Geophysical survey of two rural sites in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain): unveiling Roman villae

Two rural sites on the island of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) have been investigated with geophysical methods. A previous archaeological field survey provided surface ceramics that allowed for a first classification of the sites as possible Roman rural settlements, possibly villae. The objective of the investigation was to work towards the identification of architectural remains to better understand the nature of the sites. Using the 7-probe fluxgate gradiometer array LEA MAX, magnetic measurements were executed on a large area on each site. GPR measurements were subsequently carried out to examine selected areas of interest in detail by means of the IDS GPR system based on the Fast-Wave module. The investigated areas demonstrated excellent surface conditions with a negligible number of sources of disturbance, permitting a detailed interpretation of the geophysical data. The results helped to reveal the presence of architectural remains beneath the soil at both sites

The Advice of the Ad-Hoc Working Group on Sampling and Monitoring to the Standing Committee on Drinking Water Concerning Sampling and Monitoring for the Revision of the Council Directive 98/83/EC

The scope of the Ad-Hoc Working Group on Sampling and Monitoring is to give advice on selection of sampling points, sample protocols and sample frequencies in the framework of the revision of the Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption (Drinking Water Directive). This group was installed by the Standing Committee on Drinking Water on 8 May 2007.JRC.I.5-Physical and chemical exposure

M & L Jaargang 12/6

GeneriekMiek Goossens Leven in de brouwerij of hoe iets ouds iets nieuws werd. [From old to new: the Christiaen Brewery in Koekelare.]Bijna twee eeuwen lang wist deze organisch gegroeide dorpsbrouwerij het West-Vlaamse Koekelare tegelijk aan werkgelegenheid te helpen, te lessen en te voorzien in burgemeesters. Het kan dan ook niet enkel toeval genoemd worden dat na het stilvallen van de activiteiten in 1968 en een sindsdien voortschrijdend verval, het controversieel industrieel-archeologisch relict vanaf 1984 een nieuwe bestemming tegemoet ging als gemeentelijk en cultureel polyvalent centrum. Terecht bedacht een Prijs dan ook dit eerste Vlaamse Monument.Ann Bergmans Van Lucca naar Brugge. Een Volto Santo in de Speelmanskapel. [From Lucca to Bruges. A Volto Santo in the Speelmanskapel.]Enige verwarring tussen de gekruisigde Christus-voorstelling en de legendarische vrouw-met-de-baard is niet geheel denkbeeldig, gezien de ooit bijzonder populaire aldus getooide Heilige Wilgefortis. De thans verdwenen muurschildering in de Brugse Speelmanskapel leverde alleszins het verrassende bewijs van een vroeg 15de-eeuwse beïnvloeding door het Italiaanse Lucca. Voor de Zuidelijke Nederlanden een unicum.Roger Deneef en Lutgart Vrancken De Hortus Thenensis. [The Hortus Thenensis.]Met merkelijk meer succes wist de Tiense Léon P. Ch. Van den Bossche vanaf 1883 zijn korte diplomatieke carrière te ruilen voor deze van gepassioneerd plantenverzamelaar: tot méér dan 3000 soorten in 1900, op een oppervlakte van nauwelijks 2,5 hectare, van wetenschappelijke geloofsbrieven voorzien door latere Nationale Plantentuindirecteur Emile De Wildeman. Een weelde, waarvan het Stadspark onverhoopt nog tastbare restanten blijkt te hebben bewaard.P. Vissers Mecenaat in de monumentenzorg, een (her)nieuw(d) gegeven. [Sponsoring historic preservation.]Van het 15de-eeuwse Brugse Oosterlingenhuis, pleisterplaats van Duitse Hanze-kooplui, bleven ingevolge brand en ingrijpende verbouwingen, slechts spaarzame fragmenten intact.Onlangs bij renovatiewerken vrij gelegde kinderbalken brachten alvast een zeldzaam overblijfsel aan het licht van persbrokaat, een uiterst fragiele decoratietechniek ... met een geëigende conserverende behandeling.Marjan Buyle Het plafond van het Oosterlingenhuis te Brugge. [The ceiling of the Oriental House in Bruges.]Van bij haar oprichting in 1984 ijverde de Stichting Monumenten- en Landschapszorg onverdroten voor een meer tastbare financiële inzet van de zakenwereld bij de behartiging van het cultureel erfgoed.Welke zijn nu de reeds bereikte resultaten en in welke mate varen àlle betrokken partijen wel bij deze transactie?SummaryM&L Binnenkran

The RING E3 ligase KEEP ON GOING modulates JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN12 stability

