Sole Compound Research Articles

Volatile-mediated oviposition preference for healthy over root-infested plants by the European corn borer.

The selection of oviposition sites by female moths is crucial in shaping their progeny performance and survival, and consequently in determining insect fitness. Selecting suitable plants that promote the performance of the progeny is referred to as the Preference-Performance hypothesis (or 'mother-knows-best'). While root infestation generally reduces the performance of leaf herbivores, little is known about its impact on female oviposition. We investigated whether maize root infestation by the Western corn rootworm (WCR) affects the oviposition preference and larval performance of the European corn borer (ECB). ECB females used leaf volatiles to select healthy plants over WCR-infested plants. Undecane, a compound absent from the volatile bouquet of healthy plants, was the sole compound to be upregulated upon root infestation and acted as a repellent for first oviposition. ECB larvae yet performed better on plants infested below-ground than on healthy plants, suggesting an example of 'bad motherhood'. The increased ECB performance on WCR-infested plants was mirrored by an increased leaf consumption, and no changes in the plant primary or secondary metabolism were detected. Understanding plant-mediated interactions between above- and below-ground herbivores may help to predict oviposition decisions, and ultimately, to manage pest outbreaks in the field.

A pyrolysis‐gas chromatography/mass spectrometry study of volatile compounds produced by wood‐based materials

AbstractThe pyrolysis by‐products of five common wood‐based construction materials (low‐density wood fiberboard, oriented strand board, pine, particle board, and plywood) were studied using pyrolysis‐gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Samples of wood‐based materials were pyrolyzed under helium from 300 to 800°C to further understand the production of compounds that may become airborne and available for respiratory and dermal exposure. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p‐xylene, styrene, and naphthalene were specifically targeted since these compounds are common by‐products of pyrolysis. These compounds have been measured in previous live fire scenarios and are associated with human health concerns. The generated pyrolysates were separated and identified with a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry instrument. The results from total ion chromatograms and selected ion monitoring chromatograms were analyzed to compare the abundance of chemicals of interest generated during pyrolysis. Oriented strand board and plywood generated the greatest total concentration of the targeted volatile organic compounds. Plywood and particle boards generated the largest variety in results. Samples from solid pine boards generated the smallest number of volatile compounds, followed by low‐density wood fiberboard that is manufactured with wood fibers, starch, and wax. Notably, pyrolysis by‐products are not the sole compounds generated during the combustion of biomass and these products evolve when they are exposed to the conditions of combustion. Our future work plans to study the combustion by‐products of these materials.

Wastewater analysis for new psychoactive substances and cocaine and cannabis in a Northern Ireland Prison

The global drug market has been significantly impacted by the emergence of new psychoactive substances, leading to challenges in creating effective legislative controls and their use within recreational drug consumption. This research explores the prevalence of new psychoactive substances and non-medicinal and medicinal compounds within a prison facility in Northern Ireland. Wastewater samples collected from seven different manholes within the prison were analysed for 37 target compounds including the two most found illicit substances: benzoylecgonine (primary metabolite of cocaine) and cannabis. Using solid phase extraction with Oasis HLB and liquid-chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry across a gradient of 9 min, our analysis revealed that benzoylecgonine was the sole compound consistently present in all collected samples. Following this finding, our target compound selection was broadened to encompass medicinal compounds and employing qualitative analysis we re-evaluated the samples and discovered the presence of buprenorphine, benzodiazepines, methadone, morphine, and codeine. Finally, the study explored the application of enzymatic beta-glucuronidase hydrolysis to the samples. This final phase yielded significant findings, indicating the presence of codeine and nordiazepam at higher peak intensities, thereby shedding light on the potential implications of this enzymatic process.

Engineering Nano-Au-Based Sensor Arrays for Identification of Multiple Ni(II) Complexes in Water Samples.

