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World's fairs organized at the turn of the twentieth century offered glimpses into humanity's aspirations for the future. Since they were primarily a place to promote progress and industrialization, one would expect Greek participation in these exhibitions to follow a similar approach. But the country's presence in the international exhibitions in Chicago (1893), Paris (1900), Brussels (1910), and San Francisco (1915) proves that the groups of prominent academics, technocrats, and business leaders who undertook the organization of Greek participation viewed world's fairs less as platforms to demonstrate industrial advancements and more as sites to promote and reinforce their nationalistic ideals. By exhibiting ancient Greek and Byzantine artifacts, Greece's pavilions sought to connect the modern state with its glorious past and reaffirm its European identity. The organizers' alternative viewpoint on what can represent modernity challenges our understanding of the Greek interpretation of modernization. Contrary to the prevailing notions in Greek historiography that linked modernity exclusively with industrialization, the exhibits displayed by the country abroad prompt a reconsideration of our interpretation of Greek progress, highlighting the influence of the irredentist concept of the Great Idea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the hot subtropical climate, agriculture in Greece specializes in growing various heat-loving crops - rice, cotton, olives, third in the world after Spain and Italy, citrus fruits, sesame, vines, special varieties of raisins and more. The aim of the present work is to determine to what extent the soils in the Xanthi region are suitable for growing kiwis and vineyards. Some soil indicators were determined such as particle size composition with FRITISH photosedimentograph, pH, humus content, total and active carbonates and digestible forms of N, P and K. It was found that the soils in the study area were developed on carbonate clays. In terms of particle size composition and their physico-chemical and agro-chemical properties, these soils prove to be suitable for growing kiwis and vines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Corinthian raisins are dried vine products, representing approximately 3% of the world dried vine fruit production. The majority of Corinthian raisin production is of Greek origin. Studies on the B‐group vitamin content of Corinthian raisins produced in Greece as well as on the effect of region and cultivation altitude on the B‐group vitamin content are absent in the literature. RESULTS: Corinthian raisin vitamin content was evaluated by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography after acid and enzymatic hydrolysis in terms of raisin subcategory, i.e. regions of cultivation, crop‐to‐crop variations, and cultivation altitude. Eight vitamers from five different vitamins were identified and quantified in Corinthian raisins. Vitamin B3 (0.77–2.82 g × 10−2 × kg−1) was found to predominate, followed by B6 (0.27–0.37 g × 10−2 × kg−1), B1 (0.19–0.22 g × 10−2 × kg−1), and B2 (0.10–0.15 g × 10−2 × kg−1). B9 content was up to 7.1 g × 10−5 × kg−1. Minor differences were observed among regions of cultivation, cultivation altitude and crop‐to‐crop variations. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the presence of several water‐soluble vitamins in Corinthian raisins that, together with other health‐promoting micronutrients present in the product, further reinforce its place as part of a healthy diet. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisin B2(FB2) and black aspergilli in raisins from Western Greece regions (Messinia, Corinthia, Achaia, Ilia and Zante Island) was investigated in relation to the different geographic and climatic conditions in the 2011 growing season. The biseriate speciesAspergillus niger“aggregate” andA. carbonariuswere mainly identified. The population ofA. niger“aggregate” species occurred in all raisin samples at colony-forming units (CFU) concentrations significantly higher (mean 2.2 × 105CFU g−1homogenate) than those ofA. carbonariuspopulation (mean 4.9 × 103CFU g−1homogenate), which occurred in 80% of the raisin samples. OTA was found in 73% of the samples at levels ranging from 0.1 µg kg−1to 98.2 µg kg−1, with the highest level occurring in a raisin sample from Ilia that also contained the highest level ofA. carbonarius. The European Union legal limit for OTA was exceeded in 15% of the raisin samples. FB2was found in 29% of the raisin samples at levels ranging from 7.1 µg kg−1to 25.5 µg kg−1, with 20% of the samples co-occurring with OTA. Principal-component analysis was applied to levels of mycotoxins, fungal contamination, geographical data and environmental conditions recorded in the harvesting (August) or drying (September) period. Principal-component analysis clearly indicated a good direct correlation of rainfall and relative humidity with OTA andA. carbonariuscontamination. A lack of clustering was observed whenA. nigerand FB2contamination were considered. This is the first report on the co-occurrence of the mycotoxins OTA and FB2in dried vine fruits from Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractCurrants and sultanas (Vitis viniferaL., Family Vitaceae) are dried vine products produced in Greece and used widely in the Mediterranean diet. We investigated the polar methanol extracts from the raisins for the antiradical activity, polyphenol content, cytotoxicity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, total glutathione (GSH) levels, oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels, and inhibition of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. Extracts exhibited 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity and inhibited tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBHP)-induced cytotoxicity, GSH decrease, and LDL oxidation. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the characteristic apoptotic patterns with tBHP and inhibition with the extracts. Elevated levels of total GSH and unaltered levels of GSSG with extract treatment demonstrated the induction of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase. The antioxidant activity was correlated to the polyphenolic content. Greek currants and sultanas are suggested as antioxidant components of the Mediterranean basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Archaeobotany, ethnographic observation, and laboratory experimentation are brought together to build model sequences of grape processing parallel to the better studied and reported sequences in existence for cereal processing. A set of such model sequences is developed and presented, and explored in the context of rich archaeobotanical assemblages from the Hellenistic farmstead at Komboloi in Southern Macedonia. We conclude that the remains of pressed grapes are reasonably distinctive, whereas whole grapes and raisins can leave similar material in charred state, requiring close scrutiny for secure separation. Our model sequences are further considered in the light of other sites in which Vitis remains have been variously interpreted, and our own reinterpretations offered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: Dried fruits, like their fresh homologues, contain relatively high concentrations of antioxidants. The aim of this study was to determine the health outcomes of raisin consumption on patients with diabetes., Methods: We examined the effects of dried grapes (Vitis vinifera) cultivated in Greece, namely Corinthian Raisins (CR) on blood pressure, fasting glucose, glucated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid peroxidation, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, antioxidant status, and cytokines in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Forty-eight well-controlled patients with T2DM from the diabetes outpatient clinic of our hospital were recruited to a two-armed, randomized, controlled, 24-wk prospective intervention trial in order to examine the health outcomes of CR consumption. All participants were reported to consume less fruits and vegetables than the recommended amount of five servings daily. Participants in the intervention were instructed to consume CR equal to two fruit servings (36 g/d), replacing snacks with similar energy density twice during the day. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, assessment of dietary intake, and fasting blood draws were conducted at baseline and at week 24. Also, phenolic compounds present in CR were analyzed in plasma of the patients. t Test for parametric data and Mann-Whitney test or Wilcoxon test for non-parametric data were performed. Significance was set at P < 0.05., Results: Body weight, glycemic control, and lipid profile were not affected in either arm. Patients in the CR arm reduced their diastolic blood pressure and increased their total antioxidant potential significantly compared with baseline. The differences between the two groups at week 24 were significant. No change in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was observed. A significant difference in plasma circulating p-hydroxybenzoic acid was observed between groups at the end of the trial., Conclusions: Our study shows that naturally CR may improve health features in patients with well-controlled T2DM., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)