Mickey B/Macbeth: Bringing Shakespeare to Prisons and Academia via Film Adaptation

This article examines in detail the project that will be carried out in Murcia (Spain) in 2021 involving Mickey B (dir. Tom Magill, 2007), a full-length film adaptation of Macbeth, filmed and created by the inmates of a high-security prison in Northern Ireland, Her Majesty’s Prison Maghaberry. As part of my collaboration with the Educational Shakespeare Company (ESC, now rebranded as esc films), a charity with branches in Northern Ireland and the US, I translated Mickey B into Spanish. Through this translation, I intend to introduce esc film’s work with socially excluded groups to both marginalized groups themselves and to academia in order to bring into focus the possibilities of community engagement and the necessary interlinks between academia and what happens beyond the academic world. This case study is the first to examine a finished Prison Shakespeare film project (Mickey B) outside Northern Ireland. It aims to analyze the process and artistic outcome of the project and to introduce into a Spanish context some of the ideas promoted by the film (the choice of Shakespeare’s plays to promote a reparative cultural work or the notion of inmates as victims as well as perpetrators). However, my aim is to go beyond prison Shakespeare, and to explore the numerous possibilities a film adaptation like Mickey B could have, not only in a prison context, but also within academia and film theatres. The constant and ongoing interconnections between the different scenarios and agents make this project the first of its kind in Spain.This article is one of the outputs of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship entitled Indian Cinematic Traditions. Project ID 752060. Horizon 2020 Framework Programme

Rewriting king lear in a diasporic context, rewriting the nation: second generation and life goes on

Abstract: this article explores two film adaptations of King Lear located in London in a diasporic community: Second Generation (Jon Sen 2003) and Life Goes On (SangeetaDatta 2009). This paper examines the ways in which King Lear has to be modified to suit Non-Resident Indians. Following a diasporic framework, this articlesheds light on the striking parallelisms and connections between both movies via the presence of a mother figure, two nostalgic Lears, the appearance of Muslim charactersand the transformation of an extremely tragic dénouement by a happy ending. The role of the mother is especially significant since it hints at the Indian nation and the long-held association between the mother figure and India in mainstream Hindi cinema. The main hypothesis of this paper is that Second Generation and Life Goes On use Shakespeare’s King Lear, which deals with the division of the kingdom, as a prism through which to approach partition. Both films relocate the action to the UK, more specifically London, since it has one of the largest Indian diasporic communities. Alluding to the colonial legacy of partition and Shakespeare and being made by diasporic filmmakers, they become postcolonial – or rather transnational works. Curiously enough, not only is King Lear rewritten and reinvented, but also Shakespeare, partition, and, ultimately, the nation,although the films offer different – and contradictory – perspectives and alternatives.  Resumen: este artículo analiza dos adaptaciones cinematográficas del Rey Lear que tienen lugar en Londres en una comunidad diaspórica: SecondGeneration(Jon Sen 2003) y LifeGoesOn(SangeetaDatta 2009). El artículo examina las diferentes formas en las que El Rey Lear se tiene que modificar para adaptarse a la diáspora india. Gracias a un marco teórico de la diáspora, el artículo se centra en los paralelismos entre las dos películas a través de la presencia de la madre, dos “reyes” caracterizados por la nostalgia, la aparición de musulmanes y la transformación de un final trágico en uno feliz. El papel de la madre es especialmente relevante, ya que hace alusión a la India y a la asociación entre la figura materna y la India en el cine de Bollywood. La hipótesis principal es queSecondGenerationy LifeGoesOnutilizan El Rey Lear, que trata sobre la división del reino,como un prisma a través del cual aproximarse a la partición en la India. Ambas localizan la acción en Reino Unido, más concretamente en Londres, ya que tiene una de las comunidades diaspóricasindias más extensas. Las películas, al aludir al legado colonial de la partición y de Shakespeare y al ser realizadas por directores diaspóricos, se convierten en trabajos postcoloniales e incluso transnacionales. Lo curioso es que no sólo se reescribe y reinventa Shakespeare a través del Rey Lear, sino también la partición en la India y, en última instancia, la nación, a pesar de que las películas ofrecen perspectivas y alternativas diferentes – e incluso contradictorias. </jats:p

Sexualidad y maldad: Lady Macbeth en las adaptaciones cinematográficas indias de Macbeth Maqbool y Veeram

