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, an Anti-Disturbance Compensator is suggested for the stabilization of a 6-DoF quadrotor Unmanned Aerial vehicle (UAV) system, namely, the Improved Active Disturbance Rejection Control (IADRC). The proposed Control Scheme rejects the disturbances subjected to this system and eliminates the effect of the uncertainties that the quadrotor system exhibits. The complete nonlinear mathematical model of the 6-DoF quadrotor UAV system has been used to design the four ADRCs units for the attitude and altitude stabilization. Stability analysis has been demonstrated for the Linear Extended State Observer (LESO) of each IADRC unit and the overall closed-loop system using Hurwitz stability criterion. A minimization to a
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Central and Eastern European Online Library - CEE journals, documents, articles, periodicals, books available online for download, Zeitschrfitendatenbank, Online Zeitschriften, Online Zeitschriftendatenbank
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This research paper studies the alienation of the intellectuals in the modern novel through the study of two alienated characters, John Marcher in Henry James's The Beast in the Jungle, and Mr. Duffy in James's Joyce's "A Painful Case." As a result of the complexity of life in the industrial societies, the individuals, especially the intellectual ones, feel themselves unable to integrate into social life; they fear society and feel that it endangers their individuality and independence. Thus, these characters live on the fringe of the societ
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The present work was done in an attempt to build systematic procedures for treating warts by 810 nm diode laser regarding dose parameters, application parameters and laser safety. The study was done in Al- Kindy Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq during the period from 1st October 2003 till 1st April 2004. Fifteen patients completed the treatment and they were followed for the period of 3 months. Recalcitrant and extensive warts were selected for the study. Patients were randomly divided into 3 groups to be treated by different laser powers 9, 12 and 15 W, power density of 286 W/cm2, 381W/cm2, 477 W/cm2 pulse duration of 0.2 s, interval of 0.2 s and repeated pulses were used. The mode of application was either circular or radial. Pain oc
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Одной из активно развивающихся отраслей лексикологии является неология, объект её изучения - новое слово или неологизм. В задачу неологии входит выявление новых слов и новых значений у уже существующих в языке слов, анализ причин и способов их появления, описание факторов, влияющих на появление нового в лексической системе языка, разработка языковой политики в отношении новых номинаций. Лексикограф
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SummaryBackground: Rotavirus infection is the most commoncause of watery viral diarrhea in children younger than 5 years of age; it is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality.Objective:The aim of the study is todetermine the clinical picture, age distribution of patients with rotavirus infection and their maternal educational background.Patients &methods: A total of 202 patients suffering from diarrhea were included in this study, over 6 months period( from 1stof March 2011to 30th of August 2011),in Children Welfare Teaching hospital. History and physical examinationwere carried out, anthropometrics measures were done and plotted on Centers for Disease Control& World Health Organization charts to determine the nut
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This research evaluated the effect of (UV)(400-320A)Hz(320-220B)Hz on the patient with vitiligo , using it with our new combing therapy that include the oral (Psorlene ) topical , meladinine solution applied on the Vitiligiousns Lesions , In edition to the instralesnional injection in the Vitiligiousns Lesions by long acting steroid (kenacort-A ) by aprecentage of (5%) , after that we expose the patient to UV . The ruslets of this way of treatment more effective by using of the UV rays in the treatment of vitiligo , while the previous treatment that used the UV ray with or with out the psorlene , the results were not effective on controlling of the Vitiligio diseases comparing by the treatment used in this research as it stop’s the sp
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