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In research on tourism and protected natural areas, two tendencies are evident: one shows tourism as an element that contributes to local welfare and socio-economic development, while the other links tourism in these areas to excessively restrictive regulations that hinder tourist activity and thus rural development. This work contributes to these investigations and sets out the objective of determining the relationship between protected natural areas, nature tourism and its impact as a backbone for rural development. To this end, the protected areas of the region of Andalusia (Spain) are analysed, applying statistical techniques of Multivariate Analysis for the study. Tourism, employment and socio-economic dynamism, tourism efficiency, the quality of natural resources, territorial promotion and investment activities and tourism resources are identified as factors that characterise the regional protected natural areas. These factors have a positive impact on 75% of the territory, which shows that these areas are real assets for rural and local development in the region. Tourism as an activity benefits from the resources and values of these areas, contributing to the territorial development of rural areas in need of revitalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Chondrosarcoma and osteosarcoma are the most frequently occurring bone cancers. Although surgery and chemotherapy are currently clinically applied, improved treatment options are urgently needed. Melatonin is known to inhibit cell proliferation in both tumor types. Although the underlying mechanisms are not clear yet, calcium homeostasis has been reported to be a key factor in cancer biology. Here, we set out to investigate whether regulation of calcium by this indolamine may be involved in its antitumor effect. Methods: Cell viability was measured using a MTT assay and flow cytometry was used to measure levels of cytosolic calcium, intracellular oxidants, mitochondrial membrane potential and cell cycle progression. Mitochondrial calcium was analyzed by fluorimetry. Cell migration was determined using a scratch wound-healing assay. Western blot analysis was used to assess the expression of proteins related to cell cycle progression, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), Ac-CoA synthesis and intracellular signaling pathways. Results: We found that melatonin decreases cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ levels, intracellular oxidant levels, mitochondrial function and the expression of the E1 subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. These changes were found to be accompanied by decreases in cell proliferation, cell migration and EMT marker expression. The addition of CaCl2 prevented the changes mentioned above, while co-treatment with the calcium chelator BAPTA enhanced the effects. Conclusions: Our data indicate that regulation of calcium homeostasis is a key factor in the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration by melatonin. This effect should be taken into consideration in combined therapies with traditional or new antitumor compounds, since it may circumvent therapy resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall and biocrusts are important sources of temporal and spatial environmental heterogeneity and niche differentiation for annual plants, a major component of diversity in drylands. Therefore, global change processes comprising shifts in rainfall timing and drought exacerbation, together with biocrust disturbance may affect species coexistence and result in disrupted diversity patterns. In this study, we experimentally evaluated the effects of the rainfall amount and timing as well as physical biocrust disturbance and their interaction on the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of annual plant communities on gypsum soil drylands. All diversity estimates were determined at different times during community development in each experimental unit (α), as the contribution of each experimental unit to the total diversity in each treatment (β) and as the total diversity in each treatment (γ). Rainfall timings led to changes in all diversity dimensions, with higher diversity under the typical timing. The community was quite resilient to moderate reductions in rainfall, but extreme droughts decreased the alpha and beta taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversities. In addition, the simultaneous occurrence of biocrust disturbance and extreme drought led to consistent collapses in all diversity dimensions, probably because the effects of water shortage were exacerbated. Observations of the community at different times during its development highlighted the importance of regenerative strategies for niche differentiation and species coexistence, and their strong dependence on global change drivers. Indeed, our experimental study demonstrated that rainfall patterns and biocrusts are key factors related to the maintenance of diversity in semiarid annual plant communities. In particular, our results highlight the key role of biocrusts in modulating the effects of drought on plant diversity and the need for integrative approaches that consider both plants and biocrusts in order to elucidate the influence of climate change on the diversity of drylands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the work, the time series "tourists were visiting Andalusia" is modeled, a variable that has a strong seasonal component. The forecasting capacity of three different models is considered and analyzed, applying different modeling methodologies (Box-Jenkins, Holt-Winters and combined methods). The results obtained from the predictions are compared with the real values of the tourism series, assessing the good forecasting capacity of the three methodologies used. ItisverifiedthattheclassicHolt-Wintersprocedureistheonethatoffersthebestpredictiveresults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective doping of semiconductor oxide nanostructures is needed to control n-type conductivity; however, out-diffusion of impurities in high quality crystals is still a bottleneck in nanotechnology. Here, germanium-doped gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) nanowires have been grown by a thermal evaporation method. Two temperatures, close to Ge melting point, were chosen for the dynamic annealing of metallic gallium and germanium powders. At 840 °C, Ga2O3 nanowires and nanobelts grow along the b or c direction, leaving gallium germanate particles at the tip in both cases. Wider structures were produced at 940 °C, decorated with a Ge nanocrystal at the end. Transmission electron microscopy has been used to establish the vapor–liquid–solid-like growth process for the formation of these structures. The influence of Ge incorporation in the nanostructures has been assessed by cathodoluminescence and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The presence of Ge in β-Ga2O3 nanostructures is essential for electronic and optoelectronic applications since Ge is potentially the most effective n-type dopant for β-Ga2O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrier transport across Fe3O4/Si interfaces has been studied for two different Si substrate orientations. The Fe3O4 films exhibit a (111) texture on both (111)- and (001)-oriented substrates and field-cooling experiments show the characteristic step in film magnetization at the Verwey transition temperature of magnetite. Current-voltage measurements indicate the formation of high-quality Schottky barriers with an ideality factor of about n=1.06. Fits to the transport data using the thermionic emission/diffusion model yield Schottky barrier heights of 0.52 and 0.65 eV for Fe3O4/Si(111) and Fe3O4/Si(001) structures, respectively. The interface between the magnetite films and silicon substrates consists of a crystalline iron silicide/amorphous oxide bilayer with reduced magnetic moment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Schools are identified as ideal environments for addressing bias-based aggression, whether dealing with aggressors, victims, or bystanders. • Theory of Mind used to analyze responses to bias-based bullying. • Social Ecological Theory employed