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Greek giant beans, also known as “Gigantes Elefantes” (elephant beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L.,) are a traditional and highly cherished culinary delight in Greek cuisine, contributing significantly to the economic prosperity of local producers. However, the issue of food fraud associated with these products poses substantial risks to both consumer safety and economic stability. In the present study, multi-elemental analysis combined with decision tree learning algorithms were investigated for their potential to determine the multi-elemental profile and discriminate the origin of beans collected from the two geographical areas. Ensuring the authenticity of agricultural products is increasingly crucial in the global food industry, particularly in the fight against food fraud, which poses significant risks to consumer safety and economic stability. To ascertain this, an extensive multi-elemental analysis (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Re, Se, Sr, Ta, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Zn, and Zr) was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Bean samples originating from Kastoria and Prespes (products with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status) were studied, focusing on the determination of elemental profiles or fingerprints, which are directly related to the geographical origin of the growing area. In this study, we employed a decision tree algorithm to classify Greek “Gigantes Elefantes” beans based on their multi-elemental composition, achieving high performance metrics, including an accuracy of 92.86%, sensitivity of 87.50%, and specificity of 96.88%. These results demonstrate the model’s effectiveness in accurately distinguishing beans from different geographical regions based on their elemental profiles. The trained model accomplished the discrimination of Greek “Gigantes Elefantes” beans from Kastoria and Prespes, with remarkable accuracy, based on their multi-elemental composition.

Adulteration of high-value agricultural products is a critical issue worldwide for consumers and industries. Discrimination of the geographical origin can verify food authenticity by reducing risk and detecting adulteration. Between agricultural products, beans are a very important crop cultivated worldwide that provides food rich in iron and vitamins, especially for people in third-world countries. The aim of this study is the construction of a map of the locally characteristic isotopic fingerprint of giant beans, “Fasolia Gigantes-Elefantes PGI”, a Protected Geographical Indication product cultivated in the region of Kastoria and Prespes, Western Macedonia, Greece, with the ultimate goal of the discrimination of beans from the two areas. In total, 160 samples were collected from different fields in the Prespes region and 120 samples from Kastoria during each cultivation period (2020–2021 and 2021–2022). The light element (C, N, and S) isotope ratios were measured using Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS), and the results obtained were analyzed using chemometric techniques, including a one-way ANOVA and Binomial logistic regression. The mean values from the one-way ANOVA were δ15NAIR = 1.875‰, δ13CV-PDB = −25.483‰, and δ34SV-CDT = 4.779‰ for Kastoria and δ15NAIR = 1.654‰, δ13CV-PDB = −25.928‰, and δ34SV-CDT = −0.174‰ for Prespes, and showed that stable isotope ratios of C and S were statistically different for the areas studied while the Binomial logistic regression analysis that followed correctly classified more than 78% of the samples.

The supply of water to a plant canopy is dependent on the xylem pathway connecting roots to leaves. In some plants, sectored xylem pathways can restrict resource distribution, resulting in variable quality of organs in the shoots, yet little is known about the effects of sectoring in crop cultivars. In this study, we combined sap flow measurements and infusion of xylem-specific dyes to document functional conductive area and flow pathways from roots to shoots of 20-year-old Thompson Seedless and 8-year-old Chardonnay grapevines. Sap flow measurements and dye infusion demonstrated that water flowed predominantly in discrete xylem (visually identifiable from the trunk surface) sectors along the trunk axis, each supplying limited portions of the canopy. Functional conductive area in the trunk was proportional to that in the shoots even though sector size varied considerably between vines. Leaf area removal experiments further demonstrated sectoring in grapevines; sap flow decreased by >90 % in trunk sectors connected to excised shoots while it remained constant in trunk sectors supplying intact portions of the canopy. Despite the functional sectoring in grapevines, a high degree of interconnectivity of trunk xylem in the tangential direction was confirmed with synchrotron-based micro-computed tomography (microCT) and dye crossover infusion studies. Fruit attached to dyed canes was also similarly sectored; no clusters exhibited dye on non-dyed canes, while 97 % of clusters attached to dyed canes exhibited dye infusion. The dye travelled down the cluster rachis and appeared to accumulate at the pedicel/berry junction, but only on dyed canes. These findings suggest that xylem in grapevine trunks is integrated anatomically, but functions in a sectored manner due to high axial hydraulic conductivity. The functional sectoring of grapevine xylem documented here has important implications for management practices in vineyards and for fruit cluster uniformity within single grapevine.

