James R. Rieck

Drought impact on forest growth and mortality in the southeast USA: an analysis using Forest Health and Monitoring data

Drought frequency and intensity has been predicted to increase under many climate change scenarios. It is therefore critical to understand the response of forests to potential climate change in an effort to mitigate adverse impacts. The purpose of this study was to explore the regional effects of different drought severities on tree growth and mortality. Specifically, we investigated changes in growth and mortality rates across the southeastern United States under various drought and stand conditions using 1991-2005 Forest Health and Monitoring (FHM) plot data from Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia. Drought effects were examined for three species groups (pines, oaks, and mesophytic species) using the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) as an indicator of drought severity. Stand variables, including total basal area, total tree density, tree species richness, slope, and stand age, were used to account for drought effects under varying stand conditions. The pines and mesophytic species exhibited significant reductions in growth rate with increasing drought severity. However, no significant difference in growth rate was observed within the oak species group. Mean mortality rates within the no-drought class were significantly lower than those within the other three drought classes, among which no significant differences were found, for both pines and mesophytic species. Mean mortality rates were not significantly different among drought classes for oaks. Total basal area, total tree density, and stand age were negatively related to growth and positively related to mortality, which suggests that older and denser stands are more susceptible to drought damage. The effect of basal area on growth increased with drought severity for the oak and mesophytic species groups. Tree species richness was negatively related to mortality for the pine and mesophytic species groups, indicating that stands with more species suffer less mortality. Slope was positively related to mortality within the mesophytic species group, and its effect increased with drought severity, indicating a higher mortality on sites of greater slope during severe-drought conditions. Our findings indicate that pines and mesophytic species are sensitive to drought, while oaks are tolerant of drought. The observed differential growth and mortality rates among species groups may alter the species composition of southeastern U.S. forests if drought episodes become more frequent and/or intense due to climate change. The significant effects of stand conditions on drought responses observed in our study also suggest that forest management may be used as a tool to mitigate drought effects.

Nisin release from films is affected by both protein type and film-forming method

Abstract Effects of protein type (wheat or corn) and film-forming method (casting or heat-pressing) on films were evaluated for the retention of biologically active nisin (Nisaplin) and release of activity into water at four different temperatures (5, 25, 35 and 45 °C). Nisin activity was measured using the agar diffusion method against Lactobacillus plantarum 1752. Cast corn zein (CCZ) and cast wheat gluten (CWG) films retained 12.1% (8.1×104 IU/g film) and 15.8% (1.1×105 IU/g film) of the original activity after film formation, respectively. Heat-pressed corn zein (HPCZ) and heat-pressed wheat gluten (HPWG) films retained 6.5% (4.3×104 IU/g film) and 7.4% (4. 9×104 IU/g film) of the original activity after film formation, respectively. The maximum nisin activity found migrating into water at any sampling time was 561 IU/ml (CCZ), 1058 IU/ml (CWG), 309 IU/ml (HPCZ), and 478 IU/ml (HPWG).

Effect of combining nisin and/or lysozyme with in-package pasteurization for control of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat turkey bologna during refrigerated storage

This study investigated the efficacy of in-package pasteurization combined with pre-surface application of nisin and/or lysozyme to reduce and prevent the subsequent recovery and growth of Listeria monocytogenes during refrigerated storage on the surface of low-fat turkey bologna. Sterile bologna samples were treated with solutions of nisin (2 mg/ml=5000 AU/ml), lysozyme (10 mg/ml=80 AU/ml) and a mixture of nisin and lysozyme (2 mg nisin+10mg lysozyme/ml) before in-package pasteurization at 65 degrees C for 32s. In-package pasteurization resulted in an immediate 3.5-4.2 log CFU/cm(2) reduction in L. monocytogenes population for all treatments. All pasteurized treatments also resulted in a significant reduction of L. monocytogenes by 12 weeks compared to un-pasteurized bologna. In-package pasteurization in combination with nisin or nisin-lysozyme treatments was effective in reducing the population below detectable levels by 2-3 weeks of storage. Results from this study could have a significant impact for the industry since a reduction in bacterial population was achieved by a relatively short pasteurization time and antimicrobials reduced populations further during refrigerated storage.

