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Moisture Levels (moisture + level)
Kinds of Moisture Levels Selected AbstractsEffects of nest size and dispersion on brood production in a North American population of wood ant Formica fusca (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)ENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2010Kimberly E. TUZZOLINO Abstract We examined several key parameters of the population ecology of a North American population of Formica fusca (L.), including nest dispersion, colony size and brood production. Physical nest size was significantly correlated with colony size, and colony size, in turn, was significantly correlated with brood production. Sex allocation was male biased, although larger nests were more likely to produce reproductive female brood (gynes). Neither nest temperature nor moisture level was significantly correlated with brood production. Formica fusca nests in this population had a comparatively low average nearest-neighbor distance with a significantly even pattern of dispersion, which suggests relatively high intraspecific competition. However, nearest-neighbor distance was not significantly associated with either colony size or relative brood production. [source] PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, and THERMAL CHARACTERIZATION of WHEAT FLOUR MILLING COPRODUCTS,,JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2003Y.S. KIM ABSTRACT Hard red winter (HRW) and hard red spring (HRS) wheat milling coproducts (bran, germ, shorts, and red dog) from three commercial flour mills and the Kansas State University pilot mill were evaluated for differences in physical, chemical, and thermal properties. the ranges of bulk density for bran, germ, and red dog determined at three moisture levels were 146.5 to 205.2 kgm,3, 269.2 to 400.6 kgm,3, and 298.9 to 398.1 kgm,3, respectively. the true density ranking order was: red dog >shorts = germ >bran, independently of the moisture level. Red dog had the smallest geometrical mean diameter with the highest variation (coefficient of variation of 23.8%). There was a significant (P < 0.05) difference among wheat blends and milling flows in the thickness of bran and germ at the same particle separation size. the image analysis study determined that the equivalent projected area diameter of bran at the same separation size was significantly (P < 0.05) larger than that of germ. the ratio between the equivalent projected area diameter and the particle thickness were within ranges of 15.7 to 37.6 for bran and 15.5 to 32.2 for germ particles. the chemical composition (ash, protein, lipids and fiber) ranges were determined for each coproduct. Ranges of thermal conductivity for bran, germ, shorts, and red dog were 0.049 to 0.074, 0.054 to 0.0907, 0.057 to 0.076, and 0.063 to 0.080 W(mK),1, respectively. Specific heat of coproducts, measured with a differential scanning calorimeter, exhibited a wider range [1.08,1.94 kJ(kgK),1] than that observed in whole wheat kernels and wheat flour. the variability observed among the samples was due to the different wheat sources and characteristic milling flows for the flour mills. [source] Water Sorption and Crispness of Fat-Free Apple ChipsJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 1 2002D. Konopacka ABSTRACT: Equilibration of fat-free apple chips to predetermined moisture level was achieved by keeping samples over saturated salt solutions. The sorption isotherm obtained indicated absence of a monolayer and was typical for type III according to the Brunauer classification. At water activity below 0.12 apple chips demonstrated excellent crispness and were highly acceptable as a snack food item. They were extremely hygroscopic and lost crispness easily. The critical water activity was found to be ac= 0.18 which corresponds to a water content of 3.5 g H2O/100 g solids. These values were much lower than those found for other crispy snack foods. [source] The Effects of Soil Environment on Postmortem Interval: A Macroscopic AnalysisJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 6 2009Kimberley A. Jaggers H.B.Sc. Abstract:, Burial environment, in particular soil moisture, has a significant impact on the type, rate, and extent of bone degradation, which ultimately affects estimations of the postmortem interval (PMI). The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of soil moisture on the color, weight, condition, and texture of bone as it relates to the PMI. Bone changes occurring over two different time intervals (2 and 5 months) were examined using 120 sus scrofa leg bones. During each time interval bones were buried in two soil environments, one of which was drier than the other. The bones in both environments lost weight over time but the net weight loss was greater for bones in the higher moisture environment. There was no change in color, texture, or overall condition, indicating