The efforts embedded in this paper have been devoted to designing, preparing, and testing warm mix asphalt (WMA) mixtures and comparing their behavior against traditional hot mix asphalt mixtures. For WMA preparation, the Sasobit wax additive has been added to a 40/50 asphalt binder with a concentration of 3%. An experimental evaluation has been performed by conducting the Marshall together with volumetric properties, indirect tensile strength, and wheel tracking tests to acquire the tensile strength ratio (TSR), retained stability index (RSI), and rut depth. It was found that the gained benefit of reduction in mixing and compaction temperatures was reversely associated with a noticeable decline in Marshall properties and moisture susceptibility indices designated by TSR, and RSI, and even the rut resistance was adversely affected. Modification of WMA mixtures by 3% of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) polymer coupled with replacement of virgin ingredient by 50% of recycled asphalt concrete granted a 20% and 15% growth in Marshall stability and tensile strength, respectively. Moreover, both TSR and IRS indices have risen to 87% and 90%, respectively associated with a 39% increase in rutting resistance ability.
Authors in this work design efficient neural networks, which are based on the modified Levenberg - Marquardt (LM) training algorithms to solve non-linear fourth - order three -dimensional partial differential equations in the two kinds in the periodic and in the non-periodic - Periodic. Software reliability growth models are essential tools for monitoring and evaluating the evolution of software reliability. Software defect detection events that occur during testing and operation are often treated as counting processes in many current models. However, when working with large software systems, the error detection process should be viewed as a random process with a continuous state space, since the number of faults found during testin
... Show MoreMycobacterium tuberculosis resistance to rifampicin is mainly mediated through mutations in the rpoB gene. The effects of rpoB mutations are relieved by secondary mutations in rpoA or rpoC genes. This study aims to identify mutations in rpoB, rpoA, and rpoC genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates and clarify their contribution to rifampicin resistance. Seventy isolates were identified by acid-fast bacilli smear, Genexpert assay, and growth on Lowenstein Jensen medium. Drug susceptibility, testing was performed by the proportional method. DNA extraction, PCR, and sequencing were accomplished for the entire rpoA, rpoB, and
... Show MoreThe consensus algorithm is the core mechanism of blockchain and is used to ensure data consistency among blockchain nodes. The PBFT consensus algorithm is widely used in alliance chains because it is resistant to Byzantine errors. However, the present PBFT (Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance) still has issues with master node selection that is random and complicated communication. The IBFT consensus technique, which is enhanced, is proposed in this study and is based on node trust value and BLS (Boneh-Lynn-Shacham) aggregate signature. In IBFT, multi-level indicators are used to calculate the trust value of each node, and some nodes are selected to take part in network consensus as a result of this calculation. The master node is chosen
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At any moment, the continuous usage of medications can accompanied by DNA damage and the accumulation of such damages can cause serious consequences. Antidepressants are long-term used drugs and the incidence of their genotoxic impacts cannot be excluded. Therefore, this work was designed to investigate the possible genotoxic effects of the commonly used antidepressants (fluoxetine and amitriptyline) in adult male rats.
Detection of DNA damage in individual cells was assessed by comet and micronucleus assays in three different cell populations i.e. liver, testis and bone marrow tissues of 24 swiss albino adult male rats. The animals were randomly allocated into three groups of 8 rats ea
... Show MoreThis study investigates the potential of biogas recovery from used engine oil (UEO) by co-digestion with animals’ manure, including cow dung (CD), poultry manure (PM), and cattle manure (CM). The experimental work was carried out in anaerobic biodigesters at mesophilic conditions (37°C). Two groups of biodigesters were prepared. Each group consisted of 4 digesters. UEO was the main component in the first group of biodigesters with and without inoculum, whereby a mix of UEO and petroleum refinery oily sludge (ROS) was the component in the second group of biodigesters. The results revealed that for UEO-based biodigesters, maximum biogas production was 0.98, 1.23, 1.93, and 0 ml/g VS from UEO±CD, UEO±CM, UEO±PM, and U
... Show MoreHydrate dissociation equilibrium conditions for carbon dioxide + methane with water, nitrogen + methane with water and carbon dioxide + nitrogen with water were measured using cryogenic sapphire cell. Measurements were performed in the temperature range of 275.75 K–293.95 K and for pressures ranging from 5 MPa to 25 MPa. The resulting data indicate that as the carbon dioxide concentration is increased in the gas mixture, the gas hydrate equilibrium temperature increases. In contrast, by increasing the nitrogen concentration in the gas mixtures containing methane or carbon dioxide decreased the gas hydrate equilibrium temperatures. Furthermore, the cage occupancies for the carbon dioxide + methane system were evaluated using the Van der Wa
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