M & L Jaargang 6/1

GeneriekMieke Verbeeck Van herberg tot café. [The story of beerhouses, inns and pubs in Flanders.]Heden zomaar in een café aan een tafel schuiven en de ober vragen om een kopje gelijknamige, welgeurende hete drank, getuigt voorwaar van enige stoutmoedigheid.Het café is immers lang reeds geen caffé meer, en veeleer ware bier hier op zijn plaats: maar hoe dan weer het cliché-matige, traditioneel of retro-decorum verklaard? In haar zoektocht naar het heden en verleden van taveernen, guinguettes, estaminets, herbergen en hoe zou het anders cafés, treft Mieke Verbeeck alvast één constante aan: de dorst.D. Colard Over de vergankelijke glorie van het Brusselse drankhuis. [The transient glory of the Brussels drinking-houses.]Metropolis is een hoofdstedelijk begrip, niet in het minst nu eerlang het Brussels nachtleven met weelderig iconografisch materiaal het daglicht dreigt te halen, ja voorwaar: de spotlights van een heuse tentoonstelling.De verleiding was dan ook té groot om niet voor deze stad de negentiende-eeuwse zelfingenomen opgang van café en estaminet te illustreren, tot hun jazzy nabloei halverwege de jaren 1920 met de dancing.Enige ongebruikelijke verve, wat fotos en bijwijlen schitterende ontwerptekeningen zijn helaas maar al te vaak het weinige dat overblijft om enigszins nog in verbeelding hun herinnering in stand te houden.K. Lanclus De opera van Gent. [The opera house at Ghent.]Onder dit motto schenkt M&L voortaan en systematisch 8 van kleur en illustraties ruim verzadigde bladzijden lang aandacht aan Vlaanderens meest monumentale, meest gevulgariseerde maar minst gekende, moeilijk toegankelijke monumenten. Een extra aansporing om dit tijdschrift onder de arm, de deuren-ontsluitende tips op zak nu eens bijvoorbeeld... de Opera van Gent van binnenuit te verkennen. Een gloednieuw verhaal in talrijke afleveringen, ontworpen en samengesteld door vele dames en één heer: de inventaris-teams van het Bestuurd voor Monumenten en Landschappen.SummaryM&L Binnenkran

The role of community and population ecology in applying mycorrhizal fungi for improved food security.

The global human population is expected to reach ∼9 billion by 2050. Feeding this many people represents a major challenge requiring global crop yield increases of up to 100%. Microbial symbionts of plants such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) represent a huge, but unrealized resource for improving yields of globally important crops, especially in the tropics. We argue that the application of AMF in agriculture is too simplistic and ignores basic ecological principals. To achieve this challenge, a community and population ecology approach can contribute greatly. First, ecologists could significantly improve our understanding of the determinants of the survival of introduced AMF, the role of adaptability and intraspecific diversity of AMF and whether inoculation has a direct or indirect effect on plant production. Second, we call for extensive metagenomics as well as population genomics studies that are crucial to assess the environmental impact that introduction of non-local AMF may have on native AMF communities and populations. Finally, we plead for an ecologically sound use of AMF in efforts to increase food security at a global scale in a sustainable manner

Population genomics reveals that within-fungus polymorphism is common and maintained in populations of the mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are symbionts of most plants, increasing plant growth and diversity. The model AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis (isolate DAOM 197198) exhibits low within-fungus polymorphism. In contrast, another study reported high within-fungus variability. Experiments with other R. irregularis isolates suggest that within-fungus genetic variation can affect the fungal phenotype and plant growth, highlighting the biological importance of such variation. We investigated whether there is evidence of differing levels of within-fungus polymorphism in an R. irregularis population. We genotyped 20 isolates using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing and developed novel approaches for characterizing polymorphism among haploid nuclei. All isolates exhibited higher within-isolate poly-allelic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) densities than DAOM 197198 in repeated and non-repeated sites mapped to the reference genome. Poly-allelic SNPs were independently confirmed. Allele frequencies within isolates deviated from diploids or tetraploids, or that expected for a strict dikaryote. Phylogeny based on poly-allelic sites was robust and mirrored the standard phylogeny. This indicates that within-fungus genetic variation is maintained in AM fungal populations. Our results predict a heterokaryotic state in the population, considerable differences in copy number variation among isolates and divergence among the copies, or aneuploidy in some isolates. The variation may be a combination of all of these hypotheses. Within-isolate genetic variation in R. irregularis leads to large differences in plant growth. Therefore, characterizing genomic variation within AM fungal populations is of major ecological importance

A Comparative Analysis Shows Morphofunctional Differences between the Rat and Mouse Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Systems

Sub-populations of neurons producing melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) are characterized by distinct projection patterns, birthdates and CART/NK3 expression in rat. Evidence for such sub-populations has not been reported in other species. However, given that genetically engineered mouse lines are now commonly used as experimental models, a better characterization of the anatomy and morphofunctionnal organization of MCH system in this species is then necessary. Combining multiple immunohistochemistry experiments with in situ hybridization, tract tracing or BrdU injections, evidence supporting the hypothesis that rat and mouse MCH systems are not identical was obtained: sub-populations of MCH neurons also exist in mouse, but their relative abundance is different. Furthermore, divergences in the distribution of MCH axons were observed, in particular in the ventromedial hypothalamus. These differences suggest that rat and mouse MCH neurons are differentially involved in anatomical networks that control feeding and the sleep/wake cycle

Physical Methods for the Preparation of Hybrid Nanocomposite Polymer Latex Particles

In this chapter, we will highlight conceptual physical approaches towards the fabrication of nanocomposite polymer latexes in which each individual latex particle contains one or more "hard" nanoparticles, such as clays, silicates, titanates, or other metal(oxides). By "physical approaches" we mean that the "hard" nanoparticles are added as pre-existing entities, and are not synthesized in situ as part of the nanocomposite polymer latex fabrication process. We will narrow our discussion to focus on physical methods that rely on the assembly of nanoparticles onto the latex particles after the latex particles have been formed, or its reciprocal analogue, the adhesion of polymer onto an inorganic nanoparticle. First, will discuss the phenomenon of heterocoagulation and its various driving forces, such as electrostatic interactions, the hydrophobic effect, and secondary molecular interactions. We will then address methods that involve assembly of nanoparticles onto or around the more liquid precursors (i.e., swollen/growing latex particles or monomer droplets). We will focus on the phenomenon of Pickering stabilization. We will then discuss features of particle interaction with soft interfaces, and see how the adhesion of particles onto emulsion droplets can be applied in suspension, miniemulsion, and emulsion polymerization. Finally, we will very briefly mention some interesting methods that make use of interface-driven templating for making well-defined assembled clusters and supracolloidal structures