiative, our expectation is it will improve the residency experience and work environment, and ultimately, result in better patient care. We focus on five aspects of team building - personal history sharing, creativity and imagination, common bonds, cooperation, and shared experience. The purpose of this paper is to recommend activities in each of these areas based on our experience.

In order to study cell proliferation in intact human cervical epithelium, a technique involving metaphase arrest has been utilized. Metaphase accumulation is observed following intraepithelial administration of vincristine sulphate, at a predetermined optimum dose of 50 micrograms/ml. A significant delay before the onset of stathmokinetic activity is demonstrated; thereafter linearity of accumulation is apparent over a 4-hr period following injection. The technique appears applicable to the estimation and comparison of cell production rates in vivo of normal cervical epithelium, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, wart-affected cervical epithelium and early invasive carcinoma. However, individual values are likely to be imprecise in isolation, indicating the need to study relatively large numbers of subjects in each group. Some practical difficulties are discussed.

OBJECTIVE To examine the prognostic significance of early socioeconomic status (SES) on 24-hour blood pressure (BP) during early adulthood. Low SES has been related to poor health outcomes, in particular, cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent cross-sectional research has also linked low levels of SES with several cardiovascular risk factors including poor nighttime BP dipping. METHODS A total of 174 undergraduate university students whose childhood SES was assessed by highest level of education completed by their parents underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring. RESULTS Initial correlation analyses revealed positive associations between childhood SES and BP dipping, indicating that lower levels of childhood SES were associated with less systolic BP (SBP) (r = .29, p < .01) and diastolic BP (DBP) dipping (r = .38, p < .01). A stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that childhood SES explained 6.9% of the variance in SBP dipping and 11.5% of the variance in DBP dipping above and beyond other lifestyle-related factors including daytime BP, body mass index, alcohol use, smoking, and current SES. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that irrespective of adult achievement, childhood SES may have lasting health implications.

Global effects in functional MRI are temporal modulations in signal intensity resulting from various scanner and subject phenomena. These effects contribute to the overall variance, reducing the effect size associated with an experimental paradigm. Statistical estimations that include an approximation for concurrent global effects will reduce the residual error within the model and so improve statistical power of the study. Conventionally, estimates of global effects are derived from mean intracerebral signal intensities, but these may be prone to contributions from localised experimentally evoked signal changes. In such cases, inaccurate estimates of global effects may result in erroneous inferences of neural modulations based on statistical artefact. A novel, computationally simple, method of estimating global effects is proposed using muscle tissue acquired within the same acquisition volume. Quantitative improvements in sensitivity are reported for a somatosensory stimulation paradigm using global muscle signal intensities as a covariate of no-interest. The method is independent of local neurogenic signal changes and, under particular experimental conditions, may be more representative of true global effects. The utility of this strategy to applications in small-animal functional MRI that evoke systemic physiological changes as a result of the experimental manipulation is critically discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A prototype scintillating-fibre detector system has been developed at the University of Glasgow in collaboration with the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) for the non-destructive assay of UK legacy nuclear waste containers. This system consists of four tracking modules, two above and two below the container under interrogation. Each module consists of two orthogonal planes of 2 mm-pitch fibres yielding one space point. Per plane, 128 fibres are read out by a single Hamamatsu H8500 64-channel MAPMT with two fibres multiplexed onto each pixel. The configuration allows the reconstruction of the incoming and scattered muon trajectories, thus enabling the container content, with respect to atomic number Z, to be determined. Results are shown from experimental data collected for high-Z objects within an air matrix and within a shielded, concrete-filled container. These reconstructed images show clear discrimination between the low, medium and high-Z materials present, with dimensions and positions determined with sub-centimetre precision.

Cervical cancer is a common cause of death worldwide. In the developed world, cervical cancer screening has successfully reduced the incidence of and mortality from the disease. Mortality remains high among developing nations. Over the past decade, there have been various developments in management strategies, based on currently available evidence. This review explores such evidence and recommends current management strategies, including fertilitysparing surgical options for early-stage disease.

