...Pear DB / Mysql / $db is a pear db object

Using a mysql query w/ MIN() --- i.e. the following

$sql = "SELECT MIN(time) from mytable";	
$time = $db->getAll( $sql, DB_FETCHMODE_ASSOC  );

Returns a value in

$time[0]['MIN(time)'];

NOT in

$time[0]['time'];