Stem refilling has been studied in many forest species, but its impact on olive trees remains underexplored. This study aims to examine the effect of varying fruit loads on stem refilling rates in olive trees. The experiment was conducted in a commercial olive orchard over two years, characterized by a biennial bearing cycle with minimal fruit production in 2021 (“OFF” year) and maximal fruit production in 2022 (“ON” year). Sap flow sensors measured the water volume differences traversing the apex and base of main branches in two experimental trees. Tree water status was monitored using psychrometers, and soil moisture content was continuously recorded. Results suggest that alternate bearing significantly affects the stem refilling process, while soil moisture availability also plays a pivotal role. During the “ON” year, water reserve consumption increased to 63.6% compared to the “OFF” year to meet the water requirements of developing fruits. Replenishment occurred at various times throughout the 24 h period, including early morning, afternoon, and night when stomatal conductance measurements indicated stomatal closure. During the “ON” year, olive trees experienced intense nocturnal replenishment of reserves, regardless of soil moisture, water vapor pressure deficit, or fruit development stage. These findings offer novel insights into olive trees’ rehydration dynamics that can be used to optimize irrigation scheduling and improve water use efficiency.

Background Despite significant progress in the development of T cell-engaging therapies for various B-cell malignancies, a high medical need remains for the refractory disease setting, often characterized by suboptimal target levels.Methods To address this issue, we have developed a 65-kDa multispecific antibody construct, CLN-978, with affinities tuned to optimize the killing of low-CD19 expressing tumor cells. CLN-978 bound to CD19 on B cells with picomolar affinity, and to CD3ε on T cells with nanomolar affinity. A serum albumin binding domain was incorporated to extend serum half-life. In this setting, we biophysically characterize and report the activities of CLN-978 in cell co-culture assays, multiple mouse models and non-human primates.Results Human T cells redirected by CLN-978 could eliminate target cells expressing less than 300 copies of CD19 on their surface. The half-life extension and high affinity for CD19 led to significant antitumor activity in murine lymphoma models at very low doses of CLN-978. In primates, we observed a long serum half-life, deep and sustained depletion of normal B cells, and remarkable tolerability, in particular, reduced cytokine release when CLN-978 was administered subcutaneously.Conclusions CLN-978 warrants further exploration. An ongoing clinical phase 1 trial is investigating safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and the initial therapeutic potential of subcutaneously administered CLN-978 in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Olive trees have a unique reproductive pattern marked by biennial fruiting. This study examined the repercussions of alternate fruit bearing on the water relations of olive trees and the associated ecophysiological mechanisms. The experiment spanned two consecutive years: the “ON” year, characterized by a high crop load, and the “OFF” year, marked by minimal fruit production. Key ecophysiological parameters, including sap flow, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic rate, were monitored in both years. Pre-dawn water potential was measured using continuous stem psychrometers and the pressure chamber technique. Biochemical analyses focused on non-structural carbohydrate concentrations (starch, sucrose, and mannitol) and olive leaves’ carbon-stable isotope ratio (δ13C). Results revealed a higher leaf gas exchange rate during the “ON” year, leading to an average 29.3% increase in water consumption and a 40.78% rise in the photosynthetic rate. Higher water usage during the “ON” year resulted in significantly lower (43.22% on average) leaf water potential. Sucrose and starch concentrations were also increased in the “ON” year, while there were no significant differences in mannitol concentration. Regarding the carbon-stable isotope ratio, leaves from the “OFF” year exhibited significantly higher δ13C values, suggesting a higher resistance to the CO2 pathway from the atmosphere to carboxylation sites compared to the “ON” year plants.

