Serological survey in the Finnish human population implies human-to-human transmission of Ljungan virus or antigenically related viruses

Ljungan virus (LV) is a picornavirus related to human parechoviruses (HPeV). The virus has been found in bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and several other rodent species, and suggested to have zoonotic potential. Thus far, seroepidemiological data on LV infections in humans are scarce. In this study, we aimed to characterize the demographic and geographical distribution of LV-reactive antibodies in Finland, and to investigate its occurrence in patients suspected of having a rodent-borne disease, nephropathia epidemica (NE) caused by Puumala hantavirus (PUUV). Using an immunofluorescence assay (LV strain 145SLG), we screened human sera (n = 1378) and found LV-reactive antibodies in 36% of samples. The probability of possessing LV-reactive antibodies peaked at age of 14 years, suggesting that most infections occur in childhood. The prevalence of LV-reactive antibodies was significantly higher in the urbanized area surrounding Helsinki than in more rural Central Finland. These findings are uncharacteristic of a rodent-borne pathogen, and therefore we consider human-to-human transmission of one or several Ljungan-like viruses as a likely cause for most of the observed antibody responses.Peer reviewe

The effect of Cl, Br, and F on high-temperature corrosion of heat-transfer alloys

Funding Information: This work was conducted within the Academy of Finland project “Initiation and propagation of high-temperature corrosion reactions in complex oxygen-containing environments” (Decision no. 348963). This work was partly supported by the project Clean and efficient utilization of demanding fuels (CLUE 2 ), with support from the industrial partners: ANDRITZ Oy, Valmet Technologies Oy, UPM-Kymmene Oyj, Metsä Fibre Oy, and International Paper Inc., as part of the activities of the Åbo Akademi University Johan Gadolin Process Chemistry Centre. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)The impact of small alkali halide additions on the melting behavior and corrosivity of a synthetic sulfate deposit at 500, 550, and 600 °C was investigated. Three differently alloyed commercial heat-transfer materials; low-alloyed 10CrMo9-10, stainless AISI 347, and high-alloyed Sanicro 28, were studied. The samples were exposed for 168 h in a tube furnace to a K2SO4 + Na2SO4 mixture containing 0.85 mol% KCl, KBr, or KF. The extent of material degradation was determined by weight loss measurements, while the morphology, thickness, and composition of the formed oxide scale were characterized with SEM-EDS. Additionally, the melting behavior of the mixtures was studied with TG-DTA. It could be concluded that already small amounts of reactive alkali halides in an otherwise inert K2SO4 + Na2SO4 mixture change significantly the corrosion and melting behavior of the mixture.Peer reviewe

Analytical specificity and sensitivity of a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for identification of bovine mastitis pathogens

Intramammary infection (IMI), also known as mastitis, is the most frequently occurring and economically the most important infectious disease in dairy cattle. This study provides a validation of the analytical specificity and sensitivity of a real-time PCR-based assay that identifies 11 major pathogen species or species groups responsible for IMI, and a gene coding for staphylococcal beta-lactamase production (penicillin resistance). Altogether, 643 culture isolates originating from clinical bovine mastitis, human, and companion animal samples were analyzed using the assay. The isolates represented 83 different species, groups, or families, and originated from 6 countries in Europe and North America. The analytical specificity and sensitivity of the assay was 100% in bacterial and beta-lactamase identification across all isolates originating from bovine mastitis (n = 454). When considering the entire culture collection (including also the isolates originating from human and companion animal samples), 4 Streptococcus pyogenes, 1 Streptococcus salivarius, and 1 Streptococcus sanguis strain of human origin were identified as Streptococcus uberis, and 3 Shigella spp. strains were identified as Escherichia coli, decreasing specificity to 99% in Strep. uberis and to 99.5% in E. coli. These false-positive results were confirmed by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Specificity and sensitivity remained at 100% for all other bacterial targets across the entire culture collection. In conclusion, the real-time PCR assay shows excellent analytical accuracy and holds much promise for use in routine bovine IMI testing programs. This study provides the basis for evaluating the assay's diagnostic performance against the conventional bacterial culture method in clinical field trials using mastitis milk samples

Fuzzy Liquid Analysis by an Array of Nonspecifically Interacting Reagents: The Taste of Fluorescence

Complex or unknown liquid analysis requires extensive instrumentation and laboratory work; simple field devices usually have serious limitations in functionality, sensitivity, and applicability. This communication presents a novel, effective, and simple approach to fingerprinting liquids. The method is based on nonspecific interactions of the sample liquid, a long lifetime luminescent europium label, and various surface modulators in an array form that is readily converted to a field analysis μTAS system. As compared to existing e-nose or e-tongue techniques, the method is unique both in terms of sensitivity and usability, mainly due to the well-known unique properties of the europium label. This communication demonstrates the use of this new method in distinguishing different wines, waters, alcohols, and artificially modified berry juices