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 emergence of new dangerous diseases worldwide has led to the need to think about the possibility of enhancing prevention by using new technologies. One of the most important requirements emphasized in the recent studies is the effectiveness of the masks against pathogenic bacteria. In this study, the efficiency of anti-infection protective face masks against bacteria was enhanced by using gold nanoparticles prepared by the chemical precipitation method. The absorption spectrum of the prepared gold suspension shows a clear plasmonic peak at 522 nm. The measurements showed that the sample was made of polypropylene fibers, where X-ray diffraction tests showed peaks matching its crystalline structure. Immersion with gold suspension led t
... Show MoreAim: To evaluate the wettability and microhardness of Zirconium (ZrO2) dental material when coated with different concentrations of Faujasite. Materials and methods: 30 circular disks produced from ZrO2, then each group is classified into 10 control groups, 10 coated groups with 3% Faujasite, and 10 coated groups with 7% faujasite by electro-spun tool to study variable properties in hardness and water contact angle of implant materials. Results: This study stated the high hardness in 7% of faujasite concentration for ZrO2, in addition, the contact angle decreased gradually until reach 0 ᵒ in 7% concentration of faujasite with ZrO2 Conclusion: Water contact angle (WCA) declined till disappeared in (7% wt.) of faujasite coated with the Z
... Show MoreThe sorption of Cu2+ ions from synthetic wastewater using crushed concrete demolition waste (CCDW) which collected from a demolition site was investigated in a batch sorption system. Factors influencing on sorption process such as shaking time (0-300min), the initial concentration of contaminant (100-750mg/L), shaking speed (0-250 rpm), and adsorbent dosage (0.05-3 g/ml) have been studied. Batch experiments confirmed that the best values of these parameters were (180 min, 100 mg/l, 250 rpm, 0.7 g CCDW/100 ml) respectively where the achieved removal efficiency is equal to 100%. Sorption data were described using four isotherm models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson, and Radke-Prausnitz). Results proved that the pure ads
... Show MoreConcrete is widely used in construction materials since early 1800's. It has been known that concrete is weak in tension, so it requires some addition materials to have ductile behavior and enhance its tensile strength and strain capacity to improve their uses. In this study reactive powder concrete (RPC) was used with steel fiber by using different types of cement; (Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and/or Portland- Limestone cement (PLC)) with three types of mixtures (OPC at the first mix, 50 % OPC and 50 % PLC at the second mix and PLC at the third mix). The behavior of RPC with steel fibers on compressive strength and tensile strength of concrete with different ages of curing (7, 14, 28 and 60) days and shrinkage have been studied. The clo
... Show MoreBackground: In dentistry, dentist takes the advantages of soft lining materials due to the viscoelastic properties. The major problem is the adhesion of the soft liner with the denture base material. Materials and Methods: Heat cured of high impact acrylic resin specimens prepared with dimensions 75x13x13mm for shear bond strength test, soft lining material (Refit and Mollosil) with a 3-mm thickness and used to join each two acrylic blocks. Also four specimens with the same previous dimensions utilized for chemical and physical surface analysis. The specimens grouped as control (without plasma) and experiment (with oxygen plasma) treated high impact acrylic specimens. Results: Plasma treatment increased the shear bond strength for both Refi
... Show Morefour coordinated complexes for divalent metal ions : Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Cd have been synthesized using bidentate Schiff base ligand type (NN)formed by the condensation of o-phenylenediamine , p- methylbenzadehyde and furfural in methanol. The ligand was reacted with divalent metal chloride forming complexes of the types :[M(L)Cl2] where : MII=Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Cd . These new compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic methods (FT-IR, U.V-Vis, 1HNMR (for ligand only and atomic absorption) , magnetic susceptibility, chloride content along with conductivity measurement. These studies revealed that the geometry for all complexes about central metal ion is tetrahedral.
A new Macrocyclic Schiff base ligand Bis[4-hydroxy(1,2-ethylene-dioxidebenzylidene) pheylenediamine] [H2L] and its complexes with (Co(II) , Ni(II) , Cu(II) , Zn(II) and Cd(II)) are reported . The ligand was prepared in two steps,in the first step a solution of (o-phenylene diamine) in methanol react under reflux with (2,4-dihydroxybenzylaldeyed) to give an (intermediatecompound) [Bis-1,2 (2,4-dihydroxybenzylediene)pheylinediamine] which react in the second step with (1,2- dichloro ethane) giving the mentioned ligand.Then the complexes were synthesis of adding of corresponding metal salts to the solution of the ligand in methanol under reflux with 1:1 metal to ligand ratio. On the basis of, molar conductance, I.R., UV-Vis, chloride content a
... Show MoreThe formation of Zn(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) complexes was studied with two new hetrocyclic azo ligands 2-[4-(1-sulfonaphthalene)azo]-L-Histidine (L1) and 2-[7-(1-hydroxy3-sulfonaphthalene)azo]-L-Histidine (L2) derived from coupling reaction of diazonium salt of naphthionic acid and 7-amino-1-naphthol-5-sulfonic acid with L-Histidine in an alkaline ethanolic solution. The structural features of all new compounds have been characterized from their elemental analyses, metal content, magnetic moment measurement, molar conductance & FT-IR, UV-Vis. and 1HNMR spectral studies. Furthermore,the composition of complexes have been studied following the mole ratio method after fixing the optimum condition (pH and concentration).Beer’s law
... Show MoreThe ligand [Potassium (E)-(4-(((2-((1-(3-aminophenyl) ethylidene) amino)-4-oxo-1,4dihydropteridin-6-yl) methyl) amino)benzoyl)-L-glutamate] was prepared from the condensation reaction of folic acid with (3-aminoacetophenone) through Schiff reaction to give a new Schiff base ligand [H2L]. The ligand [H2L] was characterized by elemental analysis CHN, atomic absorption (A.A), (FT-I.R.), (U.V.-Vis), TLC, E.S. mass (for spectroscopes), molar conductance, and melting point. The new Schiff base ligand [H2L], reacts with Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Cr(III) and Cd(II) metal ions and (2-aminophenol), (metal : derivative ligand : 2-aminophenol) to give a series of new mixed complexes in the general formula:- K3[M2(HL)(HA)2], (
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