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: The age range of PV patients was 27–67 years, and the mean ±SD was 44.866 ± 10.979 years for the patient group treated with RTX and 44.133 ± 11.519 for the patient group treated with corticosteroids and Imuran. In patients treated with RTX, 26.6% were males and 73.33% were females, with a female-to-male ratio of 2.75:1. In patients treated with corticosteroids with Imuran, 40% were males and 60% were females, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.5:1. The results revealed that among patients treated with RTX, 30% of them had mucocutaneous lesions, 6.66% had oral lesions, and 13.33% had cutaneous lesions. Among the other groups treated with corticosteroids and Imuran, 23.33% had mucocutaneous lesions, 13.33% had oral lesions, and 13.33% had cutaneous lesions. Among the patients treated with RTX, 53.33% had normal range of neutrophil count, while 46.6% had neutrophil count above the NR, while in patients treated with corticosteroids and Imuran, 40% had a normal range and 60% had above the normal range. Conclusion: RTX was a more effective treatment compared to corticosteroids with Imuran because no patient remained in an active state during this study. PV was prevalent in females aged 40 years with mucocutaneous lesions.
Water is the basis of the existence of all kinds of life, so obtaining it with good quality represents a challenge to human existence and development especially in the desert and remote cities because these areas contain small populations and water purification requires great materials and huge amounts of fossil fuels resulting pollution of the environment. Cheap and environmentally friendly desalination methods have been done by using solar distillations. Passive solar stills have low yields, so in this research, the problem is overcome by connecting four heat pipes which are installed on the parabolic concentrator reflector with passive solar still to increase the temperature of hot water to more than 90°C, as a resul
... Show MoreOscillation criterion is investigated for all solutions of the first-order linear neutral differential equations with positive and negative coefficients. Some sufficient conditions are established so that every solution of eq.(1.1) oscillate. Generalizing of some results in [4] and [5] are given. Examples are given to illustrated our main results.
Everybody is connected with social media like (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram…etc.) that generate a large quantity of data and which traditional applications are inadequate to process. Social media are regarded as an important platform for sharing information, opinion, and knowledge of many subscribers. These basic media attribute Big data also to many issues, such as data collection, storage, moving, updating, reviewing, posting, scanning, visualization, Data protection, etc. To deal with all these problems, this is a need for an adequate system that not just prepares the details, but also provides meaningful analysis to take advantage of the difficult situations, relevant to business, proper decision, Health, social media, sc
... Show MoreThe development of new building materials, able of absorbing more energy is an active research area. Engineering Cementitious Composite (ECC) is a class of super-elastic fiberreinforced cement composites characterized by high ductility and tight crack width control. The use of bendable concrete produced from Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) may lead to an interest in new concrete mixes. Impact results of bendable concrete reinforced with steel mesh and polymer fibers will provide data for the use of this concrete in areas subject to impact loading. The experimental part consisted of compressive strength and impact resistance tests along with a result comparison with unreinforced concrete. Concrete samples, with dimensions of 100×
... Show MoreThis investigation deals with the use of orange peel (OP) waste as adsorbent for removal of nitrate (NO3) from simulated wastewater. Orange peel prepared in two conditions dried at 60C° (OPD) and burning at 500 °C (OPB). The effect of pH: 2-10, contact time: 30- 180 min, sorbent weight: 0.5- 3.0 g were considered. The optimal pH value for NO3 adsorption was found to be 2.0 for both adsorbents. The equilibrium data were analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Freundlich model was found to fit the equilibrium data very well with high-correlation coefficient (R2). The adsorption kinetics was found to follow pseudo-second-order rate kinetic model, with a good correlation (R2
... Show MoreThe limitations of conventional cement mortar as a widely used construction material include low tensile capacity, high permeability, and susceptibility to chemical degradation. The increasing demand for durable and sustainable construction materials has led to increased attention in modifying cementitious materials through nanotechnology. This study investigates the influence of nano-silica (NS) and nano-alumina (NA) on the physical, strength-related, and durability characteristics of cement mortar to determine the optimum nanomaterial type and dosage for performance enhancement. Six mortar mixes, in addition to a reference mix, were designed and prepared by adding 1%, 1.5%, and 2% of the cement weight with NS and NA separately, an
... Show MoreAs a result of the developments that occurred in technological and digital technologies, which had a fundamental role in changing the paths of science, including the sciences of communication and the art of design, especially since these developments were the result of the information revolution, which called for the need to find alternatives that contribute to organizing presentations of information and texts in accordance with the manufacture of constructive content to deliver A communication message for the recipient to achieve culture and communication together, as it has become necessary to employ technical and digital developments in organizing that information according to the rules and laws of design and producing newspapers asso
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