Perspectives on Reoffenders: The Views of Detainees, the General Public and Those Working with Offenders

The literature has offered significant data on reoffending: for example, the relationship with drug taking, addiction, mental illness and security. However, research directly involving the voices of detainees and those intervening in the prevention of reoffending appears to be less developed. The present research aims to observe how reoffending is approached by the various players involved: the detainees (whether reoffenders or not), educators and ordinary people. In particular we endeavour to determine how reoffending is perceived, interpreted and managed. The ultimate aim is to assist those involved in the improvement of social reintegration. Interviews revealed substantial differences in how reoffending is interpreted and perceived, and this influences both the management of the risk of reoffending and the process of rehabilitation into society. Furthermore, the results showed some improvements, such as in the teamwork by all players involved, in education for the detainees, and in the implementation of social reintegration projects as alternatives to imprisonment

Dichroism for orbital angular momentum using parametric amplification

We theoretically analyze parametric amplification as a means to produce dichroism based on the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of an incident signal field. The nonlinear interaction is shown to provide differential gain between signal states of differing OAM, the peak gain occurring at half the OAM of the pump field

A revisitation of the 1888 H.Hertz experiment

We propose a revisitation of the original experiment performed by H. Hertz in 1888. With a simple setup it is possible to produce electromagnetic waves with a frequency in the range of 3 MHz. By performing Fourier analysis of the signal captured by a resonant antenna it is possible to study the behaviour of the RLC series circuit, frequency splitting of coupled resonances and finally the characteristics of the near-field emitted by the loop antenna

Non-line-of-sight tracking of people at long range

A remote-sensing system that can determine the position of hidden objects has applications in many critical real-life scenarios, such as search and rescue missions and safe autonomous driving. Previous work has shown the ability to range and image objects hidden from the direct line of sight, employing advanced optical imaging technologies aimed at small objects at short range. In this work we demonstrate a long-range tracking system based on single laser illumination and single-pixel single-photon detection. This enables us to track one or more people hidden from view at a stand-off distance of over 50~m. These results pave the way towards next generation LiDAR systems that will reconstruct not only the direct-view scene but also the main elements hidden behind walls or corners

A new modulation technique for high data rate low power UWB wireless optical communication in implantable biotelemetry systems

We report on the development of a novel modulation technique for UWB wireless optical communication systems for application in a transcutaneous biotelemetry. The solution, based on the generation of short laser pulses, allows for a high data rate link whilst achieving a significant power reduction (energy per bit) compared to the state-of-the-art. These features make this particularly suitable for emerging biomedical applications such as implantable neural/biosensor systems. The relatively simple architecture consists of a transmitter and receiver that can be integrated in a standard CMOS technology in a compact Silicon footprint. These parts include circuits for bias and drive current generation, conditioning and processing, optimised for low-volt age/low-power operation. Preliminary experimental findings validate the new paradigm and show good agreement with expected results. The complete system achieves a BER less than 10-7, with maximum data rate of 125Mbps and estimated total power consumption of less than 3mW

Synthetic magnetism for photon fluids

We develop a theory of artificial gauge fields in photon fluids for the cases of both second-order and third-order optical nonlinearities. This applies to weak excitations in the presence of pump fields carrying orbital angular momentum, and is thus a type of Bogoliubov theory. The resulting artificial gauge fields experienced by the weak excitations are an interesting generalization of previous cases and reflect the PT-symmetry properties of the underlying non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. We illustrate the observable consequences of the resulting synthetic magnetic fields for examples involving both second-order and third-order nonlinearities

Food Neophobia or Distrust of Novelties? Exploring consumers' attitudes toward GMOs, insects and cultured meat

The food industry is constantly challenged to find new ideas to satisfy the increasingly specific consumer demand. However, innovative food products do not always become part of consumption habits or create a market. One of the major sources of resistance to novelty lies in the attitude of the consumer, who in many cases may be suspicious or hostile as a result of specific ideologies, overly attached to tradition, or affected by neophobia. This paper analyzes the construct of food neophobia (the "unwillingness to try new foods") in its phenomenology and its actual power to explain hostility to innovation in the agri-food sector. The limits of the concept, which is not always sufficient to shed light on the many reasons that could underlie the rejection of certain foods, will also be discussed. In addition, we review the recent literature on Europeans' attitude toward novel foods and innovation including Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), cultivated meat and insects as food. This literature reveals a number of paradoxes in consumers' behavior, and in the many complex conditions underpinning the success of innovation in food production. These conditions can only be understood by reconstructing the meanings consumers assign to food, and are often embedded in larger social and political frameworks

