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.
When scheduling rules become incapable to tackle the presence of a variety of unexpected disruptions frequently occurred in manufacturing systems, it is necessary to develop a reactive schedule which can absorb the effects of such disruptions. Such responding requires efficient strategies, policies, and methods to controlling production & maintaining high shop performance. This can be achieved through rescheduling task which defined as an essential operating function to efficiently tackle and response to uncertainties and unexpected events. The framework proposed in this study consists of rescheduling approaches, strategies, policies, and techniques, which represents a guideline for most manufacturing companies operatin
... Show MoreBackground. Body mass index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms (or pounds) divided by the square of height in meters (or feet). Obesity affects a wide spectrum of age groups, from the young to the elderly, and there are several eye diseases related to obesity like diabetic retinopathy, floppy eyelid syndrome, retinal vein occlusion, stroke-related vision loss, age-related macular degeneration, and possibly, refractive errors. Refractive errors (RE) are optical imperfections related to the focusing ability of the eye and are the main cause of visual impairment which may result in missed education and employment opportunities, lower productivity and impaired quality of life. Aim. The study aimed to find an association between bod
... Show MoreIn light of accelerating environmental degradation, the transition to a green economy is an imperative for achieving sustainable development. This study provides a critical analysis of the international legal and institutional framework governing this transition, revealing a significant gap between normative developments and the institutional framework on one hand, and their practical implementation on the other. The transition faces legal obstacles, including reliance on non-binding voluntary commitments and conflicts between environmental obligations and global trade and investment rules. It also reveals a significant financing gap, as financial flows to developing countries continue to lag behind commitments, in add
... Show MoreIn this work, we focused on studying 1,4-naphthoquinones and their derivatives, and knowing the methods of preparing them using different auxiliary agents and forming derivatives containing heterocyclic rings, active groups and saturated rings containing heterogeneous elements . In addition, due to their strong antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer activity, 1,4-naphthoquinone compounds biological importance and are considered a source of various pharmaceutical compounds.
يمثل الأخذ بالنظام الفيدرالي أطاراً تنظيمياً لشكل الدولة و مرحلة تحول مهمة في بنية الدولة العامة في مختلف مجالاتها، فالانتقال من المركزية في أدارة الشؤون العامة للدولة الى النمط الفيدرالي يمثل تحولا بنيوياً وسيكولوجياً ،حيث يكون هنالك توزيع مكاني - عمودي للسلطة والثروة بين الوحدات المكونة للدولة بشكل يختلف كليا عن الحالة المركزية، ونجد صور تنظيمية عديدة تتأسس ضمن اطار الفيدرالية العام ،
... Show MoreCredit card fraud has become an increasing problem due to the growing reliance on electronic payment systems and technological advances that have improved fraud techniques. Numerous financial institutions are looking for the best ways to leverage technological advancements to provide better services to their end users, and researchers used various protection methods to provide security and privacy for credit cards. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the challenges and the proposed solutions to address them. This review provides an overview of the most recent research on the detection of fraudulent credit card transactions to protect those transactions from tampering or improper use, which includes imbalance classes, c
... Show MoreThe Mannich reaction is one of the most important types of organic chemistry fundamental reactions. It is a crucial stage in the production of various medicines, natural goods, and industrial chemicals. Chemists' imaginations have always been piqued because of this. In general, the Mannich reactions can be used as part of a tandem reaction sequence to produce complex target molecules in an elegant and often easy manner. The following article examines and summarizes methods for synthesizing Mannich derivatives, in addition to offering a survey of recent advancements in several fields’ applications of the Mannich reaction, such as biological applications, antimicrobial activity, anticancer activity, anti-inflammation and
... Show MoreA new series polymers was synthesized from reaction starting material Bisacodyl A or [(2-Pyridinylmethylene) di-4, 1-phenylene di acetate] with hydrogen bromide, then the products were polymerized by addition polymerization from used adipoyl and glutaroyl chloride. The structure of these compounds was characterized by FT-IR, melting points, TLC, X-Ray, DSC and 1H-NMR for starting material. These compounds were also screened for their antibacterial activists?