An early Indian film adaptation of Macbeth, Jwala (dir. Vinayak, 1938) shows a Lady Mac- beth that sides with Banquo against Macbeth, as if an evil female character were difficult to conceive in the Indian imagination. In 21st century film adaptations of Macbeth, Maqbool (dir. Vishal Bhardwaj, 2003) and Veeram (dir. Jayaraj, 2017), the female character is as evil as in the source text. Yet, neither Nimmi (Lady Macbeth in Maqbool) nor Kuttimani (Lady Macbeth in Veeram) is married to Macbeth at the outset of the film, the implication be- ing an Indian married woman is incapable of such atrocities. In both movies, sexual drive becomes crucial in the course of events. By analyzing the role of Lady Macbeth in Maqbool and Veeram, this paper aims to show that these Lady Macbeths are as based on the play as on the role of the vamp (the evil woman) in popular Indian movies, since characters that are sexually driven are always condemned to death.Una adaptación india de Macbeth llamada Jwala (dir. Vinayak, 1938) muestra una Lady Macbeth que se une a Banquo en contra de Macbeth, como si un personaje femenino malo fuera difícil de concebir en la India. En las adaptaciones cinematográficas indias de Macbeth del siglo xxi, Maqbool (dir. Vishal Bhardwaj, 2003) y Veeram (dir. Jayaraj, 2017), Lady Macbeth es tan cruel como en la obra original. Sin embargo, ni Nimmi (Lady Macbeth en Maqbool) ni Kuttimani (Lady Macbeth en Veeram) están casadas con Macbeth al principio de la película, con la implicación de que una mujer india casada es incapaz de cometer esas barbaridades. En las dos películas, el deseo sexual contribuye de forma significativa en el desarrollo de los hechos. Al analizar el papel de Lady Macbeth en Maqbool y Veeram, este artículo pretende mostrar cómo estas Lady Macbeths están tan basadas en la obra como en el papel de la femme fatale del cine popular indio, ya que los personajes que tienen apetito sexual tienen un final trágico

Numerical simulation of the manoeuvrability of an underwater vehicle

A six degree of freedom (6-DOF) nonlinear mathematical model for a submarine is proposed. Then, the problem of manoeuvrability control for this vehicle is formulated as an unconstrained optimal control problem which is solved by using a gradient descent method. Simulation results presented are rooted by two requirements which are of a major importance in naval industry, and they are compared to a classical linear model.Supported by projects MTM2007-62945 from Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (Spain), 08720/PI/08 from Fundación Séneca , Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Región de Murcia (Programa de Generación de Conocimiento Científico de Excelencia, IIPCTRM 2007-10) and 21131/07MAE from Navantia S.A

Assessment of the antioxidant properties of tomato extracts: A synergistic approach using in vitro chemical tests and cell-based assays

The aim of this research was to assess the total antioxidant activity (TAA) of lipophilic (Lextr) and hydrophilic (Hextr) tomato extracts using in vitro chemical tests and cell-based assays, focusing on possible synergistic actions between tomato antioxidants. Both Hextr and Lextr were HPLC analysed for their carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and ascorbic acid contents. For the evaluation of TAA, extracts were assayed alone or in combination using in vitro chemical tests (TEAC, FRAP) and cell-based (CAA) assays using human hepatoma (HepG2) and human histiocytic lymphoma (U937) cells. The only carotenoid detected in Lextr was lycopene, while a mixture of phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and rutin) was identified in Hextr. Ascorbic acid was not found either in Hextr or in Lextr. Upon extract combination (1:1, v/v), the FRAP assay revealed additive action between Lextr and Hextr, whilst a slight synergistic action was observed in TAA as measured by the TEAC assay. Synergistic action was better revealed when TAA was analysed using either U937 or HepG2 cells. This could be explained by the presence of a multiphase media (cell membrane and extra- and intracellular media) that might facilitate the distribution and interaction of antioxidants with different polarities and different mechanisms of action

Control of partial differential equations via physics-informed neural networks

This paper addresses the numerical resolution of controllability problems for partial differential equations (PDEs) by using physics-informed neural networks. Error estimates for the generalization error for both state and control are derived from classical observability inequalities and energy estimates for the considered PDE. These error bounds, that apply to any exact controllable linear system of PDEs and in any dimension, provide a rigorous justification for the use of neural networks in this field. Preliminary numerical simulation results for three different types of PDEs are carried out to illustrate the performance of the proposed methodology.This research was supported by Fundación Séneca (Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Región de Murcia (Spain)) under contract 20911/PI/18 and grant number 21503/EE/21 (mobility program Jiménez de la Espada). F. Periago acknowledges the hospitality of the Mathematics Department at University of California, Santa Barbara, where part of this work was carried out. The authors also thank professor Lu Lu for very fruitful comments on the use of DeepXDE

