Background: Rituximab is a chimeric IgG1 kappa immunoglobulin that has been genetically modified to incorporate human constant region sequences together with murine light- and heavy-chain variable region sequences. People use it to treat rheumatoid arthritis and certain malignancies. Objective: The study aimed to assess the potential association between the serum levels of Factor I, CD59, interleukins (IL)-6, and interferon-gamma (IFN)-γ and the response to Rituximab treatment in Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the rheumatology center at Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Ninety adult patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and are receiving Rituximab intravenous infusions were included. The enrolled patients were divided into a responder group (45 patients) and a non-responder group (45 patients). The response to Rituximab was assessed according to the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28). Results: The serum levels of Factor I and CD59 were significantly higher in the non-responders group in comparison to the responders group. In addition, the serum IL-6 and IFN-γ levels were significantly elevated in the non-responders group in comparison to the responders group. The estimated marker serum levels showed a strong, significant correlation with the 6-month change in DAS28. Conclusions: In Rituximab nonresponder RA patients, serum levels of Factor I, CD59, Factor H, IL-6, and IFN-γ are higher, and they have good potential to be used in the assessment of the response to Rituximab therapy.
The possibility of using activated carbon developed from date palm seeds wastes as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) to remove copper from polluted shallow groundwater was investigated. The activated carbon has been developed from date palm seeds by dehydrating methods using concentrated sulfuric acid. Batch tests were performed to characterize the equilibrium sorption properties of new activated carbon in copper-containing aqueous solutions, while the sandy soil (aquifer) was assumed to be inert. Under the studied conditions, the Langmuir isotherm model gives a better fit for the sorption data of copper by activated carbon than other models. At a pilot scale, One-dimensional column experiments were performed, and an integrated model ba
... Show MoreA free convective heat transfer from the inside surface of a uniformly heated vertical circular tube has been experimentally investigated under a constant wall heat flux boundary condition for laminar air flow in the ranges of RaL from 6.9108 to 5109. The effect of the different sections (restrictions) lengths placed at the exit of the heated tube on the surface temperature distribution, the local and average heat transfer coefficients were examined. The experimental apparatus consists of aluminum circular tube with 900 mm length and 30 mm inside diameter (L/D=30). The exit sections (restrictions) were included circular tubes having the same inside diameter as the heated tube but with different lengths of
... Show MoreAbstract
This study aims to identify the empathy of University Students, as well as the significant differences in sympathy in terms of gender and specialization. To achieve the aims of the study, a scale of empathy was administered to a sample of (450) students collected randomly from Baghdad university. The results showed that the study sample has a level of empathy. There is a significant difference between males and females in empathy, in favor of the female students. There is no significant difference in empathy in terms of specialization (scientific, humanities), and the interaction between males and females. The study came out with a number of recommendations and suggestions.
This research aimes to expose the levels of geometrical thinking among the students of mathematic department in Basic Education College at AL-Mustansiriyah University throughout their respondes on the test of geometrical thinking which consists (50) multi- choice items distributed on the first four levels of Van Hiele ( recognition – analysis – ordering – deduction ).
The validity and the reliability of the test have been investigated. Besides, the difficulty and its discrimination have been measured. The activity of the wrong variables has been measured.
The test has been applied on (180) male and female students of the first, second and third grades.
... Show MoreA field experiment was carried out in the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences - University of Baghdad, during the fall season of 2021 to find out which cultivated cultivars of maize are efficient under nitrogen fertilization. The experiment was applied according to an RCBD (split-plot design with three replications). The cultivars of the experiment (Baghdad, 5018, Sarah) supply three levels of nitrogen fertilizer, which are N1 (100 kg.N/ha), N2 (200 kg.N/ha) and N3 (300 kg.N/ha). The statistical analysis results showed the superiority of the Sarah genotype, which gave the highest value of SOD and CAT enzymes, reaching 11.59 units mg-1 and 10.76 units mg-1 . Protein sequentially, while cultivar5018 outperformed as it gave th
... Show MoreBackground: Prolonged infections caused by High-risk HPVs have the potential to cause cancer in the regions of the body where they infect cells, including the cervix or the oropharynx, which refers to the rear part of the throat. Aims: To detection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) -IgM , IL-10 and TNF among Iraqi women Methods: A total of 89 blood sample were collected from females with various cervical lesions and 40 blood samples were collected from apparently healthy along with a control group of 40 healthy females. The presence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) -IgM, IL-10 and TNF in the collected samples was assessed using the ELISA technique. Results: The positivity rate of HPV IgM was 13.5%. This positivity was higher among individuals age
... Show MoreThe therapeutic value of the phenolic component and pure thymol was well known; this study comprised the extraction of crude phenol from two plants (Thymus vulgaris and Artemisia annua) which contain thymol with pure thymol and evaluate their effect on hematological and histological by using three different concentrations of each plant extract and pure thymol to tested them on lab mice. All the mice were allowed free access to water and feed for 21 days in laboratory conditions; orally, pure water was administered to the control mice (group I), while groups II, III, and IV were given orally with T. vulgaris, A. annua, combination of last two crude phenol plant extract 50:50 and pure thymol respectively. The levels of CHO, TRI, and HDL were
... Show MoreThis paper presents the effect of Cr doping on the optical and structural properties of TiO2 films synthesized by sol-gel and deposited by the dip- coating technique. The characteristics of pure and Cr-doped TiO2 were studied by absorption and X-ray diffraction measurement. The spectrum of UV absorption of TiO2 chromium concentrations indicates a red shift; therefore, the energy gap decreases with increased doping. The minimum value of energy gap (2.5 eV) is found at concentration of 4 %. XRD measurements show that the anatase phase is shown for all thin films. Surface morphology measurement by atomic force microscope (AFM) showed that the roughness of thin films decrease with doping and has a minimum value with 4 wt % doping ratio.
Background:- Cholesterol is high in ascetic fluid due
to malignancy and other causes of exudates.
Objective:-To use cholesterol as a marker to
differentiate between exudative and transudative
ascetic fluid and to compare that with other routine
parameters.
Methods:-Twenty eight patients were included in this
study 17 females with mean age of 41.9 years, 11
males with mean age of 48.2 years. The patients were
divided in group I suspected transudate, and group II
suspected exudate according to history and clinical
examination.
Ascetic fluid samples were sent for total protein,
albumin, and cholesterol measurement blood samples
were sent for serum protein and albumin measurement.
Results:-In this