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Inactivation kinetics of Escherichia coli K12 inoculated in blueberry, grapefruit, cantaloupe, and watermelon juices were evaluated at isothermal temperatures of 52 to 62 °C using thermal death time disks. Juices had variations in titratable acidity, pH, viscosity, and total soluble solids. Survival curves were described by Weibull and linear models, where D‐ and z‐values were determined using the first‐order model. D‐values in watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberry and grapefruit juices, were 6.57–0.64 min, 4.55–0.44 min, 3.94–0.27 min, and 3.03–0.24 min, respectively. The z‐values of E. coli K12 in tested fruit juices ranged from 5.33 to 5.89 °C. While there were no significant differences in the z‐values, the D‐values varied significantly. According to the results obtained, pH and heating temperature dramatically affect the thermal resistance of E. coli K12 under tested conditions. These findings offer a basis for developing predictive models for E. coli inactivation in fruit juices. Practical applications: Thermal death time (TDT) kinetics is extremely useful in ensuring microbial safety of fruit juices. The D‐ and z‐values calculated in this study can contribute to developing predictive models for inactivating E. coli in fruit juices with varied physicochemical attributes. Furthermore, the data and models can be used for optimization of pasteurization processes and regulatory compliance. TDT studies provide the scientific basis for process calculations and help juice manufacturers comply with regulatory requirements. Also, TDT studies help determine the minimal thermal treatments needed to inhibit spoilage organisms, ensuring the juice remains safe and palatable for longer periods. This research will help scientists understand the thermal resistance of E. coli in various fruit juice matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of cayenne pepper varieties can be optimized by multiple crossings, transgressive segregant selection based on the selection index, and identification of potential anthocyanins. The study objectives were (1) to develop a transgressive segregation index, and (2) to select transgressive segregation cayenne peppers with high productivity and anthocyanins from F3 multiple cross-generation. The study conducted two experiments at the experimental field, Hasanuddin University, from November 2022 to November 2023. The first experiment implemented an augmented design with a randomized complete block design (RCBD) as an environmental design. The genotypes as treatment consisted of two types: 110 lines of cayenne pepper were not repeated, and the 4 older chili varieties as controls were repeated in each block. All genotypes were categorized and divided into five blocks. The second experiment was the validation of the first trial. There were 13 genotypes tested with RCBD design one factor and repeated three times. Based on the study, developing a semiobjective-based selection index with canopy width, fruit weight, and yield was an innovative and effective approach to selecting F3 transgressive segregants of cayenne pepper. High-yielding transgressive lines were identified as G3-2-7-3, G2.6.9-10, G5-12-1-8, and G4.5.2-12. The G3-2-7-3 line was suggested due to its high yield potential and anthocyanin content. However, the anthocyanin content must be examined more deeply, such as using an omics approach. Nevertheless, these lines are still recommended to be continued in yield testing or crossing to produce hybrid lines that have high yield potential and anthocyanin content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A yeast, isolated from grape juice concentrate by a grape juice processing company in central Washington, was subjected to thermal processing in 52° Brix grape juice concentrate, commercial grape juice, and Yeast-Mold (YM) medium to determine D-values and z-values in the search for an effective means of control. At 50 °C in grape juice concentrate the D-value was 33.44 minutes, dropping rapidly as the temperature increased to 52.5 °C, 55 °C, 57.5 °C, and 60 °C. From this data, a z-value was determined to be 4.38 °C. Grape juice and YM broth were similarly tested. Commercial grape juice at 45 °C, 47 °C, and 50 °C showed D-values of 9.80, 7.68, and 1.42, respectively, resulting in a z-value of 5.69 °C. The isolate heat treated in YM broth at 40 °C, 45 °C, 46 °C, 47.5 °C, and 50 °C showed no effect at 40 °C but at higher temperatures, with a D-value of 2.28 at 45 °C, 1.61 at 46 °C, 1.05 at 47.5 °C, and with a z-value of 7.46 °C. This data suggests that an increase in the concentration of sugars in the environment has a protective effect on the yeast against elevated temperatures. Even so, pasteurization at 90 °C for thirty seconds appears to be an effective means of control for the yeast investigated. A yeast with the identical colony and cell morphology was isolated from 52° Brix grape juice concentrate from the same grape juice processing company. Both isolates were subjected to 28S DNA sequencing and FAME analysis for identification and determined to be Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, a known problem yeast in the grape juice and wine-making industry, to this point unknown in the central Washington region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Cronobacter sspecies are the most significant foodborne pathogen in infant milk formula (IMF). These pathogens have been incriminated in severe forms of neonatal meningitis, sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis with a high mortality rate. Aim: This study was performed to elucidate the effect of heat stress on Cronobacter spp. (C. sakazakii and C. pulveris) in reconstituted IMF (RIMF). Methods: The reconstituted formula was inoculated with five C. sakazakii isolates and four C. pulveris isolates separately. The nine isolates of Cronobacter spp. were heated in RIMF at 48°C, 52°C, 56°C, 60°C, 64°C, and 66°C. The D- and z-values were determined by using linear regression analysis. Results: The D-values of all isolates of C. sakazakii (CS1, CS3, CS4, CS5, and CS6) at 48°C, 52°C, 56°C, 60°C, 64°C, and 66°C were in the ranges 7.29-23.47, 2.77-15.50, 0.62-1.04, 0.62-1.02, 0.62-1.00, 0.62-1.00 minutes, respectively; while, the z-values extended from 2.50°C to 4.28°C. The D- values of C. pulveris isolates (CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4) were in the ranges 7.60-22.32, 1.42-8.45, 0.62-1.08, 0.62-0.78, 0.62-0.78, 0.62-0.79 minutes at 48°C, 52°C, 56°C, 60°C, 64°C, 66°C, respectively and the calculated z-values ranged from 3.33°C to 4.89°C. Conclusion: This study may contribute to improving the understanding of the behavior of C. sakazakii and C. pulveris isolates in RIMF at various heat stress temperatures and may participate in the effective control of these pathogens in infant food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive multiple testing with covariates is an important research direction that has gained major attention in recent years. It has been widely recognised that leveraging side information provided by auxiliary covariates can improve the power of false discovery rate (FDR) procedures. Currently, most such procedures are devised with p‐values as their main statistics. However, for two‐sided hypotheses, the usual data processing step that transforms the primary statistics, known as z‐values, into p‐values not only leads to a loss of information carried by the main statistics, but can also undermine the ability of the covariates to assist with the FDR inference. We develop a z‐value based covariate‐adaptive (ZAP) methodology that operates on the intact structural information encoded jointly by the z‐values and