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.
Abstract
The research study about the empowerment as an independent variable, in which details include (training and improvement, incentives, information sharing, trust, and delegation), has also focused on the performance of the service organization as a dependent variable in all dimensions which include (improve work efficiency, building the core competencies, focus on the beneficiary of the service, increasing the feeling of satisfaction of the employees, and the organizational support commitment). The research has been based on the opinions of a chosen sample of 75 service officers of the Ministry of Interior who work at the General Directorate of Traffic. The research problem has been identified by t
... Show MoreThis paper aims to study the rate of star formation (SFR) in luminous infrared galaxies at different wavelengths using distance measurement techniques (dl, dm) and to know which methods are the most accurate to determine the rate of star formation as we present through this research the results of the statistical analysis (descriptive statistics) for a sample of luminous infrared galaxies. The data used in this research were collected from the NASA Extragalactic Database (NED) and HYPERLEDA, then used to calculate the star formation rate and indicate the accuracy of the distance methods used (dl, dm). Two methods were tested on Hα, OII, FIR, radio continuum at 1.4 GHz, FUV, NUV, and total (FUV + FIR). The results showed that the dl
... Show MoreA new benzylidene derivative, namely N-benzylidene-5-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine (BPTA), has been synthesized and instrumentally confirmed with Elemental Analysis (CHN), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray. The mutualistic complementary dependence of BPTA with TiO2 nanoparticles as anti-corrosive inhibitor on mild steel (MS) in 1.0 M hydrochloric acid has been tested at various concentrations and various temperatures. The methodological work was achieved by gravimetric measurement methods complemented with surface analysis. The synthesized inhibitor concentrations were 0.1 mM to 0.5 mM and the temper
... Show MoreSolar tracking systems used are to increase the efficiency of the solar cells have attracted the attention of
researchers recently due to the fact that the attention has been directed to the renewable energy sources. Solar tracking systems are of two types, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) and sun path tracking. Both types are studied briefly in this paper and a simple low cost sun path tracking system is designed using simple commercially available component. Measurements have been made for comparison between fixed and tracking system. The results have shown that the tracking system is effective in the sense of relatively high output power increase and low cost.
במחקר זה אבקש לעסוק בתימת העקדה בשירתה של חוה פנחס כוהן. סיפור העקדה נבחר לעמוד בבסיסה של המחקר ממספר סיבות. ראשית, כיון שהסיפור הוא סיפור משמעותי, מאורע חשוב במסורת היהודית. שנית, כיוון שעניינו אותי מערכות היחסים השונות בסיפור. מערכת היחסים בין יהוה לאברהם, מערכת היחסים בתוך המשפחה ומערכת היחסים בין יצחק לאברהם. במערכות היחסים הללו משכו את תשומת לבי גם אותם דברים שאינם כתובים בתנ״ך (לדוגמה: מה הייתה תגובת שרה
... Show MoreThe research aims to identify ways of upgrading the quality level of university education at the Middle Technical University in light of its application for the National Ranking project for the quality of Iraqi universities in order to obtain advanced grades among the Iraqi universities , Which is qualified to enter the Ranking of universities worldwide, through displaying the mechanism of the Application of National Ranking project for the quality of Iraqi universities in the Middle Technical University and its formations consisting of (5) technical colleges and (11) technical institute.
The results of the application showed several observations: The most
... Show MoreThis study is about the role of the Internet in spreading rumors, especially through social networking sites "Facebook" model as the effectiveness of social networks lies in the speed of transmission of events; these two characteristics are important to the public, making the Internet a strong contender for television and its relationship with the public. That's why we find that the Internet today has become a fertile environment for the growth and spread of rumors. The more limited the platforms and places of publication, the greater the responsibility in the search for the original source in spreading this or that rumor, as the Internet is considered an easy means in the production, spreading and re-spreading of
... Show MoreTranslation is a dynamic and living process that cannot be considered equal to the original text and requires the appropriate structure, language, thought and culture of the target language, and the translator's intellectual, linguistic and cultural influences inadvertently penetrate into the translated text. It causes heterogeneity of the destination text with the source text.
Admiral's theory is trying to help by providing components and suggested approaches to resolve these inconsistencies. In the meantime, in addition to the mission of putting words together, the translator must sometimes sit in the position of the reader and judge and evaluate the translated text in order to understand its shortcomings and try to correct it a
... Show MoreAbstract
The aim of this research is to concentrate on the of knowledge management activities, initial activities: (Acquisition, Selection, Generation, Assimilation, Emission) knowledge, and support activities: (Measurement, Control, Coordination, Leadership) that is manipulate and controlling in achieving knowledge management cases in organization, that’s is leads to knowledge chain model, then determining the level of membership for these activities to knowledge chain model in a sample of Iraqi organization pushed by knowledge (Universities). The research depends on check list for gaining the data required, theses check list designed by apparently in diagnosing research dimensions and measurem
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