Early Period Research Articles

The shifting relationship between educational attainment and poverty: analysis of seven deep southern states

Investment in both public and private education is aimed at achieving socioeconomic goals, including the reduction of poverty. While a large body of evidence has established a clear negative relationship between education and poverty, policymakers are often in disagreement about the returns to different levels of educational attainment (for example, bachelor’s vs. associate degrees). In this study, the relationship between education and poverty is examined to determine variations over time and space. Census tract-level data were compiled from the 2010–2014 and 2017–2021 5-Year American Community Survey for seven “Deep South” states, widely acknowledged as the poorest region in the USA. Multiscale geographically weighted regression results reveal a shift in the education–poverty relationship from a local scale in the earlier period to a more global relationship in recent years. The results indicate significant shifts in how poverty interacts with educational attainment over time, with associate degrees becoming less influential, while the relationship with bachelor’s degrees expands dramatically. These results highlight the need to consider local and temporal context when considering investments in education. The effects of other economic and demographic factors are also reported.

Conservation Challenges for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in North Kerala: A Case Study of Kolavipalam Beach

The Indian coastal regions harbor diverse species of sea turtles, among which Olive Ridley turtles are prevalent and commonly encountered in the coastal waters of Kerala and the Lakshadweep Islands. These turtles exhibit a preference for nesting on expansive beaches and sandy areas situated at river mouths. Our study area, located in the Irringal village of Kozhikode district in North Kerala, overlooks the Arabian Sea and lies adjacent to the Kottapuzha River. Here, the local community has undertaken a conservation initiative known as Theeram Prakriti Samrakshana Samithi (TPSS) to safeguard Olive Ridley turtles during their nesting period. During this study, we investigated the status of Olive Ridley turtle nesting grounds and populations in Kolavipalam surveying beach from 2019 to 2023. We recorded the number of OliveRidley sea turtle nestings during this period, collected the eggs, and assessed the hatching success from the artificial hatchery. The mean annual number of eggs hatched was 54.4 ± 23.27 and the overall nesting success was 25.73%. The study revealed a significant decline in nesting turtles compared to previous years, with only 1-2 egg-laying turtles observed yearly. Median hatch success declined dramatically from 80.21% during the earlier period to 36.41% during this study period. Our analysis identified various challenges affecting turtle nesting, including the construction of sea walls, the development of beach areas for tourism, and changes in rainfall patterns. As a result, turtles were forced to nest closer to the shoreline, making their nests more vulnerable to waves and flooding. These findings emphasized the urgent need for increased conservation efforts to safeguard these endangered sea turtles, particularly in areas like Kolavipalam, which were once ideal nesting sites.

Optimization of Wetland Environmental DNA Metabarcoding Protocols for Great Lakes Region Herpetofauna

ABSTRACTMany species of reptiles and amphibians (herpetofauna) rely on wetlands that are being degraded and lost at a high rate. Characterization of herpetofauna diversity in different wetland types may help guide conservation strategies. However, traditional survey methods often involve sampling within small temporal windows, and the gear deployed may be taxonomically biased, thus, they may fail to accurately characterize species presence/absence and diversity. In contrast, environmental (e)DNA metabarcoding has been shown to effectively survey entire aquatic communities and can provide a useful complement to traditional surveys. The objective of this study was to design and optimize eDNA sampling and laboratory protocols for wetland herpetofauna. Protocols evaluated included different water sampling approaches (point versus transect sampling), seasonality of sampling, and choice of metabarcoding marker (mitochondrial 12S versus 16S rDNA). Samples collected from 10 sites across southern Michigan detected 17 amphibian and five reptile species, including four species of conservation concern (Ambystoma texanum, Clemmys guttata, Rana palustris, and Sternotherus odoratus). We observed no difference in the number of species detected between point and transect samples (p = 0.70), but point sampling required less time (p = 0.03) and allowed significantly larger volumes of water to be filtered (p = 1.13e‐5). No difference in species richness was observed between the 12S and 16S mitochondrial DNA markers (p = 0.96). However, a greater number of taxa were identifiable at the species level when using the 16S locus. There was also a significant difference in the number of species detected between early and late summer sampling periods (more species detected in the earlier period; p = 6.31e‐6), and some species were only found in the early or late sampling period. Sampling during multiple periods to fully characterize species composition, the use of point sampling, and the 16S mtDNA marker for herpetofauna eDNA metabarcoding studies may increase efficiency and reliability of results.