covariates. It seeks to emulate the oracle z‐value procedure via a working model, and its rejection regions significantly depart from those of the p‐value adaptive testing approaches. The key strength of ZAP is that the FDR control is guaranteed with minimal assumptions, even when the working model is misspecified. We demonstrate the state‐of‐the‐art performance of ZAP using both simulated and real data, which shows that the efficiency gain can be substantial in comparison with p‐value‐based methods. Our methodology is implemented in the R package zap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aichi virus (AiV) that results in gastroenteritis worldwide, is spread through contaminated shellfish and water. The resistance/tolerance of AiV to common inactivation processes along with the absence of commercially available vaccines makes it necessary to study its thermal inactivation kinetics. This research evaluated the heat inactivation of AiV in cell‐culture media using 2‐ml sterile glass vials by the linear and Weibull models. Heat treatments of AiV titers of 7 log plaque forming units (PFU)/ml were conducted thrice in a water‐bath at 50, 54, and 58 °C for up to 90 min. Plaque assays for each dilution in duplicate were used to determine infectious virus titers. Linear model D‐values for AiV at 50 ± 1 °C (± = standard error) (come‐up time = 68 s), 54 ± 0.7 °C (130 s), and 58 ± 0.6°C (251 s) were 43.3 ± 4.23 (R2 = 0.40, RMSE = 0.56), 5.69 ± 0.28 (R2 = 0.80, RMSE = 0.43), and 1.20 ± 0.63 min (R2 = 0.69, RMSE = 0.39), respectively, and the linear model z‐value was 5.14 ± 0.39°C (R2 = 0.99, RMSE = 0.08). For the same temperatures, the Weibull model td = 1 values were 20.98 ± 8.8 (R2 = 0.62, RMSE = 0.46, α (scale parameter) = 2.30, β (shape parameter) = 0.38), 3.84 ± 0.69 (R2 = 0.85, RMSE = 0.38, α = 1.08, β = 0.66), and 0.87 ± 0.10 min (R2 = 0.80, RMSE = 0.32, α = 0.22, β = 0.61), respectively and the z‐value (using Td = 1) was 5.79 ± 0.22 °C (R2 = 1.0, RMSE = 0.03). A better fit was obtained with the Weibull model for log reductions versus time with higher R2 and lower RMSE values. Application of AiV inactivation parameters can help reduce the risk of AiV outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Which environmental factors influence fine‐grain beta diversity of vegetation and do they vary among taxonomic groups? Location: Palaearctic biogeographic realm. Methods: We extracted 4,654 nested‐plot series with at least four different grain sizes between 0.0001 m² and 1,024 m² from the GrassPlot database, covering a wide range of different grassland and other open habitat types. We derived extensive environmental and structural information for these series. For each series and four taxonomic groups (vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens, all), we calculated the slope parameter (z‐value) of the power law species–area relationship (SAR), as a beta diversity measure. We tested whether z‐values differed among taxonomic groups and with respect to biogeographic gradients (latitude, elevation, macroclimate), ecological (site) characteristics (several stress–productivity, disturbance and heterogeneity measures, including land use) and alpha diversity (c‐value of the power law SAR). Results: Mean z‐values were highest for lichens, intermediate for vascular plants and lowest for bryophytes. Bivariate regressions of z‐values against environmental variables had rather low predictive power (mean R² = 0.07 for vascular plants, less for other taxa). For vascular plants, the strongest predictors of z‐values were herb layer cover (negative), elevation (positive), rock and stone cover (positive) and the c‐value (U‐shaped). All tested metrics related to land use (fertilization, livestock grazing, mowing, burning, decrease in naturalness) led to a decrease in z‐values. Other predictors had little or no impact on z‐values. The patterns for bryophytes, lichens and all taxa combined were similar but weaker than those for vascular plants. Conclusions: We conclude that productivity has negative and heterogeneity positive effects on z‐values, while the effect of disturbance varies depending on type and intensity. These patterns and the differences among taxonomic groups can be explained via the effects of these drivers on the mean occupancy of species, which is mathematically linked to beta diversity.We analysed fine‐grain beta diversity of grasslands and other open habitats in the Palaearctic using 4,654 nested‐plot series and the z‐values of power‐law species–area relationships. Mean z‐values were highest for lichens, intermediate for vascular plants and lowest for bryophytes. The strongest environmental predictors of z‐values were herb layer cover (negative), elevation (positive), rock and stone cover (positive) and the c‐value (U‐shaped). In a conceptual figure, we summarize the resulting hypotheses how different predictors could influence z‐values via mean occupancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Species–area relationships (SARs) are fundamental for understanding biodiversity patterns and are generally well described by a power law with a constant exponent z. However, z‐values sometimes vary across spatial scales. We asked whether there is a general scale dependence of z‐values at fine spatial grains and which potential drivers influence it. Location: Palaearctic biogeographic realm. Methods: We used 6,696 nested‐plot series of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens from the GrassPlot database with two or more grain sizes, ranging from 0.0001 m² to 1,024 m² and covering diverse open habitats. The plots were recorded with two widespread sampling approaches (rooted presence = species “rooting” inside the plot; shoot presence = species with aerial parts inside). Using Generalized Additive Models, we tested for scale dependence of z‐values by evaluating if the z‐values differ with gran size and tested for differences between the sampling approaches. The response shapes of z‐values to grain were classified by fitting Generalized Linear Models with logit link to each series. We tested whether the grain size where the maximum z‐value occurred is driven by taxonomic group, biogeographic or ecological variables. Results: For rooted presence, we found a strong monotonous increase of z‐values with grain sizes for all grain sizes below 1 m². For shoot presence, the scale dependence was much weaker, with hump‐shaped curves prevailing. Among the environmental variables studied, latitude, vegetation type, naturalness and land use had strong effects, with z‐values of secondary peaking at smaller grain sizes. Conclusions: The overall weak scale dependence of z‐values underlines that the power function generally is appropriate to describe SARs within the studied grain sizes in continuous open vegetation, if recorded with the shoot presence method. When clear peaks of z‐values occur, this can be seen as an expression of granularity of species composition, partly driven by abiotic environment.Fine‐grain species‐area relationships can be well described with the power function, but at closer look the exponent z (a measure of multiplicative beta diversity) might vary across scales. Using nearly 7,000 nested‐plot series from Palaearctic open habitats, we found that for rooted presence sampling z strongly increases from 1 m² towards smallest grains, whereas for shoot presence sampling there is typically a weak peak somewhere below 1 m². Peak position was mainly influenced by taxonomic group, latitude and naturalness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To quantify how fine-grain (within-plot) beta diversity differs among biomes and vegetation types. Study area: Palaearctic biogeographic realm. Methods: We extracted 4,654 nested-plot