Changes in the properties of rice varieties with different amylose content on dry heat parboiling

Dry heat parboiling is a unique paddy processing technique that has been scarcely exploited. Dry heat parboiling at high temperature for short time and low temperature for long time on physical and physicochemical properties of three rice varieties differing in amylose content were studied. Hardness of the kernels increased from 66.4 N, 68.8 N and 59.8 N in raw samples to 89.1 N, 86.9 N and 59.8 N in parboiled high amylose, low amylose and waxy rice samples respectively. Rapid migration and evaporation of water from severely heated kernels caused cavity formation at the centre. Irreversible damage of amylopectin structures to leachable fractions caused continuous rise of the pasting curve. Crystallinity was thereby reduced. Parboiled high amylose samples gave X-ray diffraction patterns with peaks characteristic of A, B and V-type starch crystallinity. Crystalline starch-lipid complexes were observed in low amylose and waxy rices. The significant increase in the amount of rapidly digestible starch from 56.7%, 61.7% and 66.6% in raw samples to 92.1%, 90.8% and 94.8% respectively in severely processed rice samples and subsequent reduction in resistant starch from 24.5%, 21.2% and 18.4% to 0.4%, 1.9% and 0.1% indicated possibilities for targeted food use of the dry heat parboiled samples.     

1958—2018年广西早稻高温热害时空变化规律

为了掌握广西水稻高温热害的变化规律特征,为水稻生产制定防灾减灾对策提供决策依据,本研究利用广西89个气象观测站1958—2018年观测资料及地理信息数据,采用GIS技术、M-K突变分析和Morlet小波周期分析等方法,探究广西早稻高温热害发生的时间变化规律和空间分布等特征。结果表明：（1）1958—2018年广西早稻高温热害呈增长趋势,20世纪90年代为发生低谷期,21世纪10年代为高发期;（2）高温热害发生次数在2009年发生增多突变,除重度高温热害外,轻、中度高温热害次数变化均有突变发生;（3）高温热害发生频次存在18、32年左右的显著周期变化,预计2018年之后广西早稻高温热害仍处于高发期;（4）高温热害高发区位于左、右江河谷,桂中盆地和西江—浔江—郁江等流域区域,沿海地区发生频次少于内陆。以上研究结论对实现水稻丰产稳产优产具有重要的现实意义。     

茶树小分子量热激蛋白基因CsHSP17.2的克隆与表达分析

[目的]进一步了解茶树小分子量热激蛋白基因CsHSP17.2在逆境胁迫条件下的分子生物学功能.[方法]利用RT-PCR技术从茶树‘迎霜’中克隆得到CsHSP1 7.2基因,运用生物信息学软件分析其核苷酸和编码蛋白,通过Real-timePCR分析其表达模式.[结果]该基因开放阅读框长度为453 bp,编码150个氨基酸,蛋白质相对分子质量为17.2×10a,理论等电点5.56;无信号肽位点,属于非分泌型蛋白;被定位于细胞质中.系统发育树分析表明,茶树CsHSP1 7.2与水稻(GenBank登录号:P27777)和花生(ABC41131)的进化关系较近,属于小分子量热激蛋白基因家族第Ⅰ亚族.qRT-PCR分析发现,茶树CsHSP17.2属于组成型基因;高温(38℃)处理1h能显著提高CsHSP17.2 mRNA的相对表达量(P＜0.05);干旱(100 g·L-1 PEG 6000)、高盐(200 mmol· L-1 NaCl)和外源脱落酸(200 mg· L-1 ABA)处理条件下,该基因的转录水平均出现不同程度的上调.[结论]克隆得到茶树‘迎霜’小分子量热激蛋白基因CsHSP17.2,其在花中表达量最高,且响应高温、干旱、高盐和外源脱落酸胁迫.     

Impact of urban park’s tree,grass and waterbody on microclimate in hot summer days: A case study of Olympic Park in Beijing,China

Urban heat island (UHI) often cause negative impact and has been linked to heart stroke rate, morality, human comfort, energy consumption and air pollution. Fortunately, urban green spaces have been considered as an effective element to mitigate UHI through their cooling effect. However, further empirical research is necessary in order to efficiently guide the design and planning of urban green space. We observed the impacts of urban park's tree, grass and waterbody on microclimate inside the Olympic park of Beijing during summer days. The results indicated that, on average, the park was 0.48–1.12 °C cooler during the day, as well as increased air humidity 2.39–3.74% and reduced human comfort index 1.02–2.43 to generate more comfortable thermal environment. Urban park's cluster trees with short ground vegetation generated higher cooling effect than single trees, grass and waterbodies; proper irrigation regime enhanced the cooling effect of grasses, even the irrigated grass have similar cooling effect with small waterbody on sunny, windless summer days. Therefore, we advise to increase undergrowth coverage and grass irrigation management in order to take advantage of cooling effect of urban parks.     

