Chemical composition, olfactory evaluation and antimicrobial activity of selected essential oils and absolutes from Morocco

The chemical compositions of selected essential oils from North Africa, especially Morocco, of geranium, wild Moroccan chamomile and rosemary as well as absolutes of rose and geranium were determined using GC/FID and GC/MS. These oils and absolutes were tested concerning their antimicrobial activity against some food spoilage strains obtained from fresh milk and minced meat products, like sausages and pork fillet, in accordance with ISO testing procedures. Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella abony and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) strains were used, as well as the yeast Candida albicans. Using a serial broth dilution method, all samples demonstrated weak antimicrobial activity against the Gram-negative bacteria and the yeast, compared with the activity towards the Gram-positive bacteria.     

Surface modification of polymeric ultrafiltration membranes I. Effect of atmospheric pressure barrier discharge in air onto some characteristics of polyacrylonitrile ultrafiltration membranes

Atmospheric pressure plasma surface modification of polyacrilonitrile ultrafiltration membranes is presented here aimed at improvement of some basic working characteristics of the membranes such as productivity and selectivity. The effect of the barrier dielectric discharge voltage and the treatment duration onto the physical chemical characteristics of the membrane surface was studied. XPS analysis was employed to control the alteration of the membrane surface chemical composition. Contact angle measurement was used to characterize the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance on the surface. Membrane structure was imaged by SEM observations.     

Heat capacities and thermodynamic functions of the tellurates(IV) of zinc and cadmium

The temperature dependencies of the molar heat capacities of ZnTeO₃, Zn₂Te₃O₈, CdTeO₃ and CdTe₂O₅ are determined. The experimental data are statistically processed using the least squares method to determine the parameters in the equations for the corresponding compounds: C_p,m=a+b(T/K)-c(T/K)^-2. These equations and the standard molar entropies are used to determine Δ^T₀S⁰_m, Δ^T_TH⁰_m and (Φ⁰_m+Δ^T,₀H⁰_m/T) for T'=298.15 K.     

Surface modification of polymeric ultrafiltration membranes: III. Effect of plasma-chemical surface modification onto some characteristics of polyacrylonitrile ultrafiltration membranes

Plasma-chemical surface modification of polyacrilonitrile ultrafiltration membranes is presented here including surface pre-activation by treatment in cold plasma, obtained in dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure, and following chemical grafting of mono-functional polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains. The effect of such plasma-chemical modification onto the physico-chemical characteristics of the membrane surface as well as onto some basic working membrane characteristics such as productivity and selectivity was studied. XPS analysis was employed to control the chemical composition of the membrane surface. Contact angle measurement was used to characterize the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance on the surface. Membrane structure was imaged by SEM observations.     

Spin-alignment and g-factor measurement of the I^{\pi} = 12+ isomer in 192Pb produced in the relativistic-energy fragmentation of a 238U beam

Reactions of a 16.8 MeV ⁶He beam with a ⁹Be target have been investigated using highly segmented detector setup covering a large solid angle. Data on elastic and quasi-free scattering, as well as two-neutron transfer, are reported. The results for elastic scattering are fairly well reproduced by a CDCC calculation, in agreement with the interpretation of a breakup effect already observed for the scattering of ⁶He on other light targets. Exotic quasi-free scattering of ⁶He on $ \alpha$ -cluster in ⁹Be is clearly observed. Inclusive and coincident events were used to extract information on the two-neutron transfer reaction ⁹Be(⁶He, $ \alpha$ )¹¹Be . Sequential decay of the ¹¹Be state at the excitation energy $\ensuremath E_x = 10.6$ MeV through different channels is discussed.