Background: Osteoclasts, specialised bone resorbing cells regulated by RANKL and M-CSF, are implicated in rheumatoid joint erosion. Lymphocyte-monocyte interactions activate bone resorption, this being attributed to tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin 1 β (IL1β) enhanced osteoblast expression of RANKL. In animal studies, TNF potently increases osteoclast formation in the presence of RANKL. RANKL-independent osteoclastogenesis also occurs, though IL1 is required for resorptive function in most studies. These inflammatory cytokines have a pivotal role in rheumatoid arthritis, Objective: To study the interactions of TNFα and IL1β with RANKL, particularly the time course of the interactions and the role of lymphocytes. Method: Cultures of lymphocytes and monocytes (osteoclast precursors) or of purified CD14 + cells alone (osteoclast precursors) were exposed to various combinations of TNFα, RANKL, and IL1β or the inhibitors osteoprotegerin, IL1 receptor antagonist, or neutralising antibodies to RANKL or to IL1. Osteoclastogenesis and resorptive activity were assessed on microscopy of dentine slices. Results: TNFα potently increased osteoclast proliferation/differentiation in the presence of RANKL. This effect was greatest when RANKL was present before but not after exposure of osteoclast precursor cells to TNFα. The resorptive activity of osteoclasts generated by TNFα in the absence of RANKL was critically dependent upon IL1, which was expressed by lymphocyte-monocyte interaction. Conclusion: TNFα potently enhances RANKL mediated osteoclast activity. Interactions between TNFα and IL1 also result in osteoclastic activity independently of RANKL. These findings will inform therapeutic approaches to the prevention of joint erosion in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Some aspects of diet are relatively newly recognized potential risk factors for asthma, but the evidence to date is conflicting. Objective: The goal was to determine whether the food and nutrient intakes of adults with asthma differ from those of adults without asthma. Design: This was a community-based, cross-sectional study of 1601 young adults (x ± SD age: 34.6 ± 7.1 y) who were initially recruited by random selection from the federal electoral rolls in Melbourne in 1999. Subjects completed a detailed respiratory questionnaire, a validated semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire, skin-prick testing, and lung function tests, including a methacholine challenge test for bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR). A total of 25 nutrients and 47 food groups were analyzed by using multiple logistic regression with alternate definitions of asthma and atopy as the outcomes. Results: Whole milk appeared to protect against current asthma (odds ratio: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.97), doctor-diagnosed asthma (0.73; 0.54, 0.99), BHR (0.68; 0.48, 0.92), and atopy (0.71; 0.54, 0.94). Conversely, soy beverage was associated with an increased risk of current asthma (2.05; 1.19, 3.53), doctor-diagnosed asthma (1.69; 1.04, 2.77), and BHR (1.65; 1.00, 2.71). Apples and pears appeared to protect against current asthma (0.83; 0.71, 0.98), asthma (0.88; 0.78, 1.00), and BHR (0.88; 0.77, 1.00). Conclusions: The consumption of dairy products, soy beverages, and apples and pears, but not of nutrients per se, was associated with a range of asthma definitions. Dietary modification after diagnosis is one possible explanation for this finding. Intervention studies using whole foods are required to ascertain whether such modifications of food intake could be beneficial in the prevention or amelioration of asthma. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78:414‐21.

Objective To identify and summarize rigorous evaluations of psychosocial and educational interventions aimed at the primary prevention of alcohol misuse by young people aged up to 25 years, especially over the longer term (>3 years). Methods Cochrane Collaboration Systematic Review. Data sources A comprehensive search of 22 databases and recursive checking of bibliographies for randomized and non-randomized controlled trials and interrupted time-series studies. Main outcome measures Objective or self-report measures of alcohol use and misuse. Results Fifty-six studies were selected for inclusion in the systematic review. Twenty of the 56 studies showed evidence of ineffectiveness. No firm conclusions about the effectiveness of prevention interventions in the short- and medium term were possible. Over the longer term (>3 years), the Strengthening Families Programme (SFP) showed promise as an effective prevention intervention. The Number Needed to Treat (NNT) for the SFP over 4 years for three alcohol initiation behaviours (alcohol use, alcohol use without permission and first drunkenness) was 9 (for all three behaviours). One study also highlighted the potential value of culturally focused skills training over the longer-term (NNT = 17 over 3.5 years for 4+ drinks in the last week) Conclusions (1) Research into important outcome variables needs to be undertaken; (2) the methodology of evaluations needs to be improved; (3) the SFP needs to be evaluated on a larger scale and in different settings; (4) culturally focused interventions require further development and rigorous evaluation; and (5) an international register of alcohol and drug misuse prevention interventions should be established and criteria agreed for rating prevention interventions in terms of safety, efficacy and effectiveness.

