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
Reflection cracking in asphalt concrete (AC) overlays is a common form of pavement deterioration that occurs when underlying cracks and joints in the pavement structure propagate through an overlay due to thermal and traffic-induced movement, ultimately degrading the pavement’s lifespan and performance. This study aims to determine how alterations in overlay thickness and temperature conditions, the incorporation of chopped fibers, and the use of geotextiles influence the overlay’s capacity to postpone the occurrence of reflection cracking. To achieve the above objective, a total of 36 prism specimens were prepared and tested using an overlay testing machine (OTM). The variables considered in this study were the thickness of the
... Show MoreCastellated columns are structural members that are created by breaking a rolled column along the center-line by flame after that rejoining the equivalent halves by welding such that for better structural strength against axial loading, the total column depth is increased by around 50 percent. The implementation of these institutional members will also contribute to significant economies of material value. The main objectives of this study are to study the enhancement of the load-carrying capacity of castellated columns with encasement of the columns by Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) and lacing reinforcement, and serviceability of the confined castellated columns. The Castellated columns with RPC and Lacing Reinforcement improve com
... Show MoreThis research paper is about synoptic climate specifically with in the upper air layers
using upper air layers maps analysis which are maps of thickness for the level 1000 – 500
MB, that their high average ranges between 100 – 5600 M above surface. This research paper
focuses on studying special and temporal variations of the atmosphere thickness above Iraqaccording
to this study, it is concluded that atmosphere thickness above Iraq increases
towards south with an average of 100 M as compared with north of Iraq. Regarding the
temporal variations, it is concluded that atmosphere thickness during hot months. In July, for
example, the atmosphere thickness becomes thicker than in January with an average of
(250)M
Background: Coronary artery spasm occurs spontaneously leading to the syndrome of variant angina. It occurs in about 15 % of patients undergoing coronary angiography.
Objectives: This study sought to estimate the rate of coronary artery spasm that occurs during coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention with their risk factors in patients admitted to the Iraqi center for heart disease.
Methods: This is a cross sectional observational study, We prospectively collected the data of patients over six months period (from August 2014 till February 2015 ) who developed coronary artery spasm during cardiac catheterization (diagnostic and therapeutic).
Results: Out of 1274 patients, 106 patients developed coronary artery
CuAlTe2 thin films were evaporation on glass substrates using the technique of thermal evaporation at different range of thickness (200,300,400and500) ±2nm. The structures of these films were investigated by X-ray diffraction method; showing that films possess a good crystalline in tetragonal structure. AFM showed that the grain size increased from (70.55-99.40) nm and the roughness increased from (2.08-3.65) nm by increasing the thickness from (200-500) nm. The optical properties measurements, such as absorbance, transmtance, reflectance, and optical constant as a function of wavelength showed that the direct energy gap decreased from (2.4-2.34) eV by the gain of the thickness.
Background: Masseter muscle is a jaw closing muscle of the mandible involved in Para functional habits; which include lip and cheek chewing, fingernail biting, and teeth clenching or bruxism which can be classified as awake or sleep bruxism. Patients with sleep bruxism are three to four times more likely to experience jaw pain and limitation of movement than people who do not experience sleep bruxism. The aim of this study is to measure the thickness of the masseter muscle in bruxist subjects and compare it with non-bruxist subjects by using sonography. Materials and Method: Forty Iraqi subjects with age ranged (20-40) divided into two groups according to the presence of bruxism. Clinical examination was made and masseter muscle thickness
... Show More The behaviour of the electrical conductivity (σ) and the activation energies (Ea1, Ea2) have been investigated on a-InAs thin films as a function of thickness (250,350,450,550,650) nm, before and after heat treatment. The films were annealed at (373, 423, 473) K for one hour. The films contain two types of transport mechanisms, and the electrical conductivity (σ) increases whereas the activation energy (Ea) would decrease as the films thickness increases.
Films of silver oxide of different thickness have been prepared by the chemical spray paralysis. Transmission and absorption spectra have recorded in order to study the effect of increasing thickness on some optical parameter such as reflectance, refractive index , and dielectric constant in its two parts . This study reveals that all these paramters affect by increasing the thickness .
Polycystic syndrome (PCOS) is a considerable infertility disorder in adolescents and adult women in reproductive age. Obesity is a vigorous risk factor related to POCS. This study aims to evaluate the association of obesity and PCOS by investigating several parameters including: anthropological, biochemical (lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, glucose tolerance test, and hormone levels (LH, FSH, LH/FSH ratio, Estradiol2 and Testosterone),and genetic parameters (Fat mass and Obesity associated gene (FTO) polymorphism at rs17817449) in 63 obese and non-obese PCOS women. The biochemical tests were investigated by colorimetric methods while FTO gene polymorphism was detected by PCR–RFLP. Lipid profile, F
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