Background: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune vesiculobullous mucocutaneous disease with life-threatening consequences. Rituximab (RTX) has recently emerged as an effective treatment for PV. Objectives: This study aims to determine changes in neutrophil and platelet counts for PV patients treated with RTX or corticosteroids combined with Imuran (azathioprine). Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology at Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. Thirty PV patients received two types of treatment: 15 patients were administered RTX and 15 patients took corticosteroids with Imuran (azathioprine). Neutrophil and platelet counts were detected at the hospital laboratory. Results

In the present work, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was utilized to optimize process variables and find the best circumstances for indirect electrochemical oxidation of mimicked wastewater to remove phenol contaminants using prepared ternary composite electrode. The electrodeposition process is used for the synthesis of a ternary composite electrode of Mn, Co, and Ni oxides. The selected concentrations of metal salts of these elements were 0.05, 0.1, and 1.5 M, with constant molar ratio, current density, and electrolysis time of 1:1:1, 25 mA/cm2, and 2 h. Interestedly, the gathered Mn-Co-Ni oxides were deposited at both the anode and cathode. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) facilitated the qualitative char

High performance work systems and general industrial enterprise performance

A simplified theoretical comparison of the hydrogen chloride (HCl) and hydrogen fluoride (HF) chemical lasers is presented by using computer program. The program is able to predict quantitative variations of the laser characteristics as a function of rotational and vibrational quantum number. Lasing is assumed to occur in a Fabry-Perot cavity on vibration-rotation transitions between two vibrational levels of hypothetical diatomic molecule. This study include a comprehensive parametric analysis that indicates that the large rotational constant of HF laser in comparison with HCl laser makes it relatively easy to satisfy the partial inversion criterion. The results of this computer program proved their credibility when compared with th

Background: the condition of hallux valgus is considered as the most common deformities affecting females more than males, characteristically manifested as lateral deviation of the big toe and widening of first and second inter -metatarsal angle with a deformity of second toe in some severe cases. Objective: to make a radiological and clinical assessment of two surgical methods of osteotomy used in treatment of hallux valgu and to compare between them: first one is the distal dome osteotomy, and second one is a distal wedge metatarsal osteotomy. Patients and methods: a total of 36 feet of 28 patients suffer from hallux valgus, with mean age of 50.3 years were included in this study, followed for 6- 30 months ( mean follow-up of 8.8 months).

Background: The Apgar score is calculated based on the five features: heart rate, reflexes, color, muscle tone, and respiratory effort. Each element is scored from 0 to 2, with a total probable score of 10 at 1 minute and 5 minute. Aim: To study the influence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and diabetes mellitus on APGAR score in neonate. Materials and methods: The samples were studied from Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Al-Imamain Al-Kadhimiyain (AS) Medical city, Baghdad Teaching Hospital and Al-Karkh Maternity Hospital in the period between 1 December 2016 and 1 may 2017, after obtaining the approval from Iraqi Ministry of Health. A total of 102 neonates were included in this study which includes 34 neonates of mother

Al-Rustamiyah plant is the oldest and biggest sewage treatment plant in Iraq; it locates in the south of Baghdad city. The plant suffers from serious problems associated with overflow and low capacity. The present work aims to upgrade the heart of biological treatment process through suggesting the use of membrane bioreactor; (MBR). In this work, fouling of membrane during sewage treatment has been analyzed experimentally and theoretically by fouling mechanisms. Aeration has been applied in order to control fouling through producing effective diameters of air bubbles close to the membrane walls. Effect of air flow rate on flux decline was investigated. Hermia's models were used to investigate the fouling mechanisms. The results showed th

Unlike fault diagnosis approaches based on the direct analysis of current and voltage signals, this paper proposes a diagnosis of induction motor faults through monitoring the variations in motor's parameters when it is subjected to an open circuit or short circuit faults. These parameters include stator and rotor resistances, self-inductances, and mutual inductance. The genetic algorithm and the trust-region method are used for the estimation process. Simulation results confirm the efficiency of both the genetic algorithm and the trust-region method in estimating the motor parameters; however, better performance in terms of estimation time is obtained when the trust-region method is adopted. The results also show the po

Off-nucleus isotropic magnetic shielding (σiso(r)) and multi-points nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS(0-2 Å)) index were utilized to find the impacts of the isomerization of gas-phase furfuraldehyde (FD) on bonding and aromaticity of FD. Multidimensional (1D to 3D) grids of ghost atoms (bqs) were used as local magnetic probes to evaluate σiso(r) through gauge-including atomic orbitals (GIAO) at density functional theory (DFT) and B3LYP functional/6-311+G(d,p) basis set level of theory. 1D σiso(r) responses along each bond of FD were examined. Also, a σiso(r) 2D-scan was performed to obtain σiso(r) behavior at vertical heights of 0–1 Å above the FD plane in its cis, transition state (TS) and trans forms. New techniques fo

Chlopheniramine maleate ( CPM ) , is  one  of   the  H- receptor antagonist  ,  widely used  in allergic  diseases ,like skin rash  and  pruritis .CPM 3%w/w was successfully  loaded in  2%w/w  sodium alginate (SA)    as a gel    base ,  and  to be considered   as  a  selected  formula .It was found  that  the diffusion   of  CPM    through   the  skin  of  albino  rat   was     increased   as  the concentration  of  CPM  increased from 2 %w/w sodium alginate  ,  More