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.
Laboratory model tests were performed to investigate the behavior of shallow and inclined skirted foundations placed on sandy soil with R.D%=30 and the extent of the impact of the positive and negative eccentric-inclined loading effect on them. To achieve the experimental tests, it was used a box of (600×600) mm cross-sectional and 600mm in height and a square footing of (50*50) mm and 10 mm in thickness attached to the skirt with Ds=0.5B and various an angle of (10°, 20°, 30°). The results showed that using skirts leads to a significant improvement in load-carrying capacity and decreased settlement. In addition, when the skirt angle increased, the ultimate load improved. Load-carrying capacity decreased with increasing eccentri
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Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is the refractive technique that began with a physical scraping of the epithelial layer of cornea subsequent by laser treatment. Post this procedure to about 48 hours the removed epithelial layer regenerated to protect the eye again. The regeneration process (called re-epithelization) started from the limbus of the cornea toward the central part of it. The re-epithelization mechanism consists of a change in cell density (mitosis) and cell concentration (migration) with a velocity in two directions: radial and tangential. In the present study, an estimation for both radial (responsible for the overlapped layers toward the outward direction of the cornea) and tangential comp
... Show MoreGraphene oxide GO was functionalized with 4-amino, 3-substituted 1H, 1, 2, 4 Triazole 5(4H) thion (ASTT) to obtain GOT. GOT characterized by FT-IR, XRD.via modification of the working electrode of the SPCE with the prepared nanomaterial (GOT) the effect of scan rate and pH on the determination of Amoxilline (AMOX) was studied using cyclic voltammetry. AMOX show various responses at pH ranging from 2 to 7 and also was observed sharp increase in the oxidation peaks in the pH 3. The formal potential (midpoint) for AMOX was highly pH-dependent. From the effect of scan rate, surface coverage concentration Γ of electroactive species the values of the electron transfer coefficient and the electron transfer constant rate ket was obtained as 5.39×
... Show MoreAl-Naymi, N.A.Sh., H.A.S. AL-Nuaimi and M.R. Nashaat. 2022. Toxicity Stress of the Durah Power Plant Ash and its Effect on the Alga Chlorococcum humicola (Naeg) Rabenhorst 1868. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 40(2): 188-192. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-040.2.188192 This study illustrates the acute toxic effect of ash released from Durah power plant (DPP) on the biology of the phytoplankton species Chlorococcum humicola in Iraq. The results showed that the median lethal concentration for killing 50% of the Alga population (LC50) was 0.15 and 0.13 ppt (parts per thousand) for 24 and 48 hours exposure to crude ash concentrations, respectively. In contrast, no LC50 value was recorded for 72 and 96 hrs after exposure. The reduction
... Show MoreThis study was carried out in the bee laboratory in the Faculty of Agriculture –University of Kufa in September 2021 to evaluate some protein sources and hive products against the oriental hornet Vespa orientalis Linnaeus 1771 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). The food sources included: beef meat, gut fish, beef lung, honeybee, wax, propolis, pollen, bee worker, and water, in addition to control which was an empty petri dish. The number of visits and their duration were calculated. The results showed that the wasps preferred bee honey and wax significantly higher than the rest of the stimuli.
The purpose of the study is to analyze the extent of the impact of liquidity as an independent variable on profitability as an intermediate variable and the value of banks listed in the Iraq Stock Exchange as a dependent variable, as the research problem is summarized by the fact that most banks focus on profitability as a phased goal without focusing on maximizing its value as a strategic goal by enhancing the wealth of owners and shareholders. On the long term, the research community is represented by the banks listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange, while the research sample was deliberately chosen, which included three private banks such as Baghdad Commercial Bank, the Iraqi Commercial Bank and the Iraqi Investment Bank, an
... Show MoreLaser etching may be an alternative to acid etching of enamel and dentin. Several characteristics of irradiated dental hard tissues have been considered advantageous, microscopically rough surfaces without demineralization, open dentinal tubules without smear layer production and dentin surface sterilization. The aim of this study is to determine and compare histology the microleakage in class V cavity restored with a light cured composite after conditioning the samples(tooth surface) with 1-acid etching, 2-Q-switched Nd:YAG Laser etching and finally 3- acid and laser etching. Materials and methods: Twenty four non carious human extracted teeth were used in this study. The samples were equally grouped into four groups of six teeth each.
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Heavy-duty diesel vehicle idling consumes fossil fuel and reduces atmospheric quality at idle period, but its restriction cannot simply be proscribed. A comprehensive tailpipe emissions database to describe idling impacts is not yet available. This paper presents a substantial data set that incorporates results from DI multi-cylinders Fiat diesel engine. Idle emissions of CO, hydrocarbon (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), smoke opacity, carbon dioxide (CO2) and noise have been reported, when three EGR ratios (10, 20 and 30%) were added to suction manifold.
CO2 concentrations increased with increasing idle time and engine idle speed, but it didn’t show clear effect for IT adva
... Show MoreThe study objectives were to 1) explore the real-world experience of hospital pharmacists with the differences in effectiveness safety, and interchangeability between biosimilar medicines and their reference biological counterparts, 2) reveal pharmacist recommendations to enhance the safety of biopharmaceutical medicines in public hospitals.
The study has a mixed-method design where the core component was qualitative (interviews) and the supplemental component was quantitative (adverse drug reaction, ADR, reports). This qualitative component included semi-structured (mostly face-to-face) interviews involving hospital pharmacists from different hospitals with experience with biological or biosimilar medicines. The interviews were c
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