that 150 days is not long enough for such alterations to occur, regardless of the moisture level of the burial environment. [source] Functional properties and retrogradation behaviour of native and chemically modified starch of mucuna bean (Mucuna pruriens)JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 15 2003Kayode O Adebowale Abstract Mucuna bean (Mucuna pruriens) starch was isolated and subjected to chemical modification by oxidation and acetylation. The proximate analysis of the non-starch components of the native starch on a dry weight basis was 92 g kg,1 moisture, 5 g kg,1 ash, 2 g kg,1 fat, 7 g kg,1 crude fibre and 19 g kg,1 protein. Chemical modification reduced the values for all the non-starch components except the moisture level. For all the samples, swelling power and solubility increased as the temperature increased in the range 50,90 °C. The swelling power of mucuna native starch (MNS) and mucuna acetylated starch (MAS) increased with increasing acidity and alkalinity, while that of mucuna oxidised starch (MOS) only increased with increasing pH in the acidic range. The maximal solubility of all the starches was observed at pH 12. All the starch samples absorbed more oil than water. The lowest gelation concentration followed the trend MAS < MNS < MOS. Chemical modification reduced the gelatinisation temperature (Tp), while peak viscosity (Pv), hot paste viscosity (Hv) and cold paste viscosity (Cv) decreased after oxidation but increased following acetylation. The setback tendency of the native starch was reduced significantly after chemical modification. However, the breakdown value of MNS, 65 BU (Brabender units), was lower than that of MOS (78 BU) but higher than that of MAS (40 BU). Differential scanning calorimetry studies of gelatinisation and retrogradation revealed that chemical modification reduced the onset temperature (To), peak temperature (Tp) and conclusion temperature (Tc). Oxidation and acetylation reduced the gelatinisation and retrogradation enthalpies of the native starch. The enthalpy of retrogradation of the starches increased as the length of storage increased. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Effect of high moisture storage of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) with or without feed enzymes on growth and nutrient utilization in broiler chickensANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2009Satish Jagannath MANWAR ABSTRACT Effect of reconstitution of pearl millet with or without enzymes on its utilization in broiler chickens was studied. The pearl millet grains were reconstituted by adding water to raise the moisture level to 30%, followed by storage in sealed plastic buckets with or without feed enzymes (0.5 g/kg) for 21 days at room temperature (25°C). Subsequently, the grains were sun-dried to reduce the moisture content up to 10% to avoid mould growth. Nine dietary treatments were formulated incorporating pearl millet either raw with or without enzymes or reconstituted with or without enzymes in maize-soya based control diet replacing maize at 50 and 75% levels. The birds fed on diets containing enzyme reconstituted pearl millet accrued higher body weight than maize based control diet. Addition of enzymes to raw pearl-millet based diet improved the body weight gain significantly. The reconstitution of pearl millet with or without enzymes increased (P < 0.01) the dietary nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) values and the highest improvement (6.11%) was recorded in diets containing pearl millet reconstituted with enzymes at 75% level of maize replacement. The percent nitrogen retention in pearl millet based diets was comparable to maize based control diet. It may be concluded that the supplementation of the feed enzymes or reconstitution of pearl millet may improve the utilization of pearl millet in broiler chickens. [source] The influence of soil type and moisture on pupal survival of Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae)AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Andrew D Hulthen Abstract, Larvae of the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, pupate in the soil, but the influence of soil variables on B. tryoni pupal mortality is not known. For other tropical tephritid species, soil moisture has been identified as a major pupal mortality factor. In the laboratory, we tested the effects of soil moisture and soil type on pupal survival through a factorial experiment which used three soil types (loamy sand, loam, sandy clay) and seven soil moisture levels (0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 90% and 100%). Minor, but significant, differences in pupal mortality were observed between the soil types, but the most significant factor affecting pupae was extremes of soil moisture. Eighty-five percent pupal mortality occurred at 0% soil moisture and 30% mortality at 100% soil moisture: very low levels of mortality occurred at all intermediate levels. We detected a significant interaction between soil type and moisture level but cannot explain it. In a follow-up experiment, we demonstrated that prepupal wandering larvae of B. tryoni could discriminate between different moisture levels, with significantly greater pupation in loam soil at 75% soil moisture than at either 0% or 100% soil moisture. Results are used to modify a pupal mortality/soil moisture equation used in a recently published DYMEX model of B. tryoni population dynamics. [source] Small-scale variability in surface moisture on a fine-grained beach: implications for modeling aeolian transportEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 10 2009Brandon L. Edwards Abstract Small-scale variations in surface moisture content were measured on a fine-grained beach using a Delta-T Theta probe. The resulting data set was used to examine the implications of small-scale variability for estimating aeolian transport potential. Surface moisture measurements were collected on a 40 cm × 40 cm grid at 10 cm intervals, providing a total of 25 measurements for each grid data set. A total of 44 grid data sets were obtained from a representative set of beach sub-environments. Measured moisture contents ranged from about 0% (dry) to 25% (saturated), by weight. The moisture content range within a grid data set was found to vary from less than 1% to almost 15%. The magnitude of within-grid variability varied consistently with the mean moisture content of the grid sets, following an approximately normal distribution. Both very wet and very dry grid data sets exhibited little internal variability in moisture content, while intermediate moisture contents were associated with higher levels of variability. Thus, at intermediate moisture contents it was apparent that some portions of the beach surface could be dry enough to allow aeolian transport (i.e. moisture content is below the critical threshold), while adjacent portions are too wet for transport to occur. To examine the implications of this finding, cumulative distribution functions were calculated to model the relative proportions of beach surface area expected to be above or below specified threshold moisture levels (4%, 7%, and 14%). It was found that the implicit inclusion of small-scale variability in surface moisture levels typically resulted in changes of less than 1% in the beach area available for transport, suggesting that this parameter can be ignored at larger spatial scales. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Production of a Laccase and Decrease of the Phenolic Content in Canola Meal during the Growth of the Fungus Pleurotus ostreatus in Solid State Fermentation ProcessesENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2004J. Hu Abstract Solid state fermentation of canola meal was carried out with the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus DAOM 197961, which is a producer of laccase. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of moisture content, inoculum size, homogenisation of inoculum and particle size of canola meal on the growth of the fungus, the production of a laccase and the decrease of the content of sinapic acid esters (SAE) in a solid state process. The results showed that the optimum moisture content, which was varied in the media between 50% and 75%, for the growth and enzyme production was 60%. The initial rate of SAE content decrease was faster in the media with 70% and 75% moisture than in those with lower moisture levels. In the study of the effects of inoculum concentration in the range of 1.1 mg to 5.5 mg/g of the medium, it was found that larger amounts of biomass and enzyme were produced in the media with inoculum concentrations from 1.1 mg to 3.3 mg/g of the medium than in the media with a higher inoculum concentration. The final and approximately the same concentrations of SAE were reached at the same time regardless of the inoculum concentration. Considering that the fungus formed pellets under the conditions at which it was grown during the inoculum preparation, it was necessary to break them by homogenisation prior to their utilisation as an inoculum. The homogenisation was carried out during a period between 15s and 200s. Although higher biomass concentrations and enzyme activities were obtained in the media which were inoculated with the inoculum homogenised for 15s and 30s, the maximum enzyme activities and biomass concentrations were reached in the media inoculated with the inoculum, which was homogenised for 120s and 200s. The time of inoculum homogenisation did not influence the kinetics of the SAE decrease. When the effects of the particle size of canola meal on the process were studied, it was found that larger particles of the meal in the solid media were more favourable for the production of the biomass and enzyme, and for a faster