The Spanish Civil War in the twenty -first century peninsular narrative: Narrative endeavors towards a national reconciliation?

This dissertation analyzes six twenty-first century novels that reflect Spain's current intellectual trends on the Spanish Civil War, Francoism and the transition to a democratic system. These novels deal with the complex correlation between memory and amnesia caused by the traumatic events of the Civil War. Despite the abundance of literature on this topic, these writers insist on the need for the recovery of historical and collective memory in order to halt the negative historical revisionism of recent years. Beginning with the death of Francisco Franco, this work focuses on the historical-theoretical framework that leads to the development of this mnemonic narrative and outlines the politics of memory effectuated during the transitional period, a lieu de mémoire frequently revisited and examined by new generations of writers. The novels analyzed also call for the retelling of history from the perspective of everyday people and address the need to pay overdue homage to victims of the post-war era.^ This work concludes that, while the texts may be considered settings for posthumous tributes, they could likewise advocate for a national reconciliation. Thus, as this narrative reveals, by focusing more on the need for a work on memory than on political and ideological polarizations, the memory of restitution does not interfere with the memory of reconciliation. The writers in question are nonetheless aware that reconciliation cannot be based on a spurious amnesia. The first step, therefore, towards reconciliation is to achieve a legitimate dialogue with regard to the traumatic past, and literary works may offer a tenable path. ^

The effects of trained teachers' integration of dialogic reading discourse on Hispanic English Language Learners' literacy skills in kindergarten

This quasi-experimental Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) study explored whether the vocabulary and reading comprehension mean scores of Hispanic Kindergarten ELs whose teachers were trained to utilize Dialogic Reading (DR) discourse were higher than the mean scores of Hispanic ELs in kindergarten whose teachers were not trained to utilize DR discourse strategies. Sixty-three self-identified Hispanic, English Language Kindergarten students and four teachers participated in the study. The teachers were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (DR trained) or control group by drawing names from a hat. Student assignment to experimental versus comparison group was based on the teacher's assignment to either the experimental or comparison group. Thirty-one were assigned to the control group and 32 to the experimental group. The teachers were instructed to read the story to a group of six students (maximum) at a time, utilizing the DR discourse strategies they had been trained to implement. Subjects were read a story each week during the 8-week duration of the study. Teachers in the experimental group collaboratively selected 10 words each week from the Read Together Talk Together (RTTT) instructional stories that were utilized for vocabulary instruction. A test of homogeneity was conducted to evaluate whether the variance among the dependent variables was the same across the groups. An Analyses of Covariance (ANCOVA) was applied to analyze students' vocabulary and comprehension mean scores in the experimental group and the comparison group. The results of the study demonstrated a significant increase in the vocabulary and reading comprehension mean scores for the students whose teachers had been trained in DR discourse strategies. When comparing the two groups, the results revealed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study was conducted to explore how DR discourse may be an effective technique to teach literacy skills. The findings of this study showed that vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension of Hispanic ELs were positively affected by the teachers' inclusion of dialogue during storybook reading. Its outcomes accentuated the need for teachers to provide assistance to ELs as they develop vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension skills.

Development of a surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy method for the detection of benzodiazepines in urine

Benzodiazepines are among the most prescribed compounds for anti-anxiety and are present in many toxicological screens. These drugs are also prominent in the commission of drug facilitated sexual assaults due their effects on the central nervous system. Due to their potency, a low dose of these compounds is often administered to victims; therefore, the target detection limit for these compounds in biological samples is 10 ng/mL. Currently these compounds are predominantly analyzed using immunoassay techniques; however more specific screening methods are needed. ^ The goal of this dissertation was to develop a rapid, specific screening technique for benzodiazepines in urine samples utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), which has previously been shown be capable of to detect trace quantities of pharmaceutical compounds in aqueous solutions. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy has the advantage of overcoming the low sensitivity and fluorescence effects seen with conventional Raman spectroscopy. The spectra are obtained by applying an analyte onto a SERS-active metal substrate such as colloidal metal particles. SERS signals can be further increased with the addition of aggregate solutions. These agents cause the nanoparticles to amass and form hot-spots which increase the signal intensity. ^ In this work, the colloidal particles are spherical gold nanoparticles in aqueous solution with an average size of approximately 30 nm. The optimum aggregating agent for the detection of benzodiazepines was determined to be 16.7 mM MgCl2, providing the highest signal intensities at the lowest drug concentrations with limits of detection between 0.5 and 127 ng/mL. A supported liquid extraction technique was utilized as a rapid clean extraction for benzodiazepines from urine at a pH of 5.0, allowing for clean extraction with limits of detection between 6 and 640 ng/mL. It was shown that at this pH other drugs that are prevalent in urine samples can be removed providing the selective detection of the benzodiazepine of interest. ^ This technique has been shown to provide rapid (less than twenty minutes), sensitive, and specific detection of benzodiazepines at low concentrations in urine. It provides the forensic community with a sensitive and specific screening technique for the detection of benzodiazepines in drug facilitated assault cases.^