to address unique forms of bias-based bullying among sexual and gender minority youth. • Social Identity Theory used to examine racist or bias-based bullying among children. • Schools that implement Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) lower levels of multiple forms of bias-based bullying compared to schools without GSA. • The communities and schools that LGBTQ-inclusive provide enhanced safeguarding against bias-based bullying. The increasing recognition of diversity has brought about a rise in bias-based aggression, with researchers focusing on its prevalence among youth. This has generated the need for a systematic analysis of the factors associated with this type of behavior. To contextualize bias-based aggression and develop future intervention strategies for young people, it is crucial to appraise published studies. This meta -analytic review aims to identify the most commonly used theories to explain bias-based aggression, significant authors, countries, and institutions in this thematic field, as well as how they interrelate. Furthermore, it explores the most analyzed lines of research by researchers and discusses implications for preventive interventions to address bias-based aggression. This review focuses on English-language literature and utilizes a systematic search strategy in Scopus, yielding 51 publications. Descriptive statistical and bibliometric analyses were conducted using VOSviewer software. The results indicate a leadership role held by US researchers and institutions. Theories of mind and Social Ecological theories are found to be the most frequently employed theoretical frameworks by authors. Schools are identified as ideal environments for addressing bias-based aggression, whether dealing with aggressors, victims, or bystanders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the mechanisms that underlie species assembly is a central concern in community ecology. Abiotic and biotic filters are probabilistic 'sieves' that allow species with certain functional traits to become a part of the community, or not. We manipulated natural plant assemblies in order to identify variations in the timings of biotic and abiotic filters that determine community trait assemblies.We extracted soil portions when the investigated annual plant community was in its seed phase ('community monolith'), thereby maintaining the structure and similar soil characteristics to the field conditions. Community monoliths were subjected to experimental manipulation in terms of the rainfall timing and amount, and perturbations of the biological soil crust (BSC; intact vs. perturbed). We surveyed the experimental community assembly over time based on the functional diversity by considering important functional traits in different life stages.We found that autumn droughts acted as abiotic filters by favouring the germination and establishment of species with greater investment in the root biomass. Under severe droughts (66% water reduction), the experimental assemblies were dominated by species with functional traits adapted to water shortage conditions: high leaf dry matter content, low specific leaf area, small individual size, low reproductive ratio and high root:shoot ratio. We identified two roles of BSCs in annual plant species assemblies: (a) as a biotic filter that limited the establishment of species based on seed size, and (b) as a buffer against water stress conditions by reducing soil evapotranspiration.Synthesis. We demonstrated the importance of the timing and amount of rainfall for shaping annual plant communities, and identified germination filters as the main process that determined community assemblies. Our results suggest that the phenotypic integration of functional traits facilitates resistance to drought during the life cycle. The BSC–annual plant relationship shifted from negative, by acting as a germination filter, to positive, by acting as a buffer in later stages. Climatic fluctuations and fine scale biotic determinants of spatial heterogeneity emerged as sources of changes in the community assembly in time and space to possibly promote species coexistence and trait differences among the communities studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

* Background and Aims In Mediterranean annual plants, germination mainly occurs during the autumn and only those seedlings that survive winter freezing can flower and produce seedlings in spring. Surprisingly, the effect of freezing events as an abiotic determinant of these communities remains unexplored. The present study aimed to investigate how freezing events affect annual Mediterranean communities and whether their functional structure as related to freezing resistance is linked to the main biotic and abiotic determinants of these communities. * Methods In 120 plots located on a semi-arid Mediterranean steppe (Spain), the community functional structure related to the lethal temperature causing 50 % frost damage (LT50 trait) in seedlings was estimated and summarized as the community-weighted mean (CWM-LT50) and its functional diversity (FD-LT50). Plots were stratified according to distance to rabbit shelters and latrines as a proxy for rabbit density, proximity to Stipa tenacissima and spring water availability, where annual species abundance was recorded in all plots over three consecutive years. * Key Results Annual species were able to resist a threshold temperature of -4 °C and most had LT50 values around the absolute minimum temperature (-9.5 °C) in the three years. Higher rabbit densities led to lower CWM-LT50 and higher FD-LT50 values. Plots close to Stipa tussocks had higher CWM-LT50 values whereas water availability had no effects. * Conclusions High freezing resistance was extended among winter annual species, suggesting the presence of an association between historical environmental filtering and low winter temperatures. However, the community functional structure related to freezing resistance remained variable among scenarios with differences in herbivory pressure and distance to perennial vegetation. The trends observed indicate that traits that allow plants to deal with herbivory may also promote freezing resistance, and that tussocks can act as nurses via microclimatic amelioration of harsher winter conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Background and Aims Local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are considered key mechanisms for coping with climate warming, especially for plant species that inhabit island-like habitats. In Spain a complete guild of edaphic specialists, most of them threatened, occurs in gypsum outcrops, but how these species will respond to climate change has received little attention. • Methods A reciprocal sowing experiment was performed to determine the extent of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in five gypsophytes with contrasting distributions along a climate gradient. Germination, seedling growth and survival were recorded during a 4-year period. • Key Results Plants responded plastically according to their positions along the regional climate gradient, as well as locally between matched locations. All species exhibited highly plastic responses and stress-tolerant behaviours, especially in terms of seedling survival during summer drought. However, no evidence of local adaptation was detected in any of the locations, where local individuals never performed better than those from other sites. In some sites, both germination and seedling recruitment were higher irrespective of parent plant origin. • Conclusions The lack of local adaptation to drought displayed at the regeneration stage indicates limited capacity for in situ genetic response to new climate scenarios. Nevertheless, a plastic response along the climatic gradient does suggest a wider species-level capacity to enable these edaphic specialists to cope with increasing aridity over coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring the shape of complex nanostructures requires control of the growth process. In this work, we report on the selective growth of nanostructured tin oxide on gallium oxide nanowires leading to the formation of SnO2/Ga2O3 complex nanostructures. Ga2O3 nanowires decorated with either crossing SnO2 nanowires or SnO2 particles have been obtained in a single step treatment by thermal evaporation. The reason for this dual behavior is related to the growth direction of trunk Ga2O3 nanowires. Ga2O3 nanowires grown along the [001] direction favor the formation of crossing SnO2 nanowires. Alternatively, SnO2 forms rhombohedral particles on [110] Ga2O3 nanowires leading to skewer-like structures. These complex oxide structures were grown by a catalyst-free vapor-solid process. When pure Ga and tin oxide were used as source materials and compacted powders of Ga2O3 acted as substrates, [110] Ga2O3 nanowires grow preferentially. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals epitaxial relationship lattice matching between the Ga2O3 axis and SnO2 particles, forming skewer-like structures. The addition of chromium oxide to the source materials modifies the growth direction of the trunk Ga2O3 nanowires, growing along the [001], with crossing SnO2 wires. The SnO2/Ga2O3 junctions does not meet the lattice matching condition, forming a grain boundary. The electronic and optical properties have been studied by XPS and CL with high spatial resolution, enabling us to get both local chemical and electronic information on the surface in both type of structures. The results will allow tuning optical and electronic properties of oxide complex nanostructures locally as a function of the orientation. In particular, we report a dependence of the visible CL emission of SnO2 on its particular shape. Orange emission dominates in SnO2/Ga2O3 crossing wires while green-blue emission is observed in SnO2 particles attached to Ga2O3 trunks. The results show that the Ga2O3-SnO2 system appears to be a benchmark for shape engineering to get architectures involving nanowires via the control of the growth direction of the nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to analyse the associations between anthropometric characteristics and diet in male rugby players according to the playing position. A cross-sectional study was developed. The forwards had higher body weight (107 kg) and fat mass (FM; 12%) than the backs (87.8 kg and 8.47%, respectively) (p < 0.05). The quality of diet needs to improve (KIDMED value of 5.87 and 6.36 for forwards and backs, respectively). Nutritional imbalances, such as deficits in carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, and excess of fats, saturated fatty acid, cholesterol and sugars were found. Carbohydrates and proteins intake were significant associated (p < 0.05) with a minor FM. Forwards with a KIDMED index of less than 8 had a significantly higher FM than those who maintained an optimal diet (p < 0.05). The diet of rugby players should be more in line with dietary recommendations and take into account the player position to optimise sports performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether or not it is time for germination is a dilemma for annuals since they have only a single opportunity to reproduce successfully. This is critical for species living in stressful and unpredictable environments such as Mediterranean habitats. In order to clarify the environmental cues of germination, four annuals of different families, all of them occurring very frequently on gypsum soils, were selected and their germination observed under 14 climate scenarios, mimicking temperature and photoperiod conditions from autumn to spring, at two levels of water availability (continuous irrigation versus an initial single irrigation event followed by a progressive soil desiccation). In spring scenarios, two seed-storage conditions were compared: dry cold and room conditions. In the absence of water limitation, germination decreased from early autumn to late spring. Water scarcity always reduced germination, especially in early spring. Our results suggest a facultative winter germination behaviour and highlight the crucial role of dry cold storage in reducing spring germination. In conclusion, Mediterranean ephemerals showed a very plastic germination response that allows them to take advantage of favourable environmental conditions from autumn to spring. This environmental cueing is combined with the ability to dilute the risk through a variable rate of seed dormancy that, according to bet-hedging strategies, increases from secure autumn to riskier spring. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Highlights: [•] 110 and 125°C negatively affect to the quality of saffron floral bio-residues. [•] 70 and 90°C are selected as the best drying temperatures. [•] The treatment duration at 70°C is double than those of 90°C. [•] Phenolics are stable at 70 and 90°C combined with 2, 4, 6 and 8ms−1. [•] A better color and phenolic content is found at 90°C with 2, 4 and 6ms−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Whole Crocus sativus L. flowers were characterized in this study. [•] Stamens are the flower parts with the highest total and insoluble dietary fiber. [•] Floral bio-residues, stamens and stigmas are balanced sources of dietary fiber. [•] Whole flowers have high ash, protein and carbohydrates and low fat. [•] Flowers and saffron bio-residues show high mineral content, especially iron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large amounts of floral bio-residues (92.6 g per 100 g of flowers) are generated and wasted in the production of saffron ( Crocus sativus) spice. Progress in mechanization of saffron crop offer the opportunity to expand the uses of C. sativus flowers, beyond the spice (dried stigmas). The antioxidant potential of flowers of saffron, their separate parts (tepals, stamens, styles, and stigmas) and floral bio-residues were evaluated by 4 in vitro assays: lipid peroxidation, deoxyribose assay, Rancimat test, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity. Phenolic content and crocetin ester composition were also determined. All the samples studied showed to be potential antioxidants. The highest phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents were observed in tepals. Stamens showed lower phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents than those of whole flowers, tepals, and floral bio-residues. Crocetin esters were not found in tepals or stamens. Stamens exhibited the most potent LOO• and OH• radicals scavenging activity, being higher than those of food antioxidant propyl gallate. Flowers of saffron, tepals, stamens, styles, and floral bio-residues showed LOO•, OH•, and ABTS•− radicals scavenging activity, while stigmas showed LOO• and ABTS•− radicals scavenging activity. All samples studied improved the oxidative stability of sunflower oil in Rancimat test. These antioxidant properties could suggest the application of this floral material as functional ingredients with the subsequent added value. Practical Application: Saffron spice, the most valuable spice worldwide, is the dried stigma that only represents 7.4% of Crocus sativus flowers. Other parts of the flowers different to stigmas are discarded. Flower harvest and all the postharvest steps to produce saffron spice are performed manually. Mechanization of flower collection, stigma separation, and dehydration process is a revolution in saffron spice production, which increases the productive capacity making it possible to extend the uses of C. sativus flowers, beyond the production of saffron spice. Flowers possessed high-phenolic content and excellent antioxidant properties that could contribute to their application as functional ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fluctuating conditions throughout the year and changes in floral display may promote shifts in pollinator activity and predator pressure, influencing female reproductive output, especially for extended flowering species under seasonal climates. In this regard, flowering and fruit production were tracked in 2 different years in 2 populations of Ononis tridentata in Central Spain. Total fruit production was estimated, and fruits were harvested to obtain primary fruit investment, pollination success, predation incidence, seed production, seed weight and germination rates. Ononis tridentata combined spring mass flowering with a steady long flowering period across the summer and fall. The fewer flowers that are produced in