Manifestation of the Kabuki actors’ gender in woodblock prints of the Edo Period

The connection between Kabuki theatre and Japanese woodblock prints of the Edo period (1603–1868), especially in their portraits of actors called yakusha‑e, offers an exceptional opportunity to analyse perceptions of the sex of the actor: as the hero of the drama, as well as the character performed on the stage. Both phenomena flourished in the Edo period and had a crucial impact on the visual art of the time, inspiring pictures of the Floating World (Jap. Ukiyo‑e). The images on Ukiyo‑e woodblock prints serve as a pretext for approaching the matter of whether to portray an actor as a performer (a man) or as the character performed by him (which could also be a woman, as in the case of the onnagata actor). The author focuses on the actors’ identification with their own sex (only men appeared on the Kabuki stage) and on cases of breaking the convention between the real actor and his stage emploi. In the first part, the paper discusses the historical background of Kabuki theatre, which was invented by a woman (Izumo‑no Okuni) and then after a few government edicts, was allowed to be performed on the stage only by adult men. Since the Kabuki tradition has successfully continued until today, apart from surveys of theatrical archives, the author supports her arguments by also referring to contemporary phenomena, especially the Kabuki performances she has watched in Japan (in such theatres as: Kabuki‑za, Minami‑za, the National Theatre in Tokyo, and Zenshin‑za), and through interviews with actors and people of the theatre. In parallel, Ukiyo‑e images of the Edo period are studied, with core research from the National Museum in Kraków, Poland, and its collection of Japanese woodblock prints (including over 4600 original works from the Edo Period), and with special attention paid to the yakusha‑e portrait by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

RT-PCR Analysis of TOPBP1 Gene Expression in Hereditary Breast Cancer

Hereditary predisposition to breast cancer determined in large part by loss of function mutations in one of two genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. Besides BRCA1 and BRCA2 other genes are also likely to be involved in hereditary predisposition to breast cancer. TopBP1 protein is involved in DNA replication, DNA damage checkpoint response and transcriptional regulation. Expression of TopBP1 gene at the mRNA level was analyzed by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 94 samples of hereditary breast cancer. Analysis of TopBP1 mRNA level showed that expression of TopBP1 is significantly downregulated in poorly differentiated breast cancer (grade III according Bloom-Richardson system (P<0.05)

Rank-Ordering Statistics of Extreme Events: Application to the Distribution of Large Earthquakes

Rank-ordering statistics provides a perspective on the rare, largest elements of a population, whereas the statistics of cumulative distributions are dominated by the more numerous small events. The exponent of a power law distribution can be determined with good accuracy by rank-ordering statistics from the observation of only a few tens of the largest events. Using analytical results and synthetic tests, we quantify the systematic and the random errors. We also study the case of a distribution defined by two branches, each having a power law distribution, one defined for the largest events and the other for smaller events, with application to the World-Wide (Harvard) and Southern California earthquake catalogs. In the case of the Harvard moment catalog, we make more precise earlier claims of the existence of a transition of the earthquake magnitude distribution between small and large earthquakes; the $b$-values are $b_2 = 2.3 \pm 0.3$ for large shallow earthquakes and $b_1 = 1.00 \pm 0.02$ for smaller shallow earthquakes. However, the cross-over magnitude between the two distributions is ill-defined. The data available at present do not provide a strong constraint on the cross-over which has a $50\%$ probability of being between magnitudes $7.1$ and $7.6$ for shallow earthquakes; this interval may be too conservatively estimated. Thus, any influence of a universal geometry of rupture on the distribution of earthquakes world-wide is ill-defined at best. We caution that there is no direct evidence to confirm the hypothesis that the large-moment branch is indeed a power law. In fact, a gamma distribution fits the entire suite of earthquake moments from the smallest to the largest satisfactorily. There is no evidence that the earthquakes of the Southern California catalog have a distribution with tw

