Three Case Studies of National Narratives in Central American Art

This thesis explores the ways in which two Central American artists of the 20th century conceived of their own emerging nations through works of art that present national narratives. The first artist discussed is the Nicaraguan Armando Morales (b. 1927). This discussion centers on Moraless lithographic portfolio of seven images titled La saga de Sandino, which recounts the rebellion led by Augusto César Sandino (1895-1934) between 1926 and 1933. The second artist discussed is the Honduran Arturo López Rodezno (1908-75), who set out to produce, between the 1940\u27s and 1960\u27s, murals that focused on the figures of ancient Maya rulers and courtiers. The main question I am addressing is the type of nationalism that these contrasting artistic projects entailed. The evidence presented in this thesis shows Morales\u27s project La saga de Sandino to be inscribed by a popular form nationalism, while López Rodezno\u27s artistic practice is inscribed by an official nationalism. The contrasting visions and discourses implemented through the artistic projects studied in this thesis demonstrate that opposing conceptions of the nation can be located within the art of 20th century Central America

Discursive Capabilities of Contemporary Artistic Practices in Honduras

My dissertation constitutes a descriptive and interpretative analysis of modern and contemporary artistic practices in Honduras. This analysis is carried out comparatively, contrasting mainly the formative decades of Honduran modernism\u27 (1920s-40s) against the last 15 years of artistic production. Along this diachronic strategy, my interpretation of these processes is anchored in detailed accounts of the socio-historical durations that bear upon them. For each case, at least one case study is developed thoroughly, elucidating thus the dialectic entwinement of art and history. For such purpose, the modes of production and reception entailed by the practices of Arturo López Rodezno (active 1940s-1960s) and Lucy Argueta (active 2005-present) are read in close relation to the social historical processes in which they are incrusted. It thus becomes apparent how some practices, like that of López Rodezno, deny social history and contemporary realities, and others, like that Argueta, prompt participation in making sense of contemporary history, even while artists are too diffident or market-oriented to openly acknowledge meaning.\u2

An inversion in the atmosphere of Titan

A very detailed greenhouse model derives a methane to hydrogen ratio of unity and a minimum surface pressure of 0.4 atm. Based on a surface gravity g = 140 cm sec/2, the minimum CH4 abundance is 30-40 km-A and the minimum H2 abundance varies from 15 to 85 km-A. A model of the atmosphere of Titan is proposed which seems to be consistent with observations and requires a much smaller CH4 abundance (of the order or 2 km-atm). Although no H2 is required, the presence of some H2 is readily accommodated. In this model, a temperature inversion exists in the atmosphere due to absorption of blue and ultraviolet solar radiation by small particles. The absorbed radiation is re-radiated by the dust and by molecules having long wavelength bands such as CH4 7.7 micrometer and ethane at 12.2 micrometer. The brightness temperature at 20 micrometer is primarily due to re-radiation by the dust

Emotions as an Intervening Variable in the Creative Process

This thesis explored the impact that emotionally laden stimuli had on individuals’ creative process and creative products as assessed by independent domain experts. Sixtyfive undergraduate students were randomly separated into three treatment conditions and instructed to create an artistic collage composition on the theme of New Year’s Eve. Two of the treatment groups received, in addition to the general instructions set, a text based priming stimulus that was either an emotionally laden narrative or factual narrative about New Year’s Eve. All participants were asked to complete a task reflection questionnaire and the FourSight cognitive style measure. Using the Consensual Assessment Technique framework, six independent domain experts rated each collage in 18 distinct dimensions including Creativity. Although there was no significant difference in the Creativity Scale score between the three treatments groups (the group that received the emotional narrative was hypothesized to outperform the other two groups), an interaction effect emerged between the presence of the emotionally laden narrative and two of FourSight’s cognitive style preferences, which modulated creative performance. Implications of these findings are discussed as well as limitations and recommendations for future research efforts in the topic of emotion and creative cognition