fall were successfully pollinated, and produced fruits that were subject to minimal predation pressure relative to spring fruits. Moreover, fall fruits contained a higher number of heavier seeds and showed higher germination rates than those of spring seeds. Fall reproductive output represent 10% of annual viable seeds and thus may act as an important complement to the main spring reproductive investment. Extended flowering could be interpreted as a “bet-hedging strategy” for enduring Mediterranean unpredictable and changing environmental conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study of species coexistence and community assembly has been a hot topic in ecology for decades. Disentangling the hierarchical role of abiotic and biotic filters is crucial to understand community assembly processes. The most critical environmental factor in semi-arid environments is known to be water availability, and perennials are usually described as nurses that create milder local conditions and expand the niche range of several species. We aimed to broaden this view by jointly evaluating how biological soil crusts (BSCs), water availability, perennial species (presence/absence of Stipa tenacissima) and plant-plant interactions shape a semi-arid annual plant community. The presence and cover of annual species was monitored during three years of contrasting climate. Water stress acted as the primary filter determining the species pool available for plant community assembly. Stipa and BSCs acted as secondary filters by modulating the effects of water availability. At extremely harsh environmental conditions, Stipa exerted a negative effect on the annual plant community, while at more benign conditions it increased annual community richness. Biological soil crusts exerted a contradictory effect depending on climate and on the presence of Stipa, favoring annuals in the most adverse conditions but showing repulsion at higher water availability conditions. Finally, interactions among co-occurring annuals shaped species richness and diversity of the final annual plant assembly. This study sheds light on the processes determining the assembly of annual communities and highlights the importance of Biological Soil Crusts and of interactions among annual plants on the final outcome of the species assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin is an endogenous indolamine, classically known as a light/dark regulator. Besides classical functions, melatonin has also showed to have a wide range of antitumoral effects in numerous cancer experimental models. However, no definite mechanism has been described to explain the whole range of antineoplasic effects. Here we describe a dual effect of melatonin on intracellular redox state in relation to its antiproliferative vs cytotoxic actions in cancer cells. Thus, inhibition of proliferation correlates with a decrease on intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increase of antioxidant defences (antioxidant enzymes and intracellular gluthation,GSH levels), while induction of cell death correlates with an increase on intracellular ROS and decrease of antioxidant defences. Moreover, cell death can be prevented by other well-known antioxidants or can be increased by hydrogen peroxide. Thus, tumour cell fate will depend on the ability of melatonin to induce either an antioxidant environment-related to the antiproliferative effect or a prooxidant environment related to the cytotoxic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this paper was to study the synergic effect of water-soluble components of saffron, such as picrocrocin and kaempferol-3-O-glycoside, on its coloring strength (). The paper tries to clarify why a pool of isolated compounds responsible for coloring strength (crocetin esters, approx 94% purity) has the same coloring capacity as pure saffron (approx 20–22% of crocetin ester content). Picrocrocin and kaempferol-3-O-glycoside were added to an aqueous solution of crocetin esters at different molar ratios, temperatures and pH conditions, to promote the synergic effect between saffron components. When aqueous solutions of picrocrocin and crocetin esters were heated at 30°C, coloring strength values were higher than aqueous solutions of crocetin esters subjected to the same treatment. Noticeable increases of values were found when picrocrocin was added to crocetin esters at molar ratios equal to or higher than 1:1. These increases were even higher when kaempferol-3-O-glycoside was added up to a 2:1 and 5:1 molar ratio. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A method to determine safranal content based on non-polar solvent extraction followed by UV–Vis analysis available in the industry for quality control of saffron spice has been studied. Ultrasound-assisted extraction of safranal was carried out and optimised with respect to the solvent: diethyl ether, hexane and chloroform; the time of extraction; and the concentration of saffron in each organic solvent. Best extraction conditions were obtained when 20gL−1 of saffron was extracted with chloroform for 15min. Intra-laboratory validation of the optimised conditions and analysis by UV–Vis spectrophotometry showed satisfactory results in linearity, repeatability, intermediate precision and recovery. The limit of detection was 1mg safranal kg−1 saffron and the limit of quantification was 3mg safranal kg−1 saffron. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During the past decades, intense attention has been focused on the anti-tumor properties of marine compounds which some of them have been revealed as potent apoptotic inducers. In the present work, we studied the mechanism of action of a new compound, Spisulosine (ES-285), isolated from the sea mollusc Spisula polynyma, in the prostate tumor PC-3 and LNCaP cell lines. Spisulosine inhibited cell proliferation with an IC50 of 1 μM in both cell lines, although it was more effective in the androgen-independent PC-3 cells. The anti-proliferative effect induced by Spisulosine in prostate cells was independent of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/(PI3K/Akt), Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 or classical protein kinase C (PKCs) pathways, as it was inferred from the results obtained with specific inhibitors of these routes. However, Spisulosine treatment of prostate cells induced an increase in the intracellular ceramide levels, that was totally blocked by the ceramide synthase inhibitor Fumonisin B1, indicating that the ceramide accumulation came from the de novo biosynthesis. Spisulosine also induced in both PC-3 and LNCaP cells, an activation of the atypical PKC isoform, PKCζ, which is one of the target proteins of ceramide. These results indicate that the marine compound Spisulosine inhibits the growth of the prostate PC-3 and LNCaP cells through intracellular ceramide accumulation and PKCζ activation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects approximately 4% of middle-aged men and 2% of middle-aged women. Cardiac arrhythmias are common problems in patients with OSA, even though the true prevalence and clinical relevance of cardiac arrhythmias remains to be determined. The presence and complexity of both tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias may influence morbidity, mortality, and the quality of life for OSA patients. Although the exact mechanisms underlying the link between OSA and cardiac arrhythmias are not well established, they could be partially the same proposed mechanisms relating OSA to different cardiovascular diseases. OSA is characterized by repetitive pharyngeal collapse during sleep that leads to markedly reduced or absent airflow, followed by oxyhemoglobin desaturation, persistent inspiratory efforts against an occluded airway, and termination by arousal from sleep. These mechanisms elicit a variety of autonomic, hemodynamic, humoral, and neuroendocrine responses that by themselves evoke acute and chronic changes in cardiovascular function. These effects may lead to the development of cardiac arrhythmias and any other form of cardiovascular disease linked to OSA. The aims of this review are to describe the essential cardiovascular pathophysiological aspects of OSA, to outline the relationship