To the History of the Formation of Public Social Policy

In economic history, it has become a common view that social reforms were undertaken against the backdrop of spontaneous, unrestricted market capitalist development in the first half of the 19th century, especially in Western Europe. In fact, in this and earlier periods in a number of these countries, one can trace a fairly rich history of ideas, as well as record various attempts to resolve social issues and strive to provide social protection, which on the one hand were not effective enough, but, on the other hand, laid the ideological and institutional foundation that contributed to the implementation of more successful subsequent attempts to develop the welfare state. This article is devoted to a review of this topic, primarily in England.

The repercussions of OV > VO shift in Hungarian: Variation and change in syntactic complex predicate formation

AbstractThis paper investigates the diachronic development of Hungarian word order, focusing on the syntactic position in front of the finite verb in light of the syntactic shift from OV to VO order. The so-called Verb Modifiers (VMs), which precede the verb in Modern Hungarian, showed significant word order variation in earlier periods. It is examined how this variation, and especially the difference between verbal particles and other VMs, can be accounted for. The study concludes that the VM–V order is not a syntactic remnant but a result of a syntactic change that affects all VMs already in the early texts.

Improved prognosis of de novo metastatic prostate cancer after an introduction of life-prolonging agents for castration-resistant prostate cancer.

In Japan, since 2014, new treatments such as androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and cabazitaxel have become applicable for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), leading to dramatic changes in treatment options. This study aims to evaluate the impact of recent advancements in treatment options on the overall survival (OS) of patients diagnosed with de novo metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) in Japan. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 2450 Japanese men diagnosed with de novo mCSPC between 2008 and 2018. Patients were stratified into two groups based on the period of diagnosis: an earlier period (2008-2013) and a later period (2014-2018). OS was compared between earlier and later periods using Kaplan-Meier analysis in total and propensity score matched subpopulation as well as risk-stratified subgroups. Patients diagnosed in the later period exhibited significantly improved OS compared to those diagnosed in the earlier period. The risk score, calculated based on ISUP grade group, LDH levels, and ALP levels, was a poor prognostic factor. In the later period, compared to the earlier period, there was no improvement in OS in the favorable-risk group, but a significant improvement was observed in the poor-risk group. It was suggested that the introduction of novel androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and chemotherapy treatment regimens since 2014 has led to improved survival outcomes for patients with de novo mCSPC, particularly those with poor-risk profiles. The findings highlight the impact of recent advancements in treatment on the prognosis of patients with metastatic prostate cancer in Japan.

Nadbałtyckie, połabskie i pomorskie uzupełnienia do prac o jeniectwie w średniowieczu (część pierwsza)

Polish historical literature has recently seen a renewed interest in the fate of prisoners of war who fell into captivity in the numerous battles fought during the Middle Ages. Due to the availability of historical sources, particular attention has been paid to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, although, of course, relatively few examples of captives from the earlier period have been discussed. In this respect, chronicles illustrating armed conflicts between the Polish or Polish­ Lithuanian state and the Teutonic Order have been particularly useful. What came as an important point of reference for historians were also cases of prisoners of war described in Western European sources. So far, there has been no broader study of medieval captives which would focus on the Slavia. This term first referred to the territories inhabited by the Polabian Slavs, from Holstein to the borders of Western Pomerania. At the end of the twelfth and in the thirteenth century, it came to be used for medieval Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania. From the perspective of the Kingdom of Denmark, it was still a much wider area. The present study attempts to trace and discuss cases of captivity in the geographical area in question. The work covers mainly the years 1177–1320, from the conflict over the Saxon inheritance after the death of Henry the Lion, in which not only German, but also Mecklenburg and Pomeranian rulers took part, to the extinction of the Brandenburg margraves from the Ascanian dynasty. War or conflict was an important tool of the policy of members of this dynasty, particularly experienced by other feudal lords from the area under study. Considering that the source material is quite extensive, for editorial reasons the study has been divided into parts. The first part covers the period until the end of the twelfth century.