series with at least four different grain sizes between 0.0001 m² and 1,024 m² from the GrassPlot database spanning broad geographic and ecological gradients. Next, we calculated the slope parameter (z-value) of the power-law species-area relationship (SAR) to use as a measure of multiplicative beta diversity. We did this separately for vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens and for the three groups combined (complete vegetation). We then tested whether z-values differed between biomes, ecological-physiognomic vegetation types at coarse and fine levels and phytosociological classes. Results: We found that z-values varied significantly among biomes and vegetation types. The explanatory power of area for species richness was highest for vascular plants, followed by complete vegetation, bryophytes and lichens. Within each species group, the explained variance increased with typological resolution. In vascular plants, adjusted R2 was 0.14 for biomes, but reached 0.50 for phytosociological classes. Among the biomes, mean z-values were particularly high in the Subtropics with winter rain (Mediterranean biome) and the Dry tropics and subtropics. Natural grasslands had higher z-values than secondary grasslands. Alpine and Mediterranean vegetation types had particularly high z-values whereas managed grasslands with benign soil and climate conditions and saline communities were characterised by particularly low z-values. Conclusions: In this study relating fine-grain beta diversity to typological units, we found distinct patterns. As we explain in a conceptual figure, these can be related to ultimate drivers, such as productivity, stress and disturbance, which can influence z-values via multiple pathways. The provided means, medians and quantiles of z-values for a wide range of typological entities provide benchmarks for local to continental studies, while calling for additional data from under-represented units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aimed to determine the accuracy (Z‐value) of non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) results for sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA) in routine clinical practice. Methods: Among a cohort of 12505 pregnant females, maternal plasma samples collected from our hospital were utilized for SCA analysis by NIPT detection. The positive samples were validated through an invasive procedure and karyotyping analysis. The predictive value from positive samples in sex chromosomes was compared to analyze the accuracy of the Z‐value. Results: There were 65 females with sex chromosome abnormalities within 12,505 pregnant females in the NIPT detection, which was validated by karyotype analysis of amniotic fluid puncture through sequencing, as well as bioinformatics analysis, with 18 true‐positive samples. The true‐positive results with 45,X, 47,XXY, 47,XXX and 47,XYY karyotypes predicted by NIPT were 14.29%, 50.00%, 66.67% and 71.43%, respectively. Among sex chromosome cases, the findings indicated that positive NIPT results with Z ≥ 9 show a higher accuracy. Conclusions: The findings of the present study demonstrate that the positive predictive value of NIPT for sex chromosome abnormalities is distinctive. The positive predictive value was highest for 47,XYY and lowest for 45,X. Additionally, the Z‐value results are considered to be correlated with the accuracy of NIPT, although further studies need to be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine the decimal reduction times (D) and the thermal resistance parameter (z) values of relevant foodborne pathogens linked with fruit juice consumption - namely Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes. Cocktails of different strains of the same bacterial species were prepared and thereafter subjected to thermal inactivation studies at 50, 53, 55, 57, and 60 °C heating temperatures in orange juice. Survivor populations were determined by surface-plating onto a non-selective medium, after which the inactivation behavior and kinetic parameters were determined. Results showed that for all tested organisms, the D-values significantly (P < 0.05) decreased with increasing heating temperature. In all heating temperatures, E. coli O157:H7 exhibited the significantly greatest heat resistance, with D-values ranging from 324.60 s to 95.12 s. At 50 °C, L. monocytogenes (D-values 152.32 s to 11.84 s) was significantly more resistant than S. enterica (D-values 106.55 s to 19.29 s). At higher heating temperatures, the D-values of S. enterica and L. monocytogenes were not significantly different (P > 0.05). The calculated z-values significantly varied across the test organisms, which ranged from 9.40 °C (L. monocytogenes) to 18.78 °C (E. coli O157:H7). These results may be used in the establishment of new, and validation of existing, thermal process schedules to ensure safety against the test pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principal aim of this study is to make a general assessment of the regional and temporal behaviors of the seismicity in the Marmara region of Turkey. For this purpose, the well-known spatio-temporal tools such as Mc-value, b-value, Dc-value, Z-value, recurrence period and annual probability were evaluated. The data catalog is homogeneous for local magnitude, ML, and includes 18,662 events with 0.4≤ML≤5.7 between 2000 and 2020. Earthquake magnitudes change between 1.5 and 3.0 and hence, Mc-value was taken as 2.7. b-value was calculated as 1.14±0.07 and the earthquakes with small magnitude can be effective on this relatively large value. Dc-value was estimated as 1.57±0.03 with a scale invariance from 5.03 to 87.64 km. This moderate value means that distance between the epicenters approaches the diameter of cluster and, earthquake activity is more clustered in larger areas or at smaller scales. Time-magnitude estimations of annual probability and recurrence period indicate that the Marmara region has an intermediate/long terms hazard for the occurrence of strong/large earthquakes. Anomaly regions with low 6-value and large Z-value observed at the beginning of 2019 can be considered as the most likely regions for strong/large earthquake occurrences in the next. As a remarkable fact, a correlation and combined interpretation of these seismotectonic parameters may supply a preliminary and essential perspective in the seismic hazard for strong/large earthquake occurrences in the Marmara region of Turkey in the intermediate/long terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of the thermal destruction rate of foodborne pathogens is important for food processors to ensure proper food safety. When bacteria are subjected to thermal stress during storage, sublethal stresses and/or thermal acclimation may lead to differences in their subsequent tolerance to thermal treatment. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the thermal tolerance of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, and Staphylococcus aureus that are incubated during overnight growth in tryptic soy broth at four temperatures (15, 25, 35, and 45°C). Following incubation, the bacteria were subjected to thermal treatments at 55, 60, and 65°C. At the end of each treatment time, bacterial survival was quantified and further calculated for the thermal death decimal reduction time (D‐value) and thermal destruction temperature (z‐value) using a linear model for thermal treatment time (min) vs. microbial population (Log CFU/ml) and thermal treatment temperature (°C) vs. D‐value, respectively, for each bacterium. Among the four bacterial species, E. coli generally had longer D‐values and lower z‐values than did other bacteria. Increasing patterns of D‐ and z‐values in Listeria were obtained with the increment of incubation temperatures from 15 to 45°C. The z‐values of Staphylococcus (6.19°C), Salmonella (6.73°C), Listeria (7.10°C), and Listeria (7.26°C) were the highest at 15, 25, 35, and 45°C, respectively. Although further research is needed to validate the findings on food matrix, findings in this study clearly affirm that adaptation of bacteria to certain stresses may reduce the effectiveness of preservation hurdles applied during later stages of food processing and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improper food processing is one of the major causes of foodborne illness. Accurate prediction of the thermal destruction rate of foodborne pathogens is therefore vital to ensure proper processing and food safety. When bacteria are subjected to pH and thermal stresses during growth, sublethal stresses can occur that may lead to differences in their subsequent tolerance to thermal treatment. As a preliminary study to test this concept, the current study evaluated the effect of prior pH and thermal stresses on thermal tolerance of Salmonella and Staphylococcus using a tryptic soy broth supplemented with yeast extract. Bacteria incubated at three pH values (6.0, 7.4, and 9.0) and four temperatures (15, 25, 35, and 45°C) for 24 hr were subjected to thermal treatments at 55, 60, and 65°C. At the end of each treatment time, bacterial suspensions were surface‐plated on standard method agar for quantification of bacterial survival and further calculation of the thermal death decimal reduction time (D‐value) and thermal destruction temperature (z‐value). The effect of pH stress alone during the incubation on the thermal tolerance of both bacteria was generally insignificant. An increasing pattern of D‐value was observed with the increment of thermal stress (incubation temperature). The bacteria incubated at 35°C required the highest z‐value to reduce the 90% in D‐values. Staphylococcus mostly displayed higher tolerance to thermal treatment than Salmonella. Although further research is needed to validate the current findings on food matrices, findings in this study clearly affirm that adaptation of bacteria to certain stresses may reduce the effectiveness of preservation procedures applied during later stage of food processing and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human noroviruses (HNoVs) cause significant gastrointestinal disease outbreaks worldwide. Tulane virus (TV) is a cultivable HNoV surrogate widely used to determine control measures against HNoVs. The objective of this study was to determine the heat inactivation kinetics (D‐ and z‐values) of TV in cell‐culture media and on spiked homogenized spinach using the first‐order and Weibull models. TV in cell‐culture media at approximately 7 log PFU/mL (PFU—plaque forming unit) in 2‐mL glass vials was heated at 52, 54, and 56 °C for up to 10 min in a circulating water bath. Survivors were enumerated using confluent host LLC‐MK2 cells in six‐well plates by plaque assay. Data from three replicate treatments assayed in duplicate were analyzed statistically. D‐values by the first‐order model for TV in cell‐culture media at 52, 54, and 56 °C were 4.59 ± 0.05, 2.91 ± 0.05, and 1.74 ± 0.07 min, respectively, with a z‐value of 9.09 ± 0.01 °C (R2 = 0.997). The Weibull model showed td = 1 values of 2.53 ± 0.08, 1.99 ± 0.10, and 0.57 ± 0.64 min, respectively, at the same temperatures. The D‐values for TV in spinach were 7.94 ± 0.21, 4.09 ± 0.04, and 1.43 ± 0.02 min and the z‐value was 10.74 ± 0.01 °C (R2 = 0.98) by the first‐order model and 4.89 ± 0.02, 3.21 ± 0.45, and 0.25 ± 0.38 min for the Weibull model at 50, 54, and 58 °C, respectively. In comparison to previously reported results for the cultivable HNoV surrogate, murine norovirus ‐1, TV in cell‐culture media and spiked on spinach homogenates showed lower D‐ and z‐values. TV may not be an ideal HNoV surrogate for heat inactivation studies in cell‐culture media or homogenized spinach in vacuum bags. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal inactivation kinetics of peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), pectin methyl esterase (PME) and ascorbate oxidase (AO) were studied over the temperature range of 45-85 °C along with the degradation kinetics of ascorbic acid (AA) and lycopene in Psidium guajava pulp. POD, PPO, PME and AO followed first-order kinetics whereas AA degradation data was explained by pseudo first-order kinetics. Lycopene degradation was suitably fitted in an exponential model, indicating continuous degradation of lycopene and higher degradation at higher temperature. Activation energy (Ea) of POD, PPO, PME, and AO was 63.79 ± 1.28, 60.36 ± 1.21, 63.22 ± 1.06 and 106.33 ± 8.51 kJ/mol, respectively. AA had Ea (95.82 ± 1.92 kJ/mol) higher than lycopene (54.92 ± 1.10 kJ/mol). PME (Z = 39.4 ± 0.1 °C) showed highest heat stability while AO (Z = 14.3 ± 1.1 °C) was least stable amongst the enzymes studied. AA (Z = 23.5 ± 0.5 °C) was weakest amongst the phytoconstituents in guava pulp and its retention was challenged during thermal processing. The thermal resistance of quality deteriorating enzyme of guava was found to be higher than that of the common spoilage organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum reported for processed fruit products. Thus, this research hints towards the need for more robust thermal processing for inactivation of quality deteriorating enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precooking of tuna is a potential critical control point (CCP) in the commercial manufacturing of canned tuna. To assess the efficacy of precooking as a CCP, an understanding of the thermal properties of histamine-producing bacteria (HPB) and their histidine decarboxylase (HDC) enzymes is required. The thermal properties of many HPB have been determined, but the thermal resistances of the HDC enzymes are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the D- and z-values of selected HDC enzymes to evaluate the CCP of precooking during the canning process and provide scientific data to support U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. HDC (hdc) genes from three strains each of Morganella morganii,Enterobacter aerogenes,Raoultella planticola, and Photobacterium damselae were cloned, expressed, and purified using the Champion pET Directional TOPO Expression System, pET100 cloning vector, and HisPur Cobalt resin. The heat resistances of all enzymes were compared at 50°C, and the D- and z-values from one strain of each HPB were determined at 50 to 60°C. To evaluate the heat inactivation of HDC enzymes during canned tuna processing, tuna tissue was inoculated with HDCs and heated to 60°C in a water bath set at 65 and 100°C. The D-values for the HDC enzymes from M. morganii,E. aerogenes,R. planticola, and P. damselae ranged from 1.6 to 4.1, 1.6 to 6.3, 1.9 to 4.3, and 1.6 to 2.9 min, respectively, at 50 to 60°C. The z-values for M. morganii,E. aerogenes,R. planticola, and P. damselae were 19.2, 18.0, 22.0, and 13.3°C, respectively. The HDCs from all HPB except E. aerogenes showed no significant activity after being heated to 60°C. The data generated in this study will help refine current guidelines for the thermal destruction of the HDC enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food-grade galactooligosaccharide (GOS) with low water activity (aw of ca. 0.7) is used as an ingredient in various foods. We evaluated heat tolerances of Salmonella, Cronobacter sakazakii, and Pediococcus acidilactici at temperatures (70 to 85°C) used during the saturation process of GOS by comparing decimal reduction time (D-values) and thermal resistance constants (z-values). To determine the D- and z-values, GOS containing Salmonella (5.1 to 5.8 log CFU/g) or C. sakazakii (5.3 to 