Advanced techniques for nickel (Ni(II)) removal from polluted waters have long been desired but challenged by the diversity of Ni(II) species (most in the form of complexes) which could not be readily discriminated by the traditional analytical protocols. Herein, a colorimetric sensor array is developed to address the above issue based on the shift of the UV-vis spectra of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) after interaction with Ni(II) species. The sensor array is composed of three Au NP receptors modified by N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), tributylhexadecylphosphonium bromide (THPB), and the mixture of 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid and adenosine monophosphate (MPS/AMP), to exhibit possible coordination, electrostatic attraction, and hydrophobic interaction toward different Ni(II) species. Twelve classical Ni(II) species were selected as targets to systematically demonstrate the applicability of the sensor array under various conditions. Multiple interactions with Ni(II) species were evidenced to trigger the diverse Au NP aggregation behaviors and subsequently produce a distinct colorimetric response toward each Ni(II) species. With the assistance of multivariate analysis, the Ni(II) species, either as the sole compound or as mixtures, can be unambiguously discriminated with high selectivity in simulated and real water samples. Moreover, the sensor array is very sensitive with the detection limit in the range of 4.2 to 10.5 μM for the target Ni(II) species. Principal component analysis signifies that coordination dominates the response of the sensor array toward different Ni(II) species. The accurate Ni(II) speciation provided by the sensor array is believed to assist the rational design of specific protocols for water decontamination and to shed new light on the development of convenient discrimination methods for other toxic metals of concern.

Comparative effect of resveratrol, carnosic acid and hernandulcin on target enzymes and biochemical markers linked to carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in mice

Resveratrol (RV), carnosic acid (CA) and hernandulcin (HE; a non-caloric sweetener) are envisioned as promising nutraceuticals to designnew functional foods for improving lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro inhibitory effectof these molecules on specific enzyme targets and their capacity to improve distinctive markers associated to carbohydrate and lipidmetabolism in murine model. The enzymes explored were alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase whereas ICR malemice were used for in vivo testing. Saturation curves (10-200 µM mL-1) and Lineweaver-Burk regressions suggested that RV, CA andHE exerts non-competitive inhibition on pancreatic lipase, alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase but, CA produced a strong competitiveactivity on alpha-amylase. RV was more effective to inhibit alpha-glucosidase (IC50, 22.1 µM) whereas CA was the most effective toinhibit both alpha-amylase (IC50, 11.7 µM) and pancreatic lipase (IC50, 31.5 µM). The effects of the oral administration of RV (300 mg/kg) HE (100 mg/kg) and CA (100 mg/kg) as well as the simultaneous administration of the three compounds at the same concentration was also explored in normoglycemic and diabetic mice. In addition, the prolonged administration of these substances combined with hypercaloric/atherogenic diet for 30 days was performed. Our results revealed a clear modulatory activity in both postprandial glucose and triglyceride levels as well an improvement in biochemical markers of mice treated with hypercaloric/atherogenic diet. The administration of HE produced a notable change (p < 0.01) in postprandial glucose assimilation at 60 min post-treatment in diabetic mice, whereas the other two compounds exerted a stronger depletion of glucose levels from 30 to 120 min post-treatment. A similar trend was recorded by RV and CA in postprandial triglyceride content, however, the latter compound was more effective (p < 0.05) at lower doses than RV. The simultaneous administration of the three compounds produced a significant improvement (p < 0.01) in biochemical parameters associated to carbohydrate (insulin and glucose) and lipid metabolism (total cholesterol, LDL-c, HDL-c, triglycerides, leptin, and adiponectin).Outstandingly, the mixture of the three compounds was more effective (p < 0.01) than the administration of sole compounds to amelioratethe side effects of the hypercaloric/atherogenic diet. Finally, the body weight of treated mice significantly decreased (from 5 to 20%; p < 0.05) in comparison with mice only fed with hypercaloric/atherogenic diet. Our results suggest that mixtures of RV, HE and CA may work better than their sole administration in mice and part of their biological activity could be associated with their inhibitory properties on the enzyme targets evaluated in this investigation.
 Keywords: Carnosic acid; Hernandulcin; Resveratrol; Hypoglycemic; Hypolipidemic; Murine model; Target enzymes

Urea hydrolysis and long-term storage of source-separated urine for reuse as fertiliser is insufficient for the removal of anthropogenic micropollutants

