As representações do feminino em As brumas de Avalon, de Marion Zimmer Bradley

This present work is a theoretical and qualitative research divided into three chapters that aims to demonstrate how the representations of the female in the book The Mists of Avalon (1982), writing by Marion Zimmer Bradley, dialogues and revises the tradition of cavalry novels on the Arthurian legend, particularly Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur (1485) which brings the female from the images ideologically constructed of angel and monster. Bradley innovate the Matter of Britain when she created a version of the Arthurian myth following a perspective guided on the female. From the analysis of the history of Bradley's writing as well as the historical context of the development of feminism and the feminist criticism in which she wrote will be sought-point as The Mists of Avalon part of the tradition, but reframes the traditional episodes in order to deconstruct the patriarchal sense and the male images about the feminine

Easiness of use and validity testing of VS-SENSE device for detection of abnormal vaginal flora and bacterial vaginosis

Accessing vaginal pH is fundamental during gynaecological visit for the detection of abnormal vaginal flora (AVF), but use of pH strips may be time-consuming and difficult to interpret. The aim of this study was to evaluate the VS-SENSE test (Common Sense Ltd, Caesarea, Israel) as a tool for the diagnosis of AVF and its correlation with abnormal pH and bacterial vaginosis (BV). The study population consisted of 45 women with vaginal pH ≥ 4.5 and 45 women with normal pH. Vaginal samples were evaluated by VS-SENSE test, microscopy and microbiologic cultures. Comparing with pH strips results, VS-SENSE test specificity was 97.8% and sensitivity of 91%. All severe cases of BV and aerobic vaginitis (AV) were detected by the test. Only one case with normal pH had an unclear result. Concluding, VS-SENSE test is easy to perform, and it correlates with increased pH, AVF, and the severe cases of BV and AV. Copyright © 2010 Gilbert G. G. Donders et al.