Quality and nutritional property changes in stored dried apricots fumigated by sulfur dioxide

WOS: 000354216000010Apricots are grown in many countries and are marketed as dried or fresh. Sulfur fumigation is preferred as a low-cost pre-treatment to maintain apricot color. This study aims to determine the effect of sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentration on quality and nutritional properties of dried apricot fruits during storage. Apricot fruits were treated with different concentrations of SO2 (1,250, 2,000, and 3,500 mg center dot kg(-1)) and then stored at 20A degrees C under 50-65% relative humidity conditions for 18 months. Fruit SO2 concentration decreased rapidly during the initial stage and then decreased at a slower rate. Fruit color darkening became more pronounced after 12 months, especially in the fruit treated with 1,250 and 2,000 mg center dot kg(-1) SO2. After 18 months of storage, total phenolic content (839-890 mg GAE 100 g(-1) dry weight), antioxidant activity (9.4-11.6 mu mol TE g(-1) dry weight), and beta-carotene levels (42.7-47.6 mg center dot kg(-1)) of all treatments varied only slightly, despite lower values overall. Therefore, SO2 levels must be chosen based on the expected storage conditions and length of the storage period.Aegean Exporters' AssociationsEge UniversityThis research is funded by the Aegean Exporters' Associations

Discovery of widespread transcription initiation at microsatellites predictable by sequence-based deep neural network

Using the Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE) technology, the FANTOM5 consortium provided one of the most comprehensive maps of transcription start sites (TSSs) in several species. Strikingly, ~72% of them could not be assigned to a specific gene and initiate at unconventional regions, outside promoters or enhancers. Here, we probe these unassigned TSSs and show that, in all species studied, a significant fraction of CAGE peaks initiate at microsatellites, also called short tandem repeats (STRs). To confirm this transcription, we develop Cap Trap RNA-seq, a technology which combines cap trapping and long read MinION sequencing. We train sequence-based deep learning models able to predict CAGE signal at STRs with high accuracy. These models unveil the importance of STR surrounding sequences not only to distinguish STR classes, but also to predict the level of transcription initiation. Importantly, genetic variants linked to human diseases are preferentially found at STRs with high transcription initiation level, supporting the biological and clinical relevance of transcription initiation at STRs. Together, our results extend the repertoire of non-coding transcription associated with DNA tandem repeats and complexify STR polymorphism

Whole genome amplification in preimplantation genetic diagnosis*

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) refers to a procedure for genetically analyzing embryos prior to implantation, improving the chance of conception for patients at high risk of transmitting specific inherited disorders. This method has been widely used for a large number of genetic disorders since the first successful application in the early 1990s. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) are the two main methods in PGD, but there are some inevitable shortcomings limiting the scope of genetic diagnosis. Fortunately, different whole genome amplification (WGA) techniques have been developed to overcome these problems. Sufficient DNA can be amplified and multiple tasks which need abundant DNA can be performed. Moreover, WGA products can be analyzed as a template for multi-loci and multi-gene during the subsequent DNA analysis. In this review, we will focus on the currently available WGA techniques and their applications, as well as the new technical trends from WGA products

The Influence of Vitamin D on Neurodegeneration and Neurological Disorders: A Rationale for its Physio-pathological Actions

International audienc