5.9 log CFU/g) was heat treated at 70, 77.5, or 85°C for up to 40, 25, or 15 s, respectively, and GOS containing P. acidilactici (6.1 to 6.5 log CFU/g) was heat treated at 70, 77.5, or 85°C for up to 150, 75, or 40 s, respectively. The D-values were calculated using a linear model for heating time versus microbial population for each bacterium. When the D-values for Salmonella, C. sakazakii, and P. acidilactici in GOS were compared, the thermal resistance of all bacteria decreased as the temperature increased. Among the three bacteria, P. acidilactici had higher D-values than did Salmonella and C. sakazakii. The z-values of Salmonella, C. sakazakii, and P. acidilactici were 30.10, 33.18, and 13.04°C, respectively. Overall order of thermal resistance was P. acidilactici > Salmonella ≈ C. sakazakii. These results will be useful for selecting appropriate heat treatment conditions for the decontamination of pathogenic microorganisms during GOS manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With regard to the German E-Health Law of 2016, the DGKL has been invited to develop a standard procedure for the storage and transmission of laboratory results. We suggest the commonly used z-transformation. Methods: This method evaluates by how many standard deviations a given result deviates from the mean of the respective reference population. We confirm with real data that laboratory results of healthy individuals can be adjusted to a normal distribution by logarithmic transformation. Results: Thus, knowing the lower and upper reference limits LL and UL, one can transform any result x into a zlog value using the following equation: The result can easily be interpreted, since its reference interval is -1.96 to +1.96 by default, and very low or high results yield zlog values around -5 and +5, respectively. For intuitive data presentation, the zlog values may be transformed into a continuous colour scale, e.g. from blue via white to orange. Using the inverse function, any zlog value can then be translated into the theoretical result of an analytical method with another reference interval: Conclusions: Our standardization proposal can easily be put into practice and may effectively contribute to data quality and patient safety in the frame of the German E-health law. We suggest for the future that laboratories should provide the zlog value in addition to the original result, and that the data transmission protocols (e.g. HL7, LDT) should contain a special field for this additional value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the association of serum uric acid (UA) levels with bone mineral density (BMD) at all skeletal sites in healthy Chinese males >50 years of age. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 385 Chinese males >50 years of age who underwent health checkup in Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University in Shanghai, China, was conducted. Clinical and bone characteristics were compared in different UA tertiles (UA1: UA <4.7 mg/dL, UA2: 4.7 mg/dL ≤ UA <6 mg/dL and UA3: UA ≥6 mg/dL). Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to study the correlation of UA with BMD at various skeletal sites. Results: Serum UA levels were positively associated with higher BMD and T-values at the lumbar spine, but not at other skeletal sites, after adjusting for multiple confounding factors. Lumbar spine BMD; the T- and Z-values at the lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck; as well as intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels are higher in the highest tertile of UA than in the second tertile of UA. Conclusion: Our results provide epidemiological evidence in Chinese Han males aged >50 years that serum UA levels are positively correlated with lumbar spine BMD and T-values, suggesting that UA may exert protective effect on bone density at the lumbar spine in Chinese males >50 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Listeria monocytogenesresults in potential food safety concerns in ready-to-eat refrigerated products. Cold-smoked salmon is a food considered to be at high risk forListeriaspp. contamination for which a mild heat treatment or pasteurization step might be helpful to reduce microbial levels. Cold-smoked salmon was inoculated with a cocktail of four strains (L. monocytogenes: ATCC19114, 7644, and 19113, andL. innocua: ATCC51742) and inactivation curves obtained at 58, 60, 62, 64, and 66°C using capillary tube methods. Inactivation results showed typical log linear trends (R2≥ 0.97).D-values ofL. monocytogenesandL. innocuawere 0.3 to 14.1 min at 66 to 58°C, with az-value of 5.2 to 6.5°C and activation energy of 332 to 414 kJ/mol. The nonpathogenicListeria innocuaATCC51742 had comparableD- andz-values to the three strains ofL. monocytogenesand thus can be used for validation of pasteurization processes to controlL. monocytogenesin cold-smoked salmon and potentially other ready-to-eat thermolabile food products. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aims Epidemiological evidence suggests that hepatitis A virus ( HAV) is the most common pathogen transmitted by bivalve molluscs such as clams, cockles, mussels and oysters. This study aimed to generate thermal inactivation kinetics for HAV as a first step to design adequate thermal processes to control clam-associated HAV outbreaks. Methods and Results Survivor curves and thermal death curves were generated for different treatment times (0-6 min) at different temperatures (50-72°C) and Weibull and first-order models were compared. D-values for HAV ranged from 47·37 ± 1·23 to 1·55 ± 0·12 min for the first-order model and 64·43 ± 3·47 to 1·25 ± 0·45 min for the Weibull model at temperatures from 50 to 72°C. z-Values for HAV in clams were 12·97 ± 0·59°C and 14·83 ± 0·0·28°C using the Weibull and first-order model respectively. The calculated activation energies for the first-order and Weibull model were 145 and 170 kJ mole−1 respectively. Conclusion The Weibull model described the thermal inactivation behaviour of HAV better than the first-order model. Significance and Impact of the Study This study provides novel and precise information on thermal inactivation kinetics of HAV in homogenized clams. This will enable reliable thermal process calculations for HAV inactivation in clams and closely related seafood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell suspensions of four Dekkera bruxellensis strains (CBS 2499, CBS 2797, CBS 4459 and CBS 4601) were subjected to heat treatment in deionized water at four different temperatures (55·0, 57·5, 60·0 and 62·5°C) to investigate their thermal resistance. The decimal reduction times at a specific temperature were calculated from the resulting inactivation curves: the D-values at 55·0°C ranged from 63 to 79·4 s, at 57·5°C from 39·6 to 46·1 s, at 60·0°C from 19·5 to 20·7 s, at 62·5°C from 10·2 to 13·7 s. The z-values were between 9·2 and 10·2°C, confirming that heat resistance is a strain-dependent character. A protocol for the sanitization of 225 l casks by immersion in hot water was set up and applied to contaminated 3-year-old barrels. The heat penetration through the staves was evaluated for each investigated temperature by positioning a thermal probe at 8 mm deep. A treatment at 60°C for an exposure time of 19 min allowed to eliminate the yeast populations up to a log count reduction of 8. Significance and Impact of the Study Brettanomyces/Dekkera bruxellensis is the main yeast involved in red wine spoilage that occurs during ageing in barrel, generating considerable economic losses. Current sanitization protocols, performed using different chemicals, are ineffective due to the porous nature of the wood. The thermal inactivation of D. bruxellensis cells by hot water