bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial differentiation of land mollusc fauna in plain territories of Ukraine
Authors: Gural-Sverlova Nina
Published: December 2020

The taxonomic and ecological composition of the autochthonous land mollusc fauna in different parts of the plain Ukraine was analyzed on the basis of the personal data, collection materials of the State Museum of Natural History of the NAS of Ukraine in Lviv as well as numerous literature sources. Excluding representatives of the genus Helicopsis, the taxonomy and species composition of which in the territory of Ukraine still require clarification, and the steppe part of the Crimean peninsula, in four landscape zones of Ukraine, currently, a total of 109 species of land molluscs, which are autochthonous for at least part of the analyzed territory, are registered. The maximum species diversity (103 species and 2 representatives of the genus Helicopsis) is recorded in the zone of deciduous forests, followed by the right-bank part of the forest-steppe zone. The smallest number of the autochthonous species of land molluscs was noted for the right-bank part of the steppe zone. Within the Ukrainian Polesie and the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine, the taxonomic diversity of land molluscs decreases from west to east. The number of the registered autochthonous species decreases, respectively, by 1.5 and 1.7 times, and the generic diversity by 1.3 and 1.5 times. In the steppe zone, the main centre of the species diversity is the Donetsk Upland, located in the east of the country. In taxonomic and ecological composition, land mollusc complexes of the right-bank part of the forest-steppe zone are closer to the zone of deciduous forests, in its left-bank part – to the left-bank steppe. In general, the spatial differentiation of land mollusc fauna in the plain territories of Ukraine is more strongly associated not with the boundaries of landscaped zones, but with the location of these territories with respect to the Dnieper bed and with some uplands, where the species diversity of land molluscs of the zone of deciduous forests and forest-steppe zone (Podolian Upland) and the steppe zone (Donetsk Upland) is concentrated.
The changes in ecological structure of oribatid mites (Oribatida) communities under the influence of anthropogenic factors on Transcarpathian Lowland
Authors: Hushtan Habriel
Published: December 2020

The peculiarities of changes in the ecological structure of oribatid communities under the influence of anthropogenic factors (grazing and hydromelioration) in the conditions of the Transcarpathian Lowland are considered in the work. In particular, the changes in the structure of mopho-ecological types (adaptive types), biotope groups and complexes according to the hygropreferendum, which occur due to the transformation of biotopes, are analyzed. It is established that hydromelioration and grazing leads to various tendency changes, which in turn are related to the peculiarities of the biology of specific species of oribatids and the specifics of the action of the studied factors.
Changes in the breeding avifauna of Lviv residential part from the period since 2006 till 2018 years
Authors: Bokotey Andriy
Published: December 2020

The analysis of breeding avifauna changes has been performed on the base of field studies that took place in residential parts of the Lviv city in 2006-2007 and 2017-2018 breeding seasons. Nowadays 84 breeding species were recorded in the Lviv city. The number of local species in bird population significantly decreased from 51 in 2007 to 41 in 2018. It shows the reduction of some species number together with the growth of their diversity (from 73 to 81) and significant increase in population from 443,0 to 581,6 pairs/10 ha. During 12 years 70 species constantly remain in the fauna. Three species disappeared from nesting, and 11 had appeared. Seven of them appeared for the first time: Marsh Tit, Hooded Crow, Hoopoe, Little Bittern, White-backed Woodpecker, Stonechat, Coal Tit. Four came back to the city for nesting after absence in 2006-2007 years: Partridge, Black Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Pied Flycatcher. The number of 9 species did not change during the period of the study. 29 species demonstrate decrease of the number and 32 - increase. The main reasons of the number changes were divided into 5 groups: 1) changes in geographical scales or the expansion (peculiar for 3 species), 2) synurbization (29 species), 3) general population changes (38 species) і 4) local environmental changes (45 species), 5) unknown reasons (7). Several reasons worked together for 33 species.
Arqueología y arqueólogos del Museo de La Plata. Testimonios y un balance sobre una historia más que centenaria
Authors: Soprano Germán
Published: December 2020

Reseña del libro Historias de la Arqueología en el Museo de La Plata. Las voces de sus protagonistas, de Mariano Bonomo y Luciano Prates. División Arqueología, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata / Sociedad Argentina de Antropología, Buenos Aires, 2019, pp. 627. ISBN 978-987-1280-50-6.
COVID-19, MERS and SARS; Understanding Similarities and Differences
Authors: Waqar Kinza , Zahid Maham
Published: December 2020

Sever acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV) , Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are members of the corona virus family that have been implicated for epidemics and deaths globally. These viruses have similar structural features and pathogenesis, yet are different in terms of genome sequence, coat protein and infectivity. There are no proven treatments or vaccines for previous epidemics caused by MERS COV and SARS CoV and the infection spread by SARS COV-2 has been more pronounced as compared to the other two. So far, the spread of SARS CoV 2 can be prevented by social distancing and treated with supportive therapies. This article reviews the three corona viruses and draws comparison between their features to better understand the disease process.
COVID-19 and Impact of Nutrition
Authors: Mumtaz Sara , Saeed Rida Fatima , Qazi Asma Saleem
Published: December 2020

