John of Worcester and the science of history

Although the ‘chronicle of chronicles’ compiled at Worcester c1095-c1140 is now firmly attributed to John of Worcester, rather than Florence, major questions remain. A central issue is that the semi-autograph manuscript of the chronicle (now Oxford, Corpus Christi College, Ms 157) underwent several alterations to its structure and contents, as codicological evidence demonstrates. These included the incorporation of important illuminations, which have been surprisingly little considered in their overall manuscript context. This article focuses on these illuminations, and will argue that their presence in this version of the chronicle makes it something even more distinctive than the learned, revisionist chronological work of Marianus Scotus upon which it was based. John of Worcester’s chosen images are linked not only to his political narrative but also to theological works and to cutting-edge science, newly translated from Arabic. The presence of such miniatures in a twelfth-century chronicle is unique, and they are central to the final form given to the Worcester chronicle by John of Worcester himself in this key manuscript. Their analysis thus brings into focus the impressive assembly of materials which the chronicle offered to readers, to shape their understanding of ongoing events.

The trilogy of John of God

Monteiro’s assertion of the almighty auteur, after the post-structuralist and post-modern experiences, which had shattered the author and his work in theory and practice, reinstates an authority aimed at organising the chaos caused by the lack of narrative. In a way, therefore, Monteiro’s output is conservative, displaying a peculiar atemporal style, which seems entirely immune to fashion. On the other hand, however, few contemporary films could be more radical than his. Authorship, in his case, means the absence of limits and total freedom of expressing his obsessive world.

John Lewis Partnership lessons in logical incrementalism and organic growth: a case study and interview with the Chairman, Mr Charlie Mayfield

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how strategy is developed and implemented in an organisation with an unusual ownership model. Partnerships are not a prevalent form of ownership but as this case demonstrates they can be extremely effective. Furthermore this case demonstrates how logical incrementalism can be used to implement major strategic decisions. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on company documentary evidence and a semi-structured interview with Mr Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of John Lewis Partnership. A chairman has a helicopter view of business whose perspectives are rarely captured by strategy researchers. This case study offers an insight into strategic thinking of a chairman and chief executive of a successful company. Research limitations/implications – The case study and interview offer a unique insight into the rationale behind strategic decisions within a successful partnership that has grown organically in a highly competitive retail market without high gearing. Originality/value – This case study sheds light on strategic moves within partnership. Furthermore, very few case studies offer insight into the thinking of a chief executive who has successfully managed a business in a turbulent environment.

And the night was kind. 'Ruskin's Ponds' book works by John Woodman

A journal article published in the Blue Notebook: Journal for artists' books. Vol 8 No 2, April 2014 exploring the work of video and book artist John Woodman and his relationship with John Ruskin's life and landscapes.

Johnson and Juvenal in John Ashbery's 'An Additional Poem' (1962)

A note on Ashbery's metaphorical and intertextual practice.

John Wikins

My essay is an analysis of the paintings of John Wilkins that contextualizes his mode of abstract painting within the semiological turn of post eighties painting.

Orange juice–derived flavanone and phenolic metabolites do not acutely affect cardiovascular risk biomarkers: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial in men at moderate risk of cardiovascular disease

Background: Epidemiological data suggest inverse associations between citrus flavanone intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, insufficient randomized controlled trial (RCT) data limit our understanding of mechanisms by which flavanones and their metabolites potentially reduce cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. Objective: We examined the effects of orange juice or a dose-matched hesperidin supplement on plasma concentrations of established and novel flavanone metabolites and their effects on CV risk biomarkers in men at moderate CVD risk. Methods: In an acute, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial, 16 fasted participants (aged 51-69 y) received orange juice or a hesperidin supplement (both providing 320 mg hesperidin) or control (all matched for sugar and vitamin C content). At baseline and 5 h post-intake, endothelial function (primary outcome), further CV risk biomarkers (i.e. blood pressure, arterial stiffness, cardiac autonomic function, platelet activation and NADPH oxidase gene expression) and plasma flavanone metabolites were assessed. Prior to each intervention, a diet low in flavonoids, nitrate/nitrite, alcohol and caffeine was followed and a standardized low-flavonoid evening meal was consumed. Results: Orange juice intake significantly elevated mean (± SEM) plasma concentrations of 8 flavanone (1.75 ± 0.35 µmol/L, P < 0.0001) and 15 phenolic metabolites (13.27 ± 2.22 µmol/L, P < 0.0001) compared with control at 5 h post-consumption. Despite increased plasma flavanone and phenolic metabolite concentrations, CV risk biomarkers were unaltered. Following hesperidin supplement intake, flavanone metabolites were not different to control, suggesting altered absorption/metabolism compared with the orange juice matrix. Conclusions: Following single-dose flavanone intake within orange juice, we detected circulating flavanone and phenolic metabolites collectively reaching a concentration of 15.20 ± 2.15 µmol/L but observed no effect on CV risk biomarkers. Longer-duration RCTs are required to further examine the previous associations between higher flavanone intakes and improved cardiovascular health and to ascertain the relative importance of food matrix and flavanone-derived phenolic metabolites.

Fish oil intakes providing dietary attainable levels of EPA and DHA reduces blood pressure in adults with systolic hypertension in a retrospective analysis

Background: Although a large number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have examined the impact of the n-3 (ω-3) fatty acids EPA (20:5n-3) and DHA (22:6n-3) on blood pressure and vascular function, the majority have used doses of EPA+DHA of > 3 g per d,which are unlikely to be achieved by diet manipulation. Objective: The objective was to examine, using a retrospective analysis from a multi-center RCT, the impact of recommended, dietary achievable EPA+DHA intakes on systolic and diastolic blood pressure and microvascular function in UK adults. Design: Healthy men and women (n = 312) completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT consuming control oil, or fish oil providing 0.7 g or 1.8 g EPA+DHA per d in random order each for 8 wk. Fasting blood pressure and microvascular function (using Laser Doppler Iontophoresis) were assessed and plasma collected for the quantification of markers of vascular function. Participants were retrospectively genotyped for the eNOS rs1799983 variant. Results: No impact of n-3 fatty acid treatment or any treatment * eNOS genotype interactions were evident in the group as a whole for any of the clinical or biochemical outcomes. Assessment of response according to hypertension status at baseline indicated a significant (P=0.046) fish oil-induced reduction (mean 5 mmHg) in systolic blood pressure specifically in those with isolated systolic hypertension (n=31). No dose response was observed. Conclusions: These findings indicate that, in those with isolated systolic hypertension, daily doses of EPA+DHA as low as 0.7 g bring about clinically meaningful blood pressure reductions which, at a population level, would be associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk. Confirmation of findings in an RCT where participants are prospectively recruited on the basis of blood pressure status is required to draw definite conclusions. The Journal of Nutrition NUTRITION/2015/220475 Version 4