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.
Nanofertilizers offer a promising solution to increase crop yields amid increasing population pressure. Yet there have been safety concerns about their use, particularly in challenging conditions. This work was designed to assess the toxicological effects of a chelated multi-micronutrient nanofertilizer on albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) as non-target organisms, focusing on the liver, which has important metabolic functions. Thirty-five animals were weighed and randomly divided into 5 groups (n=7). A negative control group was included, and four experimental groups (C1-C4) were given the test item. The dosing regimen for the experimental groups was 15 oral doses of nanofertilizer every other day for 29 days. All the groups were
... Show MoreSchiff bases, named after Hugo Schiff, are aldehyde- or ketone-like compounds in which the carbonyl group is replaced by imine or azomethine group. They are widely used for industrial purposes and also have a broad range of applications as antioxidants. An overview of antioxidant applications of Schiff bases and their complexes is discussed in this review. A brief history of the synthesis and reactivity of Schiff bases and their complexes is presented. Factors of antioxidants are illustrated and discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
It is proposed and studied a prey-predator system with a Holling type II functional response that merges predation fear with a predator-dependent prey's refuge. Understanding the impact of fear and refuge on the system's dynamic behavior is one of the objectives. All conceivable steady-states are investigated for their stability. The persistence condition of the system has been established. Local bifurcation analysis is performed in the Sotomayor sense. Extensive numerical simulation with varied parameters was used to explore the system's global dynamics. A limit cycle and a point attractor are the two types of attractors in the system. It's also interesting to note that the system exhibits bi-stability between these 2 types of attractors.
... Show MoreBackground: Knowledge about the prevalence and distribution of pathologies in a particular location is important when a differential diagnosis is being formulated. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and the clinicopathological features of odontogenic cysts and tumors affecting the maxilla and to discuss the unusual presentation of those lesions within maxillary sinus.
Materials and Methods: A multicenter retrospective analysis was performed on pathology archives of patients who were diagnosed with maxillary odontogenic cysts and tumors from 2010 to 2020. Data were collected with respect to age, gender and location.
Result: A total of 384 cases was identified, 320 (83.3%) cases were diagnosed as odontogenic
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding diets containing different levels of parsley on the hematological traits of local Iraqi geese. A total of twenty-four local geese, one year old, were used in this experiment. The birds were allocated into four treatment groups, consisting of six geese each. Treatment groups were: control diet (C) (free from parsley); T1: control diet + 80 g/d parsley; T2: control diet + 160 g/d parsley; and T3: control diet + 240 g/d parsley. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were obtained from all geese from the brachial vein by venipuncture. Hematological traits included in this study were red blood cells count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), mean cell
... Show MoreAqueous extract of poppy plant) Papaver nudicaule) with five concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200 and 250) mg/l were used to anesthetize fingerlings of the common carp Cyprinus carpio (Mean total length 8.91 ± 0.31 cm and mean total weight 7.72 ± 1.19 gm) instead of the traditional use of MS-222. Results showed that extracted solution of poppy have partial and overall anesthesia effect on these fishes with inverse relationship between the concentrations used and the time needed to reach partial and overall anesthesia, and also direct relationship between concentrations used and time needed for fish recovery. Best results were obtained by using a concentration of 250 mg/l, where time for partial anesthesia was 8 ± 1.52 m
... Show More
