Search Results (463)

Nowadays, the most widespread solutions to increase the sustainability of bituminous mixes deal with the recycling of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and the use of warm mix asphalt (WMA). However, the possibility of combining RAP recycling and WMA technologies needs to be further investigated and validated. This comprehensive laboratory study aimed at assessing the feasibility of recycling RAP in WMA mixes without compromising performance. For this purpose, WMA containing 40% RAP was produced by using softer virgin bitumen (160/220), to compensate for the high stiffness and viscosity of the RAP binder, and a WMA chemical additive. The mix was designed and characterized in terms of indirect tensile strength, water sensitivity, complex modulus, resistance to low-temperature cracking, resistance to rutting at high temperatures, and fatigue resistance. Its mechanical properties were compared with those of ordinary HMA made with virgin bitumen (50/70) and aggregates. The experimental results showed that the WMA+RAP mix had comparable volumetric properties with respect to the reference HMA despite its reduced production temperatures. Moreover, WMA+RAP exhibited similar or improved mechanical performance, with enhanced resistance to water damage, rutting, and fatigue cracking, without penalizing low-temperature behavior. Full article

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a significant vegetable crop, and its fruits tend to accumulate cadmium (Cd). The background value of soil Cd in the main pepper-producing area (southwest China) is relatively high, which results in a high risk of Cd contamination in pepper and its products in this area. Therefore, the cultivation of pepper varieties with low Cd accumulation is vital for ensuring food safety and the development of the pepper industry. A prior genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified the heavy-metal-transporting ATPase gene (CaHMA1) as a crucial gene that facilitates Cd accumulation in pepper fruits. Herein, three semi-thermal asymmetric reverse PCR (STARP) molecular markers (STARP1, STARP2, and STARP3) were designed according to three single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci (Chr02_154361710, Chr02_154362005, and Chr02_154367255) identified in the intronic region of CaHMA1. Subsequently, these STARP molecular markers were validated using 70 pepper core germplasms with known genotypes. The results indicated that the STARP markers exhibited an identity of over 95% with the corresponding SNP markers. By utilizing the aforementioned STARP markers, the pepper population was divided into two haplotypes (Hap) (Hap1 and Hap2). Under Cd stress, the average Cd content in the fruits of Hap2 pepper was 27.01% lower than that of Hap1. Collectively, these three STARP markers can rapidly and accurately identify the Cd accumulation capacity of pepper varieties with different haplotypes. Furthermore, 24 SNPs were additionally screened from 150 core SNPs according to the criteria of minor allele frequency (MAF) > 0.40, polymorphism information content (PIC) > 0.35, observed heterozygosity (OH) < 0.6, and uniform distribution across 12 chromosomes. These 24 SNPs were combined with the 3 SNPs from the STARP marker developed in the intron region of CaHMA1, and a pepper DNA fingerprinting map was successfully constructed. This DNA fingerprinting map achieved a 100% identification efficiency for 216 pepper germplasm accessions and was able to distinguish the Cd accumulation capacities among different pepper germplasm accessions. In conclusion, this study provides reliable STARP markers for the marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding of pepper varieties with low Cd accumulation. Moreover, the constructed DNA fingerprinting map possesses dual functions, identifying varieties and evaluating Cd accumulation traits that have high practical value in pepper breeding. Full article

This study introduces five types of wax materials to replace traditional Sasobit warm mix agents (WMAs), aiming to reduce the aging performance of high-viscosity modified asphalt (HMA) under high temperatures and optimize wax-based WMAs for a better warm mix effect and more stable performance of HMA. In this study, styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) modifier was first used to prepare HMA, and then wax materials were added to prepare HMA. Thin-Film Oven Tests (TFOTs) and Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV) aging tests were conducted, followed by dynamic shear rheology (DSR) tests, to study the high-temperature rheological properties of each warm mix HMA. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) tests and fluorescence microscopy were used to observe the microstructures of the asphalt. The results show that all six wax materials exhibited good warm mix effects, among which refined Fischer–Tropsch Wax 1 (RFW1) outperforms conventional Sasobit WMA in terms of warm mix effect, high-temperature rheological properties, and anti-aging performance, indicating its potential to replace Sasobit in engineering applications. Full article