Beliefs of Icelandic elderly living in the greater Reykjavik area toward autonomy and paternalism in caregiving of the elderly

With the aging population and the increase in health care costs, issues of independence and autonomy will have a greater impact on formal and informal health care. Changes in occupational functioning that accompany increased age has raised the demandfor family assistance to the elderly. It is important for occupational therapists to understand the elderly's perceptions toward autonomy and paternalism in caregiving of the elderly because it is assumed that attitudes and beliefs affect how people interact and care for the elderly. A convenience sample of 57 Icelandic elderly were surveyed regarding their attitudes toward autonomy and paternalism in caregiving of the elderly. Results indicated that Icelandic elderly held strong beliefs toward autonomy but were undecided toward paternalism. Significant differences were found between groups. Elderly living at home indicated stronger beliefs on both autonomy and paternalism compared to those living in senior housing complexes. Elderly women held stronger beliefs in autonomy in contrast to the males, who were more paternalistic, and married subjects held stronger beliefs than did single respondents.

The Other Face of Cuban Medical Diplomacy: Domestic Impact

Since 1963 Cuba has provided medical assistance to third world countries while gaining international, political and economic support from its participating liaisons. But what exactly have been Cuba’s domestic consequences of such medical diplomacy? While the Cuban government sends many of its medical professionals and supplies abroad, the country suffers from extreme scarcity and a deterioration of its healthcare system. The purpose of my research is to enquire more on the consequences of such medical diplomacy on the Cuban healthcare system and how it has affected domestic medical infrastructure, health professionals working on the island as well as the quality of service. In carrying out this examination, I will rely on the use of information from books written by Cuban medical professionals on their personal experiences within the medical system, and patients treated on the island. I will also make active use of academic journals and articles on the Cuban healthcare system. Most of what has been written on Cuban medical diplomacy and internationalist missions are favorable critiques praising the Cuban government. Nevertheless, personal testimonies found in Dr. Dessy Mendoza Rivero’s Dengue: La Epidemia Secreta de Fidel Castro and in Dr. Jose Luis Comas and Dr. Luis Ovidio Gonzales’ Cuba: Medicina y Revolucion reveal a different side to this seemingly pleasant and good natured international exchange. As a Cuban who lived on the island, I personally suffered the consequences of such medical diplomacy and believe others will find benefit in arming themselves with knowledge on the issue.

O atendimento às adolescentes autoras de atos infracionais no estado do Rio Grande do Norte

The objective of this study was to investigate the assistance for the female adolescents perpetrators of offences in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Through the Thematic Oral History and Documentary Analysis methods, we sought to uncover historical aspects of the work provided in women’s units of the Fundação dos Direitos das Crianças e Adolescentes (FUNDAC) [Foundation for the Rights of Children and Adolescents], from the experiences of professionals who have worked in these units since the beginning of their activities. For this, we made visits to FUNDAC and the Centro Educacional Padre João Maria (CEDUC) [Educational Center Father João Maria], to identify professionals who could participate in the study, as well as institutional documents on routine of treatment. Eight professionals were found from three identified units: Granja Santana, Instituto Padre João Maria and CEDUC, who were interviewed according to a semi-structured script. The analysis of the collected material is supported in Marxian theory and feminist perspective on the sexual division of labor. The results are organized into five areas of analysis: (1) the creation of the service units; (2) the deviant “behavior”: reasons for institutionalization of female adolescents; (3) educational proposal: a female version; service strategies and; the rules and punishment: the domesticated teenage girl. The study indicates that the commission of the offense by the female adolescents in state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) has been associated with the conduct of their families, particularly their mothers. Moreover, in general, service strategies, educational proposals, disciplinary measures were and have been developed based on the naturalization of what is female. Therefore, the assistance to adolescent girls in RN, those thirty-five years, left intact the existing hierarchy in social relations between the sexes, it reproduced the subordination of female adolescents in the juvenile justice system.