Greek giant beans, also known as "Gigantes Elefantes" (elephant beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L.,) are a traditional and highly cherished culinary delight in Greek cuisine, contributing significantly to the economic prosperity of local producers. However, the issue of food fraud associated with these products poses substantial risks to both consumer safety and economic stability. In the present study, multi-elemental analysis combined with decision tree learning algorithms were investigated for their potential to determine the multi-elemental profile and discriminate the origin of beans collected from the two geographical areas. Ensuring the authenticity of agricultural products is increasingly crucial in the global food industry, particularly in the fight against food fraud, which poses significant risks to consumer safety and economic stability. To ascertain this, an extensive multi-elemental analysis (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Re, Se, Sr, Ta, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Zn, and Zr) was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Bean samples originating from Kastoria and Prespes (products with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status) were studied, focusing on the determination of elemental profiles or fingerprints, which are directly related to the geographical origin of the growing area. In this study, we employed a decision tree algorithm to classify Greek "Gigantes Elefantes" beans based on their multi-elemental composition, achieving high performance metrics, including an accuracy of 92.86%, sensitivity of 87.50%, and specificity of 96.88%. These results demonstrate the model's effectiveness in accurately distinguishing beans from different geographical regions based on their elemental profiles. The trained model accomplished the discrimination of Greek "Gigantes Elefantes" beans from Kastoria and Prespes, with remarkable accuracy, based on their multi-elemental composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and implementation of safe natural alternatives to synthetic pesticides are urgent needs that will provide ecological solutions for the control of plant diseases, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, pests, and weeds to ensure the economic stability of farmers and food security, as well as protection of the environment and human health. Unambiguously, production of botanical pesticides will allow for the sustainable and efficient use of natural resources and finally decrease the use of chemical inputs and burden. This is further underlined by the strict regulations on pesticide residues in agricultural products and is in harmony with the Farm to Fork strategy, which aims to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2030. Thus, the present work aims to compile the scientific knowledge of the last 5 years (2017–February 2023) regarding the Mediterranean plants that present biopesticidal effects. The literature review revealed 40 families of Mediterranean plants with at least one species that have been investigated as potential biopesticides. However, only six families had the highest number of species, and they were reviewed comprehensively in this study. Following a systematic approach, the extraction methods, chemical composition, biopesticidal activity, and commonly used assays for evaluating the antimicrobial, pesticidal, repellant, and herbicidal activity of plant extracts, as well as the toxicological and safety aspects of biopesticide formulation, are discussed in detail. Finally, the aspects that have not yet been investigated or are under-investigated and future perspectives are highlighted.

There is a plethora of food products with geographical indications registered in the European Union without any study about their discrimination from other similar products. This is also the case for Greek currants. This paper aims to analyze if stable isotope analysis of C, N, and S could discriminate the Greek currants “Vositzza”, registered as a product of Protected Designation of Origin, from two other currants registered as products of Protected Geographical Indication coming from neighboring areas. The first results show that the stable isotope ratio of sulfur is not detectable due to the very low sulfur content in the samples, and the analysis should be based on the stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen to discriminate these products. The mean value of δ15N (1.38‰) of PDO “Vostizza” currants is lower than that of currants grown outside the PDO zone (2.01‰), while the mean value of δ13C of PDO “Vostizza” currants is higher (−23.93‰) in comparison to that of currants grown outside the PDO zone (−24.83‰). Nevertheless, the results indicate that with only two isotopic ratios, discrimination could not be achieved, and further analysis is required.

In this study, we aimed to develop a sampling method that could be used in geographical discrimination studies of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) by considering the geoclimatic variability within the cultivation zone of the analyzed product. The Regional Unit of Kastoria in Greece, a major area of protected designation origin of pulse crops, was selected for detailed investigation. Meteorological data were collected from five weather stations in different subregions of Kastoria (Argos Orestiko, Kalochori, Lakkomata, Lithia, and Polykarpi), over a period of six years (2015 to 2020), along with data of soil texture. The collected data were analyzed in order to determine statistically significant differences among the subregions with regard to the aforementioned parameters. A seasonality pattern was observed for all subregions concerning the microclimate, which splits the data into two clusters. Moreover, a significant variation of the soil textures was revealed, frequently affecting farmers’ decision regarding agronomic practices, leading to the unique stable-isotope ratios and multi-elemental composition. This study guides the dry bean sample collection and will enable the designation of the boundaries of protected origin regions and enable future sampling schemes for stable-isotope and multi-elemental analysis.

