Reconsidering the "policy gap":policy implementation and outcomes in Spain

By analysing entry policies and regularisation procedures in Spain from the 1990s to 2007, this article examines how the mismatch between very restrictive immigration policies and increasing foreign labour demands translated into a model of illegal migration, which in turn gave rise to the need to carry out periodical regularisation drives. This double 'policy gap' between legality and reality, and between entry policies and regularisation procedures, is explained as a policy in itself and as a way to solve in practice the apparently unsolvable dilemma between the demands for closure and the insatiable demands for foreign workers.

Comparación ambiental en dos salas de cuidados intensivos neonatales de tercer nivel

Les Unitats de Cures Intensives Neonatals (UCIN) de tercer nivell solen estar afectades d'elevada contaminació acústica. L'objectiu era quantificar mitjançant un estudi observacional la intensitat de soroll en dues sales UCIN, sales A i B, destinades a nounats a terme i a prematurs, respectivament. Les mesures de soroll van efectuar-se simultàniament a les sales mitjançant sensors sense fils durant 24 hores en 4 dies. Les fluctuacions de soroll continu van ser inferiors a 5dB produint-se uns màxims de soroll transitori a la nit i aconseguint-se valors més elevats en sala A. El soroll a les sales sobrepassa els límits internacionalment recomanats.

Archaeological and archaeomagnetic dating at a site from the ager Tarraconensis (Tarragona, Spain): El Vila-sec Roman pottery

A very accurate archaeological dating of a Roman site in NE Spain (El Vila-sec) was made based on the typology of pottery artifacts. Three different phases were identifi ed with activity ranging from the mid- 1st century BC to the early-3rd century AD. Analyses of bricks from kilns at El Vila-sec produced data on their stored archaeomagnetic vector. These data were compared with the secular variation curve for the Iberian Peninsula and the SCHA.DIF.3K regional archaeomagnetic model. Both, the reference curve and the model, produced probability distributions for the final period of use for two kilns from the second archaeological phase that were not used during the third phase. At a 95% con fidence level, both time distributions cover a wide chronological range including the presumed archaeological age. Both the Iberian secular variation curve and the SCHA.DIF.3K regional model proved to be suitable models for dating the site, although on their own they do not produce a single unambiguous solution. This archaeomagnetic approach could also be applied to neighbouring archaeological sites that have an imprecise archaeological age.

Agronomic performance of quinoa selected in the Brazilian Savannah

Twenty six breeding lines, selected from individual plant progenies of hybrids among varieties Amarilla de Marangani, Blanca de Junín, Chewecca, Faro 4, Improved Baer, Kancolla, Real, and Salares-Roja, had their agronomic characters evaluated, in Planaltina, DF, Brazil (15º36'S and 47º12'W), 1,000 masl, in randomized complete blocks, on a Ferralsol, previously limed and fertilized. Grain yield was positively associated with plant height, inflorescence length and diameter, and plant cycle. Genetic gain can be attained by selection based in these characters for commercial production of quinoa in tropical regions.

Composition, nanostructure, and optical properties of silver and silver-copper lusters

Lusters are composite thin layers of coinage metal nanoparticles in glass displaying peculiar optical properties and obtained by a process involving ionic exchange, diffusion, and crystallization. In particular, the origin of the high reflectance (golden-shine) shown by those layers has been subject of some discussion. It has been attributed to either the presence of larger particles, thinner multiple layers or higher volume fraction of nanoparticles. The object of this paper is to clarify this for which a set of laboratory designed lusters are analysed by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Model calculations and numerical simulations using the finite difference time domain method were also performed to evaluate the optical properties. Finally, the correlation between synthesis conditions, nanostructure, and optical properties is obtained for these materials.