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It has affected the entire world. The clinical course of infection varies from asymptomatic to mild symptoms to life threatening conditions in affected individuals. An unbalanced immune response is responsible for many complications and even death in severe cases. Poor nutritional status is a major risk factor for infection as it makes the patient immunocompromised. A good dietary pattern boost immune system in combating infections. In this review, the role of various dietary patterns, individual vitamins and trace elements will be considered. The link between diet and COVID-19 has yet to be established. However, findings from previous studies on respiratory tract infections have shown that diet plays an important role in the management and prevention of infections.
The Pathophysiology of Repurposed Antiviral Drugs for treatment of COVID-19 Infection
Authors: Haider Adnan , Faheem Muhammad , Jamal Sayed Babar , Naeem Muhammad , Khan Khalil Atif Ali , Khan Raees , Subhan Fazli
Published: December 2020

Our planet earth has seen many viral pandemics The most recent pandemic was Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) commonly called Corona Virus disease (COVID-19). It was first reported inWuhan Peoples Republic of China, in December 2019. COVID-19 is a positive-sense single-strand enveloped RNA virus mainly found in mammals. To date, a total of six species of coronavirus have been reported that affected humans. These mainly cause respiratory, hepatic, enteric, and neurological complications. Since it is a novel virus, different therapies were used for the treatment These measures comprised of mostly repurposing of already available drugs, more specifically antiviral drugs. In this review article, we have summarized the virus- host relation and chemical structure and also discussed in detail the proposed mechanism of these repurposed antivirals drugs.
Computational Methods in Road towards Drug Discovery against SARS-CoV2
Authors: Jamal Syed Babar , Naz Shumaila , Khan Raees , Haider Adnan , Raza Rabail Zehra , Abbasi Sumra Wajid
Published: December 2020

SARS-CoV2 has affected millions of people around the globe with hundreds of mortalities. The emergence of SARS-COV2 is very recent, and there is no potential drug or vaccine available. In this review, we have compiled the most frequently used computational methods in drug discovery, target proteins of SARS-CoV2 as well as implementation of computational methods. Most recent literature on SARS-CoV2 has been compiled from various journal search engines including Google Scholar, Academia, PubMed, Scopus, Research Gate, and the Web of Science. The keywords chosen for the searches were COVID-19, Corona Virus, SARS-CoV2, drug development and future directions. This review has far reaching implications to both the public health and pharmaceutical industries for potential novel drug development against SARS-CoV2.
Recent Development in Diagnosis and Treatment of COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Naeem Muhammad , Ullah Sultan , Haider Adnan , Awan Uzma Azeem , Ullah Shahid , Hussain Khalil Khadim
Published: December 2020

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a transmissible disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The primary clinical expression of COVID-19 is an acute respiratory illness with interstitial and alveolar pneumonia. The virus originated in late 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The infectious agent, based upon genetic studies is of zoonotic origin and spread in the local population possibly through community spread by persons  shopping at wet animal market, where live wild game is sold. The rapid spread of COVID-19 led it to be declared a global pandemic by the WHO. As of September 21, 2020, 30,675,675 cummulative cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide with 954,417 cumulative deaths. The diagnosis of COVID-19 is based primarily on epidemiological factors, clinical symptoms, and laboratory testing techniques such as hemography, chest computed tomography, and virologic examination. To date, there are no clinically approved vaccines or antiviral drugs available for use against COVID-19. Nevertheless, in clinical trials, a few broad-spectrum antiviral drugs as well as repurposed drugs approved for other indications have been assessed against COVID-19. In this review, we highlight the epidemiology, symptoms, transmission, pathogenesis of the COVID-19, with emphasis on current progress in rapid diagnosis and  treatment options.
No Lockdown for Domestic Violence during COVID-19: A Systematic Review for the Implication of Mental-Well Being
Authors: Javed Saira , Mehmood Yasir
Published: December 2020

Since the alarming situation of the COVID-19 pandemic the devastating character in spheres like suicide, domestic violence, mental disorders, anxiety, and depressive disorders are increasing worldwide. Domestic violence against women and girls particularly has intensified. This systematic review paper examines the reasons behind the surge in the domestic violence during COVID 19 and recommends interventional strategy for mental well-being. The online databases Google Scholar, PROQUEST, PubMed, and Science Direct were systematically reviewed for studies focused on domestic violence during COVID 19. The search covered the period till August 2020. A total of 18 publications met the inclusion criteria. The results have shown that the pandemic is one of the major factors for surge in domestic violence. Other causes are economic crisis, forced lockdown, fear of having disease, unemployment, congested houses and limited source of facilities for victims. The most common type of violence in number of publications identified was violence on women whether married, unmarried, working or non-working. It is concluded that mental and physical health practitioners execute the suggested implementation program nationwide to facilitate victims of domestic violence for better well-being. Moreover the government should take strict actions to stop the surge of cases in this regard.
Immune System Enriching Micronutrients: Essential Ingredient for Wellbeing in COVID-19
Authors: Junejo Shizma , Lateef Mehreen , Eze Eme Paul
Published: December 2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, has declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) onset a global pandemic. Consequently, there has been noticeable economic adversity globally and a significant loss of life. A strong functioning immune system is crucial for adequate defense against pathogenic organisms. The intricacy of the interplay between nutrition and immunology is wide ranging. In the context of novel corona virus disease, competent immune system requires adequate supply of essential nutrients including vitamin C, D, E, A, B6, B12, folateandtraceelements,includingzinc,iron,selenium,magnesium,copper to support innate and adaptive immune systems. Other nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids also support immune system effectively, specifically by helping to resolve the inflammatory response. Deficiencies or suboptimal status in micronutrients negatively affects immune function and can decrease resistance to infections. AlthoughmuchremainstobeknownaboutCOVID-19,itisimportantthat,toavertthelikelihoodof being infected with COVID-19, nutrition intake targeted towards boosting immune system is indispensable.
Insulin Resistance, Hyperinsulinemia and COVID-19 Mortality
Authors: Imran Majeed Syed Muhammad , Ahsan Gilani Rehma
Published: December 2020