between OSA and both tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias and their possible influence in the natural history of OSA patients, and to assess the effects of OSA treatment on the presence of cardiac arrhythmias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lavandula stoechas subsp. pedunculata regeneration depends exclusively on the establishment of new individuals. Seed availability and seedling emergence and survival are therefore critical life stages and processes for species regeneration. In this study, seedling emergence and survival was monitored for two years in the scrub, both in clearings and adjacent to adult plants, and the surrounding perennial grassland, at 1, 3 and 5m from the scrub. Soil seed bank spatial distribution was also studied for one year in the same two habitats, using the same sampling design. Soil seed availability in the scrub is high regardless of the distance from the adult individuals. On the contrary, the adjacent grassland shows a drastic fall in seed density, and almost no seedlings were observed there. In the scrub, seedling density was negatively related to distance from the three nearest adult plants in the clearings, and positively related to adult plant size beneath the adult Lavandula plants. There was also a negative relationship between seedling density and the percentage of bare soil. Only one seedling survived the first drought period, with no detection of effects of either position with respect to adult individuals or seedling density. We hypothesized that the study populations suffer a lack of appropriate safe sites within the scrubland while in the adjacent perennial grassland, observed low seed availability was added to safe-site limitation. That results in a lack of successful seedling establishments and a poor expansion potential of Lavandula scrublands, whose edges remain static in the short and medium term. As found in other Mediterranean scrubland, recruitment may only occur in years with particularly favourable weather, under disturbance regimes that increase seedling survival probability or when external dispersal agents increased seed availability in adequate places for Lavandula establishment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A 32-year-old woman with no structural heart disease was referred for evaluation due to daily occasional palpitations and documented left bundle branch block (LBBB) on surface electrocardiogram (EKG). Continuous 24-hour Holter monitoring revealed a broad range of repetitive intermittent LBBB grades with a rate-dependent pattern that was also associated with circadian variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many dehesa zones in marginal areas are suffering from the abandonment of traditional farming practices. Herbivore grazing affects grassland dynamics, changing the species colonisation and extinction relationships via consumption, mechanical disturbance, seed dispersal and altered soil fertility due to dung-borne nutrient input. This paper analyses changes to floristic composition, species richness and heterogeneity as well as soil and light resources in relation to grazing abandonment in two characteristic topography-related types of dehesa habitat (upper slope and lower slope grasslands). Vegetation surveys were undertaken using five replicates in each habitat type in grazed and abandoned grasslands in the Guadarrama range in Central Spain with distric cambisol soils. Additional measurements of light and soil parameters were also undertaken. The results show an effect of grazing on resource availability. In general there was a smaller proportion of fine matter (clay), organic matter, total nitrogen, assimilable potassium and readily available water in abandoned as opposed to grazed zones. We did not find any effect of grazing on phosphorous availability. Abandonment reduces light availability at ground level in lower slope grasslands (wet meadows) but does not produce a significant reduction in upper slope (driest) grasslands, although there is an increased spatial heterogeneity in the availability of light associated with the presence of scattered shrubs. While the total number of species in abandoned zones did not significantly differ from grazed zones, floristic composition changed dramatically with abandonment in both habitat types, with less than 50% of common species. Also, floristic heterogeneity at the small scale increased with abandonment. Designers of agri-environmental policies applied to Mediterranean grasslands should be aware of the risk of widespread grazing abandonment and promote the diversification of grazing regimes across the landscape to maximize species diversity and take advantage of the benefits of low-density grazing in other functions of the ecosystem such as their productivity and stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Vanilloid receptor subtype-1 (TRPV1), the founding member of the vanilloid receptor-like transient receptor potential channel family, is a non-selective cation channel that responds to noxious stimuli such as low pH, painful heat and irritants. In the present study, we show, as means of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis, that the vanilloid TRPV1 receptor is expressed in the prostate epithelial cell lines PC-3 and LNCaP as well as in human prostate tissue. The kinetic parameters inferred from [125I]-resiniferatoxin binding were in concordance with data of TRPV1 receptors expressed in other tissues. The contribution of the endogenously expressed TRPV1 channel to intracellular calcium concentration increase in the prostate cells was studied by measuring changes in Fura-2 fluorescence by fluorescence microscopy. Addition of capsaicin, (R)-methanandamide and resiniferatoxin to prostate cells induced a dose-dependent increase in the intracellular calcium concentration that was reversed by the vanilloid TRPV1 receptor antagonist capsazepine. These results indicate that the vanilloid TRPV1 receptor is expressed and functionally active in human prostate cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyses the relationship between Lavandula stoechas subsp. pedunculata, a common Mediterranean scrub species in central Iberia, and perennial grasslands. While Lavandula gives rise to almost monospecific formations in intermediate and upper hill zones, perennial grasses occupy the low areas. The proposed explanatory hypothesis for this spatial distribution is that the scrub is unable to establish itself in grasslands with heavy spatial occupation. We designed two experiments to test this hypothesis, one which analysed the effect of perennial grass cover on Lavandula establishment, and another which focused on its influence on previously implanted seedling survival and growth, distinguishing the effect of shoot and root interference. The results show negative interference during establishment and later in the use of light and nutrients. This results in a very low overall survival probability, with only 1.4% of seedlings surviving the first growth period. This low success rate explains the existence of a clear spatial segregation between scrub patches and perennial-dominated grasslands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It has been recently shown that cannabinoids may regulate the growth of many cell types. In the present work we examined the effect of the anandamide analogue (R)-methanandamide (MET) on androgen-dependent prostate LNCaP cell growth. We found that 0.1 μM MET had a mitogenic effect measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA. The effect exerted by MET was blocked by the cannabinoid receptor antagonists SR141716 (SR1) and SR144528 (SR2) as well as by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002, suggesting an involvement of cannabinoid receptors and the PI3K pathway in the mechanism of MET action. MET treatment of LNCaP cells also induced an up-regulation of androgen receptor expression that was blocked by the two cannabinoid receptor antagonists SR1 and SR2. These results show for the first time that cannabinoids may modify androgen receptor expression in an androgen-dependent cell line and by this mechanism could regulate prostate cell growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Despite