Estimación de la ingesta diaria de compuestos fenólicos en la población española

Introduction: Phenolic compounds are a large group of molecules present in plants with a diversity of chemical structures and biological activity. The objective of this study was to quantify the intake of phenolic compounds of the Spanish population.Material and Methods: The most consumed foods from vegetal origin in Spain were selected. These were picked up in the National Survey of Spanish Dietary Intake (ENIDE) of 2011, edited by AESAN (Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition) as a basis for quantifying the intake of phenolic compounds of Spaniards using the Phenol-Explorer database.Results: This database has allowed to estimate the average intake of polyphenols per day of Spaniards, which is 1365.1mg.Conclusions: The average intake of total polyphenols of Spaniards could have a protective effect against the mortality rate and exercise a preventive function on some chronic diseases along with other healthy lifestyle habits.Introducción: Los compuestos fenólicos son un amplio grupo de moléculas presentes en los vegetales con diversidad de estructuras químicas y actividad biológica. El objetivo de este estudio fue cuantificar la ingesta de compuestos fenólicos de los españoles.Material y Métodos: Se seleccionaron los alimentos de origen vegetal más consumidos en España, recogidos en la Encuesta Nacional de Ingesta Dietética Española (ENIDE) del año 2011, editada por AESAN (Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición) como base para cuantificar la ingesta de compuestos fenólicos de los españoles usando la base de datos Phenol-Explorer.Resultados: Esta base de datos ha permitido estimar la ingesta media de polifenoles por día de los españoles que es de 1365,1 mg.Conclusiones: La ingesta media de polifenoles totales de los españoles podría tener un efecto protector frente a la tasa de mortalidad y ejercer una función preventiva sobre algunas enfermedades crónicas junto con otros hábitos de vida saludable

Tomato Juice Consumption Modifies the Urinary Peptide Profile in Sprague-Dawley Rats with Induced Hepatic Steatosis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder in Western countries, with a high prevalence, and has been shown to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), etc. Tomato products contain several natural antioxidants, including lycopene—which has displayed a preventive effect on the development of steatosis and CVD. Accordingly, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of tomato juice consumption on the urinary peptide profile in rats with NAFLD induced by an atherogenic diet and to identify potential peptide biomarkers for diagnosis. Urine samples, collected weekly for four weeks, were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled to a mass spectrometer (MS). A partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was carried out to explore the association between differential peptides and treatments. Among the 888 peptides initially identified, a total of 55 were obtained as potential biomarkers. Rats with steatosis after tomato juice intake showed a profile intermediate between that of healthy rats and that of rats with induced hepatic steatosis. Accordingly, tomato products could be considered as a dietary strategy for the impairment of NAFLD, although further research should be carried out to develop a specific biomarkers panel for NAFLD.This research was supported by the projects Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)/Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER-EU) BIO2012-38103. We acknowledge support by the CSIC Open Access Publication Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI

Oxidative stress status in an institutionalised elderly group after the intake of a phenolic-rich dessert

The present study was supported by a grant from Hero España S.A. M. C. R.-T. and J. L. Q. are recipients of a ‘Ramón y Cajal’ contract from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the University of Granada, Spain. We also thank the Fundacio´n Se´neca of the C.A.R.M. (Murcia, Spain) for the fellowship of J. G.-A.The elderly population undergoes a series of physiological and sociological changes common to old age with a high probability of suffering degenerative illness and malnutrition. A dessert rich in phenolic compounds has been designed by using concentrated juices of grape, cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant and raspberry with the aim of it being used as a complementary food in adulthood. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the intake of this dessert (a jar of 200 g daily for a period of 2 weeks), with an antioxidant activity equivalent to ten servings of fruits and vegetables, on several markers of oxidative and antioxidant status in DNA and plasma in a group of elderly individuals. Non-smoking institutionalised elderly subjects were recruited from a pool of volunteers in an old-age home in Murcia (Spain). Twenty-two subjects (six men and sixteen women) participated in the study. The study was designed as a randomised intervention trial with a period of 2 weeks. At days 1 and 15, blood samples were collected to analyse total antioxidant capacity, biochemical parameters, antioxidant vitamins, LDL peroxidation, and DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The conclusion of the present study is that a 2-week intervention with our dessert enriched with natural polyphenol compounds in elderly individuals does not give enough time to find changes in the antioxidant and oxidative status. Also, the view that the marked antioxidant ability of polyphenols in vitro does not translate to analogous effects in vivo was confirmed. Moreover, a highly oxidative stress status during ageing was confirmed, together with the need to perform follow-up nutritional studies to improve this situation