Human and animal source-separated urine, stored and allowed to naturally hydrolyse (the bio-catalysed transformation of urea to ammonia and bicarbonate), has been used for millennia as a fertiliser in agriculture. In a context of growing water scarcity and climate uncertainty, source-separation of urine is facing a strong revival thanks to the emergence of cost-effective waterless collection systems. Concomitantly, urine source-separation can be used as a method for nutrient recovery and subsequent reuse. In its simplest form, such recovery consists of collection followed by urea hydrolysis and storage as sole treatment. Numerous guidelines, including by the World Health Organisation, consider that this is sufficient to stabilise the nutrients and inactivate any potential pathogens in the urine. However, it is still unclear whether said urine is effectively free from other compounds of concern, such as anthropogenic micropollutants with known toxicological effects. Moreover, it is also currently unknown if the metabolites produced by human consumption of these products behave in similar way during short- and long-term storage i.e. whether any changes in chemical structure mean that these could be sorbed and/or precipitated in a different way, or if they can potentially be degraded by the biomass inherently present in urine collection systems. Finally, there is currently no knowledge of whether the observed concentrations of micropollutants in stored hydrolysed urine could potentially have toxicological effects if/when applied to soils and edible crops. To fill these research gaps, 20 commonly consumed compounds were selected in this study and their concentrations in the liquid and solid phases studied in the short- and long-term (up to ≥ 2 years). During the initial process of urea hydrolysis (≤ 5 days), ethyl-glucuronide was the sole compound effectively removed (by deconjugation), while only two other compounds, erythromycin and its metabolite, saw a reduction in their concentration (likely due to biomass sorption). Subsequently, during early storage (≤ 15 days), only three additional compounds were removed: paracetamol (> 99%), acesulfame (11.5%) and carbamazepine-10,11 epoxide (40.7%). Finally, long-term storage of up to 24 months did not result in any further significant removal for any of the measured compounds, indicating that the procedure of hydrolysis + storage is not effective for the removal of anthropogenic micropollutants. The results of this investigation raise strong concerns about the direct reuse of hydrolysed/stored human source-separated urine, and evidence the need for post-processing before implementation as fertiliser into edible crops due to the inherent toxicological risk, particularly to infants.

Revisiting the condensation reaction of lignin in alkaline pulping with quantitativity part I: the simplest condensation between vanillyl alcohol and creosol under soda cooking conditions

The condensation reaction of lignin is believed to interfere with delignification in alkaline pulping processes, without any clear evidence, which has motivated us to quantitatively revisit it. This paper is the first of a series, and hence we employed the simplest model system using 4-hydroxymethyl-2-methoxyphenol (vanillyl alcohol, Va) and 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol (creosol, Cr) under soda cooking conditions. The α-5-type condensation product between these compounds [VaCr, 2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-6-methoxy-4-methylphenol] was identified and quantified as exclusive. VaCr was yielded with a mole amount of 24%, 46%, 62%, or 72% based on that of disappearing Va at a reaction time of 120 min when the ratio of the initial concentration of Cr to that of Va was 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, or 7.5, respectively. These yields and an HPLC analysis of the reaction solution obtained by a treatment of Va as the sole compound under the same soda cooking conditions suggested the formation of self-condensation products of Va even in the treatments containing Cr. The obtained results comprehensively suggested that the self-condensation of Va progresses more readily than the condensation between Va and Cr. The factors behind this will be the topic of our next paper.

Synergic effects on degradation of a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a UV slurry photocatalytic membrane reactor and its cost estimation

In this study, batch experiments were conducted to investigate the removals of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) namely phenanthrene (PHE), naphthalene (NAP) and acenaphthene (ANA) as a mixture during photocatalysis (UV-TiO2), membrane separation (MS) and integrated photocatalytic membrane (UV-TiO2 + MS) processes in an indigenously developed integrated photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR). Synergic effects were observed during the removals of model compounds when they were in the mixture as compared to their removals as a sole compound in aqueous solutions. The mineralization efficiencies in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) removals were also evaluated during UV-TiO2 and UV-TiO2 + MS processes. The degradation of PAHs mixture during photocatalytic degradation followed the pseudo-first order kinetics. Furthermore in this study, the cost estimation of PMR was carried out by calculating the treatment cost for both advanced oxidation process (AOP) system and membrane (MS) process separately. The treatment cost per m3 of effluent containing PAHs in PMR was found to be $ 10.4 to $ 13.6 or ₹ 728 to ₹ 752.