decades of research, a comprehensive understanding of trait coordination at the whole‐plant level remains elusive. Furthermore, while the link between above‐ground growth rates and leaf traits related to nutrient use is well established, much less is known about the below‐ground compartment. Herbs and woody species exhibit distinct above‐ground growth and nutrient‐use strategies, but whether these differences extend to root traits below‐ground remains unclear. We carried out a common garden experiment with 23 perennials (7 herbs and 16 woody species) coexisting in a Mediterranean shrubland and measured 17 above‐ground and below‐ground traits related to growth, nutrient use and size. We analysed the links between growth rate and nutrient use focusing especially on roots and considering potential differences between herbs and woody species. We also combined plant size data from experimental juveniles and field‐sampled adults to determine the effects of life stage on whole‐plant phenotypic integration. We found a significant relationship between growth rates (both above‐ground and below‐ground) and root nutrient‐use strategies. Root diameter was negatively associated to growth rate only in herbs. Specific root area and root tissue density were positively and negatively correlated with growth rate, respectively, in both herbs and woody species. Moreover, we found significant differences in roots traits between herbs and woody species. Plant growth rate and root nutrient‐use strategies were both positively associated to plant size (height and above‐ground diameter) in juveniles, while a negative relationship was observed in adults. Our work provides insights on the links between whole‐plant growth rate and nutrient‐use strategies in species from a dry Mediterranan shrubland. Specifically, we show that whole‐plant growth rate is strongly associated to root traits, with more acquisitive root nutrient‐use strategies related to faster growth rates, which in turn translated to greater plant size in juveniles but smaller in adults. Our results also highlight root functional differences and contrasting patterns of whole‐plant phenotypic integration between herbs and woody species, offering deeper insights into species coexistence in species‐rich dry Mediterranean environments. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introduction of a full-blown mathematical model of underground natural gas storage. • Presentation of an optimal management policy for underground natural gas. • Inclusion of water reservoirs in the optimal management policy. • Natural gas and power demands are tested during coincident peaks. • Energy production of the more polluting power plants is efficiently reduced. Significant challenges for system planners to formulate optimal policies for the use of energy resources require the use of novel analytical tools that efficiently incorporate existing assets nationwide. Depleted oil or natural gas fields, aquifers, mines, and salt caverns are geological formations that can be used to store natural gas. They are assets available in most of the OECD countries and are an alternative for system planners to incorporate. This paper presents an optimal management policy for the utilization of natural gas -in an underground facility- and water -in reservoirs- so that said policy determines when and how much natural gas and water should be stored and when they should be used. It aims to guarantee that primary energy resources -in the form of natural gas or water- are available in order to meet future demands under extreme weather conditions or a scenario of coincident natural gas and power peak demands. The policy is based on a full-blown mathematical model of the underground natural gas facilities that considers the most relevant geological characteristics. The model introduced in this paper guarantees that the policy is feasible. Numerical results prove that ignoring geological features leads to infeasible results. They also confirm that the adverse effects of having coincident natural gas and power demands can be mitigated if natural gas storage and water reservoirs are properly used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An HPLC-DAD method is proposed, developed, and validated. • The HPLC-DAD method is adequate in terms of its performance characteristics. • The main metabolites are determined from an extract of Crocus sativus L. flowers. • The HPLC-DAD method could be used to assess the corm quality of Crocus sativus L. Crocus sativus L. is a perennial plant vegetatively propagated by corms. Although this plant has been cultivated throughout history to obtain its dried stigmas known as saffron, the whole flowers are natural sources of antioxidants, which are currently of interest to the phytopharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. It is thus necessary to assess the quality control of the whole flower of Crocus sativus L. The aim of this work is to propose, develop, and validate a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD) method to determine the quality of Crocus sativus L. whole flowers through the detailed assessment of its main compounds. This analytical method was adequate in terms of the performance characteristics evaluated (linearity, selectivity, detection and quantification limits, precision, and accuracy), and it could also be applied to evaluate the corm quality of Crocus sativus L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The secreted lethal toxin produced by Bacillus anthracis is a major virulence factor associated with anthrax. Therefore, understanding how this lethal toxin induces death in the host and how the host responds at the cellular level are major areas of interest. To this end, a surprising new finding reports that murine macrophages can become resistant to lethal toxin through a mechanism coined ‘toxin-induced resistance’ or TIR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation in relation to body mass index," by Dublin et al. that was published in the past issue.

Mountains are considered excellent natural laboratories for studying the determinants of plant diversity at contrasting spatial scales. To gain insights into how plant diversity is structured at different spatial scales, we surveyed high mountain plant communities in the Chilean Andes where man-driven perturbations are rare. This was done along elevational gradients located at different latitudes taking into account factors that act at fine scales, including abiotic (potential solar radiation and soil quality) and biotic (species interactions) factors, and considering multiple spatial scales. Species richness, inverse of Simpson’s concentration (Dequiv), beta-diversity and plant cover were estimated using the percentage of cover per species recorded in 34 sites in the different regions with contrasted climates. Overall, plant species richness, Dequiv and plant cover were lower in sites located at higher latitudes. We found a unimodal relationship between species richness and elevation and this pattern was constant independently of the regional climatic conditions. Soil quality decreased the beta-diversity among the plots in each massif and increased the richness, the Dequiv and cover. Segregated patterns of species co-occurrence were related to increases in richness, Dequiv and plant cover at finer scales. Our results showed that elevation patterns of alpine plant diversity remained constant along the regions although the mechanisms underlying these diversity patterns may differ among climatic regions. They also suggested that the patterns of plant diversity in alpine ecosystems respond to a series of factors (abiotic and biotic) that act jointly at different spatial scale determining the assemblages of local communities, but their importance can only be assessed using a multi-scale spatial approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on gypsum ecosystem research in southern Africa, highlighting the expansion of an international network through joint projects and training of young scientists. The topics include the significance of gypsum ecosystems, the lack of recognition of gypsum in the southern African soil classification system, and the importance of prioritizing research in these ecosystems.