Background/Objectives: The emergence of FLT3 inhibitors (FLT3i) has radically transformed the prognostic and therapeutic landscape for FLT3-mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia, stimulating the need for comprehensive and structured clinical guidance. Methods: We aimed to develop evidence-based recommendations spanning the entire disease continuum of FLT3-mutated AML from leading Italian experts through a modified Delphi consensus process. Results: The panel achieved a high degree of agreement on specific interventions covering diagnostic testing, upfront FLT3i integration, role of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) monitoring, and relapsed/refractory (R/R) strategies. Key recommendations mandate that analysis for both FLT3-ITD and FLT3-TKD mutations is required at diagnosis, with capillary electrophoresis or NGS as preferred methods. All fit patients with FLT3m-AML must receive intensive chemotherapy plus a FLT3i (midostaurin or quizartinib) and be evaluated for allo-HSCT. For unfit patients, the current standard of HMA + venetoclax is considered suboptimal, making the search for alternative strategies imperative. MRD monitoring using available molecular or flow cytometry markers is recommended to assess relapse risk and to optimize the allo-HSCT strategy. In the R/R setting, retesting the FLT3 status is mandatory, and gilteritinib is the standard treatment, serving as a bridge-to-transplant and for post-HSCT maintenance. Conclusions: The integration of FLT3i has shifted FLT3m-AML into a more favorable intermediate prognostic category, enhancing the role of curative strategies like allo-HSCT. This consensus paper provides a structured evidence-based comprehensive guide, translating complex data into clear actionable clinical recommendations that minimize practice variability and ultimately optimize management for this high-risk population. Full article

Background: Crop plants have to deal with long-term cadmium exposure to farmlands contaminated by intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides. For uptake and sequestration, Cd²⁺ has to pass the plasma membrane and tonoplast. Class III peroxidases, plasma membrane, and tonoplast sub-proteomes were studied. Methods: Control and Cd²⁺-treated maize (Zea mays L.) were grown in hydroponics for 18 days. Soluble peroxidases were partially purified by chromatofocusing and characterized by substrate specificity. Membrane-bound peroxidases were analyzed spectrophotometrically and by non-reducing SDS-PAGE. Soluble and plasma membrane-bound peroxidases were identified by mass spectrometry. Shotgun proteomics was used to identify membrane proteins of differential abundance. Results: Guaiacol peroxidase activities increased in soluble fractions of Cd²⁺ samples. A Cd²⁺-specific soluble peroxidase (ZmPrx101) was identified, and ZmPrx85 abundance increased significantly in the plasma membrane. Substrate specificity of peroxidases revealed a preference for ferulic acid and esculetin, which was confirmed by docking analyses. Primary active transporters increased auxin efflux (brachytic2, ABCB9, and ABCB21), Cd²⁺ exclusion (ABCG34), and sequestration into the vacuole (HMA2, ABCB27). Evaluation of sub-proteome fractions demonstrated significant changes for proteins involved in disease resistance responses and cell wall modification. Conclusions: Molecular adjustments of maize root proteome to long-term Cd²⁺ exposure revealed relevance of low-abundant proteins for Cd²⁺ tolerance and putative stress markers. Full article

The disposal of waste tyres presents a significant environmental challenge, necessitating sustainable, high-value recycling solutions. This study explores the incorporation of waste tyre metal fibre (WTMF) into hot mix asphalt (HMA) to enhance mechanical performance while reducing landfill burden. WTMF-modified mixes containing 0%, 0.375%, 0.75%, 1.125%, and 1.50% fibre were evaluated through Marshall and volumetric testing, indirect tensile strength (ITS) and tensile strength ratio (TSR) for moisture damage, stiffness modulus at varying temperatures, and fatigue life under cyclic loading. Microscopic analysis revealed WTMF’s irregular, rough surface with microcracks and pits, aiding crack-bridging and stress transfer. Marshall testing showed that the optimum binder content of WTMF-modified mixtures was approximately 5% higher than that of the control (conventional HMA without WTMF); however, stability decreased while flow increased, resulting in a reduced Marshall quotient due to fibre conglomeration affecting porosity and bulk specific gravity. ITS results indicated that the control mixture exhibited the highest cracking resistance, whereas WTMF-modified mixtures demonstrated improved moisture resistance (TSR > 80%). The maximum improvement was observed at 0.75% WTMF-induced HMA, with an 11% increase in TSR, while a slight reduction of 2.4% occurred at 1.50% WTMF-induced HMA. Stiffness testing showed that the mixture containing 0.375% WTMF achieved the highest modulus, exhibiting up to a 70% increase at 5 °C and more than a twofold increase at elevated temperatures compared to the control mixture. With increasing temperature, stiffness decreased by approximately 84% for the control mixture and 80% for the 0.375% WTMF-modified mixture. Fatigue analysis showed that the control mixture achieved a fatigue life of 115,529 loading cycles at low stress, followed by substantial reductions in fatigue life with increasing stress levels, whereas moderate WTMF contents improved strain performance; however, excessive fibre content increased permanent deformation under high stress. Stress- and strain-based empirical power-law relationships were established for predicting the fatigue life of each investigated mixture. Results demonstrate that WTMF’s controlled dosage within the optimum range of 0.375 to 0.75% has the potential to improve HMA’s performance indicators, offering a sustainable recycling pathway for waste tyres. Full article

