Evaluation of moisture characteristics of warm mix asphalt involving natural zeolite

In last decades, warm mix asphalt (WMA) has become a significant alternative paving technology to hot mix asphalt (HMA), due to the relatively low temperatures required to heat asphalt during production and placement, minimising environmental damage while maintaining the advantages of HMA. However, low production and placement temperatures may result moisture-induced damage of asphalts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the moisture susceptibility characteristics of asphalts containing natural zeolite and its comparison with synthetic zeolite, organic, and chemical WMA additives. The stripping properties and moisture susceptibility characteristics of the specimens have been evaluated by means of the Nicholson stripping test and modified Lottman test, respectively

Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells: from basic biology to applications in bone tissue engineering and bone regeneration

Bone marrow provides a rich source of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), which have the remarkable capacity for cell and tissue regeneration. Since their initial discovery in the guinea pig almost 50 years ago, bone-marrow-derived MSCs have been extensively studied in animals and humans. Several subpopulations have been characterized with the aim to isolate, enrich, and identify the cells with stem-cell properties and immunomodulatory actions, which are important for regenerative medicine. In this chapter, we review the properties of bone-marrow-derived MSCs with a focus on the preclinical setting and discuss their applications for bone tissue engineering and bone regeneration