Swords, War, and Goldsmithing: Benvenuto Cellini and Masculinity in Sixteenth-Century Italy

Born in 1500, Benvenuto Cellini was one of the world’s most renowned Renaissance artists. As a goldsmith and a sculptor, his works became well-known masterpieces. In his autobiography, The Life of Benvenuto the Son of Giovanni Cellini Written by Himself in Florence, Cellini detailed his experiences and actions as an artist, fighter, and man living in the sixteenth century. While Cellini states his purpose for writing the autobiography is to describe his achievements in art, there is a great deal of violence in The Life, much of which Benvenuto instigates. As shown by The Life, in 16th century Italy, aggression—if justified—was seen as a sign of masculinity in artists, and justification for such aggression could come through communal, political, or religious approval. This essay examines how violence could be justified in the sixteenth century as a form of masculinity. First, the article takes a brief look into the work of historians on Cellini and masculinity. Afterward, the discussion moves to the three ways in which violence could be justified: communally, politically, and religiously, each of which are paired with examples from The Life

Perceived Usefulness, Ease of Use, and Satisfaction of a Swaddle Bathing Educational Guide Among Parents/Guardians of NICU Premature Infants

The current availability of high-quality and comprehensive educational resources made available to parents and guardians with infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is limited in terms of content and provision. Additionally, there exists a plethora of information regarding the impact of the sensory environment on premature and critically ill infants as well as interventions to mitigate these effects that are not efficiently conveyed to their families. Previous research asserts that consistency with the application of sensory interventions with these infants bodes well for positive outcomes, leading one to believe that caregivers may benefit from learning these strategies so that the child may appropriately reach developmental milestones and avoid the development of maladaptive behaviors in later childhood. This quality improvement effort aims to address this clinical gap through the development of a Swaddle Bathing Educational Guide intended for parents/guardians with children admitted to the NICU. Using a one-group posttest-only design, a small sample of parents/guardians with children in the Summerlin Hospital NICU were surveyed to determine the perceived usefulness, ease of use, and satisfaction of this Educational Guide to inform future educational efforts within the NICU environment. The survey results indicated that the Educational Guide was well received and did score well in each perceived usefulness, ease of use, and satisfaction, however further research is required to determine client-informed best practices regarding NICU education

A conservation genomics workflow to guide practical management actions

Owing to decreasing costs and increased efficiency, it is now conceivable that conservation genomic information can be used to improve the effectiveness of recovery programs for many, if not most, threatened plants. We suggest that a simple genomic study be viewed as an initial step in conservation decision-making, as it informs long-term recovery efforts in various ways. We present biodiversity managers and conservation biologists with a simple, standardized workflow for genomic research that can guide efficient collection, analysis and application of genomic information across disparate threatened plants. Using two case studies, ‘Banksia vincentia’ and Daphnandra johnsonii, we demonstrate how a single round of genotyping by sequencing e a one-time cost e produces multiple directly applicable benefits, and how generating genomic information as early as possible can enhance conservation outcomes. We argue for a shift away from asking whether genomic information is needed or justified, and a shift towards consideration of the questions that need to be addressed. Such questions should aimed at cost-effectively guiding multiple practical aspects of a threatened plant’s management plan. The workflow presented here should help relevant stakeholders design a sampling strategy that directly suits their questions and needs