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.
Present study was conducted in order to assess Slabiaat water quality by measuring some physical and chemical factors of river water, the study included a choice of three stations along of Slabiaat River in Samawa city, water samples collected a monthly during the period from September 2013 August 2014. The study involved measuring the Air & water temperatures, pH, Electrical conductivity, Total dissolved solids, Dissolved oxygen, Total hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium, turbidity, and some types of bacteria in River water. The study results showed that the values of air & water temperatures have ranged between (20.1-36.6)?C , (10-21.8) in Slabiaat River, respectively . pH values ranged between (6.6-8.7). Electrical conductivity in
... Show MoreIntervention in International Relations from the concepts that are still highly
controversial among those he considers a breach of international law and the UN Charter and
in violation of the rule , and those who felt that the need provided, however, that this is linked
motives humanity recognized by the international community , because the international
variables proved the inadequacy of the principle of non-interference and the principle of
sovereignty as the traditional variables international , and therefore most of the international
practice came a bus with many of the behaviors that reflect a decline in its entirety to these
principles , and became adapt these principles with international reality is too compl
Contamination of surface and groundwater with excessive concentrations of fluoride is of significant health hazard. Adsorption of fluoride onto waste materials of no economic value could be a potential approach for the treatment of fluoride-bearing water. This experimental and modeling study was devoted to investigate for the first the fluoride removal using unmodified waste granular brick (WGB) in a fixed bed running in continuous mode. Characterization of WGB was carried out by FT-IR, SEM, and EDX analysis. The batch mode experiments showed that they were affected by several parameters including contact time, initial pH, and sorbent dosage. The best values of these parameters that provided maximum removal percent (82%) with the in
... Show MoreThe research has been talked on specific an important notions concerning with the dimensions of effectiveness of good governance and sustainable development inside all Arab states, So that the scientific article reflected the role of investments in various sections of institutional business by draw attention toward different projects about analyzing the whole political reality according to the standard indications of political and social stability on the regional level and international aspects. Therefore, the study resembled scientific contains and the dimensions of political reform and administrative overhauling within governmental system in order to achieve all raw objectives for sustainable development. All international and
... Show MoreIn our time, not too long ago, the universities of the world have been fast to take care of the study of an innovative type of technical and human studies, called the science of "comparative literature". Comparative research studies have grown and flourished rapidly in response to the demands of both mental and artistic life. This shows the increasing awareness at both the modern national and the international levels in order to develop through connecting with the international intellectual, nental and artistic currents to nurture ethics and originality. Comparative studies show that the beginning of the comparative literature goes back to the time when the Latin literature was connected to the Greek literature and th
... Show MoreThe structure of the interrogation process in cross-examinations is said to be diverse and complex in terms of question-response typology. This is because the counsel has to extract truth from an opposing party’s witness whose views are expected to advocate that party's views regarding the case. Accordingly, the study which is basically quantitative in nature aims to investigate what the examining party intends to obtain out of these questions and which of these questions are the most prevalently used. It also aims to measure the amount of cooperativity in witnesses' responses. Accordingly, three transcripts of cross-examination have been analyzed, using a pragmatically-oriented approach. The approach draws on Stenstorm (1984) and Arch
... Show MoreGas lift is one of the most important artificial lift methods for increasing oil production, as wells often require this method after the reservoir's energy has decreased. In this research, an optimal gas lift system is designed for five horizontal wells in the Ahdab oil field, which suffers from low production. At the same time, water cut in some of these wells reaches 66%, while the productivity index is low in others, which makes the challenges clear, and a deep analysis is needed to find an optimal system. The Pipesim program is used to design the optimal gas lift system, which contains features that facilitate the implementation of the appropriate design and provide the ability to analyze and determine the optimal design v
... Show MoreCommunication skills are essential for health professionals to achieve a positive relationship with patients, improving their health and quality of life. Communication is the foundation for obtaining medical history and conveying a diagnosis and treatment plan.
To assess the knowledge, practice of communication skills among primary care physicians, to find out any barriers related to the communication skills, and the association between the studied variables with knowledge and practice of communicati
This research aims to knowledge the extent of the application of Tuz General Hospital to the concept of tacit knowledge dimensions (mental models, intuition, experience, skill) and methods of acquiring knowledge dimensions (training, job rotation, work teams) and the measurement and analysis of the link and the kind of impact between the methods of acquiring knowledge and tacit knowledge of the Angels nursing in the researched hospital, and was the questionnaire primary means of collecting information adopted by the researcher that, the research sample of (90) individuals, including the Angels nursing, has been using the statistical program spss for the purpose of conducting statistical treatments, and through the diagnosis and m
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