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.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa readily binds to different kind of abiotic surfaces and form biofilm. The ability of the bacterial species to form biofilm onto polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is associated with several economic, health and environmental problems. The effect of kind of water on ability of this bacterium to form biofilm is scanty in literature. In present study, the ability of different environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa to form biofilm onto polystyrene microtiter plate was evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of waters that collected from different sources on biofilm formation of this bacterium onto PVC was studied. Spectrophotometric method was used to check the ability of bacteria to form biofilm and evaluated the role of waters onto a
... Show MoreBackground: Fluoridated acrylic resin material can present more stable properties when compared with conventional one.The most widely used fluoride –containing substance added to dental resin materials is sodium fluoride (Naf). This study evaluated the effect of Naf in different concentration to the acrylic resin denture base material and its effect on tensile strength ,modules of elasticity with long –term water immersion (after 4 months immersion in de-ionized water) Materials and methods: Eighty specimens from dumbbells shaped metal pattern for tensile strength test were preparedaccording to ISO 527: 1993 plastic –Determination tensile properties ,in dimensions(60mm, 12mm, 3 ± 0.2mm) length, width and depth respec
... Show MoreThe posterior regions of the jaws usually represent a significant risk for implant surgery. A non-valid assessment of the available bone height may lead to either perforation of the maxillary sinus floor or encroachment of the inferior alveolar nerve and consequently to implant failure. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of surgeon’s decision in appraising the appropriate implant length, in respect to vital anatomical structures, using panoramic radiographs.
Only implants that are inserted in relation to the maxillary sinus (MS) or the mandibular canal (MC) were enrolled
The Fauqi field is located about 50Km North-East Amara town in Missan providence in Iraq. Fauqi field has 1,640 MMbbl STOIIP, which lies partly in Iran. Oil is produced from both Mishrif and Asmari zones. Geologically, the Fauqi anticline straddles the Iraqi/Iranian border and is most probably segmented by several faults. There are several reasons leading to drilling horizontal wells rather than vertical wells. The most important parameter is increasing oil recovery, particularly from thin or tight reservoir permeability. The Fauqi oil field is regarded as a giant field with approximately more than 1 billion barrels of proven reserves, but it has recently experienced low production rate problems in many of its existing wells. This study
... Show MoreHeat transfer around a flat plate fin integrated with piezoelectric actuator used as oscillated fin in laminar flow has been studied experimentally utilizing thermal image camera. This study is performed
for fixed and oscillated single and triple fins. Different substrate-fin models have been tested, using fins of (35mm and 50mm) height, two sets of triple fins of (3mm and 6mm) spacing and three frequencies
applied to piezoelectric actuator (5, 30 and 50HZ). All tests are carried out for (0.5 m/s and 3m/s) in subsonic open type wind tunnel to evaluate temperature distribution, local and average Nusselt number (Nu) along the fin. It is observed, that the heat transfer enhancement with oscillation is significant compared to without o
Abstract
The current research aims to identify the analysis of the questions for the book of literary criticism for the preparatory stage according to Bloom's classification. The research community consists of (34) exercises and (45) questions. The researcher used the method of analyzing questions and prepared a preliminary list that includes criteria that are supposed to measure exercises, which were selected based on Bloom's classification and the extant literature related to the topic. The scales were exposed to a jury of experts and specialists in curricula and methods of teaching the Arabic language. The scales obtained a complete agreement. Thus, it was adapted to become a reliable instrument in this
... Show MoreRegression analysis models are adopted by using SPSS program to predict the 28-day compressive strength as dependent variable and the accelerated compressive strength as independent variable. Three accelerated curing method was adopted, warm water (35ºC) and autogenous according to ASTM C C684-99 and the British method (55ºC) according to BS1881: Part 112:1983. The experimental concrete mix design was according to ACI 211.1. Twenty eight concrete mixes with slump rang (25-50) mm and (75-100)mm for rounded and crushed coarse aggregate with cement content (585, 512, 455, 410, 372 and 341)Kg/m3.
The experimental results showed that the acc
... Show MoreThe current research examines the employment of indicators of stereotypes and the dimensions of organizational clarification to achieve planned organizational behaviour on a sample of employees in a number of departments of the Faculties of Engineering, University of Kufa, for a sample of (122) teaching staff. This research proposes the use of positive indicators of stereotypes for both the organization and employees and their awareness of what they want to obtain and what should be done for both parties and the removal of organizational clarity represented by the functional dimension that explores to what degree the employee's understanding of the internal strategy of the organization and the strategic dimension that searches fo
... Show MoreIn the present research we the study the deposition of radioactive elements naturally and particularly radioactive radon gas in parts of the body of organisms which are of direct relevance to human life in the city of Baghdad as the samples which were collected from the bones and skin of some kinds of birds and chicken based on the principle that radioactive elements are concentrated always on the bones. We use of this as the exercise detector impact nuclear (CR-39), using the technology Cylindrical diffusion , the results indicated that the largest concentration of radon found in the bone bird Seagull tapered as it was (625 ± 37) Bq.cm-3, and less concentration of radon gas in the chicken bones of Al-kafeel as it was (105 ± 10) Bq.c
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