Glass and polymeric membrane electrodes for the measurement of pH in milk and cheese

While there is a considerable interest in the food industry in determining various analytes using ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), only few reports describe their use for direct measurements in food. In this study, the suitability of glass electrodes and ionophore-based solvent polymeric ISEs for the determination of pH in Process cheese, Cheddar cheese and milk was investigated. The liquid junction potential between a 3 M KCl bridge electrolyte and diluted as well as undiluted Process cheese was found to be negligible. Reference electrodes with ceramic plug and sleeve-type junctions performed well, although precautions needed to be taken to prevent plugging at the junctions. While the protein rennet casein posed no problems in pH measurements, the extraction of neutral lipophilic compounds or hydrophobic peptides into solvent polymeric membranes was evident, resulting in some loss of selectivity for monovalent cations upon exposure to cheese. However, it was found that ISEs based on tridodecylamine (R₃N) as ionophore and o-nitrophenyl octyl ether (oNPOE) as plasticizer can be used to accurately measure the pH of milk and, after desensitization of the electrodes in a cheese emulsion, of diluted Process cheese. Since pH measurements with a glass electrode showed that emulsions of cheese moderately diluted to a cheese content of 70% have the same pH as undiluted cheeses, it is possible to determine the pH in cheese with ionophore-based ISEs. R₃N membranes also performed well in undiluted milk.     

Tetragonal paramagnetic complex in Gd3+ doped Nd2(SO4)3·(NH4)2SO4·8H2O au]V.M. Malhotra

EPR studies of Gd³⁺ doped in single crystals of Nd₂(SO₄)₃·(NH₄)₂SO₄·8H₂O (hereafter referred to as NASO) at room (RT) and liquid nitrogen (LNT) temperatures exhibit that (1) the metal aquo complex has a tetragonal symmetry with abnormally low magnitudes of crystalline field parameters at RT and (2) NASO undergoes a possible phase transition between RT and LNT.     

EPR observation of a high temperature phase transition in Zn(ClO4)2·6H2O:Mn2+

The electron paramagnetic resonance of Mn²⁺ doped in single crystals of Zn(ClO₄)₂·6H₂O has been studied at X-band in the temperature range 300–380 K. A phase transition, observed at ～ 346 K, is reported for the first time.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance of divalent manganese in cobalt ammonium sulphate hexahydrate

EPR of Mn²⁺ has been studied in cobalt ammonium sulphate hexahydrate from ≈ 90°K to ≈ 373°K. The spin-hamiltonian analysis is presented. It is concluded that the coordination of water ligands around the divalent ion is almost the same as that in other Tutton salts.     

Ferroelectric soft-mode contribution to zero-field splitting: Paramagnetic resonance investigation of phase transition in Mn2+-doped NaNO2

The contribution of the ferroelectric soft-mode to the zero-field splitting is calculated and separated from the thermal contribution arising from the splitting due to the electron-phonon interaction. The predicted effect is compared with the measured values in Mn²⁺-doped NaNO₂.     

Diterpene glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana

Three novel diterpene glycosides were isolated for the first time from the commercial extract of the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, along with several known steviol glycosides, namely stevioside, rebaudiosides A-F, rubusoside and dulcoside A. The new compounds were identified as 13-[(2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy] ent-kaur-15-en-19-oic acid, 13-[(2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-16β-hydroxy-ent-kauran-19-oic acid and 13-methyl-16-oxo-17-nor-ent-kauran-19-oic acid-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester on the basis of extensive 2D NMR and MS spectroscopic data as well as chemical studies.     

EPR detection and study of new phase transitions in Mg(ClO4)2·6H2O

A temperature dependent EPR study of Mn²⁺ impurity-doped crystals of Mg(ClO₄)₂·6H₂O has led to the detection of two critical temperatures T₁ ~ 335K and T₂ ~ 324K where the EPR characteristics undergo distinct changes. The monoclinic distortion of the water octahedron around the metal ion shows little temperature dependence between T₁ and T₂ and T₂ and T₃ ~ 272K, while it is found to be comparatively strongly temperature dependent above T₁ and below T₃, decreasing as T approaches T₁ from the high temperature side and as T approaches T₃ from the low temperature side. At room temperature the water-perchlorate symmetry seems to deviate slightly from the perfect P6₃mc symmetry proposed from previous X-ray measurements by West. Although the space symmetry group of the unit cell appears to remain unchanged at T₁ and T₂, the temperatures T₁ and T₂ are suspected to be related to structural phase transitions in this crystal.     

Convenient direct synthesis of bisformylated calix[4]arenes via ipso substitution

[reaction: see text] A facile synthesis of bisformylated calix[4]arenes via ipso substitution of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arenes through treatment with hexamethylenetetramine/trifluoroacetic acid is described. Under identical conditions, p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene tetramethyl ether 4 gives proximally substituted bisformylated derivative 4a in a pinched cone conformation.     

Inequalities and properties of some generalized Orlicz classes and spaces

We discuss and complement the knowledge about generalized Orlicz classes $ \tilde X_\Phi $ and Orlicz spaces X _Φ obtained by replacing the space L ¹ in the classical construction by an arbitrary Banach function space X. Our main aim is to focus on the task to study inequalities in such spaces. We prove a number of new inequalities and also natural generalizations of some classical ones (e.g., Minkowski’s, Hölder’s and Young’s inequalities). Moreover, a number of other basic facts for further study of inequalities and function spaces are included.