A Monte Carlo procedure considering the variability in oyster handling from harvest to raw consumption estimated reductions in the number of Vibrio vulnificus induced septicemia cases achieved by high-pressure processing (HPP). The calculations yielded pathogen load distributions in raw oysters from harvest to consumption. In the warm season, 2-6 min...
Shelf-life is the time period during which products retain market-acceptable quality while meeting legal and safety requirements. Deterministic models yield single value estimations of shelf-life typically based on average or worst-case values for input parameters. In deterministic calculations, considering the input parameter variability can be challenging. In this study, a...
The 2008-2009 eruption of Chaitén Volcano (Chile) involved a variety of volcanic and associated hydrologic processes that damaged nearby forests. These processes included coarse (gravel) and fine (silt to sand) tephra fall, a laterally directed blast, fluvial deposition of remobilized tephra, a variety of low-temperature mass-movement processes, and a pyroclastic...
A beta Poisson dose-response model for Vibrio vulnificus food poisoning cases leading to septicemia was used when evaluating the effect of 15°C depuration on the estimated risk of raw oyster consumption. Statistical variability sources included V. vulnificus load at harvest, time and temperature during harvest and transportation to processing plants,...
We review nonparametric estimation of efficiency and productivity, by which we mainly mean activity analysis, or data envelopment analysis (DEA). The review covers topics that we hope will be of special interest to those doing research in the realm of agriculture. We also include a brief appendix addressing nonparametric estimation...
Science has a critical role to play in guiding more sustainable development trajectories. Here, we present the Sustainable Amazon Network (Rede Amazonia Sustentavel, RAS): a multidisciplinary research initiative involving more than 30 partner organizations working to assess both social and ecological dimensions of land-use sustainability in eastern Brazilian Amazonia. The...
The occurrence of two wildfires separated by 31 yr in the chaparral-dominated Arroyo Seco watershed (293 km²) of California provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of wildfire on suspended-sediment yield. Here, we compile discharge and suspended-sediment sampling data from before and after the fires and show that the...
SUMMARY - REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) is a reported syndrome in competing endurance horses; however the prevalence and cause of ER in this population has not been defined.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of ER in a sample of endurance racing horses, and to investigate factors, including...
Macroinvertebrates are important for processing leaf detritus in temperate streams, but studies about their role in tropical streams often present conflicting results. Via digestive tract analyses, we assessed the diets of Phylloicus sp. larvae (Trichoptera: Calamoceratidae), collected from streams of two southeastern Brazil river basins (Araguari, Sao Francisco). We classified...
An understanding of the interactions among local environmental factors (e.g., physical habitat and water quality) and aquatic assemblages is essential to conserve biodiversity in tropical and subtropical headwater streams. We evaluated the relative importance of multiple physical and chemical habitat variables that influence the richness of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera...
Reservoirs are artificial ecosystems with multiple functions having direct and indirect benefits to humans; however, they also cause ecological changes and influence the composition and structure of aquatic biota. Our objectives were to: (1) assess the environmental condition of Nova Ponte Reservoir, Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil; and (2) determine...
Most studies dealing with the use of ecological indicators and other applied ecological research rely on some definition or concept of what constitutes least-, intermediate- and most-disturbed condition. Currently, most rigorous methodologies designed to define those conditions are suited to large spatial extents (nations, ecoregions) and many sites (hundreds to...
Diversity literary awards and other sources were used to create a list of high-quality titles written by and about underrepresented groups. This list was used to assess the diversity and inclusiveness of the library collections of a land-grant university. Gaps in the collection and acquisition processes were identified and will...
Monitoring unstable slopes with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has been proven effective. However, end users still struggle immensely with the efficient processing, analysis, and interpretation of the massive and complex TLS datasets. Two recent advances described in this paper now improve the ability to work with TLS data acquired on...
Landscape and site-scale data analyses aid
the interpretation of biological data and thereby help
us develop more cost-effective natural resource management
strategies. Our study focused on environmental
influences on stream assemblages and we
evaluated how three classes of environmental variables
(geophysical landscape, land use and cover, and
site habitat), influence...