177 research outputs found
Agronomical evaluation and chemical characterization of Linum usitatissimum L. as oilseed crop for bio-based products in two environments of Central and Northern Italy
In the recent years, new perspectives for linseed (Linum usitatissimum
L.) are open as renewable raw material for bio-based products
(Bb), due to its oil composition, and the interesting amounts of coproducts
(lignocellulosic biomass). Therefore, the possibility to introduce
linseed crop in two environments of central and northern Italy,
traditionally devoted to cereal cultivation, has been evaluated. Twoyears
field trials were carried out in the coastal plain of Pisa (Tuscany
region) and in the Po valley (Bologna, Emilia Romagna region), comparing
two linseed varieties (Sideral and Buenos Aires). Agronomical
evaluation (yield and yield components), seed and oil characterization
(oil, protein content, and fatty acid composition), together with carbon
(C) and nitrogen (N) content of the residual lignocellulosic biomass
were investigated. The two varieties, grown as autumn crop, showed a
different percentage of plant survival at the end of winter, with Sideral
most resistant to cold. The achieved results showed significant influence
of cultivar, location and growing season on yield and yield components,
as well as on chemical biomass composition. In particular,
Sideral appeared to be the most suitable variety for tested environments,
since higher seed yield (3.05 t ha–1 as mean value over years
and locations) and above-ground biomass (6.98 t ha–1 as mean value
over years and locations) were recorded in comparison with those
detected for Buenos Aires (1.93 and 4.48 t ha–1 of seed production and
lignocellulosic biomass, respectively). Interestingly, in the northern
area, during the 1st year, Buenos Aires was the most productive,
despite its low plant survival at the end of winter, which determined a
strong reduction in plant density and size. In such conditions, the
plants produced a larger number of capsules and, consequently, high
seed yield (3.18 t ha–1). Relevant differences were also observed
between the two years, due to the variability of climatic characteristics
(temperature levels, and moisture regimes). All these findings confirmed
as, in linseed, yield and yield components are quantitatively
inherited and influenced by both genotype and environment (location
and climate). Varietal and environmental effects were also recorded
for oil content and yield, and, generally, good oil percentages, for both
genotypes, were found (ranging from 44 to 49% on dry matter basis).
Oil from the two varieties was characterized by a stable proportion of
polyunsaturated fatty acids with a high content of alpha-linolenic acid
(more than 57%), that makes this oil suitable to be used in paints,
resins, varnishes, linoleum, polymers and oleochemicals. Finally, our
results pointed out as above- and below-ground biomasses, were different
in terms of quantity, and chemical characteristics (N, C and C/N
ratio). Interesting amounts of N and C could return into the soil by
crop residues (stem portions and roots), thus underling the possibility
to maintain and/or increase the soil organic matter pool
All-Optical NRZ-DPSK to RZ-OOK Format Conversion Using Optical Delay Line Interferometer and Semiconductor Optical Amplifier
We describe an all-optical NRZ-DPSK to RZ-OOK converter employing an optical delay line interferometer and a semiconductor optical amplifier. System penalty at 10Gbit/s is experimentally demonstrated to be less than 1dB at BER of 10{ extminus}9
Environmental assessment of flax straw production for non-wood pulp mills
Nowadays, there is an increasing interest for using non-woody fibres as raw materials for production of
paper´s pulp. The present work aims to identify and quantify the environmental impacts associated with the
production of flax fibres, through 3-year field experiment, carried out in Bologna and Pisa representative of the
pedoclimatic characteristics of central Italy. Life Cycle Impact of “a one ton of fibre ready to be processed in a
pulp mill” was assessed taking into account: farming, straw process (drying, scutching and baling) and
transport. Inventory data for agricultural inputs and outputs were obtained directly from field experimentation
and from bibliographic data about heat, transport and electricity consumption on straw processing. An
economic allocation approach to assign impacts within flax seed and processed straw has been used. The
CML baseline 2000 methodology was selected to quantify the potential environmental impact associated to
the crops. Specifically, global warming (GWP), acidification (AP), eutrophication (EP) and photochemical
oxidant formation (POP) were evaluated together with energy use (EU). Major impacts contribution arise from
fertilizers use and straw processing. Cultivation phase of flax fibre at Pisa reported higher values
(approximately 3 times greater) for all the impact categories. The lower impact in the flax cultivation scenario
at Bologna was due to no use of mineral fertilizer and the higher flax-straw yield. It resulted also a strong
reduction of the impacts with respect to those of hemp pulp in Spain as well as to the impacts of the
conventional wood-pulp reported in Simapro. Furthermore, LCA tool aided to identify the materials and
process that most affected the impacts: fertilizers use, diesel consumption and straw processing were
