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 effects of T-shaped fins on the improvement of phase change materials (PCM) melting are numerically investigated in vertical triple-tube storage containment. The PCM is held in the middle pipe of a triple-pipe heat exchanger while the heat transfer fluid flows through the internal and external pipes. The dimension effects of the T-shaped fins on the melting process of the PCM are investigated to determine the optimum case. Results indicate that while using T-shaped fins improves the melting performance of the PCM, the improvement potential is mainly governed by the fin’s body rather than the head. Hence, the proposed T-shaped fin did not noticeably improve melting at the bottom of the PCM domain; additionally, a flat fin is ad
... Show MoreBackground: periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease causing destruction of the tooth supporting structures, initiated by dental plaque and modified by environmental and genetic risk factors. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme is responsible for the production of prostaglandin E2, an important mediator in the chronic periodontitis (CP) pathogenesis. Polymorphisms in COX-2 gene have linked to CP in different populations. Aim: To study the association between Cyclooxygenase-2 single nucleotide polymorphism rs689466 (-1195A/G SNP) and chronic periodontitis in a sample of Iraqi population. Methods: One hundred Iraqi subjects divided into two groups: case group consisted of 70 CP patient (35 males and 35 females) with age range 30-55 year
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The organization of sporting activities at the local and international levels requires a lot of money, which has increased interest in marketing in the sports field, as it is one of the modern topics that represent the basic knowledge needed by the sports marketer and which represents one of the basic concepts to enhance the benefits and returns of sports clubs. The research problem was the weak awareness of the members of the administrative body of Iraqi sports clubs of the role of sports marketing in the dimensions of competitive superiority and not exploiting them in the optimal way that enables clubs to achieve competitive superiority. The research aims to know the role of sports marketing in competitive superi
... Show MoreThe objective of this study is to determine the extent to which the determinants of organizational support contributed to enhancing the mental status of banking services in a number of banks in Dohuk governorate in order to diagnose the correlation between the perceived organizational support and the mental status of services. Availability in the environment of banks and to enhance the mental position from the point of view of customers as the main hypotheses focused on the nature of the relationship between the dimensions of research among them has been tested these hypotheses using statistical and descriptive methods have been The study concluded that the contribution of organizational support, which is
... Show MoreThe research deals with the concept of rationalization of consumption, which is legitimately legitimized, by indicating the permissibility of consumption and its limits in Islam, the legitimate aspects of spending and its controls, and the concept of development in the Islamic economy. The researcher followed the descriptive method by presenting the legal texts and jurisprudential opinions and linking them to contemporary economic problems.The research has reached several conclusions, the most important of which is that the goal of Islam in relation to consumption is to inform the Muslim of the amount of economic maturity, and the truth of alms is good in money and religion. It is necessary for achieving maturity that both means
... Show MoreThe administrative leadership relies on a variety of behavioral paths in the functional areas in which it operates, and thus indicates its ability and thus has the upper hand in the organizational events, and in such a way that it can draw lessons and evaluate the results so as to test the expectations within the framework of the changes.
Does the study sample leadership have the characteristics that enable it to contain both crises and environmental stresses?
The aim of the study was to determine the location of the administrative leaders in the system of the study sample from the issue of crises and environmental pressures. The study concluded with a number of conclusions, the m
... Show MoreThis research examines the impact of cornering on the aerodynamic forces and stability of a Nissan Versa (Almera) passenger sedan car by introducing novel modifications. These modifications included single inverted wings with end plates as a front spoiler, double‐element inverted wings with end plates as a rear spoiler, and incorporating the ground as a diffuser under the car trunk. The goal is to enhance the performance and stability of conventional passenger cars. To ensure the accuracy of the numerical data, the study utilized multiple methodologies to model the turbulence model, ultimately selecting the most suitable option. This involved comparing numerical data with wind tunnel experimental d
The research aims to shed light on the concept of Visibal management and its reflection on the organizational culture of the organization. The visual administration is a modern administrative method that contributes to the renewal and development of the organization's reality through surveying the opinions of a sample of 61 employees in the R & D / Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. (130) individuals. The questionnaire was used as a main tool for collecting data and information, and their answers were analyzed using the SPSS program in data entry and analysis. The most important tools are computational circles, standard deviations, method of analysis and regression equation. There is a possibility to apply
... Show MoreReverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) was coupled with ultraviolet absorption sepectoscopy (UV) for separation and identification of Naphthalene, Acenaphthylene, Pyrene, Benz{a} anthracene and 1,3,2,4-Dibenzanthracene. RP-HPLC was performed on an ODS-C18 column (150×4.6 mm I.D) using acetonitrile–buffer phosphate as mobile phase. UV absorption spectra of the elutes was detected in 254 nm, and studying the chromatographic variables include organic modifier ratio, PH, column temperature and concentration of buffer to maximize resolution and minimize separation time. the results showed that using mobile phase( 80:20) v/v acetonitrile:0.01M phosphate buffer solution at PH 6 with flow rate 1ml/min and column te
... Show MoreAlizarin is one of the popularly used and wide separated compounds with a chemical name (1,2- dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone) which belong to the anthraquinones family that contain three aromatic conjugated rings and in the central rings it contains two ketonic groups.1