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.
The purpose of the study is to identify the need to improve health services in Iraq by determining the efficiency of service in health care centres and working on exploiting limited resources through choosing the most efficient technological art represented by using precast concrete technology to fill the shortfall in the establishment health centres for primary care and to explain the impact of this on saving resources, time, and increasing production efficiency. To achieve this, the quantitative analysis adopted as a methodology in the study by determining the size of the deficit in the infrastructure of health centres for primary care according to the standard of a he
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to identify the effect of particle size and to increase the concentration of Iraqi bentonite on rheological properties in order to evaluate its performance and to know if it can be used as drilling fluid without additives or not. In this study, Iraqi bentonite was carried out by mineral composition (XRD), chemical composition (XRF) and Particle size distribution (PSD), and its rheological properties were measured at different particle size and concentration. The results showed that when the particle size of Iraqi bentonite decreased, and the rheological properties were increased with increased concentration of Iraqi bentonite. Also, Iraqi bentonite was unable to use as drilling fluid without certain additives.
... Show MoreABSTRACT Purpose: The determination of standard scores and levels for some mental skills by researchers is of great importance, especially if it matches the target research sample, Method: as the researchers used the descriptive approach in the survey method, and the researchers chose the sample of youth players for clubs for the season (2022-2021), numbering (127) players, and the researchers identified the scale and procedures and applied it to the research sample, Results: obtained the results that were processed, extracted grades and standard levels, and then interpreted them and obtained conclusions, Conclusion: the most important of which are: The standard levels of mental skills reached the results of the sample studied within the
... Show MoreThis work targeted studying organogel as a potential floating system. Organgel has an excellent viscoelastic properties, floating system posses a depot property. Different formulations of 12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (HOA) in sesame oil were gelled and selecting F1, F3 and F5 HOA organogels for various examinations: tabletop rheology, optical microscopy, and oscillatory rheology studies. Also, the floating properties studies were conducted at in vitro and in-vivo levels. Lastly, the in-vitro release study using cinnarizine (CN) was to investigate the organogel depot property. Based on the results, the selected concentrations of HOA in sesame oil organogels showed temperature transitions fr
... Show Moreتم في هذه الدراسة ، تزيين رقائق أكسيد الجرافين (GO) بجسيمات كوبلتيت النيكل النانوية NiCo2O4(NC) عن طريق الترسيب في الموقع ، وتم استخدام المتراكب المحضر (NC: GO) كسطح ماز لإزالة صبغة الميثيل الخضراء ( MG) من المحاليل المائية. تم التحقق من التغطية الناجحة لأوكسيد الجرافين بجزيئات كوبلتيت النيكل النانوية (NC) باستخدام دراسات FT-IR وحيود الأشعة السينية (XRD). كانت أحجام الجسيم
... Show MoreThe study was conducted to assess the attitude and awareness of a sample of people regarding the indiscriminate slaughter and its effects on health and the environment compared with slaughtering in a slaughterhouse. The sample consisted of 120 persons from six equal professional groups contacted with the butchery labour (livestock keeper, truck driver, butcher, veterinarian, shopkeeper and consumer). The age ranged 22-76 years old, mean 52±10 years, lived ≥ 5 years in the Baghdad city. The results showed that there is a preference for slaughtering inside the slaughterhouse due to the presence of veterinary examination, slaughtering and preparing meat in a healthy, easy-to-clean places, unlike the indiscriminate sla
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Iraqi conventional gasoline characterized by its low octane number not exceed 82 and high lead and sulfur content. In this paper tri-component or ternary, blends of gasoline, ethanol, and methanol presented as an alternative fuel for Iraqi conventional gasoline. The study conducted by using GEM blend that equals E85 blend in octane rating. The used GEM selected from Turner, 2010 collection. G37 E20 M43 (37% gasoline + 20% ethanol+ 43% methanol) was chosen as GEM in present study. This blend used in multi-cylinder Mercedes engine, and the engine performance, and emitted emissions compared with that produced by a gasoline engine.
The results show that this blend can formulate with available Iraqi pro
... Show MoreIn this study, plastic wastes named (PET and PVC) were used to prepare polymer matrix composite (PMC) which can be used in different applications. Composite materials were prepared by mixing unsaturated polyester resin (UP) with plastic wastes, two types of plastic waste were used in this work included polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with various weight fractions (0, 5,10,15, 20 and 25%) added as a filler in flakes form. In this work, some of the tests that were carried out included (tensile, bending, and compressive strength) as mechanical tests, in addition to (thermal conductivity and water absorption) as physical tests. The values of tensile, compressive strength and Young's modulus of UP increased after
... Show MoreLarge amounts of plasma, the universe’s fourth most common kind of stuff, may be found across our galaxy and other galaxies. There are four types of matter in the cosmos, and plasma is the most common. By heating the compressed air or inert gases to create negatively and positively charged particles known as ions, electrically neutral particles in their natural state are formed. Many scientists are currently focusing their efforts on the development of artificial plasma and the possible advantages it may have for humankind in the near future. In the literature, there is a scarcity of information regarding plasma applications. It’s the goal of this page to describe particular methods for creating and using plasma, which may be us
... Show MoreBlockchain technology relies on cryptographic techniques that provide various advantages, such as trustworthiness, collaboration, organization, identification, integrity, and transparency. Meanwhile, data analytics refers to the process of utilizing techniques to analyze big data and comprehend the relationships between data points to draw meaningful conclusions. The field of data analytics in Blockchain is relatively new, and few studies have been conducted to examine the challenges involved in Blockchain data analytics. This article presents a systematic analysis of how data analytics affects Blockchain performance, with the aim of investigating the current state of Blockchain-based data analytics techniques in research fields and
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