Le Japon spectaculaire de la Belle Époque

L’engouement moderne pour le Japon précède de peu, en France, l’ouverture de l’ère Meiji. L’analyse du japonisme à la française, non exempt d’ambivalence, qui se développe alors, révèle dans la réception du Japon l’impensable fondamental dont il fait l’objet, qui suscite pêle-mêle, la mystification, la mésinterprétation, voire le rejet xénophobe. Bien que la scène théâtrale se fourvoie souvent dans la question de l’authentique et du frelaté, il est indéniable que le théâtre japonais joue un rôle essentiel dans la modernisation du langage théâtral à la charnière du XIXe et du XXe siècle.The modern craze for Japan just preceded, in France, the opening of the Meiji era. The analysis of the very ambivalent Japaneseism, which is developing at the time, reveals in the reception of Japan the unthinkable fundamental that it is the subject of, which gives rise to confusion, misinterpretation and even misunderstanding and xenophobic rejection. Although the theatrical scene is often misguided in the question of the authentic and the adulterated, it is undeniable that the Japanese theater plays a key role in the modernization of theatrical language at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century

A Sporozoite Asparagine-Rich Protein Controls Initiation of Plasmodium Liver Stage Development

Plasmodium sporozoites invade host hepatocytes and develop as liver stages (LS) before the onset of erythrocytic infection and malaria symptoms. LS are clinically silent, and constitute ideal targets for causal prophylactic drugs and vaccines. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying LS development remain poorly characterized. Here we describe a conserved Plasmodium asparagine-rich protein that is specifically expressed in sporozoites and liver stages. Gene disruption in Plasmodium berghei results in complete loss of sporozoite infectivity to rodents, due to early developmental arrest after invasion of hepatocytes. Mutant sporozoites productively invade host cells by forming a parasitophorous vacuole (PV), but subsequent remodelling of the membrane of the PV (PVM) is impaired as a consequence of dramatic down-regulation of genes encoding PVM-resident proteins. These early arrested mutants confer only limited protective immunity in immunized animals. Our results demonstrate the role of an asparagine-rich protein as a key regulator of Plasmodium sporozoite gene expression and LS development, and suggest a requirement of partial LS maturation to induce optimal protective immune responses against malaria pre-erythrocytic stages. These findings have important implications for the development of genetically attenuated parasites as a vaccine approach

Émile Cohl et le théâtre

Figure de la « vie parisienne », spectateur éclectique et praticien touche-à-tout, Émile Cohl a été le témoin assidu de l’activité théâtrale de son époque. De toute évidence, sa production cinématographique bénéficie de compétences étendues en ce domaine. Toute son œuvre peut être interprétée comme un hommage, non seulement au théâtre, mais au spectacle vivant dans toute la variété de ses formes. L’exemple du Petit Chantecler, inspiré par le principal événement de la saison 1910, est, sur ce point, révélateur. L’intention caricaturale qui préside au projet ne nuit en rien à la qualité documentaire du film. Il est, par ailleurs, troublant d’observer que le thème de la pièce d’Edmond Rostand dont Cohl tire sa fantasmagorie situe, d’emblée, le film d’animation sur le terrain de la fiction animalière. Quelle que soit la technique employée, le cinéma de Cohl révèle la dette du 7e art au spectacle scénique de la Belle Époque.A figure of ‘Parisian life’, an eclectic spectator and a versatile practitioner, Émile Cohl was an assiduous witness of the theatrical activity of his age. It is clear that his film production benefited from extensive competence in this field. His whole work can be interpreted as a homage not just to the theatre but also to live spectacle in all its various forms. The example of le Petit Chantecler, inspired by the principal attraction of the 1910 season, is revealing in this regard. The caricaturing intention presiding over the project does not diminish in any way the documentary quality of the film. It is also disturbing to observe that the play by Edmond Rostand that inspired Cohl’s fantasy situates animation from the outset in the domain of animal fiction. Whatever the technique employed, Cohl’s cinema reveals the debt owed by the Seventh Art to the theatrical spectacle of the Belle Époque

La céramique médiévale et moderne en Franche-Comté

En 1992, la création du groupe de recherche sur la céramique médiévale et moderne en Franche-Comté répondait au souci de développer et structurer dans cette région une archéologie médiévale jusqu’ici très timide. Pour cela le choix de la céramique comme thème de recherche était très opportuniste car il permettait à la fois de fédérer de nombreux chercheurs, pas obligatoirement médiévistes, confrontés à ce mobilier et de réaliser, à terme, un outil de base pour la datation des sites. L’année 1..

La céramique médiévale et moderne en Franche-Comté

La création du groupe de recherche sur la céramique médiévale et moderne en Franche-Comté répondait au souci de développer et structurer dans cette région une archéologie médiévale jusqu’ici très timide. En cela, le choix de la céramique comme thème de recherche était très opportuniste car il permettait à la fois de fédérer de nombreux chercheurs confrontés à ce mobilier et de réaliser, à terme, un outil de base pour la datation des sites. Parallèlement aux études personnelles des membres du ..

