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: The human face has its special characteristics. It may be categorized into essentially three kinds in horizontal and vertical directions: short or brachyfacial, medium or mesofacial and long or dolichofacial. The aim of this study was to describe several orofacial indices and proportions of adults, according to gender in Iraqi subjects by using cone beam computed tomography . materials and methods: This prospective study included 100 Iraqi patients (males and females) ranging from 20 to 40 years. All subjects attended the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Department of Health Specialist Center for Dentistry in AL Sadr city in Baghdad taking cone beam computed tomography scan for different diagnostic purposes from October 2016 to
... Show MoreFinancial Reporting Quality (FRQ) is one of the important topics in the financial management, it has the impact on the users decisions, it also effect on many other variables i.e dividend, therefore. This paper aims to provide a diameter of Financial Reporting Quality (FRQ) level for the companies listed on the Iraqi Stock Exchange. It also tries to show the FRQ effects on the dividend policy. The study sample was 13 listed companies in the Iraqi Stock Exchange for the period from 2007 to 2011. Kothari et al. 2005 model has been used to measure the FRQ, on the other hand the common stock share of the dividend was used to measure the dividend.
Many conclusions have been driven by the research
... Show MoreBackground: Radial neck fractures in children account for 5 to 10% of all elbow fractures in children. They are extra-articular fractures of the radius proximal to the bicipital tuberosity. The physis is typically involved as a Salter-Harris I or II pattern. Alternatively, the fracture sometimes is extraphyseal, through the metaphysis. In children there is considerable potential for remodeling after these fractures. Up to 30° of radial head tilt and up to 3 mm of transverse displacement are acceptable. Many modalities of treatment are available regarding Surgical &Non-Surgical treatments. Objectives: To evaluate the functional outcome after surgical percutaneous joystick reduction therapy of severely angulated radial neck fracture i
... Show MoreObjective: Atorvastatin therapy is now recommended for reduction of cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetic patients (T2DM), based on convincing evidence of reductions in mortality and vascular events in major clinical outcome trials. The aim is to evaluate the effects of atorvastatin on proinflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-6), HbA1c andleptin in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Sixty fivenewly diagnosed T2DM patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups; group I treated with metformin only; in group II atorvastatin was added with metformin. Twenty healthy subjects were enrolled as control group. While maintaining their usual eating habits, fasting blood samples were collected at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. Results
... Show MoreWith growing global demand for hydrocarbons and decreasing conventional reserves, the gas industry is shifting its focus in the direction of unconventional reservoirs. Tight gas reservoirs have typically been deemed uneconomical due to their low permeability which is understood to be below 0.1mD, requiring advanced drilling techniques and stimulation to enhance hydrocarbons. However, the first step in determining the economic viability of the reservoir is to see how much gas is initially in place. Numerical simulation has been regarded across the industry as the most accurate form of gas estimation, however, is extremely costly and time consuming. The aim of this study is to provide a framework for a simple analytical method to esti
... Show MoreThis study aimed at recognizing the impact of empowerment of human resources strategy on enhancing the financial performance in working banks in Jordan, the axes of the strategy were: informative sharing, free and independence, working teams, and organizational power. To achieve the objective of the study, a questionnaire is designed and distributed on the sample of the study, which represented 60 employees of Banks. After analyzing the data by using SPSS, the study resulted that there is positive impact of empowerment of human resources strategy on enhancing the financial performance in working banks in Jordan. It suggested that the working banks in Jordan should establish database, and to create working teams.
... Show MoreThe technology and modern social communication medias have contributed to changing many of our concepts about education to a large extent; these technological advancements have created new challenges for the Instructor of course, but on the other hand it did provided him with expressive media, models and strategies that the old methods cannot fulfill, including the flipped classroom strategy, which is one of the modern technical solutions and in it's optimal use it can correct the weakness of the traditional education and can develop the communication skills as a whole among the students, in order to create a positive, active and interactive student.
The current research contained - four chapters: the first one included the methodolog
The results show the inability to apply the Taylor rule within inflation and GDP Gaps because the monetary behave is elated from the Iraqi economy.
When applying the Taylor rule to exchange rate with the inflation and the output gap, the results do not match the nominal price announced by the central thing, which proves the lack of commitment by the Central Bank by using the Taylor rule, whether short-run interest rate or exchange rate (Nominal Anchor), so it did not stay to the Iraqi Central Bank only using the principle of Taylor with the expected inflation rate below the level of output (Macro activity) for the separation of monetary behavior from the real one o
... Show MoreThe aim of this research is to identify the effect of Webinar technique on digital culture in the College of Education for pure sciences at Ibin Haitham, University of Baghdad. The research samples consisted of (68) male and female students from the Chemistry Department who are following classes during the (2019- 2020) academic year. The samples represent (42%) of the total number of (162) students split into control and experimental groups. For this purpose, the scientific contents for testing were determined. The experimental part is based on analysis of the results from experiments in (preliminary standard solutions, refractive index, Beer-Lambert law). To achieve the aim of the research in testing the measure of student's digital cultur
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