Correlation between methyl anthranilate level and percentage of pollen in Spanish citrus honey

The common level of methyl anthranilate (MA) in Spanish citrus honey and the correlation between this compound and the percentage of citrus pollen (sometimes underrepresented) are evaluated. The MA analysis methodology was validated before analysing the honeys (harvested in 2011 and 2012), which were characterised by pollen, MA, hydroxymethylfurfural, electrical conductivity, moisture and colour. Pollen ranged 1–88% and MA 0.5–5.9 mg kg^?1, and there was no quantitative correlation between both. However, significant correlations with moderate Pearson coefficients were observed: MA/electrical conductivity (?0.678); MA/colour (?0.559); pollen/electrical conductivity (?0.553); and pollen/colour (?0.556). 89.2% of samples from 2011 and 95.4% from 2012 had the required level of citrus pollen (at least 10%), although only 53.5% and 61.4%, respectively, had the commercially required level of MA (2 mg kg^?1). Only about half of the samples satisfied both parameters. The MA value should be recommended only when the honey has an unexpectedly low percentage of citrus pollen, and after assessing organoleptic and physicochemical parameters.     

A hybrid approach for selecting service‐based real‐time composition algorithms in heterogeneous environments

Service‐based approach has been successfully applied to distributed environments, modelling them as pieces of functionality that exchange information by means of messages in order to achieve a common goal. The advantages of this approach can be also be applied to distributed real‐time systems, increasing their flexibility and allowing the creation of new brand applications from existing services in the system. If this is an online process, then time‐bounded composition algorithms are needed to not jeopardize the performance of the whole system. Different composition algorithms are studied and proposed, two of them optimal and another two based on heuristics. This paper presents an analytical solution that selects, depending on the structure of the application and on the load of the whole system, the most suitable composition algorithm to be executed in order to obtain a composed application in bounded time. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Alterations in Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore (mPTP) Contribute to Apoptosis Resistance in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Fibroblasts

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating disease characterized by increased activation of fibroblasts/myofibroblasts. Previous reports have shown that IPF fibroblasts are resistant to apoptosis, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Since inhibition of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) has been implicated in the resistance to apoptosis, in this study, we analyzed the role of mitochondrial function and the mPTP on the apoptosis resistance of IPF fibroblasts under basal conditions and after mitomycin C-induced apoptosis. We measured the release of cytochrome c, mPTP opening, mitochondrial calcium release, oxygen consumption, mitochondrial membrane potential, ADP/ATP ratio, ATP concentration, and mitochondrial morphology. We found that IPF fibroblasts were resistant to mitomycin C-induced apoptosis and that calcium, a well-established activator of mPTP, is decreased as well as the release of pro-apoptotic proteins such as cytochrome c. Likewise, IPF fibroblasts showed decreased mitochondrial function, while mPTP was less sensitive to ionomycin-induced opening. Although IPF fibroblasts did not present changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential, we found a fragmented mitochondrial network with scarce, thinned, and disordered mitochondria with reduced ATP levels. Our findings demonstrate that IPF fibroblasts are resistant to mitomycin C-induced apoptosis and that altered mPTP opening contributes to this resistance. In addition, IPF fibroblasts show mitochondrial dysfunction evidenced by a decrease in respiratory parameters.     

Towards a critical theory of alternative media

In this contribution, we warn against being too optimistic about the actual democratic effects of notions like “civil media”, “community media” “alternative media”, “grassroots media”, “participatory media”, or “participatory culture”. We argue that in contemporary society, which is characterized by structural inequalities, an understanding of alternative media as participatory media is insufficient. As an alternative concept, we suggest the notion of alternative media as critical media. This concept is grounded in critical social theory. A typology of approaches for defining alternative media is constructed. We argue that alternative media need to be situated in the context of visions of an alternative society.     

AGraP: an algorithm for mining frequent patterns in a single graph using inexact matching

Knowledge and Information Systems - Frequent graph mining algorithms commonly use graph isomorphism to identify occurrences of a given pattern, but in the last years, a few works have focused on...     

Assessment of seasonal and polluting effects on the quality of river water by exploratory data analysis

22 Physico-chemical variables have been analyzed in water samples collected every three months for two and a half years from three sampling stations located along a section of 25 km of a river affected by man-made and seasonal influences. Exploratory analysis of experimental data have been carried out by box plots, ANOVA, display methods (principal component analysis) and unsupervised pattern recognition (cluster analysis) in an attempt to discriminate sources of variation of water quality. PCA has allowed the identification of a reduced number of “latent” factors with a hydrochemical meaning: mineral contents, man-made pollution and water temperature. Spatial (pollution from anthropogenic origin) and temporal (seasonal and climatic) sources of variation affecting quality and hydrochemistry of river water have been differentiated and assigned to polluting sources. An ANOVA of the rotated principal components has demonstrated that (i) mineral contents are seasonal and climate dependent, thus pointing to a natural origin for this polluting form and (ii) pollution by organic matter and nutrients originates from anthropogenic sources, mainly as municipal wastewater. The application of PCA and cluster analysis has achieved a meaningful classification of river water samples based on seasonal and spatial criteria.     

The interpersonal consequences of inflated self-esteem in an inpatient psychiatric youth sample.

This study tested R. F. Baumeister, L. Smart, and J. M. Boden's (1996) theory of inflated self-esteem with an inpatient psychiatric youth sample. Participants were assessed on their self-reported self-esteem, self-reported interpersonal problems, and peer rejection (measured by evaluations from 3 or 4 peers). Consistent with the hypotheses, those with low self-esteem reported the most interpersonal problems, followed consecutively by the moderate self-esteem group and then the high self-esteem group, who reported the fewest interpersonal problems. Also in line with the hypotheses, those with low and high self-esteem were rejected by their peers when compared with the moderate self-esteem group. Thus, the high self-esteem group was rejected by their peers but did not themselves report interpersonal problems. These findings provide further support for Baumeister et al.'s theory and generalize the theory to a clinical setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A medicinal-chemistry-guided approach to selective and druglike sigma 1 ligands

Based on a medicinal-chemistry-guided approach, three novel series of druglike cycloalkyl-annelated pyrazoles were synthesized and display high affinity (pKi>8) for the sigma1 receptor. Structure-affinity relationships were established, and the different scaffolds were optimized with respect to sigma1 binding and selectivity versus the sigma2 receptor and the hERG channel, resulting in selective compounds that have Ki values (for sigma1) in the subnanomolar range. Selected compounds were screened for cytochrome P450 inhibition (CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, CYP3A4), metabolic stability (rat and human liver microsomes), and cell-membrane permeability (Caco-2). They showed favorable in vitro ADME properties as well as favorable calculated druglike and experimental physicochemical properties. Furthermore, compounds 7 f and 17 a, for example, displayed high selectivity (affinity) for the sigma1 receptor against a wide range of other receptors (>60). With these valuable tool compounds in hand, we are further exploring the role of the sigma1 receptor in relevant animal models corresponding to such medicinal indications as drug abuse, pain, depression, anxiety, and psychosis.