High-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia diagnosed based on changes in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography findings:A case report

BACKGROUND High-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia(PanIN)exhibits no mass and is not detected by any examination modalities.However,it can be diagnosed by pancreatic juice cytology from indirect findings.Most previous cases were diagnosed based on findings of a focal stricture of the main pancreatic duct(MPD)and caudal MPD dilatation and subsequent pancreatic juice cytology using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).We experienced a case of high-grade PanIN with an unclear MPD over a 20-mm range,but without caudal MPD dilatation on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography(MRCP).CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old female patient underwent computed tomography for a follow-up of uterine cancer post-excision,which revealed pancreatic cysts.MRCP revealed an unclear MPD of the pancreatic body at a 20-mm length without caudal MPD dilatation.Thus,course observation was performed.After 24 mo,MRCP revealed an increased caudal MPD caliber and a larger pancreatic cyst.We performed ERCP and detected atypical cells suspected of adenocarcinoma by serial pancreatic juice aspiration cytology examination.We performed a distal pancreatectomy and obtained a histopathological diagnosis of high-grade PanIN.Pancreatic parenchyma invasion was not observed,and curative resection was achieved.CONCLUSION High-grade Pan-IN may cause MPD narrowing in a long range without caudal MPD dilatation.

Bulk geochemistry,Rb-Sr,Sm-Nd,and stable O-H isotope systematics of the Metzimevin high-grade iron ore deposit,Mbalam iron ore district,southern Cameroon

Bulk geochemistry,Sr,Nd,and O-H isotope systematics are reported for the first time on banded iron formation(BIF)-hosted high-grade iron ore at the northwestern segment of Congo Craton(CC).Located in Mbalam iron ore district,Southern Cameroon,Metzimevin iron ore deposit is a hematite-magnetite BIF system,dominated by SiO_(2)+Fe_(2)O_(3)(97.1 to 99.84 wt%),with low concentrations of clastic elements e.g.,Al_(2)O_(3),TiO_(2),and HFSE,depicting a nearly pure chemical precipitate.The REE+Y signature of the iron deposit displays strong positive Eu anomaly,strong negative Ce anomaly,and chondritic to superchondritic Y/Ho ratios,suggestive of formation by mixed seawater-high temperature hydrothermal fluids in oxidising environment.The^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios of the BIF are higher than the maximum^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr evolution curves for all Archean reservoirs(bulk silicate earth,Archean crust and Archean seawater),indicating involvement of continentally-derived components during BIF formation and alteration.TheƐ_(Nd)(t)(+2.26 to+3.77)and Nd model age indicate that chemical constituents for the BIF were derived from undifferentiated crustal source,between 3.002 and 2.88 Ga.The variable and diverse O and H isotope data(−1.9‰to 17.3‰and−57‰to 136‰respectively)indicate that the Metzimevin iron ore formed initially from magmatic plumes and later enriched by magmatic-metamorphic-modified meteoric fluids.Mass balance calculations indicate mineralisation by combined leaching and precipitation,with an average iron enrichment factor of>2.67 and SiO_(2)depletion factor of>0.99.This is associated with an overall volume reduction of 28.27%,reflecting net leaching and volume collapse of the BIF protholith.

Management of retroperitoneal high-grade serous carcinoma of unknown origin:A case report

BACKGROUND Retroperitoneal high-grade serous carcinoma(HGSC)of unknown origin is a sporadic tumor that can originate from ovarian cancer.Herein,we report the case of a woman with retroperitoneal HGSC of unknown origin and describe how she was diagnosed and treated.CASE SUMMARY A 71-year-old female presented with the tumor marker CA125 elevated to 1041.9 U/mL upon a regular health examination.Computed tomography revealed retroperitoneal lymph node enlargement.Subsequently,positron emission tomography scanning revealed lesions with increased F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose uptake at the nodes.As a result,she underwent laparoscopic lymph node resection,and pathology revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma with CK7(+),PAX8(+),WT1(+),PR(-),and p53 mutational loss of expression,indicating that the origin may be from the adnexa.The patient was admitted to our ward and underwent laparoscopic staging;however,the pathological results were negative.Under the suspicion of retroperitoneal HGSC of unknown origin,chemotherapy and targeted therapy were initiated.Tumor marker levels decreased after treatment.CONCLUSION We present a case of HGSC of unknown origin managed using retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy,staging surgery,chemotherapy,and targeted therapy.

