Schmallenberg virus—Two years of experiences

In autumn 2011, a novel species of the genus Orthobunyavirus of the Simbu serogroup was discovered close to the German/Dutch border and named Schmallenberg virus (SBV). Since then, SBV has caused a large epidemic in European livestock. Like other viruses of the Simbu serogroup, SBV is transmitted by insect vectors. Adult ruminants may show a mild transient disease, while an infection during a critical period of pregnancy can lead to severe congenital malformation, premature birth or stillbirth. The current knowledge about the virus, its diagnosis, the spread of the epidemic, the impact and the possibilities for preventing infections with SBV is described and discussed.     

Characterization of chilling injury in Heliotropium arborescens and Lantana camara cuttings

Simulated low-temperature shipment of Heliotropium arborescens and Lantana camara cuttings inflicted chilling injury, which was manifested in increased ion leakage in both species. Morning-harvested cuttings of both Lantana and Heliotropium were more sensitive to chilling temperatures than noon-harvested cuttings. However, this difference was expressed only during the summer in Lantana, but both in the winter and summer in Heliotropium cuttings. These results suggest that the chilling injury that occurs during shipment might be alleviated in both species by avoidance of early morning picking of cuttings.

Chilling injury in Lantana was associated with increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and ethylene production rate. On the other hand, in Heliotropium cuttings ROS levels were increased and the ethylene production rate was reduced after storage at all simulated shipment temperatures. Our results may indicate that different mechanisms of chilling injury exist in Lantana and Heliotropium.     

Toward direct measurement of atmospheric nucleation

Atmospheric aerosol formation is known to occur almost all over the world, and the importance of these particles to climate and air quality has been recognized. Although almost all of the processes driving aerosol formation take place below a particle diameter of 3 nanometers, observations cover only larger particles. We introduce an instrumental setup to measure atmospheric concentrations of both neutral and charged nanometer-sized clusters. By applying the instruments in the field, we come to three important conclusions: (i) A pool of numerous neutral clusters in the sub-3 nanometer size range is continuously present; (ii) the processes initiating atmospheric aerosol formation start from particle sizes of approximately 1.5 nanometers; and (iii) neutral nucleation dominates over the ion-induced mechanism, at least in boreal forest conditions.     

Comparison of Two Methods For Determining the Discoloration Potential of Potato Tubers Based on Their Chemical and Biochemical Properties

The aim of this study was to compare the homogenization and visual methods that are used to determine the discoloration potential of potato tubers. Two German cultivars, Agria and Satina, and two Polish cultivars, Lena and Mors, were planted during 1998 and 1999 in Goettingen, Germany, and in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The discoloration potential of the tubers was measured after harvesting and after 6 months of storage at 4 C and 8 C. Both methods correlated significantly at harvest (0.709,P < 0.001). After storage the correlation was significant but low (r = 0.403,P < 0.001) probably because of physical changes in the tuber during storage. The visual method can be used as a fast method, especially at harvest. However, the homogenization and visual methods determine, to a certain degree, different tuber properties leading to the discoloration potential. Therefore, a complete comparison is not possible. The methods studied in this paper can complement but not substitute each other. Reliable comparisons between institutes require use of the same method to determine the discoloration potential of the tuber.     

Evaluating the Performance of Gluten ELISA Test Kits: The Numbers Do Not Tell the Tale

A wide variety of enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are commercially available for gluten detection in food, including new formats and assays with antibodies against relevant gluten epitopes. Nevertheless, problems persist to accurately determine the gluten content of products. In this study, the performance of a set of 14 ELISA kits for gluten detection, representative of the current ELISA methods available on the market, was evaluated. These tests were used to determine gluten content in a series of relevant food matrices varying in complexity. Our results show that, currently, there is no single ELISA method that can accurately detect and quantify gluten in all different matrices. This includes the current type I method R5 as recommended by Codex Alimentarius. We conclude that further improvements are urgently needed and recommend focusing on competitive formats, improving extraction methods, and the detection of relevant gluten peptides (in order of priority).