Insulin resistance is at the heart of pathogenesis of major noncommunicable disorders namely atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, even autoimmune diseases, possibly allergies and some cancers. Inflammation as instigated by hyperinsulinemia appears responsible for a major portion of noncommunicable diseases burden. The modern human diet wherein most of the calories come from starches, is the singular most important prevalent cause of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. Most of the humanity is either diabetic or prediabetic (glucose intolerant) and vulnerable to dangerous consequences of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance.

One such consequence that we are faced with today, is mortality in COVID-19 infected patients who suffer from diabetes mellitus.

Very little, certainly inadequate, attention has been paid to hyperinsulinemia and its life threatening repercussions during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Attention of researchers and health care systems is drawn to the obvious dangers of this oversight; be that the ongoing mortality due to COVID-19, or the noncommunicable disease burden in general.

Editor-in-Chief

How to cite this: Majeed SMI, Gilani RA. Insulin Resistance, Hyperinsulinemia and COVID-19 Mortality. Life and Science. 2020; 1(suppl): 1-1. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.178

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
COVID-19 Vaccines Interim Analysis: Unanswered Questions
Authors: Ahsan Gilani Rehma
Published: December 2020

It will be one year since severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has created havoc and mayhem in form of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Many potential vaccines candidates are identified and are currently in different phases of clinical trial. The international regulatory authority has given emergency approval of two vaccines, Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna. The Phase 3 trial of both these vaccines are still in progress and there are scattered reports of adverse effects including allergic reaction among vaccinated health care workers. The safety profile of these vaccines requires long term follow up of patients before one can assure its efficacy and clinical effectiveness.
Generalized Spectral Characterization of Mixed Graphs
Authors: Wang Wei , Qiu Lihong , Qian Jianguo , Wang Wei
Published: December 2020

The spectral characterization of graphs is an important topic in spectral graph theory, which has been studied extensively in recent years. Unlike the undirected case, however, the spectral characterization of mixed graphs (digraphs) has received much less attention so far, which will be the main focus of this paper. A mixed graph $G$ is said to be strongly determined by its generalized Hermitian spectrum (abbreviated SHDGS), if, up to isomorphism, $G$ is the unique mixed graph that is cospectral with $G$ w.r.t. the generalized Hermitian spectrum.

Let $G$ be a self-converse mixed graph of order $n$ with Hermitian adjacency matrix $A$ and let $W=[e,Ae,\ldots,A^{n-1}e]$ ($e$ is the all-one vector). Suppose that $2^{-\lfloor n/2\rfloor}\det W$ is \emph{norm-free} in $\mathbb{Z}[i]$ (i.e., for any Gaussian prime $p$, the norm $N(p)=p\bar{p}$  does not divide $2^{-\lfloor n/2\rfloor}\det W$). We conjecture that every such graph is SHDGS and prove that, for any  mixed graph $H$ that is cospectral with $G$ w.r.t. the generalized Hermitian spectrum, there exists a Gaussian rational unitary matrix $U$ with $Ue=e$ such that $U^*A(G)U=A(H)$ and $(1+i)U$ is a Gaussian integral matrix.  We have verified the conjecture in two extremal cases when $G$ is either an undirected graph or a self-converse oriented graph. Moreover, as consequences of our main results, we prove that all directed paths of even order are SHDGS. Analogous results are also obtained in the setting of \emph{restrictive} determination by generalized Hermitian spectrum (i.e., the spectral determination within the subset of all self-converse mixed graphs), which extends a recent result of the first author on the generalized spectral characterization of undirected graphs.
Beck's Theorem for Plane Curves
Authors: Huicochea Mario
Published: December 2020

Let $d\in\mathbb{Z}^+t$, $\mathbb{K}$ be a field of characteristic zero and $A$ be a nonempty finite subset of $\mathbb{K}^2$. Denote by $\mathcal{C}_{d,\mathbb{K}}$ the family of algebraic curves of degree $d$ in $\mathbb{K}^2$ and $\mathcal{C}_{\leq d,\mathbb{K}}:=\bigcup_{e=1}^d\mathcal{C}_{e,\mathbb{K}}$. For any $C_1\in \mathcal{C}_{d,\mathbb{K}}$, we say that $C_1$ is determined by $A$ if for any $C_2\in\mathcal{C}{d,\mathbb{K}}$ such that $C_2\cap A\supseteq C_1\cap A$, we have that $C_1=C_2$; we denote by $\mathcal{D}_{d,\mathbb{K}}(A)$ the family of elements of $\mathcal{C}_{d,\mathbb{K}}$ determined by $A$. Beck's theorem establishes that if $\mathbb{K}=\mathbb{R}$ and $A$ is not collinear, then $$|\mathcal{D}_{1,\mathbb{R}}(A)|=\Theta\left(|A|\min_{C\in \mathcal{C}_{1,\mathbb{R}}}|A\setminus C|\right).$$ In this paper we generalize Beck's theorem showing that for all $d\in\mathbb{Z}^+$, there exists a constant $c=c(d)>0$ such that if  $\min_{C\in\mathcal{C}_{\leq d,\mathbb{K}}}|A\setminus C|>c,$ then  $$|\mathcal{D}_{d,\mathbb{K}}(A)|=\Theta_d\left(|A|^d\prod_{e=1}^d\left(\min_{C\in \mathcal{C}_{\leq e,\mathbb{K}}}|A\setminus C|\right)^{d-e+1}\right).$$
The Portrayal of Islam and Muslims in Western Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis
Authors: REZAEI Saman , KOBARI Kamyar , SALAMI Ali
Published: December 2020

