Oxidative degradation of lipids during mashing

Although hardly any polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are present in the endproduct, the ingredients used for the production of beer contain a high concentration of PUFAs, such as linolic and linolenic acid. These compounds are readily oxidized, resulting in the formation of lipid-derived products that reduce the taste and quality of beer enormously. During mashing relatively high amounts of PUFAs are exposed to atmospheric oxygen at a relatively high temperature. This makes mashing a critical step in the brewing process with regard to the formation of lipid-derived off-taste products. F1 phytoprostane (PPF1) changes in antioxidant capacity and monohydroxy fatty acids (OH-FAs) were used as markers for the detection of oxidative damage to fatty acids during mashing. The pattern of OH-FA formation indicates that enzymatic oxidation of PUFAs is more important than nonenzymatic oxidation during the mashing process. Nevertheless, substantial nonenzymatic radical formation is evident from the increase of specific OH-FAs and PPF1s. It was found that a low oxygen tension reduces oxidative damage and gives a high antioxidant capacity of the mashing mixture. This indicates that mashing should be done under low oxygen pressure.     

Effect of elevated carbon dioxide and water stress on gas exchange and water use efficiency in corn

CO₂ has been predicted to increase in the future, and thus leading to possible changes in precipitation patterns. The objectives of this study were to investigate water use and canopy level photosynthesis of corn plants, and to quantify water use efficiency in corn plants under two different CO₂ levels combined with four different water stress levels. Corn plants were planted in sunlit plant growth chambers and a day/night temperature of (28/18 °C) was applied. From 21 days after emergence (DAE), the eight treatments including two levels of carbon dioxide concentrations (400 and 800 μmol mol⁻¹) and four levels of water stress (well-watered control, “mild”, “moderate”, and “severe” water stress) treatments at each CO₂ level were imposed. Height, number of leaves, leaf lengths, and growth stages of corn plants were monitored from nine plants twice a week. Corn plants were separately collected, dried, and analyzed for the biomass accumulation at 21 and 60 DAE. Soil water contents were monitored by a time domain reflectometry (TDR) system (15 probes per chamber). The “breaking points” (changes from high to low rates of soil water uptake) were observed in the bottom of soil depth for the water stressed conditions, and the “breaking points” under ambient CO₂ appeared 6-9 days earlier than under elevated CO₂. Although approximately 20-49% less water was applied for the elevated CO₂ treatments than for ambient CO₂ from 21 DAE, higher soil water contents were recorded under elevated CO₂ than under ambient CO₂. However, corn growth variables such as height, leaf area, and biomass accumulation were not significantly different in CO₂ or water stressed treatments. This result may be explained by considering that significant differences in canopy level gross photosynthesis among the water stress treatments was observed only toward the end of the experiment. The higher soil water contents observed under elevated CO₂ resulted mainly from less water use than under ambient CO_2. WUE (above ground biomass per water use since 21 DAE) at the final harvest was consistently higher and varied with a smaller range under elevated CO₂ than under ambient CO₂. This study suggests that less water will be required for corn under high-CO₂ environment in the future than at present.     

Scales in single root water uptake models: a review,analysis and synthesis

Scales in transport of water to roots are compared with the length and volume scales by using the concepts associated with the representative elementary volume (REV). The possibility of a mismatch between model scale and system scale when using a Darcy‐Buckingham‐based model to describe soil water transport to a single root is evaluated. In the absence of a mismatch, the replication requirements for evaluating the Darcy‐Buckingham‐based model near a single root are discussed by using a synthesis of the elementary scales involved, including those for soil, plant and roots, and of the measurement device. By using REV scales from lattice‐Boltzmann simulations, the effective half‐root mean distance and the available measurement techniques, the evaluation of Darcy‐based single root uptake models is possible in roughly 50% of the combinations of soil‐ and root‐system properties. On the basis of an assessment of the scale characterizing natural soil variability, the number of replicates required to assess the average root water uptake profile near a single root is large, and either requires miniaturization of the measurement methods for the hydraulic transport characteristics, or very homogeneous (artificial) growing media with little variability. Variability of water uptake per unit root length will increase the number of samples required.     