Emblematic Mechanisms and Psychoanalysis

In the paper the parallels between the emblematic “mechanisms” of signification and the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud as well as Carl Gustav Jung have been studied. The Austrian psychiatrist has discovered template schemes that become a visual delineation, the blueprint for developing his scientific vocabulary, methodology, classification of psycho-emotional behavioral types in mythological plots. The Eros and Thanatos images handling, the exploitation of mythical tales about Oedipus and Electra, Prometheus, Narcissus, and many other ones to specify the behavioral complexes denote the presence of “emblematic methodology” in the formation of psychoanalytic conceptions and categories. His interpretations of famous mythological plots are boiled down to emblematic reduction.
 Carl Gustav Jung frequently selected symbolic notations as his research targets, which were a denotative space for expressing internal mental receptions and historic constellations of cultural axiology. In his writings we see the intention to assemble the concepts of image (iconic) and socio-cultural idea (conventional) into a sole compound that syncretically denote unity of meaning. Such an arrangement of iconic-conventional interdetermination is often significative elbowroom in Jung the decoding of which may allow to discern complex mental reflections. Notwithstanding the fact that he considers a symbol to be the standard unit of cognitive-cultural experience “conservation”, its functional semantics definition is fulfilled in emblematic patterns. This emblematic-cognitive form is not only a method of determining the initial images-ideas of the unconscious, “the mythological figures” of inner conflicts, typical experience of generations, but also the principle of justification and expression of his theory conceptual foundation. To a certain extent, it is an element of the Swiss psychologist’s scientific thinking style and language.

Dose-dependent effects of a glyphosate commercial formulation – Roundup® UltraMax - on the early zebrafish embryogenesis

The use of herbicides with glyphosate as an active ingredient, the so-called glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH), has increased dramatically in recent years currently being the most widely used in the world. Therefore, glyphosate residues have been detected in water and soils near the application sites. Recent studies indicate that GBH may cause adverse effects on vertebrates although these have been attributed to the presence of adjuvants in the commercial formulations rather than to the sole compound. Accordingly, the objective of this work was to investigate the lethal and sub-lethal developmental effects, neurotoxic potential and oxidative stress responses of zebrafish embryos to Roundup® Ultramax (RU) exposure. Embryos were exposed during 72 h to 0, 2, 5, 8.5 μg a.i. mL−1 of RU. Increased mortality was observed in embryos exposed to concentrations above 8.5 μg a.i. mL−1 as well as increased number of malformations. Decreased heart rate and hatchability were also observed. By contrast, exposure to concentrations that do not evoke teratogenic outcomes induced a dose-dependent decrease of heart rate although not inducing significant developmental changes. However, histological changes were not observed in the larvae exposed to these concentrations. Moreover, the generation of reactive oxygen species, the antioxidant enzymes activities (SOD and CAT), the GST biotransformation activity, the glutathione levels (GSH and GSSG), the oxidative damage (MDA) and the acetylcholinesterase and lactate dehydrogenase were similar among groups following exposure. Overall, available evidence suggests a dose-dependent toxicological effect of this formulation at concentrations that are not routinely detected in the environment. However, additional studies should be performed to better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms in favor of this formulation.

Impact of Cr(VI) on the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in Helianthus annuus roots studied by metabolomic tools

The impact of Cr(VI) in sunflower roots has been studied, focusing on the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Plants were grown hydroponically in the presence of 0, 1.0, 5.0 and 25 mgCr L−1. Methanolic root extracts were analyzed by capillary liquid chromatography coupled through negative electrospray ionization to a quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (capHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS). Using partial least squares algorithm, eighteen features strongly affected by Cr(VI) were detected and annotated as linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and sixteen oxidation products containing hydroperoxy-, epoxy-, keto-, epoxyketo- or hydroxy-functionalities, all of them classified as oxylipins. Inspection of the MS/MS spectra acquired for features eluting at different retention times but assigned as a sole compound, confirmed isomers formation: three hydroperoxy-octadecadienoic acids (HpODE), two oxo-octadecadienoic acids (OxoODE) and four epoxyketo-octadecenoic acids (EKODE). Around 70% of metabolites in sunflower LA metabolic pathway were affected by Cr(VI) stress and additionally, four EKODE isomers not included in this pathway were found in the exposed roots. Among ALA-derived oxylipins, 13-epi-12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA) is of relevance, because of its participation in the activation of secondary metabolism. The abundances of all oxylipins were directly dependent on the Cr(VI) concentration in medium; furthermore, autooxidation of LA to HpODE isomers was observed after incubation with Cr(VI). These results point to the direct involvement of Cr(VI) in non-enzymatic oxidation of fatty acids; since oxylipins are signaling molecules important in plant defensive response, their synthesis under Cr(VI) exposure sustains the ability of sunflower to grow in Cr(VI)-contaminated environments.