decrease of the SAE content than those of smaller sizes. From the obtained results it can be concluded that the tested variables have a significant influence on the growth of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus DAOM 197961, the production of laccase and the decrease of the SAE content in canola meal. The data could be useful for the development of a solid state process for the production of laccase and for the decrease of the phenolics content in canola meal. [source] Aging of transformer insulating materials under selective conditionsEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL POWER, Issue 5 2007I. Fofana Abstract In today's economic climate, it is important to know the condition, by means of suitable diagnostic tests, of the oil impregnated paper usable as primary insulation in equipment such as transformers, switchgear, bushings, cables, and their accessories. The aim of this paper is regarded as a main task to study the parameters that mostly influence the ageing process of oil/paper insulation used in transformers with preset moisture levels. A comparison is made between the performances of cellulose and Aramid papers. It is shown that Aramid paper is much less sensitive to water than cellulose paper. However, the addition of air (oxygen), via acid formation and oxidation in the oil, has a direct influence on the increase of the loss factor for both papers. The catalysts, that represent the metallic components in the transformer, accelerate the ageing process of the cellulose papers, while no influence on the ageing process of Aramid was observed. Oil ageing without a solid partner is insignificantly influenced by water, but accelerated by air-oxygen, via the moisture and acid formation, and oxidation processes. A direct influence on the increase of the loss factor and the decrease of electric strength particularly at low temperatures is to be noted. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Pronounced drought tolerance characterizes the early life stages of the epiphytic bromeliad Tillandsia flexuosaFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Maaike Y. Bader Summary 1Germination and seedling performance may set the limits for plant distributions, particularly in stressful habitats. Stressful conditions at these early stages may be avoided by opportunistic germination and growth, or may be tolerated. Many epiphytic plants are frequently exposed to severe drought. Adult epiphytes endure such dry periods in various ways, but little is known about strategies employed during germination and early life. 2Epiphyte seedlings could show either opportunistic fast growth to quickly attain the benefits of being larger or inherently slow growth and early drought tolerance. Here we address the question: which of these strategies characterizes the early life stages of the epiphytic bromeliad Tillandsia flexuosa, a species typical for dry tropical habitats? 3We studied growth and drought tolerance of germinating seeds, of the emerging seedlings and of 2-month-old seedlings under controlled conditions. Additionally, we studied drought hardening in 6-month-old seedlings. 4Germination of T. flexuosa was reduced by intermittent dry periods. However, compared to the congeneric T. fasciculata, which typically occurs in wetter habitats, the depression of germination by drought was small. Seedling growth was fastest at intermediate moisture levels: both prolonged drought and continuous moisture depressed growth. Prolonged drought had a less negative effect on drought-hardened seedlings than on previously well-watered seedlings. After a 3-week drought treatment the previously well-watered seedlings had lost their growth advantage entirely. Had drought continued, they would have probably been starved, indicated by the low level of their non-structural carbohydrate pool. 5Tillandsia flexuosa employs a stress-tolerance strategy both during germination and during the seedling stage. In its epiphytic habitat this strategy is clearly adaptive, considering the predictable briefness of moisture availability throughout the year and the low competition pressure that allows the very slow growth typically seen in adults and seedlings. These conditions characterize not only the dry-forest habitat of T. flexuosa, but all exposed epiphytic growing sites, so we expect this early stress-tolerance to be common among epiphytes in general. Still, a lower stress tolerance in species from wetter habitats may at least partly explain why T. flexuosa shares its dry-forest habitat with so few other vascular epiphytes. [source] Root Distribution of Drought-Resistant Peanut Genotypes in Response to DroughtJOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008P. Songsri Abstract The ability of a plant to modify its root distribution to exploit deeper stored soil water may be an important mechanism to avoid drought. This study aimed at assessing root