Background and Aims Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi enhance the uptake of water and minerals by the plant hosts, alleviating plant stress. Therefore, AM fungal–plant interactions are particularly important in drylands and other stressful ecosystems. We aimed to determine the combined and independent effects of above- and below-ground plant community attributes (i.e. diversity and composition), soil heterogeneity and spatial covariates on the spatial structure of the AM fungal communities in a semiarid Mediterranean scrubland. Furthermore, we evaluated how the phylogenetic relatedness of both plants and AM fungi shapes these symbiotic relationships. Methods We characterized the composition and diversity of AM fungal and plant communities in a dry Mediterranean scrubland taxonomically and phylogenetically, using DNA metabarcoding and a spatially explicit sampling design at the plant neighbourhood scale. Key Results The above- and below-ground plant community attributes, soil physicochemical properties and spatial variables explained unique fractions of AM fungal diversity and composition. Mainly, variations in plant composition affected the AM fungal composition and diversity. Our results also showed that particular AM fungal taxa tended to be associated with closely related plant species, suggesting the existence of a phylogenetic signal. Although soil texture, fertility and pH affected AM fungal community assembly, spatial factors had a greater influence on AM fungal community composition and diversity than soil physicochemical properties. Conclusions Our results highlight that the more easily accessible above-ground vegetation is a reliable indicator of the linkages between plant roots and AM fungi. We also emphasize the importance of soil physicochemical properties in addition to below-ground plant information, while accounting for the phylogenetic relationships of both plants and fungi, because these factors improve our ability to predict the relationships between AM fungal and plant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological processes such as seed dispersal or plant–plant interactions and environmental constraints such as climate or soil heterogeneity are known to influence establishment, and thus the spatial patterns of plant communities and populations. In this study, we hypothesized that key functional traits such as the specific leaf area (SLA), reproductive ratio (reproductive/vegetative biomass), seed mass and maximum plant height would influence the spatial patterns of individual species in annual, gypsophilous plant communities, and that these effects would be modulated by both the soil surface structure (biocrust) and climate (precipitation) conditions.We mapped the spatial patterns of all plants found in six 1 × 1 m plots (more than 1000 individuals per plot) in both the seedling (autumn) and adult stages (spring) under two biocrust experimental conditions (intact vs. disturbed biocrust) during two consecutive years which were contrasted in term of precipitation (dry year and wet year). To assess the spatial patterns of seedlings and adults, we fitted four different spatial point pattern models (i.e. Poisson, inhomogeneous Poisson, Poisson cluster and inhomogeneous Poisson cluster processes) to each of the 242 populations of the 26 most abundant species that had more than 15 individuals per plot.Most seedling populations exhibited clustered spatial patterns that persisted in the adult stage, which suggests that short‐distance dispersal is an adaptive trait for soil specialists such as gypsophilous plants. One‐third of the populations fitted an inhomogeneous model best but the physical structure of the biocrust was not related to them. More importantly, we found a connection between the functional strategies of species and the spatial distribution of plants. In particular, during the dry year, irrespective of the biocrust conditions, species with a high SLA and high Rep/Veg mainly exhibited clustered spatial patterns, whereas low SLA and low Rep/Veg were associated with random distributions. Species with heavy and light seed masses had random and clustered patterns, respectively. In both the dry and wet years, species with lower maximum heights had clustered patterns, whereas taller species exhibited random patterns. In addition, species with heavier seeds and greater maximum heights had the largest cluster sizes.Our results confirm that the spatial patterns of seedlings and adult plants are significantly determined by the functional strategy of each species. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report a case of a patient with recurrent episodes of supraventricular tachycardia in which a concealed left-posterior accessory pathway-mediated orthodromic tachycardia was reproducibly induced during the EP study. Two interesting and very unusual electrophysiological phenomenon were observed at the same time during the ablation procedure of the accessory pathway: 1— Automaticity of the regular accessory atrioventricular pathway; 2— Emergence of manifest preexcitation following radiofrequency application exclusively during the automatic accessory pathway-mediated rhythm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Obesity as a risk factor for sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias in MADIT II patients," by G. Pietrasik, I. Goldenberg, S. McNitt. A. J. Moss and W. Zareba in the previous issue.

Abstract: Rest angina with transient ST segment elevation is the more frequent clinical presentation of coronary vasospasm. However, ventricular arrhythmias may be triggered by vasospasm episodes or reperfusion phenomenon, being vasospastic angina a rare but possible cause of sudden cardiac death in patients with structurally normal heart. We report of a patient admitted to the hospital presenting with recurrent nonexertional substernal chest pain who experienced an episode of sudden cardiac death due to malignant ventricular arrhythmias during a 24-hour Holter ECG. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present case report illustrates an atypical electrocardiographic presentation of typical atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia. Persistent 2:1 AV block during tachycardia is evident and an spontaneous ventricular premature beat during tachycardia resulted in 1:1 AV conduction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

1. Climate models forecast changes in the amount and distribution of rain, which may affect ecosystems worldwide, especially in drylands where water is already the limiting factor for plant life. Annual plant communities are common in drylands where they can complete their entire life cycle during the rainy period while avoiding the dry season. Moreover, seed dormancy allows them to disperse over time by remaining in the seed bank for long periods. However, the extent to which these communities will be able to tolerate increasing drought is uncertain. 2. We performed a 5-year rainfall reduction treatment under field conditions and determined its effects on annual plant communities in a Mediterranean gypsum ecosystem. We assessed the taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of these communities each year for 5 years. 3. The taxonomic and functional diversity decreased under the rainfall reduction treatment, whereas the phylogenetic diversity increased. Moreover, the relative importance of species with drought-resistant functional designs increased in the community assemblages. However, after a rainy season with above average rainfall, all of the diversity values recovered completely even under the rainfall reduction treatment. 4. Our results provide important insights into the responses of these plant communities under a climate change scenario, where they indicate high losses of diversity during drought events but rapid recovery in milder years. 