Airborne particle radioactivity during desert dust days in Cyprus.

Mediterranean countries are often affected by desert dust storms, which have significant effects on the environment and public health. We compared airborne particle radioactivity levels during desert dust and non-dust days in Cyprus. Gross α- and ß-radioactivity from Total Suspended Particle (TSP) samples, collected at two urban routine monitoring stations in Limassol and Nicosia, were available for the period 2017-2020 and 2008-2020, respectively. Radionuclides 137Cs and 40K, from TSP samples, were also available from a semi-industrial monitoring station in Nicosia during 2008-2020. Information on desert dust presence, dust origin, particulate matter (PM) levels, and solar activity (KP index and solar sunspot numbers - SSN) were also obtained. We used linear regression models adjusting for seasonality and long-term trends, and solar activity to assess the effect of dust storms on TSP gross α- and ß-, and 137Cs and 40K radioactivity levels. Gross α- and ß-radioactivity, and 137Cs and 40K radioactivity levels were significantly higher on days with desert dust compared to days characterized with no influence of desert dust. Levels of gross α- and ß-radioactivity during dust days were higher when dust originated from the Middle East deserts than from the Sahara Desert. The same trend was observed for the ratios 137Cs to 40K and 137Cs to PM10. Conversely, ratios of TSP gross α- and ß-radioactivity to PM10 were significantly lower during desert dust days in comparison to days without dust influence. This study suggests that desert dust increase both TSP gross α- and ß-radioactivity, as well as 137Cs and 40K radioactivity levels. Further studies should clarify the contribution of anthropogenic and other natural sources to the emission or transportation of particles radioactivity, to better mitigate future exposures.

Chemometric analysis combined with FTIR spectroscopy of milk and Halloumi cheese samples according to species' origin.

Food adulteration is an issue of major concern, as numerous foodstuffs and beverages do not follow their labeling. Our research interest is in the field of authenticity of dairy products and particularly cheese. Adulteration of dairy products is a well-known phenomenon, and there are numerous published studies specifically on the authenticity of cheese. In fact, substitution of a portion of fat and/or proteins, adulteration with milk of other species' origin, and mislabeling of ingredients are some of the main issues that the science of dairy products' authenticity is regularly facing. Discrimination of dairy products can be determined through several chemical or microbiological methods as presented in the literature. In addition, chemometric analysis is an important tool for interpretation of a huge load of measurements. The aim of this study is to discriminate between various milk samples, which is the primary ingredient of dairy products. Milk samples with different trademarks were analyzed. That data was combined with Halloumi cheese samples for chemometric discrimination of species' origin. The innovative point of this study is the fact that it is the first time that a research study related to dairy products includes Halloumi cheese which is a traditional Cypriot cheese, not well-studied until now. The first step of the methodology was the freeze-drying via lyophilization of the samples. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was chosen for their chemical characterization. Moreover, interpretation of the measurements was carried out by chemometric analysis using SIMCA software. For this study, FTIR data combined with chemometrics have given a very good discrimination of the samples according to their species' origin. Chemometric methods such as PCA and OPLS-DA have been used with great success. In the future, this model will be studied regarding geographical origin of the samples.

Use of Chemometrics for Correlating Carobs Nutritional Compositional Values with Geographic Origin.

Carobs unique compositional and biological synthesis enables their characterization as functional foods. In the present study, 76 samples derived from fruit and seeds of carobs, with origin from the countries of the Mediterranean region (Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Jordan and Palestine) were analyzed for their nutritional composition, in order to identify potential markers for their provenance and address the carobs' authenticity issue. Moisture, ash, fat, proteins, sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose), dietary fibers and minerals (Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) were estimated following official methods. Due to the large number of data (76 samples × 17 parameters × 7 countries), chemometric techniques were employed to process them and extract conclusions. The samples of different geographical origin were discriminated with 79% success in total. The carobs from Cyprus, Italy and Spain were correctly classified without error. The main discriminators were found to be the dietary fibers, the carbohydrates and Cu, Zn and Mn, which emphasize their specific nutritional added value to the product and the country of origin impact. The results suggest that the proposed analytical approach is a powerful tool that enables the discrimination of carobs based on their country of origin. This research contributes to authenticity of carobs, adding value to local products.