With the realization of the promised global village, media, particularly online newspapers, play a significant role in delivering news to the world. However, such means of news circulation can propagate different ideologies in line with the dominant power. This, coupled with the emergence
of so-called Islamic terrorist groups, has turned the focus largely on Islam and Muslims. This study attempts to shed light on the image of Islam being portrayed in Western societies through a Critical Discourse Analysis approach. To this end, a number of headlines about Islam or Muslims have
been randomly culled from three leading newspapers in Western print media namely The Guardian, The Independent and The New York Times (2015). This study utilizes “ideological square” notion of Van Dijk characterized by “positive presentation” of selves and “negative
presentation” of others alongside his socio-cognitive approach. Moreover, this study will take the linguistic discourses introduced by Van Leeuwen regarding “representing social actors and social practices” into consideration. The findings can be employed to unravel the mystery
behind the concept of “Islamophobia” in Western societies. Besides, it can reveal how specific lexical items, as well as grammatical structures are being employed by Western media to distort the notion of impartiality.
The Concept of European Values
Authors: IVIC Sanja
Published: December 2020

This inquiry investigates the concept of European values and cultural, philosophical, legal and political presuppositions on which the idea of European values is based. There are two approaches to the idea of European values. The first one is substantive approach (and includes philosophical,
ethical, religious and ideological understanding of values). The substantive approach defines European values as based on the European heritage (ancient Greece and Rome, Christianity, Renaissance and humanism, Enlightenment and liberal traditions). This conception of European values is fixed.
Another understanding of European values is represented by legal/political approach (that includes the definition of European values within European treatises, declarations, charters and other documents). Legal and political definition of European values includes: human dignity, freedom, democracy,
equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Most authors consider that only from this second level, from legal and political definition, general features of European values can be achieved, that is, universal rules of the game. This paper shows how these two different approaches
can be integrated, relying on John Rawls’s idea of overlapping consensus. It should be emphasized that the question of European values and European identity is still a topic of debate. There are different definitions and interpretations of these concepts, regardless of the legal definitions
within the framework of European declarations and treaties. European identity (based on European values) is a polyphonic category, which cannot be founded on monolithic definitions. Otherwise, the entire continent would fall under the rule of one homogeneous culture.
Transition in Knowledge of Chinese Geography in Early Modern Europe: A Historical Investigation on Maps of China
Authors: YU Jingdong
Published: December 2020

During the 17th and 18th centuries, European investigations into Chinese geography underwent a process of change: firstly, from the wild imagination of the classical era to a natural perspective of modern trade, then historical interpretations of religious missionaries to the scientific
mapping conducted by sovereign nationstates. This process not only prompted new production of maps, but also disseminated a large amount of geographical knowledge about China in massive publications. This has enriched the geographical vision of Chinese civilization while providing a new intellectual
framework for Europeans to understand China. Concurrently, it has formed another route for the travel of knowledge and intercultural interactions between the East and the West. Those interactions between space and knowledge have been reflected in the production, publication and dissemination
of numerous maps of China in early modern Europe.
Preaching the Gospel in China: Changes in the Concept of “Gospel” since the 17th Century
Authors: MIN Xinhui
Published: December 2020

This paper focuses on the change of the meaning of “gospel” in Chinese context since the 17th Century. In the late Ming dynasty, Catholic missionaries were the first to translate “gospel” into Chinese with their writings about the Bible. Then the term
became intermingled with traditional Chinese belief of seeking blessings. After the ban on Christianity imposed by the Emperor Yong Zheng, Chinese Catholics hid their faith and disguised it as Buddhism, Taoism and folk religions. At the end of the 19th century, “gospel”
was connected to colonialism and became a trigger for Sino-Western conflict. The critique of and hostility toward the term abruptly arose. In the 20th century, “gospel” turned into a new concept, which went beyond its religious connotation and gradually referred to all
kinds of “good news”.
Changes in the Concept of “Jian” in the Pre-Qin Period: From Political Norm to Means of Acquiring Wealth
Authors: TAN Xiao
Published: December 2020

