Snakes, or active contours, are used extensively in computer vision and image processing applications, particularly to locate object boundaries.  In this research, for the segmentation of anatomical structures in medical images three approaches were implemented and compared like (original snake model, distance potential force model and Gradient Vector Flow (GVF) snake model). We used Computed Tomography image (CT) for our experiments.  Our experiments show that original snake model has two problems; first is the limited capture range and the second is the poor convergence. Distance potential force model solved only the first problem of original snake and failed with second problem. Gradient Vector Flow (GVF snake) provides a go

There is substantial data supporting the importance of both endogenous and exogenous estrogen in maintaining reproductive health and preventing chronic disease, androgens in women's health are rarely discussed. This is one of the first researches to investigate correlates of blood testosterone concentrations in women with osteopenia, in anticipation of the growing interest in the role of androgens in women's health. A 65 volunteer women were enrolled in the current study, they were divided into two groups, 35 postmenopausal women with osteopenia were in the first group, and the second group contained 30 postmenopausal women without osteopenia as a control. Blood samples were collected from all participants and analyzed for testosterone l

The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are heterogenous chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The most widely accepted etiopathogenic hypothesis for these disorders suggests an immune mediated process.
Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the role of interleukine-33 in pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease and to correlate their levels with the disease activity and/or severity.
Methods: Fifty five subjects with inflammatory bowel disease (41 ulcerative colitis patients and 14 Crohn’s disease patients) their ages range from 16-65 years and 25 apparently healthy volunteers their ages and sexes were matched with the patients were participated i

BACKGROUND: Cochlear implant has become a routine procedure for management of severe sensorineural hearing loss. Cochlear implant extrusion is one of the most devastating complication of this procedure. A double layer closure of pericranial flap and scalp rotational flap has being showed to decrease the rate of late implant extrusion.OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of the pericranial flap as second layer coverage after cochlear implant extrusion.PATIENTS AND METHODS:Eight patients with cochlear implant extrusion in Al-Shaheed Gazi Al-Hariri hospital were operated on by using two layer closure ; the pericranial flap as salvage layer used to cover the cochlear implant and scalp rotational flap as a routine coverage,

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Breast reduction for mammary hypertrophy is a highly effective procedure with high degree of patient satisfaction. There are many methods of breast reduction which involve removal of excess tissue with reshaping of overlying skin while maintaining a viable nipple areolar complex. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of the superomedial technique as an effective method for reduction mammoplasty. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 30 patients underwent reduction mammoplasty by utilizing superomedial pedicle technique between 2010 and 2013. Those patients were evaluated postoperatively in terms of their aesthetic and functional satisfaction, viability of nipple – areolar complex and nipple sensory p

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a common disease, and a major determinant of morbidity and mortality in all races. The pleiotropic effects of the receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) such as modulation of cell survival, mineralization and inflammation, make it an interesting candidate mediator in the progression and destabilization of atherosclerotic lesions.Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the role of RANKL in the pathogenesis of ACS.Methods: The levels of RANKL were measured by ELISA method in sera of 60 ACS patients, 31 patients with unstable angina (UA) and 29 patients with myocardial infarction (MI) in comparison with 20 apparently healthy controls.Results: Current data indicate

This paper displays a survey about the laboratory routine core analysis study on ten sandstone core samples taken from Zubair Reservoir/West Quarna Oil Field. The Petrophysical properties of rock as porosity, permeability, grain's size, roundness and sorting, type of mineral and volumes of shales inside the samples were tested by many apparatus in the Petroleum Technology Department/ University of Technology such as OFITE BLP-530 Gas Porosimeter, PERG-200^TM Gas Permeameter and liquid Permeameter, GeoSpec2 apparatus (NMR method), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and OFITE Spectral Gamma Ray Logger apparatus. By comparing all the results of porosity and permeability measured by these instruments, it is clear a significant vari

In the present study waste aluminium cans were recycled and converted to produce alumina catalyst. These cans contain more than 98% aluminum oxide in their structure and were successfully synthesized to produce nano sized gamma alumina under mild conditions. A comprehensive study was carried out in order to examine the effect of several important parameters on maximum yield of alumina that can be produced. These parameters were reactants mole ratios (1.5, 1.5, 2, 3, 4 and 5), sodium hydroxide concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 55%) and weights of aluminum cans (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 g). The compositions of alumina solution were determined by Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS); and maximum yield of alumina solution was 96.3% obtain

Ismailism is of great importance in Islamic history and Islamic political thought. In different countries of the Muslim world today their presence exists and is active but is confused with mystery and secrecy. The most important characteristic of their political ideology is their dependence on the esoteric exegesis, which they have made an intellectual basis for which their most ideas relate, when they make for everything visible and exposed a hidden matter, not only aware of the esoteric exegesis, which only God knows and entrenched in science, and they mean imams or whoever They are called "(esoteric)" as a result of the Ismaili belief in esoteric interpretation and that everything is apparent inward, as well as they called the ((seven