Foi realizado um survey transversal, descritivo e analítico em amostra não-probabilística, prontamente acessível, de tamanho 561, formada por pacientes que procuraram o Pronto-Socorro de Oftalmologia do Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo numa semana considerada típica de atendimento.Os dados foram obtidos através da ficha administrativa e aplicação de questionário semi-estruturado, realizado por meio de entrevistas. O questionário também constava de entrevista com o médico que fez o atendimento. O estudo teve como objetivos, em relação a usuários do pronto-socorro: descrever características sócio-demográficas, razões da procura e da escolha de unidade hospitalar, verificar conhecimentos e condutas referentes a causas e tratamentos do agravo ocular; verificar a adoção de tratamentos oculares prévios ao atendimento, identificar fontes de orientação na adoção de tratamentos, verificar causas de demora na procura de tratamento, identificar percepções sobre diagnóstico e tratamento prescrito. Em relação à instituição: determinar a proporção de atendimentos oculares de urgência e não urgência; disponibilizar informações para subsidiar intervenções educativas e assistenciais de saúde ocular. A análise estatística foi realizada com o uso do programa Stata (versão 9.0). Entre os resultados, destacou-se: o período de maior procura por atendimento oftalmológico no Pronto-Socorro do Hospital das Clínicas foi matutino e nos dias da semana; não houve diferença significante entre os sexos; a média de idade foi 39,8 anos; o atendimento foi realizado pelo Sistema Único de Saúde para 91,1% dos pacientes. A maioria dos atendidos tinha baixa renda e escolaridade. Metade dos pacientes era de fora da área de cobertura do Hospital das Clínicas. Para 49,0% a escolha do Hospital das Clínicas ocorreu por confiança e competência; para 42,2% por não haver oftalmologista nos serviços que costumam freqüentar. O tempo para procurar o serviço foi de mais de 24 horas a uma semana para 40,8% dos pacientes. A demora em procurar atendimento ocorreu por não considerar que era urgente por 47,0% e 34,1% foram a outro serviço antes. Daqueles que foram a outros serviços previamente, 48,8% não tiveram alteração do quadro, 39,6% pioraram sintomas. A automedicação foi usada prévio a vinda ao Pronto-Socorro por 40,5% dos pacientes. Desses, 29,4% usaram produtos caseiros. Os produtos mais freqüentemente utilizados foram água boricada, soro fisiológico, água de torneira ou poço, chás, compressas, lavagem com ervas (alecrim, arruda). Não foram observadas diferenças significativas no uso de automedicação para tratar os sintomas oculares entre homens e mulheres (p = 0,95), nas diferentes faixas etárias (p = 0,14) ou nos diferentes níveis de escolaridade (p = 0,21). Também não foi observada diferença no padrão de uso de automedicação quanto à situação de trabalho dos pacientes (p = 0,15) ou quanto ao seu local de residência (p = 0,52).Pacientes com diagnóstico de inflamação/infecção ou trauma apresentaram as maiores proporções de uso de automedicação (49,5%). Relataram ter procurado auxílio religioso para tratar o problema 16,1% dos pacientes. Referiram ter entendido a informação sobre o que tinham 95,1%dos pacientes. Dos que receberam prescrição de medicamento, 95,0% entenderam como e porque usá-lo. Aproximadamente 50,0% dos pacientes deram nota máxima ao atendimento recebido. Segundo os oftalmologistas, 18,1% eram casos de urgência e 83,2% dos casos poderiam ter sido resolvidos em serviços de menor complexidade. Dos pacientes, 55,2% apresentavam diagnóstico de inflamação/infecção; 19,1% trauma. Conjuntivite viral foi o diagnóstico mais freqüente 24,6%, seguido por corpo estranho de córnea 7,5%, meibomite 6,4%. Entre os pacientes atendidos, os plantonistas classificaram 11,7% como retorno e 2,0% pós-operatório. Não houve diferença significativa no diagnóstico clínico entre os pacientes que vieram espontaneamente e os referenciados (p = 0,09). Em relação ao preenchimento das fichas administrativas, ressalta-se que 3,6% não constavam o nome do médico, 3,4% não constavam o CRM, 33,4% não foram preenchidos histórico ou observações clínicas; 6,3% só constavam o CID como diagnóstico. Concluiu-se que: a automedicação é muito difundida entre os pacientes e o uso de produtos caseiros se faz presente mesmo nos casos de urgência ocular. Os pacientes estão recebendo e entendendo explicações sobre o agravo ocular e sobre o tratamento prescrito. Os plantonistas vêm mantendo um bom relacionamento médico-paciente. O atendimento recebido pelo paciente foi considerado excelente. O Pronto-Socorro de Oftalmologia do Hospital das Clínicas é um hospital terciário que atende em sua maioria, casos primários e secundários; a maioria dos diagnósticos não foi considerada como urgência / We report a transversal, descriptive and analytical survey in a non-probabilistic promptly accessible sample, composed of 561 patients who looked for the Ophthalmology Emergency Room (E.R) of Clinics Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine during a regular week. Data were collected from administrative charts and from semi-structured questionnaire through interviews. The questionnaire also included an interview with the physician who assisted the patient. The study had the following purposes relative to the E.R patients: to describe social-demographic characteristics; reasons for search and choice of the hospital unit; to assess knowledge and conducts related to eye diseases and their causes and treatment; to assess previous ocular treatments; to identify the causes of compliance with treatment; to identify the reason for delayed search to medical treatment; to identify the knowledge about diagnosed diseases and prescribed treatment. Relative to the institution: to assess the rate of urgent and non-urgent ocular visits; to provide helpful data for ocular health assistance and educational interventions. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata software (version 9.0). The most important results were: most searches for the Emergency Room occurred during the day and on week-days; no statistically significant difference related to gender; average age was 39.8; and 91.1% of visits were assisted by the Public Health System. Most patients had low schooling and money income. Half of the patients did not belong to the area covered by Clinics Hospital. Forty-nine percent of the patients chose Clinics Hospital based to trust on the professionals and their competence; for 42.2% of the patients due to unavailability of ophthalmologists in the health units they are used to go to. The time taken to search assistance was between 24 hours and 1 (one) week for 40.8% of the patients. Such delay was due to the fact the 47% of the patients did not believe that their situation was urgent, and 34.1% searched another health unit before. Among those who searched another unit, 48.8% did not report worsening of health symptoms by the time they reached the E.R, while 39.6% did. Auto-medication was used previously to the E.R. visit by 40.5% of the patients, 29.4% of whom used home-made products. Most of these products were: boric water, physiologic saline solution, tap or well water, and herbs. No significant difference in auto-medication between man and women (p = 0.95), in different age levels (p= 0.14) or schooling levels (p= 0.21) was observed, neither in relation to work situation (p= 0.15) or place of residence (p= 0.52). Higher rates of auto-medication were observed among patients with ocular inflammation/ infection or trauma (49.5%), while 16.1% of the patients reported search for religious help to treat their disease. 95.1% of the patients reported having understood the information given about their condition. Among those patients to whom medication was prescribed, 95% understood how and why to use it. Approximately 50% of the patients graded with the maximum score the xxii xxiii assistance received. According to the ophthalmologists opinion, 18.1% of visits were real urgent cases, while 83.2% could have been attended at less complex health units. 52.2% of the patients were diagnosed with inflammation/infectious diseases; and 19.1% with trauma. Viral conjunctivitis was the most frequent diagnosis (24.6%), followed by corneal foreign bodies (7.5%), and meibomitis (6.4%). Considering assisted patients, physicians classified 11.7% as return visits and 2.0% as post-surgical visits. There was no significant difference on clinical diagnosis between patients on spontaneous or referred assistance (p= 0.09). As for the administration charts, it is important to emphasize that 3.6% of them did not contain the physicians name, 3.4% did not contain the professional registration number, 33.4% did not contain historical and clinical observations, and 6.3% only contained the International Classification of Diseases number. In conclusion, auto-medication is largely used among patients and the use of home-made products occurs even in urgent ocular situations. Patients are receiving and understanding the explanations about their ocular diseases and the prescribed treatment. E.R ophthalmologists have had a satisfactory physician-patient relationship. Medical assistance received by patients was considered excellent. Clinics Hospital Ophthalmologic E.R is a reference service which assists mostly primary and secondary cases, most of them being considered non-urgent

This thesis contains four chapters. The first chapter gives an overview of the current situation concerning same-sex parent families in France. This involves discussions of the PACS (Pacte civil de solidarité), adoption, and marriage, as well as the societal influences that caused the massive negative response to the Taubira law. The second chapter goes into more detail concerning portrayals of homosexuality in French media throughout the years. There is a focus, however, on one of the earliest portrayals of lesbianism in French literature: The Nun by Diderot. Lastly, the third chapter involves further explanation of the history of homosexuality and same-sex parent families. This chapter explores these ideas specifically in the context of French history, as well as how conditions for same-sex parent families have changed in recent years. The fourth and final chapter presents conclusions of the research.