The human microbiota-associated (HMA) pig model provides a physiologically relevant platform that bridges preclinical and translational research. However, its use remains limited, with existing studies showing considerable variation in establishment methods. This scoping review systematically evaluates methodological frameworks, engraftment outcomes, and research applications of HMA pig models. Additionally, it highlights their strengths, limitations, and implications for future studies. We conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Directory of Open Access Journals, following PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews. The review examines the methodological foundations of HMA pig model generation and proposes a minimal reporting framework to promote standardization. It synthesizes studies on human microbiota engraftment in pigs, identifying factors that influence colonization efficiency. Finally, it summarizes current applications, discusses persistent limitations and translational challenges, and outlines opportunities for future research. Overall, these integrated insights aim to foster standardized, reproducible protocols for HMA pig model preparation and guide advancements in the field. Full article

Reducing the environmental impacts associated with road infrastructure is a key challenge in the transition toward more sustainable construction practices. Asphalt pavements, due to their extensive material use and energy demand over long service periods, offer significant opportunities for improvement through innovative materials and production technologies. This study evaluates the environmental performance of an asphalt pavement incorporating recycled tire crumb rubber and a warm mix asphalt additive (CR + WMA) in comparison with a conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavement. A comprehensive cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted in accordance with ISO 14040/44 standards, encompassing material production, construction, maintenance, and end-of-life stages. Different pavement service life scenarios were considered, and environmental impacts were quantified using sixteen midpoint categories of the environmental footprint (EF) 2.0 method. To enable a consistent comparison between pavement alternatives with different durability, results were normalized using a functional unit of 1 m²·year. The results show that the CR + WMA pavement consistently exhibits lower environmental impacts than the conventional HMA pavement across all impact categories. When identical service lives are assumed, impact reductions are primarily associated with lower production temperatures, partial substitution of virgin bitumen with recycled crumb rubber, reduced maintenance needs, and the normalization of life cycle impacts when results are expressed per m²·year. Overall, the CR + WMA pavement reduces life cycle environmental impacts by approximately 45%–60% across all EF midpoint categories compared to the conventional HMA pavement, depending on the impact category and service life scenario considered. These findings demonstrate the importance of explicitly accounting for service life and maintenance in pavement LCAs and highlight the potential of CR + WMA technology to reduce the life cycle environmental footprint of asphalt pavements, supporting more informed infrastructure design decisions and the development of more sustainable road pavement solutions. Full article

Calcium (Ca) and selenium (Se) are garnering growing interest because of their capacity to boost crop yields and minimize cadmium (Cd) concentration within edible parts. However, whether Ca and Se can synergistically inhibit Cd accumulation in crops and its mechanism remains poorly understood. A hydroponic experiment was conducted under Cd exposure with the combined supplementation of Ca and Se, specifically focused on Cd accumulation and its mechanism. The results revealed that Ca and Se synergistically enhanced growth and photosynthetic content, whereas they inhibited Cd accumulation in the roots, stems, and leaves of peppers. Ca and Se also synergistically reduced the content of Cd in the cell wall, organelle fraction, and soluble fraction of the roots, as well as in pectin, hemicellulose I, hemicellulose II, and cellulose. Ca and Se supplementation synergistically downregulated the expression levels of CaNramp1, CaNramp5, CaHMA1, and CaHMA2. These results revealed that Ca and Se synergistically reduced Cd accumulation in peppers by modulating targeted gene downregulation involved in Cd absorption and translocation. Full article