Characteristics and risk factor analyses of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia in older patients with colorectal polyps

BACKGROUND According to the degree of intradermal neoplasia in the colorectal exhalation,it can be divided into two grades:Low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia(LGIN)and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia(HGIN).Currently,it is difficult to accurately diagnose LGIN and HGIN through imaging,and clinical diagnosis depends on postoperative histopathological diagnosis.A more accurate method for evaluating HGIN preoperatively is urgently needed in the surgical treatment and nursing intervention of colorectal polyps.AIM To explore the characteristics and risk factors of HGIN in older patients with colorectal polyps.METHODS We selected 84 older patients diagnosed with HGIN as the HGIN group(n=95 colonic polyps)and 112 older patients diagnosed with LGIN as the LGIN group(n=132 colonic polyps)from Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University.The endoscopic features,demographic characteristics,and clinical manifestations of the two patient groups were compared,and a logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for HGIN in these patients.RESULTS The HGIN group was older and had a higher number of sigmoid colon polyps,rectal polyps,pedunculated polyps,polyps≥1.0 cm in size,polyps with surface congestion,polyps with surface depression,and polyps with villous/tubular adenomas,a higher proportion of patients with diabetes and a family history of colorectal cancer,patients who experienced rectal bleeding or occult blood,patients with elevated carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)and cancer antigen 199(CA199),and lower nutritional levels and higher frailty levels.The polyp location(in the sigmoid colon or rectum),polyp diameter(≥1.0 cm),pathological diagnosis of(villous/tubular adenoma),family history of colorectal cancer,rectal bleeding or occult blood,elevated serum CEA and CA199 levels,lower nutritional levels and higher frailty levels also are independent risk factors for HGIN.CONCLUSION The occurrence of high-grade neoplastic transformation in colorectal polyps is closely associated with their location,size,villous/tubular characteristics,family history,elevated levels of tumor markers,and lower nutritional levels and higher frailty levels.

High-grade serous carcinoma of the fallopian tube in a young woman with chromosomal 4q abnormality:A case report

BACKGROUND Few studies have reported an association between an increased risk of acquiring cancers and survival in patients with 4q deletion syndrome.This study presents a rare association between chromosome 4q abnormalities and fallopian tube highgrade serous carcinoma(HGSC)in a young woman.CASE SUMMARY A 35-year-old woman presented with acute dull abdominal pain and a known chromosomal abnormality involving 4q13.3 duplication and 4q23q24 deletion.Upon arrival at the emergency room,her abdomen appeared ovoid and distended with palpable shifting dullness.Ascites were identified through abdominal ultrasound,and computed tomography revealed an omentum cake and an enlarged bilateral adnexa.Blood tests showed elevated CA-125 levels.Paracentesis was conducted,and immunohistochemistry indicated that the cancer cells favored an ovarian origin,making us suspect ovarian cancer.The patient underwent debulking surgery,which led to a diagnosis of stage IIIC HGSC of the fallopian tube.Subsequently,the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel,resulting in stable current condition.CONCLUSION This study demonstrates a rare correlation between a chromosome 4q abnormality and HGSC.UBE2D3 may affect crucial cancer-related pathways,including P53,BRCA,cyclin D,and tyrosine kinase receptors,thereby possibly contributing to cancer development.In addition,ADH1 and DDIT4 may be potential influencers of both carcinogenic and therapeutic responses.