5. Synthesis. Our findings highlight the great resilience of annual plant communities in drylands, which may allow them to tolerate increased drought under the present climate change scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a rare entity in pediatric patients. We present an unusual case of pericardial involvement, quite uncommon as extranodal presentation of this type of disorder, that provoked a life-risk situation requiring an urgent pericardiocentesis. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a child with pericardial involvement without an associated cardiac mass secondary to anaplastic large cell lymphoma in pediatric age. We report the case of a 21-month-old Caucasian male infant with cardiac tamponade associated with the presentation of anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Initially, the child presented with 24-day prolonged fever syndrome, cutaneous lesions associated with hepatomegaly, inguinal adenopathies, and pneumonia. After a 21-day asymptomatic period, polypnea and tachycardia were detected in a clinical check-up. Chest X-ray revealed a remarkable increase of the cardiothoracic index. The anaplastic large cell lymphoma has a high incidence of extranodal involvement but myocardial or pericardial involvements are rare. For this reason, we recommend a close monitoring of patients with a differential diagnosis of anaplastic large cell lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The analysis of plant elemental composition and the underlying factors affecting its variation are a current hot topic in ecology. Ecological adaptation to atypical soils may shift plant elemental composition. However, no previous studies have evaluated its relevance against other factors such as phylogeny, climate or individual soil conditions.We evaluated the effect of the phylogeny, environment (climate, soil), and affinity to gypsum soils on the elemental composition of 83 taxa typical of Iberian gypsum ecosystems. We used a new statistical procedure (multiple phylogenetic variance decomposition, MPVD) to decompose total explained variance by different factors across all nodes in the phylogenetic tree of target species (covering 120 million years of Angiosperm evolution).Our results highlight the relevance of phylogeny on the elemental composition of plants both at early (with the development of key preadaptive traits) and recent divergence times (diversification of the Iberian gypsum flora concurrent with Iberian gypsum deposit accumulation). Despite the predominant phylogenetic effect, plant adaptation to gypsum soils had a strong impact on the elemental composition of plants, particularly on sulphur concentrations, while climate and soil effects were smaller.Accordingly, we detected a convergent evolution of gypsum specialists from different lineages on increased sulphur and magnesium foliar concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study on the clarification of anthocyanin-rich grape pomace extracts was carried out by tubular, hollow fibre and spiral wound industrial crossflow membrane units. Three polysulfone membranes were tested: a 500- kDa molecular mass cut-off (MMCO), and a 0.2- and 0.6-μm pore size cut-offs (PSCO). The 500- kDa MMCO and the 0.2-μm PSCO membranes produced particle-free extracts, while the 0.6-μm membrane showed deficient clarification. The 500- kDa MMCO membrane produced up to 3.7% loss of most of the individual anthocyanins, while the 0.6- and 0.2-μm PSCO membranes produced up to 2% only of some of the anthocyanins with higher molecular masses. Permeate steady fluxes of up to 53 L h−1 m−2 were obtained. Particles with sizes of 0.5-1.5 μm and the macromolecular anthocyanin-tannin complexes had a major impact on membrane performance. The obtained results are scalable to industrial installations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epitaxial films including bulklike cubic and wurtzite polymorphs of MnSb have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs via careful control of the Sb4/Mn flux ratio. Nonzero-temperature density functional theory was used to predict ab initio the half-metallicity of the cubic polymorph and compare its spin polarization as a function of reduced magnetization with that of the well known half-metal NiMnSb. In both cases, half-metalljcity is lost at a threshold magnetization reduction, corresponding to a temperature T* < TC. This threshold is far higher for cubic MnSb compared to NiMnSb and corresponds to T* > 350 K, making epitaxial cubic MnSb a promising candidate for efficient room temperature spin injection into semiconductors [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Amino acids are important in human nutrition and also influence the sensory traits of products. Up to now, no report has been available on the free amino acid content of saffron spice. This study developed a rapid method for the extraction of free amino acids and ammonium ion from saffron, thus permitting the differentiation of saffron samples by origin. The first step tested the extraction time (15, 30, 60, 120 and 240min) and extractive solvent (water, 0.1N HCl, 0.5N HCl and 1N HCl). The best results for the free amino acids and ammonium ion extraction were obtained using 0.1N HCl during 60min. Subsequently, these compounds were derivatised using diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate (DEEMM) and analysed by HPLC. Using this method, 20 saffron samples from different countries (Spain, Italy, Greece and Iran) were analysed. Alanine, proline and aspartic acid were the major amino acids in all the samples. Alanine presented the maximum value in Iranian samples with 0.17±0.02mg/100mg of saffron. The highest concentration of proline (0.087±0.01mg/100mg) appeared in Greek samples and the maximum value of aspartic acid was 0.04±0.01mg/100mg in Spanish samples. Greek and Iranian saffron presented the highest total free amino acid content, 0.50±0.08mg/100mg and 0.55±0.07mg/100mg, respectively. Furthermore, the free amino acid profile enabled us to differentiate the Iranian samples from the European samples (p <0.05). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The response of anandamide is terminated by a carrier-mediated transport followed by degradation catalyzed by the cloned enzyme fatty acid amidohydrolase (FAAH). In this study, we provide biochemical data showing an anandamide uptake process and the expression of FAAH in human prostate. Anandamide was accumulated in PC-3 cells by a saturable and temperature-dependent process. Kinetic studies of anandamide uptake, determined in the presence of cannabinoid and vanilloid antagonists, revealed apparent parameters of KM=4.7+/-0.2 microm and Vmax=3.3+/-0.3 pmol min-1 (10(6) cells)-1. The accumulation of anandamide was moderately inhibited by previously characterized anandamide transporter inhibitors (AM404, UCM707 and VDM11) but was unaffected by inhibitors of other lipid transport systems (phloretin or verapamil) and moderately affected by the FAAH inhibitor methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphonate. The presence of FAAH in human prostate epithelial PC-3 cells was confirmed by analyzing its expression by Western blot and measuring FAAH activity. To further study the structural requirements of the putative carrier, we synthesized a series of structurally different compounds 1-8 and evaluated their capacity as uptake inhibitors. They showed different inhibitory capacity in PC-3 cells, with (9Z,12Z)-N-(fur-3-ylmethyl)octadeca-9,12-dienamide (4, UCM119) being the most efficacious, with maximal inhibition and IC50 values of 49% and 11.3+/-0.5 microM, respectively. In conclusion, PC-3 cells possess a complete inactivation system for anandamide formed by an uptake process and the enzyme FAAH. These results suggest a possible physiological function of anandamide in the prostate, reinforcing the role of endocannabinoid system as a neuroendocrine modulator. British Journal of Pharmacology (2004) 141, 457-467. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705628 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]