Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with polymorphic expression. B cells have an essential contribution in immune system activation via the production of different cytokines and functioning as potent antigen-presenting cells. Therefore, a drug that particularly targets B cells may represent an ideal therapeutic approach for SLE. Rituximab (RTX), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody causing transient B-cell depletion, has been used to manage SLE. This study aims to assess Rituximab effects on lupus nephritis (LN) patients when added to conventional immunosuppressants. Twenty four patients, 15-32 years old, with class III/IV/V LN were involved in this study. All were on steroids before lupus nephritis occurrence. They were given rituximab induction therapy and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) maintenance therapy. RTX was indicated for refractory and relapsing SLE. Several investigations done before and after RTX treatment and in the last follow up (done one year after starting Rituximab). Those included protein in urine, serum creatinine, double stranded DNA, C3, C4, and Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR). Proteinuria decreased significantly after RTX treatment and in the last measurement (P=0.01 and P=0.001, respectively). Serum creatinine significantly decreased only in the last measurement (P=0.02). Double stranded DNA decreased remarkably after treatment (P=0.01) with a further decrease in the last measurement (P=0.006). C3 and C4 increased after treatment but the increase was significant only for C3 (P=0.002) and this increase continues till the last measurement (P=0.0006). Active urine sediments found in fifteen patients and disappeared after RTX treatment. Rituximab can be promising in treating lupus nephritis when used along with traditional immunosuppressants. It can reduce disease activity and improve renal function in such patients.
Background: Denture relining is the process of resurfacing of the tissue side of the ill fitting denture, the bond strength at the relining-denture base interface is most important for denture durability.The aim of present study was to evaluate the shear bond strength between the thermosens as relining material and different denture base materials that bonded by thermo fusing liquid. As this corrective procedureis the common chair side procedure in the dental clinic. Material and method: Sixty samples were prepared and divided into three main groups according to the type of denture base materials.Group (A) referred to the heat cure acrylic samples which consisted of 20 samples. Group (B) referred to the high impact acrylic samples which con
... Show MoreThis study was done to test the activity of some plant extracts as antioxidant agents. The plants were (Morus rubra, Hibiscus sabdariffa L ., Rhus coriaria L., Anethum graveolens and Petroselinum sativum).
Ethanolic 98% (24 hours/ 25˚c) and distilled water (30 minutes/ 25˚c have been used for extraction.The Total phenols, total flavonoids, total anthocyanin, antioxidant activities were studied.
The extract of Morus rubra was chosen because it has a higher antioxidant activity.
The phenolic extract of Morus rubra was prepare and examined by application it in burger . The antioxidant activity test of Morus rubra was made before and after 3,6 days of cold storage. The sensory evaluation of all treatments were done within 5,1
Different frequency distributions models were fitted to the monthly data of raw water Turbidity at water treatment plants (WTPs) along Tigris River in Baghdad. Eight water treatment plants in Baghdad were selected, with raw water turbidity data for the period (2008-2014). The frequency distribution models used in this study are the Normal, Log-normal, Weibull, Exponential and two parameters Gamma type. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to evaluate the goodness of fit. The data for years (2008-2011) were used for building the models. The best fitted distributions were Log-Normal (LN) for Al-Karkh, Al-Wathbah, Al-Qadisiya, Al- Dawrah and, Al-Rashid WTPs. Gamma distribution fitted well for East Tigris and Al-Karamah WTPs. As for Al-
... Show MoreDifferent frequency distributions models were fitted to the monthly data of raw water Turbidity at water treatment plants (WTPs) along Tigris River in Baghdad. Eight water treatment plants in Baghdad were selected, with raw water turbidity data for the period (2008-2014). The frequency distribution models used in this study are the Normal, Log-normal, Weibull, Exponential and two parameters Gamma type. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to evaluate the goodness of fit. The data for years (2008-2011) were used for building the models. The best fitted distributions were Log-Normal (LN) for Al-Karkh, Al-Wathbah, Al-Qadisiya, Al-Dawrah and, Al-Rashid WTPs. Gamma distribution fitted well for East Tigris and Al-Karamah
... Show MoreMost dental supplies don't seem to be much of a barrier against germ infiltration. Therefore, the filling must be done with perfect caution and high antimicrobial effectiveness. When dental erosion occurs due to germs that lead to caries, a dental filling is used, creating a small microscopic space between the dental filling and the root end infiltration. This allowed the tooth to be penetrated for the second time, which was the research problem. Adding two compounds to antibacterial fillers (zinc polycarboxylate cement) made them work better: Firstly, was zinc oxide (ZnO) that was made chemically, and secondly, was green ZnO nanoparticles that were made from orange peels and mixed with ZPCC in different amounts. The study was conducte
... Show MorePurpose – The main purpose of this research is to highlight the main role of strategic leadership skills for top managements in accessing to effective management in accordance with the (VUCA Prime) methodology in (VUCA) environment as Miniature virtual environment, which refers to (Volatility), (Uncertainty), (Complexity), and (Ambiguity).
methodology – To achieve the research objective, this study selected the quantitative approach in research design, Questionnaire was used as the main instrument for data collection, the sample comprised the opinion poll (106) individual who functions as a head department. (Structural equation modelling by (Smart Pls3)
... Show MoreIn this paper, a mathematical model consisting of a prey-predator system incorporating infectious disease in the prey has been proposed and analyzed. It is assumed that the predator preys upon the nonrefugees prey only according to the modified Holling type-II functional response. There is a harvesting process from the predator. The existence and uniqueness of the solution in addition to their bounded are discussed. The stability analysis of the model around all possible equilibrium points is investigated. The persistence conditions of the system are established. Local bifurcation analysis in view of the Sotomayor theorem is carried out. Numerical simulation has been applied to investigate the global dynamics and specify the effect
... Show Mores The study aims to identify the fairness in the distribution of municipal services between municipal districts and areas, from point of view of municipal chamber staff and from the point of view of the citizen. It also aims to identify factors affecting the fairness of the distribution of municipal services. Municipal services were being studied : hygiene and waste, water supply, sewer, creating gardens, and street paving .Factors which examined its impact on municipal services are: resources available to municipal chamber, the managerial process at municipal chamber, and factors in the external environment surrounding municipal chamber.The results of the study showed that level of the e
... Show MoreMixture experiments are response variables based on the proportions of component for this mixture. In our research we will compare the scheffʼe model with the kronecker model for the mixture experiments, especially when the experimental area is restricted.
Because of the experience of the mixture of high correlation problem and the problem of multicollinearity between the explanatory variables, which has an effect on the calculation of the Fisher information matrix of the regression model.
to estimate the parameters of the mixture model, we used the (generalized inverse ) And the Stepwise Regression procedure
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