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.
Canonical correlation analysis is one of the common methods for analyzing data and know the relationship between two sets of variables under study, as it depends on the process of analyzing the variance matrix or the correlation matrix. Researchers resort to the use of many methods to estimate canonical correlation (CC); some are biased for outliers, and others are resistant to those values; in addition, there are standards that check the efficiency of estimation methods.
In our research, we dealt with robust estimation methods that depend on the correlation matrix in the analysis process to obtain a robust canonical correlation coefficient, which is the method of Biwe
... Show MoreBN Rashid, AKF Jameel, Al- Ustath: Quarterly Scientific Journal, 2017 - Cited by 15
Abstract
This study talks about a wonderful Qur'anic style. relates to one of the methods used in it. And it's the rhetorical style: ''Affirmative say''. It is useful in arguing with the opponent, nullifying his reasoning, and proving the opposite meaning of the opponent. The study will be conducted from a Qur'anic perspective based on the study of examples of it, and partly in interpretive treatment through the book of editing and enlightenment of Taher Ibn Ashour, known for his art in matters of rhetoric and methods of controversy. This is with the rooting of this issue, and the relationship of industrial sciences to it as a Qur'anic style.
Keywords: ''Affirmative say, style, Qur'anic rhetoric, Arabic rhetoric, Co
... Show MoreThe whole world and the Arab world, especially an important part of this international system, is undergoing a radical transformation at all levels. This mosaic of political, economic, social and military relations and alliances, whether based on the special interests of the major Powers or on the basis of mutual interests, The major transformations to social, economic, political and military conflict and these transformations still bear more surprises, at all levels, nothing remains constant, all changed, relations changed and alliances changed and loyalties fell and the principles of the M changed and the spectacular imperial economies collapsed and the will of the masses was no longer fixed.
An edge dominating set of a graph is said to be an odd (even) sum degree edge dominating set (osded (esded) - set) of G if the sum of the degree of all edges in X is an odd (even) number. The odd (even) sum degree edge domination number is the minimum cardinality taken over all odd (even) sum degree edge dominating sets of G and is defined as zero if no such odd (even) sum degree edge dominating set exists in G. In this paper, the odd (even) sum degree domination concept is extended on the co-dominating set E-T of a graph G, where T is an edge dominating set of G. The corresponding parameters co-odd (even) sum degree edge dominating set, co-odd (even) sum degree edge domination number and co-odd (even) sum degree edge domin
... Show MorePraise be to God, Lord of the worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the best of the messengers, Muhammad, and all his family and companions. And after:
For when I had the pleasure of looking at the chapters of the Noble Qur’an, and its evident signs, my view fell on one of its brightest verses, and it is the Almighty saying: ﭽﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨﭼ (). The tag: (God’s Greatness in Creating a Hoopoe). The research methodology required that I divide it into four sections:
The first topic: an overview of birds.
The second topic: the characteristics and characteristics of hoopoe.
The third topic: the logic of the bird.
The fourth topic: Praise the bird.
This has relied in my research on
The research aims to indicate the relationship between lean production tools included seven {constant improvement , and Just in time (JIT), and the production smoothing , and quality at the source, and standardized work, Visual management, and activities 5S } and Mass Customization strategy for the model (Pine & Gilomer, 1997) {collaborative, adaptive, cosmetic, transparent}, as well as providing a conceptual framework and applied for variables search to clarify how they will choose a Mass Customization strategy through the lean production tools, , and recognize the reality of the practices of Iraqi industries in such a field. Moreover, aims to highlight the positive aspects that accrue to companies a
... Show MoreShatt Al-Arab River in Al Basrah, Iraq, has recently recorded massive levels of TDS values (Total Dissolved Solids) in the water as a result of reduced fresh water discharge from sources, causing the river to become salinized due to salt wedge intrusion. Therefore, a block dam in the south reach is required to salt intrusion prevention. The main objective of this research is to simulate the hydraulic impact of a suggested barrage in Ras Al Besha on the Shatt Al-Arab River. The HEC-RAS (5.0.7) model was used to develop a one-dimensional unsteady model to gaining an understanding of the proposed barrage's influence on river behaviour. The daily discharges of the Tigris River provided as the upstream boundary conditions, wh
... Show MoreBackground Molluscum contagiosum is skin disease caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) usually causing one or more small dome shaped umbilicated papules with symptoms that maybe self-resolve. MCV was once a disease primarily of children, but it has evolved to become a sexually transmitted disease in adults. It is believed to be a member of the pox virus family. In addition to the classic presentation of the disease; it can also come in different clinical forms that simulate large number of dermatolological disease.
Objective: To study different clinical forms of Molluscum contagiosum presentation in different age groups of Iraqi patients.
Method:This clinical descriptive study was performed in the outpatient department of