Transformation of marginal zone lymphoma into high-grade B-cell lymphoma expressing terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase:A case report

BACKGROUND High-grade B-cell lymphoma(HGBL)is an unusual malignancy that includes myelocytomatosis viral oncogene(MYC),B-cell lymphoma-2(BCL-2),and/or BCL-6 rearrangements,termed double-hit or triple-hit lymphomas,and HGBL-not otherwise specific(HGBL-NOS),which are morphologically characteristic of HGBL but lack MYC,BCL-2,or BCL-6 rearrangements.HGBL is partially transformed by follicular lymphoma and other indolent lymphoma,with few cases of marginal zone lymphoma(MZL)transformation.HGBL often has a poor prognosis and intensive therapy is currently mainly advocated,but there is no good treatment for these patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy.CASE SUMMARY We reported a case of MZL transformed into HGBL-NOS with TP53 mutation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase expression.Gene analysis revealed the gene expression profile was identical in the pre-and post-transformed tissues,suggesting that the two diseases are homologous,not secondary tumors.The chemotherapy was ineffective and the side effect was severe,so we tried combination therapy including venetoclax and obinutuzumab.The patient tolerated treatment well,and reached partial response.The patient had recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and died of multifunctional organ failure.He survived for 12 months after diagnosis.CONCLUSION Venetoclax combined with obinutuzumab might improve the survival in some HGBL patients,who are unsuitable for chemotherapy.

Comparison of biological behavior of lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma with high-grade transformation cells

AIM:To evaluate the differences between human lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma with high-grade transformation(LACC-HGT)primar y cells cultured by high-grade transformation tissue and non-high-grade transformation(non-HGT)primary cells cultured by non-highgrade transformation tissue in proliferation,metastasis,drug susceptibility,and genes.METHODS:LACC-HGT primary cells were established by tissue block culture,and the 4^(th)to 10^(th)generation primary cells were selected as research objects.The cells were preliminarily identified by immunofluorescent staining.The differences between non-HGT and LACC-HGT primary cells in terms of proliferation,metastasis,and drug susceptibility were compared by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay,wound healing,and drug sensitivity experiments.Differentially expressed genes were screened using mRNA array.Gene expression was analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).RESULTS:LACC-HGT primary cells were successfully cultured by tissue block culture.Immunofluorescence staining results showed that cytokeratin(CK)and CK7 expression levels were positive in LACC-HGT primary cells.CCK-8 results showed that the proliferation ability of LACCHGT cells was significantly higher than that of non-HGT cells.Wound healing experiment showed that the migration ability of LACC-HGT cells was significantly higher than that of non-HGT cells.LACC-HGT cells were also less sensitive to cisplatin and paclitaxel than non-HGT cells.Compared with non-HGT cells,9566 differentially expressed genes were found in LACC-HGT primary cells,of which 5162 were upregulated and 4404 were down-regulated.The expression of N-acetylneuraminate pyruvate lyase(NPL),MARVEL domain containing 3(MARVELD3),syntabulin(SYBU),and allograft inflammatory factor 1(AIF1)was higher in LACCHGT cells than in non-HGT cells,whereas that of periostin(POSTN)was lower.CONCLUSION:LACC-HGT primary cells have faster proliferation,stronger migration ability,and poorer sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs than non-HGT primary cells.The expression of mRNAs in non-HGT and LACC-HGT primary cells are significantly different.These features are speculated to be the reasons why high-grade transformation tissues exhibit higher malignant degree and poorer prognosis than their counterparts.