treatment proves to be efficacious and easy to perform, provided that the holding time at the killing temperature takes into account the filling time of the vessel and the time for the heat penetration into the wood structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the spatial and temporal variations of seismicity in northwestern Iran have been evaluated with a special focus on seismic precursors of the 11 August 2012 Mw 6.5 Varzeghan earthquake. The precursors are defined by the z-value test and the generalized fractal dimensions of earthquake epicenters. The investigation applies earthquakes that have occurred since 2006 in a region that includes the main shock and collected by the Iranian Seismological Center. In order to eliminate the effect of explosions in the processing, we removed the explosion from the used catalog by using the normalized ratio analysis of daytime to nighttime events. Having done the preprocessing procedures, we removed the events with magnitudes of less than 2.5. As a result of our analysis, a period of seismic quiescence has been identified, which started about 3 years before the Varzeghan main shock. In a nice coincidence with these results, significant changes have been observed in the generalized fractal dimensions and the related spectra prior to the occurrence of the Varzeghan earthquake. The changes indicate that the seismic activities of the studied area have had increasingly dense clustering in space since about mid-2009, which suggests the regional preparedness for the occurrence of the main quake. Furthermore, the analysis did not exhibit any significant seismic quiescence anomaly at the beginning of 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of physical education in schools is to promote the all-encompassing development of each individual student. The conditions for physical training include: good health, proper physical development, the optimal level of motor skills, knowledge and abilities in the field of physical education, motivation and the development of the means (that is abilities) toward proper carrying out of health and fitness activities, along with sports ones. Running, jumping and throwing, as natural types of movements hold one of the most prominent positions in the physical education of school children. Running, jumping and throwing are characterized by a great variability in their realization and application in various contexts. Thus, they have a significant influence on the development of the first skills of coordination. At the same time, their great significance is based on the development of conditioned abilities (speed, speed-strength and the endurance). This paper analyzes the results which deaf junior athletes achieved at school competitions and compares them to the results achieved by their peers from several other countries. The results were processed using a descriptive-causal method and compared to the results from another eight countries scored at world junior competitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal treatment at temperatures between 46.0°C and 55.0°C was evaluated as a method for sanitization of organic waste, a temperature interval less commonly investigated but important in connection with biological treatment processes. Samples of dairy cow feces inoculated withSalmonellaSenftenberg W775,Enterococcus faecalis, bacteriophage ϕX174, and porcine parvovirus (PPV) were thermally treated using block thermostats at set temperatures in order to determine time-temperature regimes to achieve sufficient bacterial and viral reduction, and to model the inactivation rate. Pasteurization at 70°C in saline solution was used as a comparison in terms of bacterial and viral reduction and was proven to be effective in rapidly reducing all organisms with the exception of PPV (decimal reduction time of 1.2 h). The results presented here can be used to construct time-temperature regimes in terms of bacterial inactivation, with D-values ranging from 0.37 h at 55°C to 22.5 h at 46.0°C and 0.45 h at 55.0°C to 14.5 h at 47.5°C forSalmonellaSenftenberg W775 andEnterococcus faecalis, respectively and for relevant enteric viruses based on the ϕX174 phage with decimal reduction times ranging from 1.5 h at 55°C to 16.5 h at 46°C. Hence, the study implies that considerably lower treatment temperatures than 70°C can be used to reach a sufficient inactivation of bacterial pathogens and potential process indicator organisms such as the ϕX174 phage and raises the question whether PPV is a valuable process indicator organism considering its extreme thermotolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The effect of aluminium cookware on inactivation of Escherichia coli in milk was studied. Samples in aluminium and stainless-steel cups were heated at 60, 63, 65 and 67°C and held at those temperatures for 25, 5, 3 and 2 min, respectively. Results obtained under the temperature of 65 and 67°C clearly showed that cells of E. coli were killed more rapidly in aluminium cups than in stainless-steel cups. D-values in the aluminium cups were significantly shorter than those in stainless-steel cups, especially at higher temperatures. Samples in aluminium cups revealed a better trend inactivation effect than in stainless-steel cups at 60 and 63°C, however, there were no significant difference. Considering on z-values, results which obtained by aluminium cups were slightly lower than that obtained by stainless-steel cups. These results indicate that an aluminium utensil has an inactivating effect on E. coli and that rate of inactivation increases as temperature increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The survival of bifidobacteria in simulated conditions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract was studied based on the D- and z-value concept. Some Bifidobacterium spp. are probiotics that improve microbial balance in the human GI tract. Because they are sensitive to low pH and bile salt concentrations, their viability in the GI tract is limited. The D- and z-value approach was therefore adopted as a result of observing constant log-cell reduction (90%) when Bifidobacterium spp. were exposed to these 2 different stressing factors. Survivals of one strain each or 4 species of Bifidobacterium was studied at pH between 3.0 and 4.5 and in ox-bile between 0.15% and 0.60% for times up to 41 h. From the Dacid- and Dbile-values, the order of resistance to acid and bile was B. bifidum > B. infantis > B. longum > B. adolescentis. While the former 3 strains retained high cell viability at pH 3.5 (>5.5 log CFU/mL after 5 h) and at elevated bile salt concentration of 0.6% (>4.5 log CFU/mL after 3 h), B. adolescentis was less resistant (<3.4 log CFU/mL). The zacid- and zbile-values calculated from the Dacid- and Dbile-values ranged from 1.11 to 1.55 pH units and 0.40% to 0.49%, respectively. The results suggest that the Dacid-, Dbile-, zacid-, and zbile-value approach could be more appropriate than the screening and selection method in evaluating survival of probiotic bacteria, and in measuring their tolerance or resistance to gastric acidity and the associated bile salt concentration in the small intestine. Practical Application: The evaluation of the tolerance of bifidobacteria to bile salts and low pH has been made possible by use of D- and z-value concept. The calculated zacid- and zbile-values were all fairly similar for the strains used and suggest the effect of increasing the bile salt concentration or decreasing the pH on the Dacid- and Dbile-values. This approach would be useful for predicting the suitability of bifidobacteria and other lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as probiotics for use in real-life situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to