Jasmonate (JA) signaling in plants is mediated by the JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins that repress the activity of several transcription factors regulating JA-inducible gene expression. The hormone JA-isoleucine triggers the interaction of JAZ repressor proteins with the F-box protein CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1 (COI1), part of an S-phase kinase-associated protein1/Cullin1/F-box protein COI1 (SCFCOI1) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, and their degradation by the 26S proteasome. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the JAZ family consists of 13 members. The level of redundancy or specificity among these members is currently not well understood. Here, we characterized JAZ12, encoded by a highly expressed JAZ gene. JAZ12 interacted with the transcription factors MYC2, MYC3, and MYC4 in vivo and repressed MYC2 activity. Using tandem affinity purification, we found JAZ12 to interact with SCFCOI1 components, matching with observed in vivo ubiquitination and with rapid degradation after treatment with JA. In contrast to the other JAZ proteins, JAZ12 also interacted directly with the E3 RING ligase KEEP ON GOING (KEG), a known repressor of the ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE5 transcription factor in abscisic acid signaling. To study the functional role of this interaction, we circumvented the lethality of keg loss-of-function mutants by silencing KEG using an artificial microRNA approach. Abscisic acid treatment promoted JAZ12 degradation, and KEG knockdown led to a decrease in JAZ12 protein levels. Correspondingly, KEG overexpression was capable of partially inhibiting COI1-mediated JAZ12 degradation. Our results provide additional evidence for KEG as an important factor in plant hormone signaling and a positive regulator of JAZ12 stability

M & L Jaargang 3/6

RedactioneelW. Claes, A. De Haeck en G. Van der Linden De Japanse honingboom te Sint-Truiden (Kerkom). Boomverzorging als beheersmaatregel voor het behoud van ons onroerend patrimonium. [The Sophora japonica at Sint-Truiden (Kerkom). Tree care as preservation measure of our heritage.]Miek Goossens Het Oud Stadhuis van Blankenberge. [The old town hall of Blankenberge.]C. Vermeersch Het verdriet van Brugge. [The sorrow of Bruges.]Brussels detailRoger Deneef De Demervallei tussen Aarchot en Werchter. Deel 2. [The Demer valley between Aarschot and Werchter (part 2).]SummaryM&L Binnenkran

An inverse association between the Mediterranean diet and bladder cancer risk: a pooled analysis of 13 cohort studies

The role of diet in bladder carcinogenesis has yet to be established. To date most studies have investigated dietary components individually, rather than as dietary patterns, which may provide stronger evidence for any influence of diet on bladder carcinogenesis. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with many health benefits, but few studies have investigated its association with bladder cancer risk.Peer reviewe

Further development of a causal model for air transport safety (CATS) : the complete model

This presentation looks at the further development of a causal model for air transport safety (CATS

Human and murine fibroblast single cell transcriptomics reveals fibroblast clusters are differentially affected by ageing, and serum cholesterol

Aims Specific fibroblast markers and in-depth heterogeneity analysis are currently lacking, hindering functional studies in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Here, we established cell-type markers and heterogeneity in murine and human arteries and studied the adventitial fibroblast response to CVD and its risk factors hypercholesterolaemia and ageing. Methods and results Murine aorta single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis of adventitial mesenchymal cells identified fibroblast-specific markers. Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry validated platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) and dipeptidase 1 (DPEP1) across human and murine aorta, carotid, and femoral arteries, whereas traditional markers such as the cluster of differentiation (CD)90 and vimentin also marked transgelin+ vascular smooth muscle cells. Next, pseudotime analysis showed multiple fibroblast clusters differentiating along trajectories. Three trajectories, marked by CD55 (Cd55+), Cxcl chemokine 14 (Cxcl14+), and lysyl oxidase (Lox+), were reproduced in an independent RNA-seq dataset. Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed divergent functional profiles of the three trajectories, related to vascular development, antigen presentation, and/or collagen fibril organization, respectively. Trajectory-specific genes included significantly more genes with known genome-wide associations (GWAS) to CVD than expected by chance, implying a role in CVD. Indeed, differential regulation of fibroblast clusters by CVD risk factors was shown in the adventitia of aged C57BL/6J mice, and mildly hypercholesterolaemic LDLR KO mice on chow by flow cytometry. The expansion of collagen-related CXCL14+ and LOX+ fibroblasts in aged and hypercholesterolaemic aortic adventitia, respectively, coincided with increased adventitial collagen. Immunohistochemistry, bulk, and single-cell transcriptomics of human carotid and aorta specimens emphasized translational value as CD55+, CXCL14+ and LOX+ fibroblasts were observed in healthy and atherosclerotic specimens. Also, trajectory-specific gene sets are differentially correlated with human atherosclerotic plaque traits. Conclusion We provide two adventitial fibroblast-specific markers, PDGFRA and DPEP1, and demonstrate fibroblast heterogeneity in health and CVD in humans and mice. Biological relevance is evident from the regulation of fibroblast clusters by age and hypercholesterolaemia in vivo, associations with human atherosclerotic plaque traits, and enrichment of genes with a GWAS for CVD