Pedunculopontine nucleus area oscillations during stance, stepping and freezing in Parkinson's disease.

International audienceThe pedunculopontine area (PPNa) including the pedunculopontine and cuneiform nuclei, belongs to the mesencephalic locomotor region. Little is known about the oscillatory mechanisms underlying the function of this region in postural and gait control. We examined the modulations of the oscillatory activity of the PPNa and cortex during stepping, a surrogate of gait, and stance in seven Parkinson's disease patients who received bilateral PPNa implantation for disabling freezing of gait (FOG). In the days following the surgery, we recorded behavioural data together with the local field potentials of the PPNa during sitting, standing and stepping-in-place, under two dopaminergic medication conditions (OFF and ON levodopa). Our results showed that OFF levodopa, all subjects had FOG during step-in-place trials, while ON levodopa, stepping was effective (mean duration of FOG decreasing from 61.7±36.1% to 7.3±10.1% of trial duration). ON levodopa, there was an increase in PPNa alpha (5-12 Hz) oscillatory activity and a decrease in beta (13-35 Hz) and gamma (65-90 Hz) bands activity. PPNa activity was not modulated during quiet standing and sitting. Our results confirm the role of the PPNa in the regulation of gait and suggest that, in Parkinson disease, gait difficulties could be related to an imbalance between low and higher frequencies

Fish and Feminists

Summary Despite apparent acceptance of gender analysis within development organizations, this is still only rarely translated into gender?sensitive practice. The language of gender and development is adopted, but is accompanied by a subtle shift into ‘projects for women’. The article considers the problem through a case study of a programme in one international development organization – the FAO. The programme promotes small scale fish farming in southern Africa, and gender issues have gained a high profile in its stated aims. The case study traces the articulation of gender issues from headquarters to a pilot project in Luapula Province, Zambia. RESUME La pisciculture au féminin En dépit de l'acceptation apparemment répandue de l'analyse du genre dans les organisations développementales, il est rare que cette analyse soit consacrée dans des pratiques qui respectent le genre. S'il est vrai que le langage du genre et du développement est adopté, l'on constate d'un autre côté un décalage subtil vers les “projets pour femmes”. Le présent article s'adresse à ce problème par le biais d'une étude de cas basée sur un programme mené par une organisation internationale de développement – la FAO. Le programme concerné organise des projets de pisciculture de petite envergure en Afrique australe, et les questions du genre occupent une place d'importance dans ses objectifs déclarés. L'étude de cas trace l'articulation des questions du genre à partir du siège et jusqu'à un projet pilote organisé dans la province de Luapula en Zambie. RESUMEN ‘Fish and feminists’ A pesar de la aparente aceptación del análisis de género dentro de las organizaciones de desarrollo, esta aceptación rara vez se traduce en prácticas sensibles a la cuestión. Se adopta el lenguaje de género y desarrollo, pero al mismo tiempo se produce un sutil cambio de dirección hacia proyectos para la mujer. Este artículo considera el problema a través del estudio de un programa de una organización internacional de desarrollo – la FAO. Este programa promueve piscifactorías en pequeña escala en Africa del Sur, y los tópicos de género han ganado mucha importancia ensus objetivos establecidos. El estudio de este caso analiza paso a paso la articulación de las cuestiones de género desde las oficinas centrales hasta un proyecto piloto en la provincia de Luapula, en Zambia

Centimeter to decimeter hollow concretions and voids in Gale Crater sediments, Mars

Voids and hollow spheroids between ∼1 and 23 cm in diameter occur at several locations along the traverse of the Curiosity rover in Gale crater, Mars. These hollow spherical features are significantly different from anything observed in previous landed missions. The voids appear in dark-toned, rough-textured outcrops, most notably at Point Lake (sols 302-305) and Twin Cairns Island (sol 343). Point Lake displays both voids and cemented spheroids in close proximity; other locations show one or the other form. The spheroids have 1-4 mm thick walls and appear relatively dark-toned in all cases, some with a reddish hue. Only one hollow spheroid (Winnipesaukee, sol 653) was analyzed for composition, appearing mafic (Fe-rich), in contrast to the relatively felsic host rock. The interior surface of the spheroid appears to have a similar composition to the exterior with the possible exceptions of being more hydrated and slightly depleted in Fe and K. Origins of the spheroids as Martian tektites or volcanic bombs appear unlikely due to their hollow and relatively fragile nature and the absence of in-place clearly igneous rocks. A more likely explanation to both the voids and the hollow spheroids is reaction of reduced iron with oxidizing groundwater followed by some re-precipitation as cemented rind concretions at a chemical reaction front. Although some terrestrial concretion analogs are produced from a precursor siderite or pyrite, diagenetic minerals could also be direct precipitates for other terrestrial concretions. The Gale sediments differ from terrestrial sandstones in their high initial iron content, perhaps facilitating a higher occurrence of such diagenetic reactions