Henri Verneuil (1920–2002) – cinéaste de première classe

ABSTRACT Albeit a director scornfully dismissed by the Cahiers du cinéma’s ‘Young Turks’, writing in the 1950s, as part and parcel of the derided ‘cinéma de papa’, Henri Verneuil was, as this essay will show – through a discussion of two films from his early period, Des gens sans importance/People of No Importance (1956) and L’Affaire d’une nuit/It Happened All Night (1960) – part of the ‘quality’ cinema of the 1950s. He successfully combined his cinematic skills with consummate storytelling which made him both a traditionalist (through his training) and a modern filmmaker (through his ability to accurately address contemporary issues).

Medicinal Leech Therapy as an Alternative Treatment for Vein Problems after Free Flap Surgery: A Case Report

Background: Venous stasis due to vein thrombosis is a complication after microsurgical procedure which if left untreated, may ultimately lead to flap failure. Medicinal leech has been useful as a conservative treatment to overcome venous stasis in cases where it is not possible to perform salvaging procedure.Patients and Methods: A 28-year-old female who suffered from a defect on the right heel following traffic accident. The patient was initially treated by performing sural flap to cover the heel defect, but was unsuccessful. Next reconstruction was done with free radial forearm flap, however in the early postoperative period vein compromise was seen which was caused by vein thrombosis. Even though heparinization therapy was immediately begun, the result was still unsatisfactory, so medicinal leech therapy was performed to prevent loss of entire flap tissue.Results: Leeches turned out to be bulging due to sucking process on the congested venous. The sucking result on this patient was satisfactory.Summary: This study shows that free tissue transfers with surgically unsalvageable venous obstruction can be helped by leech therapy protocol.

Thirty-four Years after "Leda Christiana". Misery and Splendour of the First Century of Coptic Art History

The course of the research of Egyptian Late Antique art was influenced for more than seven decades in a most unfortunate manner by the erroneous intrepretation of the archaeological context of the foruth century AD mythological reliefs discovered in the 1890s by Édouard Naville at Heracleopolis Magna (modern Ahnas). The misinterpretation of the find circumstances led to the postulate of a Christianisation of pagan themes in Coptic art and of their employment in the decoration of Christian churches. The actual architectural and iconographic context of mythological reliefs from Ahnas and other Egyptian Late Antique sites was identified by Hjalmar Torp in a 1969 paper in which he suggested that the mythological reliefs, as well as the contemporary carvings with Christian themes, came from pagan and Christian funerary edifices. Torp also pointed out the impact of Roman funerary iconography on the decoration of third-fifth century Egyptian tomb chapels. The present study discusses the trends prevailing in the research of Egyptian Late Antique art before and after 1969 from the special point of view of Torp’s seminal work. Particular attention is paid to the interconnected issues of chronology, social-cultural context, and quality stratification. The analysis of individual groups of sculptures, paintings, and luxury textiles presents new data for the assessment of the international context of Egyptian art in the Late Antique and early Byzantine periods as well as for the investigation of the transfiguration of Egyptian culture in Late Antiquity.

Status in a Nutshell. A Praxeological/Phenomenological Approach to Seals as Power Accessories

Abstract In the course of their long history in Aegean societies, seals acquired a polyvalent significance that arose from their active ‘participation’ in different social spheres and manifested itself in a superb level of technique and virtuosity. This paper examines the role of Minoan and Mycenaean seals as status symbols, highlighting not their creation but rather the practices of wearing, displaying, using, and perceiving them. The discussion spans two main chronological periods: the Second Palace Period (mid-17th to mid-15th century BCE) and the Third Palace Period (14th-13th century BCE), during which seals served different functions as status mediators. In the earlier period, a notable tension in the social significance of seals is evident when comparing evidence from Crete and the Greek Mainland. While Minoan seals were used as sphragistic tools, Mycenaean seals were not. In the later period, the use of seals in Mainland Greece was driven by their role as administrative tools within the palatial sphere. This dynamic analysis sheds light on the evolving roles and transformations of seals, influenced by varying social environments and demonstrating the multiple ways these artifacts embodied and mediated power. Additionally, it shows how their symbolic potential could express individual or collective identities.

