Geo-material provenance and technological properties investigation in Copper Age menhirs production at Allai (central-western Sardinia, Italy)

During the 2nd millennium BC anthropomorphic menhirs belonging to a 3rd millennium BC sanctuary were reused as building material in the Arasseda Nuraghe (Sardinia, Italy). To analyse the Arasseda menhirs and the local Monte Ironi geological samples (presenting similar visual features), chemical (pXRF, ICP-OES, ICP-MS), mineralogical-chemical (PXRD) and physical (Mohs hardness) measurements were performed. Through the experimental data, the menhirs source provenance and the technological properties (workability, durability) of the raw material chosen for sculptural purposes during Copper Age were investigated. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first archaeometric study on the Arasseda menhirs (the third on Sardinian menhirs) and one between the few recently developed on European megaliths

Abnormal Returns in Privatization Public Offerings: The case of Portuguese firms

This paper provides evidence on abnormal returns of Portuguese privatization public offerings for the period from 1989 to 2001. This study explores the abnormal performance of a comprehensive sample of Portuguese privatization transactions and investigates the determinants of the observed price behavior. We find some evidence of the underpricing phenomenon for privatized offerings but initial returns are low and barely significant. The results show further that privatization IPOs underperform private sector IPOs. In the long run, we observe negative abnormal returns. While in early event months, privatization public offerings yield more negative returns than private sector offerings, this effect is reversed in longer horizon periods. Initial underpricing is thus partially reversed and investors seem to require higher returns in partial privatizations.

Comparison of the gender gap between Spain and Austria in the technology sector. A brief analysis of the technological sector, the role of the directive women in it and the study of comparative indicators on both countries.

Treballs Finals del Grau d'Empresa Internacional, Facultat d'Economia i Empresa, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2020-2021, Tutor: Carme Vivancos SánchezThe research presented in this paper is on the comparison of the gender gap that exists in the technology sector between Spain and Austria. It is intended to answer the hypothesis of whether it can be concluded that the gap is greater in Spain than in Austria. My goal is to try to demonstrate whether one of the two countries has a gender gap is smaller in one country or another. To respond to this, they have been taken two analysis methods. First, quantitative data has been analysed on the situation of the sector in both countries by extracting information from previous studies and publications. On the other hand, leading women in the technology sector have been interviewed to have a qualitative part that represents the situation these women are experiencing and to draw conclusions based on their personal opinions. The conclusion I have drawn is that it depends on many indicators and in some aspects, Spain is in a better situation than in Austria and in other Austria leads with better results. Therefore, I believe that an even more extensive study, more interviews and more detailed analysis of other indicators should be carried out, so that we could try to draw a clear conclusion. To conclude, the hypothesis is confirmed but the necessity of considering more variables in order to analyse properly the current situation of each country is essential if a good and complete analysis is expected. The ratio of female to male labour participation in both countries has increased but it is still lower in Spain and the female earnings from closing the gender gap are the half in Spain than in Austria. Spain also presents a smaller number of women in the representation board of companies. In the technology sector, the presence of the glass ceiling has also been proved, since there are few companies among the ones with the highest income that have a female CEO

Construction of three new Gateway® expression plasmids for Trypanosoma cruzi

We present here three expression plasmids for Trypanosoma cruzi adapted to the Gateway® recombination cloning system. Two of these plasmids were designed to express trypanosomal proteins fused to a double tag for tandem affinity purification (TAPtag). The TAPtag and Gateway® cassette were introduced into an episomal (pTEX) and an integrative (pTREX) plasmid. Both plasmids were assayed by introducing green fluorescent protein (GFP) by recombination and the integrity of the double-tagged protein was determined by western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy. The third Gateway adapted vector assayed was the inducible pTcINDEX. When tested with GFP, pTcINDEX-GW showed a good response to tetracycline, being less leaky than its precursor (pTcINDEX).Fil: Alonso, Victoria Lucia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmaceuticas. Departamento de Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Ritagliati, Carla. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Cribb, Pamela. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmaceuticas. Departamento de Microbiología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Serra, Esteban Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas; Argentin