New results are reported from a measurement of π^{0} electroproduction near threshold using the p(e,e^{'}p)π^{0} reaction. The experiment was designed to determine precisely the energy dependence of s- and p-wave electromagnetic multipoles as a stringent test of the predictions of chiral perturbation theory (ChPT). The data were taken with an electron beam energy of 1192 MeV using a two-spectrometer setup in Hall A at Jefferson Lab. For the first time, complete coverage of the ϕ_{π}^{*} and θ_{π}^{*} angles in the pπ^{0} center of mass was obtained for invariant energies above threshold from 0.5 up to 15 MeV. The 4-momentum transfer Q^{2} coverage ranges from 0.05 to 0.155 (GeV/c)^{2} in fine steps. A simple phenomenological analysis of our data shows strong disagreement with p-wave predictions from ChPT for Q^{2}0.07 (GeV/c)^{2}, while the s-wave predictions are in reasonable agreement.

Cosmic-ray muons are highly penetrative charged particles observed at sea level with a flux of approximately 1 cm−2 min−1. They interact with matter primarily through Coulomb scattering which can be exploited in muon tomography to image objects within industrial nuclear waste containers. A prototype scintillating-fibre detector has been developed for this application, consisting of two tracking modules above and below the volume to be assayed. Each module comprises two orthogonal planes of 2 mm fibres. The modular configuration allows the reconstruction of the initial and scattered muon trajectories which enable the container content, with respect to atomic number Z, to be determined. Fibre signals are read out by Hamamatsu H8500 MAPMTs with two fibres coupled to each pixel via dedicated pairing schemes developed to avoid space point ambiguities and retain the high spatial resolution of the fibres. A likelihood-based image reconstruction algorithm was developed and tested using a GEANT4 simulation of the prototype system. Images reconstructed from this simulation are presented in comparison with experimental results taken with test objects. These results verify the simulation and show discrimination between the low, medium and high-Z materials imaged.

The increasingly interconnected world is setting new demands on test and measurement suppliers. The authors outline how the industry is rising to the challenge. Instrument manufacturers must always be at the leading edge of the technologies they are involved in, why they play a critical role in establishing new communication standards and protocols. Just about any device that is subject to test and measurement is likely to be connected to some form of network. Testing these networked elements presents a whole new set of problems for the test and measurement engineer, especially for those individuals unfamiliar with modern communications technology. Looking ahead, most test and measurement instruments will be connected to a network. This represents a natural progression for design engineers, both in the way they use instruments and in the way they access data acquired or analysed by an instrument. In future, an engineer will no longer have to move from an office to a lab environment just to check the execution of a test suite-the check will be performed over a network. Similarly, access to an instrument won't be restricted to a single engineer in one location-the whole engineering team will concurrently view the instrument set-up and acquired data, regardless of the physical location of the individual team members or system under test.

Growth and metastatic spread of invasive carcinoma depends on angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels. Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) is an angiogenic growth factor for a number of solid tumors, including lung, bladder, colorectal, and renal cell cancer. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is the precursor to squamous cell cervical carcinoma (SCC). Mean vessel density (MVD) increases from normal cervical tissue, through low- and high-grade CIN to SCC. We evaluated PD-ECGF immunoreactivity and correlated its expression with MVD in normal, premalignant, and malignant cervical tissue. PD-ECGF expression was assessed visually within the epithelial tissues and scored on the extent and intensity of staining. MVD was calculated by counting the number of vessels positive for von Willebrand factor per unit area subtending normal or CIN epithelium or within tumor hotspots for SCC. Cytoplasmic and/or nuclear PD-ECGF immunoreactivity was seen in normal epithelium. PD-ECGF expression significantly increased with histologic grade from normal, through low- and high-grade CIN, to SCC (P < .02). A progressive significant increase in the microvessel density was also seen, ranging from a mean of 28 vessels for normal tissue to 57 for SCC (P < .0005). No correlation was found between PD-ECGF expression and MVD (P = .45). We conclude that PD-ECGF expression and MVD increase as the cervix transforms from a normal to a malignant phenotype. PD-ECGF is thymidine phosphorylase, a key enzyme in the activation of fluoropyrimidines, including 5-fluorouracil. Evaluation of PD-ECGF thymidine phosphorylase expression may be important in designing future chemotherapeutic trials in cervical cancer.