Land Surface Indicators from Space: Methodology and Preliminary Results

This document overviews the content and the preliminary results of a specific work package entitled Land Surface Indicators from Space of the Land Use and Landscapes from the Joint Research Center (JRC) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) 2006 work plan described in Kennedy and Stanners (2005). The first section summarizes the objectives of the activities in the context of the EEA project Land and Ecosystems Accounts. The main goal is the estimate and the analysis of the Net Primary Productivity (NPP) over terrestrial surfaces from space remote sensing products over various land cover types in Europe. The Knorr and Heimann (1995)'s model is applied to compute the NPP using the current JRC- Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) products as input. This simple generic global biosphere model requires also the downward photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) at the surface level. Sections 3, 4 and 5 outline the model, identify the sources of input data stream, and present preliminary results over European countries, respectively. Concluding remarks and perspectives are then given at the end of the document.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin

Towards an integrated management of water resource issues in the Dyle catchment (Scheldt basin, Belgium): the European MULINO project (MULti-sectoral, INtegrated and Operational decision support system for sustainable use of water resources at the catchment scale)

The pressure on water resources is continuously increasing in Europe. If a great deal of scientific knowledge is available in many fields, this knowledge is often treated in isolation. To support the scientific basis for integrated water management, the MULINO project, an acronym for MULti-sectoral, Integrated and Operational decision support system (DSS) for the sustainable use of water resources at the catchment scale, funded by the European Union, is currently executed. The purpose of the MULINO project is to provide a tool to improve the integrated management of water resources at the catchment scale, following the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD, J.O.CE, 2000). The DSS developed is a computer system based on hydrological modelling, multi-disciplinary indicators and multi-criteria evaluation procedures. The underlying design of the DSS is based on the Driving Forces-Pressures-State-Impact-Responses framework for reporting on environmental issues (EEA, 1999; OECD, 1993). One case study is the 700 km² Dyle catchment situated in the centre of Belgium (50°38N 4°45E) and part of the Scheldt basin. A coupling of an integrated hydrological model (SWAT: Soil and Water Assessment Tool, Arnold et al., 1993) with land use change modelling (SFARMMOD, Audsley et al., 1979) is developed in close collaboration with local end users and stakeholders. This work will provide a useful tool to analyse water resources management alternatives and to assist local managers in complex problems such as flooding, nitrate and pesticides contamination of waters, as to identify solutions for the implementation of the WFD at the catchment scale

Sedative-like effect of intraperitoneal GABA administration in the open field test

Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) is the main inhibitor neurotransmitter of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Its peripheral administration has been matter of discussion. On the one hand, it has been reported that it does not cross the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB), and, on the other hand, it has been associated with multiple therapeutic regimens and supplements by peripheral administration. The aim of the present study is to elucidate the possibility of a central sedative effect when administered peripherally. An experimental cohort of 90-day-old Holtzman male rats weighing 240-270 g was used. It was divided into 2 groups: saline-controls (n = 9) and GABA treated rats (12.5 mg/kg, n = 9). Both groups were intraperitoneally injected. The motor behavioral patterns displayed in the Opto Varimex (OVM) were studied. Vertical, horizontal, ambulatory and non-ambulatory movements and the number of movements were recorded in an automated way. Horizontal movements constitute the integration of ambulatory and non-ambulatory movements. Student t test was used comparing groups. In this experiment, there were non-significant downward trends in vertical, ambulatory, non-ambulatory and number of movements. Ambulatory and non-ambulatory tendencies acquired significance when treated together as horizontal movements (p < 0.05). We may conclude that peripheral administration of GABA produced a decrease of the horizontal movements in the open field test. It may be interpreted as a sedative effect, suggesting a passage of GABA through BBB, with central effects. However, there are several alternative possibilities to explain present findings. Other experiments will elucidate the implications or scope of the present findings.Fil: Gargiulo, Augusto Pascual Ítalo. Laboratorio de Neurociencias y Psicología Experimental; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Cuyo - Sede San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Marquez Herrero, Santiago. Laboratorio de Neurociencias y Psicología Experimental; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Cuyo - Sede San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Romanowicz, Esteban Alejandro. Laboratorio de Neurociencias y Psicología Experimental; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Cuyo - Sede San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Guevara, Manuel Alejandro. Laboratorio de Neurociencias y Psicología Experimental; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Cuyo - Sede San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Landa, Adriana Inés. Laboratorio de Neurociencias y Psicología Experimental; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Cuyo - Sede San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Lafuente, José Vicente. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Mesones, Humberto Luis. Laboratorio de Neurociencias y Psicología Experimental; Argentina. Fundación Instituto de Neurobiología; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Cuyo - Sede San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Gargiulo, Pascual Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Laboratorio de Neurociencias y Psicología Experimental; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Cuyo - Sede San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentin

Assessing the reliability of probabilistic flood inundation model predictions

An ability to quantify the reliability of probabilistic flood inundation predictions is a requirement not only for guiding model development but also for their successful application. Probabilistic flood inundation predictions are usually produced by choosing a method of weighting the model parameter space, but previous study suggests that this choice leads to clear differences in inundation probabilities. This study aims to address the evaluation of the reliability of these probabilistic predictions. However, a lack of an adequate number of observations of flood inundation for a catchment limits the application of conventional methods of evaluating predictive reliability. Consequently, attempts have been made to assess the reliability of probabilistic predictions using multiple observations from a single flood event. Here, a LISFLOOD-FP hydraulic model of an extreme (>1 in 1000 years) flood event in Cockermouth, UK, is constructed and calibrated using multiple performance measures from both peak flood wrack mark data and aerial photography captured post-peak. These measures are used in weighting the parameter space to produce multiple probabilistic predictions for the event. Two methods of assessing the reliability of these probabilistic predictions using limited observations are utilized; an existing method assessing the binary pattern of flooding, and a method developed in this paper to assess predictions of water surface elevation. This study finds that the water surface elevation method has both a better diagnostic and discriminatory ability, but this result is likely to be sensitive to the unknown uncertainties in the upstream boundary conditio

Inferring the thermochemical structure of the upper mantle from seismic data

We test a mineral physics model of the upper mantle against seismic observations. The model is based on current knowledge of material properties at high temperatures and pressures. In particular, elastic properties are computed with a recent self-consistent thermodynamic model, based on a six oxides (NCFMAS) system. We focus on average structure between 250 and 800 km. We invert normal modes eigenfrequencies and traveltimes to obtain best-fitting average thermal structures for various compositional profiles. The thermochemical structures are then used to predict long-period waveforms, SS precursors waveforms and radial profiles of attenuation. These examples show the potential of our procedure to refine the interpretation combining different data sets. We found that a mixture of MORB and Harzburgite, with the MORB component increasing with depth, is able to reproduce well all the seismic data for realistic thermal structures. If the proportions of MORB with depth do not change, unrealistic negative thermal gradients below 250 km would be necessary to explain the data. Equilibrium assemblages, such as pyrolite, cannot fit the seismic data. The elastic velocities predicted by the reference mineral physics model tested are too low at the top of the lower mantle, even for the fastest (and most depleted) composition, that is, harzburgite. An increase in VP of 1 per cent and in VS of 2 per cent improves the data fit significantly and is required to find models that fit both traveltimes and normal modes, indicating the need for further experimental measurements of these properties at the simultaneously elevated pressure—temperature conditions of the lower mantle. Extending our procedure to other seismic and density data and interpreting the 3-D structure holds promise to further improve our knowledge of the thermochemical structure of the upper mantle. In addition, the same database of material properties can be used in dynamic models to test whether the thermochemical structure inferred from geophysical observations is consistent with the Earth's evolutio