Long-term antibacterial efficacy of disinfectants based on benzalkonium chloride and sodium hypochlorite tested on surfaces against resistant gram-positive bacteria

The long-term antibacterial activity of disinfectant products based on benzalkonium chloride and sodium hypochlorite on surfaces was evaluated for prevention of bacterial adhesion. To this end, the European standard EN 13697, which determines the antibacterial activity of disinfectant formulations on bacteria, was adapted. As a prior step, the initial antibacterial activity (≥4 log10) was determined and after 24 h the long-term efficacy (≥3 log10) of each disinfectant product. Gram-positive bacteria belonging to the genera Staphylococci and Enterococci are able to survive in adverse conditions and have been involved in the increasing of bacterial resistance to different antimicrobials. In this study, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus hirae were selected as ‘indicator organisms’ for the presence of bacterial contamination. The results showed that all the disinfectant products based on benzalkonium chloride and sodium hypochlorite had an initial antibacterial activity of up to 4 log10. After 24 h, the benzalkonium chloride based products demonstrated long-term antibacterial efficacy for both bacterial strains. Sodium hypochlorite as a sole compound at 4.0% did not demonstrate long-term efficacy, but when it was formulated with sodium hydroxide, benzalkonium chloride, fatty alcohol ethoxylate and amine oxide, it was effective. The bactericidal test developed in this study fulfills the purpose of evaluating the long-term antibacterial efficacy of disinfectant products on surfaces.

Multi-technique characterisation of commercial alizarin-based lakes

The characterization of ancient and modern alizarin-based lakes is a largely studied topic in the literature. Analytical data on contemporary alizarin-based lakes, however, are still poor, though of primary importance, since these lakes might be indeed present in contemporary and fake paintings as well as in retouchings.In this work we systematically investigate the chemical composition and the optical features of fifteen alizarin-based lakes, by a multi-analytical technique approach combining spectroscopic methods (i.e. Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy, EDXRF; Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, ATR-FTIR; X-ray Powder Diffraction, XRD; UV induced fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopies) and chromatography (i.e. High-performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with a Photodiode Array Detector, HPLC-PDA).Most of the samples contain typical compounds from the natural roots of madder, as occurring in ancient and modern lakes, but in two samples (23600-Kremer-Pigmente and alizarin crimson-Zecchi) any anthraquinonic structures were identified, thus leading to hypothesize the presence of synthetic dyes.The detection of lucidin primeveroside and ruberythrique acid in some lakes suggest the use of Rubia tinctorum. One sample (23610-Kremer-Pigmente) presents alizarin as the sole compound, thereby revealing to be a synthetic dye. Moreover, gibbsite, alunite and kaolinite were found to be used as substrates and/or mordants.Visible absorption spectra of the anthraquinonic lakes show two main absorption bands at about 494–511nm and 537–564nm, along with a shoulder at about 473–479nm in presence of high amounts of purpurin. Finally, from the results obtained by UV induced fluorescence spectroscopy it is possible to figure out that, although it is commonly assumed that the madder lake presents an orange-pink fluorescence, the inorganic compounds, added to the recipe, could induce a quenching phenomenon or an inhibition of the fluorescence, as occurring in some commercial alizarin-based lakes.

Erythrodiol, an Olive Oil Constituent, Increases the Half-Life of ABCA1 and Enhances Cholesterol Efflux from THP-1-Derived Macrophages.

Cholesterol efflux (ChE) from macrophages is an initial step of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). The ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is a key transporter for ChE and its increased expression is regarded to attenuate atherosclerosis. Thus, the identification and characterization of molecules raising ABCA1 and thereby stimulating ChE is of pharmacological relevance. In this study, we tested dietary compounds from olive oil for their capacity of enhancing cellular ABCA1 protein level. We identified erythrodiol (Olean-12-ene-3β,28-diol) as an ABCA1 stabilizer and revealed its positive influence on ChE in THP-1-derived human macrophages. Among the nine tested compounds from olive oil, erythrodiol was the sole compound raising ABCA1 protein level (at 10 μM). None of the tested compounds impaired viability of THP-1 macrophages from 5 to 20 μM as determined by resazurin conversion. Western blot analyses of key membrane transporters contributing to ChE showed that the protein level of ABCG1 and scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SR-B1) remain unaffected by erythrodiol. Besides, erythrodiol (10 μM) did not influence the mRNA level of ABCA1, ABCG1, and SR-B1, as determined by quantitative reverse transcription PCR, but significantly inhibited the degradation of ABCA1 as evident by an increased half-life of the protein in the presence of cycloheximide, an inhibitor of de novo protein synthesis. Therefore, erythrodiol promotes ChE from THP-1-derived human macrophages by stabilizing the ABCA1 protein. This bioactivity makes erythrodiol a good candidate to be further explored for therapeutic or preventive application in the context of atherosclerosis.

Ferrier–Nicholas Cations from C‐3‐Alkynylglycals: Access to C‐3‐Branched Allylic Glycosides and Ring‐Opening Derivatives

Hexacarbonyldicobalt–C‐3‐alkynyl‐substituted glycal derivatives, when treated with BF3·OEt2 give rise to Nicholas‐stabilized Ferrier cation intermediates (Ferrier–Nicholas cations) that react with alcohols or C‐nucleophiles to give C‐3‐branched 2,3‐unsaturated glycosides or C‐glycosides, respectively. α‐C‐Glycosides were the sole compounds obtained when allyltrimethylsilane was used as the nucleophile. On the contrary, the reaction of C‐3‐alkynylglycals with heteroaryl or alcohol nucleophiles led to anomeric mixtures in which the β‐anomers prevailed. The presence of the hexacarbonyldicobalt–C‐3‐alkynyl substituent seems to be of key importance in the stereoselectivity of these transformations, since the reaction of C‐3‐alkynylglycals – devoid of the hexacarbonyldicobalt moiety – showed a preferred α‐stereoselectivity. Furthermore, a bis(indolyl) linear compound was obtained from the reaction of a hexacarbonyldicobalt–C‐3‐alkynylglycal with 2 equiv. of indole.

Irradiation as a novel approach to improve quality of Tropaeolum majus L. flowers: Benefits in phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity

Abstract Edible flowers are increasingly used in food preparations, requiring new approaches to improve their conservation and safety. Food irradiation, particularly electron beam and gamma irradiation, is legally recognized to extend shelf life, improve hygienic quality and disinfest foods. Garden nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus L.) flowers are widely used in food preparations, being also known for their antioxidant properties and high content of phenolics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dose–response effects of gamma and electron beam irradiation (unirradiated and doses of 0.5, 0.8 and 1 kGy) on its antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds. Kaempferol-O-hexoside-O-hexoside was the most abundant compound, while pelargonidin-3-O-sophoroside was the major anthocyanin. The flowers showed high antioxidant activity, in particular as reducing agents. The interaction among the effects of irradiation dose and irradiation technology was a significant source of variation for all parameters. In general, irradiated samples gave higher antioxidant activity, maybe due to their higher amounts of phenolic compounds. Anthocyanins were the sole compounds negatively affected by irradiation. These differences were reflected in the linear discriminant analysis, which allowed the perfect separation of the applied doses, as also both irradiation technologies. Accordingly, irradiation represents a feasible technology to preserve the quality of edible flowers. Industrial relevance The increasing application of edible plants in several food commodities demands new technological approaches to improve their distribution and marketing as fresh products. Prolonging post-harvest storage, while preserving the whole quality of plants, these facts will benefit their industrial development, as well as the consumers' health. This study applied irradiation technologies, using electron-beam and gamma-irradiation in different doses, to a widespread and highly appreciated edible flower species, T. majus, and demonstrated that these technologies/doses did not compromise the phenolic compounds composition and antioxidant activity.