Nutritional characterization of carobs and traditional carob products.

Twenty traditional carob products were measured for their nutritional composition, and their results were compared with the pulp of Cypriot carob cultivars. Moisture, ash, fat, proteins, sugars, dietary fibers, minerals, caffeine-theobromine, carbohydrates, and energy value were determined. Fluctuations of the nutritional composition values based on the ingredients' chemical synthesis and product manufacturing process were noted. Only 60% of the products had a label indicating their nutritional value, and the majority of them (75%) were consistent with that of labeling. Chemometric analyses distinguished the carob products according to their type and the discriminator components highlighted their particular nutritional value. Carobs can be characterized as functional foods with low-fat content, high content in dietary fibers, and high content and/or source of minerals; however, carob products partially satisfied those health and nutritional claims as expected. This pilot research contributes to the nutritional estimation of carob and highlights the traditional carob products.

Use of FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics for the classification of carobs origin.

Carob samples from seven different Mediterranean countries (Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Jordan and Palestine) were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Seed and flesh samples of indigenous and foreign cultivars, both authentic and commercial, were examined. The spectra were recorded in transmittance mode from KBr pellets. The data were compressed and further processed statistically using multivariate chemometric techniques, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Cluster Analysis (CA), Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Orthogonal Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA). Specifically, unsupervised PCA framed the importance of the variety of carobs, while supervised analysis highlighted the contribution of the geographical origin. Best classification models were achieved with PLS regression on first derivative spectra, giving an overall correct classification. Thus, the applied methodology enabled the differentiation of carobs flesh and seed per their origin. Our results appear to suggest that this method is a rapid and powerful tool for the successful discrimination of carobs origin and type.

Type 2 diabetes and its correlates in a first nationwide study among Cypriot adults.

Obesity rates in Cyprus are very high and epidemiological information on type 2 diabetes mellitus is limited. The correlates of type 2 diabetes among adults remain unknown in the Cypriot population. Thus, the purpose of this study is to provide the first national estimate of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and investigate its correlates. A randomly stratified nationally sample of 1001 adults aged 18-80 participated in the study. Only 950 subjects completed the study. All subjects were free of any diseases (known diabetes, kidney, liver), medication and supplementation. The overall prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes based on WHO criteria was 9.2% and 16.3%, respectively. After adjusting for age, energy intake, smoking and physical activity participants with obesity (BMI) (OR=2.00, P<0.001), waist circumference (WC) (OR=2.08, P<0.001), hypertension (HT) (OR=1.99, P<0.001) and hypercholesterolemia (HC) (OR=2.07, P<0.007) were most likely to develop T2DM compared with the normal ones. The odds of having diabetes were also found significant between subjects with high levels of triglycerides (TG) (OR=1.49, P<0.007), compared with the normal ones and between subjects with low levels of HDL (OR=1.44, P<0.008) compared with the ones with high levels of HDL. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Cyprus is relatively medium-high. However, the pre-diabetes rates are very high showing a promising increase toward total rates of type 2 diabetes. Obesity, HT, WC, TG, HC and low HDL are all strong correlates of type 2 diabetes. Healthy education programs should be initiated for young and older-aged people and those with described abnormal risk factors.

Authenticity of Cypriot sweet wine Commandaria using FT-IR and chemometrics.