Application of convolutional neural network-based endoscopic imaging in esophageal cancer or high-grade dysplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Esophageal cancer is the seventh-most common cancer type worldwide,accounting for 5%of death from malignancy.Development of novel diagnostic techniques has facilitated screening,early detection,and improved prognosis.Convolutional neural network(CNN)-based image analysis promises great potential for diagnosing and determining the prognosis of esophageal cancer,enabling even early detection of dysplasia.METHODS PubMed,EMBASE,Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published up to November 30,2022.We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of using the CNN model with still image-based analysis and with video-based analysis for esophageal cancer or HGD,as well as for the invasion depth of esophageal cancer.The pooled sensitivity,pooled specificity,positive likelihood ratio(PLR),negative likelihood ratio(NLR),diagnostic odds ratio(DOR)and area under the curve(AUC)were estimated,together with the 95%confidence intervals(CI).A bivariate method and hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic method were used to calculate the diagnostic test accuracy of the CNN model.Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were used to identify sources of hetero-geneity.RESULTS A total of 28 studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis.Using still image-based analysis for the diagnosis of esophageal cancer or HGD provided a pooled sensitivity of 0.95(95%CI:0.92-0.97),pooled specificity of 0.92(0.89-0.94),PLR of 11.5(8.3-16.0),NLR of 0.06(0.04-0.09),DOR of 205(115-365),and AUC of 0.98(0.96-0.99).When video-based analysis was used,a pooled sensitivity of 0.85(0.77-0.91),pooled specificity of 0.73(0.59-0.83),PLR of 3.1(1.9-5.0),NLR of 0.20(0.12-0.34),DOR of 15(6-38)and AUC of 0.87(0.84-0.90)were found.Prediction of invasion depth resulted in a pooled sensitivity of 0.90(0.87-0.92),pooled specificity of 0.83(95%CI:0.76-0.88),PLR of 7.8(1.9-32.0),NLR of 0.10(0.41-0.25),DOR of 118(11-1305),and AUC of 0.95(0.92-0.96).CONCLUSION CNN-based image analysis in diagnosing esophageal cancer and HGD is an excellent diagnostic method with high sensitivity and specificity that merits further investigation in large,multicenter clinical trials.

Predicting the International Roughness Index of JPCP and CRCP Rigid Pavement:A Random Forest(RF)Model Hybridized with Modified Beetle Antennae Search(MBAS)for Higher Accuracy

To improve the prediction accuracy of the International Roughness Index(IRI)of Jointed PlainConcrete Pavements(JPCP)and Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements(CRCP),a machine learning approach is developed in this study for the modelling,combining an improved Beetle Antennae Search(MBAS)algorithm and Random Forest(RF)model.The 10-fold cross-validation was applied to verify the reliability and accuracy of the model proposed in this study.The importance scores of all input variables on the IRI of JPCP and CRCP were analysed as well.The results by the comparative analysis showed the prediction accuracy of the IRI of the newly developed MBAS and RF hybrid machine learning model(RF-MBAS)in this study is higher,indicated by the RMSE and R values of 0.2732 and 0.9476 for the JPCP as well as the RMSE and R values of 0.1863 and 0.9182 for the CRCP.The accuracy of this obtained result far exceeds that of the IRI prediction model used in the traditional Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide(MEPDG),indicating the great potential of this developed model.The importance analysis showed that the IRI of JPCP and CRCP was proportional to the corresponding input variables in this study,including the total joint faulting cumulated per KM(TFAULT),percent subgrade material passing the 0.075-mm Sieve(P_(200))and pavement surface area with flexible and rigid patching(all Severities)(PATCH)which scored higher.

Study on thermal-state variation of high-grade highway embankment under different pavement conditions

The research shows that the selection of pavement type is very important for the thermal stability of high-grade highway embankment in permafrost regions because of the different solar absorption rates between asphalt concrete and asphalt concrete pavement.In this paper,the common embankment of high-grade highway in permafrost regions is selected as the research object to study the influence of asphalt concrete and cement concrete pavement on the embankment temperature,freeze-thaw cycle process and the change law of the permafrost table,which provides a basis for the use of reasonable pavement materials in permafrost regions.