study the influence of temperature (85, 90, 95 and 100 °C), total soluble solids (SS: 10 and 20°Brix or % by weight of sucrose) and pH (3.5 and 4.0) on decimal reduction time ( D-value) of the Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris strain DSM2498 spores in apple juice, orange juice and malt extract broth (MEB). The effects of SS and pH on D-values and z-values in each media were insignificant ( P > 0.05). In apple juice, orange juice and MEB, z-values of A. acidoterrestris for pH 3.5 and pH 4.0 were 12.2 ± 1.3–14.2 ± 3.2 °C, 11.2 ± 0.3–9.4 ± 0.0 °C and 11.9 ± 0.8–10.3 ± 0.4 °C, respectively. z-values of apple juice, orange juice and MEB samples with SS = 10°Brix and SS = 20°Brix were 14.1 ± 3.2–12.2 ± 1.3 °C, 10.2 ± 0.7–10.5 ± 1.1 °C and 11.3 ± 1.5–10.9 ± 0.2 °C, respectively. However, D-values of all samples were affected by temperature significantly ( P < 0.01). Average D-values of apple juice, orange juice and MEB were 101.2 ± 14.7, 34.4 ± 7.9, 20.3 ± 4.9 and 4.3 ± 1.3 min for 85, 90, 95 and 100 °C. This study demonstrated that A. acidoterrestris spores exhibited high resistance to thermal processing applications. pH and SS of the media did not affect thermal resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power model, S = cAz (where S is number of species, A is area, and c and z are fitted constants), is the model most commonly fitted to species-area data assessing species diversity. We use the self-similarity properties of this model to reveal patterns implicated by the z parameter. We present the basic arithmetic leading both to the fraction of new species added when two areas are combined and to species overlap between two areas of the same size, given a continuous sampling scheme. The fraction of new species resulting from expansion of an area can be expressed as α2- 1, where α is the expansion factor. Consequently, z-values can be converted to a scale-invariant species overlap between two equally sized areas, since the proportion of species in common between the two areas is 2 - 2z. Calculating overlap when adding areas of the same size reveals the intrinsic effect of distance assumed by the bisectional scheme. We use overlap-area relationships from empirical data sets to illustrate how answers to the single large or several small reserves (SLOSS) question vary between data sets and with scale. We conclude that species overlap and the effect of distance between sample areas or isolates should be addressed when discussing species-area relationships, and lack of fit to the power model can be caused by its assumption of a scale-invariant overlap relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The species–area relationship (SAR) has long been used to describe biological diversity across spatial scales. Theoretically, we can describe SARs exhaustively from patterns of species abundance and spatial distribution; where all species are equally common and randomly dispersed, SARs typically rise steeply and then decelerate when plotted on logarithmic axes, but uneven abundances and spatial aggregation lower the SAR curve. 2. In this article, we have developed a generalized model of random placement without replacement for species-occupancy data sets to separate the effects of species abundance and spatial distribution. Observed departures from the model are used to assess the relative contributions of aggregation and unequal occupancy to curve shape. We have applied it both to modelled one- and two-species cases and to plant survey data at both small (1 × 1 m) and large (10 × 10 km) spatial resolutions. 3. In modelled distributions, common species raise the SAR most strongly at fine scales, whereas increasingly rare species add to the curve at progressively coarser scales. The effect of aggregation on SAR curvature is greatest with rare species, which lower the curve at most scales, whereas commoner species do so only at fine scales. Uneven occupancies and aggregation may result in convex, concave, S-shaped or inverted S-shaped curves in log–log space. 4. In analyses of field survey data, aggregation contributed less to lowering SAR curvature than did uneven occupancies, both in small and large scale data sets. 5. Synthesis. We have thus demonstrated that SAR shape reflects the distribution of species-occupancy and spatial patterning and provide practical methods for parsing the contributions of each to biodiversity across spatial scales. Given the prevalence of gridded occupancy biodiversity data, these methods should have broad application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic foodborne pathogen that has been isolated from powdered infant milk formula. This study determined the effect of desiccation, starvation, heat and cold stresses on the thermal inactivation of E. sakazakii in rehydrated infant milk formula (RIMF). Stressed cells were mixed with RIMF at 52, 54, 56, and 58 °C for various time periods. The D- and z-values were determined by using linear regression analysis. D-values for unstressed E. sakazakii at 52, 54, 56, and 58 °C were 15.33, 4.53, 2, and 0.53 min, respectively. Desiccation and heat stresses, but not starvation or cold stress, caused significant ( P < 0.05) reduction in D-values. The z-values of desiccated, starved, heat stressed, and cold stressed E. sakazakii were not significantly different from unstressed cells (4.22 °C). Thermal resistance of E. sakazakii in RIMF is affected by the environmental stresses; that is, desiccation and heat stresses that may surround the bacterium prior to the contamination of infant formula. The results of this study may be of use to regulatory agencies, infant milk producers, and infant caregivers to design heating processes to eliminate E. sakazakii that may be present in infant milk formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the effect of processing with superheated steam (SS) on Geobacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 10149 spores. Methods and Results: Two inoculum levels of spores of G. stearothermophilus were mixed with sterile sand and exposed to SS at 105–175°C. The decimal reduction time (D-value) and the thermal resistance constant (z-value) were calculated. The effect of cooling of spores between periods of exposure to SS was also examined. A mean z-value of 25·4°C was calculated for both inoculum levels for SS processing temperatures between 130°C and 175°C. Conclusions: Spore response to SS treatment depends on inoculum size. SS treatment may be effective for reduction in viability of thermally resistant bacterial spores provided treatments are separated by intermittent cooling periods. Significance and Impact of the Study: There is a need for technologies that require short thermal processing times to eliminate bacterial spores in foods. The SS processing technique has the potential to reduce microbial load and to modify food texture with less energy in comparison to commonly used hot air treatment. This work provides information on the effect of SS processing parameters on the viability of G. stearothermophilus spores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the flaws of modern statistics is that it can produce statistically significant results even if treatment effects are very small. The objective of this work was to provide examples of studies that have been published as unequivocally positive, although the treatment effects were substantially smaller than expected; and 2 to introduce superiority-testing as a novel statistical approach avoiding the risk of statistically significant but clinically irrelevant results. We from recent volumes of the Lancet six original articles of controlled clinical trials that were reported as being positive studies, although they did not meet their expected power. The studies produced only 53 to 83% of the statistical power expected, while the new treatments produced only 46 to 86% of the magnitude of response expected. Instead of a p-value of 0.05 as cut-off criterion for demonstrating superiority a stricter criterion seems to be needed. For that purpose, similar to equivalence-testing and non-inferiority-testing, prior boundaries of superiority have to be defined in the protocol. If the 95% interval of the study turns out to be entirely within these boundaries, then superiority is accepted. Nowadays, too many borderline significant studies are being reported as convincingly positive studies. This is misleading, as it produces overestimated expectations from new treatments. Superiority-testing, as introduced in this paper, is a simple method to avoid this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

