A Venturi Effect Can Help Cure Our Trees

In woody plants, xylem sap moves upwards through the vessels due to a decreasing gradient of water potential from the groundwater to the foliage. ...

Unversity of Padova

Here we report a study performed in order to assess the number of circulating endothelial cells (EC) in normal subjects and in patients with postphlebitic syndrome (PPS), and the effect of treatment with Centella Asiatica Triterpenic Fraction (CATTF), a drug which has been demonstrated to be effective in promoting wound healing in vivo. EC counts were determined by means of differential centrifugation and phase contrast microscopy. Patients with PPS showed an increased number of circulating EC in comparison to normal subjects (3.8 +/- 1.2 cells versus 1.5 +/- 0.6 per counting chamber). Treatment for three weeks with CATTF caused a statistically significant reduction of circulating EC (1.80 +/- 0.6 cells per counting chamber).

Centella Asiatica Triterpenic Fraction (CATTF) reduces the number of circulating endothelial cells in subjects with post phlebitic syndrome.

Humic acids extracted from peats (P), brown coals (BC) and lignites (L), were characterized using different (chemical, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and differential thermal analysis) techniques. Fourteen variables were obtained from these analyses and only five were selected because uncorrelated in multiple partial correlation. The chosen variables were C concentration, aliphatic and aromatic components and the heat of reaction of the second exothermic peak. The multivariate discriminant analysis was performed on these variables and a discriminant function was obtained which was able to efficiently separate the P, BC and L. This function enables simple predictions on samples of unknown origin. The straightforward method proposed and the results obtained are discussed.

Quantitative estimation of peat, brown coal and lignite humic acids using chemical parameters, 1H-NMR and DTA analyses.

Thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and FT-IR spectroscopy have been performed on calcium-pectate membranes to investigate their structure and the consequent variation caused by aluminium sorption. Calcium-polygalacturonate (Ca-PG) membranes, model systems of the soil-root interface, were exposed to aluminium solutions at different concentrations (25-800 microM). Three different pHs (3.50, 4.00 and 4.50) were chosen to study the influence of different aluminium species, such as [Al(H2O)6]3+, [Al(OH)(H2O)5]2+ and [Al(OH)2(H2O)(4)]+, on the structure of the Ca-PG membrane. The DTA profiles and FT-IR spectra showed how aluminium sorption induces structural modifications leading to a reorganisation of the chain aggregates and a weakening of the structure. Higher pH, that is, 4.00 and 4.50, and thus hydrolytic aluminium species and related higher calcium content maintain a more regular structure than at pH 3.50. At pH 3.50, both the effect of [Al(H2O)6]3+ and a major calcium release had a greater impact and thus induced a greater weakening of the structure.

Characterisation of Ca- and Al-pectate gels by thermal analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate, by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, the structural features of the humic-like fraction (HLF) from olive pulp (OP), its effluents originated from the fermentation processes for hydrogen (EH2) and methane production (ECH4) and humic acid (HA) from soil amended with each of these materials. A considerable structural modification emerged between the HLF, in particular from the ECH4 effluent, which was characterised by a high content of polyphenolic and polypeptidic substances. The short-term amendment trial with OP and EH2 indicated that no chemical or structural changes in soil HA appeared. In contrast, the amendment with ECH4 substantially influenced the chemical and structural composition of soil HA. The structural interpretation performed by 2D NMR indicated the presence of aliphatic and aromatic protons while the sugar-like content and O-CH3 groups decreased with respect to the soil control HA. It emerges from this study that olive wastes contain stabilised humic-like material that may be recycled as an amendment in areas where olive trees are cultivated.

TG-DTA, DRIFT and NMR characterisation of humic-like fractions from olive wastes and amended soil.

In the present study, the chemical features of municipal wastewater sludges treated in two-phase separate digesters (one for acetogenesis and the other one for methanogenesis), were characterized by using chemical analysis, stable carbon isotope ratios (delta(13)C), HS-SPME-GC-MS, TG-DTA analysis and DRIFT spectroscopy. The results obtained showed that sludges from acetogenesis and methanogenesis differed from each other, as well as from influent raw sludges. Both processes exhibited a diverse chemical pattern in term of VFA and VOC. Additional variations were observed for delta(13)C values that changed from acetogenesis to methanogenesis, as a consequence of fermentation processes that led to a greater fractionation of (12)C with respect to the (13)C isotope. Similarly, the thermal profiles of acetogenesis and methanogenesis sludges greatly differed in terms of heat combustion produced. These changes were also supported by higher lipid content (probably fatty acids) in acetogenesis than in methanogenesis, as also shown by DRIFT spectroscopy.

Article	Year
Centella Asiatica Triterpenic Fraction (CATTF) reduces the number of circulating endothelial cells in subjects with post phlebitic syndrome. Haematologica\| PubMed ID: 1743599	1991
Quantitative estimation of peat, brown coal and lignite humic acids using chemical parameters, 1H-NMR and DTA analyses. Bioresource technology\| PubMed ID: 12618040	2003
Characterisation of Ca- and Al-pectate gels by thermal analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. Carbohydrate research\| PubMed ID: 16168971	2005
TG-DTA, DRIFT and NMR characterisation of humic-like fractions from olive wastes and amended soil. Journal of hazardous materials\| PubMed ID: 17499435	2007
Chemical characterization of municipal wastewater sludges produced by two-phase anaerobic digestion for biogas production. Journal of hazardous materials\| PubMed ID: 19931274	2010

Lucio Montecchio

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