The aging of asphalt mixture is one of the primary factors influencing the durability and performance of pavements. This study analyzed the influence of short-term (STOA) and long-term (LTOA) aging on hot mix asphalt (HMA) with the incorporation of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs). The effect of aging on these types of mixtures has not been previously evaluated. HMAs were produced with 0%, 12%, and 21% RCAs (by mass), referred to as HMA Control, HMA RCA12, and HMA RCA21. These replacement percentages correspond to particles ranging between 19 and 12.5 mm (12%) and 19 and 9.5 mm (21%). The Marshall test was employed to determine the optimal asphalt content, followed by indirect tensile strength, resilient modulus, and permanent deformation resistance tests on samples subjected to STOA and LTOA. Overall, the results demonstrate that the incorporation of RCAs could improve the durability of asphalt mixtures by reducing their susceptibility to aging. Specifically, HMA RCA12 exhibited the best balance between stiffness, deformability, and resistance to aging, suggesting a favorable technical potential for its application in sustainable pavements, although additional testing is required to validate its long-term performance. Despite this, high RCA contents may reduce resistance to rutting and moisture damage. The results suggest that the optimal performance is achieved by balancing binder content and aggregate absorption to minimize susceptibility to aging. Full article

High-resolution remote sensing images are gradually playing an important role in land cover mapping, urban planning, and environmental monitoring tasks. However, current segmentation approaches frequently encounter challenges such as loss of detail and blurred boundaries when processing high-resolution remote sensing imagery, owing to their complex backgrounds and dense semantic content. In response to the aforementioned limitations, this study introduces HMA-UNet, a novel segmentation network built upon the UNet framework and enhanced through a hybrid attention strategy. The architecture’s innovation centers on a composite attention block, where a lightweight split fusion attention (LSFA) mechanism and a lightweight channel-spatial attention (LCSA) mechanism are synergistically integrated within a residual learning structure to replace the stacked convolutional structure in UNet, which can improve the utilization of important shallow features and eliminate redundant information interference. Comprehensive experiments on the WHDLD dataset and the DeepGlobe road extraction dataset show that our proposed method achieves effective segmentation in remote sensing images by fully utilizing shallow features and eliminating redundant information interference. The quantitative evaluation results demonstrate the performance of the proposed method across two benchmark datasets. On the WHDLD dataset, the model attains a mean accuracy, IoU, precision, and recall of 72.40%, 60.71%, 75.46%, and 72.41%, respectively. Correspondingly, on the DeepGlobe road extraction dataset, it achieves a mean accuracy of 57.87%, an mIoU of 49.82%, a mean precision of 78.18%, and a mean recall of 57.87%. Full article

The incorporation of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) offers significant environmental benefits; however, its use is often limited by an increased susceptibility to cracking due to the insufficient elasticity of the severely aged RAP binder. This limitation is conventionally mitigated using polymers such as styrene–butadiene styrene, which, despite their effectiveness, are costly and carbon intensive. This paper introduces a low-carbon sulfur-based ternary polymer developed through TiO₂-catalyzed inverse vulcanization of elemental sulfur to be used as a modifier to address the abovementioned challenge at the asphalt mixture level. The sulfur polymer containing waste cooking oil and metal-rich biochar was incorporated into hot-mix asphalt having 25% RAP. The mixture specimens were evaluated before and after accelerated thermal and ultraviolet aging. Cracking resistance was measured using the Indirect Tensile Asphalt Cracking Test (IDEAL-CT), while resistance to rutting and moisture damage were assessed through the Hamburg Wheel Tracking Test (HWT). IDEAL-CT findings showed improved ${\mathrm{C}\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{I}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{d}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{x}}$ values for the modified mixture under unaged conditions and after three days of thermal aging, with smaller variations noted after prolonged thermal aging and during the combined thermal–ultraviolet aging process. Results from the HWT test revealed that the addition of the sulfur polymer did not negatively impact resistance to rutting or moisture damage; all mixtures remained significantly below rutting failure thresholds. Furthermore, a simplified environmental analysis indicated that substituting 10 wt% of petroleum binder with the sulfur polymer lowered the binder’s cradle-to-gate global warming potential by around 11%. In summary, study results showed that the newly developed sulfur polymer system has the potential to improve cracking resistance even when exposed to select accelerated aging protocols while decreasing embodied carbon, thus endorsing its viability as a sustainable modifier for asphalt mixtures. Full article

