Hygienic acceptance of wood in food industry

Food is physically manipulated by other materials during production processes, and therefore, food quality and safety are vital in processes where foods are in contact with various materials. Wooden frames were used for centuries for dried egg pasta trays; however, with the development of different materials, wood was slowly abandoned and replaced by plastic. Nevertheless, there are some hygienic considerations concerning plastic frames in the dried egg pasta making industry. In this study, plastic and wooden trays were analysed by swabbing (n?=?210) and evaluated in regard to total number of aerobic counts (TAC), Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, moulds, yeasts and Staphylococcus aureus using dry medium plates. The aims of the research were to (1) evaluate the total number of microorganisms on wood and plastic material used for pasta trays and (2) make a hygienic evaluation of analysed materials for application in the pasta industry. The research was aimed to answer the question, ‘Does the tray material and/or location of the swab sample influence the colony forming unit (CFU)/20?cm²?’ Results showed a statistical difference in CFU/20?cm² for all bacterial determinations, except for E. coli which was not detected in swabs taken from wooden or plastic trays. This hygiene evaluation study supported the conclusion that the use of wood is appropriate in the food industry from a hygienic and technological point of view.     

Erhaltung der Ertragsfähigkeit des Bodens auf lange Sicht unter dem Einfluß von Fruchtfolgegestaltung, Düngung und Herbizideinsatz

Impact of crop rotation, fertilizer treatments and herbicidal applications on the long term maintenance of soil fertility
V. Comparative studies regarding chemical and physical factors of the yield potential of a soil over a ten year experimental period
In order to examine the influence of different crop management practices such as crop rotation, fertilizer treatments and herbicide applications on the yield potential of a soil, the Crop Science Department of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) conducted a long term field experiment commencing 1973. The experimental location was at the Swiss Federal Research Station for Farm Management and Agricultural Engeneering at Tanikon/TG (northeastern Switzerland).
After the ten year period, chemical and physical soil properties were not found to be substantially affected by the various experimental treatments. Organic carbon and total nitrogen were more influenced by fertilizer treatments than by crop rotation and herbicide applications. Both cation exchange capacity and pH proved to be fairly stable values.
Aggregate stability and organic matter exhibited similar profiles, although soil bulk density was affected by crop rotation. The volume of large and medium sized pores was similarly affected in that the corn-dominated crop rotation resulted in a quantifiable impact upon soil compaction.
Depending upon weed control efficiency, the grain yields of the winter wheat test crop clearly exhibited the effects of crop rotation whereas the lowest yields resulted from the corn-dominated crop rotation.     

RADIOLOGIC EVALUATION OF SPAVIN IN YOUNG TROTTERS

Tarsal radiographs of 134 trotters were made prior to training. Radiographs were evaluated for changes commonly associated with spavin. Spavin, if present, was graded as mild, moderate, or severe. Sone of the 134 horses were radiographed annually for one, two, or three years. Radiographs of the 134 horses were compared with radiographs of 141 additional horses in which spavin had been diagnosed clinically. Only 66 of the 134 trotters (50.4%) had normal tarsal radiographs at the time of initial examination; the other 65 had some radiographic evidence of spavin. The incidence and severity of radiographic changes identified in a group of horses in which spavin was diagnosed clinically. Thus, the present results suggest that tarsal radiography is of little value in establishing the diagnosis and prognosis of spavin in trotters.     

Role of Eicosanoids in the Regulation of the Periparturient Period in Cattle

Contents: In this review, the role of eicosanoids in regulation of parturition and the postpartum period was described with special emphasis on the bovine species. The metabolism of arachidonic acid and the production of eicosanoids during the peripartum period was discussed. Prostaglandin E₂ and F_2α (PGE₂, PGF_2α) play an important role in mechanisms controlling parturition. They are involved in luteolysis, uterine contractions and dilation of the cervix. Eicosanoids also seem to influence the loosening processes of the fetal membranes. However, in the literature, conflicting results were found. Many investigations suggested that retained placental membranes could be related to low PGF_2α production and/ or an imbalance of arachidonic acid metabolism in the uterus. The possible role of the lipoxygenase pathway metabolite 15-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) in expulsion of the fetal membranes was also discussed. As far as the postpartum period is concerned, a relationship between postpartum PGF_2α release and the involution of the uterus was found. Cows with undisturbed uterine involution had higher PGF_2α production than cows with delayed involution. In contrast to the positive effect of PGF_2α on uterine involution, PGE₂ seems to delay the involution processes. Further experiments are necessary in order to study the function of eicosanoids in mechanisms regulating parturition, release of the fetal placental membranes and involution of the uterus.     

Differences among restriction endonuclease DNA fingerprints of Pennsylvania field isolates, vaccine strains, and challenge strains of infectious laryngotracheitis virus.

Restriction endonuclease fingerprints of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) DNA from 13 Pennsylvania field isolates, embryo-propagated and tissue-culture-propagated vaccine strains, and three reference strains were compared. These comparisons were made to evaluate the possible contribution of mutation of ILTV vaccine strains to recent outbreaks of infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) in Pennsylvania. Six different restriction enzymes were used to generate the fingerprints. Differences in DNA banding patterns were revealed between the currently used ILTV vaccine strains and six of the 13 field isolates. Even greater DNA banding pattern differences were found between the older ILTV reference strains and the vaccine strains. The ILTV DNA fingerprints generated in the present study suggest that at least five different strains of ILTV have contributed to the outbreaks of ILT that have occurred since 1987 in Pennsylvania.     

Epitope identification and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in silico</Emphasis> prediction of the specificity of antibodies binding to the coat proteins of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Potato Virus Y</Emphasis> strains

A phage library containing 2.7 × 10⁹ randomly expressed peptides was used to determine the epitopes of three monoclonal antibodies that bind to the coat protein of potato virus Y. Construction of the consensus sequences for the peptides obtained after three selection rounds indicated that each antibody recognized a different epitope located within the first 50 N-terminal amino acids of the coat protein. The location of the epitopes was confirmed by heterologous expression of the N-terminal part of the coat protein in Escherichia coli, and, subsequently, by performing an immunological test with the three antibodies. The accuracy of the phage library was demonstrated by predicting in silico the cross-reactivity of the three antibodies with other potyvirus family members. ELISA and in silico predictions revealed the same results in almost every case. The potential of peptide phage libraries to optimize the use of antibodies in plant virology is discussed.