The ZEUS Micro Vertex Detector

During the HERA luminosity shutdown period 2000/01 the tracking system of the ZEUS experiment has been upgraded with a silicon Micro Vertex Detector (MVD). The barrel part of the detector consists of three layers of single sided silicon strip detectors, while the forward section is composed of four wheels. In this report we shortly present the assembly procedure and in more details the test beam results on the spatial resolution of half modules. The first results of a cosmic ray test are presented and the radiation monitor system is described.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, Talk presented at the VERTEX 2001 Workshop, 23-28 Sept. 2001, Brunnen, Switzerland. Submitted to Nucl. Instr. and Meth.

Development of Single- and Double-sided Ladders for the ILD Vertex Detectors

We discuss two projects exploring the integration of thin CMOS pixel sensors in order to prototype ladders matching the geometry needed for the ILD vertex detector. The PLUME project has designed and fabricated full-size and fully functional double- sided layers which currently reach 0.6 % X0 and aim for 0.3 % X0 in mid-2012. Another approach, SERNWIETE, consists in wrapping the sensors in a polyimide-based micro-cable to obtain a supportless single-sided ladder with a material budget around 0.15 % X0. First promising samples have been produced and the full-size prototype is expected in spring 2012.Comment: International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders, LCWS 2011, Granada, Spain, 2011, 26-30 Septembe

The Expected Perimeter in Eden and Related Growth Processes

Following Richardson and using results of Kesten on First-passage percolation, we obtain an upper bound on the expected perimeter in an Eden Growth Process. Using results of the author from a problem in Statistical Mechanics, we show that the average perimeter of the lattice animals resulting from a very natural family of "growth histories" does not obey a similar bound.Comment: 11 page

Institutional dynamics of science-policy interfaces in international biodiversity governance