The conceptual changes of Jian in the pre-Qin period were the results of changes in the social and political structure. It originally referred to Jian virtue, which was a kind of political norm of clan states. This required the aristocrats to be moderate
in accordance with the patriarchal hierarchy and generously share their wealth with their own clansmen. The opposite of Jian virtue is Tan ( greed) and Chi ( extravagance). In the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, many states formed their politics
based on ministerial families. The aristocrats glorified greed and extravagance as Fu ( riches), and stigmatized Jian virtue as Pin ( poverty). After the collapse of the clan-based state order, the states in the Warring States Period gradually developed
into territorial states, and the institutional political norm became a new, abstract concept, indicated by the compound Jian Yue ( economy) and was used to describe the consumption attitudes of individuals and families. Meanwhile, with the increase of social mobility, the pursuit
of riches was highly popular in the ideological world. The new expression of “means-ends” advocated by Legalists, which stipulated that individuals and families acquire wealth through Jian Yue (economy), took shape and endures to this day.
Three Anglo-Norman Kings: The Lives of William the Conqueror and Sons by Benoît de Sainte-Maure, trans. Ian Short. Mediaeval Sources in Translation, 57. Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2018, viii, 228.
Authors: Cormier Raymond
Published: December 2020

Respected professor of medieval French and foremost specialist in Anglo- Norman, Ian Short can cast his net wide and does so brilliantly with the volume under review. Eleven thousand lines cover here the period from 1027 (conception of William the Conqueror) to 1135 (death of Henry
I)—all lively and dynamic in this translation, while much historical background is revealed in these vivid and impressively-written pages (in spite of Benoît’s often stilted style): treason and transgressions, murder and mayhem, betrayals, hypocrisy, depravity, ominous dream
sequences, punishing sieges; but also on occasion magnificent festivities amidst peace and prosperity. Revolting descriptions grace the narrative as well: “[they drew their…] swords, their trusty blades of engraved steel, and dashing out their enemies’ brains, […gouged]
out their entrails and intestines.” (102) At this point we encounter a lion and a fire- breathing dragon (102–103). Elsewhere a bear is slaughtered (131). On the other hand, Benoît does gush enthusiastically over Henry II’s mother, the “Empress” Matilda
(N.B., there are six Matildas in the index): a “[…] widely celebrated figure, for it is my firm belief that there is nothing in the whole of my book that people would be happier to listen to, seeing that her impressive and highly regarded achievements are so much more extraordinary
than those of any other person.” (172)
Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival. Bd. 1: Text nach der Handschrift D als “Leithandschrift”. Band 2: Untersuchungen. Hrsg. von Hermann Reichert. Wien: Praesens Verlag, 2018, 520, 397 S.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

Mit etwas Verwunderung, oder schlicht tief beeindruckt nimmt man diese neue Edition zusammen mit ihrer ausführlichen Kommentierung in die Hand, ein zweibändiges Werk, in dem Wolframs von Eschenbach Parzival in einem Mammutverfahren nach der Handschrift D, heute in der
Stiftsbibliothek von St. Gallen (Cod. 857) aufbewahrt, neu herausgegeben wird. Ihre Beschreibung findet sich im 2. Band, S. 18–22, worauf dann die Beschreibungen aller anderen Handschriften folgen, die den Parzival enthalten, was für sich genommen schon eine erstaunliche
Leistung darstellt. Reichert geht hier weit über den Wissensstand hinaus, der online im Marburger Repetorium geboten wird (http://www.handschriftencensus.de/werke/440), insoweit
als er detailliert die Angaben über den entsprechenden Textbestand vom Parzival liefert, wogegen er die historischen Informationen zu den Handschriften weitgehend weglässt, die man aber, wie gesagt, online finden kann.
Jón Viðar Sigurðsson and Sverrir Jakobsson (eds.), Sturla Þórðarson. Skald, Chieftain and Lawmen. The Northern World, 78. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2017, 291 pp.
Authors: van Nahl Jan Alexander
Published: December 2020

Throughout the twentieth century, scholars in Medieval Studies cast Snorri Sturluson (1179–1241) as medieval Iceland’s greatest personage in terms of learning and power. Only recently have some scholars started to throw doubt on Snorri’s ingenuity, and today’s
picture of him may thus be considered more multi-faceted than ever. With Snorri no longer outshining his contemporaries, scholarship has turned attention toward other supposed key figures in medieval Iceland. Particular attention has been payed to Sturla Þórðarson (1214–1284),
Snorri’s nephew. Celebrating Sturla’s 800th anniversary, in 2014, a conference was held at the University of Iceland, the gathered results of which were later published in The Northern World series. Twenty-two short chapters elaborate on various aspects of Sturla, who is
introduced by the editors as “one of Iceland’s most famous medieval politicians and authors” as well as “certainly one of the most significant” historians of thirteenth-century Iceland (p. 1). Consequently, the papers set out “to commemorate Sturla himself,
to discuss the diverse body of works attributed to him, and to place them in a wider European context” (p. 7).
>The Auchinleck Manuscript: New Perspectives, ed. Susanna Fein. York: York Medieval Press, 2016; paperback 2018, xi, 6 b/w ill.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

Even if non-English scholars might not be familiar with the Auchinleck Manuscript (Edinburgh, NLS, MS Advocates 19.2.1), the studies dedicated to this extraordinary collection of English romances and religious narratives from ca. 1330 or 1340 deserve very close attention because of
their high scholarly level and their far-reaching implications. The original papers were orally presented at a symposium held at the University College in London in July 2008. It is not clear why it took until 2016 for the volume to appear in print. The present review is based on the paperback
edition of 2018.
Janet Cowen (ed. and trans.), On Famous Women. The Middle English Translation of Boccaccio’s De Mulieribus Claris. Edited from London, British Library, MS Additional 10304. Middle English Texts, 52. Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter, 2015, 131 pp.
Authors: Trompf Garry W.
Published: December 2020