The use of micro-XRD for the study of glaze color decorations

The compounds responsible for the colours and decorations in glass and glazed ceramics include: colouring agents (transition metal ions), pigments (micro-and nano-precipitates of compounds that either do not dissolve or recrystallize in the glassy matrix) and opacifiers (microcrystalline compounds with high light scattering capability). Their composition, structure and range of stability are highly dependent not only on the composition but also on the procedures followed to obtain them. Chemical composition of the colorants and crystallites may be obtained by means of SEM-EDX and WDX. Synchrotron Radiation micro-X-ray Diffraction has a small beam size adequate (10 to 50 microns footprint size) to obtain the structural information of crystalline compounds and high brilliance, optimal for determining the crystallites even when present in low amounts. In addition, in glass decorations the crystallites often appear forming thin layers (from 10 to 100 micrometers thick) and they show a depth dependent composition and crystal structure. Their nature and distribution across the glass/glazes decorations gives direct information on the technology of production and stability and may be related to the color and appearance. A selection of glass and glaze coloring agents and decorations are studied by means of SR-micro- XRD and SEM-EDX including: manganese brown, antimony yellow, red copper lusters and cobalt blue. The selection includes Medieval (Islamic, and Hispano Moresque) and renaissance tin glazed ceramics from the 10th to the 17th century AD.

Les Imitacions de vaixella fina importada a la Hispania Citerior (segles I aC-I dC)

Aquesta obra és fruit de la taula rodona «Imitatio Vasaria. Les imitacions de vaixella fina a la Hispània Citerior en època tardorepublicana i altimperial: producció i comercialització», que va reunir durant tres dies representants de tretze grups de recerca per reflexionar sobre les imitacions de les ceràmiques fines d’importació d’època romana tardorepublicana i altimperial. Com a resultat d’aquestes xerrades es van redactar 14 articles que presenten els estats de la qüestió que cada grup de recerca va portar a terme en el seu àmbit geogràfic i en els jaciments on van desenvolupar el seu treball de camp: diverses zones de la Hispània Citerior des de les universitats de Girona, Barcelona, Autònoma de Barcelona, València, Alacant i Valladolid, així com des dels Museus d’Arqueologia de Catalunya-Empúries, Mataró i Badalona, i de l’ICAC. Dos articles del llibre, però, se centren en un altre punt de la Mediterrània occidental, el Llenguadoc, aportat per un grup del Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).

Microstructure and magnetic properties of Ni50 Mn37 Sn13 Heusler alloy ribbons

The Heusler alloy Ni50 Mn37 Sn13 was successfully produced as ribbon flakes of thickness around 7-10 μm melt spinning. Fracture cross section micrographs in the ribbon show the formation of a microcrystalline columnarlike microstructure, with their longer axes perpendicular to the ribbon plane. Phase transition temperatures of the martensite-austenite transformation were found to be MS =218 K, Mf =207 K, AS =224 K, and Af =232 K; the thermal hysteresis of the transformation is 15 K. Ferromagnetic L 21 bcc austenite phase shows a Curie point of 313 K, with cell parameter a=0.5971 (5) nm at 298 K, transforming into a modulated 7M orthorhombic martensite with a=0.6121 (7) nm, b=0.6058 (8) nm, and c=0.5660 (2) nm, at 150 K

Ferromagnetic shape memory alloys: structural and thermal properties

The most extensively studied Heusler alloys are those based on the Ni-Mn-Ga system. However, to overcome the high cost of Gallium and the usually low martensitic transformation temperature, the search for Ga-free alloys has been recently attempted, particularly, by introducing In, Sn or Sb. In this work, two alloys (Mn50Ni35.5In14.5 and Ni50Mn35In15) have been obtained by melt spinning. We outline their structural and thermal behaviour. Mn50Ni35.5In14.5 alloy has the transformation above room temperature whereas Ni50Mn35In15 does not have this transformation in the temperature range here analyzed

L'ocupació altimperial del solar del mercat de Santa Caterina. Un possible centre productor ceràmic

En aquest article es presenta la fase de la intervenció realitzada al mercat de Santa Caterina que es desenvolupa en l’època altimperial romana i està relacionada amb els inicis de la ciutat de Barcino. En funció de les estructures recuperades i la gran quantitat de material d’escòries ceràmiques recollides, les restes documentades s’han identificat amb una zona de producció ceràmica suburbial, on podrien produir-se tant ceràmiques comunes com recipients amfòrics. Aquests últims són els que han aportat més informació, tant per la quantitat com per la diversitat de marques recollides, que han permès ampliar el coneixement sobre les possibles produccions a la ciutat i els circuits del vi a la zona.