Explorando a execução de técnicas estendidas no oboé encontradas em quatro peças contemporâneas

This dissertation presents an investigation of the evolutionary process of extended oboe techniques, through literary analysis and practical research. The objective of this work is to provide assistance to oboists interested in learning these techniques. Additionally, this work encourages the student, through the process of experimentation, to explore the questions that may arise around the aesthetics of sound, the concept of gesture as an additional visual and aural element in music, and the collaboration and “real-time” creation processes. Discussed within the work, are the relationship between the instrument (the oboe) and extended techniques, and two possible definitions of extended techniques, provided by Luk Vaes (2009) and Gardner Read (1993). Also explored are the how and why some composers have utilized extended techniques in their compositions, including brief discussions relating to extended techniques in real-time composition (improvisation), extended techniques and technological resources, theatrical gesture as an extended technique, and suggestions of how musicians might approach theatrical gestures in performance. Four works were visited: “I Know This Room So Well” – Lisa Bielawa (2007-9); “Four Pieces for Oboe and Piano” – Ernst Krenek (1966); “In Freundschaft” – Karlheinz Stockhausen (1978); “Atem” – Mauricio Kagel (1969-70); and an exploration of the difficulties and solutions associated with each extended technique found within these pieces, was carried out. The following founding works on extended oboe techniques were used, as a basis for research: books - Heinz Holliger’s Pro Musica Nova (1972); Gardner Read’s Compendium of Modern Instrumental Techniques (1993); Peter Veale & Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf’s The Techniques of Oboe Playing (1994); and Libby Van Cleve’s Oboe Unbound: Contemporary Techniques (2004); and articles - Nora Post’s “Monophonic sound resources for the oboe: Part I – Timbre” (1984), “Part II- Pitch and other techniques” (1984), and “Multiphonics for the oboe” (1982).

Percepção da equipe de saúde, discentes e usuários sobre a comunicação com indivíduos surdos na atenção primária

The study aimed to identify in the professionals and students of health courses that work in a health Basic Unit in the city of Natal/RN their perceptions of the care of deaf patients, and with the population's needs with hearing loss in relation to health care. This is a cross-sectional, exploratory, descriptive study, conducted between April to July 2014, with a population composed of 21 health professionals, 17 students and 8 deaf users. For data collection, we used a structured questionnaire with open and closed questions applied to groups composed of health professionals (doctors, dentists, nurses and health workers) and students of medical schools, nursing, physical education, nutrition and social service. The professionals/students answered a semi-structured questionnaire with open and closed questions concerning the possible difficulties the care of the deaf and hearing impaired. Data collection with deaf users was conducted through filmed interview for the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) could be interpreted as to the Portuguese by the researcher. With the latter it was conducted a survey of their reactions when looking for a care in the health service. Regarding the profile of identification of the subjects, it was analyzed by simple descriptive statistics (absolute and relative frequencies). The open questions were analyzed through the content analysis technique which allowed the categorization process preserving all the points raised in the discussion so that the lines were representative of the whole. When asked about the professionals and students attitude used to communicate with deaf patients possible the following categories emerged: the "writing", the "gestures" and the "third party assistance". With regard of the deaf, when asked about their experiences in seeking care in health, the elucidated categories were: "quality of care to the hearing impaired", "communication with the hearing impaired adequacy" and "dependence on third parties." The closed questions were measured and adapted to the 5 degrees of variation Likert Scale, which comprised three of these issues: degree of difficulty in communication to meet a patient with hearing loss (minimum to great difficulty); feeling of comfort while using sign language (minimum to severe discomfort); and knowledge of the Law 10.436, which provides for the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) (low knowledge to entirely clear). The data collected with professionals and students revealed some misunderstanding and discomfort in health care for deaf patients, reality also evidenced in the opinion of the deaf participants. This study revealed problems in communication, resulting in negative consequences in serving this population. This diagnosis may be relevant to public policy development and curriculum guidelines essential to the training of health professionals, inclusion and improving assistance to deaf.

