Recycled fillers as an alternative in bituminous mixtures for road pavements

This paper reports the results of a laboratory investigation on the use of recycled industrial fillers into bituminous mixtures for road pavements. The investigated fillers were obtained by crushing and sieving (0.00–0.63 mm) Stabilized Bottom Ashes (SBAs) from municipal waste incinerators and Electric Arc Furnace Steel Slags (EAFSSs). Moreover, a currently used calcareous filler was included in the research for comparative purposes. Two dosages of each filler were considered in the experimentation. Laboratory tests aimed at investigating compaction properties, volumetric characteristics, and mechanical performance of the bituminous mixtures. The results suggest that both the investigated recycled fillers are suitable to be used into bituminous mixtures, also demonstrating that in certain conditions those fillers increase the performance of the corresponding mixtures in comparison to the ones in which standard (calcareous) filler is used

Rheological and mechanical properties of HMA containing fly ashes as alternative filler

This study defined the mechanical/volumetric properties and the environmental compatibility of bituminous mixtures containing fly ashes as alternative of traditional limestone filler. The research study is articulated in different steps as follows: (a) characterization of fly ashes according to EN 13043 Standard; (b) environmental compatibility analysis of mastics containing fly ashes by a leaching test; (c) stiffness evaluation of the mastics containing limestone and fly ash filler by static testing, as Delta Ring and Ball Test, and dynamic testing, as Frequency Sweep Test; (d) mechanical and volumetric characterization of asphalt concrete containing fly ashes and limestone filler starting from a phase of mix design of hot mix asphalt mixtures. The characteristics of stiffness of the bituminous mixtures has been evaluated on the optimum HMA through a dynamic test with a sinusoidal load. Then, the ability of two different HMA to endure a permanent deformation was evaluated by a Repeated Load Axial Test. The results has shown that mixtures of Hot Mix Asphalt with flying ashes as filler, compared to Hot Mix Asphalt containing limestone filler, is preferred in terms of mechanical performances and relevant environmental compatibility evaluated with the leaching test

Donor natural killer cell allorecognition of missing self in haploidentical hematopoietic transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia: challenging its predictive value.

We analyzed 112 patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (61 in complete remission [CR]; 51 in relapse), who received human leukocyte-antigen (HLA)-haploidentical transplants from natural killer (NK) alloreactive (n = 51) or non-NK alloreactive donors (n = 61). NK alloreactive donors possessed HLA class I, killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) ligand(s) which were missing in the recipients, KIR gene(s) for missing self recognition on recipient targets, and alloreactive NK clones against recipient targets. Transplantation from NK-alloreactive donors was associated with a significantly lower relapse rate in patients transplanted in CR (3% versus 47%) (P > .003), better event-free survival in patients transplanted in relapse (34% versus 6%, P = .04) and in remission (67% versus 18%, P = .02), and reduced risk of relapse or death (relative risk versus non-NK-alloreactive donor, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.29-0.78; P > .001). In all patients we tested the "missing ligand" model which pools KIR ligand mismatched transplants and KIR ligand-matched transplants from donors possessing KIR(s) for which neither donor nor recipient have HLA ligand(s). Only transplantation from NK-alloreactive donors is associated with a survival advantage

Quantitative ultrasound criteria for risk stratification in clinical practice: a comparative assessment

This study aimed to compare two different classifications of the risk of fracture/osteoporosis (OP) based on quantitative ultrasound (QUS). Analyses were based on data from the Epidemiological Study on the Prevalence of Osteoporosis, a cross-sectional study conducted in 2000 aimed at assessing the risk of OP in a representative sample of the Italian population. Subjects were classified into 5 groups considering the cross-classification found in previous studies; logistic regression models were defined separately for women and men to study the fracture risk attributable to groups defined by the cross-classification, adjusting for traditional risk factors. Eight-thousand six-hundred eighty-one subjects were considered in the analyses. Logistic regression models revealed that the two classifications seem to be able to identify a common core of individuals at low and at high risk of fractures, and the importance of a multidimensional assessment in older patients to evaluate clinical risk factors together with a simple, inexpensive, radiation-free device such as QUS

Quantitative ultrasound criteria for risk stratification in clinical practice: a comparative assessment.

This study aimed to compare two different classifications of the risk of fracture/osteoporosis (OP) based on quantitative ultrasound (QUS). Analyses were based on data from the Epidemiological Study on the Prevalence of Osteoporosis, a cross-sectional study conducted in 2000 aimed at assessing the risk of OP in a representative sample of the Italian population. Subjects were classified into 5 groups considering the cross-classification found in previous studies; logistic regression models were defined separately for women and men to study the fracture risk attributable to groups defined by the cross-classification, adjusting for traditional risk factors. Eight-thousand six-hundred eighty-one subjects were considered in the analyses. Logistic regression models revealed that the two classifications seem to be able to identify a common core of individuals at low and at high risk of fractures, and the importance of a multidimensional assessment in older patients to evaluate clinical risk factors together with a simple, inexpensive, radiation-free device such as QUS