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Navigating Femininity: Queen Elizabeth I and the Armada Portrait
Get PDFBy analyzing the iconographic program of the Armada Portrait, this essay demonstrates the various visual strategies that Queen Elizabeth I employed in order to navigate certain gendered, cultural barriers present in Early Modern England. I argue throughout this essay that Elizabeth was meticulous in her delicate dance of bolstering her individual authority, while not radically undermining the patriarchal dispensation in which she lived and ruled. In particular, I demonstrate that Queen Elizabeth I effectively utilized the visual arts to control the public perception of her reign in ways unique to female regnants, as she both confirmed and denied her femininity.
Cognizant of cultural barriers experienced by women, the artist of the Armada Portrait employed iconography that acknowledged and challenged values that condemned women rulers who sought power and praised those who passively acknowledged their position. The attributes embedded within the composition of the Armada Portrait perform several functions, including allowing for ambiguous public perception of the Queen as both uniquely competent, yet also culturally complacent.
The Armada Portrait demonstrates the capacity of the visual arts, and of Queen Elizabeth herself, to legitimize her reign, while simultaneously criticizing the regime of Mary– a parallel figure unusual in her degree of power as a female ruler.
Together, these circumstances reveal that even during opportunities for female agency, as evidenced in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, that there still existed cultural barriers for women, such as prevailing conjectures of their natural inferiority. Through the investigation of the Armada Portrait, I have expanded the scope for exploring the efficacy of portraiture as propaganda and a tool to navigate femininity in a sea of patriarchal systems
Management and Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Infections Across the Lifespan
No full textUrinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common diagnosis across different medical specialties. It is important to understand the signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection, the diagnostic criteria, when to clinically treat bacteria in the urine, and how to choose an antibiotic. This CME article will provide an overview of the clinical picture of a UTI across the lifespan, provide information about when to treat bacteriuria, and review current antibiotic recommendations in different patient populations
Identification and Management of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema in the Primary Care Setting
No full textBreast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a common complication of breast cancer treatment. A disruption of the lymphatic system through biopsy, surgery, or radiation results in an accumulation of protein-rich fluid in the interstitial matrix. Chronic, progressive swelling, typically affecting the arm nearest the damaged lymph nodes, creates pain, decreased sensation, and/or limited mobility. There is no cure for BCRL, however successful reduction and management of symptoms can be achieved through modalities such as complete decongestive therapy (CDT). Early detection and intervention are imperative, and treatment should be focused on improving the quality of life in these individuals. The goal of this article is to inform primary care providers on how to identify BCRL, and provide information on various management techniques for this complex condition
Utilization of C-Peptide monitoring in development of optimal diabetes treatment
No full textDiabetes mellitus is a very common disease in America. Most patients with diabetes have type 1 or type 2, and both types are generally associated with some level of pancreatic damage. C-peptide is a hormone that can be tested to determine whether endogenous insulin is being secreted. This information can be used to justify certain hyperglycemia treatments, and hopefully lead to better patient compliance and decrease disease burden
Managing Weight Loss in Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus
No full textType II diabetes and obesity are two disease states that commonly coexist, and shared pathophysiology encourages mutual disease progression. Because of this, weight loss is a viable approach to the management or resolution of both conditions. Common methods for weight loss include diet, exercise, pharmacotherapy, and gastrointestinal surgery. This paper seeks to explore the different modalities of weight loss for patients with type II diabetes and evaluate the benefits and detriments of the described modalities. Moreover, this paper will appraise the current state of knowledge on this topic
Evaluating the role that the mind plays in management of chronic disease and How We Can Help Patients Manage Them More Effectively
No full textChronic pain is an exceptionally prevalent obstacle for patients in the primary care and emergency department settings. Knowing the role that PAs play in helping patients more effectively manage their chronic pain can be difficult, but is necessary to help improve our patients quality of life. While the typical approach to managing chronic pain is primarily pharmacologically based, there is much evidence to suggest that encouraging lifestyle changes and focusing on a mind-body connection can be particularly helpful in successfully managing patients\u27 chronic pain. The goal of this article is to shed light on how physician assistants can more effectively utilize an interdisciplinary approach to reduce patients’ chronic pain in a lasting and impactful way