Sppl Forms a Membrane Protein Complex with SppA and Inhibits Its Protease Activity in Bacillus subtilis

The membrane protease SppA of Bacillus subtilis was first described as a signal peptide peptidase and later shown to confer resistance to lantibiotics. Here, we report that SppA forms octameric complexes with YteJ, a membrane protein of thus-far-unknown function. Interestingly, sppA and yid deletion mutants exhibited no protein secretion defects. However, these mutant strains differed significantly in their resistance to antimicrobial peptides. In particular, sppA mutant cells displayed increased sensitivity to the lantibiotics nisin and subtilin and the human lysozyme-derived cationic antimicrobial peptide LP9. Importantly, YteJ was shown to antagonize SppA activity both in vivo and in vitro, and this SppA-inhibitory activity involved the C-terminal domain of YteJ, which was therefore renamed Sppl. Most likely, Sppl-mediated control is needed to protect B. subtilis against the potentially detrimental protease activity of SppA since a mutant overexpressing sppA by itself displayed defects in cell division. Altogether, we conclude that the SppA-Sppl complex of B. subtills has a major role in protection against antimicrobial peptides. IMPORTANCE Our study presents new insights into the molecular mechanism that regulates the activity of SppA, a widely conserved bacterial membrane protease. We show that the membrane proteins SppA and Sppl form a complex in the Gram-positive model bacterium B. subtilis and that Sppl inhibits SppA protease activity in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the C-terminal domain of Sppl is involved in SppA inhibition. Since SppA, through its protease activity, contributes directly to resistance to lantibiotic peptides and cationic antibacterial peptides, we propose that the conserved SppA-Sppl complex could play a major role in the evasion of bactericidal peptides, including those produced as part of human innate immune defenses

Birds and Mammals of the Lena Delta Nature Reserve, Siberia

The Lena Delta is the largest arctic delta covered entirely by tundra. Protected since 1986, it is one of the richest areas in the Arctic north of 71° N for both species diversity and breeding densities. Between 6 June and 17 August 1997, 16 mammal species and 76 bird species were recorded in the Lena Delta Nature Reserve and the surrounding buffer zone. Several species are new to the region: far-eastern curlew, fieldfare, redwing, arctic warbler, red-breasted flycatcher, and common rat. New breeders are merlin and arctic warbler. These 1997 records, combined with those from earlier studies, give a total of 122 bird species for the region. Of these, 67 have been found breeding at least once. Densities ranging from 245 to 641 birds per km² were recorded in two restricted study areas. Such densities are unusually high north of 70° N for non-colonial breeding birds. Lapland longspur (100-300 individuals/km²), red phalarope (up to 200 ind./km²), and several Calidris species were the most common. Ruddy turnstone and dunlin had densities higher than those previously reported from the Lena Delta and other Siberian sites. Among the shorebirds, spotted redshank, pintail snipe, grey plover, dunlin, and curlew sandpiper may have extended their breeding range or increased in population during the last 15 years. But further evidence is still needed to confirm the westward extension of spectacled eider, long-billed dowitcher, and sharp-tailed sandpiper.Le delta de la Lena est le plus grand delta arctique totalement recouvert de toundra. Protégé depuis 1986, il est l'une des zones les plus riches de l'Arctique au nord du 71° de latitude N., tant par la richesse spécifique que par les densités d'oiseaux nicheurs. Seize espèces de mammifères et 76 espèces d'oiseaux ont été observées dans la Réserve naturelle du delta de la Lena et sa zone périphérique entre le 6 juin et le 17 août 1997. Plusieurs espèces sont nouvelles pour la région: courlis de Sibérie, grive litorne, grive mauvis, pouillot boréal, gobemouche nain et rat surmulot. Les nouvelles espèces nicheuses sont le faucon émerillon et le pouillot boréal. Combinés à ceux d'études plus anciennes, nos résultats portent à 122 le nombre total d'espèces d'oiseaux recensés dans cette région et à 67 celui des espèces s'y étant reproduit au moins une fois. Des densités comprises entre 245 et 641 individus au km² ont été trouvées sur deux zones d'étude restreintes, densités exceptionnelles au nord du 70° de latitude N. pour des espèces non coloniales. Les espèces les mieux représentées sont le bruant lapon (100-300 ind./km²), le phalarope à bec large (jusqu'à 200 ind./km²) et plusieurs espèces de Calidris. Le tournepierre à collier et le bécasseau variable avaient des densités plus fortes que celles précédemment rapportées pour le delta de la Lena et d'autres sites sibériens. Le chevalier arlequin, la bécassine à queue pointue, le pluvier argenté, le bécasseau variable et le bécasseau cocorli font partie des limicoles qui semblent avoir étendu leur aire de distribution ou augmenté leur population durant les 15 dernières années, mais d'autres travaux seront nécessaires avant de confirmer l'extension occidentale de l'eider à lunettes, du limnodrome à long bec et du bécasseau à queue pointue