The Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Extreme High Temperatures and Urban Vulnerability in Nanchong, China

It is necessary to alleviate the high temperatures and heat wave disasters in cities in southwest China that are beginning to occur because of global warming. During this study, the spatial and temporal characteristics of heat waves in Nanchong from 1961 to 2022 are analyzed by using the signal smooth method and mutation test. Based on the meteorological data and socioeconomic statistics, the entropy value method is used to obtain the indicator weights to construct a heat wave social vulnerability evaluation index system and conduct vulnerability assessments and classifications. The results show that: ① The heat wave indicators in Nanchong show an increasing trend, although there is a low period of heat waves from 1980 to 1995. Additionally, there are significant mutations in the number of days, frequency, and intensity of high-temperature heat waves from 2009 to 2011, which may be caused by the abnormal high-pressure belt in the mid-latitude. ② The distribution of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptability in Nanchong City, under high temperatures, is uneven in space. Generally, the indicators in the north are lower than those in the south. ③ The high-vulnerability counties are mainly distributed in the east and west of Nanchong, the proportion of the medium social vulnerability index areas are more than a half, while the dominant factor in the distribution pattern is natural factors. ④ The Western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) anomaly directly led to the extremely high temperature in Nanchong in the summer of 2022, and the urbanization process index shows a significant positive correlation with the trend of high temperatures and heat waves in Nanchong

Optimizing the texture and retrogradation properties of Niangao (Rice Cake) made with naturally fermented rice flour

Abstract Niangao is prepared from polished round-grained or waxy rice flour and it is a popular and traditional steamed rice cake in China, but its preparation is different. In this study, Niangao was produced with naturally fermented rice flour and the effects of fermentation on physical properties and rheological characteristics were investigated. The results suggest that the water-holding capacity, texture, and color of the samples were significantly improved after natural fermentation, while amylose content was decreased. Additionally, fermentation had a marked effect on retarding the retrogradation of Niangao because fermented Niangao exhibited lower degree of retrogradation compared with the control. Control means Niangao which was produced by unfermented rice flour. Fermented Niangao was harder to be digested than the control was

Characteristics and Discrimination of the Commercial Chinese Four Famous Vinegars Based on Flavor Compositions

Shanxi aged vinegar (SAV), Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar (ZAV), Sichuan bran vinegar (SBV), and Fujian monascus vinegar (FMV) are the representative Chinese traditional vinegars. However, the basic differential compositions between the four vinegars are unknown. In this study, compositions of commercial vinegar were investigated to evaluate the influence of diverse technologies on their distinct flavor. Unlike amino acids and organic acids which were mostly shared, only five volatiles were detected in all vinegars, whereas a dozen volatiles were common to each type of vinegar. The four vinegars could only be classified well with all compositions, and difference analysis suggested the most significant difference between FMV and SBV. However, SAV, ZAV, and SBV possessed similar volatile characteristics due to their common heating treatments. Further, the correlation of identification markers with vinegars stressed the contributions of the smoking process, raw materials, and Monascus inoculum to SAV, SBV, and FMV clustering, respectively. Therefore, regardless of the technology modification, this basic process supported the uniqueness of the vinegars. This study contributes to improving the standards of defining the characteristics of types of vinegar