A Csokonaihoz köthető latin propozíciós versek és a 18. század végi debreceni latin poétikaoktatás

The paper examines the Latin proposition poems of the Green Codex from a historical poetics perspective. These poems, whether written by Csokonai himself or under his direction, are representative of the poetic approach that characterised the atmosphere of the Debrecen College in the years when Csokonai studied and taught there; how the students were introduced to ancient Roman lyrical and epic poetry, as well as mythological topos and how they came to reconsider these works. They also epxlore the aesthetic approach students developed regarding the purpose and possibilities of poetry and art. The study also reveals the differences along which, by the end of the 18th century, Debrecen’s poetics education had become partially separated from the foundations of Jesuit poetics education, which had been the model for the earlier period.

2-Fold More Cardiovascular Disease Events Decades Before Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis: A Nationwide Registry Study

BackgroundThe risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increased in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but it remains uncertain how long an elevated CVD occurrence precedes diabetes diagnosis. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate CVD occurrence 30 years before, and 5 years after, T2DM diagnosis compared with matched comparisons. MethodsThis combined case-control and cohort study included all individuals diagnosed with T2DM in Denmark between 2010 and 2015, as well as general population comparisons matched by age and sex. CVD was defined as myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke. Conditional logistic regression was used to compute ORs for CVD prevalence in the 30-year period before T2DM diagnosis. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to compute HRs for 5-year CVD incidence after T2DM diagnosis. ResultsThe study included 127,092 individuals with T2DM and 381,023 matched comparisons. In the 30-year period before T2DM diagnosis, 14,179 (11.2%) T2DM individuals and 17,871 (4.7%) comparisons experienced CVD. CVD prevalence was higher in those with T2DM than the comparisons in the entire period before T2DM diagnosis, with ORs ranging from 2.18 (95% CI: 1.91-2.48) in the earliest period (25-30 years before diagnosis) to 2.96 (95% CI: 2.85-3.08) in the latest period (<5 years before diagnosis). After T2DM diagnosis, 5-year CVD incidence was similarly increased in T2DM individuals vs comparisons (HR: 2.20; 95% CI: 2.12-2.27). ConclusionsIndividuals with T2DM had 2-fold more CVD events than matched comparisons starting 3 decades before T2DM diagnosis. This indicates that comprehensive preventive strategies may be initiated much earlier in individuals at risk of T2DM.

Long-term experience of the modified David V re-implantation technique for valve-sparing aortic root replacement.

The modified David V technique is one of the valve-sparing aortic root replacement (V-SARR) techniques, which is an alternative to traditional composite valve graft root replacement techniques. We aimed to analyse our long-term experience with the modified David V re-implantation technique for the treatment of aortic root aneurysm and significant aortic valve insufficiency. From March 2009 to November 2021 the modified David V re-implantation technique, one of the V-SARR techniques, was performed on 48 patients in our centre. The results were analysed retrospectively. Two different-sized grafts were used in all patients. The grafts used in the proximal position were larger than the distal grafts. We performed both intra-operative and post-procedural transoesophageal echocardiography on each patient. All patients were followed by means of transthoracic echocardiography. The mean follow-up period was 5.7 ± 3.1 years. The mean age of this cohort was 56.3 ± 14.3 years (24-79) and the majority were men (75%). The mean aortic root diameter was 5.1 ± 0.6 cm. The mean diameter for the assending aorta was 5.4 ± 2.1 cm. The in-hospital mortality rate was 4.2% (n = 2). One patient needed aortic valve replacement in the early postoperative period. Two (4.2%) patients died in the early postoperative period and four (8.3%) died in the late postoperative period. Overall survival was 91 ± 4 and 86 ± 5% at one and five years, respectively. Aortic valve insufficiency was at moderate levels postoperatively. Freedom from moderate to severe residual aortic insufficiency was 89.6% at 10 years. None of the patients needed late re-operation of the aortic valve postoperatively. Freedom from valve re-operation was 100% at the end of the follow up. Our study shows that the David V technique is associated with excellent long-term durability, a remarkably low rate of valve-related complications, and it protects the re-implanted native aortic valve from a second operation. Additionally this technique could be safely implemented in patients with a bicuspid aortic valve and acute type A aortic dissection without leaflet deformity.

