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.
The research aims to identify the extent to which Iraqi private banks practice profit management motivated by reducing the taxable base by increasing the provision for loan losses by relying on the LLP it model, which consists of a main independent variable (net profit before tax) and independent sub-variables (bank size, total debts to total equity, loans granted to total obligations) under the name of the variables governing the banking business. (Colmgrove-Smirnov) was used to test the normal distribution of data for all banks during the period 2017-2020, and then find the correlation between the main independent variable sub and the dependent variable by means of the correlation coefficient person, and then using the multiple
... Show MoreThe continuous technical development in the means of communication and information technologies has led to an increase in competition in the provision of service and product on the part of the organizations, as this competition does not know silence and stability on specific methods, but rather it is a world that is constantly moving and renewed in approaches, methods and approaches, and the focus of attention of integrated marketing communications practitioners are Customers, for them, organizations sell their goods, products, services, and ideas, and with them, they become stronger in competition.
This scientific study aimed to identify the trends of the initiators towards the integrated marketing communications of (the Emirates Tel
The problem of the study and its significance:
Due to the increasing pressures of life continually, and constant quest behind materialism necessary and frustrations that confront us daily in general, the greater the emergence of a number of cases of disease organic roots psychological causing them because of severity of a lack of response to conventional treatments (drugs), and this is creating in patients a number of emotional disorders resulting from concern the risk of disease
That is interested psychologists and doctors searchin
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to assess the hydrocarbon degradation abilities of Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Pentoae species, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterobacter cloacae, which isolated from diesel contaminated soil samples. Single strains and mixed bacterial consortia have been investigated their ability to degrade 1.0 % (v/v) of diesel oil in Bushnell- Haas medium as sole.carbon.and.energy.source. At temperature 30∘C, the individual.bacterial.isolates exhibited low growth and low degradation.than did the.mixed. bacterial.culture. After 28 days.of incubation the.combination.of four isolates degraded.an upper limit.of diesel 88.4%. This was. continued.by 85.1% by S. paucimobilis, 84 % by Pentoae sp., 79% by S.aureus, and
... Show MoreThis work studied the electrical and thermal surface conductivity enhancement of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) clouded by double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) by using pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Variable input factors are considered as the laser energy (or the relevant power), pulse duration and pulse repetition rate. Results indicated that the DWCNTs increased the PMMA’s surface electrical conductivity from 10-15 S/m to 0.813×103 S/m while the MWCNTs raised it to 0.14×103 S/m. Hence, the DWCNTs achieved an increase of almost 6 times than that for the MWCNTs. Moreover, the former increased the thermal conductivity of the surface by 8 times and the later by 5 times.
The petroleum industry, which is one of the pillars of the national economy, has the potential to generate vast wealth and employment possibilities. The transportation of petroleum products is complicated and changeable because of the hazards caused by the corrosion consequences. Hazardous chemical leaks caused by natural disasters may harm the environment, resulting in significant economic losses. It significantly threatens the aim for sustainable development. When a result, determining the likelihood of leakage and the potential for environmental harm, it becomes a top priority for decision-makers as they develop maintenance plans. This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the risks associated with oil and gas pipeli
... Show MoreThe research aims to evaluate the radioactivity in elected samples of cereals and legume which are wide human consumption in Iraq using Nuclear Track Detectors (NTDs) model CN-85.
The samples were prepared scientifically according to references in this field. After 150 days of exposure, the detector were collected and chemically treated according to scientific sources (etching chemical), nuclear effects have been calculated using the optical microscope.
Radon (222Rn) concentration and uranium (238U) were calculated in unit Bq/m3 and (ppm), the results indicate that the highest concentration of radon and uranium was in yellow corn where the concentration of radon was 137.17×102 Bq/m3 and uranium concentration 2.63 (ppm). The lowest
The food web is a crucial conceptual tool for understanding the dynamics of energy transfer in an ecosystem, as well as the feeding relationships among species within a community. It also reveals species interactions and community structure. As a result, an ecological food web system with two predators competing for prey while experiencing fear was developed and studied. The properties of the solution of the system were determined, and all potential equilibrium points were identified. The dynamic behavior in their immediate surroundings was examined both locally and globally. The system’s persistence demands were calculated, and all conceivable forms of local bifurcations were investigated. With the aid of MATLAB, a numerical simu
... Show MoreThis paper investigate a sensorless speed control of a separately excited dc motor fed from a buck type dc-dc converter. The control system is designed in digital technique by using a two dimension look-up table. The performance of the drive system was evaluated by digital simulation using Simulink toolbox of Matlab.