A moment-generating function with application to the birnbaum-saunders distribution

The Birnbaum-Saunders distribution is a fatigue life distribution that was derived from a model assuming that failure is due to the development and growth of a dominant crack. This distribution has been shown to be applicable not only for fatigue analysis but also in other areas of engineering science. Because of its increasing use, it would be desirable to obtain expressions for the expected value of different powers of this distribution. In this article, the moment-generating function for the sinh-normal distribution is derived. It is shown that this moment-generating function can be used to obtain both integer and fractional moments for the Birnbaum-Saunders distribution. Thus it is now possible to obtain an expression for the expected value of the square root of a Birnbaum-Saunders random variable. A general expression for integer noncentral moments for the Birnbaum-Saunders distribution is derived using the moment-generating function of the sinh-normal distribution. Also included is an approximation ...

Thermal Inactivation of Desiccation-Adapted Salmonella spp. in Aged Chicken Litter

ABSTRACT Thermal inactivation of desiccation-adapted Salmonella spp. in aged chicken litter was investigated in comparison with that in a nonadapted control to examine potential cross-tolerance of desiccation-adapted cells to heat treatment. A mixture of four Salmonella serovars was inoculated into the finished compost with 20, 30, 40, and 50% moisture contents for a 24-h desiccation adaptation. Afterwards, the compost with desiccation-adapted cells was inoculated into the aged chicken litter with the same moisture content for heat treatments at 70, 75, 80, 85, and 150°C. Recovery media were used to allow heat-injured cells to resuscitate. A 5-log reduction in the number of the desiccation-adapted cells in aged chicken litter with a 20% moisture content required >6, >6, ∼4 to 5, and ∼3 to 4 h of exposure at 70, 75, 80, and 85°C, respectively. As a comparison, a 5-log reduction in the number of nonadapted control cells in the same chicken litter was achieved within ∼1.5 to 2, ∼1 to 1.5, ∼0.5 to 1, and <0.5 h at 70, 75, 80, and 85°C, respectively. The exposure time required to obtain a 5-log reduction in the number of desiccation-adapted cells gradually became shorter as temperature and moisture content were increased. At 150°C, desiccation-adapted Salmonella cells survived for 50 min in chicken litter with a 20% moisture content, whereas control cells were detectable by enrichment for only 10 min. Our results demonstrated that the thermal resistance of Salmonella in aged chicken litter was increased significantly when the cells were adapted to desiccation. This study also validated the effectiveness of thermal processing being used for producing chicken litter free of Salmonella contamination.

Parameter estimation for ihe birnbaum-saunders distribution based on symmetrically censored samples

Ihe Bimbaum-Saunders distribution was derived to model fatigue life. Frequently, it becomes necessary to stop a life testing process before all the test items have failed. Therefore, estimation procedures need to be developed for use when censoring occurs. In this article, we have derived estimators for the parameters of this distribution which may be used for complete samples or Type II symmetrically censored samples A simulation study was also conducted to examine the performance of these estimators.

Effect of combining nisin and/or lysozyme with in-package pasteurization on thermal inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat turkey bologna.

Achieving a targeted lethality with minimum exposure to heat and preservation of product quality during pasteurization is a challenge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of nisin and/or lysozyme in combination with in-package pasteurization of a ready-to-eat low-fat turkey bologna on the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes. Sterile bologna samples were initially treated with solutions of nisin (2 mg/ml = 5,000 AU/ml = 31.25 AU/cm2), lysozyme (10 mg/ml = 80 AU/ml = 0.5 AU/cm2), and a mixture of nisin and lysozyme (2 mg/ml nisin + 10 mg/ml lysozyme = 31.75 AU/cm2). Bologna surfaces were uniformly inoculated with a Listeria suspension resulting in a population of approximately 0.5 log CFU/cm2. Samples were vacuum packaged and subjected to heat treatment (60, 62.5, or 65 degrees C). Two nonlinear models (Weibull and log logistic) were used to analyze the data. From the model parameters, the time needed to achieve a 4-log reduction was calculated. The nisin-lysozyme combination and nisin treatments were effective in reducing the time required for 4-log reductions at 62.5 and 65 degrees C but not at 60 degrees C. At 62.5 degrees C, nisin-lysozyme-treated samples required 23% less time than did the control sample to achieve a 4-log reduction and 31% less time at 65 degrees C. Lysozyme alone did not enhance antilisterial activity with heat. Results from this study can be useful to the industry for developing an efficient intervention strategy against contamination of ready-to-eat meat products by L. monocytogenes.

