In this research, the performance of asphalt mixtures modified with polyethylene polymer (PE) by adding 2%, 4%, and 6% percentages was evaluated. Two kinds of PE are employed: Low-Density PE (LDPE) and High-Density PE (HDPE). The semi-wet mixing technique (SWM) was conducted to avoid stability issue for PE-modified binder during storage condition. Many experimental tests were conducted to evaluate the ability of these mixtures to withstand the effects of loads and moisture. The hardness index of these mixtures was also measured to determine their resistance to the effects of high temperatures without causing permanent deformations. The results showed that adding PE led to a remarkable enhancement in the performance of PE-modified mixtures.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the biostimulation effect of 532 nm CW laser on the metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. Cells were irradiated by 532 nm Nd:YAG laser using 0.153 W/cm2 power density at 30, 45, 60,180 and 300 seconds exposure times in their respective orders. Intrafluorescence parameters were measured by detection the autofluorescence intensity, proliferation rate and Imaging the fluorescent mitochondria using confocal laser scanning microscope. The results showed that the 30 and 45 second exposure times seem to have stimulated changes in the cells that led to increase proliferation, viability and mitochondrial activity. Autofluorescence of cells increased after 45 and 60 seconds exposure time. After 3

In this study, a fast block matching search algorithm based on blocks' descriptors and multilevel blocks filtering is introduced. The used descriptors are the mean and a set of centralized low order moments. Hierarchal filtering and MAE similarity measure were adopted to nominate the best similar blocks lay within the pool of neighbor blocks. As next step to blocks nomination the similarity of the mean and moments is used to classify the nominated blocks and put them in one of three sub-pools, each one represents certain nomination priority level (i.e., most, less & least level). The main reason of the introducing nomination and classification steps is a significant reduction in the number of matching instances of the pixels belong to the c

In this paper, a simulation model and practical testbed for green Internet of Things (IoT) edge devices are proposed based on solar harvester with constant voltage-maximum power point tracking (CV-MPPT) technique. Billions of connected edge devices represent the essential part of the IoT through the IP-enabled sensor networks based on IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN). In traditional IoT edge devices, the stored energy in the non-rechargeable battery determines the node lifetime while it is being depleted with time. Therefore, purchasing billions of such batteries is costly and must be disposed of efficiently. This paper is aimed at simulating and implementing a new class of green IoT edge devices that can report

Soil tillage is a critical agricultural practice that creates favorable conditions for seedbed preparation and plant growth. This study presents an innovative application of artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture by employing the YOLOv7 algorithm to classify and assess post-tillage soil surface conditions, a domain underexplored in current research. The integration of mechanical operation parameters with AI-based image classification enables optimization of tillage quality and mitigation of soil compaction, highlighting the novelty of this approach. The study aims to improve the efficiency of moldboard plow operations by examining the effects of tillage speed and depth on soil clod distribution, fuel consumption, and power requ

Construction and operation of (2 m) parabolic solar dish for hot water application were illustrated. The heater was designed to supply hot water up to 100 oC using the clean solar thermal energy. The system includes the design and construction of solar tracking unit in order to increase system performance. Experimental test results, which obtained from clear and sunny day, refer to highly energy-conversion efficiency and promising a well-performed water heating system.