The Science of Pronominal Usage: He and It in Co-Reference to Inanimate Objects in Late Middle English Texts on Alchemy

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The published version can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0075424210384225This article explores the variation between he and it in coreference to inanimate entities (such as mercury, sulfur, and salt). Using alchemical texts from the fifteenth century as material, the article demonstrates that there was much more variation in pronominal reference in this period than has previously been shown. Of the possible explanations suggested by previous research, the earlier grammatical gender system and transference from Latin do not seem to play a role, while pronoun clustering and pronominal reanalysis appear to influence the quantitative distribution. The scale of individuation used by Siemund and Stenroos to explain similar usage is shown not to be a straightforward predictor. Other factors such as personification and perceived similarities between animate and inanimate entities may affect the degree of perceived individuation. The choice of he over she seems to be influenced by pronominal reanalysis and straightforward personification in some cases. In other instances, it is speculated that the he usage reflects (stereotypical) gender conceptions in the Middle Ages

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Certains éléments français de l'anthroponymie anglaise du Moyen Âge : essai méthodologique

Clark Cecily. Certains éléments français de l'anthroponymie anglaise du Moyen Âge : essai méthodologique. In: L’Onomastique, témoin de l’activité humaine. Actes du Colloque d’onomastique du Creusot (mai/juin 1984) Paris : Société française d'onomastique, 1985. pp. 259-267. (Actes des colloques de la Société française d'onomastique, 5

La vie féminine en Angleterre au temps d'Aliénor d'Aquitaine

This study is confined to women forming part of the twelfth-century Anglo-Noman aristocracy. Certain well-known stories imply their freedom to have been limited and their legal rights more restricted than those of men of the same rank. On the other hand, other stories depict independent and self-assertive women, capable of commanding castles and leading military campaigns. It was clearly personal character which determined a woman's fate, rather than social or legal circumstances.Cette étude porte exclusivement sur les femmes de l'aristocratie anglo-normande du XIIe s. D'après certains récits bien connus, nous pouvons imaginer qu'elles ne jouissaient que d'une liberté restreinte et d'un statut socio-juridique inférieur à celui des hommes du même rang. D'autres épisodes, au contraire, nous les dépeignent indépendantes, voire arrogantes, capables de gouverner un château fort et de mener une campagne militaire. Il est clair, en tout cas, que le sort de chaque femme est déterminé par sa propre personnalité, plutôt que par le contexte social et juridique.Clark Cecily. La vie féminine en Angleterre au temps d'Aliénor d'Aquitaine. In: Cahiers de civilisation médiévale, 29e année (n°113-114), Janvier-juin 1986. Y a-t-il une civilisation du monde plantagenêt ? Actes du Colloque d'Histoire Médiévale. Fontevraud, 26-28 avril 1984. pp. 49-51

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in Pregnancy: A Case Series and Review of the Current Literature

Background. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare disease that can be fatal in pregnancy. We report two cases of severe HLH that highlight etoposide use in pregnancy. Case 1. 28-year-old G2P1 with lupus presented at 18 weeks with acute hypoxic respiratory failure, hepatic dysfunction, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated ferritin. Bone marrow biopsy confirmed HLH. Etoposide and corticosteroid treatment was initiated per HLH protocol; however clinical status declined rapidly. Fetal demise occurred at 21 weeks and she subsequently suffered a massive cerebral vascular accident. She was transitioned to comfort measures and the patient deceased. Case 2. 37-year-old G4P3 presented at 25 weeks with fever, acute liver failure, thrombocytopenia, and elevated ferritin. HLH treatment was initiated, including etoposide, and diagnosis confirmed with liver biopsy. Fetal growth restriction was diagnosed at 27 weeks. Delivery occurred at 37 weeks. The neonate was found to be CMV positive despite negative maternal serology. Conclusion. The addition of etoposide to corticosteroid use is a key component in HLH treatment of nonpregnant individuals. While this is usually avoided in pregnancy, the benefit to the mother may outweigh the potential harm to the fetus in severe cases and it should be strongly considered