Migration-time reproducibility is essential in the use of capillary electrophoresis to identify components in mixtures. Two methods based on the migration time of either one or two reference markers are proposed for improving migration time reproducibility. These methods were evaluated to determine the migration time reproducibility for phenylthiohydantoin-amino acids, fluorescein thiohydantoin-amino acids, and tetramethylrhodamine labeled oligosaccharides. In the best case, the relative standard deviation of the migration time was reduced from >3% without correction to

The aim of this audit was to determine if inadequate cervical smears are associated with significant cervical pathology. Case records for 52 women with three consecutive inadequate smears referred for colposcopy to the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) were retrieved. Sixteen women underwent large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) was identified in six cases. There were no cases of inadequate smears initiating the diagnosis in 100 consecutive women with invasive cervical cancer. Inadequate smears are associated with high rates of treatment for a low yield of CIN. To reduce morbidity associated with colposcopy it may be acceptable to repeat an inadequate smear after 6 months rather than arranging immediate recall.

We present the case of a 48-year-old woman with pelvic mass, ascites, and an elevated CA125 mimicking advanced-stage ovarian cancer. She underwent laparotomy, drainage of ascites, total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and infracolic omentectomy. Histology confirmed this to be mesovarian hemangioma, a benign condition.

The levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), commonly referred to as mirena, is an effective form of contraception, which is widely used as an intrauterine device. It has a 32-mm long-shaped plastic frame that holds a reservoir (on the vertical stem) of 52 mg of levonorgestrel mixed with polydimethylsiloxane to allow a steady release of 20 μg of levonorgestrel per day within the endometrial cavity through a rate-limiting surface membrane. Apart from contraceptive purpose, it is also now commonly used in the management of heavy menstrual blood loss. This study included a 36-year old woman who developed endometrial cancer following the insertion of the LNG-IUS. Her main presentation was irregular vaginal bleeding, which is a common finding in women using this form of contraception. Although we would advice caution in investigating such women, the LNG-IUS remains a relatively safe method of contraception.

Tomographic imaging techniques using the Coulomb scattering of cosmic-ray muons are increasingly being exploited for the non-destructive assay of shielded containers in a wide range of applications. One such application is the characterisation of legacy nuclear waste materials stored within industrial containers. The design, assembly and performance of a prototype muon tomography system developed for this purpose are detailed in this work. This muon tracker comprises four detection modules, each containing orthogonal layers of Saint-Gobain BCF-10 2mm-pitch plastic scintillating fibres. Identification of the two struck fibres per module allows the reconstruction of the incoming and Coulomb-scattered muon trajectories. These allow the container content, with respect to the atomic number Z of the scattering material, to be determined through reconstruction of the scattering location and magnitude. On each detection layer, the light emitted by the fibre is detected by a single Hamamatsu H8500 MAPMT with two fibres coupled to each pixel via dedicated pairing schemes developed to ensure the identification of the struck fibre. The PMT signals are read out to QDCs. The design and assembly of the detector system are detailed and presented alongside results from performance studies with data collected after construction. These results reveal high stability during extended collection periods with detection efficiencies in the region of 80% per layer. Minor misalignments of millimetre order have been identified and corrected in software. A first image reconstructed from a test configuration of materials has been obtained using software based on the Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximisation algorithm. The results highlight the high spatial resolution provided by the detector system. Clear discrimination between the low, medium and high-Z materials assayed is also observed., 13 pages, 19 figures