Adulteration of high-value agricultural products is a critical issue worldwide for consumers and industries. Discrimination of the geographical origin can verify food authenticity by reducing risk and detecting adulteration. Between agricultural products, beans are a very important crop cultivated worldwide that provides food rich in iron and vitamins, especially for people in third-world countries. The aim of this study is the construction of a map of the locally characteristic isotopic fingerprint of giant beans, “Fasolia Gigantes-Elefantes PGI”, a Protected Geographical Indication product cultivated in the region of Kastoria and Prespes, Western Macedonia, Greece, with the ultimate goal of the discrimination of beans from the two areas. In total, 160 samples were collected from different fields in the Prespes region and 120 samples from Kastoria during each cultivation period (2020–2021 and 2021–2022). The light element (C, N, and S) isotope ratios were measured using Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS), and the results obtained were analyzed using chemometric techniques, including a one-way ANOVA and Binomial logistic regression. The mean values from the one-way ANOVA were δ15NAIR = 1.875‰, δ13CV-PDB = −25.483‰, and δ34SV-CDT = 4.779‰ for Kastoria and δ15NAIR = 1.654‰, δ13CV-PDB = −25.928‰, and δ34SV-CDT = −0.174‰ for Prespes, and showed that stable isotope ratios of C and S were statistically different for the areas studied while the Binomial logistic regression analysis that followed correctly classified more than 78% of the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fraudulent practices are the first and foremost concern of food industry, with significant consequences in economy and human’s health. The increasing demand for food has led to food fraud by replacing, mixing, blending, and mislabeling products attempting to increase the profits of producers and companies. Consequently, there was the rise of a multidisciplinary field which encompasses a large number of analytical techniques aiming to trace and authenticate the origins of agricultural products, food and beverages. Among the analytical strategies have been developed for the authentication of geographical origin of foodstuff, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) increasingly dominates the field as a robust, accurate, and highly sensitive technique for determining the inorganic elements in food substances. Inorganic elements are well known for evaluating the nutritional composition of food products while it has been shown that they are considered as possible tracers for authenticating the geographical origin. This is based on the fact that the inorganic component of identical food type originating from different territories varies due to the diversity of matrix composition. The present systematic literature review focusing on gathering the research has been done up-to-date on authenticating the geographical origin of agricultural products and foods by utilizing the ICP-MS technique. The first part of the article is a tutorial about food safety/control and the fundaments of ICP-MS technique, while in the second part the total research review is discussed.

Consumers are increasingly interested in the geographical origin of the foodstuff they consume as an important characteristic of food authenticity and quality. To assure the authenticity of the geographical origin, various methods have been proposed. Stable isotope analysis is a method that has been extensively used for products such as wine, oil, meat, while only a few studies have been conducted for the discrimination of seafood origin and especially for mullet roes or bottarga products. Analysis of the stable isotopes of C, N and S of Bottarga samples from four different origins were carried out. The values of δ15N (5.45‰) and δ34S (4.66‰) for the Greek Bottarga Product named ‘Avgotaracho Messolongiou’, from Messolongi lagoon were lower than other areas while δ13C values were higher (−14.84‰). The first results show that the stable isotopes ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur could be used to discriminate the Greek Protected Designations of Origin Bottarga product ‘Avgotaracho Messolongiou’ from other similar products.

Consumers are increasingly interested in the geographical origin of foodstuff, as an important characteristic of food authenticity and quality. To assure the authenticity of the geographical origin, various methods have been proposed. Stable isotope analysis is a method that has been extensively used for products like wine, oil, and meat by using large datasets and analysis. On the other hand, only few studies have been conducted for the discrimination of seafood origin and especially for mullet roes or bottarga products, and even fewer investigate a small number of samples and datasets. Stable isotopes of Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), and Sulfur (S) analysis of bottarga samples from four different origins were carried out. The first results show that the stable isotopes ratios of C, N, and S could be used to discriminate the Greek PDO Bottarga (Messolongi) from other similar products by using a probabilistic machine learning methodology. That could use limited sample data to fit/estimate their parameters, while, at the same time, being capable of describing accurately the population and discriminate individual samples regarding their origin.

Aim: In the Mediterranean region, grapevines usually undergo drought and high UV-B intensities during their summer growth season. The present study was conducted in order to evaluate the effects of these two abiotic stressors on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of a major Greek raisin variety (Vitis vinifera L. cv Soultanina). Methods and results: The experimental plants were three-years-old, grafted onto 110R rootstock and grown outdoors in 25 L pots containing a peat:perlite:sand (3:1:1, v/v/v) potting mixture. Grapevines were subjected to two irrigation treatments: (1) Well-Watered (plants were uniformly irrigated on a daily basis to soil substrate capacity), and (2) Water-Stressed (plants were equally irrigated with 50 % of the amount of water provided to Well-Watered plants), and to two levels of UV-B radiation: (1) ambient UV-B radiation, and (2) ambient plus 15 % UV-B radiation. Although the combination of drought and supplemental UV-B radiation appeared to have synergistic effects on gas exchange characteristics and H2O2 production, the development of biochemical limitations to photosynthesis was not detectable. Compared to the other stress treatments, WW±15 % UV-B plants exhibited higher stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthetic rate (PN). Conclusion: Under elevated UV-B radiation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activation, chlorophyll degradation and enhanced synthesis of carotenoids all helped the plant to maintain its physiological functions, while in Water-Stressed plants irrespective of the level of UV-B, a more pronounced role of abscisic acid (ABA) and trans-zeatin-riboside (t-ZR) in mediating stomatal responses was revealed. Significance of the study: Our results imply that the environmental conditions were not stressful enough to report the occurrence of non-diffusional limitations to photosynthesis. In addition, two different adaptive responses in relation to the applied abiotic stressor were shown.

