Ricerc@Sapienza

Remediation of polluted soils using phytoremediation techniques is an effective strategy. However, the use of the biomass from these soils for energy purposes may raise efficiency and pollution emission problems and there is currently little research on this issue.In this work, the main results of a fluidized-bed gasification treatment conducted on poplar biomass pruning residues from a multi-contaminated area are presented.

High?resolution NMR images on three different present?day wood samples and an archaeological wood specimen were presented and discussed. Although the spatial resolution is still low to perform dendrology for the exact identification of the wooden species, the T2?spin?density weighted images exhibit contrasts that are in excellent agreement with optical histological images. On the other hand, T2* and T1?weighted images provide physiological information that is not obtainable by the usual light microscopic investigations.

In this paper I discuss various aspects related to the imaginary and to the symbolism of the date palm in the written sources from ancient Mesopotamia through the analysis of two compositions. The first is a Sumerian text known as Inanna and Šukaletuda, which contains in the first part a myth describing the creation of the date palm by a raven instructed by the god Enki. The second is a Babylonian dispute, Palm and Tamarisk, in which the two trees try to prevail one over the other, proclaiming their virtues and functions.