Fungi and ochratoxin A detected in healthy grapes for wine production

Aims: The mycoflora of healthy grapes (i.e. without visible symptoms of rot) for wine production in Portuguese winemaking regions was assessed and its potential for ochratoxin A (OTA) production evaluated. The OTA content of grapes was also determined. Methods and Results: A total of 386 fungal strains were isolated by plating methods. The most frequent genera found in grapes were non-ochratoxigenic species: Cladosporium (28%), Penicillium (24%), Botrytis (13%) and Aspergillus (9%). Two OTA-producing strains were isolated, belonging to the species Aspergillus carbonarius and Aspergillus ochraceus. OTA was detected in three of four grape samples, up to 116 ng lֿ¹. Conclusions: OTA is being produced in healthy berries by Aspergillus species, namely A. carbonarius, at levels below the maximum recommended limit of 2000 ng lֿ¹ in wine. Significance and Impact of the Study: The OTA concentration detected in healthy Portuguese grapes does not represent a risk to wine regarding the legal limit established.EC, Quality of Life Program (QoL), Key Action 1 (KA1) on Food, Nutrition and Health; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Ochratoxin A occurrence and formation in Portuguese wine grapes at various stages of maturation

A total of 93 Portuguese grape samples destined for wine production were examined for the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) and the OTA producing fungi Aspergillus carbonarius and A. niger aggregate. Samples came from 11 vineyards from four winemaking regions in the North and South of the Portuguese mainland, during the harvest seasons of 2001, 2002 and 2003. Grapes were examined at 3 maturation stages, from setting to the harvesting period, to evaluate when contamination with OTA producing fungi and OTA synthesis occur. The detection of fungi in grape samples was made by plating methods with and without surface disinfection. OTAwas formed by 14% of the 650 isolates tested. Most of the OTA producing strains (96%) were isolated at harvest time. At this stage, the percentage of grape samples with OTA producing strains detected without surface disinfection was 56%. With surface disinfection, A. carbonarius was isolated from 10% of the samples. OTAwas detected in grapes at the 3 maturation stages. The average OTA concentrations in 60 samples at pea berry (28 samples), early veraison (22 samples) and ripe berry (20 samples) were 263, 149 and 35 ng/kg, respectively. Experiments with an A. carbonarius strain demonstrated that OTA production differs significantly with the composition of the berries at different maturation stages (P<0.001), with a mean value of OTA production at pea berry, early veraison and ripe berry of 3402, 1530 and 22 μg/kg, respectively. The production of OTA by A. carbonarius was correlated positively and negatively with the total acidity of grapes (rs=0.855, P<0.001) and reducing sugars content (rs=−0.835, P<0.001), respectively. Our data demonstrate that OTA synthesis in grapes occurs since early maturation stages.The EC Quality of Life Programme (QoL), Key. Action 1 – Food, Nutrition & Health.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - grant SFRH/BPD/2827/2004

The presence of rainbow trout reduces drift of aquatic insects in Yungas streams (Tucumán, Argentina)

. La deriva o transporte de individuos aguas abajo es un fenómeno importante de ríos y arroyos, ya que la mayoría de los organismos acuáticos participan de ella en algún período de su ciclo de vida. Este trabajo describe el ensamble de deriva de macroinvertebrados de diez sitios en ocho ríos de montaña de Tucumán, y evalúa el efecto de la presencia de trucha arco iris (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum), un pez exótico y depredador visual, sobre esta fracción de la comunidad. Se identificaron 31 familias de invertebrados acuáticos en la deriva, principalmente insectos inmaduros y en menor medida hidrácaros (Acari: Hydrachnidia), oligoquetos (Annelida: Oligochaeta) y nematodos (Nematoda). La riqueza y diversidad de los sitios fue similar en todos los ríos, excepto al comparar tramos con y sin truchas en un mismo arroyo. Las muestras provenientes de ríos sin trucha o con baja densidad de ellas no mostraron cambios significativos en densidad de deriva de macroinvertebrados. En cambio, en los ríos con altas densidades de trucha se observó una notoria disminución de algunos insectos (con individuos grandes): Baetidae (Ephemeroptera), Gripopterygidae (Plecoptera) y Leptoceridae (Trichoptera). Por el contrario, en estos ríos aumentó la densidad de pequeños Diptera, Hidracarina, Nematoda y Oligochaeta.The drift or transport of individuals downstream is an important phenomenonof rivers and streams, since most aquatic organisms participate in it at some period of theirlife cycle. This work describes the assemblage of macroinvertebrate drift from ten sites ineight mountain streams of Tucumán, and evaluates the effect of the presence of rainbow trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum), an exotic fish and visual predator, on this fraction of thecommunity. Thirty-one (31) families of drifting aquatic invertebrates were identified, mainlyimmature insects and to a lesser extent water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia), oligochaetes(Annelida: Oligochaeta) and nematodes (Nematoda). The richness and diversity of the siteswith trout did not differ from the others, except when comparing lower and upper reaches ofa same stream. Samples from rivers without trout or with low density of trout did not showsignificant changes in drift density of macroinvertebrates. In contrast, in rivers with high troutdensities, a notable decrease in insect taxa was observed (those with large sized individuals):Baetidae (Ephemeroptera), Gripopterygidae (Plecoptera) and Leptoceridae (Trichoptera). Onthe contrary, the density of small Diptera, water mites, oligochets and nematodes increasedin trout-streams.Fil: Serra Greppi, Iris Carla. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Molineri, Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; Argentin

