Image and Meaning in the Floral Borders of the Hours of Catherine of Cleves

The Book of Hours of Catherine of Cleves, produced in the Netherlands c. 1440-45, is one of the most beautiful and complex illuminated manuscripts of the late Middle Ages. The Master\u27s originality in his symbolic use of floral images in the borders of the manuscript is remarkable, yet little study has been made of this subject. The meaning of these floral images is, however, important to a complete understanding of the illumination of the manuscript. Using a set of criteria based on the tenets of the Devotie Moderna, a philosophy strong in the Netherlands at the time, I show that ten plants growing in northern Europe in the 15th century were used as symbolic images in the borders of the Hours of the Virgin and the Hours of the Cross, the first two sets of hours in the Cleves Hours. Further, these symbolic floral border images relate to and reinforce the meaning of the miniatures within the borders. Three tenets of the Devotie Moderna in particular are in accord with both the Master\u27s choice of plant forms and his use of them as symbols in the borders. These tenets are: 1) the value of study of the immediate physical world as a means of understanding God\u27s will, 2) the value of individual interpretation in gaining that understanding, and 3) the value of expressing that understanding of God\u27s will in terms of personal experience. In accord with these three tenets, the Master found significance in plants of the garden and roadside as well as those of religious use, used his own experience to interpret their forms as symbols, and depicted these images in forms that were exaggerated or changed to emphasize their impact as symbols. In the Hours of the Virgin and the Hours of the Cross, the Master used the rose, violet, pea, physalis, calendula, daffodil, strawberry, bindweed, nightshade, and a crucifer in borders that relate to scenes of the life of the Virgin and the Passion of Christ. Many of these images had not been seen in illumination before the Cleves Master. Those taken from church iconography were changed to emphasize their meaning in ways that had not been seen before. The Master\u27s breadth of choice and individual handling of these floral images often make these images difficult to recognize and to interpret today. A comparison of the images in the borders with plants known to have grown in the Netherlands of the Middle Ages shows that the Master chose his images from live models. A comparison of the plants he chose to those described in herbals and used symbolically in literature shows that the Master used plant images taken from his personal experience with a wide range of sources including textual as well as visual ones. A comparison of the plants to the Master\u27s changed images of them shows how he created images with still greater symbolic impact. Finally, a comparison of these changed images in the borders with the scenes of the miniatures shows that the border images reflect and support the symbolic meaning of the miniatures, adding significantly to the meaning of the total illumination of the manuscript

Image and Meaning in the Floral Borders of the Hours of Catherine of Cleves

The Book of Hours of Catherine of Cleves, produced in the Netherlands c. 1440-45, is one of the most beautiful and complex illuminated manuscripts of the late Middle Ages. The Master\u27s originality in his symbolic use of floral images in the borders of the manuscript is remarkable, yet little study has been made of this subject. The meaning of these floral images is, however, important to a complete understanding of the illumination of the manuscript. Using a set of criteria based on the tenets of the Devotie Moderna, a philosophy strong in the Netherlands at the time, I show that ten plants growing in northern Europe in the 15th century were used as symbolic images in the borders of the Hours of the Virgin and the Hours of the Cross, the first two sets of hours in the Cleves Hours. Further, these symbolic floral border images relate to and reinforce the meaning of the miniatures within the borders. Three tenets of the Devotie Moderna in particular are in accord with both the Master\u27s choice of plant forms and his use of them as symbols in the borders. These tenets are: 1) the value of study of the immediate physical world as a means of understanding God\u27s will, 2) the value of individual interpretation in gaining that understanding, and 3) the value of expressing that understanding of God\u27s will in terms of personal experience. In accord with these three tenets, the Master found significance in plants of the garden and roadside as well as those of religious use, used his own experience to interpret their forms as symbols, and depicted these images in forms that were exaggerated or changed to emphasize their impact as symbols. In the Hours of the Virgin and the Hours of the Cross, the Master used the rose, violet, pea, physalis, calendula, daffodil, strawberry, bindweed, nightshade, and a crucifer in borders that relate to scenes of the life of the Virgin and the Passion of Christ. Many of these images had not been seen in illumination before the Cleves Master. Those taken from church iconography were changed to emphasize their meaning in ways that had not been seen before. The Master\u27s breadth of choice and individual handling of these floral images often make these images difficult to recognize and to interpret today. A comparison of the images in the borders with plants known to have grown in the Netherlands of the Middle Ages shows that the Master chose his images from live models. A comparison of the plants he chose to those described in herbals and used symbolically in literature shows that the Master used plant images taken from his personal experience with a wide range of sources including textual as well as visual ones. A comparison of the plants to the Master\u27s changed images of them shows how he created images with still greater symbolic impact. Finally, a comparison of these changed images in the borders with the scenes of the miniatures shows that the border images reflect and support the symbolic meaning of the miniatures, adding significantly to the meaning of the total illumination of the manuscript

Fine-Tuning Reception in the Bone: PPARγ and Company

PPARγ plays a central role in the formation of fat. Regulation of PPARγ activity depends on numerous factors ranging from dietary ligands to nuclear hormone coactivators and corepressors to oxygen-sensing mechanisms. In addition, the interplay of PPARγ with other nuclear hormone receptors has implications for the balance between adipogenesis and osteogenesis in mesenchymal stem cells of the bone marrow stroma. This review will explore a range of factors influencing PPARγ activity and how these interactions may affect osteogenesis

Adaptive reuse for leftover urban landscape: ruins, remains, waste and monsters for an approaching genealogy of future