G. Matteo Roccati (ed. and trans.), Moralité de Fortune, Maleur, Eur, Povreté, Franc Arbitre et Destinee [sic]. Biblioteca di Studi Francesi [6], Toronto: Rosenberg & Sellier, 2018, 240 pp.
François-Xavier Fauvelle, The Golden Rhinoceros: Histories of the African Middle Ages, trans. Troy Tice. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2018 (orig. 2013), ix, 264 pp., b/w drawings, 7 color photos, 2 maps, 1 b/w facsimile.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

Recent scholarship has increasingly demanded that we translate our traditional research into Global Medieval Studies. The challenges are daunting, of course, and it might not be practically possible to pursue that goal because most scholars are working in their specific areas and can
handle not more than two or three medieval languages. Reaching out to the Asian continent and its medieval past is a very promising, though also highly difficult effort, especially because it seems that if there were any contacts, then those were organized mostly by Europeans exploring the
Orient, and hardly the other way around. The connections between Europe and Africa were tenuous and seem to have been limited to trade, primarily with representatives in northern Africa. Nevertheless, gold, ivory, and slaves coming from the kingdom of Mali, for instance, reached the Mediterranean
coast. The Americas also experienced a medieval past, but we all know that the first direct contact was established only in 1492, here disregarding the efforts by the Vikings under Eric the Red around 1000. Australia or New Zealand constitute very different and highly distant players in that
global spectrum.
Sebastian Cöllen, Gefiolierte blüte kunst: Eine kognitionslinguistisch orientierte Untersuchung zur Metaphorik in Frauenlobs Marienleich. Uppsala: Uppsala Universitet, 2018, IX, 307 S., 3 sw/ Bilder, 2 farbige Bilder, 8 Tabellen, 24 s/w Abb.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

In seiner 2018 verteidigten Doktorarbeit widmet sich Sebastian Cöllen dem außerordentlich erfolgreichen spätmittelalterlichen Dichter Heinrich von Meißen, auch bekannt als Frauenlob, der in seinem tatsächlich erstaunlichen, freilich auch recht befremdlichen
Marienleich eine faszinierende, bis heute aber nicht ganz verständliche Metaphorik entwickelte. Dieser will sich Cöllen kritisch nähern, indem er eine kognitionslinguistische Untersuchung anwendet, um auf technisch-rationaler Art sozusagen Licht in das Dunkel zu werfen.
Alexandre Delin, Les Étudiants gallois à l’université d’Oxford 1282–1485. Paris: Classiques Garnier, 2019, 526 pp.
Authors: Breeze Andrew
Published: December 2020

Oxford University is historic and old; so, too, is Wales; study of them together thus makes an excellent book. When accomplished by a Frenchman, the result is a tour de force. Overcoming major problems of language, culture, and geography, Alexandre Delin illuminates whole aspects
of medieval education, learning, office in Church or State, student life, rioting, homicide, and armed rebellion against the English Crown. His work can be warmly recommended.
Kathryn Vulić, Susan Uselmann, and C. Annette Grisé, ed., Devotional Literature and Practice in Medieval England: Readers, Reading, and Reception. Disputatio 29. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2016, 282 pp.
Authors: Burke Linda
Published: December 2020

For medieval men and women, the process of reading—especially devotional reading—was far more complex that merely deciphering the letters on a page, as explained in this collection of nine distinguished essays with an Introduction and Afterword. Building on earlier scholarship,
copiously cited, this volume forms “a contribution to the history of reading” (1) through its highly interdisciplinary approach that recurrently traces the influence of monastic reading practices, especially lectio divina, among the wider devout population. Most of the essays
focus on vernacular materials sought after and read—or read aloud—among the laity, although the same English books (in manuscript or print) might also have been owned by religious houses.
Gail Orgelfinger, Joan of Arc in the English Imagination, 1429–1829. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2019, 230 pp., 17 b/w ill.
Authors: Fraioli Deborah
Published: December 2020

Reviews of Joan of Arc books often rightly begin by asking whether there is the need for yet another book on Joan of Arc. In the case of biographies, one is tempted to answer, no. The known facts have not changed over 600 years, and new angles from which her life can be approached do
not emerge as often as do new biographies. Oddly, however, the kind of detailed comparative study of Joan’s afterlife in England through four centuries, which Gail Orgelfinger has accomplished in this vigorous new book, still needs to be done for French chronicles (no less) and much
of her French afterlife.
Volker Leppin, Franziskus von Assisi. Darmstadt: wbg Theiss, 2018, 368 S., s/w Abb.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