Análisis del proceso de industrialización del partido de La Matanza en el contexto local y nacional para el período 1930-2005

Los 33 partidos que componen el Gran Buenos Aires poseen el 36% de la población del país y representan más del 60% del PBI industrial argentino, en algo menos del 4% del territorio de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. En este contexto, el partido de La Matanza, el más poblado del país y el de mayor aporte al PBI industrial provincial (22%), se ha caracterizado por presentar un proceso de industrialización de larga data, que se origina en los albores de la industrialización de la Argentina y que ha acompañado en gran medida la evolución del sector a nivel nacional. El presente trabajo pretende realizar un análisis de éste, tanto desde la perspectiva local como nacional, para el período 1930-2005

Scholar performance and types of reading errors in children with visual function anomalies

Se desarrolló un estudio descriptivo con el objetivo de evaluar el rendimiento escolar así como tipos de errores en la lectura en niños con alteraciones de la función visual. En el estudio participaron 672 niños del Municipio de Lisboa (7.69±1.19 años): grupo de control (función visual normal=562) y grupo experimental (alteraciones da función visual=110). Se cuestionaron 34 profesores acerca del rendimiento escolar y lectura a través de un cuestionario validado. Para la evaluación en la lectura se empleó la prueba de lectura de 34 palabras sueltas. Los niños con la función visual alterada mostraron niveles más bajos de rendimiento escolar. Estaban en el nivel "negativo" del 10,9% de los niños con la función visual alterada y sólo del 5,3% de los niños con la función visual normal. Estos niños comenten más errores en la lectura (p<0,001) con un mayor número de no palabras (3,09±5,20) en comparación con los niños con la función visual normal (1,44±3,09). Comenten también más omisiones y adiciones de letras y confusiones de grafema, teniendo dificultades en el análisis global de la palabra. Se propone un modelo de orientación para los profesores.ABSTRACT - A cross-sectional study was developed to evaluate scholar performance and types of reading errors in children with visual function anomalies. A sample with 672 children of school age (7.69±1.19) was recruited in Lisbon: control group (normal visual function=562) and experimental group (abnormal visual function=110). A validated questionnaire was used to assess the perception of 34 teachers regarding scholar and reading performance. Reading performance was measured with a proof of 34 isolated words. Children with visual function anomalies had lower scholar performance with 10.9% of the children graded at the level of negative performance compared with 5.3% of the children with normal visual function. This group of children had more errors in reading (p<0.001), mainly non-words (3.09±5.20) when compared with children with normal visual function (1.44±3.09). Letter omissions and additions and grapheme confusions were also common errors in this group of children which reveals difficulties in the global analysis of words. It is proposed a model of guidance for teachers

Reading performance in children with visual function anomalies

Aims - To compare reading performance in children with and without visual function anomalies and identify the influence of abnormal visual function and other variables in reading ability. Methods - A cross-sectional study was carried in 110 children of school age (6-11 years) with Abnormal Visual Function (AVF) and 562 children with Normal Visual Function (NVF). An orthoptic assessment (visual acuity, ocular alignment, near point of convergence and accommodation, stereopsis and vergences) and autorefraction was carried out. Oral reading was analyzed (list of 34 words). Number of errors, accuracy (percentage of success) and reading speed (words per minute - wpm) were used as reading indicators. Sociodemographic information from parents (n=670) and teachers (n=34) was obtained. Results - Children with AVF had a higher number of errors (AVF=3.00 errors; NVF=1.00 errors; p<0.001), a lower accuracy (AVF=91.18%; NVF=97.06%; p<0.001) and reading speed (AVF=24.71 wpm; NVF=27.39 wpm; p=0.007). Reading speed in the 3rd school grade was not statistically different between the two groups (AVF=31.41 wpm; NVF=32.54 wpm; p=0.113). Children with uncorrected hyperopia (p=0.003) and astigmatism (p=0.019) had worst reading performance. Children in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grades presented a lower risk of having reading impairment when compared with the 1st grade. Conclusion - Children with AVF had reading impairment in the first school grade. It seems that reading abilities have a wide variation and this disparity lessens in older children. The slow reading characteristics of the children with AVF are similar to dyslexic children, which suggest the need for an eye evaluation before classifying the children as dyslexic