Descripció del recurs: el 01 setembre 2012En las últimas décadas, la comunidad internacional ha realizado un esfuerzo considerable en el campo de las ciencias y la política para contrarrestar la degradación y la pérdida de la diversidad biológica y de los servicios de los ecosistemas. Sin embargo, a pesar de estos esfuerzos, la diversidad biológica y los servicios ecosistémicos siguen degradándose y perdiéndose a un ritmo alarmante. Esta tesis se centra en la necesidad de mejorar las interrelaciones entre la ciencia y la política como un elemento crucial de la reforma institucional necesaria para hacer frente al estancamiento actual en que se encuentra la gobernanza sobre la biodiversidad y los servicios del ecosistema. La interacción ciencia-políticas es fundamental en el desarrollo de la administración medioambiental. Sin embargo, esta interacción se enfrenta a un reto creciente debido a la complejidad sin precedentes de los problemas actuales. La creciente conciencia de la importancia de las interrelaciones entre ciencia y políticas como elementos clave de la gobernanza medioambiental ha desencadenado una serie de reflexiones y debates relativos al diseño de unas relaciones entre ciencia y políticas más eficaces en los campos ya mencionados de la biodiversidad y de los servicios del ecosistema. Sin embargo, prevalecen diferencias significativas en la comprensión de lo que son y cómo funcionan estas relaciones, dónde y por qué fallan en la actualidad, y qué sería necesario hacer para mejorarlas. Esta divergencia obstaculiza las oportunidades de llevar a cabo las necesarias reformas institucionales de forma sustancial. En este contexto, los objetivos de esta tesis han sido (i) elaborar un marco teórico coherente de las relaciones ciencia-políticas que sea útil para el diseño y gestión de las mismas, (ii) analizar las deficiencias de las relaciones ciencia-políticas actuales en cuanto a la gobernanza de la biodiversidad y de los servicios del ecosistema, y (iii) explorar las necesidades y opciones que serían idóneas para mejorarlas permitiendo una gestión más eficaz de la biodiversidad y servicios ecosistémicos. Para alcanzar estos objetivos, la tesis se basa en el examen intensivo de tres casos prácticos que cubren la evaluación crítica de (i) el uso de la participación como un concepto importante en las relaciones ciencia-políticas en la gobernanza de la biodiversidad europea, en particular en lo que respecta a la Directiva sobre hábitats y aves (Birds and Habitats Directive), (ii) el papel del Órgano subsidiario de asesoramiento científico, técnico y tecnológico (OSACTT) como interfaz entre ciencia y política en la Convención sobre diversidad biológica, y (iii) el debate en torno a la plataforma intergubernamental cienciapolíticas que se establecerá ahora sobre biodiversidad y servicios de los ecosistemas (IPBES, por sus siglas en inglés). Los principales métodos de investigación aplicados son la observación mediante la participación en una amplia gama de acontecimientos y actividades pertinentes, y el análisis crítico del discurso de una gran cantidad de textos, debates y entrevistas relacionados con el objeto de la tesis. En ésta se describen las relaciones entre políticas y ciencia en términos institucionales, como una combinación de modelos cognitivos, estructuras normativas y derechos, normas y procedimientos que definen y promueven las prácticas sociales que relacionan ciencia y políticas, que asignan funciones a científicos, legisladores y otras partes interesadas y con conocimiento de estos temas, y que guían sus interacciones de acuerdo con determinados principios y objetivos. Se ha identificado una serie de desajustes críticos, lagunas y otras deficiencias junto con tres cambios retóricos importantes que han surgido en respuesta a dichas deficiencias. Lo que se requiere es la necesidad de (i) un cambio de una perspectiva global, de carácter universal, a una organización más flexible y policéntrica del establecimiento de políticas, (ii) un cambio de un modelo lineal dedicado a la resolución de problemas concretos a un enfoque más integrado, no lineal, de la ciencia para el desarrollo de políticas, y (iii) el cambio de un enfoque conservacionista y orientado a los resultados hacia uno más antropocéntrico y centrado en los factores causales en la gobernanza de la biodiversidad. En base a estas necesidades, lo que aquí se sugiere es el establecimiento de una red discursiva, dinámica y policéntrica de relaciones entre ciencia y políticas que abarque distintas regiones, sectores y escalas. Esta es una opción sobre la que actualmente se discuten la mayoría de sus elementos, está firmemente arraigada en las decisiones tomadas por la comunidad internacional o que podría basarse en procesos y programas que ya existen.Over the past decades the international community has engaged in considerable efforts in science and politics to encounter the degradation and loss of biological diversity and ecosystem services. Yet, despite these efforts, biological diversity and ecosystem services continue to be degraded and lost at alarming rates. This thesis focuses on the need for improved interrelations between science and policy as a crucial element of institutional reform necessary to address the current impasse of biodiversity and ecosystem services governance. Science-­-policy interfaces are critical forces in shaping the development of environmental governance. But their interactions are increasingly challenged by the complexity of today's problems in unprecedented ways. Growing awareness of the importance of science-­-policy interfaces as key elements of environmental governance has triggered a range of reflections and debate regarding the design of more effective science-­-policy interfaces also in biodiversity and ecosystem services governance. However, significant differences prevail in understanding what science-­-policy interfaces are and how they work, where and why they currently fail, and what would be needed to improve them. This divergence is impeding the opportunities to substantively engage with the necessary institutional reforms. In this context, the objectives of this thesis have been (i) to further develop a coherent theoretical framework of science-­-policy interfaces that is useful for the design and management of science-­-policy interfaces; (ii) to analyse shortcomings of a range of existing science-­-policy interfaces in biodiversity and ecosystem services governance; and (iii) to explore needs and options that would be suitable to improve them allowing for a more effective governance of biodiversity and ecosystem services. To reach these objectives, the thesis builds on the intensive examination of three case studies that cover critical assessment of (i) the use of participation as an important concept in science-­-policy interfaces in European biodiversity governance, in particular as regards the Birds and Habitats Directive; (ii) the role the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) as science-­-policy interface to the Convention on Biological Diversity; and (iii) the debate related to the now-­-to-­-be established Intergovernmental science-­-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The principle research methods applied are participant observation at a broad range of relevant events and activities, and critical discourse analysis of a wealth of related texts, discussions and interviews. The thesis describes science-­-policy interfaces in institutional terms, as a combination of cognitive models, normative structures and rights, rules and procedures that define and enable social practices interrelating science and policy, assign roles to scientists, policy-­-makers and other relevant stake-­- and knowledge-­- holders, and guide their interactions according to given principles and purposes. A set of critical mismatches, gaps and other shortcomings has been identified together with three major rhetorical shifts that have emerged in response. What is called for is the need to (i) a shift from universal globalocentric towards a more flexible polycentric understanding of policy making; (ii) a shift from a puzzle-­-solving linear model towards a more integrated non-­-linear approach of science for policy; and (iii) a shift from a conservationist and outcome-­-oriented towards a more anthropocentric and driver/pressure-­-oriented approach to biodiversity governance. Based on these needs, what is suggested here is a discursive, dynamic and polycentric network of science-­-policy interfaces reaching across regions, sectors and scales - an option of which most elements are either currently being discussed, are firmly rooted in decisions taken by the international community or could build on processes and programmes that are already in place