Based on a study carried out in 2008 in the women’s prison in João Pessoa (State of Paraiba, Brazil) whose objective was to comprehend the relation between the lifelong learning processes of imprisoned women and the motivations/ life circumstances which led them to commit crimes, the text seeks to analyse the content of the narratives of these women adopting as specific focus of its analysis the categories family, work, school and prison. By emphasizing thelast, prison, it is intended to give visibility to the prison context as the locus of multiple contradictions and as a space in which learning biographies –whether directed at emancipation or not – are constructed. Baseado em um estudo realizado em 2008, no presídio feminino de João Pessoa (PB), com o objetivo de compreender a relação entre as aprendizagens ao longo da vida de mulheres encarceradas e as motivações/circunstâncias de vida que as levaram a cometer prática (s) delituosa (s), o texto busca analisar o conteúdo das suas narrativas. Para isso, adotou como eixos específicos de análise as categorias família, trabalho, escola e prisão. Ao destacar a última– prisão –, pretende-se dar visibilidade ao contexto prisional como lócus de múltiplas contradições e como espaço onde se constroem biografias de aprendizagens, sejam elas voltadas ou não para a emancipação.

This document describes the technical layout and the expected performance of the Straw Tube Tracker (STT), the main tracking detector of the $\bar{P}$ANDA target spectrometer. The STT encloses a Micro-Vertex-Detector (MVD) for the inner tracking and is followed in beam direction by a set of GEM stations. The tasks of the STT are the measurement of the particle momentum from the reconstructed trajectory and the measurement of the specific energy loss for a particle identification. Dedicated simulations with full analysis studies of certain proton-antiproton reactions, identified as being benchmark tests for the whole $\bar{P}$ANDA scientific program, have been performed to test the STT layout and performance. The results are presented, and the time lines to construct the STT are described.

Cosmic-ray muons are highly penetrative charged particles that are observed at sea level with a flux of approximately one per square centimetre per minute. They interact with matter primarily through Coulomb scattering, which is exploited in the field of muon tomography to image shielded objects in a wide range of applications. In this paper, simulation studies are presented that assess the feasibility of a scintillating-fibre tracker system for use in the identification and characterisation of nuclear materials stored within industrial legacy waste containers. A system consisting of a pair of tracking modules above and a pair below the volume to be assayed is simulated within the GEANT4 framework using a range of potential fibre pitches and module separations. Each module comprises two orthogonal planes of fibres that allow the reconstruction of the initial and Coulomb-scattered muon trajectories. A likelihood-based image reconstruction algorithm has been developed that allows the container content to be determined with respect to the atomic number Z of the scattering material. Images reconstructed from this simulation are presented for a range of anticipated scenarios that highlight the expected image resolution and the potential of this system for the identification of high-Z materials within a shielded, concrete-filled container. First results from a constructed prototype system are presented in comparison with those from a detailed simulation. Excellent agreement between experimental data and simulation is observed showing clear discrimination between the different materials assayed throughout., Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures

Measuring high-speed signals on high-speed serial data buses such as fibre channel, SONET, gigabit Ethernet and infiniband, or of microprocessor systems incorporating bus architectures, such as DDR II and rapid I/O can be very difficult. Determining the accuracy of this measurement type is no trivial task, especially given how highly interdependent it is on the signal under test. To ensure accurate measurements, a thorough understanding is required of the different types of delta-time measurements and the various sources of errors that affect the ability to make precise measurements. Sources of measurement inaccuracy come from the digital oscilloscope and its connection to the test component.

When acetone-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone is dissolved in pure acetonitrile and analyzed by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography, peak splitting is observed. As the amount of acetonitrile is reduced in the sample solution, the peaks converge and a single, narrow peak is observed. Peak splitting due to geometric isomerism has previously been observed in gas and liquid chromatographic analyses of dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatives of aldehydes and asymmetrical ketones, but the acetone derivative has no such isomerism. Peak splitting is thought to be a result of the interaction of acetonitrile with the micelles in the separation buffer. This artifact may occur whenever analytes are prepared in a buffer containing a large concentration of organic phase; decreasing the concentration of organic phase should produce simpler electropherograms.