The role of green roofs in mitigating Urban Heat Island effects in the metropolitan area of Adelaide,South Australia

Changing an urban environment and replacing vegetated surfaces with low albedo materials is one of the reasons for increasing temperatures in an urban environment and consequently also one of the key causes of urban heat island effects. In this study, an experimental investigation at the micro-scale and also a numerical simulation at the macro-scale of a typical urban environment in Adelaide were conducted to estimate the potential for mitigating the UHI effect. The results showed that existing low albedo materials such as asphalt, metal roofs and brick pavements contribute to the heat island potential. Also, urban development and a lack of natural vegetation contribute to increased temperatures in cities. The ability of two types of extensive and intensive green roofs to reduce the surrounding micro-climate temperature were monitored. The results showed that they have significant cooling effects in summer time and could behave as an insulation layer to keep buildings warmer in the winter. Furthermore, different scenarios of adding green roofs to the Adelaide urban environment were investigated using the Envi–MET model. The scenario modelling of adding green roofs in a typical urban area in Adelaide, Australia, supported the hypothesis that this can lead to reductions in energy consumption in the Adelaide urban environment. Also an increased use of other water sensitive urban design technologies such as green walls and street trees together with the adoption of high albedo materials is recommended for achieving the optimum efficiency in terms of reducing urban temperatures and mitigating urban heat island effects.     

Acquired Thermo‐Tolerance and Trans‐Generational Heat Stress Response at Flowering in Rice

In rice, pre‐exposure to sublethal treatment followed by harsh lethal treatment is known to improve tolerance of different abiotic stresses at the vegetative stage within and across generations. Our major aim was to test the phenomenon of thermo‐tolerance at flowering across (trans)‐generations and within generation using rice cultivars contrasting for heat stress tolerance at flowering. To test trans‐generational response, plants were exposed to higher temperature at flowering stage and seeds obtained from previous generations were exposed to heat stress during flowering, which recorded significantly lower fertility when exposed to the same degree of stress in their subsequent generations. A pre‐acclimation to moderately high acclimating temperatures imposed over three different durations during the vegetative and initial reproductive stage showed positive response in the tolerant N22, particularly under severe heat stress (40 °C). This finding indicates the possibility of acquiring ameliorative thermo‐tolerant mechanisms at anthesis, restricted to tolerant genetic backgrounds to combat subsequent harsh conditions within the same generation. However, trans‐generational memory was ineffective in mitigating spikelet sterility losses in both tolerant and susceptible backgrounds. Rice is extremely sensitive to heat stress during flowering; hence, similar exercise across other crops of interest needs to be carried out before generalizing conclusions.     

Dry heat treatment of Andean lupin seed to reduce anthracnose infection

The potential of dry heat treatment of Andean lupin seed to reduce seed–borne infection of the anthracnose pathogen, Colletotrichum acutatum, was investigated. First, the effect of dry heat (65 °C) over duration times of 0–96 h on germination and disease incidence after germination was evaluated for artificially– and naturally–infected seed. Dry heat treatment from 8 to 96 h reduced disease incidence after germination to undetectable levels in four cultivars compared with 7.5% disease incidence after germination in seed maintained at room temperature. Moreover, heat treatments of 4–12 h showed seed germination rates that were equivalent to the non–treated control. Under greenhouse conditions, dry heat treatments for 8 or 12 h reduced transmission of the pathogen from seed by 75 or 85%, respectively and dry heat treatment increased emergence of seedlings in comparison the non-treated control. Dry heat treatment is an environmentally friendly alternative for reducing anthracnose infections in Andean lupin seed.     

相变材料在绿色储粮中的应用探讨

相变材料能够储存或释放显热,在熔化或凝固过程中虽然温度不变但吸收的潜热却相当大。根据相变材料可以吸收环境热能并在需要时向环境发出热能的特征,研究相变材料在粮食仓储中的应用,减小外界环境对粮仓温度的影响,达到恒温绿色生态储粮的目的。     

南京城市化对极端气温的影响

为了科学认识城市化对极端气温的影响,利用南京地区3个城区气象站和3个周边乡村站1961—2005年日最高、最低气温资料,对比分析城市站和乡村站17个极端气温指数的平均值和变化趋势,并定量估算极端气温变化趋势的城市化影响及贡献。结果表明:近45年南京地区暖事件均为增加趋势,而冷事件多为减少趋势,最高气温、最低气温的平均值和极值均为上升趋势。城市站与乡村站相比,暖事件更多,冷事件更少,最高气温、最低气温的平均值和极值更大。城市化对极端气温变化趋势的影响有两大特点:城市化加速了极端气温指数的变化速率,使得暖事件、平均值、极值的上升趋势和冷事件的下降趋势变得更大;基于最低气温的极端气温指数变化趋势比基于最高气温的极端气温指数受城市化影响更显著。城市化贡献表现为:暖事件大于冷事件,最低气温极值和平均值大于相应的最高气温极值和平均值。