Publications by authors named "Tina Bell"

Two Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, orange-coloured bacterial strains, designated strain C216 and strain M2295, were isolated from mature mushroom compost from composting facilities in Victoria and South Australia, Australia, respectively. External structures such as flagella or pili were not observed on the cells under scanning electron microscopy. Optimal growth was found to occur at 45 °C, at pH 7.

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Native Millet () is a native grass species that was used as a staple food by many Australian Aboriginal communities. In this study, the potential for using Native Millet (NM) as a novel flour in the modern food market was investigated. Intact grain and white and wholemeal flours from two populations of NM were compared to bread wheat cv.

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Marine annelid taxonomy is experiencing a period of rapid revision, with many previously "cosmopolitan" species being split into species with more limited geographic ranges. This is exemplified by the genus, which has recently witnessed dozens of new species descriptions rooted in genetic analyses. In the northwestern Atlantic, the name (Bosc 1802) has been applied to populations from Cape Cod through the Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and Brazil.

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Button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) are grown commercially on a specialized substrate that is usually prepared from wheat straw and poultry manure in a microbially-mediated composting process. The quality and yield of the mushroom crop depends critically on the quality of this composted substrate, but details of the microbial community responsible for compost production have only emerged recently. Here we report a detailed study of microbial succession during mushroom compost production (wetting, thermophilic, pasteurization/conditioning, spawn run).

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In tropical Australia, conditioned taste aversion (CTA) can buffer vulnerable native predators from the invasion of a toxic prey species (cane toads, ). Thus, we need to develop methods to deploy aversion-inducing baits in the field, in ways that maximize uptake by vulnerable species (but not other taxa). We constructed and field-tested baiting devices, in situ with wild animals.

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Biological invasions can modify the behaviour of vulnerable native species in subtle ways. For example, native predators may learn or evolve to reduce foraging in conditions (habitats, times of day) that expose them to a toxic invasive species. In tropical Australia, freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni) are often fatally poisoned when they ingest invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina).

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Postharvest treatments with sanitizers and fungicides are applied to increase the quality, safety and shelf life of fresh produce including cantaloupes (also known as rockmelons). The primary role of sanitizers during cantaloupe washing is to prevent cross contamination of potentially pathogenic bacteria in washwater. Postharvest fungicide sprays or dips are employed to inhibit spoilage-causing fungi.

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Escherichia coli O157:H7 risk associated with the consumption of fresh cut-cos lettuce during Australian industrial practices was assessed. A probabilistic risk assessment model was developed and implemented in the @Risk software by using the Monte Carlo simulation technique with 1,000,000 iterations. Australian preharvest practices yielded predicted annual mean E.

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Foodborne enteric viruses, in particular HuNoV and HAV, are the most common cause of the berry-linked viral diseases, and outbreaks around the world, and have become an important concern for health authorities. Despite the increased importance of berry fruits as a vehicle for foodborne viruses, there is limited information concerning the fate of foodborne viruses in the berry supply chain from farm to consumer. A comprehensive understanding of berry-associated viral outbreaks - with a focus on contamination sources, persistence, survival, and the effects of current postharvest and processing interventions and practices - is essential for the development of effective preventative strategies to reduce risk of illness.

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The Loess Plateau in northwestern China constitutes one of the most vulnerable semi-arid regions in the world due to long-term decline in forest cover, soil nutrient depletion by agricultural use, and attendant soil erosion. Here, we characterize the significance of N-fixing Robinia pseudoacacia L. and non-N-fixing Juglans regia L.

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In coffee-producing countries, waste products from coffee production are useful substrates for cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus. This species is relatively easy to grow, coffee waste substrates are readily available and the mushroom fruiting bodies are a valuable source of nutrition and income. In developed countries, cultivation of P.

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Empirical evidence from Australia shows that fuel reduction burning significantly reduces the incidence and extent of unplanned fires. However, the integration of environmental values into fire management operations is not yet well-defined and requires further research and development. WAVES, a plant growth model that incorporates Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Transfer, was used to simulate the hydrological and ecological effects of three fuel management scenarios on a forest ecosystem.

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Mushrooms are an important food crop throughout the world. The most important edible mushroom is the button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), which comprises about 30% of the global mushroom market. This species is cultivated commercially on a selective compost that is produced predominantly from wheat straw/stable bedding and chicken manure, at a moisture content of around 70% (w/w) and temperatures of up to 80 °C.

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Fire plays a critical role in biodiversity, carbon balance, soil erosion, and nutrient and hydrological cycles. While empirical evidence shows that fuel reduction burning can reduce the incidence, severity and extent of unplanned fires in Australia and elsewhere, the integration of environmental values into fire management operations is not well-defined and requires further research and development. In practice, the priority for fuel reduction burning is effective mitigation of risk to life and property.

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Since the 1970s, water temperatures along the Atlantic seaboard of the United States have risen by an average of 0.5 °C in summer months and 2.2 °C in winter months.

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Bergmann's rule-an increase in body size with latitude-correlates with latitudinal declines in ambient temperature and predation risk, but relatively few studies simultaneously explore the relative importance of these factors. Along temperate Atlantic shorelines, the isopod Idotea balthica from high latitudes are 53% longer on average than isopods from low latitudes. When reared at 6°-24°C, juveniles increased growth and development rates with temperature.

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This before-and-after-impact study uses the natural abundance N isotope ratio (δ(15)N) to investigate the effects of a wildfire on sub-alpine ecosystem properties and processes. We measured the (15)N signatures of soil, charred organic material, ash and foliage in three sub-alpine plant communities (grassland, heathland and woodland) in south-eastern Australia. Surface bulk soil was temporarily enriched in (15)N immediately after wildfire compared to charred organic material and ash in all plant communities.

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Populations can respond to environmental heterogeneity by genetic adaptation to local conditions. Evidence for local adaptation in herbivores with relatively broad host breadth is scarce, either because generalists rarely locally adapt or because fewer studies have tested for local adaptation. The marine isopod Idotea balthica, a small (<3 cm) generalist herbivore common to estuaries of the northwestern Atlantic, is found on multiple macroalgae and sea grasses north of 42°N, while more southerly populations utilize sea grass-dominated and macroalgal-poor habitats.

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A method is described for the rapid identification of biogenic, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plants, including the analysis of the temperature dependence of those emissions. Direct analysis in real time (DART) enabled ionization of VOCs from stem and leaf of several eucalyptus species including E. cinerea, E.

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In southeastern Australia, the overstory species Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell. commonly grows with either of the two leguminous understory trees, Acacia melanoxylon (R.

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The general perceptions of prescribed burning were elicited from forest users for an area that has been subject to this form of land management for at least 20 years. The largest group consisted of local residents living in and around the Wombat State Forest with two smaller groups of students from a nearby university campus and local professional land managers. A questionnaire was given to each participant in order to explore how the forest was used, to determine the level of knowledge of burning in the targeted forest and Victoria and the perception of the appearance, effectiveness of protection, and accessibility to the forest after prescribed burning.

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