Mitigating Urban Heat Island Effects: A Review of Innovative Pavement Technologies and Integrated Solutions

In this review paper,we present a thorough investigation into the role of pavement technologies in advancing urban sustainability.Our analysis traverses the historical evolution of these technologies,meticulously evaluating their socio-economic and environmental impacts,with a particular emphasis on their role in mitigating the urban heat island effect.The evaluation of pavement types and variables influencing pavement performance to be used in the multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM)framework to choose the optimal pavement application are at the heart of our research.Which serves to assess a spectrum of pavement options,revealing insights into the most effective and sustainable practices.By highlighting both the existing challenges and potential innovative solutions within thefield,this paper aims to offer a directional compass for future urban planning and infrastructural advancements.This review not only synthesizes the current state of knowledge but also aims to chart a course for future exploration,emphasizing the critical need for innovative and environmentally sensitive pavement tech-nologies in the creation of resilient and sustainable urban environments.

A Case Report: High-Grade Urothelial Carcinoma in the Renal Pelvis with Complete Kidney and Ureter Duplication Featuring Heterologous Differentiation

This report describes a considerably rare case of high-grade urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter,presenting with heterologous differentiation,in a patient with bilateral duplicated kidneys.A 73-year-old male experienced intermittent gross hematuria for 5 months,accompanied by lower back and abdominal pain.Ultrasound and computed tomography scans revealed bilateral renal and ureteral duplication with multiple tumors in the left renal pelvis.A total nephroterectomy and bladder cuff resection were performed on the left two nephrons.Multiple space-occupying lesions were identified in the left renal pelvis and ureter.Histopathological examination showed poorly differentiated and diverse tumor cells,manifesting as sarcomatoid carcinoma,papillary adenocarcinoma,and infiltrating high-grade urothelial carcinoma.The tumor infiltrated the subcutaneous fibrous connective tissue of the renal pelvis and the full thickness of the ureter.Given the rarity of recurrent renal urothelial carcinoma with heterogeneous differentiation,comprehensive imaging and pathological assessments are vital to delineate the nature of the lesion and the direction of tissue pathological heterologous differentiation.These evaluations guide early radical surgical interventions,improving survival rates.

Intelligent pavement condition survey:Overview of current researches and practices

Automated pavement condition survey is of critical importance to road network management.There are three primary tasks involved in pavement condition surveys,namely data collection,data processing and condition evaluation.Artificial intelligence(AI)has achieved many breakthroughs in almost every aspect of modern technology over the past decade,and undoubtedly offers a more robust approach to automated pavement condition survey.This article aims to provide a comprehensive review on data collection systems,data processing algorithms and condition evaluation methods proposed between 2010 and 2023 for intelligent pavement condition survey.In particular,the data collection system includes AI-driven hardware devices and automated pavement data collection vehicles.The AI-driven hardware devices including right-of-way(ROW)cameras,ground penetrating radar(GPR)devices,light detection and ranging(LiDAR)devices,and advanced laser imaging systems,etc.These different hardware components can be selectively mounted on a vehicle to simultaneously collect multimedia information about the pavement.In addition,this article pays close attention to the application of artificial intelligence methods in detecting pavement distresses,measuring pavement roughness,identifying pavement rutting,analyzing skid resistance and evaluating structural strength of pavements.Based upon the analysis of a variety of the state-of-the-art artificial intelligence methodologies,remaining challenges and future needs with respect to intelligent pavement condition survey are discussed eventually.

Condition indices for rigid pavements: A comparative analysis of state DOTs using Michigan PMS data

Pavement infrastructure is vital in providing services and links between various sectors of society. Therefore, thepreservation and maintenance of these roads are critical to attaining a pavement network in good conditionthroughout its service life. Various performance indicators like the international roughness index (IRI), pavementcondition index (PCI), and present serviceability rating (PSR) have been used by the state department of transportation (DOT) and highway agencies for evaluating pavement surface conditions and planning future maintenance strategies. Limited data availability, multiple distresses depending on region, lack of correlation of thesecondition indices to maintenance strategies, and data collection limitations pose a challenge for applying theseindices to local conditions. This paper compares condition indices of different states for rigid pavements. Further,using a specific condition index for local conditions is also highlighted. For this purpose, five states and theircorresponding condition indices were evaluated and compared to the Michigan DOT distress index (DI). Thesestates include Virginia, Minnesota, North Dakota, Louisiana, and Oregon. The corresponding distresses of eachcondition index were converted to make them compatible with the MDOT DI. This study used the MDOT'spavement management system (PMS) database to evaluate each condition index for 433 rigid pavement sections.Each distress index was plotted against MDOT DI and compared using a paired t-test. Results show that thecondition indices of Virginia and Minnesota are comparable to DI in terms of the Spearman correlation value. Thet-test results show that except for Virgina, condition indices from other states statistically differ from DI.Therefore, one can't use those directly for local conditions in Michigan. This paper presents the evaluation anddata requirements for each condition index and its impact on selecting a maintenance treatment.

