The performance of asphalt pavements is crucial due to heavy traffic loads from civil and industrial developments. Various additives and modifiers are used in flexible roads to improve their resistance to deterioration caused by climatic changes. From this context, modifying the asphalt binder with polymers is popular in asphalt pavement construction. The present research investigates the effect of Polyethylene (PE) polymers in powder form on the characteristics of asphalt mixtures since these polymers are composed of hydrocarbons. It is similar to asphalt binders, making them very effective in enhancing the performance of neat asphalt produced from the oil refinery. To confirm this, two types of PE, High-Density PE (HDPE) and Low-Density PE (LDPE), were blended with neat asphalt binder at different dosages of 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% by the weight of asphalt binder. The physical tests, including penetration, ductility, softening point, and weight loss on heat, were conducted to examine neat and PE-modified binders' rheological properties, durability, and temperature sensitivity. Marshall stability, stiffness index, tensile strength, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were also employed to assess the performance of PE-modified asphalt mixtures. The findings reveal that incorporating PE into asphalt mixtures significantly improves their mechanical properties, and the most optimal results are achieved when using 6% of both HDPE and LDPE. Specifically, modifying the asphalt binder with the inclusion of 6% HDPE and LDPE presents a remarkable increase in stability of 167.6% and 150.9%, respectively, compared to conventional mixtures. The stiffness index is improved for HDPE and LDPE-modified mixtures, which offers these mixtures superior resistance to permanent deformation. The moisture damage resistance can be enhanced by modification of the asphalt binder with HDPE and LDPE, especially at the inclusion of 6%. SEM images of asphalt pavement demonstrate HDPE's superiority in terms of distribution and dispersion in asphalt binder. In conclusion, the properties of HDPE-modified mixtures are better than those of LDPE-modified and untreated mixtures.
Objectives: Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized with bone mass loss and microstructure, resulting in fragility fractures. Continued secretion of Osteopontin (OPN), osteonectin (ON), osteocalcin (OCN), Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and Ca+2 lead to bone remodeling disorders, followed by bone loss and osteoporosis (OP). The current study aims to investigate the biochemical proteins OPN, OCN, and ON in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and determine whether we could use them as good indicators for OP diagnostics. Materials and Methods: Case- control study carried out between December 2022 and July 2023. OP disease was confirmed among 108 Iraqi postmenopausal women randomly selected from different Iraqi hospitals, B
... Show MoreBackground: Normal Left Ventricular systolic function is present in nearly 50% of patients with congestive heart failure, the majority of such patients have systemic hypertension. Recent studies have demonstrated Left Ventricular dyssynchrony among patients with heart failure and normal systolic function. The co-existence between Left Ventricular dyssynchrony and hypertension with normal systolic function (with no clinical evidence of heart failure) is less well understood.
Objective:
To assess the Left Ventricular dyssynchrony among hypertensive patients with normal systolic function by using Tissue doppler imaging.To find out the associations between the LV dyssynchrony and other global
... Show MoreAbstract The condition known as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) describes as an intolerance to glucoseThat first occur or progresses during pregnancy is the most common metabolic illness, and impacts up to25% of pregnant women. It has been demonstrated that omentin-1, which originates from both human placental and adipose tissue can serve as an insulin resistance mediator. It was initially identified as a secretory factor specific to visceral fat and showed that recombinant omentin-1 administration increased insulin-stimulated glucose transport in vitro which may increase insulin sensitivity, both glucose and insulin can down regulate omentin-1 which reduces levels in overweight women with polycys
... Show MoreBreast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. The metabolism of iron is closely regulated by hepcidin which exerts its action by interacting with a ferroportin.
The aim of the present study was to assess the alterations in the levels of some serum biomarkers that have a role in iron homeostasis (hepcidin and ferroportin) in addition to hematological parameters (hemoglobin, leukocyte and platelets count) in different stages of BC.
This study included 66 women with BC. The patients were categorized as follows : group 1 includes :22 patients with stage I disease ,group 2 includes: 22 patients with stage II disease ,and group 3 include: 22 patients with stage III disease .Group 4 includes :22 appare
... Show MoreThe solution casting method was used to prepare a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposite with Graphene (Gr). Field Effect Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Fourier Transformer Infrared (FTIR) were used to characterize the surface morphology and optical properties of samples. FESEM images revealed a uniform distribution of graphene within the PVP-MWCNT nanocomposite. The FTIR spectra confirmed the nanocomposite information is successful with apperaring the presence of primary distinct peaks belonging to vibration groups that describe the prepared samples.. Furthermore, found that the DC electrical conductivity of the prepared nanocomposites increases with increasing MWCNT concentratio
... Show MoreThis study was designed to determine the effect of bacterial contamination degree and type with Proteus mirabilis alone and Staphylococcus aureus alone and mixed of them species in ejaculation samples of fertile ram semen during storage quality. Semen was collected from six healthy mature rams using electro-ejaculator method, once a week, for the period 1/12/2022 to 1/2/2023. PH, motility (mass and individual), live sperm percentage and abnormal acrosomes of sperms were studied. Isolation and identification of Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus aureus species viable bacterial was recorded with routine bacterial detection work and molecular using PCR technique. Semen samples were divided into four groups: Group 1 (G1) was used as control w
... Show MoreBiodegradable polymers have garnered increasing attention as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived plastics, which pose a global environmental challenge due to their difficult recycling and slow degradation. This study focuses on the preliminary evaluation of surface functional properties of chitosan films reinforced with TiO₂ or ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). These films were prepared at different loading ratios using the solution-casting method. Structural and morphological properties were characterized using FTIR and FESEM, while functional properties were evaluated by surface wettability, UV–Vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and antibacterial activity testing. FTIR results showed significant changes in abs
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