identified as hot spots in both crops. Finally, non-wood pulp derived from Bologna´s Flax straw represents an
opportunity to replace conventional wood pulp in Italian paper industry
Adherence to therapeutic guidelines among patients treated with statins. Results from STAR study
INTRODUCTION: the objective of this study was to analyze adherence to therapeutic guidelines among patients treated with lipid lowering drugs (statins).MATERIAL AND METHODS: a retrospective observational study including 5 Local Health Units (LHUs) was conducted using administrative databases. Patients who received at least one prescription for statins between January 1st, 2007 and June 30th, 2008 were selected and followed for 12 months. Patients were classified according to their level of absolute cardiovascular risk (moderate, high, very high according to Nota 13 AIFA).RESULTS: a total of 71,855 patients were included (14,133 newly treated patients with statins, representing 19.4% of total sample), (age 68.8±10.7, male 51%). Level of absolute cardiovascular risk were: moderate risk (45.4%), high risk (33.4%), very high risk (16.3%), familial hypercholesterolemia (4.9%). Statins assumed by patients in analysis were stratified in two groups (first or second choice), accordingly to their efficacy (level of LDL cholesterol reduction) in relation to the patient’s cardiovascular risk (coherently with new Nota 13 AIFA, 2011). Among patients with a very high cardiovascular risk, only 52.8% used statins indicated by Nota13 as a first choice while 2.9% used a second choice statin and 44.3% used an inadequate statin and/or dosage; among familial hypercholesterolemia patients, those percentages were, respectively: 53.8%, 21.1% and 25.1%. When only patients naïve to statins treatment were analyzed, similar percentages were found. Only few patients in very high risk group used adequate dosages: among patients treated with rosuvastatin and atorvastatin, 11.2% used atorvastatin 40 mg, and 0.2% used atorvastatin 80 mg (this population was not analyzed for events because of low numerosity) while 4.1% used rosuvastatin 20 mg and 0.2% used rosuvastatin 40 mg; overall, 84.3% of patients in this group used inadequate dosages. Cardiovascular events at one year of follow up were 1.6% for patients treated with rosuvastatin 20 mg, 1.6% for rosuvastatin 40 mg and 6.1% for atorvastatin 40 mg; death rates (any cause) were 0.9%, 0.0%, 2.6% respectively. The analysis of the sub-population of patients treated with rosuvastatin 20 mg with previous CV event showed a percentage of patients with a CV event during the observational period of 3.4%, a percentage of patients with cerebrovascular event of 0.9% and a mortality percentage of 0.9%.Conclusions: in real practice setting, the percentage of patients prescribed for recommended statins and dosages is low
Influence of Functional Bio-Based Coatings Including Chitin Nanofibrils or Polyphenols on Mechanical Properties of Paper Tissues
The paper tissue industry is a constantly evolving sector that supplies markets that require products with different specific properties. In order to meet the demand of functional properties, ensuring a green approach at the same time, research on bio-coatings has been very active in recent decades. The attention dedicated to research on functional properties has not been given to the study of the morphological and mechanical properties of the final products. This paper studied the effect of two representative bio-based coatings on paper tissue. Coatings based on chitin nanofibrils or polyphenols were sprayed on paper tissues to provide them, respectively, with antibacterial and antioxidant activity. The chemical structure of the obtained samples was preliminarily compared by ATR-FTIR before and after their application. Coatings were applied on paper tissues and, after drying, their homogeneity was investigated by ATR-FTIR on different surface areas. Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties were found for chitin nanofibrils- and polyphenols-treated paper tissues, respectively. The mechanical properties of treated and untreated paper tissues were studied, considering as a reference the same tissue paper sample treated only with water. Different mechanical tests were performed on tissues, including penetration, tensile, and tearing tests in two perpendicular directions, to consider the anisotropy of the produced tissues for industrial applications. The morphology of uncoated and coated paper tissues was analysed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Results from mechanical properties evidenced a correlation between morphological and mechanical changes. The addition of polyphenols resulted in a reduction in mechanical resistance, while the addition of chitin enhanced this property. This study evidenced the different effects produced by two novel coatings on paper tissues for personal care in terms of properties and structure.This research was funded by the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union Horizon 2020 research program (BBI-H2020), ECOFUNCO project, grant number G.A 837863
Lansoprazole prevents experimental gastric injury induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs through a reduction of mucosal oxidative damage
AIM:
This study investigated the mechanisms of protection afforded by the proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole against gastric injury induced by different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in rats.
