Statistical properties of DNA sequences revisited: the role of inverse bilateral symmetry in bacterial chromosomes

Herein it is shown that in order to study the statistical properties of DNA sequences in bacterial chromosomes it suffices to consider only one half of the chromosome because they are similar to its corresponding complementary sequence in the other half. This is due to the inverse bilateral symmetry of bacterial chromosomes. Contrary to the classical result that DNA coding regions of bacterial genomes are purely uncorrelated random sequences, here it is shown, via a renormalization group approach, that DNA random fluctuations of single bases are modulated by log-periodic variations. Distance series of triplets display long-range correlations in each half of the intact chromosome and in intronless protein-coding sequences, or both long-range correlations and log-periodic modulations along the whole chromosome. Hence scaling analyses of distance series of DNA sequences have to consider the functional units of bacterial chromosomes.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figure

Effects of Production Region, Production Systems and Grape Type/Variety on Nutritional Quality Parameters of Table Grapes; Results from a UK Retail Survey

Grapes contain high concentrations of secondary metabolites and antioxidants that have been linked to a reduction of several chronic diseases. Here, we report results of a UK retail survey, which investigated the effect of the production region (Mediterranean vs. South Africa), grape type (white vs. red vs. black) and variety, and production system (organic vs. conventional) on antioxidant activity and concentrations of phenolic compounds in table grapes. Black grapes had ~180% total antioxidant activity (TAA), ~60% higher total phenolic content (TPC) and ~40 times higher anthocyanin concentrations (TAC) than white grapes, while red grapes had intermediate levels of TAA, TPC and TAC. The effects of season and production system and differences between varieties of the same grape type were substantially smaller. Grapes imported from Mediterranean countries in summer had a 14% higher TPC and ~20% higher TAA than grapes imported from South Africa in winter, and organic grapes had a 16% higher TPC and 22% higher TAA, but ~30% lower TAC than conventional grapes. Significant differences in TPC, TAA and/or TAC between organic and conventional grapes could only be detected for specific grape types, varieties and/or sampling years

Effect of organic and conventional production methods on fruit yield and nutritional quality parameters in three traditional Cretan grape varieties: results from a farm survey

The antioxidants found in grapes and wine have been linked to health benefits in humans, but may be affected by agronomic parameters, grape type/variety, and processing. Here, we report results of a farm survey which investigated the effects of production system (organic vs. conventional) and grape variety on fruit yield, total antioxidant activity/capacity (TAA, assessed by the Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays), and total concentrations of total phenolics (TPC) and anthocyanins (TAC) in grapes of one red (Kotsifali) and two white (Villana and/or Vidiano) traditional Cretan grape varieties. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed that grape variety choice had a more substantial effect on TPC, TAA, and TAC than primary production protocols, and significant interactions were identified between production system and grape variety choice for TAATEAC. Specifically, TAATEAC was significantly (57%) higher in organic than conventional Vidiano grapes, while there was no significant effect of production system on TAATEAC in Kotsifali and Villana grapes. As expected from previous studies, the TAC was substantially higher in red Kotsifali grapes. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified grape variety as the only strong explanatory variable/driver for yield, TPC, TAA, and TAC of table grapes, and positive associations were detected between the variety Vidiano and both TPC and TAATEAC. All other explanatory variables included in the RDA (including supplementary irrigation, orchard orientation, production system, soil type, vineyard age, plant density, and fertiliser inputs) explained only a small proportion of the additional variation