p. yaghmaee and t.d. durance. 2004.To study the effect of 2450 MHz microwave radiation under vacuum (vacuum microwave or VM) on survival and injury ofEscherichia coliand to search for possible nonthermal effects associated with VM.Destruction kinetics ofE. coliin peptone water were determined in a continuous-flow vacuum system, heated by convection heating in a water bath or with microwaves (VMs). Vacuum was used to control the boiling point of water and to maintain temperature in the bacterial suspensions at specified levels (49–64°C).z-Value in the water bath treatment was 9·1°C while for VM at 510 and 711 W it was 6·2 and 5·9°C, suggesting thatE. coliis more sensitive to temperature changes under microwave heating. Arrhenius calculations of the activation energies of the destruction reactions suggest that the mechanism of destruction in VM may be different from that of conventional heat. The number of injured micro-organisms showed no significant differences among treatments.The impact of temperature onE. colidestruction was different when microwaves were the medium of heat transfer, suggesting the existence of factors other than heat contributing to the lethal effect of VM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-parametric ‘sign-of-difference’ Waldron test, conventionally used for identifying asymmetric cyclicity (thinning-or thickening-up) in turbidite successions, often fails to offer convincing results either when bed thickness distribution is lognormal or where positive and negative cycles are present in equal abundance. A modified Waldron test based on sliding skewness method (taking a number of bed thickness at a time) is proposed here for determining asymmetric cycles in turbidite successions, which appears to be random in their bed thickness distribution based on conventional Waldron test. The method has been tested on two turbidite section, which belong to two different settings of a single submarine fan system (Andaman Flysch Fan) that is known to have a lognormal bed thickness distribution. Application of the sliding skewness methodology reveals thinning-upward asymmetric cycles in both of these sections, which corroborate with the field observations and paleoenvironmental interpretations. Statistical significance for the proposed methodology was determined on the studied sections both through the Z-value and appropriate two-tailed null hypothesis. It is proposed that the result (thickening or thinning upward) is invariant with the interval (number of bed thickness taken for calculation) chosen for the sliding skewness calculation. This new method can be used on bed thickness measurement data from any turbidite succession in addition to other tests for identifying asymmetric cyclicity where non-parametric Waldron Test fails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal inactivation kinetics with extrapolation were used to model the survival probabilities of spores of various Bacillus species over time periods of millions of years at the historical ambient temperatures (25–40 °) encountered within the 250 million-year-old Salado formation, from which the putative ancient spore-forming bacterium Salibacillus marismortui strain 2-9-3 was recovered. The model indicated extremely low-to-moderate survivalprobabilities for spores of mesophiles, but surprisingly high survival probabilities for thermophilic spores. The significance of the results are discussed in terms of the survival probabilities of (i) terrestrial spores in ancient geologic samples and (ii) spores transported betweenplanets within impact ejecta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris flows that have occurred in the area of San Martino Valle Caudina (Campania, Southern Italy) are described by geomorphological and hydrological analyses, focusing on the recent event of December 2019. This area can be considered a key example for studying debris-flow phenomena involving the pyroclastic mantle that covers the karstified bedrock along steep slopes. A hydrological analysis of the time series of the maximum annual rainfall, of durations of 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h, was carried out based on a new approach to assess rainstorm magnitude. It was quantified by measuring the deviation of the rainfall intensity from the normal conditions, within a specified time period. As the time series of annual maxima are typically skewed, a preliminary transformation is needed to normalize the distribution; to obtain the Z-value of the standard normal distribution, with mean µ = 0 and standard deviation σ = 1, different probability distribution functions were fitted to the actual data. A specific boxplot was used, with box width Z = ±1 and whiskers length Z = ±2. The deviations from these values provide the performance of the distribution fits. For the normalized time series, the rates shown by the trends and relative significance were investigated for the available time series of 11 rain gauges covering the Western–Central Campania region. The most critical condition for the debris-flow initiation appears to occur when a severe or extreme rainfall has a duration ≥ 12 h. The trend analysis did not detect statistically significant increases in the intensity of the rainfall of duration ≥ 6 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using the former equation (8), we modified the equation which can show the dissimilar osmotic behavior of liposome with composition change. The slope of the new equation was presented as the ratio of osmotically active volume (V) to the total volume (V=V+V; V is osmotically inactive volume) of liposomes. We defined it as a Z-value, which can elucidate the dissimilarity of the osmotic activity of multilamellar liposomes with the change of phospholipid composition and the differences of physicochemical properties of liposomes. Z-value was applied for studying the physico-chemical properties of liposomal membrane. The factor that affects on the Z-value was not the lipid concentration of liposome stock dispersion but the lipid composition of liposomal membrane. As the content of dicetylphosphate, the negative charged phospholipid, was increased, the osmotic activity, represented by Z-value, of multilamellar liposome was decreased. Under the hypertonic conditions (shrinking region), Z-value steadily increased and reached a maximum at 10 mole percent cholesterol with increasing the cholesterol content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the combined effectiveness of pressures of 137.9–344.7MPa, temperatures of 25–50°C and exposure times of 5–15min on Listeria innocua viability in peptone solution is examined. The results showed that under the study conditions only the combination of 344.7MPa, 50°C and 9.1min can reduce the viability of this species by 7 logs, with a z value of 173.1MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]