Discursive chains: How prison becomes real and chains identity movements for a sex offender

Detainees enact a "self" that is faced with the prejudices and stereotypes of the crime for which that detainee was convicted. Of all inmates, sex offenders face the greatest risk of receiving social condemnation alongside their prison sentence. This empirical study worked with 32 male sex offenders over 18 years old that were housed in the "protected" unit of the Due Palazzi. The following analysis explores how these men are required to manage their "self," hetero-narrations, perception of everyday interactions in the protected unit, and conceptions about the rehabilitation path. Moreover, the detainees' view on the prison's strategic opportunities for promoting effective change in their condition and identity are also examined. Discourse analysis applied to an open answer questionnaire showed that, rather than facing the stigma assigned to them, the detainees tend to minimize the importance of storytelling and construct alternative biographies to share with other inmates. Managing narratives allows the sex offenders to distance themselves from the perceived threats of living with other detainees; however, it also prevents the re-signification of their offenses. As such, the rules of "secrecy" must be considered by both qualitative researchers who conduct studies in prisons and prison administrators who plan the housing and treatment of sex offenders

Self-writing as a tool for change: The effectiveness of a psychotherapy using diary

There is an abundance of literature investigating the relationship between self-writing and well-being in cases of trauma or life-changing events, but no such research has assessed the value of keeping a daily diary in promoting small changes, describing an individual's identity in its slow, but realistic evolution. This study examined how the use of diary as a narration tool contributed to improving a patient's awareness of his personal emotions and feelings during a course of psychotherapy. It investigated the changes occurring in the prevailing writing style of a 200-page diary written by a patient suffering from hypochondria over a period of two and a half years. Sentences relating to the need for change, to the self, to suffering and to the function attributed to the self-writing activity were analyzed on the basis of specific criteria deriving from dialogical self theory, which conceptualizes ways to adopt new identity positions during the course of change. Respondent validation identified a good correspondence between the findings of the textual analysis and the writer's own point of view. Results showed an improvement in awareness of moods and feelings. Identity positions became more integrated and writing more enjoyable. These findings demonstrate the potential of innovative use of diary writing as a longitudinal tool for consolidating strategies for change and as an additional means for assessing psychotherapy efficacy. Writing a diary proved effective both in supporting the patient's personal reflections and changes and in making it easier for him to share his thoughts with the therapist

Curved Graphene Nanoribbons: Structure and Dynamics of Carbon Nanobelts

Carbon nanoribbons (CNRs) are graphene (planar) structures with large aspect ratio. Carbon nanobelts (CNBs) are small graphene nanoribbons rolled up into spiral-like structures, i. e., carbon nanoscrolls (CNSs) with large aspect ratio. In this work we investigated the energetics and dynamical aspects of CNBs formed from rolling up CNRs. We have carried out molecular dynamics simulations using reactive empirical bond-order potentials. Our results show that similarly to CNSs, CNBs formation is dominated by two major energy contribution, the increase in the elastic energy due to the bending of the initial planar configuration (decreasing structural stability) and the energetic gain due to van der Waals interactions of the overlapping surface of the rolled layers (increasing structural stability). Beyond a critical diameter value these scrolled structures can be even more stable (in terms of energy) than their equivalent planar configurations. In contrast to CNSs that require energy assisted processes (sonication, chemical reactions, etc.) to be formed, CNBs can be spontaneously formed from low temperature driven processes. Long CNBs (length of $\sim$ 30.0 nm) tend to exhibit self-folded racket-like conformations with formation dynamics very similar to the one observed for long carbon nanotubes. Shorter CNBs will be more likely to form perfect scrolled structures. Possible synthetic routes to fabricate CNBs from graphene membranes are also addressed