Background: Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE)-derived mitral annular displacement (MAD) utilizes the speckle tracking technique to measure strain vectors, which provides accurate estimates of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).Objectives: To validate the accuracy of mitral annular displacement (MAD), assessed by Speckle Tracking Echocardiography (STE), as a surrogate for determination of left ventricular systolic function in comparison to 2-Dimensions Simpson method in patients with different heart diseases.Methods : This cross-sectional study included patients who referred to outpatient department of Ibn Albitar Center for Cardiac Surgery, Baghdad, Iraq, between October 2012 and April 2013. STE continuously tracked annular

Obesity-related deaths continue to rise, and thus losing weight in overweight and obese patients is critical to prevent complications. Anredera cordifolia (Ten,) Steenis, species of succulent plant of the genus Basellaceae, is widely used in herbal medicine to decrease body weight. This study evaluated the potential benefits of Anredera cordifolia ethanol extract to reduce body weight in high-fat diet-induced obesity rat model. This was an experimental with post-test only control group design study involving 36 obese rats. They were divided into two groups: three control groups (K1, K2, K3) and three treatment groups (P1, P2, P3). All the groups were induced with high-fat diet, except K1 control group that received a standard di

Background: The present study was carried out to compare shear bond strength of sapphire bracket bonded to zirconium surface after using different methods of surface conditioning and assessment of the adhesive remnant index. Materials and methods: The sample composed of 40 zirconium specimens divided into four groups; the first group was the control, the second group was conditioned by sandblast with aluminum oxide particle 50 μm, the third and fourth group was treated by (Nd: YAG) laser (1064nm)(0.888 Watt for 5 seconds) for the 1st laser group and (0.444 Watt for 10 seconds) for the 2nd laser group. All samples were coated by z-prime plus primer. A central incisor sapphire bracket was bonded to all samples with light cure adhesive res

Background: Blood group system and the ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) are the most studied traits in human genetics which have been extensively used in describing genetic variations among human populations around the world that may had an effect on dental caries. The aims of present study were to investigate the caries experience among students with different bitter taste threshold in relation to blood type. Materials and Methods: The sample of present study includes dental students female aged19-21 years. The diagnosis of dental caries was done according to the criteria of Manjia et al, 1989 recording decayed lesion by severity (D1-4) MFS. Furthermore, bitter taste sensitivity was measured according to PTC (phenylthiocarbamid

The toxicological risks and lifetime cancer risks associated with exposure to disinfection by-products (DBPs) including Halloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) compounds by drinking water in several districts in Wassit Province were estimated. The seasonal variation of HAAs and THMs compounds in drinking water have indicated that the mean values for total HAAs (THAAs) and total THMs (TTHMs) ranged from 43.2 to 72.4 mg/l and from 40 to 115.5 mg/l, respectively. The World health organization index for additive toxicity approach was non-compliant with the WHO guideline value in summer and autumn seasons and this means that THMs concentration has adverse toxic health effects. The multi-pathway of lifetime hu

The basic skills (defensive & offensive) in basketball it is a base for completion and decide the level of the team and the rank, in same time considers the axel of the researchers when putting tests and forming new groups so close from real situation games to create real vision and estimate for skill state and a method to recorrect & presenting positive resolutions, the problem of research were indicate to variables may happen in training operation it demand tests matches with these variables and forming new standards, and another way the researchers find a few patterns for measuring basic skills (defensive & offensive) also application these tests on samples it differs from the originals one that the tests designed for it. The sample repr