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 river water salinity is a major concern in many countries, and salinity can be expressed as total dissolved solids. So, the water salinity impact of the river is one of the major factors effects of water quality. Tigris river water salinity increase with streamline and time due to the decrease in the river flow and dam construction from neighboring countries. The major objective of this research to developed salinity model to study the change of salinity and its impact on the Al-Karkh, Sharq Dijla, Al-Karama, Al-Wathba, Al-Dora, and Al-Wihda water treatment plant along Tigris River in Baghdad city using artificial neural network model (ANN). The parameter used in a model built is (Turbidity, Ec, T.s, S.s, and TDS in)
... Show MoreBackground: Plantar heel pain is a clinical syndrome characterized by pain and tenderness beneath the heel which is typically worse in the morning and improves after the first few steps in the day. It is a common and frequently disabling clinical complaint that may be caused by a broad spectrum of osseous or soft tissue disorders.
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of an operation of multiple drilling of calcaneum for resistant plantar heel pain syndrome.
Methods: During the period from November 2012 to August 2016, 17 patients (17heels) were enrolled in a cohort clinical study at the orthopedic unit in AL-Sheikh Zayed and Al-Wassity Hospitals.
This work deals with thermal cracking of three samples of extract lubricating oil produced as a by-product from furfural extraction process of lubricating oil base stock in AL-Dura refinery. The thermal cracking processes were carried out at a temperature range of 325-400 ºC and atmospheric pressure by batch laboratory reactor. The distillation of cracking liquid products was achieved by general ASTM distillation (ASTM D -86) for separation of gasoline fraction up to 220 ºC from light cycle oil fraction above 220 ºC. The comparison between the conversions at different operating conditions of thermal cracking processes indicates that a high conversion was obtained at 375°C, according to gasoline production. According to gasoline produ
... Show MoreA modified chemical method was used to prepare titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), which were diagnosed by several techniques: X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, field emission scaning electron microscopy, energy disperse X-ray, and UV-visible spectroscopy, which proved the success of the preparation process at the nanoscale level. Where the titanium oxide particles have an average particle size equal to 6.8 nm, titanium dioxide particles were used in the process of adsorption of Congo red dye from its aqueous solutions using a batch system. The titanium oxide particles gave an adsorption efficiency of Congo red dye up to more than 79 %. The experimental data of the adsorption process were analyzed with kinetic models and
... Show MoreIn this research paper, two techniques were used to treat the drill cuttings resulting from the oil-based drilling fluid. The drill cuttings were taken from the southern Rumaila fields which prepared for testing and fixed with 100 gm per sample and contaminated with two types of crude oil, one from Rumaila oilfields with Sp.gr of 0.882 and the other from the eastern Baghdad oilfield with Sp.gr of 0.924 besides contamination levels of 10% and 15% w/w in mass. Samples were treated first with microwave with a power applied of 540 & 180 watts as well as a time of 50 minutes. It was found that the results reached below 1% w/w in mass, except for two samples they reached below 1.5% w/w in mass. Then, the sample of 1.41% w/w in mass,
... Show MoreBACKGROUND: Keratoconus is a progressive non inflammatory bilateral (usually asymmetric) ectatic corneal disease characterized by paraxial stromal thinning ,weakening that lead to corneal surface distortion ,vision loss primarily from irregular astigmatism and myopia and secondly from corneal scar. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate visual and refractive outcomes after intracorneal continuous ring (ICCR) implantation combined with intrapocket corneal collagen cross linking in patient with keratoconus. Setting: Eye Specialty Private Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. METHODS: This study assessed the results of implantation of Myoring ICCR combined with CXL in 40 eyes with KC. Outcome measures include UDVA,CDVA(spectacle correction),refraction, complications and s
... Show MoreBackground: Plantar heel pain is a clinical syndrome characterized by pain and tenderness beneath the heel which is typically worse in the morning and improves after the first few steps in the day. It is a common and frequently disabling clinical complaint that may be caused by a broad spectrum of osseous or soft tissue disorders. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of an operation of multiple drilling of calcaneum for resistant plantar heel pain syndrome. Methods: During the period from November 2012 to August 2016, 17 patients (17heels) were enrolled in a cohort clinical study at the orthopedic unit in AL-Sheikh Zayed and AlWassity Hospitals. Result: Drilling of the calcaneum is a simple procedure achieving 70.6% cure in resistant as
... Show MoreArtificial Neural Network (ANN) model's application is widely increased for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) variables prediction and forecasting which can enable the operators to take appropriate action and maintaining the norms. It is much easier modeling tool for dealing with complex nature WWTP modeling comparing with other traditional mathematical models. ANN technique significance has been considered at present study for the prediction of sequencing batch reactor (SBR) performance based on effluent's (BOD5/COD) ratio after collecting the required historical daily SBR data for two years operation (2015-2016) from Baghdad Mayoralty and Al-Rustamiya WWTP office, Iraq. The prediction was gotten by the application of a feed-forwa
... Show MoreTreated effluent wastewater is considered an alternative water resource which can provide an important contribution for using it in different purposes, so, the wastewater quality is very important for knowing its suitability for different uses before discharging it into fresh water ecosystems. The wastewater quality index (WWQI) may be considered as a useful and effective tool to assess wastewater quality by indicating one value representing the overall characteristic of the wastewater. It could be used to indicate the suitability of wastewater for different uses in water quality management and decision making. The present study was conducted to evaluate the Al-Diwaniyah sewage treatment plant (STP) effluent quality based on wastewa
... Show MoreStudies from our laboratory have shown that Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an ingredient found in marijuana plant Cannabis sativa, can attenuate acute lung injury induced by Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB). In the current study, we investigated the role of THC on the metabolism of SEB-activated lymphocytes. To this end, we determined metabolic potential of SEB-activated lymphocytes treated with vehicle or THC by performing the Cell Mito Stress Test. The oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in THC-treated cells was decreased when compared to vehicle-treated group whereas the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) was similar in both the groups. Specifically, electron transport chain inhi