distributions, variations in root length density (RLD) and percentage of root distribution, and the relevance of root traits for yield of drought-resistant peanut genotypes under different available soil water levels. The experiment was conducted in the dry season during the years 2003/04 and 2004/05. Eleven peanut genotypes (ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305, ICGV 98308, ICGV 98324, ICGV 98330, ICGV 98348, ICGV 98353, Tainan 9, KK 60-3 and Tifton-8) and three soil moisture levels [field capacity (FC), 2/3 available soil water (AW) and 1/3 AW] were laid out in a split-plot design with four replications. Roots were sampled by a core sampler at 37, 67 and 97 days after sowing (DAS). Root length was determined by a scanner and the WINRHIZO Pro 2004a software. RLD was calculated as the ratio of root length (cm) and soil volume (cm3). Graphical illustration of root distribution was constructed by merging RLD in the first and second soil layers (0,40 cm) as upper roots and pooling RLD at the third, fourth and fifth layers (40,100 cm) as lower roots. Pod yield, biomass and harvest index (HI) were recorded at harvest. A drought tolerance index (DTI) was calculated for each parameter as the ratio of the parameter under stress treatment to that under well-watered conditions. Variations in RLD in 40 to 100 cm layer (RLD40 to 100 cm) were found under well-watered conditions, and the peanut genotypes could be readily identified as high, intermediate and low for this trait. Changes in RLD in the 40 to 100 cm soil layer were found at 2/3 AW and were more evident at 1/3 AW. ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305, ICGV 98308 and KK 60-3 were classified as drought responsive as they increased RLD in the deeper subsoil level in response to drought. In general, RLD under drought conditions was not related to biomass production. The ability to maintain the percentage of RLD (DTI for %RLD) was related to pod yield, DTI for pod yield and DTI for HI. ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305 exhibited high DTI (RLD40 to 100 cm) which may explain their high pod yield, DTI (PY) and DTI (HI). Based on these observations we classified them as drought-avoiding genotypes. [source] Irrigation Level Affects Isoflavone Concentrations of Early Maturing Soya Bean CultivarsJOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 4 2007A. M. Al-Tawaha Abstract Field experiments were conducted in 2003/2004 in Québec to determine the effects of irrigation levels (none, low and high) and cultivars (AC Orford, AC Proteina and Golden) on soya bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] isoflavone concentrations and yields. Seed yield, yield components, and oil and crude protein (CP) concentrations were concurrently determined. Response to irrigation was greater in 2003, which was substantially warmer and drier than in 2004. In both years, most responses were observed with the lower of the two irrigation levels evaluated, which increased total isoflavones concentration by an average of 45 % compared with a non-irrigated control. Cultivars, however, responded differently to irrigation. In 2003, response of AC Proteina was greater than that of AC Orford, while Golden did not respond. In 2004, some responses were observed with AC Proteina and Golden but none with AC Orford. Overall, in both years, AC Proteina had the greatest isoflavone concentrations and AC Orford the lowest. Responses of seed yield and yield components depended on the year and were also greater in 2003. Both irrigation treatments generally increased seed yield and yield components compared with a non-irrigated control; the response was greater with the higher irrigation level. Irrigation had no effect on oil and CP concentrations. Finally, isoflavone yield response to irrigation was again greater in 2003, and depended on the cultivar. Results thus demonstrate that specific soil moisture levels will maximize soya bean isoflavone concentrations, excess irrigation sometimes negating any potential benefits. [source] Environmental stresses mediate endophyte,grass interactions in a boreal archipelagoJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Nora M. Saona Summary 1.,Both evolutionary theory and empirical evidence from agricultural research support the view that asexual, vertically transmitted fungal endophytes are typically plant mutualists that develop high infection frequencies within host grass populations. In contrast, endophyte,grass interactions in natural ecosystems are more variable, spanning the range from mutualism to antagonism and comparatively little is known about their range of response to environmental stress. 2.,We examined patterns in endophyte prevalence and endophyte,grass interactions across nutrient and grazing (from Greylag and Canada geese) gradients in 15 sites with different soil moisture levels in 13 island populations of the widespread grass Festuca rubra in a boreal archipelago in Sweden. 