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.
Age, hypertension, and diabetes can cause significant alterations in arterial structure and function, including changes in lumen diameter (LD), intimal-medial thickness (IMT), flow velocities, and arterial compliance. These are also considered risk markers of atherosclerosis and cerebrovascular disease. A difference between right and left carotid artery blood flow and IMT has been reported by some researchers, and a difference in the incidence of nonlacunar stroke has been reported between the right and left brain hemispheres. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences between the right and left common carotid arteries and internal carotid arteries in patient
This study aims to know the role of strategic leadership to achieving competitiveness in industrial establishments by identifying the respondents’ perceptions about the level of availability of dimensions of leadership strategies (creativity and innovation, risk tolerance, available opportunities) in Bashir Al-Siksek & Partners Company for the manufacture of sanitary and plastic ware in Gaza strip
To achieve this, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to a sample of managers, auditors, accountants, and administrative employees in the study sample company. The questionnaire tool was distributed to 60 employees and employees, of which (52) were retrieved, or 86.6%, and (8) were excluded for la
... Show MoreThis work is concerned with designing two types of controllers, a PID and a Fuzzy PID, to be used
for flying and stabilizing a quadcopter. The designed controllers have been tuned, tested, and
compared using two performance indices which are the Integral Square Error (ISE) and the Integral
Absolute Error (IAE), and also some response characteristics like the rise time, overshoot, settling
time, and the steady state error. To try and test the controllers, a quadcopter mathematical model has
been developed. The model concentrated on the rotational dynamics of the quadcopter, i.e. the roll,
pitch, and yaw variables. The work has been simulated with “MATLAB”. To make testing the
simulated model and the controllers m
The heavy metal cadmium is extremely harmful to both humans and animals. Zinc supplementation protects the biological system and reduces cadmium-induced toxicity. This study aimed to determine whether zinc chloride (ZnCl2) could protect male mice with the damaged liver induced by cadmium chloride (CdCl2). The protective role of zinc chloride and expression of the metallothionein (MT), Ki-67, and Bcl-2 apoptotic proteins in hepatocytes were studied after subchronic exposure of mice to cadmium chloride for 21 days. Thirty male mice were randomly categorized into 6 groups (5 mice/group) as follows: a control group that did not receive any treatment, a group given ZnCl2 at 10 mg/kg alone, and two groups received ZnCl2 (10 mg/kg) i
... Show MoreThe objective of this study is to highlight the skills of office managers and it's impact on the effectiveness of time management in the institutes and faculties of middle technical university and a group of cognitive and practical aims. The managers skills forms mthe modern trend and the main source to provide organizations with highly skilled managers with distinctive performance and because of the sharp changes in the environment which today's organizations works in it , business organizations generally and managers especially realise the importance of time management and it's role in achieving competitive advantage . The problem of this study raised from this point which reflect the extent of departments managers realisation
... Show MoreBackground: Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a group of conditions affecting the reticuloendothelial system. It includes Letterer-Siwe disease, Hand-Schuller-Christian disease and eosinophilic granuloma and most often presents in childhood. Materials and methods: Twenty-five cases of LCH were diagnosed histologically and confirmed by CD1a antibody and assessed immunohistochemically using anti-RANKL and anti-RANK antibodies to evaluate osteoclastogenic mechanism. Results: Regarding jaw cases, there was a significant correlation between CD1a and RANK (P=0.016). While in the skull, highly significant correlation existed between RANK and RANKL (p=0.001). Among the sites, there was no statistically significant difference found for each
... Show MoreAzo ligand 11-(4-methoxyphenyl azo)-6-oxo-5,6-dihydro-benzo[4,5] imidazo[1,2-c] quinazoline-9-carboixylic acid was derived from 4-methoxyaniline and 6-oxo-5,6-dihydro-benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline-9-carboxylic acid. The presence of azo dye was identified by elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods (FT-IR and UV-Vis). The compounds formed have been identified by using atomic absorption in flame, FT.IR, UV-Vis spectrometry magnetic susceptibility and conductivity. In order to evaluate the antibacterial efficiency of ligand and its complexes used in this study three species of bacteria were also examined. Ligand and its complexes showed good bacterial efficiencies. From the obtained data, an octahedral geometry was proposed for all p
... Show MoreThe research emphasizes importance of preliminary drawings in design of any product. Therefore, using of simulation as tools for visual thinking in developing drawing and design skills. So that practice of drawing by hand, considering shape of ideas in first stage of visualizations, and practice of its techniques and continuous training.
Hence, the research problem arose with the role of simulation method for developing preliminary sketches in the sample of students of the Product Design Department at the College of Design and Art, PNU, as it is important tool for visual thinking that helps the designer in designing and producing innovative artistic works.
Therefore, the research axes, a number of findings and recommendations were
Abstract:
The study focused on the application of smart tourism as one of the applications of electronic commerce in the form of (B2C) to attract tourists to Saudi Arabia, where the tourism sector is one of the important sectors on which the Kingdom depends on the diversity of its economy.
The purpose of the research: With the issuance of tourist visas for the first time the study noted a deterioration in the case of Saudi tourist sites over the Internet, which do not live up to this great interest by the Saudi government for this sector, which became vital to them. The study tried to identify the reality of the Saudi tourist sites through the Internet in order to identify the sui
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