This study investigates the effectiveness of mental games in enhancing shooting accuracy among young basketball players. Initially, baseline shooting accuracy was assessed through tests conducted prior to a three-week intervention involving mental games. A follow-up test revealed a significant improvement in participants' shooting accuracy following the intervention. Given the noticeable differences in the new shooting scores compared to the initial assessments, a second set of pre-intervention tests was conducted. These tests reaffirmed the significant enhancement in shooting accuracy, substantiating the hypothesis that mental games positively affect performance. The findings highlight the importance of these intervention programs

Piperine, a crystalline alkaloid compound isolated from Piper nigrum, piper longum, and other types of piper, has had many fabulous pharmacological advantages for preventing and treating some specific diseases, such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antimetastatic, antithyroid, immunomodulatory, antitumor, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, Alzheimer's, and improving the bioavailability of other drugs. However, its potential for clinical use through oral usage is hindered by water solubility and poor bioavailability. The low level of oral bioavailability is caused by low solubility in water and is photosensitive, susceptible to isomerization by UV light, which causes piperine concentration to decrease. Many different

This paper presents a novel inverse kinematics solution for robotic arm based on artificial neural network (ANN) architecture. The motion of robotic arm is controlled by the kinematics of ANN. A new artificial neural network approach for inverse kinematics is proposed. The novelty of the proposed ANN is the inclusion of the feedback of current joint angles configuration of robotic arm as well as the desired position and orientation in the input pattern of neural network, while the traditional ANN has only the desired position and orientation of the end effector in the input pattern of neural network. In this paper, a six DOF Denso robotic arm with a gripper is controlled by ANN. The comprehensive experimental results proved the appl

Objective: The present study investigates whether the exposure to low-power diode laser induces denaturation in red blood cell (RBC) membrane protein composition, and determines the irradiation time for when denaturation of membrane protein process begins. Background: A low-energy laser has been used extensively in medical applications. Several studies indicated significant positive effects of laser therapy on biological systems. In contrast, other studies reported that laser induced unwanted changes in cell structure and biological systems. The present work studied the effect of irradiation time of low-power diode laser on the structure of membrane proteins of human RBCs. Materials and methods: The RBC suspension was divided into five equa

Aim of the study: Using surface roughness and tensile bond strength tests, the objective of this investigation was to ascertain the impact of laser surface modification on the binding strength of injectable thermoplastic acrylic denture base material to acrylic-based soft-liner material. Materials and methods: Acrylic base soft liner material was bonded to injectable thermoplastic acrylic resin (Deflex). Forty specimens were created (20 disc, 20 dumbbells) 10 of each specimen type as control specimens, and 10 were treated with nano pulse Nd: YAG laser. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and unpaired t-test (a=.05) and the roughness test was performed utilizing a double column universal test machine. Results: Compar

Objectives of the study: To assess nurses knowledge regarding oxytocin administration during labor and
delivery in maternity hospitals, and to find out the relationship between nurses knowledge and studied
variables (age, level of education, work times (shift) experience year, training course in nursing field).
Methodology: Descriptive analytic study was conducted on non-probability sample (convenient) of (70) nurses
to assess nurse’s knowledge related to oxytocin administration. The study is conducted at Al- kut Hospital for
Gynecology Obstetrics and Pediatrics and Al- Zahraa Teaching Hospital during periods 5th February to 24th
April 2013, A questionnaire was used as a tool of data collection to fulfill with objecti

Background: Gasoline constituents and its derivatives had many hazardous effects on the general health of humans. Thus, gasoline stations workers may be affected by different types of related diseases.This study was conducted to assess selected salivary elements and their relation with dental caries, oral hygiene status and periodontal diseases among gasoline stations workers in comparison with individuals have no regular exposure to gasoline. Materials and methods: The study group consists of thirty male subjects with an age range (33-39) years who worked in different gasoline stations in different areas of Baghdad city and thirty persons that matching in age and gender and not exposed to gasoline were selected as a control group. Dental c

Nearly a century and a half has passed since Sarah Orne Jewett published her much anthologized short story “A White Heron” (1886), but commentators on the tale missed one of the most important points in the text. It is the story’s similarity to the traditional Euro-centric fairy tale of “Little Red Riding Hood”. As an author, writing at the end of the ninetieth century, a time that witnessed the demise of the Romantic movement in America and the beginning of the age of Realism, Jewett did not romanticize her characters, despite the idyllic landscape in which “A White Heron” is set. Her story can be analyzed as a text that aims at disseminating ecological awareness among her young readers. This study focuses on Jewett

Introduction: Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli are most important bacteria in the pathogenesis of dental caries. Cariogenic microflora has been associated to the primary caregiver transmission and sugary diets.

Aim: This study aimed to relate S. mutans and lactobacilli in the plaque to demographic factors in Iraqi children.

Materials and methods: The study included 135 children aged 3-10 years. Samples of their dental plaque were taken from the upper second primary molars on the buccal surfaces using a clean toothpick. Each sample was stored in 1 ml of n