Music Therapy as an Adjunct Intervention in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
No full textAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world and a growing public health problem. AD is a progressive neurological disorder which often manifests with increasing memory loss and decrease in cognitive abilities and ultimately results in death. AD also commonly leads to changes in mood, personality and behavior which worsen throughout the course of the disease. The exact pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s is unknown but leading theories characterize the disease as the accumulation of amyloid β plaques and tau tangles in the brain. Common medications focus solely on symptomatic treatment of the cognitive manifestations of AD although treatment for neuropsychiatric symptoms often becomes necessary as the disease progresses. Antipsychotics are commonly used for agitation and aggressive behavior but have only demonstrated minor symptom control while increasing the risk of falls, stroke and death. With the lack of treatment options for the behavioral symptoms of AD patients, music therapy (MT) is one adjunct intervention that has been a growing subject of research. Music therapy is a safe and accessible intervention that has demonstrated temporary improvement in mood and decreased behavioral disturbances for patients with AD consistently in research studies. While MT research has shown promise, many of the studies have limitations and further research is needed to provide more reliable evidence of the benefits of the intervention
Therapeutic Approach to Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection in Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Get PDFMutations in both copies of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, located on chromosome 7, result in defective, absent, or insufficient quantities of the CFTR protein. This leads to mucus hyperviscocity and impaired mucociliary clearance. Additional abnormal processes lead to a cycle of inflammation, bronchial obstruction, and infection which ultimately leads to lung injury. This allows opportunistic pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to cause infection in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients should be based on susceptibility reports, efficacy, adjunct properties, patient burden of treatment, and treatment adverse effects. P. aeruginosa has the highest resistance rate against cephems (48%) and the lowest against colistin (5%). Combination therapy of aztreonam lysine inhalation solution and tobramycin inhalation solution demonstrates the greatest efficacy based on change in P. aeruginosa sputum density, change in FEV1%, and exacerbation frequency. Furthermore, colistin was shown to be more effective in biofilm/mucus mixtures compared to tobramycin. Adjunct treatment options include azithromycin, novel monoclonal antibodies, and bacteriophages which provide anti-inflammatory properties. Effective treatment of P. aeruginosa increases the lifespan and quality of life of cystic fibrosis patients
José Guadalupe Posada: Reenvisoning the Revolutionary Works of the Mexican Printmaker
No full textPosada has been named a political cartoonist by scholars and many of his satirical cartoons and associated articles have been used in a way that defends the Mexican Revolution. This usage of his work has been detrimental in understanding Posada. He is known as an artistic revolutionary, but being captivated by Posada and looking into his work, it is apparent that this narrative is not completely accurate. By shifting away from the archaic views on Posada, in this paper I will examine more principal and accurate aspects of his life. His personal philosophies, career, and the events following his death, demonstrate that Posada was in fact not a revolutionary who chose sides, but someone who witnessed a time when Mexico was undergoing tremendous social upheaval
Initiatives Concerning Mental Health in Prisons
No full textIn recent years, the United States incarceration system has become the largest provider of housing and treatment for mentally ill individuals due to the closure of state psychiatric hospitals in the 1950’s. This thesis examines how mental illness intersects with incarceration, and the impact this has on individuals. In order to conduct my research, I am using criminalization theory to explore why individuals suffering from mental illness are more likely to be incarcerated, deep freeze theory to explore how their illness is impacted by incarceration, and school of rehabilitation to analyze the reintegration process. I use process tracing to conduct a heuristic case study on the state of Oregon. Through this case study, I employ a framework that uses two different factors to analyze this cycle: internal factors and external factors. Ultimately, I find that programming that the Oregon Department of Corrections has implemented in regards to mental health has improved the quality of life for prisoners not only while incarcerated, but also post release