Phenological multivariance of Betula pendula Roth in an anthropogenically transformed environment

Abstract The article presents the results of long-term biomonitoring based on the phenology of the arboreal species Betula pendula of the city of Yoshkar-Ola, Russia. The phenological multivariance of B. pendula was studied for the first time at different stages of the ontogenesis of the generative period, in the gradient of atmospheric air pollution by industrial and automotive toxicants. The rhythm of seasonal development of B. pendula depends on both individual and age characteristics, as well as on the influence of conditions of a specific urban microclimate and environmental pollution. Middle-aged generative individuals of B. pendula are characterized by earlier periods of the onset of phenophases, rapid leaf unfolding, prolonged flowering, yellowing of leaves and, in general, the growing season, compared with young and old generative trees. The asynchrony of seasonal development is characteristic mainly for trees located in the zone of medium pollution. Under conditions of a specific microclimate and air pollution, heterogeneity within ontogenetic groups B. pendula increases. The adaptation of B. pendula individuals to adverse weather factors and urban conditions is determined by the diversity of phenorhythmogroups in the generative period of ontogenesis.

Visual impairment in stroke patients: a two-part review. Part I — prevalence

The symptoms and syndromes associated with visual impairment that occur in acute cerebrovascular accident (OMNA) of various parts of the brain are quite characteristic, can develop with circulatory disorders in various arteries of the brain and depend on the severity of damage to brain tissues. Disorders of vision and oculomotor functions, including decreased central vision, impaired peripheral vision, limited eye mobility and impaired visual perception, are widespread among patients who have suffered a cerebral stroke. This article is the first part of a two-part review devoted to the problem of visual impairment in patients with acute cerebral circulatory disorders. In the first part, we examined the prevalence and diversity of such violations. The second part will provide an overview of the methods of rehabilitation of patients in this category. Main content of the rewiew. The data of the analysis of the prevalence of various types of visual impairments in patients who have undergone ONMC are presented, based on publications in international and domestic databases OpenAlex, Scilit, Lens, PubMed, Cyberleninka and eLibrary.ru available for analysis by August 15, 2024, with a search depth of mostly 15 years. As a result of the search, 52 articles on a given topic were reviewed. In addition, 5 sources dated from an earlier period (1989–2000) were used, as they contain the necessary information within the framework of this review. Conclusion. Visual impairment entails a significant decrease in the quality of life of such a category of patients. To obtain a complete picture of the patient’s condition after a cerebral stroke, it is necessary to conduct a thorough targeted screening of visual impairment. This will allow you to take timely measures to restore visual functions, which may have a beneficial effect on further rehabilitation.

From Lithuanian Riflemen to Forest Brothers: Research on the Development of the Local Military Structure

The article analyses the Thorn Company, a partisan unit that operated in northeast Lithuania, and the link of its partisans with the previously established societal tradition of self-defence and armed activity. The author seeks to reveal the extent to which the partisans belonged to the pre-war Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union and protective squads of small towns and villages which were formed during the uprising of 1941 as well as their participation in the divisions of public and auxiliary police which operated in 1941–1944. The research was carried out using analytical, inductive and statistical methods. The tradition of armed resistance and self-defence had been maturing in the territory of the future area of activity of Thorn Company (Zarasai regional district, Salakas village area). This tradition had been developing ever since the fights for independence in the early part of the twentieth century. Even then the local population who formed a squad of saboteurs actively assisted the Lithuanian army. The mindset of armed resistance to invaders was shaped, their skills of armed fighting were improved, and a framework of self-defence was taking shape. The memory and traditions of freedom fighting were nourished and passed on to the younger generation throughout the two decades of Lithuanian independence in the riflemen’s squadrons, which operated in the Salakas village district. This tradition determined an active role for riflemen from Salakas area in the anti-Soviet June uprising of 1941, and in their participation in policing units during the period of Nazi occupation (the latter activity was determined by anti-Soviet rather than pro-Nazi convictions). The military activity tradition shaped in the context of the above mentioned events was also alive in the postwar period. Throughout the whole period of the military company’s existence, its backbone was made up of fighters who gained fighting experience in riflemen’s squadrons during the independence period as well as in the Naziperiod police and self-defense divisions. Many ff them served in earlier military formations of earlier periods, and thus presumably cherished a certain collective mindset, made up of patriotism, belief in the possibility of restoring Lithuanian sovereignty and a deep anti-Soviet disposition. They must have been inclined to think that the gun was a reliable means of survival, and armed fighting was the most suited form of relating to the occupiers.

