Preferred Language
Articles
/
JRcfW5MBVTCNdQwCu9Iq
Anti CD20 Monoclonal Antibody (Rituximab) as a Rescue Treatment in Severe and Refractory SLE
...Show More Authors

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.

Scopus Crossref
View Publication Preview PDF
Quick Preview PDF
Publication Date
Sun Jan 01 2017
Journal Name
Journal Of Sensors
Sequential Monte Carlo Localization Methods in Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks: A Review
...Show More Authors

The advancement of digital technology has increased the deployment of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in our daily life. However, locating sensor nodes is a challenging task in WSNs. Sensing data without an accurate location is worthless, especially in critical applications. The pioneering technique in range-free localization schemes is a sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) method, which utilizes network connectivity to estimate sensor location without additional hardware. This study presents a comprehensive survey of state-of-the-art SMC localization schemes. We present the schemes as a thematic taxonomy of localization operation in SMC. Moreover, the critical characteristics of each existing scheme are analyzed to identify its advantages

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Scopus (24)
Crossref (16)
Scopus Clarivate Crossref
Publication Date
Tue Sep 01 2015
Journal Name
Journal Of Biomechanics
In vitro wear testing of a contemporary design of reverse shoulder prosthesis
...Show More Authors

Reverse shoulder arthroplasty is an increasingly common surgical intervention. However there are concerns and known limitations in relation to such joint replacement, while novel designs of reverse shoulder prostheses continue to appear on the market. Many claim to offer improvements over older designs but such assertions are difficult to validate when there is no consensus as to how such implants should be tested in vitro or even if such testing is necessary. In order to permit appropriate in vitro testing of reverse shoulder prostheses a unique, multi-station test rig was designed which was capable of applying motion in three axes to test prostheses. The shoulder simulator can apply up to 110° of motion in the flexion–extension and abd

... Show More
View Publication
Scopus (29)
Crossref (28)
Scopus Clarivate Crossref
Publication Date
Wed Feb 06 2019
Journal Name
Journal Of The College Of Education For Women
The Effect use of the Internet in Academic Libraries A Case Study
...Show More Authors

The aim of this research is to show the importance of the effective use
of the internet in academic libraries; to improve the services and to increase
the competence of librarians.
The research has given some recommendations to improve the quality
of services and the need for cooperative network among academic libraries.

View Publication Preview PDF
Publication Date
Wed Sep 14 2016
Journal Name
Journal Of Baghdad College Of Dentistry
A Survey of Prosthodontics Techniques Applied by Dental Practitioners in Sulaimani City
...Show More Authors

Background: Prosthodontic services have changed markedly due to an introduction of new materials, techniques and treatment options. The aim of this study were to identify the type of materials and the methods used by dental practitioners in their clinics to construct conventional complete dentures and to specify the type and design for removable partial dentures (RPDs); and to then compare them with those taught in dental schools. Materials and methods: A total of 153 dental practitioners in Sulaimani city completed a written questionnaire. The questionnaire included 19 questions regarding complete and RPDs fabrication. Results: Most of the practitioners provide complete dentures (81.6%) and RPDs (95.3%) in their clinics. Polyvinyl silox

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Crossref (2)
Crossref
Publication Date
Fri Dec 15 2017
Journal Name
Journal Of The College Of Education For Women
Identity in Sonia Sanchez's Poem "right on: white america" :A Stylistic Study
...Show More Authors

Language is an important means through which one can construct one's social world. Accordingly, the way we view ourselves and the world is basically formed by language use whereby identities, relations, and values are constructed and maintained. Most discourse analysts consider narrative not only the locus of construction and enactment of identity, but also a distinguished genre for its analysis.The present study is concerned with how identity can poetically be informed, hence exploring the way black poets use language when reflecting their identity and culture. The poem, right on: white america by the black American poetess Sonia Sanchez, is chosen to be analyzed based on Simpson's stylistic model (2004). In this model, the ana

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Publication Date
Fri Jul 30 2021
Journal Name
Turkish Online Journal Of Qualitative Inquiry (tojqi)
A Pragmatic Study of the Student-Teacher Relationship in the Dangerous Minds
...Show More Authors

Preview PDF
Publication Date
Tue May 31 2022
Journal Name
Journal Of Positive School Psychology
A GENRE-BASED ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL SPEECHES IN THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
...Show More Authors

Preview PDF
Publication Date
Wed Mar 04 2015
Journal Name
Environmental Earth Sciences
Isotopic study of water resources in a semi-arid region, western Iraq
...Show More Authors

View Publication
Scopus (39)
Crossref (25)
Scopus Clarivate Crossref
Publication Date
Tue Mar 30 2021
Journal Name
Scientific Review Engineering And Environmental Studies (srees)
Testing the performance of a solar energy cooling system in Baghdad city
...Show More Authors

Renewable energy resources have become a promissory alternative to overcome the problems related to atmospheric pollution and limited sources of fossil fuel energy. The technologies in the field of renewable energy are used also to improve the ventilation and cooling in buildings by using the solar chimney and heat exchanger. This study addresses the design, construction and testing of a cooling system by using the above two techniques. The aim was to study the effects of weather conditions on the efficiency of this system which was installed in Baghdad for April and May 2020. The common weather in these months is hot in Baghdad. The test room of the design which has a size of 1 m3 was situated to face the geographical south. The te

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Scopus (5)
Crossref (2)
Scopus Crossref
Publication Date
Tue May 01 2018
Journal Name
Journal Of Engineering Science And Technology
A proposed dual size design for energy minimization in sub-threshold circuits
...Show More Authors

Sub-threshold operation has received a lot of attention in limited performance applications.However, energy optimization of sub-threshold circuits should be performed with the concern of the performance limitation of such circuit. In this paper, a dual size design is proposed for energy minimization of sub-threshold CMOS circuits. The optimal downsizing factor is determined and assigned for some gates on the off-critical paths to minimize the energy at the maximum allowable performance. This assignment is performed using the proposed slack based genetic algorithm which is a heuristic-mixed evolutionary algorithm. Some gates are heuristically assigned to the original and the downsized design based on their slack time determined by static tim

... Show More
Preview PDF
Scopus