Influence of Benzothiadiazole on the Amino Acids and Aroma Compositions of ‘Cabernet Gernischt’ Grapes (<i>Vitis vinifera</i> L.)

The application of elicitors enhances grape quality, especially the volatile compounds. There are few studies on the influence of elicitors on the aroma compositions of grapes. Additionally, studies on the amino acids and aroma profiles of ‘Cabernet Gernischt’ grapes are scant. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of benzothiadiazole (BTH) treatments on the amino acids and aroma profiles of ‘Cabernet Gernischt’ grapes during berry development. BTH was sprayed on berries at three different stages during grape development; the fruit set period, swelling, and veraison stages. Physicochemical parameters, amino acids, and aroma compounds of the grapes were evaluated. The results showed increased an weight and color quality of treated grapes, while the content of primary metabolites such as sugar and amino acids in treated grapes declined relative to control grapes. However, total concentrations of the various aroma classes were higher in treated grapes, except for carbonyls and terpenoids, which presented higher levels in control grapes than in BTH-treated grapes. The correlation analysis between amino acids and aroma compounds revealed positive correlations in both samples with few negative correlations in BTH samples. The odor activity values (OAVs) affirmed the floral, fruity, and fresh-green nature of ‘Cabernet Gernischt’ grapes. BTH application to ‘Cabernet Gernischt’ berries significantly influenced the compositional qualities of the grapes

Non-exponential decay of a giant artificial atom

In quantum optics, light–matter interaction has conventionally been studied using small atoms interacting with electromagnetic fields with wavelength several orders of magnitude larger than the atomic dimensions1,2. In contrast, here we experimentally demonstrate the vastly different ‘giant atom’ regime, where an artificial atom interacts with acoustic fields with wavelength several orders of magnitude smaller than the atomic dimensions. This is achieved by coupling a superconducting qubit3 to surface acoustic waves at two points with separation on the order of 100 wavelengths. This approach is comparable to controlling the radiation of an atom by attaching it to an antenna. The slow velocity of sound leads to a significant internal time-delay for the field to propagate across the giant atom, giving rise to non-Markovian dynamics4. We demonstrate the non-Markovian character of the giant atom in the frequency spectrum as well as non-exponential relaxation in the time domain