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.
Deontic modality expresses what is necessary or possible according to the norms of morality and laws of community. It is a cover term for those cases where modal auxiliaries used to express notions like ''obligation'', ''prohibition'' and, ''permission''. Deontic modals are basically performatives, having the ''so-be-it'' component of directives in that the speaker directs the behavior of the addressee to get things done. The present study identifies the use of deontic models in international contracts to prove that there are major pragmatic strategies employed in writing them. To achieve the aim of the study, a modified model of Danet’s (1980) and Trosborg’s (1995) in accordance to Searle (1969) is used to analyze 16 texts selected fro
... Show MoreObjectives: To assess the qualifications and performance of newly graduated pharmacists and explore factors that affect their performance in public hospitals. Methods: This qualitative study included face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with hospital practitioner pharmacists. It was conducted between March and May 2023 in Kerbala province, Iraq. The participating pharmacists were selected purposefully because they had three or more years of work experience at governmental hospitals. The audio-recording interviews were transcribed. Thematic analyses were used to generate themes and subthemes from the interviews. Results: Twenty-seven hospital pharmacists participated in this study. The study found that there are several factors t
... Show MoreWith the increasing rates of cancer worldwide, a great deal of scientific discourse is devoted to arguments and statements about cancer and its causes. Scientists from different fields try to seize any available chance to warn people of the risk of consuming and exposing to carcinogens that have, unfortunately, become essential parts of modern life. The present paper attempts to investigate the proximization strategy through which scientists construct carcinogen risk to enhance people’s preventive actions against these carcinogens. The paper targets the construction which depends on producing the conflict between the values of the people themselves and the contrasting values assigned to carcinogens. To achieve this aim, Cap’s (2
... Show MoreThe anatomic characteristics of the leaves of 22 taxa of Stachys L. representing seven of the currently recognized sections distributed in northern Iraq, were examined. The study did not found any variations in the characteristics of the stomata system of the leaves.Therewere variations with a good taxonomic value in other anatomic characteristics.Thevariations in characters of the mesophyll tissue in S.kurdica var.brevidens Bom ex Bhattacharjeewas bifacial but in S.kurdica var.kurdica Boiss. & Hohen.was unifacial .The study also found that the taxa S.benthamiana Bioss., S.lanigera (Bornm.) Rech.f. andS.kotscyi Bioss. with 3 vascular bundles in the middle vein while the taxa S.ballotiformis Vatke., S.megalodonta Hausskn. &Bo
... Show MoreA study of irrigation water was conducted Baghdad city to find out extent of its pollution by some heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Ni, Co, CU, Cr, Zn and Fe). Water samples were collected randomly from different sources (river, well and stream). Results showed that the concentration of studied heavy metals were as follows: Lead between 0.43-11.75 mg L-1, Cadmium between 0.01-0.95 mg L-1, Nickel between 0.008-0.46 mg L-1, Cobalt between Nil - 0.185 mg L-1, Copper is between 0.326 - 1.58 mg L-1, Chromium is between Nil-0.068 mg L-1, Zinc 0.398-1.182 mg L-1, as for Iro
The anatomic characteristics of the leaves of 22 taxa of Stachys L. representing seven of the currently recognized sections distributed in northern Iraq, were examined. The study did not found any variations in the characteristics of the stomata system of the leaves.Therewere variations with a good taxonomic value in other anatomic characteristics.Thevariations in characters of the mesophyll tissue in S.kurdica var.brevidens Bom ex Bhattacharjeewas bifacial but in S.kurdica var.kurdica Boiss. & Hohen.was unifacial .The study also found that the taxa S.benthamiana Bioss., S.lanigera (Bornm.) Rech.f. andS.kotscyi Bioss. with 3 vascular bundles in the middle vein while the taxa S.ballotiformis Vatke., S.megalodonta Hausskn. &Bornm.exP.H.Davis
... Show MorePurpose: The main objective of this paper is, to determine the optimal no. of technicians’ men in a workshop crew of an Industrial System. Theoretical framework: The purpose of applying these tools is to explore their ability to reduce costs and improvements that can be obtained in the process of providing services to the end customer. Design/methodology/approach: The literature structure review was built from analyzing 12 of scientific papers and books, from web sciences and the Elsevier database. The papers were analyzed from descriptive, methodologic, and citation characteristics. Finding: By applying the equation model of the paper, the optimal no. of technician men in the crew of the workshop can be determined when
... Show MoreThe research dealt with the issue of strategic information systems and its impact on the global marketing channel. As the research aims to know the strategic information systems used in the cement company. Which support the senior management in supporting decisions taken in the process of global orientation and moving to foreign markets by choosing the marketing channel that will suit the company. Product and competition with it. With other companies' products. The problem of the study focused on how to move to global markets, and any marketing channel that can be followed to move the cement product globally, what are the strategic information systems used in the company and how will it contribute to supporting senior management dec
... Show MorePost-structural critical studies highlighted the importance of studying the texts surrounding the text as an important part in the process of receiving and understanding texts, and although this topic was dealt with by the ancient Arabs and Europeans, interest in it appeared clearly after the appearance of Gerard Genet's book (SEUILS), which separated it Text Thresholds. Or what he called paratexte, and dealt with them with interest as he reads them on books. With the development of semiotic studies, interest in paratexte studies began in a broader way and in various literary and non-literary texts, including journalistic texts. And since specialized magazines are one of the press releases that enjoy their privacy in terms of topics and
... Show MoreAgricultural companies could push investment forward and help in production base variation and developing production techniques. They also play a significant role in organizing and providing requirements of market economy. This work aimed at studying economic efficiency of the six agricultural companies that are registered at Iraqi stock market for the period 2005-2016. Capital of these companies was between (300 million-7.5 billion IQD). Several financial analysis indicators were applied such as activity percentages. Average of capital circulation was 0.91 for private company of agricultural production، and lowest share was for Iraqi company for producing and marketing field crops. Assets average circulation was highest for the pr
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