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.
This paper introduces a non-conventional approach with multi-dimensional random sampling to solve a cocaine abuse model with statistical probability. The mean Latin hypercube finite difference (MLHFD) method is proposed for the first time via hybrid integration of the classical numerical finite difference (FD) formula with Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) technique to create a random distribution for the model parameters which are dependent on time [Formula: see text]. The LHS technique gives advantage to MLHFD method to produce fast variation of the parameters’ values via number of multidimensional simulations (100, 1000 and 5000). The generated Latin hypercube sample which is random or non-deterministic in nature is further integ
... Show MoreBy reading the book (Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo) by Sean B. Carroll, new horizons opened up about the nature of the formation of the living organism. Although he presented the idea that the artist was influenced by the material assets of nature in his holographic art formations, the new science of Evo-Devo (Evolutionary Developmental Science) provided models worth standing on when comparing the similarity of the formation of living organisms on the one hand, and the formation of works of art with holographic organic bodies on the other. But the excitement lies in the fact that the formation of living natural organisms is often driven by subtle intelligent mechanisms that are different from the mechanisms us
... Show MoreThis research aims to present a proposed model for disclosure and documentation when performing the audit according to the joint audit method by using the questions and principles of the collective intelligence system, which leads to improving and enhancing the efficiency of the joint audit, and thus enhancing the confidence of the parties concerned in the outputs of the audit process. As the research problem can be formulated through the following question: “Does the proposed model for disclosure of the role of the collective intelligence system contribute to improving joint auditing?”
The proposed model is designed for the disclosure of joint auditing and the role
... Show MoreThe study of the tendencies of scientific research in specialized journalism through the three specialized levels, specifically the third level. It is referred to be a monthly, quarterly or annual magazine that follows the publication of the researches for new studies which have come to in every specialization. it is directed to the highly educated and is almost an alternative book. Thus, the subject is specialized and the audience is specialized.
The study aims in both its survey and field section at knowing the type of researches and their classification and the form, gender and the use of foreign sources and their scientific tank and the geographical position in addition to knowing the opinions of researchers and their satisfa
... Show MoreThis work presents the use of laser diode in the fiber distributed data interface FDDI networks. FDDI uses optical fiber as a transmission media. This solves the problems resulted from the EMI, and noise. In addition it increases the security of transmission. A network with a ring topology consists of three computers was designed and implemented. The timed token protocol was used to achieve and control the process of communication over the ring. Nonreturn to zero inversion (NRZI) modulation was carried out as a part of the physical (PHY) sublayer. The optical system consists of a laser diode with wavelength of 820 nm and 2.5 mW maximum output power as a source, optical fiber as a channel, and positive intrinsic negative (PIN) photodiode
... Show MoreViolence occurs as a daily human action all over the world; it may cause so many kinds of damage to individuals as well as to society: physical, psychological, or both. Many literary authors of different genres have tried their best to portray violence by showing its negative effects, especially playwrights because they have the chance to show people the dangers of violence through performance on stage to warn them against such negatively affected action. It has been a human action since the beginning of human life on this planet when the first crime happened on earth when Cane killed his brother Abel. In our modern world, people are witnessing daily violent actions as a result of destructive wars that turned the humans into brutal beings.
... Show MoreBackground: Gasoline constituents and its derivatives had many hazardous effects on the general health of humans. Thus, gasoline stations workers may be affected by different types of related diseases.This study was conducted to assess selected salivary elements and their relation with dental caries, oral hygiene status and periodontal diseases among gasoline stations workers in comparison with individuals have no regular exposure to gasoline. Materials and methods: The study group consists of thirty male subjects with an age range (33-39) years who worked in different gasoline stations in different areas of Baghdad city and thirty persons that matching in age and gender and not exposed to gasoline were selected as a control group. Dental c
... Show MoreThe aim of the research was to investigate the use of non-parametric tests in the analysis of the questionnaire and how to choose the appropriate test for testing the hypothesis of the study of crime motives in Khartoum State. The data were collected through the primary sources by designing a questionnaire and distributed to a sample of inmates in Khartoum state; the data were analysis by SPSS program using the analytical statistical method through using some of the suitable non-parametric tests for each case. The most important results of the research were: there was significant relationship between the type of crime and the age group therefore, we found that the age group (20-29) was the most frequent crime particularly, the fi
... Show MoreTransient mixed convection heat transfer in a confined porous medium heated at periodic sinusoidal heat flux is investigated numerically in the present paper. The Poisson-type pressure equation, resulted from the substituting of the momentum Darcy equation in the continuity equation, was discretized by using finite volume technique. The energy equation was solved by a fully implicit control volume-based finite difference formulation for the diffusion terms with the use of the quadratic upstream interpolation for convective kinetics scheme to discretize the convective terms and the temperature values at the control volume faces. The numerical study covers a range of the hydrostatic pressure head , , , , and ), sinusoidal amplitude range of
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