Politícas públicas no Brasil: o desafio de garantir os direitos da infância

The article talks about the challenge of the construction of public policies for the child in the age group from 0 to 6 years old in Brazil, in the perspective of the right guarantees. One can presuppose that to comprehend the development of these policies, it is necessary to analyze the historical route of its assistance, possibilities and limits. It is also important to consider the contradictory relationships of power present in society, and its influence in the building of the conception of child and childhood that are very far to be neutral words, so they are policies. In this point of view, this work analyzes the arrangement of the current policies of assistance to children, making clear the shape as they were reorganized by the neo liberal policies and set of instructions of international organizations. The studies show that, instead of public and universal policies, programs and actions are introduced based on the focus in the fight against poverty, made with low costs and questionable quality.

Avaliação da imagem corporal de mulheres submetidas à cirurgia oncológica mamária

Breast cancer is the second type of cancer that affects more women of reproductive age in Brazil. Surgical treatments include: conserving surgery or mastectomy. Aimed to evaluate body image of women undergoing breast cancer surgery, based on the scale Body Image After Breast Cancer Questionnaire. It is a descriptive, exploratory, transversal, with a quantitative approach. Data were collected in Norte-riograndense League Against Cancer, between the months from March to May 2015, after consideration of the Research Ethics Committee of that institution CAEE 35155714.1.0000.5293. The study population consisted of women undergoing breast onco-surgery. To calculate the sample considered the finite population, totaling 120 subjects, collected four guys the most. Data were analyzed by the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. The domain scores of the scale were evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics. The surgical group mastectomy without reconstruction showed greater impairment of body image in the field "vulnerability", "Care for the body" and "transparency" in relation to other surgical types, and suggests susceptibility to cancer, body appearance and worry that disturb other. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed greater dissatisfaction with body image in the fields "body Stigma" and "transparency" to the radical neoplastic surgery over other surgical types. Dissatisfaction with body image and physical appearance was detected in this study in all six image fields present in scale, with emphasis on the "body Stigma" and "Transparency". This means that the body image disorder is formulated based on the perception of others about themselves and not by perception "self", which justifies the concern with appearance, with body and hide the consequences stemmed cancer. It is expected that the data obtained from the evaluation of body image presented in this study contribute to enable the assistance to oncocirurgiada woman breast integral, essential for the practice of Nursing.

Avaliação da imagem corporal de mulheres submetidas à cirurgia oncológica mamária

Breast cancer is the second type of cancer that affects more women of reproductive age in Brazil. Surgical treatments include: conserving surgery or mastectomy. Aimed to evaluate body image of women undergoing breast cancer surgery, based on the scale Body Image After Breast Cancer Questionnaire. It is a descriptive, exploratory, transversal, with a quantitative approach. Data were collected in Norte-riograndense League Against Cancer, between the months from March to May 2015, after consideration of the Research Ethics Committee of that institution CAEE 35155714.1.0000.5293. The study population consisted of women undergoing breast onco-surgery. To calculate the sample considered the finite population, totaling 120 subjects, collected four guys the most. Data were analyzed by the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. The domain scores of the scale were evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics. The surgical group mastectomy without reconstruction showed greater impairment of body image in the field "vulnerability", "Care for the body" and "transparency" in relation to other surgical types, and suggests susceptibility to cancer, body appearance and worry that disturb other. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed greater dissatisfaction with body image in the fields "body Stigma" and "transparency" to the radical neoplastic surgery over other surgical types. Dissatisfaction with body image and physical appearance was detected in this study in all six image fields present in scale, with emphasis on the "body Stigma" and "Transparency". This means that the body image disorder is formulated based on the perception of others about themselves and not by perception "self", which justifies the concern with appearance, with body and hide the consequences stemmed cancer. It is expected that the data obtained from the evaluation of body image presented in this study contribute to enable the assistance to oncocirurgiada woman breast integral, essential for the practice of Nursing.

Prevalence of chronic pain in the UK : a systematic review and meta-analysis of population studies

Acknowledgements The authors are grateful for the input of Professor Blair Smith (University of Dundee): his counsel early in the project, and his advice and comments regarding the search strategy; and Professor Danielle van der Windt (Keele University) for helpful advice and comments. Funding The British Pain Society provided financial assistance to AF with the costs of this project. PC was partly supported by an Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre grant (reference: 18139).

State Political Parties in American Politics: Innovation and Integration in the Party System

What role do state party organizations play in twenty-first century American politics? What is the nature of the relationship between the state and national party organizations in contemporary elections? These questions frame the three studies presented in this dissertation. More specifically, I examine the organizational development of the state party organizations and the strategic interactions and connections between the state and national party organizations in contemporary elections.

