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.
In a common language based on interpretation and diagnosis in the symbols and signs, the subject of Sufism and artistic semiotics is manifested in the construction and intensity of the reading of the text and the dismantling of its intellectual systems.
The emergence of Sufism in its religious features and the spiritual revelations related to the divine love of life in absolute reality, And images and language in a stream of intellectual and artistic unique and harmonious communicates with the subject of the themes of the Arab literature and its implications, but it is separated by a special entity signals and symbols related to the mysticism and worship.
The unleashing of the imagination and the diagnosis,
The need for renewable energy sources is higher than ever due to rising global warming, climate change, and ozone depletion. For refrigeration and air conditioning applications, adsorption refrigeration systems are viable alternatives cooling techniques. This study is a topic and part of the M.Sc. thesis. A field solar-powered ice maker unit was created, studied, tested, and evaluated on the 13th and 30th of May, 2022. Activated carbon and methanol pair was used to set up a refrigeration system in Baghdad (Al Dora). Experimental tests were carried out outdoors to determine the coefficient of performance COP and specific cooling power SCP of the system. The results showed that the lowest temperature
... Show MoreMesoporous silica (MPS) nanoparticle was prepared as carriers for drug delivery systems by sol–gel method from sodium silicate as inexpensive precursor of silica and Cocamidopropyl betaine (CABP) as template. The silica particles were characterized by SEM, TEM, AFM, XRD, and N2adsorption–desorption isotherms. The results show that the MPS particle in the nanorange (40-80 nm ) with average diameter equal to 62.15 nm has rods particle morphology, specific surface area is 1096.122 m2/g, pore volume 0.900 cm3/g, with average pore diameter 2.902 nm, which can serve as efficient carriers for drugs. The adsorption kinetic of Ciprofloxacin (CIP) drug was studied and the data were analyzed and found to match well with
... Show MoreHard-grade asphalt binders like AC20-30 typically exhibit excessive stiffness, reduced penetration, and compromised workability, necessitating modification before use in paving applications. This study evaluates the efficacy of regular polyalphaolefin (PAO), a synthetic olefin-based lubricant, as a performance-enhancing modifying agent for such binders. AC20-30 was blended with PAO at dosages ranging from 2 wt.% to 10 wt.%, and the modified binders were characterized via penetration, ductility, softening point, and rotational viscosity measurements, alongside advanced rheological and chemical-morphological analyses. Incorporating PAO in AC20-30 asphalt progressively reduced the binder stiffness and enhanced its flexibility, with all modifie
... Show MoreRainwater harvesting could be a possible solution to decrease the consequences of water scarcity and energy deficiency in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). This study aims to calculate the water and energy (electricity) saved by rainwater harvesting for rooftops and green areas in Sulaimani city, KR, Iraq. Various data were acquired from different formal entities in Sulaimani city. Moreover, Google Earth and ArcMap 10.4 software were used for digitizing and calculating the total rooftop and green areas. The results showed that for the used runoff coefficients (0.8 and 0.95), the harvested rainwater volumes were 2901563 and 12197131 m³ during the study period (2005 – 2006) and (2019-2020). Moreover, by compa
... Show MoreIn this paper, thin films of undoped and nickel oxide (NiO) doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) were prepared using the chemical spray pyrolysis deposition (CSP) technique, with different concentrations of nickel oxide (NiO) in the range (3-9) wt%. The morphological, structural, electrical, and sensing properties of a gas of the prepared thin films were examined. XRD measurements showed that TiO2 films have a polycrystalline structure. AFM analysis showed that these films have a regular structure both before and after doping . The roughness of these films decreased after adding impurities but then the opposite of that took place. The electrical and gas sensing properties of titanium dioxide was also affected after dopin
... Show MoreThe study's primary purpose is to explore an appropriate way of monitoring and assessing water depths using the satellite remote sensing technique of the Al Habbaniyah Lake in Iraq. This research studied the experience-conditions (thresholds) of different bands for multi-temporal satellite image data with different satellite image sensors (Landsat 5-TM, and EO1-ALI) for the same region, to recognize regions of water depths. The threshold values are taken that to separate the Al Habbaniyah Lake to the required depths (shallow, deep, and very deep), as a supervised method. A three-dimension feature space plot had used to represent these regions. The relationship of the mean values of the three separated water regions with all TM and A
... Show MoreThe electrode in the microbial fuel cell has a significant effect on cell performance. The treatment of the electrode is a crucial step to make the electrode surface more habitable for bacteria growth, thus, increases the power production as well as waste treatment. In the current study, two graphite electrodes were treated by a microwave. The first electrode was treated with 100W microwave energy, while the second one was treated with 600W microwave energy. There is a significant enhancement in the surface of the graphite anode after the pretreatment process. The results show an increase in the power density from 10 mW/m2 to 15 mW/m2 with 100w treatment and to 13.47 mW/m2 with 600w treatment. An organic
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