Dynamics of M&A Activity and Crises in Latin America

Thesis advisor: Jérôme TaillardThis paper studies the dynamics between levels of M&A activity (average transaction value and number of deals) and crises in seven Latin American countries from the period between 1990 through 2007. Two hypotheses are tested using regression analysis: (1) whether the level of M&A activity increases during crises due to the “bargain hypothesis,” due to the low valuation of target companies, or (2) whether M&A activity decreases due to the financial distress of potential buyers (“financing constraints” hypothesis) or the financial distress of potential targets (“loss of confidence” hypothesis). Analyses at the country and industry level show that the average transaction value of M&A deals decreases with every crisis. Support for the second hypothesis is found within the Manufacturing, Energy and Utilities industry, in which the number of deals increases.Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2013.Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: Economics Honors Program.Discipline: Economics

Parâmetros de consistência dos solos: seu estudo e avaliação ao longo de perfis pedológicos para aplicação na engenharia rodoviária.

Foram estudados os limites de consistencia dos solos ao longo de perfis pedologicos para aplicacao na engenharia rodoviaria. As amostras foram coletadas de horizontes superficiais e subsuperficiais em dez perfis de diferentes classes de solos. As analises das amostras foram efetuadas em laboratorio seguindo a rotina usada em pedologia. Foram determinados tambem, para cada horizonte considerado, os limites de liquidez(LL), plasticidade(LP) e contracao(LC); o indice de plasticidade(IP), e o grau de contracao(GC). A analise dos dados de laboratorio, aliada as observacoes de campo, demonstrou haver uma correlacao empirica, entre as razoes "% de argila/IP" ou "IP//% de argila" e as propriedades dos solos considerados quanto a conservacao das estradas, no caso dossolos com mais de 35% de argila no horizonte B. Essas relacoes poderiam funcionar como indicadores das qualidades desses solos para a implantacao de rodovias. Obteve-se tambem uma certa evidencia neste sentido, para esses mesmos solos, atraves de graficos elaborados para cada perfil.bitstream/item/62536/1/CNPS-BOL.-PESQ.-13-82.pd

Organización territorial en España y en Colombia. “Informe sobre España. Repensar el Estado o destruirlo”.Santiago Muñoz Machado

Two recently published books, one from Spain (Muñoz Machado, 2012) and the other from Colombia (Mendoza Martelo, 2013), evince concerns with respect to the territorial organization in both countries. What is the appeal of the territorial model? With common constitutional errors occurring in the territorial area, and a crisis in both function and coordination in various levels of the Government –as well as in the different regions and autonomous communities–, is legal reform preferable to constitutional change? These are some of the issues raised and evaluated in current debates. In the work in question, the main problems in Spain are analyzed and the author proposes ways of solving or diminishing these problems, such as a return to centralism, the partial conservation of autonomous communities, the replacement of the current model with a federal State, as well as the possibilities of self-determination and separatism. The proposed study will serve to revise certain aspects of Colombia’s territorial system, in order to determine whether or not reformation is necessary.Teniendo en cuenta dos libros de reciente publicación, uno en España (Muñoz Machado, 2012) y otro en Colombia (Mendoza Martelo, 2013), se revela una preocupación en la organización territorial de ambos países. ¿Por qué decantarse por un modelo territorial? Errores comunes constitucionales en el ámbito territorial, crisis en el funcionamiento y coordinación entre los distintos niveles de gobierno, regiones, comunidades autónomas, reforma legal o cambio constitucional, son algunos de los asuntos que se debaten hoy en día y que están siendo motivo de evaluación. En la obra objeto de esta reseña se analizan los principales problemas por los que está atravesando España y se establecen propuestas para solucionarlos o disminuir su incidencia, revisando opciones como el retorno al centralismo, la conservación parcial de Comunidades Autónomas, la sustitución del modelo actual por un Estado federal, la autodeterminación y el separatismo. A partir del estudio propuesto, se equipararán algunos aspectos del sistema territorial colombiano para revisar su funcionamiento y necesidad o no de reformarlo

El acuerdo sobre la aplicación de medidas sanitarias y fitosanitarias: contenido y alcance para América Latina y el Caribe