Bei so berühmten Persönlichkeiten wie Franziskus von Assisi überrascht es nicht, dass sich Historiker und Biographen immer wieder darum bemühen, ihren Lebensweg nachzuzeichnen und Erkenntnisse über die inneren und äußeren Umstände zu gewinnen.
Hier legt nun der evangelische Kirchenhistoriker Volker Leppin seine eigene Biographie des Heiligen vor, obwohl andere sehr ähnliche Unternehmungen erst jüngst in die gleiche Kerbe gehauen haben (s. z.B. Dieter A. Bauer, Franziskus von Assisi: das Bild des Heiligen aus neuer Sicht,
2005; Helmut Feld, Franziskus von Assisi, 2014; Gunnar Decker, Franz von Assisi: der Traum vom einfachen Leben, 2016; Dieter Berg, Franziskus von Assisi: Der sanfte Rebell, 2017; Paul Sabatier, Leben des Heiligen Franz von Assisi, rpt., 2018, etc.). Leppin hat gewiss
gründlich recherchiert, wie die umfangreiche Bibliographie belegt, und viele wichtige Erkenntnisse der jüngeren Forschung sind hier offensichtlich eingeflossen, aber man hätte doch gerne gewusst, ob oder inwieweit der Autor die bisherigen Beobachtungen zu Franziskus schlicht
wiederholt, sie revidiert, ob er neue Perspektiven entwickelt und inwieweit dieses Buch innovativen Charakter beanspruchen darf.
Milvia Bollati, Flora Cassen, and Marc Michael Epstein, The Lombard Haggadah. Introduction by Christopher de Hamel. Ed. Sandra Hindman. Les Eluminures. New York: Paul Holberton, 2019, 239 pp., colored ill.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

Those of us who work with medieval illustrated manuscripts are often guilty of ignoring the major contributions by medieval Jewish scribes and illuminators or the manuscripts produced for Jewish consumers. To remedy this situation, Milivia Bollati, Flora Cassen, and Marc Michael Epstein
here present the most impressive Lombard Haggadah, both by examining its background, purpose, design, and by providing a complete facsimile of the manuscript. Famous Christopher de Hamel (Cambridge) adds a pleasant introduction in which he emphasizes the considerable degree of overlap
of Christian and Jewish manuscript production. The Lombard Haggadah is the earliest stand-alone Haggadah and is one of only three illustrated medieval Haggadot still privately owned (Sandra Hindman, 8). This manuscript was on public display in New York in April 2019, and was for sale.
It is not clear to me whether any buyer acquired it.
Arthur in the Celtic Languages, The Arthurian Legend in Celtic Literatures and Traditions, ed. Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan and Erich Poppe. Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages IX. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2019, xxiv, 408 pp.
Authors: Breeze Andrew
Published: December 2020

In twenty-four chapters, Arthurian tradition in Welsh, Cornish, Breton, Irish, or Scottish Gaelic is surveyed by writers from Wales, Germany, the USA, and beyond. What they offer is familiar enough, with no surprises. The surprises are in what is ignored, not what is said. Before we
reach that, however, a summary of contents.
Oswald von Wolkenstein, Poèmes. Traduits et présentés par Danielle Buschinger et Sieglinde Hartmann. Traductions des Classiques du Moyen Âge, 102. Paris: Honoré Champion Éditeur, 2019, 120 S., 1 s/w Abb.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

Eines der wichtigsten Instrumentarien in der Literaturwissenschaft, um die wahrhafte Bedeutung eines Dichters zu bestimmen, besteht darin, den Weg der Rezeptionsgeschichte zu verfolgen. Die neuere Forschung hat schon seit den 60er Jahren immer mehr konstatiert, dass Oswald von Wolkenstein
(1376/77–1445) zu den bedeutendsten Liederkomponisten des deutschen, wenn nicht sogar des europäischen Spätmittelalters gehört. Nun liegt auch eine französische Übersetzung von einer kleinen Auswahl vor, nachdem ich 2008 eine englische der gesamten Überlieferung
publiziert hatte.
Picatrix: A Medieval Treatise on Astral Magic. Trans. with an intro. by Dan Attrell and David Porreca. Based on the Latin edition by David Pingree. The Magic in History Series. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2019, xii, 372 pp.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

Ordinary readers would welcome this new translation as one of many publications rendering a medieval Latin into modern English. All those efforts are certainly most welcome and necessary to maintain the scholarly and pragmatic-didactic approach to Medieval Studies. However, the Picatrix
represents a unique magical treatise which every European pre-modern magician consulted and which enjoyed greatest respect for its universal relevance. Many contributors to the edited volume Magic and Magicians in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Time, ed. by Albrecht Classen (2018)
refer to the Picatrix, acknowledging it as a most important source for magic throughout the entire pre-modern world.
Reisen und Reisende in Bayerisch-Schwaben und seinen Randgebieten in Oberbayern, Franken, Württemberg, Vorarlberg und Tirol, bearbeitet von Johannes Mordstein und Barbara Rajkay. Hrsg. von Helmut Gier. Weißenhorn: Anton H. Konrad Verlag, 2015, 508 S., 95 s/w
und farb. Abb.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

Die Rezension dieses Bandes erfolgt spät, weil die Ankündigung davon erst jüngst den Hrsg. erreicht hat. Es handelt sich um eine wichtige und vielversprechende Textsammlung, die z.T. noch das Spätmittelalter betrifft, darüber hinaus aber Reiseberichte umfasst,
die bis ins späte 18. Jahrhundert geschrieben worden sind. Es ist der dritte Band in einer Serie gleichartiger Anthologien, die bisher 1968 und 1974 erschienen sind, ursprünglich von dem mittlerweile verstorbenen Hildebrand Dussler herausgegeben.
Michael D. Barbezat, Burning Bodies: Communities, Eschatology, and the Punishment of Heresy in the Middle Ages. Ithaca, NY, and London: Cornell University Press, 2018, xii, 271 pp., 6 b/w ill.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