Pesticide residues in groundwaters and soils of agricultural areas in the Águeda River Basin from Spain and Portugal

This research has evaluated the agricultural impact of the use of pesticides in small agricultural areas in the Águeda river basin, which straddles the Spanish-Portuguese border. Sixteen pesticides frequently used in the area, including herbicides, fungicides and insecticides and some of their degradation products, were monitored in 52 groundwater samples and 42 soil samples taken around them, using a developed multi-residual analytical method based on SPE-LC-MS. Sampling was carried out in two different seasons (winter and summer). The results indicated the presence of pesticides at several levels, both in groundwaters and soils. Thirteen of the pesticides studied were detected in one or more of the groundwater samples analysed, but only three pesticides were detected in the soil samples. Terbuthylazine, cyprodinil, tebuconazole and chlorpyrifos were the pesticides most frequently detected in groundwaters, whereas terbuthylazine, metalaxyl and tebuconazole were the sole compounds detected in soils. The distribution of the concentrations in groundwaters indicated that up to 80% and 70% of the samples collected in the summer on the Spanish and Portuguese sides, respectively, exceed the quality standards of 0.1 µg L−1 for one or more individual compounds and, in turn, up to 64% and 40% exceed the quality standards of 0.5 µg L−1 for all compounds. The presence of pesticide residues in the groundwaters and soils analysed may well be explained by the use of these compounds in agricultural practices.

Queuing Mechanism in Migrating Workflow System Based on Cloud Computing Paradigm (MWfSCC)

Migrating workflow system based on cloud computing paradigm can be regarded as a type of platform service which facilitates the automation of distributed large-scale e-business and e-science applications in the cloud computing platform. CMI is a software entity that can migrate from one site to another in order to satisfy its goals in cloud workflow system. However, if a large number of CMIs migrate to one work machine within a short period of time, congestion is so serious that the average executive time for CMIs would be much longer due to the competition for the limited resources. In this paper, we introduce the queuing conception into cloud workflow system to solve this problem. Two queuing models are created for corresponding two different types of work machine, called sole work-node model and compound work-node model. For each model, a set of detailed queuing rules, service rules and the CMI dispatching mechanism are defined. We choose P/N/m/∞ queuing model to implement queuing mechanism in sole work-node model, and use dynamic priority queue to manage waiting CMI. Compound work-node is made up of a lot of sole work-nodes, when a CMI migrated to one compound work-node, it would be dispatched to one sole-work node according to the task type to be executed. The effectiveness of the queuing mechanism is evident in that it can alleviate the load of work nodes, which are illustrated with the experiment results at the end of paper.

Synthesis of dual AChE/5-HT4 receptor multi-target directed ligands

The synthesis of novel pyrrolothienopyrazines has been achieved with the aim to bring together in a sole compound both AChE inhibitory effect and 5-HT4R agonist activity. These Multi-Target Directed Ligands might theoretically alleviate the cognitive deficit in Alzheimer disease by restoring the cholinergic activity and by promoting the non-amyloidogenic formation of sAPPα which seems detrimental to the amyloid aggregation. Some of the synthesized compounds bear for the first time these dual activities and compound 15b appears particularly potent towards both AChE and 5-HT4R targets with IC50 and Ki in nanomolar levels. Although these MTDL behave as 5-HT4R antagonists rather than agonists, these results appear hopeful concerning the design of further MTDL with therapeutic interest in AD treatment.

Fibrinolytic activity of kaempferol isolated from the fruits of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley

This study was undertaken to isolate a flavonol, kaempferol, from the fruits of Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd) as a sole compound and to explore the fibrinolytic potential of the methanolic extract of the fruits of L. siceraria and the isolated compound using their in vitro activity. The fibrinolytic activity in terms of percentage of plasma clot liquefaction was determined by plasma clot lysis at 37°C in 24 h. The fibrinolytic activity of both substances was compared to the well-known thrombolytic agent streptokinase (30,000 IU). The percentage of fibrinolytic activity of the extract and isolated compound were found to be 54.72 ± 0.7210 and 77.37 ± 1.3010, respectively. Streptokinase was considered as the standard fibrinolytic enzyme for comparative purposes and had 91.46 ± 0.7625% fibrinolytic activity. The conclusion drawn in our study after testing the hypothesis by experimental procedures is that in vitro fibrinolytic activity on plasma clots is an inherent property of kaempferol isolated from the fruits of L. siceraria, and its comparison with streptokinase is a new aspect for further study.