UNLABELLED: FT-IR spectra of 65 sweet wines produced in Cyprus and other countries were determined, in order to study the authenticity and uniqueness of the Cypriot traditional wine "Commandaria" that is produced from sun-dried grapes. Different sample preparation methods such as freeze-drying and nitrogen-flow concentration and direct analysis were used. The spectra were obtained in transmittance mode from KBr pellets and by using the attenuated total reflectance technique, and analyzed statistically using multivariate chemometric techniques, involving principal component analysis, cluster analysis, linear and regularized discriminant analysis, and classification and regression trees. A nearly correct classification for Commandaria was achieved. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics were able to differentiate all the types of Commandaria (nonfortified, fortified, and commercial) from various sweet wines from other countries. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Commandaria is a traditional Cyprus product that was proven to be very popular and economically very important. There is therefore a need to determine its chemical characteristics in order to differentiate it from its competitors and thus enable Cyprus to seek the protection of the name as a regional product. A means of easily distinguishing the genuine product from others mimicking it is also of significant economic interest.

Characterization of commercial slovenian and cypriot fruit juices using stable isotopes.

The compositions of commercially available fruit juices on the Slovenian and Cypriot markets have been compared and checked against the corresponding declarations on the packaging. Values of delta(13)C in the pulp, sugars, and ethanol (produced by fermentation and distillation) have been obtained by isotope ratio mass spectrometry and (D/H)(I) and (D/H)(II) ratios determined by Site-specific Natural Isotope Fractionation NMR and compared with literature data. These data show that some juices on the Slovenian and Cypriot markets were adulterated. Measurements of delta(18)O in the water and of (D/H)(II) in the ethanol indicated a significant difference in commercially available juices due to differences of the "tap" water in Slovenia and Cyprus, as most of the juices were diluted from concentrate. Using Principal Component Analysis, very clear differentiation can be made between juices from the two countries, arising from their distinct aquatic environments and climates. The identification of botanical origin of fruit juices was possible only in the case of Slovenian orange and apple fruit juices.

Chemometric characterization of the cypriot spirit "zivania".

In 42 alcoholic beverages produced in Cyprus and other countries, 26 chemical and physical-chemical variables were determined by HPLC and GC chromatography, (1)H NMR and ICP spectroscopy, and other techniques. Data were processed using multivariate chemometric techniques, involving principal component analysis, cluster analysis, regularized discriminant analysis, and classification and regression trees. Zivania can be differentiated from beverages from other countries. Using 2- and 3-methyl-butanol, 2-methyl-propanol, furfural, methanol, and the alcoholic grade and the chemical shift of -CH(3) in (1)H NMR spectra as features, a nearly correct classification for zivania was achieved. The reasons for diversions are given.

Authenticity of the traditional cypriot spirit "zivania" on the basis of 1h NMR spectroscopy diagnostic parameters and statistical analysis.

A previous publication (Kokkinofta et al. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2003, 51, 6233-6239) discussed the use of inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy to differentiate between the traditional Cypriot alcoholic beverage zivania and other spirits similar in alcoholic content collected from different countries. In the present paper (1)H NMR spectroscopy is applied to confirm the previous conclusions and to obtain additional physical-chemical characteristics that may be used to differentiate zivania from other similar beverages. NMR spectroscopy gave a satisfactory degree of prediction and classification between zivanias and other distillings. The validity of quantification of the method was tested using comparative GC data. It appears that chemical analysis can be very helpful for identifying the unique geological and climatic conditions existing in the island of Cyprus that lead to an authentic product.

Authenticity of the traditional cypriot spirit "zivania" on the basis of metal content using a combination of coupled plasma spectroscopy and statistical analysis.

Sixty-eight alcoholic beverages ranging in alcoholic degree between 40 and 55 from different countries were analyzed for their 16 most abundant metal elements using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy. The results were analyzed statistically using two different types of analytical methods: canonical discriminant analysis and classification binary trees. The aim of this study was to investigate which of the metals analyzed constitute diagnostic parameters that establish authenticity of the traditional Cypriot spirit zivania. The two statistical methods revealed that Mg, Zn, and Cu are promising distinctive parameters capable of differentiating zivania from other spirits similar in alcoholic degree. It is believed that this differentiation in metals between the alcoholic beverages examined is related to the unique geological and climatic conditions existing on the island of Cyprus.