近20年来喀什市乡村转型发展评价

[目的]对典型干旱区绿洲城市新疆喀什市近20a来的乡村转型发展进行研究,评价当地的乡村转型发展程度及土地利用变化对乡村转型发展的影响。[方法]构建乡村转型度、城乡协调度两个评价体系,利用TOPSIS法量化喀什市1995—2015年乡村转型发展变化,通过Pearson相关分析法得出影响乡村转型发展程度的因子。[结果]喀什市乡村转型度在整体上处于上升态势,速率较慢,年际变化率为0.55%/a,城乡协调度在整体上处于微弱下降态势,年际变化率为-0.06%/a,近20a来喀什市乡村转型发展经历了低速—协调、中速—较协调、中速—不协调、高速—不协调、中速—协调5个阶段,乡村转型发展水平综合指数逐年上升,增率为0.31%/a,影响喀什市乡村转型发展的主要因子包括农业人口比重、乡村人均GDP、农民人均纯收入、第一产业劳动率及乡村污染物处理率。[结论]农业人口比重在数量上与乡村转型发展度的耦合度达0.786,农业人口比重在质量上与乡村转型发展度的耦合度达0.559,乡村人均GDP比重变化与乡村转型发展度的耦合度达0.877耕地转为建设用地的面积比重变化与乡村转型发展度的耦合度达0.641,喀什市的乡村转型发展与人口转型、经济转型、土地利用方式转型的一致性较高,属于良性的转型发展。     

吸收剂量、贮藏时间及贮藏温度对辐照牛肉中2-十二烷基环丁酮的影响

分析了辐照牛肉中辐解产物2-十二烷基环丁酮在不同的吸收剂量(0.5~10.0kGy)、贮藏时间(0-40d)及贮藏温度(-20℃~4℃)下的变化规律。采用硅胶层析柱-气相色谱/质谱联用技术萃取分离并检测。结果表明,2-十二烷基环丁酮的浓度与吸收剂量呈线性正相关,随着贮藏时间延长其含量减少,贮藏温度对其没有显著影响。利用2-十二烷基环丁酮可鉴定牛肉是否经过辐照,在已知贮藏温度和时间的条件下,可评估辐照牛肉的大约吸收剂量范围。     

Nutrient availability and response of sago palm (Metroxylon sago Rottb.) to controlled release N fertilizer on coastal lowland peat in the tropics

Sago palms (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) growing on peat soils were found to grow more slowly and to show a lower production than palms growing on mineral soils. This difference was related to the physical and chemical constraints of peat soils, which include low bulk density, high acidity, and low N, P, K, Ca, Zn, and Cu levels. In coastal lowland peat soils, the distance from the sea has been found to be an important determinant of soil elemental composition. We predicted that a sufficient supply of N at the rosette stage would improve sago palm growth and that the availability of N in soil to which controlled release N fertilizer was applied might be higher than that in soil treated with soluble fertilizer. To investigate the changes in the nutrient composition of peat soils at various distances from the sea and the effect on sago palm growth, we studied sago palm areas in Indonesia and Malaysia. To observe the influence of N on the growth performance, we also conducted a fertilizer experiment on coastal lowland peat soil in Indonesia. Distance from the sea had no significant effect on the cation concentration in the soil solution (with the exception of Mg) or on the levels of soil-exchangeable cations. No significant differences were observed between the concentrations of exchangeable cations in surface peat soils and those in mature leaves. However, the concentrations of K, Na, and Ca in mature leaves increased significantly with their concentrations in the soil solution. This finding implies that the concentrations of cations in sago palm leaves depend directly on the concentrations of cations in the soil solution. No significant effect of N fertilizers on plant height and leaf formation was observed. N fertilizers applied twice a year did not affect appreciably the foliar concentration of N determined in December 1998 (5 months after the initial application) and December 1999. In June 2000, we detected a significantly higher concentration of N (p < 0.01) in young leaves of the palms treated with LP-100 or urea than in control leaves. However, no significant difference was detected between the LP-100 and urea treatments in the concentration of N in both mature and young leaves. This finding indicated that the concentration of N in sago palm leaves increased with the level of soil-applied N, regardless of whether N was applied as controlled release fertilizer or in the soluble form. We anticipate that a significant difference in the effects of these N fertilizers may occur during the next rainy season, when there should be a considerable loss of soluble N.     

