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 research focuses on the contemporary geostrategic transformations that afflicted the countries of the Middle East, with a focus on the countries of the Arab East, after the collapse of the system of international relations, and the emergence of the unipolar system led by the United States of America. After the events of September 11 and the events that followed, especially the occupation of Iraq in 2003, the study area witnessed a group of geopolitical variables and the emergence of dangerous phenomena that threatened the state structure in the countries of the Middle East; the most notably are the phenomenon of terrorism, cross-border armed groups, sectarian polarization, the phenomenon of migration and the internal and the externa
... Show MoreSM ADAI, BN RASHID, Journal of Current Researches on Social Sciences, 2023
Characterized the Middle East has geographic, economic, and geostrategic peculiarities, but it suffers from many problems, such as disagreement over what it means as a concept, or what it represents of a geographic extension. The question is related to the ambiguity surrounding the concept of the Middle East? The purpose of its launch? As it relates to its geostrategic, economic, and geo-cultural importance? And manifestations of this importance? And to what extent he retained his value in the strategies of the major powers? Research hypotheses:
-The multiplicity of concepts for the Middle East region, with international political and Geostrategic interests.- The geostrategic value of the Middle East has made it a focal point for
... Show MoreThe evolution of cryptography has been crucial to preservation subtle information in the digital age. From early cipher algorithms implemented in earliest societies to recent cryptography methods, cryptography has developed alongside developments in computing field. The growing in cyber threats and the increase of comprehensive digital communications have highlighted the significance of selecting effective and robust cryptographic techniques. This article reviews various cryptography algorithms, containing symmetric key and asymmetric key cryptography, via evaluating them according to security asset, complexity, and execution speed. The main outcomes demonstrate the growing trust on elliptic curve cryptography outstanding its capabi
... Show MoreObtaining the computational models for the functioning of the brain gives us a chance to understand the brain functionality thoroughly. This would help the development of better treatments for neurological illnesses and disorders. We created a cortical model using Python language using the Brian simulator. The Brian simulator is specialized in simulating the neuronal connections and synaptic interconnections. The dynamic connection model has multiple parameters in order to ensure an accurate simulation (Bowman, 2016). We concentrated on the connection weights and studied their effect on the interactivity and connectivity of the cortical neurons in the same cortical layer and across multiple layers. As synchronization helps us to mea
... Show MoreThe current study introduces a novel method for calculating the stability time by a new approach based on the conversion of degradation from the conductivity curve results obtained by the conventional method. The stability time calculated by the novel method is shorter than the time measured by the conventional method. The stability time in the novel method can be calculated by the endpoint of the tangency of the conversion curve with the tangent line. This point of tangency represents the stability time, as will be explained in detail. Still, it gives a clear and accurate envisage of the dehydrochlorination behavior and can be generalized to all types of polyvinyl chloride compared to the stability time measured by conventional ones based
... Show MoreIn present days, drug resistance is a major emerging problem in the healthcare sector. Novel antibiotics are in considerable need because present effective treatments have repeatedly failed. Antimicrobial peptides are the biologically active secondary metabolites produced by a variety of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and algae, which possess surface activity reduction activity along with this they are having antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant antibiofilm activity. Antimicrobial peptides include a wide variety of bioactive compounds such as Bacteriocins, glycolipids, lipopeptides, polysaccharide-protein complexes, phospholipids, fatty acids, and neutral lipids. Bioactive peptides derived from various natural sources like bacte
... Show MoreAs technology advances and develops, the need for strong and simple authentication mechanisms that can help protect data intensifies. The contemporary approach to giving access control is through graphical passwords comprising images, patterns, or graphical items. The objective of this review was to determine the documented security risks that are related to the use of graphical passwords, together with the measures that have been taken to prevent them. The review was intended to present an extensive literature review of the subject matter on graphical password protection and to point toward potential future research directions. Many attacks, such as shoulder surfing attacks, SQL injection attacks, and spyware attacks, can easily ex
... Show MoreIn the present paper a low cost mechanical vibration shaker of rotating unbalanced type with uniaxial shaking table was designed and constructed in an attempt to provide opportunities for experimental testing and application of vibration in experimental modal analysis, stress relief of weldments, effect of vibration on heat transfer and seismic testing of civil engineering structures. Also, it provides unexpressive solution to enhance the knowledge and technical skills of students in mechanical vibration laboratory. The shaker consists of a five main parts shaker frame, shaker table, flexible support, drive motor, and eccentricity mechanism. The experimental results show that the amplitude of the shaker is increased with increasing the f
... Show MoreThe Environmental Data Acquisition Telemetry System is a versatile, flexible and economical means to accumulate data from multiple sensors at remote locations over an extended period of time; the data is normally transferred to the final destination and saved for further analysis.
This paper introduces the design and implementation of a simplified, economical and practical telemetry system to collect and transfer the environmental parameters (humidity, temperature, pressure etc.) from a remote location (Rural Area) to the processing and displaying unit.
To get a flexible and practical system, three data transfer methods (three systems) were proposed (including the design and implementation) for rural area services, the fi
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