Low-Field NMR Study of Shortcake Biscuits with Cricket Powder,and Their Nutritional and Physical Characteristics

The growing human population renders challenges for the future supply of food products with high nutritional value. Here, we enhanced the functional and nutritional value of biscuits, a popular sweet snack, by replacing the wheat flour with 2%, 6%, or 10% (w/w) cricket powder. Consumer acceptance ratings for reference and 2% augmented cookies were comparable, whereas the higher levels of enhancement received inferior consumer scores. This relatively small change in biscuit recipe provided significant and nutritionally desirable enhancements in the biscuits, observed in a series of analyses. An increase in the protein content was observed, including essential amino acids, as well as minerals and fat. This conversion also affected the physical properties of the biscuits, including hardness, and water molecular dynamics measured by ¹H NMR. Cricket powder-augmented biscuits join the line of enhanced, functionally superior food products. This and similar food augmentation provide a viable scenario to meet the human food demands in the future.     

Quantifying nonclassicality of one-mode Gaussian states of the radiation field

We define the degree of nonclassicality of a one-mode Gaussian state of the quantum electromagnetic field in terms of the Bures distance between the state and the set of all classical one-mode Gaussian states. We find the closest classical Gaussian state and the degree of nonclassicality using a recently established expression for the Uhlmann fidelity of two single-mode Gaussian states. The decrease of nonclassicality under thermal mapping is carefully analyzed. Along the same lines, we finally present the evolution of nonclassicality during linear amplification.     

Preparation of polymeric nanoparticles using a new polymerizable surfactant

A novel polymerizable surfactant (so-called surfmer) was synthesized and characterized according to its structure, surface activity and polymerization ability. Polymeric micelles (size of 6 and 130 nm) appeared in the polyreaction initiated by free radicals from VA-044. In the presence of the monomer (i.e., methyl methacrylate) microemulsion systems were formed that in turn were transformed into latex entities (size — 40 nm). Additionally, an emulsion polymerization was performed with the use of n-hexadecane as an oil phase resulting in the production of nanocapsules (size in the range — 165–220 nm). The shape and morphologies of the nanoobjects were confirmed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).     

Effect of Three Commercial Formulations Containing Effective Microorganisms (EM) on Diflufenican and Flurochloridone Degradation in Soil

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of effective microorganisms (EM) present in biological formulations improving soil quality on degradation of two herbicides, diflufenican and flurochloridone. Three commercially available formulations containing EM were used: a formulation containing Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus, and Rhodopseudomonas bacteria and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae; a formulation containing Streptomyces, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Rhodococcus, Cellulomonas, Arthrobacter, Paenibacillusa, and Pseudonocardia bacteria; and a formulation containing eight strains of Bacillus bacteria, B. megaterium, B. amyloliquefaciens, B. pumilus, B. licheniformis, B. coagulans, B. laterosporus, B. mucilaginosus, and B. polymyxa. It was demonstrated that those formulations influenced degradation of herbicides. All studied formulations containing EM reduced the diflufenican degradation level, from 35.5% to 38%, due to an increased acidity of the soil environment and increased durability of that substance at lower pH levels. In the case of flurochloridone, all studied EM formulations increased degradation of that active substance by 19.3% to 31.2% at the most. For control samples, equations describing kinetics of diflufenican and flurochloridone elimination were plotted, and a time of the half-life of these substances in laboratory conditions was calculated, amounting to 25.7 for diflufenican and 22.4 for flurochloridone.     

Multicomponent synthesis of benzoxazinones via tandem Ugi/Mitsunobu reactions: an unexpected cine-substitution

A short (2 steps) synthesis of diverse benzoxazinones by coupling the Ugi multicomponent reaction with an intramolecular Mitsunobu substitution is reported. The cyclization step proceeds via an unexpected cine substitution.     

