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Processed potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) products, such as chips and French fries, contribute to the dietary intake of acrylamide, a suspected human carcinogen. One of the most promising approaches for reducing its consumption is to develop and commercialize new potato varieties with low acrylamide‐forming potential. To facilitate this effort, a National Fry Processing Trial (NFPT) was conducted from 2011 to 2013 in five states. More than 140 advanced breeding lines were evaluated for tuber agronomic traits and biochemical properties from harvest through 8 mo of storage. Thirty‐eight and 29 entries had significantly less acrylamide in French fries than standard varieties Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet, with reductions in excess of 50%, after one and 8 mo of storage, respectively. As in previous studies, the glucose content of raw tubers was predictive of acrylamide in finished French fries (R2= 0.64–0.77). Despite its role in acrylamide formation, tuber free asparagine was not significant, potentially because it showed relatively little variation in the NFPT population. Even when glucose was included in the model as a covariate, genotype was highly significant (p= 0.001) for predicting acrylamide, indicating there may be yet‐unidentified genetic loci to target in breeding. The NFPT has demonstrated that there exist many elite US breeding lines with low acrylamide‐forming potential. Our ongoing challenge is to combine this trait with complex quality attributes required by the fry processing industry.

Abstract: The feasibility of early disease detection in potato storages by the monitoring of volatiles was investigated usingErwinia carotovora as a model storage pathogen (soft rot) in both laboratory and commercial site tests. Volatiles were collected by cryogenic air liquefaction and concentrrated on Tenax-GC adsorbent. Analyses by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy identified acetone, ethanol, and 2-butanone being produced in abnormal concentrations during host-soft rot incubations in a controlled environment. Preliminary comparisons between diseased and normal commercial bins at different storage sites (two cultivars) indicated soft rot infection also created abnormally high concentrations of the above three volatiles, with most notable differences in 2-butanone concentrations. The criteria of selection for volatiles for possible use as incipient disease indicators are discussed in terms of the composite rate of pathogenic destruction within a potato pile. Additional volatiles identified from potatoes inoculated withE. carotovora include: acetaldehyde, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, propanethiol, hydrogen sulfide, methyl sulfide, methyl disulfide, n-propanol, and isobutanol.

Tubers located at lower depths in bins of stored potatoes suffer from pressure-bruising which often develops into an internal grayish or blackspot-like defect. However, little is known about key physiological and cellular changes that constitute pressure-bruising and resulting defects that degrade potato marketability and profits. We determined the changes in periderm water vapor permeability and some of the changes in cellular integrity that may occur in pressure-bruised areas compared to non-pressure-bruised areas of tubers after eight months of storage. Porometric measurements of pressure-bruised areas revealed elevated water vapor loss, which is conducive to blackspot formation, even though there were no apparent breaks in the periderm of pressure-bruised areas. Pressurebruised areas did not appear to readily wound-heal, because the elevated water vapor loss was shown to continue, without decline, when the tubers were porometrically measured again 4 days after removal from the pressure-bruising environment. Analysis of changes in cellular integrity of pressure-bruised regions showed that the tough, rigid cells of the suberized phellem could be damaged or completely flattened by this form of stress. A layer of what appeared to be crushed cells was often detected beneath the pressure-bruised, but partially intact, phellem. Autofluorescence of the crushed layer appeared to be derived from cell walls of collapsed phelloderm cells, starch granules of neighboring cells and material accumulated as a physiological response to the cellular damage incurred from pressure-bruising. These results help explain why the blackspot-like defect sometimes occurs at pressure-bruise sites.

Human serum sickness is a syndrome characterized by fever, malaise, skin rashes, arthralgias, gastrointestinal disturbances, and lymphadenopathy. It is believed to be mediated by circulating immune complexes composed of a foreign antigen and host antibody. Several cephalosporins have been associated with serum sickness. We report the occurrence of serum sickness in a patient who received cefoxitin, a commonly used cephamycin antibiotic, and pentoxifylline, a xanthine derivative that improves the flow properties of blood by decreasing its viscosity. Serum sickness has not been previously reported with the use of cefoxitin or pentoxifylline.

The article discusses how to thin a forest. It mentions that a well-thinned and managed woodland can produce quality timber and offer an attractive environment. It also notes the reasons behind thinning a woodland which involve good tree growth, ground flora and wildlife promotion as well as timber production for use or sale.