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 textbook is the primary means of creativity and thinking, which has a major role in the development of the readership and mental abilities of the student. It is the basic tool in education in Iraq for the teacher and the student, which cannot be dispensed in any educational program. The current study aimed at the book of the biology of the sixth grade of science in Iraq (comparative study). It was compared to the book of biology for the twelve grade in the Kingdom of Jordan to identify the ratio of similarity and differences between them, in addition, to identify the weaknesses in the Iraq curriculum and developing appropriate solutions and suggestions to address them. The sample was represented with books of biology (six-science cla
... Show MoreObjective: To conduct a standardized method for cavity preparation on the palatal surface of rat maxillary molars and to introduce a standardized method for tooth correct alignment within the specimen during the wax embedding procedure to better detect cavity position within the examined slides. Materials and methods: Six male Wistar rats, aged 4-6 weeks, were used. The maxillary molars of three animals were sectioned in the frontal plane to identify the thickness of hard tissue on the palatal surface of the first molar which was (250-300µm). The end-cutting bur (with a cutting head diameter of 0.2mm) was suitable for preparing a dentinal cavity (70-80µm) depth. Cavity preparation was then performed using the same bur on the tooth surf
... Show Moremodel is derived, and the methodology is given in detail. The model is constructed depending on some measurement criteria, Akaike and Bayesian information criterion. For the new time series model, a new algorithm has been generated. The forecasting process, one and two steps ahead, is discussed in detail. Some exploratory data analysis is given in the beginning. The best model is selected based on some criteria; it is compared with some naïve models. The modified model is applied to a monthly chemical sales dataset (January 1992 to Dec 2019), where the dataset in this work has been downloaded from the United States of America census (www.census.gov). Ultimately, the forecasted sales
This study explores the semiotic aspects of American slang, specifically focusing on the phenomenon of reduplicative expressions in informal speech. Despite the extensive research on American slang, limited attention has been given to the cultural and mythical meanings embedded within reduplicative expressions. To address this gap, the study investigates how these expressions convey denotative, connotative, and mythical meanings within casual American discourse. The objectives of the study include: 1. To what extent does Barthes’ semiotic model hold potential for application in this study? 2. How are reduplicative slang expressions widely used in everyday American life? 3. To what extent do qualitative and quantitative methods hav
... Show MoreCatalytic wet air oxidation of aqueous phenol solution was studied in a pilot plant trickle bed reactor using copper
oxide catalyst supported on alumina and silica. Catalysts were prepared by impregnating method. Effect of feed solution
pH (5.9, 7.3, and 9.2), gas flow rate (20%, 50%, 80%, and 100%), WHSV (1, 2, and 3 h-1), temperature (120°C, 140°C,
and 160°C), oxygen partial pressure (6, 9, 12 bar), and initial phenol concentration (1, 2, and 4 g/l).Generally, the
performance of the catalysts was better when the pH of feed solution was increased. The catalysts deactivation is related
to the dissolution of the metal oxides from the catalyst surface due to the acidic conditions. Phenol oxidation reaction
was strongly
Fifty one patients with serologically confirmed brucellosis and 70 healthy controls were phenotyped for HLA-A, -B, -DR and -DQ antigens by using standard microlympho-cytotoxicity method, and lymphocytes defined by their CD markers (CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD19). The results revealed a significant (Pc = 0.001) increased frequency of HLA-DR8 (41.18 vs. 10.0%) in the patients . A significant increased percentage of CD8+ lymphocytes was also increased in the patients (25.15 vs. 22.0%; P = 0.006), while CD3+ lymphocytes were significantly decreased (75.1 vs. 79.4%; P = 0.02).
Theoretical trends have appeared Which posed the concept of biological structures in contemporary architecture concept, Spread through the emergence of architectural production that reflect and indicate the nature of the construction structures based on the ideas and principles of biological structures in biological science: Despite the emergence of many architectural proposals that tried to explain the concept in the field of architecture, but it is not dealt with in depth and not given a comprehensive definition: So there was need to search for the concept and its beginning in the biological field as a general framework down to the field of architecture for the purpose of reducing the limits of their search framework T
... Show MoreBackground: Tubal ligation, recognized as a surgical intervention that ensures permanent contraception, has established itself as an option for women seeking a definitive solution for family planning. Objective: To assess the psychosexual implications of tubal ligation in a sample of women in Baghdad, Iraq. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in a teaching hospital for 2 years, from the first of January 2022 to the end of December 2023, in which 203 women who underwent tubal ligation were included. Results: In the present study, we found that 158 (77.8%) had no depression, mild depression presented in 27 (13.3%), and moderate depression in only 15 (7.4%). While 163 (80.3%) of women did not suffer from anxiety, 32 (15.8
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