Review on dynamic analysis of road pavements under moving vehicles and plane strain conditions

This paper reviews works on the dynamic analysis of flexible and rigid pavements under moving vehicles on the basis of continuum-based plane strain models and linear theories.The purpose of this review is to provide in-formation about the existing works on the subject,critically discuss them and make suggestions for further research.The reviewed papers are presented on the basis of the various models for pavement-vehicle systems and the various methods for dynamically analyzing these systems.Flexible pavements are modeled by a homogeneous or layered half-plane with isotropic or anisotropic and linear elastic,viscoelastic or poroelastic material behavior.Rigid pavements are modeled by a beam or plate on a homogeneous or layered half-plane with material properties like the ones for flexible pavements.The vehicles are modeled as concentrated or distributed over a finite area loads moving with constant or time dependent speed.The above pavement-vehicle models are dynamically analyzed by analytical,analytical/numerical or purely numerical methods working in the time or frequency domain.Representative examples are presented to illustrate the models and methods of analysis,demonstrate their merits and assess the effects of the various parameters on pavement response.The paper closes with con-clusions and suggestions for further research in the area.The significance of this research effort has to do with the presentation of the existing literature on the subject in a critical and easy to understand way with the aid of representative examples and the identification of new research areas.

Automatic Pavement Crack Detection Based on Octave Convolution Neural Network with Hierarchical Feature Learning

Automatic pavement crack detection plays an important role in ensuring road safety.In images of cracks,information about the cracks can be conveyed through high-frequency and low-fre-quency signals that focus on fine details and global structures,respectively.The output features obtained from different convolutional layers can be combined to represent information about both high-frequency and low-frequency signals.In this paper,we propose an encoder-decoder framework called octave hierarchical network(Octave-H),which is based on the U-Network(U-Net)architec-ture and utilizes an octave convolutional neural network and a hierarchical feature learning module for performing crack detection.The proposed octave convolution is capable of extracting multi-fre-quency feature maps,capturing both fine details and global cracks.We propose a hierarchical feature learning module that merges multi-frequency-scale feature maps with different levels(high and low)of octave convolutional layers.To verify the superiority of the proposed Octave-H,we employed the CrackForest dataset(CFD)and AigleRN databases to evaluate this method.The experimental results demonstrate that Octave-H outperforms other algorithms with satisfactory performance.

Development and optimization of object detection technology in pavement engineering: A literature review

Due to the rapid advancement of the transportation industry and the continual increase in pavement infrastructure,it is difficult to keep up with the huge road maintenance task by relying only on the traditional manual detection method.Intelligent pavement detection technology with deep learning techniques is available for the research and industry areas by the gradual development of computer vision technology.Due to the different characteristics of pavement distress and the uncertainty of the external environment,this kind of object detection technology for distress classification and location still faces great challenges.This paper discusses the development of object detection technology and analyzes classical convolutional neural network(CNN)architecture.In addition to the one-stage and two-stage object detection frameworks,object detection without anchor frames is introduced,which is divided according to whether the anchor box is used or not.This paper also introduces attention mechanisms based on convolutional neural networks and emphasizes the performance of these mechanisms to further enhance the accuracy of object recognition.Lightweight network architecture is introduced for mobile and industrial deployment.Since stereo cameras and sensors are rapidly developed,a detailed summary of three-dimensional object detection algorithms is also provided.While reviewing the history of the development of object detection,the scope of this review is not only limited to the area of pavement crack detection but also guidance for researchers in related fields is shared.