Incluye BibliografíaEl Acuerdo sobre la Aplicación de Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias (MSF) es parte del Acta de Marrakech; al igual que otros 14 Acuerdos de la Ronda Uruguay, reconoce el papel que estas medidas desempeñan en el comercio internacional, así como los derechos de los países a establecer niveles de protección para resguardar la salud y la vida de las personas y de los animales o para preservar los vegetales. En el ámbito nacional, este Acuerdo orienta a las instituciones encargadas de legislar y regular la sanidad y la calidad de los alimentos y recomienda armonizar las normas a escala internacional para impedir la creación de nuevas restricciones al comercio. Hay evidencia que los obstáculos comerciales han disminuido, pero no la incertidumbre, pues permanecen ciertos desacuerdos sobre rol de la ciencia en la fundamentación de las MSF, por la elección del consumidor en los criterios de regulación del riesgo y la competencia por aceptar ciertos productos en los mercados externos. Este documento tiene el propósito de examinar el Acuerdo MSF relacionado al comercio internacional de productos alimenticios. Las secciones están organizadas según los temas ó artículos del Acuerdo y, en cada una de ellas, se detalla la disciplina en cuestión, se analizan los alcances para los países en desarrollo, en general, y para los países de América Latina y el Caribe, en particular. Se incorpora, además, una sección acerca de los organismos genéticamente modificados. En la última sección, se proponen algunas consideraciones finales

Transparencia y buen gobierno en España

Nowadays, transparency and Governance are relevant for Spain. Especially, for the dissatisfied citizenship and the weakness in national and local institutions over the last few years, with results like not trusting, less guarantee on healthcare and education system, the corruption in public administration, politics-economic issues, and so on. Although, in the European Union, Spain has been one of the last countries to regulate this issue, whit Act 19/2013 there are new objectives relating to open government, citizenship, technology, accountability. Moreover in relation with the structure of administration because the “commission for transparency and good governance” was initiated on last 19th January. In general, its effectiveness in moderating this issue and applying measures in order to get administration systems cleaner in countries like Spain.Transparencia y Buen Gobierno son términos que en este tiempo resultan de interés para una España en crisis. La insatisfacción ciudadana y el debilitamiento institucional local y nacional son consecuencia de un declive en la garantía de los derechos sanitarios y educativos, de la falta de confianza en la administración pública, así como de problemas de corrupción en la gestión de lo público y derivados de la situación económica de los mercados. A pesar de un retraso en la regulación del tema, con la expedición de la Ley 19 de 2013 el gobierno español se suma a los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea que han presentado propuestas a nivel de gobierno, ciudadanía y nuevas tecnologías. Con esta ley se modifica la estructura de la administración pública para crear el Consejo de Transparencia y Buen Gobierno. ¿Es esta respuesta institucional una medida eficaz para la solución de la llamada crisis institucional en España? ¿Puede esta reforma oxigenar al aparato administrativo español

Photoluminescence of hexagonal boron nitride: effect of surface oxidation under UV-laser irradiation

We report on the UV laser induced fluorescence of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) following nanosecond laser irradiation of the surface under vacuum and in different environments of nitrogen gas and ambient air. The observed fluorescence bands are tentatively ascribed to impurity and mono (VN), or multiple (m-VN with m = 2 or 3) nitrogen vacancies. A structured fluorescence band between 300 nm and 350 nm is assigned to impurity-band transition and its complex lineshape is attributed to phonon replicas. An additional band at 340 nm, assigned to VN vacancies on surface, is observed under vacuum and quenched by adsorbed molecular oxygen. UV-irradiation of h-BN under vacuum results in a broad asymmetric fluorescence at ~400 nm assigned to m-VN vacancies; further irradiation breaks more B-N bonds enriching the surface with elemental boron. However, no boron deposit appears under irradiation of samples in ambient atmosphere. This effect is explained by oxygen healing of radiation-induced surface defects. Formation of the oxide layer prevents B-N dissociation and preserves the bulk sample stoichiometry