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.
In this paper, a procedure to establish the different performance measures in terms of crisp value is proposed for two classes of arrivals and multiple channel queueing models, where both arrival and service rate are fuzzy numbers. The main idea is to convert the arrival rates and service rates under fuzzy queues into crisp queues by using graded mean integration approach, which can be represented as median rule number. Hence, we apply the crisp values obtained to establish the performance measure of conventional multiple queueing models. This procedure has shown its effectiveness when incorporated with many types of membership functions in solving queuing problems. Two numerical illustrations are presented to determine the validity of the
... Show MoreThis research seeks to shed light on what you add intangible assets of benefit to the company and this antagonize pause for consideration because it makes the company in a good competitive position stimulates the rest of the companies to acquire those assets.
That many companies have achieved competitive advantages in the market do not even achieved monopolies increased the value and reaped extraordinary profits as a result of those assets which requires the need to be measured to determine the extent to which contribution in the emergence of the value added to the value of the company on the one hand and to make the presentatio
... Show MoreThe affliction is a remaining year and not a past incident, and the most evil people are the prophets - peace and blessings be upon them - and the most severe is the Imam of the Prophets Muhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - because they are exposed to harm from their people because of their call to a religion that violates the religion of parents and grandparents, the religion of injustice and injustice And polytheism and disbelief, and therefore the Qur'an had attitudes towards the entertainment of the people of affliction in general and our beloved - peace be upon him - in particular, this research came about the entertainment of the Qur’an for the Prophet - may God bless him and grant him peace - and many areas of ente
... Show MoreObjectives: This study explored knowledge, attitude, and practice of infection control by dental students at College of Dentistry/ University of Baghdad, Iraq. Material and Methods: Three hundred dental students participated in this study. A self administrated questionnaire with 21 close ended questions related to use of personal protective equipments, infection control awareness, vaccination status, percutaneous exposures, and attitude towards treatment of patients with hepatitis B (HBV)/ or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was distributed to dental students. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Fisher exact and Chi-square test were used with significance level set to 0.05. Results: The
... Show MorePhytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Effect of Stevia Rebaudiana (Bertoni) Alcoholic Leaves Extract on Streptococcus Oralis (Dental Plaques Primary Colonizer), Manar Ibrahim
Computer simulations were carried out to investigate the dependence of the main perturbation parameters (Sun and Moon attractions, solar radiation pressure, atmosphere drag, and geopotential of Earth) on the orbital behavior of satellite. In this simulation, the Cowell method for accelerations technique was adopted, the equation of motion with perturbation was solved by 4th order Runge-Kutta method with step (1/50000) of period to obtain the state vectors for position and velocity. The results of this simulation have been compared with data that available on TLEs (NORD data in two line elements). The results of state vectors for satellites (Cartosat-2B, Gsat-14 an
Background: The polymethyl methacrylate is the most reliable material for the construction of complete and partial dentures, despite satisfying esthetic demand itsuffered from having unsatisfactory properties like impact strength and transverse strength. This study was designed to improve the impact strength and transverse strength of heat cure acrylic resin by adding untreated and oxygen plasma treated polypropylene fibers and investigate the effect of this additive on some properties of acrylic resin materials. Materials and methods: Untreated and oxygen plasma treated polypropylene fibers was added to PMMA powder by weight 2.5 %. Specimens were constructed and divided into 5 groups according to the using tests; each group was subdivided
... Show MoreThe tetradentate N2O2 Schiff base ligand, which is produced via the condensation reaction of 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde with phthalohydrazide, is prepared in this work with a fair yield. The prepared ligand was characterized using a microanalysis technique (C.H.N), UV-vis, FTIR, 1H-,13C-NMR, mass spectrometry, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). New complexes were synthesized by a reaction between ligand (N'1E,N'2Z)-N'1,N'2-bis((1-hydroxynaphthalen-2yl)methylene)phthalohydrazide and metal chloride of Co+2, Ni+2, and Zn+2 ions in absolute ethanol. The present complexes are also characterized by techniques such as C.H.N, UV-vis, FTIR, TGA, molar conductivity, atomic absorption, and magnetic moment measurements. The in vitro antimicro
... Show More(Thimma) in Arabic means compact, and immunity. (People of Thimma) are the free non-Muslim people under Muslim rule. This includes Heavenly Religions people, i. e., Christian and Jews).
They have been called (People of Thimma) because they had paid (Jizyah: tribute) so they became safe for their souls, honor, properties at the custody of Muslims.
Islamic law had posed (Jizyah: tribute) upon the Jews and Christians who were living under Muslim rule as a reaction of not embracing Islam Faith against securing their rights and freedom.
Freedoms secured by Islam for the (People of Thimma) had been many, including the right of faith, not coercing them to be Muslim, the right to live, to possess properties, protect and secure them, the