In the first empirical chapter, I argue that the Internet Age represents a significant transitional period for state party organizations. Using data collected from surveys of state party leaders, this chapter reevaluates and updates existing theories of party organizational strength and demonstrates the importance of new indicators of party technological capacity to our understanding of party organizational development in the early twenty-first century. In the second chapter, I ask whether the national parties utilize different strategies in deciding how to allocate resources to state parties through fund transfers and through the 50-state-strategy party-building programs that both the Democratic and Republican National Committees advertised during the 2010 elections. Analyzing data collected from my 2011 state party survey and party-fund-transfer data collected from the Federal Election Commission, I find that the national parties considered a combination of state and national electoral concerns in directing assistance to the state parties through their 50-state strategies, as opposed to the strict battleground-state strategy that explains party fund transfers. In my last chapter, I examine the relationships between platforms issued by Democratic and Republican state and national parties and the strategic considerations that explain why state platforms vary in their degree of similarity to the national platform. I analyze an extensive platform dataset, using cluster analysis and document similarity measures to compare platform content across the 1952 to 2014 period. The analysis shows that, as a group, Democratic and Republican state platforms exhibit greater intra-party homogeneity and inter-party heterogeneity starting in the early 1990s, and state-national platform similarity is higher in states that are key players in presidential elections, among other factors. Together, these three studies demonstrate the significance of the state party organizations and the state-national party partnership in contemporary politics.

Development of a Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Method for the Detection of Benzodiazepines in Urine

Benzodiazepines are among the most prescribed compounds for anti-anxiety and are present in many toxicological screens. These drugs are also prominent in the commission of drug facilitated sexual assaults due their effects on the central nervous system. Due to their potency, a low dose of these compounds is often administered to victims; therefore, the target detection limit for these compounds in biological samples is 10 ng/mL. Currently these compounds are predominantly analyzed using immunoassay techniques; however more specific screening methods are needed. The goal of this dissertation was to develop a rapid, specific screening technique for benzodiazepines in urine samples utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), which has previously been shown be capable of to detect trace quantities of pharmaceutical compounds in aqueous solutions. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy has the advantage of overcoming the low sensitivity and fluorescence effects seen with conventional Raman spectroscopy. The spectra are obtained by applying an analyte onto a SERS-active metal substrate such as colloidal metal particles. SERS signals can be further increased with the addition of aggregate solutions. These agents cause the nanoparticles to amass and form hot-spots which increase the signal intensity. In this work, the colloidal particles are spherical gold nanoparticles in aqueous solution with an average size of approximately 30 nm. The optimum aggregating agent for the detection of benzodiazepines was determined to be 16.7 mM MgCl2, providing the highest signal intensities at the lowest drug concentrations with limits of detection between 0.5 and 127 ng/mL. A supported liquid extraction technique was utilized as a rapid clean extraction for benzodiazepines from urine at a pH of 5.0, allowing for clean extraction with limits of detection between 6 and 640 ng/mL. It was shown that at this pH other drugs that are prevalent in urine samples can be removed providing the selective detection of the benzodiazepine of interest. This technique has been shown to provide rapid (less than twenty minutes), sensitive, and specific detection of benzodiazepines at low concentrations in urine. It provides the forensic community with a sensitive and specific screening technique for the detection of benzodiazepines in drug facilitated assault cases.

Defences of the Niagara Frontier (1764-1870) : An Historical Survey of Fort George, Fort Erie & Fort Mississauga

The intention of the Niagara Parks Commission to undertake restorations of Fort George, Fort Mississauga and Fort Erie has inspired this survey. The aim has not been to create an historical narrative - so many already exist - but rather to present an accurate description of the original appearance, structure and design of each of the Niagara Forts. This it is hoped may be of some practical assistance to those in charge of the actual work of restoration. In the case of Fort Mississauga which was maintained as a military post until 1857, vary complete information has been available. Fort George and Fort Erie were abandoned for military purposes after the War of 1812 and fewer plans and contemporary accounts have survived. While the work of research, involving the collection of every possible plan of the works and every drawing of their appearance as well as the piecing together of material, has been more difficult in the case of the latter forts, it is felt that the essential information has been secured. The use of a number of military terms in the description of the fortifications has been unavoidable and a glossary of these is included on page 66. The list of plans and illustrations is as complete as possible.