Sucrose Concentration in Liquid Media Affects Soluble Carbohydrates, Biomass and Storage Quality of Micropropagated Hosta

The effects of sucrose concentration (1, 3, 5, or 7% w/v) in liquid media, in the presence and absence of benzylaminopurine (BAP), on internal carbohydrate status and growth of Hosta tokudama Tratt. ‘Newberry Gold’ during the multiplication phase (stage II) was investigated. Cultures from all treatment combinations were transferred to media containing 3% (w/v) sucrose during the rooting phase (stage III). At the end of the stage III, these micropropagules were subjected to 5 weeks of storage at 10 °C under low light (photosynthetic photon flux of 5 µmol m−2s−1). Endogenous concentrations of soluble sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) in the plantlets increased linearly as the media sucrose concentration increased from 1% to 7% during stage II. Root and shoot biomass increased with increasing media sucrose concentration. BAP increased the biomass and multiplication rate but did not affect internal concentration of soluble sugars. While in storage, endogenous sugar levels and plantlet dry weight remained unchanged for all treatments. Following storage, plants originally cultured in 5% and 7% media sucrose had higher dry weight and less leaf chlorosis than those cultured in 1% and 3% media. Differences in endogenous soluble sugar levels at the end of stage III rooting, and after storage were related to the sucrose concentration of the initial stage II multiplication medium. Increased media sucrose levels during the multiplication cycle has a positive, long-term effect on plant morphology and quality.

A Comparison of Two Random Number Generators for the Birnbaum–Saunders Distribution

Abstract The Birnbaum–Saunders distribution was developed to describe fatigue failure lifetimes, however, the distribution has been shown to be applicable for a variety of situations that frequently occur in the engineering sciences. In general, the distribution can be used for situations that involve stochastic wear–out failure. The distribution does not have an exponential family structure, and it is often necessary to use simulation methods to study the properties of statistical inference procedures for this distribution. Two random number generators for the Birnbaum–Saunders distribution have appeared in the literature. The purpose of this article is to present and compare these two random number generators to determine which is more efficient. It is shown that one of these generators is a special case of the other and is simpler and more efficient to use.

Sucrose in storage media and cultivar affects post-storage regrowth of in vitro Hosta propagules

The goal of this research was to investigate if culturing in high sucrose (5%) liquid media during multiplication phase (stage II) would enhance endogenous sugar levels and dry matter sufficiently to allow storage of in vitro plants in sugar free media without adversely affecting post-storage recovery. Hosta tokudama ‘Newberry Gold (NBG)’ and Hosta ‘Striptease’ were cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) media containing 5% sucrose during stage II and transferred to rooting phase (stage III) in MS medium without (0%) sucrose or with 3% sucrose for 4 weeks. At the end of stage III, cultures were stored, with the remaining media, at 10 °C with 5 μmol m−2 s−1 photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) from cool white fluorescent lamps for 7 or 14 weeks with or without a 2-week dark period prior to removal from storage. In both cultivars, stage III plants cultured in 3% sucrose media had higher soluble sugar levels and greater shoot and root biomass than those cultured in 0% sucrose media. Shoot and root soluble sugars decreased during storage. Shoot growth ceased during storage in both media. Root dry matter continued to increase in plants stored in 3% sucrose media but did not change in 0% sucrose media. Plants cultured in 3% sucrose media had less leaf chlorosis and less mortality after 7 or 14 weeks of low temperature storage than the plantlets from sugar free media. Extending the storage period from 7 to 14 weeks or introduction of 2-week dark period at the end of storage did not affect leaf chlorosis or plant mortality during acclimatization. Post-storage growth varied with the cultivar. Benefit of having sucrose in storage media was to develop a strong root system that aided the acclimatization and post-storage growth following 7 or 14 week storage. Sucrose ‘loading’ by culturing plants in liquid media containing 5% sucrose did not allow storage in sugar free media without adversely affecting post-storage growth in both cultivars.