Highly Modified Asphalt (HiMA) binders have garnered significant attention due to their superior resistance to rutting, fatigue cracking, and thermal distress under heavy traffic loads and extreme environmental conditions. While elastomeric polymers such as Styrene- Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) have been extensively used in HiMA applications, the potential of plastomeric polymers, including Polyethylene (PE) and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), remains largely unexplored. This study aims to evaluate the performance of reference binder (RB) modified with plastomeric HiMA asphalt in comparison to SBS-modified binders and determine the optimal polymer dosage for achieving an optimal balance between rutting resistance and fatigue durability. The experimental program involved modifying a base asphalt binder with SBS, PE, and EVA at dosages of 6%, 7%, and 8% by weight of binder. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted, including conventional tests (penetration, softening point, viscosity, mass loss, storage stability, and specific gravity) and rheological characterization using the Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR). The Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR) test was employed to assess high-temperature performance, while the Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) test evaluated fatigue behavior. Additionally, an Overall Desirability (OD) analysis was performed to integrate multiple performance criteria and establish a ranking for each modification. The results demonstrated that SBS-modified binders exhibited the most balanced performance, with SBS8 achieving the highest elastic recovery (52.87%) and superior fatigue life, exceeding 1,017,904 cycles at 2.5% strain. PE8 exhibited exceptional rutting resistance, reaching the lowest Jnr 3.2 value (0.0078 kPa−1); however, its limited elasticity (15.7% recovery) indicated reduced flexibility. EVA modifications demonstrated marginal improvements in fatigue resistance but failed to meet the AASHTO M332 criteria for high-traffic applications. The OD analysis ranked SBS8 as the most effective HiMA binder (OD score = 0.715), followed by SBS7 (0.588) and SBS6 (0.509). PE7 (0.354) and PE6 (0.337) demonstrated moderate performance, whereas EVA had the lowest desirability score (0.000). Based on these findings, SBS-modified binders are recommended for applications requiring a balance between fatigue and rutting resistance, whereas PE-based HiMA is more suitable for high-temperature regions where rutting is the primary concern. Further field studies are necessary to validate the long-term durability of plastomeric HiMA binders and optimize their use for specific pavement conditions.
We propose an intraguild predation ecological system consisting of a tri-trophic food web with a fear response for the basal prey and a Lotka–Volterra functional response for predation by both a specialist predator (intraguild prey) and a generalist predator (intraguild predator), which we call the superpredator. We prove the positivity, existence, uniqueness, and boundedness of solutions, determine all equilibrium points, prove global stability, determine local bifurcations, and illustrate our results with numerical simulations. An unexpected outcome of the prey's fear of its specialist predator is the potential eradication of the superpredator.
Background: Preterm labor and related prematurity are predisposing factors that increase perinatal morbidity and mortality. Acute phase reactants are inflammatory markers which are positive and negative reactants explained by the reaction of reactants to the subclinical infection that are commonly associated with preterm labor. Objectives: To assess the role of acute phase reactants in pregnant women with preterm delivery. Patients and method: A case control study conducted in Gynecological Department of Baghdad Teaching Hospital from 1st February 2021 to 30th October 2021, on one hundred pregnant women with gestational age (28weeks - 36weeks+6days) who attended outpatient clinic; fifty pregnant women with established preterm labor
... Show MoreThis paper presents a robust algorithm for the assessment of risk priority for medical equipment based on the calculation of static and dynamic risk factors and Kohnen Self Organization Maps (SOM). Four risk parameters have been calculated for 345 medical devices in two general hospitals in Baghdad. Static risk factor components (equipment function and physical risk) and dynamics risk components (maintenance requirements and risk points) have been calculated. These risk components are used as an input to the unsupervised Kohonen self organization maps. The accuracy of the network was found to be equal to 98% for the proposed system. We conclude that the proposed model gives fast and accurate assessment for risk priority and it works as p
... Show MoreA Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computerized database management system for accumulating, storage, retrieval, analysis, and display spatial data. In general, GIS contains two broad categories of information, geo-referenced spatial data and attribute data. Geo-referenced spatial data define objects that have an orientation and relationship in two or three-dimensional space, while attribute data is qualitative data that can be counted for recording and analysis. The main aim of this research is to reveal the role of GIS technology in the enhancement of bridge maintenance management system components such as the output results, and make it more interpretable through dynamic colour coding and more sophisticated vi
... Show MoreThe purpose of this paper is to examine absorbance for the removal of the Red Congo using wheat husk as a biological pesticide. Several experiments have been conducted with the aim of configuring breakthrough data in a fluidized bed reactor. The minimum fluidized velocities of the bed were found to be 0.031 mm/s for mish sizes of (250) µm diameter with study the mass transfer be calculated KL values. The results showed a well-fitting with the experimental data. Different operating conditions were selected: bed height (2, 5 and 10) cm, flow rate (90, 100and 120) ml/sec and particle diameter (250, 600, 1000) µm. The breakthrough curves were plotted for Congo Red, Values showed that the lower the bed, the lower the number of ad
... Show MoreThe corrosion of carbon steel in single phase (water with 0.1N NaCl ) and two immiscible phases (kerosene-water) using turbulently agitated system is investigated. The experiments are carried out for Reynolds number (Re) range of 38000 to 95000 corresponding to rotational velocities from 600 to 1400 rpm using circular disk turbine agitator at 40 0C. In two-phase system test runs are carried out in aqueous phase (water) concentrations of 1 % vol., 5 % vol., 8% vol., and 16% vol. mixed with kerosene at various Re. The effect of Reynolds number (Re), percent of dispersed phase, dispersed drops diameter, and number of drops per unit volume on the corrosion rate is investigated and discussed. Test runs are carried out using two types of
... Show MoreBackground: Gasoline constituents and its derivatives had many hazardous effects on the general health of humans. Thus, gasoline stations workers may be affected by different types of related diseases.This study was conducted to assess selected salivary elements and their relation with dental caries, oral hygiene status and periodontal diseases among gasoline stations workers in comparison with individuals have no regular exposure to gasoline. Materials and methods: The study group consists of thirty male subjects with an age range (33-39) years who worked in different gasoline stations in different areas of Baghdad city and thirty persons that matching in age and gender and not exposed to gasoline were selected as a control group. Dental c
... Show MoreIt's for sure that TV or cinematic production requires an effort that is described to be large according to the script , thus we find a production sectors that couldn't fulfill these tasks especially in Iraq for its current challenges , although we found the department of film & television have a large quantity that could be described as big comparing to the Iraqi production sectors , alongside what it does provides to the Iraqi dramatic movement , but the cause that the management of this department is looking for is the quality that osmosis an dramatic & atheistic value , this production quantity that is productions operations frequently is attacked by lagging that came from many reasons that " May or May not " known to the spe
... Show MoreAn experimental and numerical study has been carried out to investigate the heat transfer by natural convection in a three dimensional annulus enclosure filled with porous media (silica sand) between two inclined concentric cylinders with (and without) annular fins attached to the inner cylinder under steady state condition; The experiments were carried out for a range of modified Rayleigh number (0.2 ≤Ra*≤ 11) and extended to Ra* =500 for numerical study, annulus inclination angle of (δ = 0˚, 30˚, 60˚ and 90˚). The numerical study was to write the governing equation under an assumptions used Darcy law and Boussinesq’s approximation and then solved numerically using finite difference approximation. It was found that the averag
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