Ghosts of Colonies Past and Present

Ghosts of Colonies Past and Present is the first comprehensive examination of how the literary production of Benito Pérez Galdós, widely considered Spain’s greatest nineteenth-century novelist, addresses the impact of imperial loss on the citizens of Spain. Well before the events that would lead inexorably toward 1898, Galdós’s texts question the nature of Spanish imperialism and the effect of colonial history on the lives of metropolitan citizens. Methodologically framed by trauma studies, affect studies and the concept of the imperial turn, a close reading of the texts reveals Galdós’s preoccupation with explaining not only how Spain lost its vast territories in the Americas in the early part of the century but also how Spanish citizens could manage the trauma of that loss through a reconfiguration of national identity. His novels reveal the deeply entwined nature of colonial relations and life in the metropolis. Moreover, by recognizing that the national response to the trauma of imperial loss extended across the nineteenth century, it becomes clear that Spain’s engagement with European cultural and literary movements was, contrary to the assumptions of European imperialism, neither slow nor imitative but rather illustrative of the nation’s unique position on the cusp of the historical shift to the postcolonial present

Ghosts of Colonies Past and Present

Ghosts of Colonies Past and Present is the first comprehensive examination of how the literary production of Benito Pérez Galdós, widely considered Spain’s greatest nineteenth-century novelist, addresses the impact of imperial loss on the citizens of Spain. Well before the events that would lead inexorably toward 1898, Galdós’s texts question the nature of Spanish imperialism and the effect of colonial history on the lives of metropolitan citizens. Methodologically framed by trauma studies, affect studies and the concept of the imperial turn, a close reading of the texts reveals Galdós’s preoccupation with explaining not only how Spain lost its vast territories in the Americas in the early part of the century but also how Spanish citizens could manage the trauma of that loss through a reconfiguration of national identity. His novels reveal the deeply entwined nature of colonial relations and life in the metropolis. Moreover, by recognizing that the national response to the trauma of imperial loss extended across the nineteenth century, it becomes clear that Spain’s engagement with European cultural and literary movements was, contrary to the assumptions of European imperialism, neither slow nor imitative but rather illustrative of the nation’s unique position on the cusp of the historical shift to the postcolonial present

RELATIONAL COORDINATION: AN EXPLORATION OF NURSING UNITS, AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND IN-PATIENT TRANSFERS

Emergency department (ED) crowding is a patient safety concern that has been increasing for more than a decade. Increased visits have resulted in ED crowding, longer wait times, ambulance diversions, and boarding of admitted patients (Hing & Bhuiya, 2012). Numerous factors affect ED crowding. Once various extraneous issues are resolved and a bed is available for a patient, it becomes the responsibility of nurses across unit boundaries to coordinate the patient transfer. This study applies Relational Coordination Theory (RCT) as a framework to provide nurses insight into the relational aspects of their work in the transfer of ED patients to inpatient beds. Relational coordination is a mutually reinforcing process of interaction between communication and relationships that is carried out for the purpose of task interaction. It is useful for coordinating work that is highly interdependent, uncertain, and time constrained (Gittell, 2002). Nurses work during ED transfers requires task interaction as they coordinate their efforts. This study, guided by RCT, will examine relational and communication dynamics among nurses within their own units and across unit boundaries as they interact during ED transfers. A cross-sectional, descriptive design will explore the seven dimensions of Relational Coordination (RC) during ED admissions and explain nurses relational and communication dimensions that may influence ED boarding times. The results of this study provide new information and a sound theoretical model on which to base future research

New (and a Few Old) Directions in Latin American Visual Cultural Studies

This essay reviews the following works: María Izquierdo and Frida Kahlo: Challenging Visions in Modern Mexican Art. By Nancy Deffebach. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2015. Pp. vii + 225. $60.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9780292772427.   Cosmopolitanism in Mexican Visual Culture. By María Fernández. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2014. Pp. x + 438.$60.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9780292745353.   The Mobility of Modernism: Art and Criticism in 1920s Latin America. By Harper Montgomery. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2017. Pp. xi + 319. $29.95 paperback. ISBN: 9781477312544.   At the Crossroads: Diego Rivera and His Patrons at MoMA, Rockefeller Center, and the Palace of Fine Arts. By Catha Paquette. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2017. Pp. xix + 324.$29.95 paperback. ISBN: 9781477311004

Putting a Face on Hunger: A Community-Academic Research Project

Food insecurity is a growing concern for Eau Claire County residents in Western Wisconsin. A community-academic partnership studied food insecurity through the voices of families struggling to access food and institutions that assist with hunger related problems. Data were collected through focus groups held in urban and rural parts of the county. Participants reported that food insecurity affected all aspects of daily life, increasing stress and reducing coping abilities. Results indicate that when Extension and campus-based staff partner with community groups, they can increase community awareness of and find innovative solutions to pressing community needs, such as food insecurity

Decomposition in pasture soil receiving excreta from ruminants fed alfalfa forage diet supplemented with increasing proportions of Sericea Lespedeza legume

Healthy soil is fundamental to a productive pasture system as it will decompose labile organic matter and promote retention of carbon to build a stable, resistant pool of organic matter. An easy, standardized approach to measure decomposition and litter stabilization that is gaining popularity in both citizen science and research studies is the use of the Tea Bag Index. The Tea Bag Index is a relatively new method evaluating the loss of organic material in two different kinds of commercial tea bags (green tea and Rooibos tea) after burial in the soil for 90 days. The objective of this experiment was to use the Tea Bag Index to determine if decomposition rate and litter stabilization were affected by inputs of excreta from ruminants fed alfalfa forage diets modified with 0%, 9%, 18%, or 27% of the tannin-containing legume sericea lespedeza, urea, or an untreated negative control in soil plots (n = 4). There was no difference in decomposition rate or litter stabilization among any treatments measured in the 8 cm of surface soil during the first spring growing season after treatment application of excreta or urea to the soil. Results of this experiment indicated that animal amendments simulating urine and manure patches did not result in detectable changes in organic matter decomposition during the first spring season after application to silt loam pasture soil growing tall fescue grass in the mid-South

Construction and evaluation of group tests in reading for grades one, two, and three.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit