Chromatographic analysis of antioxidant and related compounds in Polyporus squamosus from different origins

The antioxidant potential of mushrooms is mainly attributed to their composition in polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, tocopherols and some organic acids [1]. Phenolic compounds contribute directly to the antioxidative action and play an important role in stabilizing lipid peroxidation [2]; exhibit a wide range of bioactive properties such as anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, which have been in part related to their antioxidant activity [3]. Tocopherols are important fatsoluble antioxidants, acting in the cellular membrane; due to their role as scavenger of free radicals protecting human cells against degenerative malfunctions [4]. Some organic acids are very common in natural matrices; malic acid contributes to a pleasantly sour taste and is often used as a food additive; citric acid is known due to its antibacterial and antioxidant properties and fumaric acid is important because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and acidifying properties [5]. The purpose of the present study was to analyze antioxidant and related compounds (phenolic compounds, tocopherols and organic acids) of Polyporus squamosus (Huds.) Fr. samples originated from two different origins (Portugal and Serbia). Specimens of P. squamosus were collected in Bragança (Northeast Portugal) and Jabučki rit (Northern Serbia) during April 2015 and 2012, respectively. Phenolic compounds, organic acids and tocopherols were determined by high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) coupled to a diode array detector (DAD), in the two first cases, and a fluorescence detector in the last one. With respect to phenolic and related compounds, p-hydroxybenzoic and cinnamic acids were identified in both samples; the first one predominates in the sample from Portugal, while cinnamic acid was more abundant in the sample from Serbia. Tocopherols (α-, β and γ-isoforms) were found in the sample from Serbia, but in the sample from Portugal, γ-tocopherol was not identified. This sample showed the highest total tocopherols content, and revealed the highest level of β-tocopherol; γ- tocopherol predominated in the sample from Serbia. Among organic acids, it was possible to quantify oxalic, malic and fumaric acids in both samples. Malic acid was found in higher amounts in the sample from Serbia. Overall, the present study shows that mushroom samples from different origins have dissimilar results, but are both rich in bioactive compounds, being a valuable source for the development of natural medicines and nutraceuticals.

Comments on The Origins of Niche Graves In The Złota Culture

This publication constitutes the fruits of National Science Centre research projects (grant no 2011/01/M/HS3/02142 – 6 articles) and the National Programme for the Development of the Humanities (grant no 0108/NPH3/H12/82/2014 – 3 articles). We would like to acknowledge and at the same time express our sincere gratitude for the generosity shown by the following at the Adam Mickiewicz University in making this publication possible: the Dean of the Department of History, Institute of Pre-history and the Eastern Institute.

Between Nation and State: Albanian Associations from Ottoman Origins to a Communist Party, 1880 - 1945

This dissertation addresses the broader antecedents of the Communist Party of Albania (CPA) as one of a number of associations whose experience was central to Albanian political history. This long experience dates back to the informal national associations formed in the Ottoman Empire of the late nineteenth century. The dissertation examines the role of these associations which, pursuing language rights and political representation through imperial state reforms, set a pattern that struggled to connect nation and state, rather than asserting the territorial demands for a nation-state familiar across the region. Starting out in the Ottoman Empire, but then maturing in the Albanian diaspora in Romania, Bulgaria, Egypt and the United States, this dissertation shows politically significant processes of longer-term adaptation that created informal associations as institutional structures able to channel collective action. It then traces the reframing of these patterns through their destruction in the Balkan Wars and the First World War to the emergence of communist associations in the interwar period and beyond. This dissertation is a sustained study that traces long-term Ottoman imperial political legacies in the Albanian successor state. The story of the associations, based on hitherto unexamined archival documents, shows that the Albanians possessed a far greater capacity for political mobilization that previously acknowledged by historians. Moreover, the dissertation successfully challenges the conventional wisdom that portrays the Albanians as irreparably divided along sectarian and regional faultlines. It finds that Albanian national activism was civic in character rather than ethnic as elsewhere in the Balkans. The Albanians fought to remain within a multinational framework because this afforded them political security, social advancement and potential economic growth. In the late Ottoman period, this political objective was manifested in the acceptance of the supranational imperial order whereas during the Second World War, in the aspiration to become members of the Comintern internationalist movement. Another important find, is the newly-discovered evidence concerning the founding of the CPA and its wartime conduct as an organization created and led by the Albanians themselves, albeit with Yugoslav ideological assistance under the transnational umbrella of the Comintern.

The Origins and Legacy of a Currency Board in Argentina

This is a qualitative case study of the adoption of a currency board in Argentina in 1991. It presents a discursive analysis and intellectual history of four overlaying and mutually influencing stories of Convertibility’s adoption. It is (1) the story of how Menem aligned himself to the Washington Consensus as a means to win a Presidential election. This ideological alignment influences and is influenced by a (2) reconstitution of the Peronist Party’s historically entrenched identity. This in turn re-fashion the whole system of interest articulation and relative power of interest groups in Argentina. The adoption of a currency board also marks the pace of (3) the entrenchment neoliberal interests across a domestic network of neoliberal think-tanks, technocrats, politicians, and “technopoles” articulating neoliberal interests outside of the Washington Consensus, within an International Neoliberal Network. Argentina’s adoption of a currency board falls in line with the Corner Solutions, a neoliberal doctrine promoted to influence developing countries to adopt two forms of exchange rate regimes that allow for less government involvement, including a currency board. Argentina starts as a test country and then becomes (4) an ideological stepping stone to help promote the creation of currency boards across more “developing” countries. These stories are not sequential but concurrent, and they help advance an alternative critique of neoliberalism that focuses on specifics to induce case-specific lessons versus a theory claiming to provide any universal truth.

Wild Morchella conica Pers. from different origins: a comparative study of nutritional and bioactive properties

Morchella conica Pers. is a species of fungus that belongs to the Morchellaceae family and was studied in order to obtain more information about this species, by comparing Portuguese and Serbian wild samples. Free sugars, fatty acids, tocopherols, organic and phenolic acids were analysed by chromatographic techniques. M. conica methanolic extracts were tested regarding antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The absence of hepatotoxicity was confirmed in porcine liver primary cells.

The origins of the Inquisition in Andalusia

Es bien conocido que los primeros tribunales de la nueva Inquisición fueron establecidos por Fernando e Isabel en Andalucía, tanto en Sevilla como en Córdoba. Su introducción fue, por supuesto, el resultado de un claro propósito de lograr la ortodoxia religiosa entre los cristianos de origen judío los llamados «cristianos nuevos» o conversos. Pero el contexto político también influyó en la nueva institución porque contribuyó a asegurar el régimen de Isabel tras la amenaza que había representado su rival Juana “La- Beltraneja” y su marido portugués, al tiempo que podía servir para controlar mejor los conflictos entre «bandos», especialmente en Andalucía. Con todo, no debería pensarse que la Inquisición y sus horrores fueron una cuestión solamente atribuible a España. Por el contrario, tuvo sus precedentes y paralelos en otros países europeos, entre ellos Francia, Italia e Inglaterra.

Polyporus squamosus (Huds.) Fr from different origins: chemical characterization, screening of the bioactive properties and specific antimicrobial effects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Wild mushrooms are mainly collected during the rainy season and valued as a nutritious food and sources of natural medicines and nutraceuticals. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and bioactive properties (antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity) of Polyporus squamosus from two different origins, Portugal and Serbia. The sample from Portugal showed higher contents of as protein (17.14 g/100 g), fat (2.69 g/100 g), ash (3.15 g/100 g) and carbohydrates (77.02 g/100 g); the same sample gave the highest antioxidant activity: highest reducing power, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and lipid peroxidation inhibition in both β-carotene/linoleate and TBARS assay. These results could be related to its higher content in total tocopherols (1968.65 μg/100 g) and phenolic compounds (1.29 mg/100 g). Both extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against all the tested organisms. The samples from Serbia gave higher overall antibacterial activity and showed excellent antibiofilm activity (88.30 %). Overall, P. squamosus methanolic extracts possessed antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibiofilm and anti-quorum sensing activity, and without toxicity for liver cells. This investigation highlights alternatives to be explored for the treatment of bacterial infections, in particular against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study provides important results for the chemical and bioactive properties, especially antimicrobial activity of the mushroom P. squamosus. Moreover, to the authors’ knowledge this is the first report on sugars, organic acids, and individual phenolic compounds in P. squamosus.

Provenance does matter: Links between winter trophic segregation and the migratory origins of European robins

Amongst migratory species, it is common to find individuals from different populations or geographical origins sharing staging or wintering areas. Given their differing life histories, ecological theory would predict that the different groups of individuals should exhibit some level of niche segregation. This has rarely been investigated because of the difficulty in assigning migrating individuals to breeding areas. Here, we start by documenting a broad geographical gradient of hydrogen isotopes (δ (2)H) in robin Erithacus rubecula feathers across Europe. We then use δ (2)H, as well as wing-tip shape, as surrogates for broad migratory origin of birds wintering in Iberia, to investigate the ecological segregation of populations. Wintering robins of different sexes, ages and body sizes are known to segregate between habitats in Iberia. This has been attributed to the despotic exclusion of inferior competitors from the best patches by dominant individuals. We find no segregation between habitats in relation to δ (2)H in feathers, or to wing-tip shape, which suggests that no major asymmetries in competitive ability exist between migrant robins of different origins. Trophic level (inferred from nitrogen isotopes in blood) correlated both with δ (2)H in feathers and with wing-tip shape, showing that individuals from different geographic origins display a degree of ecological segregation in shared winter quarters. Isotopic mixing models indicate that wintering birds originating from more northerly populations consume more invertebrates. Our multi-scale study suggests that trophic-niche segregation may result from specializations (arising in the population-specific breeding areas) that are transported by the migrants into the shared wintering grounds.

Quality evaluation of cortex berberidis from different geographical origins by simultaneous high performance liquid chromatography combined with statistical methods

Purpose: To develop an effective method for evaluating the quality of Cortex berberidis from different geographical origins. Methods: A simple, precise and accurate high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was first developed for simultaneous quantification of four active alkaloids (magnoflorine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, and berberine) in Cortex berberidis obtained from Qinghai, Tibet and Sichuan Provinces of China. Method validation was performed in terms of precision, repeatability, stability, accuracy, and linearity. Besides, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied to study the quality variations of Cortex berberidis from various geographical origins. Results: The proposed HPLC method showed good linearity, precision, repeatability, and accuracy. The four alkaloids were detected in all samples of Cortex berberidis. Among them, magnoflorine (36.46 - 87.30 mg/g) consistently showed the highest amounts in all the samples, followed by berberine (16.00 - 37.50 mg/g). The content varied in the range of 0.66 - 4.57 mg/g for palmatine and 1.53 - 16.26 mg/g for jatrorrhizine, respectively. The total content of the four alkaloids ranged from 67.62 to 114.79 mg/g. Moreover, the results obtained by the PLS-DA and ANOVA showed that magnoflorine level and the total content of these four alkaloids in Qinghai and Tibet samples were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than those in Sichuan samples. Conclusion: Quantification of multi-ingredients by HPLC combined with statistical methods provide an effective approach for achieving origin discrimination and quality evaluation of Cortex berberidis. The quality of Cortex berberidis closely correlates to the geographical origin of the samples, with Cortex berberidis samples from Qinghai and Tibet exhibiting superior qualities to those from Sichuan.

Studies of MHC class I antigen presentation & the origins of the immunopeptidome

La présentation d'antigène par les molécules d'histocompatibilité majeure de classe I (CMHI) permet au système immunitaire adaptatif de détecter et éliminer les agents pathogènes intracellulaires et des cellules anormales. La surveillance immunitaire est effectuée par les lymphocytes T CD8 qui interagissent avec le répertoire de peptides associés au CMHI présentés à la surface de toutes cellules nucléées. Les principaux gènes humains de CMHI, HLA-A et HLA-B, sont très polymorphes et par conséquent montrent des différences dans la présentation des antigènes. Nous avons étudié les différences qualitatives et quantitatives dans l'expression et la liaison peptidique de plusieurs allotypes HLA. Utilisant la technique de cytométrie de flux quantitative nous avons établi une hiérarchie d'expression pour les quatre HLA-A, B allotypes enquête. Nos résultats sont compatibles avec une corrélation inverse entre l'expression allotypique et la diversité des peptides bien que d'autres études soient nécessaires pour consolider cette hypothèse. Les origines mondiales du répertoire de peptides associés au CMHI restent une question centrale à la fois fondamentalement et dans la recherche de cibles immunothérapeutiques. Utilisant des techniques protéogénomiques, nous avons identifié et analysé 25,172 peptides CMHI isolées à partir des lymphocytes B de 18 personnes qui exprime collectivement 27 allotypes HLA-A,B. Alors que 58% des gènes ont été la source de 1-64 peptides CMHI par gène, 42% des gènes ne sont pas représentés dans l'immunopeptidome. Dans l'ensemble, l’immunopeptidome présenté par 27 allotypes HLA-A,B ne couvrent que 17% des séquences exomiques exprimées dans les cellules des sujets. Nous avons identifié plusieurs caractéristiques des transcrits et des protéines qui améliorent la production des peptides CMHI. Avec ces données, nous avons construit un modèle de régression logistique qui prédit avec une grande précision si un gène de notre ensemble de données ou à partir d'ensembles de données indépendants génèrerait des peptides CMHI. Nos résultats montrent la sélection préférentielle des peptides CMHI à partir d'un répertoire limité de produits de gènes avec des caractéristiques distinctes. L'idée que le système immunitaire peut surveiller des peptides CMHI couvrant seulement une fraction du génome codant des protéines a des implications profondes dans l'auto-immunité et l'immunologie du cancer.

Detection of Carbapenemase Production in a Collection of Enterobacteriaceae with Characterized Resistance Mechanisms from Clinical and Environmental Origins by Use of Both Carba NP and Blue-Carba Tests

Rapid-screening methods to confirm the presence of resistance mechanisms in multidrug-resistant bacteria are currently recommended. Carba NP and Blue-Carba tests were evaluated in carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae from hospital (n = 102) and environmental (n = 57) origins for detecting the different molecular classes among them. Both methods showed to be fast and cost-effective, with high sensitivity (98% to 100%) and specificity (100%), and may be easily introduced in the routine laboratory.

Studies of MHC class I antigen presentation & the origins of the immunopeptidome

La présentation d'antigène par les molécules d'histocompatibilité majeure de classe I (CMHI) permet au système immunitaire adaptatif de détecter et éliminer les agents pathogènes intracellulaires et des cellules anormales. La surveillance immunitaire est effectuée par les lymphocytes T CD8 qui interagissent avec le répertoire de peptides associés au CMHI présentés à la surface de toutes cellules nucléées. Les principaux gènes humains de CMHI, HLA-A et HLA-B, sont très polymorphes et par conséquent montrent des différences dans la présentation des antigènes. Nous avons étudié les différences qualitatives et quantitatives dans l'expression et la liaison peptidique de plusieurs allotypes HLA. Utilisant la technique de cytométrie de flux quantitative nous avons établi une hiérarchie d'expression pour les quatre HLA-A, B allotypes enquête. Nos résultats sont compatibles avec une corrélation inverse entre l'expression allotypique et la diversité des peptides bien que d'autres études soient nécessaires pour consolider cette hypothèse. Les origines mondiales du répertoire de peptides associés au CMHI restent une question centrale à la fois fondamentalement et dans la recherche de cibles immunothérapeutiques. Utilisant des techniques protéogénomiques, nous avons identifié et analysé 25,172 peptides CMHI isolées à partir des lymphocytes B de 18 personnes qui exprime collectivement 27 allotypes HLA-A,B. Alors que 58% des gènes ont été la source de 1-64 peptides CMHI par gène, 42% des gènes ne sont pas représentés dans l'immunopeptidome. Dans l'ensemble, l’immunopeptidome présenté par 27 allotypes HLA-A,B ne couvrent que 17% des séquences exomiques exprimées dans les cellules des sujets. Nous avons identifié plusieurs caractéristiques des transcrits et des protéines qui améliorent la production des peptides CMHI. Avec ces données, nous avons construit un modèle de régression logistique qui prédit avec une grande précision si un gène de notre ensemble de données ou à partir d'ensembles de données indépendants génèrerait des peptides CMHI. Nos résultats montrent la sélection préférentielle des peptides CMHI à partir d'un répertoire limité de produits de gènes avec des caractéristiques distinctes. L'idée que le système immunitaire peut surveiller des peptides CMHI couvrant seulement une fraction du génome codant des protéines a des implications profondes dans l'auto-immunité et l'immunologie du cancer.

Molecular Origins of Higher Harmonics in Large-Amplitude Oscillatory Shear Flow: Shear Stress Response

Recent work has focused on deepening our understanding of the molecular origins of the higher harmonics that arise in the shear stress response of polymeric liquids in large-amplitude oscillatory shear flow. For instance, these higher harmonics have been explained by just considering the orientation distribution of rigid dumbbells suspended in a Newtonian solvent. These dumbbells, when in dilute suspension, form the simplest relevant molecular model of polymer viscoelasticity, and this model specifically neglects interactions between the polymer molecules [R.B. Bird et al., J Chem Phys, 140, 074904 (2014)]. In this paper, we explore these interactions by examining the Curtiss-Bird model, a kinetic molecular theory designed specifically to account for the restricted motions that arise when polymer chains are concentrated, thus interacting and specifically, entangled. We begin our comparison using a heretofore ignored explicit analytical solution [Fan and Bird, JNNFM, 15, 341 (1984)]. For concentrated systems, the chain motion transverse to the chain axis is more restricted than along the axis. This anisotropy is described by the link tension coefficient, ε, for which several special cases arise: ε = 0 corresponds to reptation, ε > 1/8 to rod-climbing, 1/2 ≥ ε ≥ 3/4 to reasonable predictions for shear-thinning in steady simple shear flow, and ε = 1 to the dilute solution without hydrodynamic interaction. In this paper, we examine the shapes of the shear stress versus shear rate loops for the special cases ε = (0,1/8, 3/8,1) , and we compare these with those of rigid dumbbell and reptation model predictions.

Towards a Business Process Management Maturity Model

Business Process Management (BPM) has been identified as the number one business priority by a recent Gartner study (Gartner, 2005). However, BPM has a plethora of facets as its origins are in Business Process Reengineering, Process Innovation, Process Modelling, and Workflow Management to name a few. Organisations increasingly recognize the requirement for an increased process orientation and require appropriate comprehensive frameworks, which help to scope and evaluate their BPM initiative. This research project aims toward the development of a holistic and widely accepted BPM maturity model, which facilitates the assessment of BPM capabilities. This paper provides an overview about the current model with a focus on the actual model development utilizing a series of Delphi studies. The development process includes separate studies that focus on further defining and expanding the six core factors within the model, i.e. strategic alignment, governance, method, Information Technology, people and culture.

Computational power meets human contact

This chapter traces the development of the global digital storytelling movement from its origins in California to its adoption by the BBC in the UK and its subsequent dispersal around the world. It identifies the foundational practices, uneven development and diffusion, and emergent practices internationally.