As horrible as the punishment by burning someone alive certainly proves to be, it is a modern misconception, as Michael D. Barbezat argues in this new study, to assume that this form of execution was the standard judicial tool in the Middle Ages. By contrast, burning heretics and others
was rather the exception, as all available data confirm. Whether there were actually heretics, in an organized fashion, as the older school of thought claimed, or whether they mostly existed in the heads of the learned elite during the high and late Middle Ages, as the more recent cohort of
scholars suggests, does not have to be decided here, but Barbezat outlines these two groups clearly enough in the introduction. One curious aspect in the larger question regarding actual burning would also be that the costs and the time it took to burn a person completely were considerable,
whereas hanging, drowning, or execution by the sword was swift and affordable. The recent study by Romedio Schmitz-Esser, Der Leichnam im Mittelalter (2014, 2nd ed. 2016; here not consulted) offers much relevant information about this point.
Sebastian Schmidt, Abbild/Selbstbild: Das Porträt in Nürnberg um 1500. Gratia. Tübinger Schriften zur Renaissanceforschung und Kulturwissenschaft, 62. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2018, X, 583 S., 39 Textabb., 160 Tafeln plus Auszüge oder Details.
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

Einer der wesentlichen Merkmale, die es uns schon lange ermöglicht haben, den Übergang vom Mittelalter zur Renaissance oder Frühneuzeit zu bestimmen, besteht in der Form der Selbstdarstellung, im Text oder im Bild. Sebastian Schmidt bemüht sich in seiner, für
den Druck nun aufbereiteten Münchener Dissertation vom Wintersemester 2015/2016 darum, einerseits die Gattung von Selbstbildnissen, die in Nürnberg um 1500 entstanden sind, theoretisch zu durchdringen, andererseits einen Katalog mit entsprechender Kommentierung zusammenzustellen.
The Cambridge History of Welsh Literature, ed. Geraint Evans and Helen Fulton. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019, xxix, 825 pp., 8 maps
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

According to the two editors, it has been a long time since the entire history of Welsh literature was treated in one volume, so the new effort by Geraint Evans and Helen Fulton must be certainly welcomed. But for a little housekeeping, so to speak, they only refer to the volume Hanes
Llenyddiaeth Gymraeg hyd 1900, published by Thomas Parry in 1953, translated into English in 1955. A simple search in any online catalog, however, unearths other valuable studies, such as Bobi Jones’s The Dragon’s Pen: A Brief History of Welsh Literature (1986), Mathias
Roland’s Anglo-Welsh Literature: An Illustrated History (1986), The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales, ed. Meic Stephens (1986), and Dafydd Johnston, The Literature of Wales (1994), none of which are included in the final cumulative bibliography. Of course,
this does not mean at all that new efforts in that regard could be dismissed, on the contrary. In fact, as Evans and Fulton correctly emphasize, both with respect to the use of English and the use of Welsh, the time has come to approach the entire corpus of literary texts as produced in Wales
from the early Middle Ages until today in a holistic fashion, although this work was here divvied up among a larger number of scholars responsible for individual literary-historical periods. It would have been helpful, however, if the editors had reviewed critically the previous efforts to
write a literary history of Wales in order to highlight better the new approaches and methodologies, which are explained subsequently, but not clearly enough in contrast to previous publications.
Albrecht Classen, Prostitution in Medieval and Early Modern Literature: The Dark Side of Sex and Love in the Premodern Era. Studies in Medieval Literature. Lanham, USA: Lexington Books, 2019, 237 p.
Authors: Stanford Charlotte A.
Published: December 2020

As this book notes wryly, sex sells well, and the related topic of prostitution has also had its related impact in scholarly literature, even of the premodern era. However, the author also observes a “curious lacuna”—how has prostitution been represented in literary
texts? By whom, for what reasons, and for what purposes have these narratives been employed? And what can they tell us about the history of mentalités? Classen’s study on prostitution in literature tackles all these questions and others.
Charles W. Connell, Popular Opinion in the Middle Ages. Channeling Public Ideas and Attitudes. Fundamentals of Medieval and Early Modern Culture, 18. Berlin and Boston: Walterde Gruyter, 2016, 347 S.
Authors: Lundt Bea
Published: December 2020

Seit Jürgen Habermas 1962 in seinem epochalen Werk ,,Strukturwandel der Öffentlichkeit“ die Herausbildung der öffentlichen Sphäre im Gegensatz zur Privatheit des Hauses seit der Aufklärung beschrieben hat, gibt es eine rege Forschungsliteratur zu der Frage,
ob für das Mittelalter vergleichbare Phänomene nachweisbar sind. Antworten zu diesem Problemkomplex sind von weitreichender Bedeutung: vor allem für die Genderforschung, die polare Geschlechterwelten in der Moderne beschrieben hat. Der Lebensbereich Öffentlichkeit, verbunden
mit Beruf, Politik, Macht, sei Männern zugeteilt worden, während Frauen auf die Privatheit und Aufgaben in einem Innenraum begrenzt wurden. Ein solcher Dualismus der Kommunikationsfähigkeit hat aber wohl, so der Forschungsstand, auch in der Moderne nur für bestimmte Gruppen
bestanden. In der Postmoderne mit ihrer Ubiquität medialer Kommunikation sind die beiden Bereiche erneut durchlässig geworden. Damit erhält die Frage nach einer kollektiven Meinungsbildung in den mittelalterlichen Jahrhunderten mit ihren begrenzten Lesewelten eine neue Aktualität
und Brisanz.