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.
University campuses in Iraq are substantial energy consumers, with consumption increasing significantly during periods of high temperatures, underscoring the necessity to enhance their energy performance. Energy simulation tools offer valuable insights into evaluating and improving the energy efficiency of buildings. This study focuses on simulating passive architectural design for three selected buildings at Al-Khwarizmi College of Engineering (AKCOE) to examine the effectiveness of their cooling systems. DesignBuilder software was employed, and climatic data for a year in Baghdad was collected to assess the influence of passive architectural strategies on the thermal performance of the targeted buildings. The simulations revealed that the
... Show MoreBackground: One of the major problems in endodontics is micro-leakage of root canal fillings which might contribute to the failure of endodontic treatment. To avoid this problem, a variety of sealers have been tested. The objective of this, in vitro, study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of four resin based sealers (AH plus, silver free AH26, RealSeal SE and Perma Evolution permanent root canal filling material) to dentin. Materials and Methods: Forty non-carious extracted lower premolars were used. The 2mm of the occlusal surfaces of teeth were sectioned, to expose the dentin surface. The exposed dentin surfaces of teeth were washed with 5ml of 2.5% NaOCl solution followed by 5ml of 17 % EDTA then rinsed by deionized water to remov
... Show MoreThe Incentives legislation aims to raise the efficiency of job performance of all kinds through optimal investment of human resources and their capabilities to raise or increase and production influence and provide distinguished and creative services such as The Incentives Law of Productive Ministries Employees No. 20 of 1993 and instructions issued by ministries and relevant Facilities regarding incentives for their affiliates based on provisions Public Companies Law and the instructions of the Higher Education Fund issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The human element is the most unstable and complex element of production as it is characterized by a set of feelings and emotions that is expresses
... Show MoreA 3D Geological model was generated using an advanced geostatistical method for the Cretaceous reservoir in the Bai Hassan oil field. In this study, a 3D geological model was built based on data from four wells for the petrophysical property distribution of permeability, porosity, water saturation, and NTG by using Petrel 2021 software. The geological model was divided into a structural model and a property model. The geological structures of the cretaceous reservoir in the Bai Hassan oil field represent elongated anticline folds with two faults, which had been clarified in the 3D Structural model. Thirteen formations represent the Cretaceous reservoir which includes (Shiranish, Mashurah, U.kometan, Kometan Shale, L. Kometan, Gulnen
... Show MoreThe resort to the eloquence of the poetic image as a style reveals the poet's creativity and creativity in dealing with external influences, and reflect them with emotional images express a sense of intense emotional imagination, and this imagination stems from the experience of a poetic sense of truth, tasted by the recipient before the creator of the poetic text.
Building numerical reservoir simulation model with a view to model actual case requires enormous amount of data and information. Such modeling and simulation processes normally require lengthy time and different sets of field data and experimental tests that are usually very expensive. In addition, the availability, quality and accessibility of all necessary data are very limited, especially for the green field. The degree of complexities of such modelling increases significantly especially in the case of heterogeneous nature typically inherited in unconventional reservoirs. In this perspective, this study focuses on exploring the possibility of simplifying the numerical simulation pr
Objective)s): To evaluate the quality of life for adult clients with hypermobility syndrome at private clinics in Baghdad City. Methodology: A cross-sectional study used a purposive ‘’non-probability’’ sample of (75) adult clients with Hypermobility Syndrome (HMS) male and female who age (25-64) years. The data were collected through the utilization of standard developed questionnaire of the world health organization (WHO). Data collected by interview with each client who is involved in the study. Each interview takes approximately (20) minutes. Results: The study revealed that there is an effect of hypermobility syndrome on the quality of life, which recorded fair level in general. The study also reported that there is an effect
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