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 lower respiratory tract of sheep was studied to determine the torsion and branching of the bronchial tree. The respiratory system of ruminants and all living organisms is one of the most important organs in the body that controls the amount of gas exchange between the heart and lungs through the airways, it is clear that in sheep it consists of a narrow bronchial tube that reaches the extent of lung tissue repercussions. He used silicon, water, acid, and at room temperature, and the substance was injected with an injection gun through the trachea and was pushed gently to spread and distribute in all parts of the lungs with moderate manual pressure. The results showed that the mold shape in the lung and the bronchial branches of
... Show MoreRoller compacted concrete (RCC) is a special type of concrete with zero or even negative slump consistency. In this work, it had aimed to produce an RCC mix suitable for roads paving with minimum cost and better engineering properties so, different RCC mixes had prepared i.e. (M1, M2, M3, and M4) using specified percentages of micro natural silica sand powder (SSP) as partial replacement of (0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) by weight of sulfate resistant Portland cement. Additionally, M-sand, crushed stone, filler, and water had been used. The results had obtained after 28 days of water curing. The control mix (M1) had satisfied the required
Simple, rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric method was proposed for the analysis of metoclopramide hydrochloride (MPH) in pure form as well as in pharmaceutical tablets. The method is based on the diazotization reaction of MPH with sodium nitrite in hydrochloric acid medium to form diazonium salt, which is coupled with 1-naphthol in sodium hydroxide medium to form azo dye, showing absorption maxima at 550 nm. Beer’s law is obeyed in the concentration range of 0.4 – 18 µg mL-1 of MPH with detection limit 0.5448 µg mL-1. The molar absorptivity and Sandell’s sensitivity are 3.4969 × 104 L mol-1 cm-1 and 0.0101 µg cm-2, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of MPH in pharmaceutical tablets with
... Show MoreA pure posteriorly posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysm represents a surgical challenge. This is mainly when there is a need for good exposure of the aneurysmal neck, sac, PCoA, and anterior choroidal arteries. Ruptured pure posteriorly directed PCoA aneurysm imposes significantly extra challenge as the surgeon undergoes dissection through a tight brain. Even with measures commonly used to attain brain relaxation like the lumbar drain and cisternal fenestration. Here, we describe a technique for posterior temporal pole mobilization (TPM) as an integrated part of microsurgical clipping of ruptured pure posteriorly directed PCoA aneurysms. This technique is implicated in twenty-three successive cases of ruptured PCoA aneurys
... Show MoreBackground: Trauma is one of the most common
clinical problems that confront the maxillofacial
surgeon and radiologist alike. Middle third facial
fractures are diagnosed primarily on the bases of
clinical examination and plain radiographs than can
result in much preoperative speculation.
Objective: To assess the advantages of spiral
computerized tomography over conventional
radiography in the pre-surgical evaluation of middle
third facial fractures.
Methods: Thirty patients with thirty-eight facial
fractures were studied, all patients were examined
clinically, by plain radiography and then by spiral CT.
Results: Of the 38 middle-third fractures, 16
(42.1%) were zygomatic fractures, 8 (21.1%) were
The pretreatment process can be considered one of the important processes in wastewater treatment, especially coagulation process to decrease the strength of many pollutants. This paper focused on using powdered date seeds as natural coagulant in addition to chemical coagulants (alum and ferric chloride) to find the optimum dosage of each coagulant that makes efficient removal of turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from domestic wastewater as a pretreatment process, then finding the optimum combined dosages of date seeds with alum, date seeds with ferric chloride that make efficient removal for both pollutants. Concerning turbidity, the optimum dosage for date seeds, alum and ferric chloride were 40 mg/l (79%), 70
... Show MoreThe interplay of species in a polluted environment is one of the most critical aspects of the ecosystem. This paper explores the dynamics of the two-species Lokta–Volterra competition model. According to the type I functional response, one species is affected by environmental pollution. Whilst the other degrades the toxin according to the type II functional response. All equilibrium points of the system are located, with their local and global stability being assessed. A numerical simulation examination is carried out to confirm the theoretical results. These results illustrate that competition and pollution can significantly change the coexistence and extinction of each species.
Fallacies are incorrect reasoning that make an argument seem less logically credible and easier to be identified as unsound. They are widespread; individuals commit them while engaging in various activities, including at work, at home, while creating advertisements, and in the media. This study aims to investigate the rhetorical strategies accompanied with producing the fallacious arguments selected from the American Film “12 Angry Men (1957)”. The study adopts Damer’s (2009) model for the identification of fallacy. As for rhetorical analysis, the study adopts Aristotle’s triangle of rhetoric and McGuigan’s (2007) taxonomy of rhetorical devices. The results uncover that the most violated criteria are relevance, acceptabili
... Show MoreTwo simple methods for the determination of eugenol were developed. The first depends on the oxidative coupling of eugenol with p-amino-N,N-dimethylaniline (PADA) in the presence of K3[Fe(CN)6]. A linear regression calibration plot for eugenol was constructed at 600 nm, within a concentration range of 0.25-2.50 μg.mL–1 and a correlation coefficient (r) value of 0.9988. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) were 0.086 and 0.284 μg.mL–1, respectively. The second method is based on the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of the derivatized oxidative coupling product of eugenol with PADA. Under the optimized extraction procedure, the extracted colored product was determined spectrophotometrically at 618 nm. A l
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