The forecast of irrigation requirements in commercial olive orchards in the era of climate change is at the forefront of scientific research. Simplified models that are based on monitoring soil and plant water status, along with microclimatic variables are well established. In the present study, an attempt was made to correlate the olive tree sap fluxes and the theoretical grass water losses, as expressed by reference evapotranspiration (ETo) in mild to moderate water-stress conditions. The water flow in the soil–plant–air continuum was monitored using soil water and thermal dissipation probes (TDP), which have a comparatively low cost and satisfactory reliability, while microclimatic variability was monitored by a meteorological station placed within the experimental orchard. The assessment of water stress was conducted via a stress coefficient (Ks), which was determined according to soil water availability, and validated with measurements of pre-dawn water potential and stomatal conductance. The results suggest the existence of an exponential correlation (R2 = 0.869) between daily plant transpirational losses and reference evapotranspiration, while the methodology’s applicability is verified by the validation process (R2 = 0.804 and RMSE = 0.579 L per day).

The Mediterranean basin is characterized by hot and dry summers, which are aggravated by climate change, leading to water shortages for irrigation purposes. Olive trees (Olea europea L.) which are the most common cultivation in the area, while tolerant to drought conditions, are often irrigated due to the fact that they suffer from water deficits with negative impacts on yield. The knowledge of the onset and water stress intensity, essentially determines the accuracy of an irrigation schedule that avoids yield reduction and waste of water. Water stress can be quantified by stress coefficient Ks, as suggested by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Combinations and adjustments of the FAO method with field measured data have been used to calculate Ks more precisely and apply it on single experimental fields. The FAO method and a validation method were compared and evaluated with in situ measurements in two different olive orchards in terms of tree age and irrigation system. The results indicate that the FAO method fails to distinguish the differences between cultivars, attributed mainly to the tree age and irrigation system, rendering almost a similar slope of Ks and calculating a nearly simultaneous onset of stress, which was not confirmed by pre-dawn water potential (ΨPD) measurements.

This study is a systematic literature review of geographical origin authentication by elemental analytical techniques. Authentication and certification of geographic origin of agri-food products is a useful tool toward the protection of the quality for products. The aim of this work was to map the current state of research in the area of agricultural products and food, identifying emerging fields to the geographical origin of products. The article is divided in three parts. The first part of the article deals with the analytical techniques applied in the food authentication. Special mention is made to elemental analysis and multiple isotope ratio. The second section focuses on statistically published data concerning published research for geographical origin authentication for the period 2015–2019. Specific results are presented inter alia: number of articles according to the type of product, articles according to the type of the analytical techniques, and others. The third part contains characteristic results from articles that were published in the period 2015–2019, on certification of geographical origin on specific agricultural products.

Seasonal dimorphism (summer/winter) has been so far studied only in a few plants and has been focused on summer drought stress. However, Thymus sibthorpii in the study area appears to be affected by winter chilling stress and not by summer drought stress. Thus, the winter leaves were thicker and more compact compared to the summer leaves and they had more stomata and peltate hairs, more sclerenchymatous fibers, vacuoles with phenolics, and chloroplasts than the summer leaves. In addition, their chloroplasts possessed large grana and starch grains. In the summer leaves, cell vacuoles in mesophyll did not contain phenolics, and chloroplasts were devoid of starch grains and had large plastoglobuli. Physiological measurements revealed higher net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content in the winter leaves than in the summer leaves. Proline and soluble sugar content along with antioxidative enzyme (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase) activities were increased in the winter leaves.

The production of high affinity, class switched antibodies produced by B cells hinges on the effective differentiation of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. Here we define conditions specifically enhancing Tfh differentiation and providing protection in a model of influenza infection. Tfh responses were associated with prolonged antigen presentation by dendritic cells (DCs), which maintained T cell/DC interactions into stage 3 (>72 hr) of activation. Blocking stage 3 interactions ablated Tfh generation, demonstrating a causal link between T cell-DC behaviour and functional outcomes. The current data therefore explain how duration of antigen presentation affects the dynamics of T cell-DC interactions and consequently determine Tfh cell differentiation in the developing immune response.