Background: Coronary artery disease remains the main cause of death despite several preventive programs. Epicardial adipose tissue is a visceral fat depot of the heart located along the large coronary arteries and on the surface of ventricles and apex. Intima media thickness is commonly recognized as the initial stage in the development of atherosclerosis. The development of ultrasound machines, advances in echocardiographic devices and high resolution transducers facilitate comprehensive analysis of epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and carotid –intima media thickness (C-IMT).
Aim: To investigate the relationship of echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and carotid –intima media thickness (C-IMT) with the severity of coronary artery disease.
Methods: A cross sectional multicenter diagnostic accuracy study carried out at Ibn Al-Nafis Cardiovascular Hospital, Ibn Al- Bitar Cardiology Center and Ghazi Al-Hariri Hospital –Iraqi Center for Cardiology during the period between October 2016 and May 2017 assessing. History regarding demographic data and risk factors was taken. Two dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic measurements were done. EFT was measured from parasternal long axis view perpendicular to the right ventricular free wall. C-IMT was measured according to that recommended by the American society of echocardiography (ASE).
Results: The current study demonstrated that the EFT has a direct and significant correlation with the number of involved vessels (P value ˂ 0.001, r= 0.770). The validity of EFT to discriminate between multiple vessels disease and no vessel involvement is excellent (AUC= 0.984, cut point > 8mm, sensitivity=92.9%, specificity= 93.3%). There is inverse and significant correlation between ejection fraction (EF) and three vessels disease (P value ˂ 0.001, r= -0.507). Also there is a direct and significant correlation between C-IMT and severity of CAD. ROC analysis for validity of C-IMT to discriminate between multiple vessels disease and no vessel involvement is excellent (AUC= 0.961, cut point > 1.04mm, sensitivity=92.9%. specificity=86.7%). C-IMT is fair to discriminate between single vessel disease and no vessel involvement (AUC=0.738, cut point ˃ 0.84mm, sensitivity 100%), so if correlated with age, C-IMT above 0.84 can be used as a cut off point for the prediction of CAD. Finally, EFT and C-IMT are more likely to reflect severity of CAD than their ratio.
Conclusions: C-IMT and EFT are simple and reproducible parameters that can be used as a screening tool for the presence and severity of CAD especially before symptoms appearance in high risk patients
The effect of refrigerant injection techniques on the performance of heat pump system based on exergy analysis was studied theoretically. Three refrigerant injection techniques were used; the first was achieved by injected vapour in volume ratios from 1 to 7% in the accumulator. The second was injection liquid refrigerant in the discharge line with the aid of Liquid Pressure Amplification (LPA) pump, with volume ratios from 1 to 10%. The third was a hybrid injection with volume ratios of injected vapour and liquid varied from 1 to 3% and 1 to 10%; respectively. The following improvements in cycle performance were observed. For vapour injection technique, the best ratio of injection was 5%, the exergy destruction reduced
... Show MoreThe development of new building materials, able of absorbing more energy is an active research area. Engineering Cementitious Composite (ECC) is a class of super-elastic fiberreinforced cement composites characterized by high ductility and tight crack width control. The use of bendable concrete produced from Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) may lead to an interest in new concrete mixes. Impact results of bendable concrete reinforced with steel mesh and polymer fibers will provide data for the use of this concrete in areas subject to impact loading. The experimental part consisted of compressive strength and impact resistance tests along with a result comparison with unreinforced concrete. Concrete samples, with dimensions of 100×
... Show MoreFibromyalgia (FM) is a common, debilitating, and chronic pain syndrome. The women are more likely to have more tender points on examination than are their male counterparts. Iraqi study showed that FM occur in 1.5% among adolescents of Iraqi population. In compare to normal healthy women, present study was revealed that Iraqi women with FM have significant elevation of calcium (p = 0.003) with significant reduction of magnesium (p = 0.001), whereas the inorganic phosphorous was not differs (p = 0.31). In conclusion, magnesium and calcium would play a crucial role in etiopathogenesis of fibromyalgia.
Key words: calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, Fibromyalgia.
A.C electrical conductivity and dielectric properties for poly
(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) /poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) blends undoped
and doped with multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) with
different concentrations (1, and 3 wt %) in the frequency range
(25x103 - 5x106 Hz) were investigated. Samples of (PVA/PEO)
blends undoped and doped with MWCNTs were prepared using
casting technique. The electrical conductivity measurements showed
that σA.C is frequency dependent and obey the relation σA.C =Aωs for
undoped and doped blends with 1% MWCNTs, while it is frequency
independent with increases of MWCNTs content to 3%. The
exponent s showed proceeding increase with the increase of PEO
ratio (≥50%) for undope
Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder are associated with various variables such as the exposure to traumatic events, sex and age. Such events could lead to negative cognitions towards self and the world. These cognitions, in turn, may lead to traumatic related disorders.
The present study aims to identify the percentage of traumatised individuals according to sex and age category variables. It also aims to assess the average of spreading symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder of traumatised individuals according to sex and age category variables. Likewise, it aims to test variables significance in cognitions towards the world and the self according to the level of the spread of posttraumatic stre
... Show MoreA series of new coumarin and N-amino-2-quinolone derivatives have been synthesized. The reaction of coumarin (1) with excess of Hydrazine hydrate 98% yielded 1-amino-2-quinolone (2), Compound (2) was reacted with different Sulfonyl chloride to yield Sulfonamides [ N-(2-oxoquinolin-1(2H)-yl) methane sulfonamide (3), N-(2-oxoquinolin-1(2H)-yl) Benzene sulfonamide (4) and 4-methyl-N-(2-oxoquinolin-1(2H)-yl) benzene sulfonamide (5) ], while reaction of 2-(4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yloxy) acetic acid (8) with different amines yielded compounds [ 2-(4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yloxy)-N-(2-oxoquinolin-1(2H)-yl) acetamide (9) and N-(5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)-2-(4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yloxy)acetamide (10) ] th
... Show MoreIn the present research synthesis and study of biological activity a series of new polymers modified of chitosan with compounds containing azo group. Beginning diazonium salt produced from 3,3'-dimethyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4,4'-diamine reacted with concentrated HCl acid and sodium nitrite. The coupling reaction between diazonium salt with substituted aromatic aldehyde to produce Azo derivatives )1-6(. Azo Schiff bases Chitosan )7-12( were synthesized by condensation of Chitosan with Azo derivatives )1-6( in ethanol with some drops of glacial acetic acid. The structural modifications of Chitosan ring (linked to a bioactive azo moiety) were expected to give new derivatives )7-12( with a diverse range of biological functions. These compounds' st
... Show MoreCoupling reaction of 4-amino antipyrene with 2,6-dimethyl phenol gave bidentate azo ligand. The prepared ligand was identified by Microelemental Analysis, 1HNMR, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques. Treatment of the prepared ligand with the following metal ions (CoII, NiII, CuII, ZnII, CdII, and HgII) in aqueous ethanol with a 1:2 M:L ratio and at optimum pH, yielded a series of neutral complexes of the general formula [M(L)2Cl2]. The prepared complexes were characterized using flame atomic absorption, (C.H.N) Analysis, FT-IR and UVVis spectroscopic methods as well as magnetic susceptibility and conductivity measurements. Chloride ion content was also evaluated by (Mohr method). The nature of the complexes formed were studied followin
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