Statistical spring wheat yield forecasting for the Canadian prairie provinces

A study to forecast regional spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yields on the Canadian Prairies was conducted, based on simulated daily water use and soil water contents derived from the National Drought Model. Empirical linear regression models were calibrated from 1976 to 2006 spring wheat yield data for this purpose. Potential predictors assessed were mainly those indicators related to water stress conditions at different crop growth stages. Stepwise regression and cross-validation were employed for the selection of the predictors in multivariate linear regression models used for forecasting spring wheat yields from seeding to harvest. The cross-validated “forecasts” for 1976–2006, using data up to harvest, explained 77%, 64%, 63% and 70% of yield variances, respectively, for Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the entire Prairie region. Root mean squared error of the “forecasts” ranged from 8% to 11% of the average yields. The prediction accuracy earlier in the season was often lower than later in the season. Usable prediction accuracy was found by the middle of the growing season (around heading or anthesis), but only marginally effective at seeding time, especially so for Saskatchewan.     

石菖蒲挥发性组分提取方法的对比研究

采用超临界CO2流体萃取（SCFE）与分级分离技术联用提取石菖蒲挥发性组分．并与水蒸气提取（HD）法所得挥发油进行了对比,发现挥发油成分相对含量有所差异。在SCFE挥发油中烯烃单萜、倍半萜类的相对含量高;而含氧单萜、含氧倍半萜类则正好相反．HD法所提挥发油中含氧萜类明显高于SCFE。其主要有效成分口一细辛醚在SCFE和HD所提挥发油中的相对含量分别为52．84％和38．67％,这说明SCFE对口一细辛醚的提取有较好的选择性。     

Characterization of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BetB) as an essential virulence factor of Brucella abortus

The pathogenic mechanisms of Brucellosis used to adapt to the harsh intracellular environment of the host cell are not fully understood. The present study investigated the in vitro and in vivo characteristics of B. abortus betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BetB) (Gene Bank ID: 006932) using a betB deletion mutant constructed from virulent B. abortus 544. In test under stress conditions, including osmotic- and acid stress-resistance, the betB mutant had a lower osmotic-resistance than B. abortus wild-type. In addition, the betB mutant showed higher internalization rates compared to the wild-type strain; however, it also displayed replication failures in HeLa cells and RAW 264.7 macrophages. During internalization, compared to the wild-type strain, the betB mutant was more adherent to the host surface and showed enhanced phosphorylation of protein kinases, two processes that promote phagocytic activity, in host cells. During intracellular trafficking, colocalization of B. abortus-containing phagosomes with LAMP-1 was elevated in betB mutant-infected cells compared to the wild-type cells. In mice, the betB mutant was predominantly cleared from spleens compared to the wild-type strain after 2 weeks post-infection, and the vaccination test with the live betB mutant showed effective protection against challenge infection with the virulent wild-type strain. These findings suggested that the B. abortus betB gene substantially affects the phagocytic pathway in human phagocytes and in host cells in mice. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential use of the B. abortus betB mutant as a live vaccine for the control of brucellosis.     

Back-calculation method shows that within-flock transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H7N7) virus in the Netherlands is not influenced by housing risk factors

To optimize control of an avian influenza outbreak knowledge of within-flock transmission is needed. This study used field data to estimate the transmission rate parameter (β) and the influence of risk factors on within-flock transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N7 virus in the 2003 epidemic in The Netherlands. The estimation is based on back-calculation of daily mortality data to fit a susceptible-infectious-dead format, and these data were analysed with a generalized linear model. This back-calculation method took into account the uncertainty of the length of the latent period, the survival of an infection by some birds and the influence of farm characteristics. After analysing the fit of the different databases created by back-calculation, it could be concluded that an absence of the latency period provided the best fit. The transmission rate parameter (β) from these field data was estimated at 4.50 per infectious chicken per day (95% CI: 2.68–7.57), which was lower than what was reported from experimental data. In contrast to general belief, none of the studied risk factors (housing system, flock size, species, age of the birds in weeks and date of depopulation) had significant influence on the estimated β.