This study investigates the industrial validation of a granular additive derived from waste tire textile fibers (WTTF) developed to replace the conventional cellulose stabilizing additive in stone mastic asphalt (SMA) mixtures while enhancing their mechanical performance. Building on previous laboratory-scale findings, this work evaluates the feasibility and mechanical behavior of this recycled-fiber additive under real asphalt-plant production conditions, advancing a sustainable solution aligned with circular economy principles. Three asphalt mixtures were fabricated in a batch plant: a reference SMA (SMA-R) containing a commercial cellulose additive, an SMA incorporating the WTTF additive (SMA-F), and a reference hot mix asphalt (HMA-R). The WTTF additive was incorporated in a 1:1 proportion relative to the cellulose additive. Performance was assessed through tests of cracking resistance (Fénix test), stiffness modulus, fatigue resistance (four-point bending test), moisture susceptibility (ITSR), and resistance to permanent deformation (Hamburg wheel tracking). Industrial validation results showed that the SMA-F mixture met the design criteria and achieved superior mechanical performance relative to the reference mixtures. In particular, SMA-F exhibited greater ductility and toughness at low temperatures, reduced susceptibility to moisture-induced damage, and higher fatigue resistance, with an increase in fatigue durability of up to 44% compared to SMA-R. The results confirm that the WTTF additive is both feasible and scalable for industrial production, offering a solution that not only improves pavement mechanical performance but also promotes the valorization of a challenging waste material. Full article

To limit reflective cracking in asphalt pavements with cold-recycled base courses, cold recycling mixtures (CRMs) are designed to provide predominantly bituminous bonding, making their viscoelastic behaviour of paramount importance. This study presents an experimental evaluation of the viscoelasticity of CRMs containing 0–90% RAP, 5.5–7.4% bitumen emulsion, and 1% cement. The dynamic modulus and phase angle were determined according to AASHTO T 378-22 across temperatures of 5–40 °C and loading frequencies of 0.1–25 Hz. To assess the applicability of the time–temperature superposition principle (TTSP) for describing the CRMs’ mechanical behaviour, master curves were constructed and the statistical analysis of the model fit quality was performed. The research findings demonstrate that CRMs’ mechanical behaviour can be effectively modelled using TTSP, with their viscoelastic response being influenced by RAP and bitumen emulsion content. CRMs showed lower temperature sensitivity than HMA, yet changes in dynamic modulus and phase angle remained statistically significant. This study advances the performance-based design of CRMs and points to the potential of rheological modelling for their constitutive characterization. Full article

Background: Higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR-MDS) carry a high risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia and poor overall survival. Hypomethylating agents (HMAs), such as azacitidine, remain the standard of care but have limited efficacy. A 15-day venetoclax-azacitidine regimen has shown promising objective response rates (ORR) and potential as a bridge to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in relapsed/refractory HR-MDS. We conducted a prospective multicenter trial to evaluate its efficacy and safety in previously untreated patients. Methods: This multicenter prospective study enrolled treatment-naïve HR-MDS patients (IPSS-R > 3.5). Venetoclax was administered on days 1–15 (escalated from 100 to 400 mg), combined with azacitidine (75 mg/m²) on days 1–7 of each 28-day cycle. The primary endpoint was ORR (2006 IWG criteria); secondary endpoints included complete remission (CR), overall survival (OS), and AML progression. Results: Twenty-eight patients (median age: 63 years) were enrolled, with a median follow-up of 8.5 months. ORR was 85.7% per 2006 IWG (CR: 35.7%, marrow CR: 50.0%), and 78.6% per 2023 IWG (CR: 35.7%). Responses were consistent across molecular and IPSS-R subgroups. Median OS was not reached. High neutrophil count and high cytogenetic risk were favorable factors; TP53 mutation/deletion was an adverse prognostic marker. Grade 3–4 hematologic toxicities included neutropenia (96.4%), anemia (71.4%), and thrombocytopenia (64.3%). Serious adverse events (35.7%) were mainly infections. No dose-limiting or unexpected toxicities were observed. Conclusions: The 15-day venetoclax plus azacitidine regimen demonstrated high efficacy and manageable toxicity in treatment-naïve HR-MDS. It may be particularly beneficial for patients with high neutrophil counts, adverse cytogenetics, or those eligible for HSCT, supporting further investigation in larger trials. Full article