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Background: Rituximab (RTX) is a monoclonal antibody that has been increasingly used in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG). In most studies, the therapeutic protocol of RTX has been similar to that adopted for B cell lymphoma, with an increasing number of studies aimed at exploring the efficacy of low-dose RTX in MG. However, the beneficial effects of low-dose RTX in MG remain a subject of critical debate. Methods: This study was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. Two reviewers (Xishuai Yang and Bingxia Li) independently conducted searches across multiple databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). A meta-analysis, utilizing representative forest plots, was performed to assess "Improved clinical status" and changes in the Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) score before and after treatment. Results: A total of 17 studies involving 292 patients were included in the meta-analysis. A noticeable improvement in clinical status was observed in 91% of patients at the final follow-up after therapy (95% CI: 84–96%, P < 0.001). The QMG score showed a significant reduction following the treatment, with a standardized mean difference (SMD) of −1.69 (95% CI: −2.21 to −1.16, Z = 6.29, P < 0.001). In the acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive myasthenia gravis (AChR-MG) group, 90% of patients achieved improved clinical status (95% CI: 80–97%, P < 0.001) and the QMG score significantly decreased after low-dose RTX treatment, with an SMD of −1.51 (95% CI: −0.80 to −2.21, Z = 4.50, P < 0.001). In the muscle-specific kinase antibody-positive myasthenia gravis (MuSK-MG) group, 97% of patients achieved improved clinical status (95% CI: 89–100%, P < 0.001). The QMG score also significantly decreased following low-dose RTX treatment, with an SMD of −2.31 (95% CI: −2.99 to −1.62, Z = 6.60, P < 0.001). Adverse effects were reported in 29 out of 207 patients (14%, including infusion reactions in 22 patients (10.1%), infections in three patients (1.45%), cytopenia in two patients (0.96%), eosinophilia in one patient (0.48%), and hemiplegia in one patient (0.48%). Additionally, one patient (0.48%) succumbed to complications from invasive thymoma. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis shows that low-dose RTX is both effective and safe for treating MG. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42024509951. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Sm3 +-doped 0. 96Na0 .5Bi0.5TiO3-0.04CaTiO3 (NBT-0. 04CT:xSm3+, 0. 002 ≤x ≤ 0. 020) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction method. The phase structures of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, and all the samples show a single perovskite structure. The photoluminescence properties of the samples were measured by fluorescence spectrophotometer, and the samples show the strongest excitation peak at 479 nm, which matches well with the blue LED chip used in the white LED synthesis. The dominant emission peak is located at 597 nm (4G5/2→ 6 H7/9), presenting strong orange-red luminescence. NBT-0. 04CT:0. 010Sm3+ ceramics shows optimal luminescence performances among the Sm3 +-doped NBT-0. 04CT ceramics, and superior thermal stability of its luminous properties is achieved in the temperature range from 278 K to 473 K. The results indicate that NBT-0. 04CTxSm3 + ceramics have promising applications in white LED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Samples of (110), (100), and (111) MgO single crystals were implanted with 70 keV N ions at room temperature. All as-implanted samples showed room temperature hysteresis in magnetization loops. The observed saturation magnetization (Ms) was 0.79 × 10−4 emu/g, 1.28 × 10−4 emu/g, and 1.5 × 10−4 emu/g for (110), (100) and (111) orientation implanted-MgO and follows the relation Ms(111) > Ms(100) > Ms(110), indicative of crystalline orientation-dependent ferromagnetism in N-implanted MgO. The samples were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), reciprocal space mapping (RSM), and photoluminescence (PL). The results indicated that the amount of N-substitute-O and N-interstitial defects in these three N-implanted MgO samples showed the same changing tendency as compared with Ms data. Thus, we conclude that the N-substitute-O and N-interstitial defects may play a crucial role in controlling the N+-implanted-induced ferromagnetism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]