Countess Urraca Lope de Haro was the daughter of the noble Lord Diego Lope de Haro, friend and advisor to King Alfonso VIII of Castilla-León and granddaughter of Lord Lope Díaz de Haro and Lady Aldonza Ruiz de Castro, aristocratic courtiers as well as popular monastic patrons. As a young and wealthy widow, Countess Urraca took monastic vows at the Cistercian nunnery of Santa María de Cañas founded by her grandparents. Within a short time of uniting herself to this monastery, she was chosen as its fourth abbess in 1225, a position she held for thirty-seven years until her death in 1262. Following the tradition of monastic patronage established by her noble family members, Countess Urraca expanded the monastery's small real estate holdings, oversaw extensive building projects to create permanent structures for the nunnery, and patronized artistic projects including statuettes of the Virgin Mary and St. Peter in addition to her own decorative stone sarcophagus during her term as abbess. This thesis examines the artistic decoration and architectural patronage of this powerful woman and the influences she incorporated into the monastic structures at Cañas as she oversaw their construction. In dating the original buildings of the monastery at Cañas to the period of Countess Urraca's leadership, the predominant architectural features and decorative details of female Cistercian foundations in northern Spain are discussed. Comparisons with additional thirteenth-century Cistercian monasteries from the same region in northern Spain are offered to demonstrate the artistic connections with the structures Countess Urraca patronized. In addition, this thesis examines Countess Urraca's obvious devotion to the Virgin Mary and St. Peter by considering the medieval monastic world in which she lived and the strong emphasis the Cistercian Order placed on such worship practices. The potent spiritual connections Countess Urraca made by commissioning images of essential, holy intercessors testifies to her devotion to them and the powerful salvatory role she herself played in the lives of the nuns for whom she was responsible. As a nun and abbess, Countess Urraca was urged to emulate Mary's mothering, nurturing qualities, and, as she did so was simultaneously empowered by the Virgin's heavenly authority as administrator of mercy. Indeed, through studying her art it is clear that she saw herself as an intercessor on behalf of the nuns for whom she was responsible. Furthermore, discussion of the imagery displayed on Countess Urraca's decorative stone sarcophagus demonstrates not only a similar message of salvation through intercessors such as Peter and Mary, but also testifies of Abbess Urraca's aristocratic lineage. Through this artistic commission, the Abbess creates another direct, personal link between herself and the Virgin by including the symbol of the rosary throughout the iconography of her tomb. Such a symbol represents her devotion to Mary as Queen of Heaven and simultaneously empowers Countess Urraca as an intercessor herself. All of these architectural and artistic commissions confirm that she was a powerful woman who wielded a great deal of influence.

María de Jesús (1690s-1776) was a white-veiled Discalced Carmelite nun of the San José convent in Santa Fe de Bogotá, founded in 1606. She professed in the year 1714, and her spiritual journal was printed in a chronicle about the convent in the 1940s. The aim of this study is to examine the love of God and of neighbour, as expressed in the spiritual journal of María de Jesús. In this study I will proceed from the understanding of love as charity. In Christian thought God Himself is love, and its source. Charity, the third, and greatest, of the theological virtues, is a state of being in and responding to God’s love and favour. This way of loving consists in loving God wholeheartedly and loving our neighbour as ourselves. Included in loving our neighbour are acts related to his or her spiritual benefit and salvation. These are all present themes in María de Jesús’ text, but my aim is to examine how she incorporates these themes in her spiritual testimony by analyzing the imagery she uses, and the affective language in her spiritual journal. I will also seek to understand her way of writing by analyzing her text against the background of the tradition of women’s spiritual writings. Being a Discalced Carmelite, it will also be interesting to discover the Teresian presence in María de Jesus’ text, i.e. the influence of her predecessor and the reformer of the order, Teresa of Ávila (1515- 1582). I suggest that this can be noticed in certain rhetorical techniques. I also aim to examine if there are any similarities and differences in their expressions of love of God and of neighbour.