Computer-aided discovery of biological activity spectra for anti-aging and anti-cancer olive oil oleuropeins

Aging is associated with common conditions, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer"s disease. The type of multi‐targeted pharmacological approach necessary to address a complex multifaceted disease such as aging might take advantage of pleiotropic natural polyphenols affecting a wide variety of biological processes. We have recently postulated that the secoiridoids oleuropein aglycone (OA) and decarboxymethyl oleuropein aglycone (DOA), two complex polyphenols present in health‐promoting extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), might constitute a new family of plant‐produced gerosuppressant agents. This paper describes an analysis of the biological activity spectra (BAS) of OA and DOA using PASS (Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances) software. PASS can predict thousands of biological activities, as the BAS of a compound is an intrinsic property that is largely dependent on the compound"s structure and reflects pharmacological effects, physiological and biochemical mechanisms of action, and specific toxicities. Using Pharmaexpert, a tool that analyzes the PASS‐predicted BAS of substances based on thousands of"mechanism‐ effect" and"effect‐mechanism" relationships, we illuminate hypothesis‐generating pharmacological effects, mechanisms of action, and targets that might underlie the anti‐aging/anti‐cancer activities of the gerosuppressant EVOO oleuropeins.

Environment conditions and biological innovations in the european agrarian growth, 1819-1939

The circumstances that were the driving forces behind Europe's economic growth beginning in the 19th century are diverse, and not easily prioritized. Until the 1970's, specifically, in Economy and Economic History, attention was focused on different institutional and technological variables, and various regularities were proposed. Nevertheless, new studies also underlined that the evolution of economic activity could not be understood considering only the new production possibilities offered by market economies. As a result, today it is also accepted that those processes can not be explained without considering two additional circumstances: the energy flows that sustained them, and the changes undergone in their transformation In this context, a question arises that takes on special importance. Which was the influence of the biological change in the economic growth?. A part of the flows of energy must be made into food, and this transformation can only happen with the participation.

Can genetic algorithms explain experimental anomalies? An application to common property resources

It is common to find in experimental data persistent oscillations in the aggregate outcomes and high levels of heterogeneity in individual behavior. Furthermore, it is not unusual to find significant deviations from aggregate Nash equilibrium predictions. In this paper, we employ an evolutionary model with boundedly rational agents to explain these findings. We use data from common property resource experiments (Casari and Plott, 2003). Instead of positing individual-specific utility functions, we model decision makers as selfish and identical. Agent interaction is simulated using an individual learning genetic algorithm, where agents have constraints in their working memory, a limited ability to maximize, and experiment with new strategies. We show that the model replicates most of the patterns that can be found in common property resource experiments.

Generalized property R and the Schoenflies Conjecture

There is a relation between the generalized Property R Conjecture and the Schoenflies Conjecture that suggests a new line of attack on the latter. The new approach gives a quick proof of the genus 2 Schoenflies Conjecture and suffices to prove the genus 3 case, even in the absence of new progress on the generalized Property R Conjecture.

Real rank zero algebras have the corona factorization property

The purpose of this short note is to prove that a stable separable C*-algebra with real rank zero has the so-called corona factorization property, that is, all the full multiplier projections are properly in finite. Enroute to our result, we consider conditions under which a real rank zero C*-algebra admits an injection of the compact operators (a question already considered in [21]).

Socio-economic impacts and assessment biological invasions

Biological invasions have been object of ecological research for years. As one objective, natural scientists investigate the effects of invasive species on ecosystems and their functioning (Levine et al. 2003). However, impacts on ecosystems are also of relevance for society. Changes in ecosystems affect humans in so far as ecosystems provide goods and services, such as fresh water, food and fibbers or recreation, which might be altered due to invasive species. Therefore impacts of biological invasions should be an object of socio-economic interest, which is also demanded by the Convention on Biological Diversity

Subgroups of small index in Aut(Fn) and Kazhdan's property (T)

We give a series of interesting subgroups of finite index in Aut(Fn). One of them has index 42 in Aut(F3) and infinite abelianization. This implies that Aut(F3) does not have Kazhdan’s property (T) (see [3] and [6] for another proofs). We proved also that every subgroup of finite index in Aut(Fn), n &= 3, which contains the subgroup of IA-automorphisms, has a finite abelianization.

Combinatorial Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Inhibitors of D-Ala-D-Ala-Ligase

Report for the scientific sojourn carried out at the Max Planck Institut of Molecular Phisiology, Germany, from 2006 to 2008.The work carried out during this postdoctoral stage was focused on two different projects. Firstly, identification of D-Ala D-Ala Inhibitors and the development of new synthethic approaches to obtain lipidated peptides and proteins and the use of these lipidated proteins in biological and biophysical studies. In the first project, new D-Ala D-Ala inhibitors were identified by using structural alignments of the ATP binding sites of the bacterial ligase DDl and protein and lipid kinases in complex with ATP analogs. We tested a series of commercially available kinase inhibitors and found LFM-A13 and Tyrphostine derivatives to inhibit DDl enzyme activity. Based on the initial screening results we synthesized a series of malononitrilamide and salicylamide derivatives and were able to confirm the validity of these scaffolds as inhibitors of DDl. From this investigation we gained a better understanding of the structural requirements and limitations necessary for the preparation of ATP competitive DDl inhibitors. The compounds in this study may serve as starting points for the development of bi-substrate inhibitors that incorporate both, an ATP competitive and a substrate competitive moiety. Bisubstrate inhibitors that block the ATP and D-Ala binding sites should exhibit enhanced selectivity and potency profiles by preferentially inhibiting DDl over kinases. In the second project, an optimized synthesis for tha alkylation of cysteins using the thiol ene reaction was establisehd. This new protocol allowed us to obtain large amounts of hexadecylated cysteine that was required for the synthesis of differently lipidated peptides. Afterwards the synthesis of various N-ras peptides bearing different lipid anchors was performed and the peptides were ligated to a truncated N-ras protein. The influence of this differently lipidated N-ras proteins on the partioning and association of N-Ras in model membrane subdomains was studied using Atomic Force Microscopy.

Testing low-altitude infrared digital photography from a mini-UAV to retrieve information for biological conservation

Satellite remote sensing imagery is used for forestry, conservation and environmental applications, but insufficient spatial resolution, and, in particular, unavailability of images at the precise timing required for a given application, often prevent achieving a fully operational stage. Airborne remote sensing has the advantage of custom-tuned sensors, resolution and timing, but its price prevents using it as a routine technique for the mentioned fields. Some Unmanned Aerial Vehicles might provide a “third way” solution as low-cost techniques for acquiring remotely sensed information, under close control of the end-user, albeit at the expense of lower quality instrumentation and instability. This report evaluates a light remote sensing system based on a remotely-controlled mini-UAV (ATMOS-3) equipped with a color infra-red camera (VEGCAM-1) designed and operated by CATUAV. We conducted a testing mission over a Mediterranean landscape dominated by an evergreen woodland of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) and (Holm) oak (Quercus ilex) in the Montseny National Park (Catalonia, NE Spain). We took advantage of state-of-the-art ortho-rectified digital aerial imagery (acquired by the Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya over the area during the previous year) and used it as quality reference. In particular, we paid attention to: 1) Operationality of flight and image acquisition according to a previously defined plan; 2) Radiometric and geometric quality of the images; and 3) Operational use of the images in the context of applications. We conclude that the system has achieved an operational stage regarding flight activities, although with meteorological limits set by wind speed and turbulence. Appropriate landing areas can be sometimes limiting also, but the system is able to land on small and relatively rough terrains such as patches of grassland or short matorral, and we have operated the UAV as far as 7 km from the control unit. Radiometric quality is sufficient for interactive analysis, but probably insufficient for automated processing. A forthcoming camera is supposed to greatly improve radiometric quality and consistency. Conventional GPS positioning through time synchronization provides coarse orientation of the images, with no roll information.

On finite unions and finite products with the D-property

We show that the product of a subparacompact C-scattered space and a Lindelöf D-space is D. In addition, we show that every regular locally D-space which is the union of a finite collection of subparacompact spaces and metacompact spaces has the D-property. Also, we extend this result from the class of locally D-spaces to the wider class of D-scattered spaces. All the results are shown in a direct way.

Effect of biological surlie ageing on the sparkling wines’ quality and elaoration

Report for the scientific sojourn at the Université de Bourgogne, France, from July until October 2007..Surlie ageing after second fermentation is a fundamental operation in the production of quality sparkling wine like Cava and Champagne. Recently, the importance of the interaction between wine and lees cell surface has been reported. Cell surface properties depending on wall biochemical composition are major determinants in microbial interactions, having important repercussions in several technological aspects. Sorption and flocculation are especially important in sparkling wine production, and are governed by distinct cell surface properties. The aim of the present research carried out during the four months of the stage was to know the implication of lees surface modifications occurring during surlie ageing in sparkling wine quality and elaboration. The relationship between physico-chemical properties such as hydrophobicity, charge and electron-donor characteristics, and the yeast surface sorption capacities, we determined these factors in a model system. Then, real industrial lees samples were investigated. The surface properties of sparkling wine lees from the same strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were characterized according to the time of surlie ageing, and their possible influence on lees sorption and flocculation capacity was evaluated. Surlie ageing after second fermentation is a fundamental operation in the production of quality sparkling wine like Cava and Champagne. Recently, the importance of the interaction between wine and lees cell surface has been reported. Cell surface properties depending on wall biochemical composition are major determinants in microbial interactions, having important repercussions in several technological aspects. Sorption and flocculation are especially important in sparkling wine production, and are governed by distinct cell surface properties. The aim of the present research carried out during the four months of the stage was to know the implication of lees surface modifications occurring during surlie ageing in sparkling wine quality and elaboration. The relationship between physico-chemical properties such as hydrophobicity, charge and electron-donor characteristics, and the yeast surface sorption capacities, we determined these factors in a model system. Then, real industrial lees samples were investigated. The surface properties of sparkling wine lees from the same strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were characterized according to the time of surlie ageing, and their possible influence on lees sorption and flocculation capacity was evaluated.

Opening Education Beyond the Property Relation: From Commons to Communism

Open Education, and specifically the OER movement, seeks to provide universal access to knowledge, undermining the historical enclosure and the increasing privatisation of the public education system. In this paper we examine this aspiration by submitting the implicit theoretical assumptions of Open Education to the test of critical political economy. We acknowledge the Open Education movement's revolutionary potential but outline the inherent limitations of its current focus on the commons (property relations) rather than the social relations of capitalist production (wage work, the company) and because of this, argue that it will only achieve limited, rather than revolutionary, impact.

Some biological data on cetaceans populations present in the western coasts of Ireland

Ireland’s waters constitute one of the richest habitats for cetaceans in Europe. Marine mammals, particularly cetaceans, are known to be definitive hosts of digestive parasites from the Fm.Anisakidae. The main aim of this study is to collect and compile all the information available out there regarding parasites of the Fm. Anisakidae and their definitive hosts. Secondary objectives are to relate the presence of cetacean species with the presence of parasites of the Fm. Anisakidae and to determine whether this greater number of cetaceans relates to a greater level of parasitism. Prevalence and burdens of anisakids in definitive hosts vary widely with host species, geographic location, and season. Results from several post-mortem exams are given. However, they cannot be compared due to differences in collecting techniques. Anisakis simplex is the most commonly and widespread parasite found in the majority of the samples and in a majornumber of hosts, which include harbour porpoise, short-beaked common dolphin and bottlenose dolphin. Studies on harbour porpoise obtained prevalences of Anisakis spp. of 46% (n=26) and of 100% (n= 12). Another study in common dolphin reported a prevalence of 68% (n=25). Several reasons could influence the variations in the presence of Anisakis. Studies on commerciallyexploited fish have reported prevalences of Anisakis simplex ranging from 65-100% in wildAtlantic salmon and from 42-53.4% in Atlantic cod

Estudi Qsar d'una família de Quinolones utilitzant índex de semblança i índex topològics de semblança i índexs topològics de semblanç

En aquest treball es presenta un exemple d'aplicació de la semblança molecular quàntica en l'àmbit de la determinació de relacions entre l'estructura i les propietats o activitats biològiques de molècules. La família estudiada està formada per un conjunt de divuit quinolones de les quals es coneixen dues propietats relacionades amb l'activitat biològica: la concentració mínima inhibitòria de la reproducció en E. Coli i I'escissió de l'ADN per la girasa, també en E. Coli. L'estudi s'ha realitzat emprant dues metodologies diferents, fonamentades ambdues en el desenvolupament de la semblança molecular quàntica. Aquestes dues metodologies es basen, respectivament, en el càlcul i l'aplicació dels índexs de semblança i dels índexs topològics de semblança

Open minded and open access: introducing NeoBiota, a new peer-reviewed journal of biological invasions

The Editorial presents the focus, scope, policies, and the inaugural issue of NeoBiota, a new open access peer-reviewed journal of biological invasions. The new journal NeoBiota is a continuation of the former NEOBIOTA publication series. The journal will deal with all aspects of invasion biology and impose no restrictions on manuscript size neither on use of color. NeoBiota implies an XML-based editorial workflow and several cutting-edge innovations in publishing and dissemination, such as semantic markup of and enhancements to published texts, data publication, and extensive cross-linking within the journal and to external sources