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 meanings attributed to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) are shaped through complex negotiations within religious and socio-cultural frameworks, including those observed in Indonesia. Using a combined qualitative and quantitative (mixed methods)-ethnographic and survey approach, data from 109 students of religious tertiary institutions in East Kalimantan on their perspectives on FGM/C practices can be more comprehensively explored. The results of the study, which were analysed using the three principles of symbolic interactionism, showed that 72.5 per cent of religious college student families still practice FGM/C and 53.2 per cent stated that FGM/C practices are beneficial for women. However, they are also willing, if
... Show MoreBackground: Evaluation and measurement of primary stability could be achieved by several methods, including the resonance frequency analysis (RFA) and implant insertion torque (IT) values. The need for a sufficient primary stability, guaranteed by an adequate insertion torque and implant stability quotient values, increased its importance mainly in one stage implants or in immediate loading protocols. The aims of this study was to find if there is a correlation between the peak insertion torque (PIT) and ISQ values of implants inserted in the jaws of different bone quality which regarded as two important clinical determinant factors for prediction of implant primary stability, and to evaluate and compare whether an experienced clinician cou
... Show MoreIn the field of civil engineering, the adoption and use of Falling Weight Deflectometers (FWDs) is seen as a response to the ever changing and technology-driven world. Specifically, FWDs refer to devices that aid in evaluating the physical properties of a pavement. This paper has assessed the concepts of data processing, storage, and analysis via FWDs. The device has been found to play an important role in enabling the operators and field practitioners to understand vertical deflection responses upon subjecting pavements to impulse loads. In turn, the resultant data and its analysis outcomes lead to the backcalculation of the state of stiffness, with initial analyses of the deflection bowl occurring in conjunction with the measured or assum
... Show MoreThis work presents a five-period chaotic system called the Duffing system, in which the effect of changing the initial conditions and system parameters d, g and w, on the behavior of the chaotic system, is studied. This work provides a complete analysis of system properties such as time series, attractors, and Fast Fourier Transformation Spectrum (FFT). The system shows periodic behavior when the initial conditions xi and yi equal 0.8 and 0, respectively, then the system becomes quasi-chaotic when the initial conditions xi and yi equal 0 and 0, and when the system parameters d, g and w equal 0.02, 8 and 0.09. Finally, the system exhibits hyperchaotic behavior at the first two conditions, 0 and 0, and the bandwidth of the chaotic
... Show MoreThe support qualitative information regards as an additional step in the process of decision-making where the method following by companies to provide information help in the creation of value because it is very important to deliver information to investors about their stratigies and what happen truly inside the companies i.e. every case relating with the expectations of stockhotslder and the prices of markets depending on those expectation ,and if the matter isn’t that there will be lack of confidence thate couldn’t be backed again. The decisions of the investors effected by security ,economic ,political, psychological, emotional ,and financial factors .
... Show MoreThe research problem consisted in answering the question that revolves around what is the impact of localizing employees’ salaries on bank deposits, and did it lead to an increase in their size? The research also aimed to nominate some initial solutions to improve the role of salary localization, in terms of reviewing the concept of electronic payment systems, its tools and channels, and then identifying the concept of salary localization, its importance, objectives and obstacles to its application, and then analyzing the reality of the state of localization of salaries and bank deposits to banks, the research sample for the period (2017- 2021), and the use of the statistical program (SPSS V25) to test the research hypotheses. The stud
... Show MoreThe researchers reached many conclusions, the most important of which was the distinction of practitioners of sports activity with high degrees in the trait (social). At the same time, it was low in the trait (aggression –restraint-desisting) and non-practitioners were distinguished by sports activity with high degrees in the trait (aggression –restraint-desisting). In contrast, the degree was low in the trait (social), and there were significant differences in favor of practitioners of the activity of the athlete, Through the conclusions, the researchers recommend the need for university students to practice sports activities because of their positive impact on their health in general and on the deve
... Show MoreThe partial level density PLD of pre-equilibrium reactions that are described by Ericson’s formula has been studied using different formulae of single particle level density . The parameter was used from the equidistant spacing model (ESM) model and the non- equidistant spacing model (non-ESM) and another formula of are derived from the relation between and level density parameter . The formulae used to derive are the Roher formula, Egidy formula, Yukawa formula, and Thomas –Fermi formula. The partial level density results that depend on from the Thomas-Fermi formula show a good agreement with the experimental data.