Irisin is a novel myokine and adipokine, its role during pregnancy and its association with some metabolic risk factors especially pre-pregnancy body mass index (pre-BMI) need more evaluation. The aim of the study is to find whether the pre-BMI could predict irisin levels during normal pregnancy and to clarify associations of irisin with some pathological parameters.

Irisin levels were estimated by ELISA in sera of 59 normal pregnant women who enrolled from December 2016 to May 2017 at Maternity Hospital, Zakho city, Kurdistan region (Iraq). Thirty-two normal-weight pregnant (pre-BMI≤24.9 kg/m², Age=24.03 mean±3.7standard deviation) and 27 overweight/obese-pregnant (pre-BMI>25 kg/m², Age=27.6 mean±3.9

Background׃ Halitosis is a common condition and is most often caused by a buildup of bacteria in the mouth because of gum disease, food, or plaque. It can result in anxiety among those affected, it is also associated with depression and symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder. The aim of this study isto assess the prevalence of self-reported halitosis and associated factors (dental plaque, gingival condition and dental caries) in 15 years old male students in Karbala city in Iraq. Additionally, we studied adolescents’ concern with their own breath and whether anyone had ever told them that they had halitosis. Methods׃ A cross sectional observational survey was conducted to15 years old high school students from public and p

In this paper a theoretical attempt is made to determine whether changes in the aorta diameter at different location along the aorta can be detected by brachial artery measurement.  The aorta is divided into six main parts, each part with 4 lumps of 0.018m length. It is assumed that a desired section of the aorta has a radius change of 100,200, 500%. The results show that there is a significant change for part 2 (lumps 5-8) from the other parts. This indicates that the nearest position to the artery gives the significant change in the artery wave pressure while other parts of the aorta have a small effect.

Background: Post-partum depression (PPD) is a form of postnatal depression that affects mothers. Clinical manifestations usually appear within six months after delivery. Risk factors that influence the severity of post-partum depression are not fully known in the Iraqi population.
Objectives: We aim to evaluate the risk factors and identify potential predictors that may influence the symptom levels (severity) of post-partum depression among Iraqi women from Baghdad.
Subjects and Methods: The current study is cross-sectional, and we used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and a cut-off value of 13 to differentiate patients into two those with lower symptom levels (LSL) and higher symptom levels (HSL). We also explored p

Estimations of average crash density as a function of traffic elements and characteristics can be used for making good decisions relating to planning, designing, operating, and maintaining roadway networks. This study describes the relationships between total, collision, turnover, and runover accident densities with factors such as hourly traffic flow and average spot speed on multilane rural highways in Iraq. The study is based on data collected from two sources: police stations and traffic surveys. Three highways are selected in Wassit governorate as a case study to cover the studied locations of the accidents. Three highways are selected in Wassit governorate as a case study to cover the studied locations of the accidents. The se

Estimations of average crash density as a function of traffic elements and characteristics can be used for making good decisions relating to planning, designing, operating, and maintaining roadway networks. This study describes the relationships between total, collision, turnover, and runover accident densities with factors such as hourly traffic flow and average spot speed on multilane rural highways in Iraq. The study is based on data collected from two sources: police stations and traffic surveys. Three highways are selected in Wassit governorate as a case study to cover the studied locations of the accidents. Three highways are selected in Wassit governorate as a case study to cover the studied locations of the accidents. The selection

Objective: This study goal was to screen participants from different settings in Baghdad for depression using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale and identify factors influencing the levels of depression. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of 313 people from four settings (teaching hospital, college of medicine, college of pharmacy, and high school) in Baghdad, Iraq. The participants were screened using paper survey relying on the BDI scale during spring 2018. Using multiple linear regression analysis, we measured the association between depression scores and six participant factors. Results: The overall prevalence of depression in our sample was 57.2%. Female participants had higher BDI

To develop a petrol engine so that it works under the bi-engine pattern (producer gas-petrol) without any additional engine modifications, a single-point injection method inside the intake manifold is a simple and inexpensive method. Still, it leads to poor mixing performance between the air and producer gas. This deficiency can cause unsatisfactory engine performance and high exhaust emissions. In order to improve the mixing inside the intake manifold, nine separate cases were modelled to evaluate the impact of the position and angle orientation inside the intake manifold on the uniformity and spread of the mixture under AFR=2.07. A petrol engine (1.6 L), the maximum engine speed (8000 rpm), and bi-engine mode (petrol-producer ga