METHODS:
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally treated with indomethacin (100 micromol/kg), diclofenac (60 micromol/kg), piroxicam (150 micromol/kg) or ketoprofen (150 micromol/kg). Thirty minutes before NSAIDs, animals were orally treated with lansoprazole 18 or 90 micromol/kg. Four hours after the end of treatments, the following parameters were assessed: gastric mucosal PGE2, malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO) or non-proteic sulfhydryl compounds (GSH) levels; reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of mucosal COX-2 mRNA; gastric acid secretion in pylorus-ligated animals; in vitro effects of lansoprazole (1-300 micromol/L) on the oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDLs) induced by copper sulphate.
RESULTS:
All NSAIDs elicited mucosal necrotic lesions which were associated with neutrophil infiltration and reduction of PGE2 levels. Increments of MPO and MDA contents, as well as a decrease in GSH levels were detected in the gastric mucosa of indomethacin- or piroxicam-treated animals. Indomethacin enhanced mucosal cyclooxygenase-2 expression, while not affecting cyclooxygenase-1. At the oral dose of 18 micromol/kg lansoprazole partly counteracted diclofenac-induced mucosal damage, whereas at 90 micromol/kg it markedly prevented injuries evoked by all test NSAIDs. Lansoprazole at 90 micromol/kg reversed also the effects of NSAIDs on MPO, MDA and GSH mucosal contents, without interfering with the decrease in PGE2 levels or indomethacin-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression. However, both lansoprazole doses markedly inhibited acid secretion in pylorus-ligated rats. Lansoprazole concentration-dependently reduced the oxidation of LDLs in vitro.
CONCLUSION:
These results suggest that, besides the inhibition of acid secretion, lansoprazole protection against NSAID-induced gastric damage depends on a reduction in mucosal oxidative injury, which is also responsible for an increment of sulfhydryl radical bioavailability. It is also suggested that lansoprazole does not influence the down-regulation of gastric prostaglandin production associated with NSAID treatment
Preparation of water suspensions of nanocalcite for cultural heritage applications
The consolidation of degraded carbonate stone used in ancient monuments is an important topic for European cultural heritage conservation. The products most frequently used as consolidants are based on tetraalkoxy- or alkylalkoxy-silanes (in particular tetraethyl-orthosilicate, TEOS), resulting in the formation of relatively stable amorphous silica or alkylated (hydrophobic) silica inside the stone pores. However, silica is not chemically compatible with carbonate stones; in this respect, nanocalcite may be a suitable alternative. The present work concerns the preparation of water suspensions of calcite nanoparticles (CCNPs) by controlled carbonation of slaked lime using a pilot-scale reactor. A simplified design of experiment was adopted for product optimization. Calcite nanoparticles of narrow size distribution averaging about 30 nm were successfully obtained, the concentration of the interfacial agent and the size of CaO being the most critical parameters. Primary nanoparticle aggregation causing flocculation could be substantially prevented by the addition of polymeric dispersants. Copolymer-based dispersants were produced in situ by controlled heterophase polymerisation mediated by an amphiphilic macro-RAFT (reversible addition-fragmentation transfer) agent. The stabilized CCNP aqueous dispersions were then applied on carbonate and silicate substrates; Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)analysis of cross-sections allowed the evaluation of pore penetration, interfacial binding, and bridging (gap-filling) properties of these novel consolidants
Effect of bioactive compounds released from Brassicaceae defatted seed meals on bacterial load in pig manure.
Animal manure application to soils is considered to be one of the main cause of antibiotic and bacterial pathogen spread in the environment. Pig livestock, which is the source of one of the most used fertilizer for cultivated land, is also a hotspot for antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Besides harsh chemical and physical sanitization treatments for the abatement of antibiotics and bacterial load in livestock waste, more sustainable and environmentally friendly strategies need to be considered. In this context, the use of natural substances which are proved useful for pest and disease control is currently under exploration for their role in the reduction of bacterial pathogen population. Among these, plants and derived products from the Brassicaceae family, characterized by the presence of a defensive glucosinolate-myrosinase enzymatic system, have been successfully exploited for years in agriculture using the so-called biofumigation technique against crop diseases. Although the application of biofumigation to suppress a range of soil borne pests has been well documented, no studies have been examined to reduce bacterial population in animal waste. In the present study, the release and the antibacterial activity of bioactive compounds deriving from different Brassicaceae defatted seed meals against pathogens and bacterial population in pig manure is addressed. Rapistrum rugosum and Brassica nigra defatted seed meals were found to be the most active products against tested pathogens and able to significantly reduce the bacterial load in the manure
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