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.
A single-crystalline semi-polar gallium nitride (11-22) was grown on m-plane (10-10) sapphire substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Three-step approach was introduced to investigate the grain size evolution for semi-polar (11-22) GaN. Such approach was achieved due to the optimized gallium to ammonia ratio and temperature variations, which led to high quality (11-22) oriented gallium nitride epilayers. The full width at half maximum values along (-1-123) and (1-100) planes for the overgrowth temperature of 1080°C were found to be as low as 0.37° and 0.49°, respectively. This was an indication of the enhanced coalescence and reduction in root mean square roughness as seen by atomic force microscopy. Surface analysi
... Show MoreThe purpose of this paper is to identify environmental awareness under the Corona pandemic among students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Kufa. and comparison of environmental awareness under the Corona pandemic between students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Kufa. The two researchers used the descriptive approach in the style of the survey and comparisons to identify the research community in the students of the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Kufa for the academic year 2020-2021, who numbered (210) students, then a sample of (80) students was chosen randomly, with a percentage of (38.09%) from the research co
... Show MoreThe main aim of the research is to identify the impact of the application of IFRS for SMEs on optimizing the utility of information for financial reports. To answer the questions and test the hypotheses of the research, researchers relied on the descriptive analytical approach. First, the researchers clarified the theoretical aspect through previous studies, and then they analyses d the results of the applied study by testing the hypothesis using the SPSS.
A questionnaire was distributed after evaluation and arbitration by a number of specialists on selected sample. The sample of 120 respondents consists of general managers, department directors, head of departments, accountants, auditors and financial controllers working in the
... Show MoreNew series of 4, 4'-((2-(Aryl)-1H-benzo [d] imidazole-1, 3 (2H)-diyl) bis (methylene)) Diphenol (3a-g) was successfully synthesized from cyclization of the reduction product of bis Schiff bases (2) with aryl aldehydes bearing phenolic hydroxyl in the presence of acetic acid. The structure of these compounds was identified from FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and EIMs. The Antioxidant capability was screened by DPPH and FRAP assays. Both assays showed antioxidant capability more than BHT as well. Compounds 3b and 3c showed antioxidant capacity slightly less than ascorbic acid. The docking study for theses compound was carried out as III DNA polymerase inhibitor. The results of docking demonstrated that the increase in hinderances around phenolic hydr
... Show MoreBackground: Molar Incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) is one of the biggest challenges with great clinical interest. Currently, the etiology of MIH remains unclear. There is no previous study concerning school children aged 7 – 9 years in Al-Najaf governorate in order to estimate the prevalence and severity of molar incisor hypomineralisation and the possible associated risk factors. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, severity and the possible associated etiological factors of molar incisor hypomineralisation and also to study the correlation between body mass index and molar incisor hypomineralisation. Material and Methods: Across sectional study conducted at Al-Najaf Governorate. A total of 600 children were enrolled those
... Show MorePurpose: To determine the effect of information technology governance (ITG) under the control objectives for information and related technologies (COBIT) on financial performance is the objective of this study. Additionally, the article seeks to look into the relationships between the factors under consideration. Theoretical framework: Information technology and operational processes are evaluated and ensure their compliance with the instructions of the Central Bank of Iraq. Therefore, the research dealt with a conceptual framework by reviewing the literature on the importance of the COBIT framework in assessing financial performance. Design/methodology/approach: To investigate the effect of information technology; we the valu
... Show MoreIn this research, the size strain plot method was used to estimate the particle size and lattice strain of CaTiO3 nanoparticles. The SSP method was developed to calculate new variables, namely stress, and strain energy, and the results were crystallite size (44.7181794 nm) lattice strain (0.001211), This method has been modified to calculate new variables such as stress and its value (184.3046308X10-3Mpa) and strain energy and its value (1.115833287X10-6 KJm-3).
A new series of Fe (III) , Co (II) , Ni (II) and Cu (II) complexes of the Schiff base, 5 (2-hydroxy benzylidine) -2-thio ether -1, 3, 4-thiadiazole were prepared and characterized .The imine behaves as a bidentate. The nature of bonding and the stereochemistry of the complexes were deduced from metal analyses, infrared, electronic spectra,magnetic susceptibility and conductivity measurements, an octahedral geometry was suggested for all complexes except the copper complex has a square planar geometry .preliminary in vitro tests for antimicrobial activity show that all the prepared compounds except iron complex display good activity to gram positive Staphelococcus aures and gram negative Escherchia coli.
In this research the Inter-Particle Expectation Values have been studied for atomics Helium (He) and Beryllium (Be) also for He-like ions, Be-like ions (Li-1, B+1? Li+1, Be+2, B+3) by using Hartree-Fock wave functions, We compared the results to some ions which have the same atomic number from each group with atomic number, We compared the results with published calculations to the last studied .
We have studied Bayesian method in this paper by using the modified exponential growth model, where this model is more using to represent the growth phenomena. We focus on three of prior functions (Informative, Natural Conjugate, and the function that depends on previous experiments) to use it in the Bayesian method. Where almost of observations for the growth phenomena are depended on one another, which in turn leads to a correlation between those observations, which calls to treat such this problem, called Autocorrelation, and to verified this has been used Bayesian method.
The goal of this study is to knowledge the effect of Autocorrelation on the estimation by using Bayesian method. F
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