Impact of multiangular information on empirical models to estimate canopy nitrogen concentration in mixed forest

Directional effects in remotely sensed reflectance data can influence the retrieval of plant biophysical and biochemical estimates. Previous studies have demonstrated that directional measurements contain added information that may increase the accuracy of estimated plant structural parameters. Because accurate biochemistry mapping is linked to vegetation structure, also models to estimate canopy nitrogen concentration (CN) may be improved indirectly from using multiangular data. Hyperspectral imagery with five different viewing zenith angles was acquired by the spaceborne CHRIS sensor over a forest study site in Switzerland. Fifteen canopy reflectance spectra corresponding to subplots of field-sampled trees were extracted from the preprocessed CHRIS images and subsequently two-term models were developed by regressing CN on four datasets comprising either original or continuum-removed reflectances. Consideration is given to the directional sensitivity of the CN estimation by generating regression models based on various combinations (n=15) of observation angles. The results of this study show that estimating canopy CN with only nadir data is not optimal irrespective of spectral data processing. Moreover adding multiangular information improves significantly the regression model fits and thus the retrieval of forest canopy biochemistry. These findings support the potential of multiangular Earth observations also for application-oriented ecological monitoring

CURRÍCULO INTEGRADO EM SAÚDE: CONSTRUÇÃO COLETIVA A PARTIR DE FÓRUNS DE QUALIFICAÇÃO DOCENTE

Descrever o processo de reformulação dos Projetos Pedagógicos dos Cursos de graduação que integram o Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde da Universidade do Vale do Taquari – Univates, Lajeado/RS, no decorrer dos fóruns de discussão: “Currículo Integrado em Saúde” e “(Re)pensando a Formação em Saúde, Metodologias Ativas de Ensino e de Aprendizagem e o Perfil do Egresso”. Metodologia: Os fóruns ocorreram consecutivamente, no decorrer de seis semestres, com início em 2014 B, com participação final de 40 docentes e mediação do Núcleo de Apoio Pedagógico da Instituição. Resultados: A partir de discussões acerca de novas metodologias de ensino e de aprendizagem e perfil do egresso previstos nas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para os cursos da área da Saúde, houve a (re)construção dos Projetos Pedagógicos, com vistas a uma formação interdisciplinar, compartilhada e integral, de forte relação com a rede regional de saúde. Conclusão: Problematizar a formação tradicional, disciplinar e fragmentada exige estudo, reflexões e mudança de paradigmas. A discussão coletiva possibilitou um olhar global sobre o futuro profissional, onde as áreas biológica, social e do trabalho são transversais, desde o início da formação acadêmica

Combined QCD and electroweak analysis of HERA data

A simultaneous fit of parton distribution functions (PDFs) and electroweak parameters to HERA data on deep inelastic scattering is presented. The input data are the neutral current and charged current inclusive cross sections which were previously used in the QCD analysis leading to the HERAPDF2.0 PDFs. In addition, the polarisation of the electron beam was taken into account for the ZEUS data recorded between 2004 and 2007. Results on the vector and axial-vector couplings of the Z boson to u- and d-type quarks, on the value of the electroweak mixing angle and the mass of the W boson are presented. The values obtained for the electroweak parameters are in agreement with Standard Model predictions.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. D. Small corrections from proofing process and small change to Fig. 12 and Table

Infrastructure for Detector Research and Development towards the International Linear Collider

The EUDET-project was launched to create an infrastructure for developing and testing new and advanced detector technologies to be used at a future linear collider. The aim was to make possible experimentation and analysis of data for institutes, which otherwise could not be realized due to lack of resources. The infrastructure comprised an analysis and software network, and instrumentation infrastructures for tracking detectors as well as for calorimetry.Comment: 54 pages, 48 picture