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 five-a- Side Soccer for simple mental disability is as interesting and caring as many other sporting events. Therefore, the researchers believe that their basic skills tests are compatible with then level of the tested individuals in terms of age and mental ability. As a means of selecting those who are qualified to practice this game in a simple way, the problem of research has been identified in the design and standardization of two scoring skills that belong to this category and are approved by the training staff during the initial selection process. The research community is determined by people with mental disabilities who belong to the governmental and private institutes and the Special Olympics Union in Baghdad and for the year 2
... Show MoreBackground: The skin functions as a barrier to the external environment, damage to this barrier following a burn disrupts the innate immune system and increases susceptibility to bacterial infection. Objective: This study was carried out to determine the bacterial isolates and study their antimicrobial susceptibility in burned wound infections at one burn's hospital in Baghdad.Type of study:Cross-sectional study.Methods: The bacteria were identified at species level by using Analytic Profile Index (API) system and The antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed according to Kirby-Bauer (disk diffusion) technique.Results: Over a period of one year (from October 2014 to October 2015). Out of 848 patients with different degrees of burns
... Show MoreThe issue of insurance against unlawful risks raises a jurisprudential and judicial debate between two opposing trends: the first considers coverage of these risks invalid due to their impact on public order or morals, while the second—which this research analyses—calls for the possibility of covering these risks in specific circumstances, based on contractual considerations in accordance with the principle that the contract is the law of the contracting parties, and based on the obligation to compensate the harmed third party—the victim—who has no connection to the unlawful act. In this context, our research highlights that contractual considerations can justify coverage of some unlawful risks, provided that the goal is to achieve
... Show MoreThe contemporary business environment is witnessing increasing calls for modifications to the traditional cost system, and a trend towards adopting cost management techniques to provide appropriate financial and non-financial information for senior and executive departments, including the Resource Consumption Accounting (RCA) technique in question, which classifies costs into fixed and variable to support the decision-making process. Moreover, (RCA) combines two approaches to cost estimation, the first based on activity-based cost accounting (ABC) and the second on the German cost accounting method (GPK). The research aims to provide a conceptual vision for resource consumption accounting, after Considering it as an accounting te
... Show MoreThe corrosion behavior of low carbon steel in washing water of crude oil solution has been studied potentiostatically at five temperatures in the range ( 303 –343 )K, at pH ( 4 ) and at pH (4,6,7,9,11 ) at (343K)..The corrosion potential shifted to more negative values with increasing temperature and the corrosion current density increased with increasing temperature, the corrosion current density (icorr) decreased with increasing pH in the rang ( 4 – 7 ) and it increased with increasing pH in the rang ( 9 – 11 ) at ( 343 K ), while the corrosion potential generally variation with increasing pH in the rang (4-11)at(343K. From the general results for this study can be seen that thermodynamic and kinetic function were
... Show MoreThe increase of the scenographic designer role on account of the character of the director in the Iraqi theater constituted a clear phenomenon that has been manifested in many shows, which necessitated a stance on the nature of this relation and delimiting the work space for each one of them inside the theater show. The research focuses on determining the work relation between the directorial vision and the scenographic proposal in the Iraq theater show. The research is divided into four chapters, the first one addressed the methodological framework, where the research problem was stated in the following question (has the scenographic designer been able through his scenographic proposal to remove the director from his position being the
... Show MoreContinuous turbidimetric analysis (CTA) for a distinctive analytical application by employing a homemade analyser (NAG Dual & Solo 0-180°) which contained two consecutive detection zones (measuring cells 1 & 2) is described. The analyser works based on light-emitting diodes as a light source and a set of solar cells as a light detector for turbidity measurements without needing further fibres or lenses. Formation of a turbid precipitated product with yellow colour due to the reaction between the warfarin and the precipitation reagent (Potassium dichromate) is what the developed method is based on. The CTA method was applied to determine the warfarin in pure form and pharmaceu
The efficiency of Nd:YAG laser radiation in removing debris and smear layer from prepared root
canal walls was studied. Fifty-seven human extracted single rooted anterior teeth were divided into three
groups. A group that was not lased is considered as a control group. The remaining teeth were exposed to
different laser parameters regarding laser energy, repetition rate and exposure time. For the case of the set of
parameters of 7 mJ laser energy, the cleaning was maximum at 3 p.p.s. repetition rate for 3 seconds exposure
time for, the coronal, middle and apical thirds. Above and below this energy level, there was an overdose
(melting) or under dose (no effect). Nevertheless for 10mJ laser energy case, the cleaning effi