Purpose This paper aims to explore the topic of adaptive reuse referring to urban open spaces into a more-than-human perspective. It underlines that dealing with heritage means being part of an inherent and ongoing process of transformation and so that reuse is inextricably an adaptive practice, constantly facing mutations, and that adaptation is a coral practice that involves different kinds of users and makers, inclusive of human and not human livings. Design/methodology/approach This paper looks at the lexicon of abandonment, in search of the more essential and intense meanings of words, and at some pioneering practices in Europe to comprehend the aesthetic and ethical implications of adaptive reuse of neglected landscapes. Findings Processes of reuse involve many different communities of users who in turn continuously redesign the site, into a comprehensive, coral and conflicting collaboration, whose results are never given once for all and are both uncanny and beautiful, scaring and marvellous, like a monster. Practical implications Accepting the idea that humans are not the only users and makers of urban sites can widen the range of tools, methods and values involved in heritage adaptive reuse. Originality/value This paper tries to widen the meanings of adaptation into a multispecies perspective. It intends to broaden the range of agents that can be involved as users and makers, assuming a more-than-human point of view that is not yet commonly applied

La amistad en los Essais de Montaigne.

Sin resume

Comprehensive Characterization of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Placenta and Fetal Membrane and Their Response to Osteoactivin Stimulation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the most promising seed cells for cell therapy and can be isolated from various sources of human adult tissues such as bone marrow (BM-MSC) and adipose tissue. However, cells from these tissues must be obtained through invasive procedures. We, therefore, characterized MSCs isolated from fresh placenta (Pl-MSC) and fetal membrane (Mb-MSC) through morphological and fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS). MSC frequency is higher in membrane than placenta (2.14%  ± 0.65 versus 15.67%  ± 0.29%). Pl/Mb-MSCs in vitro expansion potential was significantly higher than BM-MSCs. We demonstrated that one of the MSC-specific marker is sufficient for MSC isolation and that culture in specific media is the optimal way for selecting very homogenous MSC population. These MSCs could be differentiated into mesodermal cells expressing cell markers and cytologic staining consistent with mature osteoblasts and adipocytes. Transcriptomic analysis and cytokine arrays demonstrated broad similarity between placenta- and membrane-derived MSCs and only discrete differences with BM-MSCs with enrichment of networks involved in bone differentiation. Pl/Mb-MSCs displayed higher osteogenic differentiation potential than BM-MSC when their response to osteoactivin was evaluated. Fetal-tissue-derived mesenchymal cells may, therefore, be considered as a major source of MSCs to reach clinical scale banking in particular for bone regeneration

Molecular Mechanisms in Exercise-Induced Cardioprotection

Physical inactivity is increasingly recognized as modifiable behavioral risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. A partial list of proposed mechanisms for exercise-induced cardioprotection include induction of heat shock proteins, increase in cardiac antioxidant capacity, expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins, anatomical and physiological changes in the coronary arteries, changes in nitric oxide production, adaptational changes in cardiac mitochondria, increased autophagy, and improved function of sarcolemmal and/or mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels. It is currently unclear which of these protective mechanisms are essential for exercise-induced cardioprotection. However, most investigations focus on sarcolemmal KATP channels, NO production, and mitochondrial changes although it is very likely that other mechanisms may also exist. This paper discusses current information about these aforementioned topics and does not consider potentially important adaptations within blood or the autonomic nervous system. A better understanding of the molecular basis of exercise-induced cardioprotection will help to develop better therapeutic strategies

Exercise and the Cardiovascular System

There are alarming increases in the incidence of obesity, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The risk of these diseases is significantly reduced by appropriate lifestyle modifications such as increased physical activity. However, the exact mechanisms by which exercise influences the development and progression of cardiovascular disease are unclear. In this paper we review some important exercise-induced changes in cardiac, vascular, and blood tissues and discuss recent clinical trials related to the benefits of exercise. We also discuss the roles of boosting antioxidant levels, consequences of epicardial fat reduction, increases in expression of heat shock proteins and endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins, mitochondrial adaptation, and the role of sarcolemmal and mitochondrial potassium channels in the contributing to the cardioprotection offered by exercise. In terms of vascular benefits, the main effects discussed are changes in exercise-induced vascular remodeling and endothelial function. Exercise-induced fibrinolytic and rheological changes also underlie the hematological benefits of exercise

Discovery, validation and sequencing of urinary peptides for diagnosis of liver fibrosis—A multicentre study

Background: Liver fibrosis is a consequence of chronic inflammation and is associated with protein changes within the hepatocytes structure. In this study, we aimed to investigate if this is reflected by the urinary proteome and can be explored to diagnose liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease. Methods: In a multicentre combined cross-sectional and prospective diagnostic test validation study, 129 patients with varying degrees of liver fibrosis and 223 controls without liver fibrosis were recruited. Additionally, 41 patients with no liver, but kidney fibrosis were included to evaluate interference with expressions of kidney fibrosis. Urinary low molecular weight proteome was analysed by capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (CE-MS) and a support vector machine marker model was established by integration of peptide markers for liver fibrosis. Findings: CE-MS enabled identification of 50 urinary peptides associated with liver fibrosis. When combined into a classifier, LivFib-50, it separated patients with liver fibrosis (N = 31) from non-liver disease controls (N = 123) in cross-sectional diagnostic phase II evaluation with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.94 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.89-0.97, p Interpretation: In liver fibrosis, urinary peptides profiling offers potential diagnostic markers and leads to discovery of proteolytic sites that could be targets for developing anti-fibrotic therapy. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V