Mechanism of action of Melaleuca armillaris (Sol. Ex Gaertu) Sm. essential oil on six LAB strains as assessed by multiparametric flow cytometry and automated microtiter-based assay

Little is known concerning the effects of essential oils (EOs) against lactic acid bacteria (LAB), either of the human gastrointestinal microflora or those involved in industrial processes. GC and GC/MS analysis of Melaleuca armillaris EO resulted in the identification of 68 compounds comprising 99.6% of the oil. Eucalyptol (1,8-cineole) was the major compound (68.9%) and the composition was largely dominated by the oxygenated monoterpenes fraction (77.3%). The anti-LAB activities of the EO were first checked by the disc diffusion assay. In a second phase, time-survival kinetics of each strain incubated with increasing concentrations of the EO (0.25, 2.5, 5 and 25 μg/ml) were established using an automated microtiter assay (Bioscreen C). Bacteriostatic or bactericidal effects were noticed depending on the studied strain and on the applied concentration of the EO. The mathematical modelling of the kinetics showed that in presence of increasing concentrations of M. armillaris EO, the lag phases of growth were extended (0.69%–97.5%) and both the growth rate and final cell density were reduced. Variations depending on the strain were noticed.     

A new approach for the numerical analysis of an eddy current separator to recover non-ferrous metals from wastes

ABSTRACT

Finite element codes are now part of the tools commonly used in the design and analysis of industrial products. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the usefulness of the COMSOL multi-physics software for modelling the eddy current separation process (ECS) dedicated to the recovery of non-ferrous metals (Cu, Al, Pb …) from domestic and industrial waste, a technique of undeniable economic and ecological interest. This is ensured by means of a variable intense magnetic field distribution that selectively acts on materials that have different magnetisation characteristics.     

Identification of bulk microwaves and detection of Pseudo-singularities by wavelet technique in piezoelectric medium

In this paper, the analysis of pseudo-singularities (corresponding to rapid variations) which appear in some parameters during the propagation of acoustic microwaves in a piezoelectric substrate is considered. These pseudo-singularities have a major importance because they can inform of the presence of bulk waves. However, there is a problem for the detection of the waves when the pseudo-singularities exist but is unobservable with the classical methods. To solve this problem, it is proposed that a new technique of detection based on the famous wavelet transform. This transform insures the detection of pseudo-singularities because it has the property of being locally maximal around the points where the signal is singular (or pseudo-singular).     

Handover prioritizing scheme for reducing call failure probability in cellular wireless network

This paper proposes a scheme suitable for managing handover in wireless cellular network. The main objective of the proposed scheme is to reduce the probability of forced termination of ongoing call due to handover failure. The scheme employs a queuing discipline, and the priority of queued is based on the residual time of the mobile user in the overlap region between two adjacent cells, assuming that the user's location and speed can be determined, then we applied the ascending priority; it means that the users having a shorter residual time join the head of the queue (i.e., high priority) while those having longer residual time at the end of the queue (i.e., low priority). Fixed channel allocation strategy (FCA) is employed and simulation results obtained concern: call blocking probability (CBP), handover failure probability, and average waiting time in the queue. Also simulation results are compared to those obtained by: non‐prioritized scheme (FCA), and FCA queuing with FIFO discipline. Results show that our proposed method decreases significantly handover failure probability compared with other two schemes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tunisian Salvia officinalis L. and Schinus molle L. essential oils: their chemical compositions and their preservative effects against Salmonella inoculated in minced beef meat

The essential oils (EOs) extracted from the aerial parts of cultivated Salvia officinalis L. and the berries of Schinus molle L. were analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and 68 and 67 constituents were identified, respectively. The major constituents were 1,8-cineole (33.27%), β-thujone (18.40%), α-thujone (13.45%), borneol (7.39%) in S. officinalis oil and α-phellandrene (35.86%), β-phellandrene (29.3%), β-pinene (15.68%), p-cymene (5.43%) and α-pinene (5.22%) in S. molle oil.In its second part, the present study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of both studied EOs. For this purpose, paper disc-diffusion method and broth microdilution test were used. The disc-diffusion method showed significant zone of lysis against all the pathogens studied (gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, yeast). These activities remained stable after six months, and decreased approximately by 20% after one year of storage of the EOs at 4 to 7 °C. On comparing the efficiency of both EOs, S. officinalis EO exhibited higher antibacterial activity against the majority of strains and especially against Candida albicans (two fold more active according to the inhibition zones values). The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were reported between 4.5 mg/ml and 72 mg/ml on nutrient broth. The particular chemotype of each EO may be involved in its specific antimicrobial behaviour.Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of these EOs were evaluated against two foodborne pathogens belonging to Salmonella genus, experimentally inoculated (10³ CFU/g) in minced beef meat, which was mixed with different concentrations of the EO and stored at 4 to 7 °C for 15 days. Although the antibacterial activities of both EOs in minced beef meat were clearly evident, their addition had notable effects on the flavour and taste of the meat at concentrations more than 2% for S. molle and 1.5% for S. officinalis. One solution to the above-mentioned problem may be the use of combinations of different food preservation systems. In this context, each of the EOs has been used along with low water activity (addition of NaCl) in addition to low refrigeration temperatures. Results on the Salmonella growth showed that some combinations could be recommended to eliminate germs from minced raw beef. By using this method, a stable and, from a microbiological point of view, safe meat can be produced without substantial loss in sensory quality.Results obtained herein, may suggest that the EOs of S. officinalis and S. molle possess antimicrobial activity, and therefore, they can be used in biotechnological fields as natural preservative ingredients in food and/or pharmaceutical industry.