Flexible pavement longitudinal joint quality evaluation using non-destructive testing

Longitudinal joint construction quality is critical to the life of flexible pavements.Maintaining deteriorated longitudinal joints has become a challenge for many highway agencies.Improving the joint's quality through better compaction during construction can help achieve flexible pavements with longer service lives and less maintenance.Current quality control(QC)and quality assurance(QA)plans provide limited coverage.Consequently,the risk of missing areas with poor joint compaction is significant.A density profiling system(DPS)is a non-destructive alternative to conventional destructive evaluation methods.It can provide quick and continuous real-time coverage of the compaction during construction in dielectrics.The paper presents several case studies comparing various types of longitudinal joints and demonstrating the use of DPS to evaluate the joint's compaction quality.The paper shows that dielectric measurements can provide valuable insight into the ability of various construction techniques to achieve adequate levels of compaction at the longitudinal joint.The paper proposes a dielectric-based longitudinal joint quality index(LJQI)to evaluate the relative compaction of the joint during construction.It also shows that adopting DPS for assessing the compaction of longitudinal joints can minimize the risk of agencies accepting poorly constructed joints,identify locations of poor quality during construction,and achieve better-performing flexible pavements.

Effect of Seasonal Variations on the Behavior of Flexible Pavements in Burkina Faso: Towards Alternating and Periodic Loading of Multi-Axle Heavy Goods Vehicles for Road Durability

Bituminous materials are heat-sensitive, and their mechanical properties vary with temperature. This variation in properties is not without consequences on the performance of flexible road structures under the repeated passage of multi-axles. This study determines the influence of seasonal variations on the rate of permanent deformation, the rut depth of flexible pavements and the effect of alternating loading of heavy goods vehicles following the temperature variations on the durability of roads. Thus, an ambient and pavement surface temperature measurement was carried out in 2022. The temperature profile at different layers of the modelled pavement, the evaluation of deformation rates and rutting depth were determined using several models. The results show that the permanent deformation and rutting rates are higher at the level of the bituminous concrete layer than at the level of the asphalt gravel layer because the stresses decrease from the surface to the depth of the pavement. On the other hand, the variations in these rates, permanent deformations and ruts between the hot and so-called cold periods are more pronounced in the bitumen gravel than in bituminous concrete, showing that gravel bitumen is more sensitive to temperature variations than bituminous concrete despite its higher rigidity. Of these results, we suggested a periodic and alternating loading of the different types of heavy goods vehicles. These loads consist of fully applying the WAEMU standards with a tolerance of 15% during periods of high and low temperatures. This regulation has increased 2 to 3 times in the durability of roadways depending on the type of heavy goods vehicle.

A systematic review of rigid-flexible composite pavement

Rigid-flexible composite pavement has gained significant popularity in recent decades.This paper provides a comprehensive review of the research progress concerning rigid-flexible composite pavement,aiming to promote its application and address key issues while identifying future directions.The design theory and methodology of rigid-flexible composite pavement are discussed,followed by a description of its structural and mechanical behavior characteristics.The load stress,temperature stress,and their interactive effects between the asphalt layer and the rigid base were analyzed.It is clarified that the asphalt layer serves a dual role as both a“functional layer”and a“structural layer”.Typical distresses of rigid-flexible composite pavement,which primarily occur in the asphalt layer,were discussed.These distresses include reflective cracking,top-down cracking,rutting,and compressive-shear failure.Generally,the integrity of the rigid base and the interlaminar bonding conditions significantly impact the performance and distress of the asphalt layer.The technology for enhancing the performance of rigid-flexible composite pavement is summarized in three aspects:asphalt layer properties,rigid base integrity,and interlaminar bonding condition.The study concludes that developing high-performance pavement materials based on their structural behaviors is an effective approach to improve the performance and durability of rigid-flexible composite pavement.The integrated design of structure and materials represents the future direction of road design.