Copper Versus Thioether‐Centered Oxidation: Mechanistic Insights into the Non‐Innocent Redox Behavior of Tripodal Benzimidazolylaminothioether Ligands

A series of Cu⁺ complexes with ligands that feature varying numbers of benzimidazole/thioether donors and methylene or ethylene linkers between the central nitrogen atom and the thioether sulfur atoms have been spectroscopically and electrochemically characterized. Cyclic voltammetry measurements indicated that the highest Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ redox potentials correspond to sulfur‐rich coordination environments, with values decreasing as the thioether donors are replaced by nitrogen‐donating benzimidazoles. Both Cu²⁺ and Cu⁺ complexes were studied by DFT. Their electronic properties were determined by analyzing their frontier orbitals, relative energies, and the contributions to the orbitals involved in redox processes, which revealed that the HOMOs of the more sulfur‐rich copper complexes, particularly those with methylene linkers (? N? CH₂? S? ), show significant aromatic thioether character. Thus, the theoretically predicted initial oxidation at the sulfur atom of the methylene‐bridged ligands agrees with the experimentally determined oxidation waves in the voltammograms of the NS₃‐ and N₂S₂‐type ligands as being ligand‐based, as opposed to the copper‐based processes of the ethylene‐bridged Cu⁺ complexes. The electrochemical and theoretical results are consistent with our previously reported mechanistic proposal for Cu²⁺‐promoted oxidative C? S bond cleavage, which in this work resulted in the isolation and complete characterization (including by X‐ray crystallography) of the decomposition products of two ligands employed, further supporting the novel reactivity pathway invoked. The combined results raise the possibility that the reactions of copper–thioether complexes in chemical and biochemical systems occur with redox participation of the sulfur atom.     

Kinetic study of the phenolysis of O-methyl and O-phenyl O-2,4-dinitrophenyl thiocarbonates and O-ethyl 2,4-dinitrophenyl dithiocarbonate

The reactions of a series of phenols with O-methyl O-2,4-dinitrophenyl thiocarbonate (MDNPTOC), O-phenyl O-2,4-dinitrophenyl thiocarbonate (PDNPTOC), and O-ethyl 2,4-dinitrophenyl dithiocarbonate (EDNPDTC) are studied kinetically in water, at 25.0 degrees C and an ionic strength of 0.2 M (KCl). All reactions show pseudo-first-order kinetics under an excess of phenol over the substrate, and are first order in phenoxide anion. The reactions of EDNPDTC show a linear Br?nsted-type plot of slope beta = 0.67, suggesting a concerted mechanism. On the other hand, the phenolyses of MDNPTOC and PDNPTOC exhibit linear Br?nsted-type plots of slopes beta = 0.27 and 0.28, respectively, consistent with stepwise mechanisms where the formation of an anionic tetrahedral intermediate (T(-)) is rate determining. By comparison of the kinetics and mechanisms of the reactions under investigation with similar reactions, the following conclusions arise: (i). Substitution of S(-) by O(-) in the intermediate T(-) destabilizes this species. (ii). The change of DNPO in T(-) to DNPS also destabilizes this intermediate. (iii). Substitution of MeO by PhO as the nonleaving group of the substrate does not affect the kinetics, probably by a compensation of electronic and steric effects. (iv). The change of an amino group in a tetrahedral intermediate to a phenoxy group destabilizes the intermediate.     

Stability effects on CO2 adsorption for the DOBDC series of metal-organic frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks with unsaturated metal centers in their crystal structures, such as Ni/DOBDC and Mg/DOBDC, are promising adsorbents for carbon dioxide capture from flue gas due to their high CO(2) capacities at subatmospheric pressures. However, stability is a critical issue for their application. In this paper, the stabilities of Ni/DOBDC and Mg/DOBDC are investigated. Effects of steam conditioning, simulated flue gas conditioning, and long-term storage on CO(2) adsorption capacities are considered. Results show that Ni/DOBDC can maintain its CO(2) capacity after steam conditioning and long-term storage, whereas Mg/DOBDC does not. Nitrogen isotherms for Mg/DOBDC show a drop in surface area after steaming, corresponding to the decrease in CO(2) adsorption, which may be caused by a reduction of unsaturated metal centers in its structure. Conditioning with dry simulated flue gas at room temperature only slightly affects CO(2) adsorption in Ni/DOBDC. However, introducing water vapor into the simulated flue gas further reduces the CO(2) capacity of Ni/DOBDC.