Leveraging ancient DNA to uncover signals of natural selection in Europe lost due to admixture or drift

Large ancient DNA (aDNA) studies offer the chance to examine genomic changes over time, providing direct insights into human evolution. While recent studies have used time-stratified aDNA for selection scans, most focus on single-locus methods. We conducted a multi-locus genotype scan on 708 samples spanning 7000 years of European history. We show that the G12 statistic, originally designed for unphased diploid data, can effectively detect selection in aDNA processed to create ‘pseudo-haplotypes’. In simulations and at known positive control loci (e.g., lactase persistence), G12 outperforms the allele frequency-based selection statistic, SweepFinder2, previously used on aDNA. Applying our approach, we identified 14 candidate regions of selection across four time periods, with half the signals detectable only in the earliest period. Our findings suggest that selective events in European prehistory, including from the onset of animal domestication, have been obscured by neutral processes like genetic drift and demographic shifts such as admixture.

Drug use and acute kidney injury: a Drug-Wide Association Study (DWAS) in Denmark and Sweden.

Knowledge of which medications may lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) is limited, relying mostly on spontaneous reporting in pharmacovigilance systems. We here conducted an exploratory drug-wide association study (DWAS) to screen for associations between dispensed drugs and AKI risk. Using two large Danish and Swedish data linkages, we identified AKI hospitalizations occurring between April 1997 and December 2021 in Denmark and between March 2007 and December 2021 in Sweden. We used a case-time control design comparing drug dispensing in the 3 months prior to the AKI with earlier periods for the same patient. Odds ratios (ORs) for the association between each drug and AKI were estimated using conditional logistic regression and adjusting for the presence of comorbidities. We sought replication of signals in both health systems and explored the plausibility of findings through pharmacovigilance system analysis in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database, appearance in the RESCUE list of medications that report AKI as a side effect, PubMed evidence review and causality assessment through direct acyclic graphs. We included 20 622 adults in Denmark and 13 852 in Sweden hospitalized for AKI. In total, 16 unique medications were identified in both cohorts as associated to increased AKI occurrence. Of these, 10 medications had higher reporting ORs in the FAERS database, 9 were listed by RESCUE, and 7 appearing in PubMed. This analysis identified some medications with known AKI risks (i.e. likely true positives such as furosemide, penicillin, spironolactone and omeprazole), medications that may have initiated in response to conditions that lead to AKI (i.e. false positives like metoclopramide provided to treat nausea/vomiting) and other candidates (e.g. opioids) that warrant further evaluation in subsequent studies. This hypothesis-generating study identifies medications with potential involvement in AKI that require confirmation and validation.

Precept vs. usage: Pronominal case forms in late modern English

ABSTRACT The English pronominal system has been the matter of heated debate among grammarians for the last 300 years. This is especially the case of the dichotomy nominative-objective pronoun forms I/me; he/him; she/her; we/us; and they/them in a set of linguistic contexts. In present-day English, the phenomenon does not appear to be a matter of correct vs. incorrect language, but one of formal vs. informal language, although a different state of affairs is found in earlier periods of English. Since the eighteenth century, a great concern for language correctness grew, resulting in an upsurge in the publication of grammars as an attempt to regularize the language and ‘enforce a uniformity and conformity to some absolute standard’ (Drake 1977: 1). Usage books, however, reveal a lack of consensus among grammarians on the ‘correct’ use of pronouns, and a look at the evidence demonstrates significant variation on their usage during the late Modern period. The present paper aims to investigate the correlation between prescriptivist norms and actual usage as regards English pronominal forms over the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Precepts are studied in view of prescriptive commentary in grammars, whereas quantitative data is retrieved from CLMET3.1 (The corpus of late modern English texts). The purpose of this piece of work is therefore twofold: a) to analyze the historical distribution of pronoun case forms in postverbal position in the period 1710–1920 and b) to evaluate the influence that prescriptive rules may have had upon their actual usage over time. Case variation is thus explored in three different linguistic environments, including the use of pronouns after the linking verb be (e.g. ‘it is I/me’) and after the conjunctions than (e.g. ‘she is taller than I/me’) and as (e.g. ‘she is as tall as I/me’).