3.,In the field, endophyte prevalence levels were generally low (range = 10,53%) compared with those reported from agricultural systems. Under mesic-moist conditions endophyte prevalence was constantly low (mean prevalence = 15%) and was not affected by grazing pressure or nutrient availability. In contrast, under conditions of drought, endophyte prevalence increased from 10% to 53% with increasing nutrient availability and increasing grazing pressure. 4.,In the field, we measured the production of flowering culms, as a proxy for host fitness, to determine how endophyte-infected plants differed from uninfected plants. At dry sites, endophyte infection did not affect flowering culm production. In contrast, at mesic-moist sites production of flowering culms in endophyte-infected plants increased with the covarying effects of increasing nutrient availability and grazing pressure, indicating that the interaction switched from antagonistic to mutualistic. 5.,A concurrent glasshouse experiment showed that in most situations, the host appears to incur some costs for harbouring endophytes. Uninfected grasses generally outperformed infected grasses (antagonistic interaction), while infected grasses outperformed uninfected grasses (mutualistic interaction) only in dry, nutrient-rich conditions. Nutrient and water addition affected tiller production, leaf number and leaf length differently, suggesting that tillers responded with different strategies. This emphasizes that several response variables are needed to evaluate the interaction. 6.,Synthesis. This study found complex patterns in endophyte prevalence that were not always correlated with culm production. These contrasting patterns suggest that the direction and strength of selection on infected plants is highly variable and depends upon a suite of interacting environmental variables that may fluctuate in the intensity of their impact, during the course of the host life cycle. [source] MODELING VARIETAL EFFECT ON THE WATER UPTAKE BEHAVIOR OF MILLED RICE (ORYZA SATIVA L.) DURING SOAKINGJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2007B.K. YADAV ABSTRACT Milled rice is soaked until saturation before cooking and other processing. The soaking behavior of the milled rice is affected by varietal factor as well as initial moisture content (M0) of the samples. In the present study, tests were performed for milled whole kernels of 10 rice varieties ranging from low to high amylose content (16,29% d.b.) with three initial moisture levels (approximately 8, 12 and 16% d.b.) for monitoring water uptake in rice kernels during soaking at room temperature (25 ± 1C), in relation to the varietal differences manifested by the physicochemical properties. The water uptake by milled rice kernels took place at a faster rate in the beginning and was followed by a diminishing rate finally leading to a saturated value during soaking. The water uptake of the kernels during soaking could be best expressed by a modified exponential relationship with R2 values ranging from 0.971 to 0.998 for all varieties. The slope of the fitted straight line between actual and estimated moisture contents of milled rice during soaking using a modified exponential relationship was about unity (0.998) with a high R2 value of 0.989 and a root mean square error of 1.2% d.b. The parameters of the fitted model were the function of the M0 and the physicochemical properties of the milled rice. Using developed relationship, the water uptake of the milled rice during soaking could be estimated from its M0 and the physicochemical properties within±10% of the actual values. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This information would be useful for the scientific world working on the soaking characteristics of various varieties of rice, mainly for the modeling of the soaking process. It could also be used as a tool in selecting the rice varieties to meet their desired water uptake properties in relation to their psychochemical properties by rice breeder scientists. [source] PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, and THERMAL CHARACTERIZATION of WHEAT FLOUR MILLING COPRODUCTS,,JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2003Y.S. KIM ABSTRACT Hard red winter (HRW) and hard red spring (HRS) wheat milling coproducts (bran, germ, shorts, and red dog) from three commercial flour mills and the Kansas State University pilot mill were evaluated for differences in physical, chemical, and thermal properties. the ranges of bulk density for bran, germ, and red dog determined at three moisture levels were 146.5 to 205.2 kgm,3, 269.2 to 400.6 kgm,3, and 298.9 to 398.1 kgm,3, respectively. the true density ranking order was: red dog >shorts = germ >bran, independently of the moisture level. Red dog had the smallest geometrical mean diameter with the highest variation (coefficient of variation of 23.8%). There was a significant (P < 0.05) difference among wheat blends and milling flows in the thickness of bran and germ at the same particle separation size. the image analysis study determined that the equivalent projected area diameter of bran at the same separation size was significantly (P < 0.05) larger than that of germ. the ratio between the equivalent projected area diameter and the particle thickness were within ranges of 15.7 to 37.6 for bran and 15.5 to 32.2 for germ particles. the chemical composition (ash, protein, lipids and fiber) ranges were determined for each coproduct. Ranges of thermal conductivity for bran, germ, shorts, and red dog were 0.049 to 0.074, 0.054 to 0.0907, 0.057 to 0.076, and 0.063 to 0.080 W(mK),1, respectively. Specific heat of coproducts, measured with a differential scanning calorimeter, exhibited a wider range [1.08,1.94 kJ(kgK),1] than that observed in whole wheat kernels and wheat flour. the variability observed among the samples was due to the different wheat sources and characteristic milling flows for the flour mills. [source] Photosynthetic Responses of a Temperate Liana to Xylella fastidiosa Infection and Water StressJOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2004A. J. McElrone Abstract Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-limited bacterial plant pathogen that causes bacterial leaf scorch in its hosts. Our previous work showed that water stress enhances leaf scorch symptom severity and progression along the stem of a liana, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, infected by X. fastidiosa. This paper explores the photosynthetic gas exchange responses of P. quinquefolia, with the aim to elucidate mechanisms behind disease expression and its interaction with water stress. We used a 2 × 2-complete factorial design, repeated over two growing seasons, with high and low soil moisture levels and infected and non-infected plants. In both years, low soil moisture levels reduced leaf water potentials, net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance at all leaf positions, while X. fastidiosa -infection reduced these parameters at basally located leaves only. Intercellular CO2 concentrations were reduced in apical leaves, but increased at the most basal leaf location, implicating a non-stomatal reduction of photosynthesis in leaves showing the greatest disease development. This result was supported by measured reductions in photosynthetic rates of basal leaves at high CO2 concentrations, where stomatal limitation was eliminated. Repeated measurements over the summer of 2000 showed that the effects of water stress and infection were progressive over time, reaching their greatest extent in September. By reducing stomatal conductances at moderate levels of water stress, P. quinquefolia maintained relatively high leaf water potentials and delayed the onset of photosynthetic damage due to pathogen and drought-induced water stress. In addition, chlorophyll fluorescence measurements showed that P. quinquefolia has an efficient means of dissipating excess light energy that protects the photosynthetic machinery of leaves from irreversible photoinhibitory damage that may occur during stress-induced stomatal limitation of photosynthesis. However, severe stress induced by disease and drought eventually led to non-stomatal decreases in photosynthesis associated with leaf senescence. [source] PROBABILISTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF STRESS CHANGES DURING CEREAL SNACK PUNCTUREJOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 2 2007YOSHIKI TSUKAKOSHI ABSTRACT During puncture tests of Japanese cereal snacks, the force increases and decreases alternately. We herein compare the force,deformation curves recorded by two different testing machines and show that the number of changes in the curves depends on the testing machine. Thus, it is impossible to compare results obtained using different instruments. By removing the higher-frequency components of the force,deformation curves, small events are easily missed. The number of large events decreases when lower-frequency components are eliminated. This suggests the importance of providing the information on the frequency range of the testing machines. Nevertheless, the number of large force changes is similar between the examined machines. To model the size,frequency distribution, we selected a parametric probabilistic model from among the Weibull, exponential and Pareto distributions using Akaike information criterion and found that the Weibull or exponential distributions have a fit better than the Pareto distribution. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The methods developed in this work can be used to evaluate the quality of crisp snack food. By analyzing the samples obtained from a lot, samples with poor texture because of abnormal moisture levels and/or ingredients can be discerned and can be used to accept or reject the lot. [source] Eradication of Plasmodiophora brassicae during composting of wastesPLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2006L. Fayolle Survival of infectious inoculum of the clubroot pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae was assessed following bench-scale flask composting experiments and large-scale composting procedures. Clubroot-affected material was provided by artificial inoculation of Chinese cabbage or naturally infected Brussels sprout and cabbage roots. Both sets of diseased material were used in flask experiments, and the latter in large-scale windrow and aerated tunnel experiments. Municipal green wastes, onion waste and spent mushroom compost were evaluated in flask experiments with varying temperature, aeration and moisture conditions. Green wastes were used in larger-scale composts. Within the limits of a Chinese cabbage seedling bioassay, both temperature and moisture content were critical for eradication of P. brassicae spores extracted from composted clubroot-affected residues. Incubation in compost at 50°C for 7 days or 1 day at 60°C with high moisture levels (= ,5 kPa matric potential or 60% w/w moisture content) eradicated inoculum from artificially inoculated Chinese cabbage roots. In large-scale windrows and aerated tunnels, the pathogen was eradicated from naturally infected brassica wastes after 6,7 days at 54,73°C. [source] The influence of soil type and moisture on pupal survival of Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae)AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Andrew D Hulthen Abstract, Larvae of the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, pupate in the soil, but the influence of soil variables on B. tryoni pupal mortality is not known. For other tropical tephritid species, soil moisture has been identified as a major pupal mortality factor. In the laboratory, we tested the effects of soil moisture and soil type on pupal survival through a factorial experiment which used three soil types (loamy sand, loam, sandy clay) and seven soil moisture levels (0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 90% and 100%). Minor, but significant, differences in pupal mortality were observed between the soil types, but the most significant factor affecting pupae was extremes of soil moisture. Eighty-five percent pupal mortality occurred at 0% soil moisture and 30% mortality at 100% soil moisture: very low levels of mortality occurred at all intermediate levels. We detected a significant interaction between soil type and moisture level but cannot explain it. In a follow-up experiment, we demonstrated that prepupal wandering larvae of B. tryoni could discriminate between different moisture levels, with significantly greater pupation in loam soil at 75% soil moisture than at either 0% or 100% soil moisture. Results are used to modify a pupal mortality/soil moisture equation used in a recently published DYMEX model of B. tryoni population dynamics. [source] Effects of nest temperature and moisture on phenotypic traits of hatchling snakes (Tropidonophis mairii, Colubridae) from tropical AustraliaBIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 1 2006GREGORY P. BROWN Previous research on developmentally plastic responses by reptile embryos has paid relatively little attention to tropical species, or to possible interactions between the effects of thermal and hydric regimes. In the present study, eggs of keelback snakes (Tropidonophis mairii), from a tropical area with strong temporal and spatial variation in soil temperatures and moisture levels, were incubated. The phenotypic traits of hatchling snakes (body size, shape, muscular strength) were affected by moisture content of the incubation medium (vermiculite plus 100% vs. 50% water by mass), by mean incubation temperatures (25.7 vs. 27.9 °C) and by diel thermal variation (diel range 6.0 vs. 8.4 °C). Interactions between these factors were negligible. Cooler, more thermostable, moister conditions resulted in larger offspring, a trait under strong selection in this population. Thermal and hydric conditions covary in potential nest-sites (e.g. deeper nests are more thermostable as well as moister). This covariation may influence the evolution of reaction norms for embryogenesis. For example, if moister nests enhance offspring fitness and are cooler, then selection will favour the ability to develop in cool as well as moist conditions. Thus, the evolution of optimal incubation conditions with respect to one variable (e.g. temperature) may be driven by patterns of association with another variable (e.g. soil moisture) among natural nest-sites. Perhaps for this reason, the thermal optimum for incubation is surprisingly low in this tropical species. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 89, 159,168. [source] | ||||||||||||||||