Efficacy and safety of belimumab therapy for patients with lupus nephritis: A meta-analysis and a propensity score-matched case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we performed a meta-analysis and a propensity score-matched case-control study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of belimumab in patients with lupus nephritis (LN). METHODS: We analyzed the data from three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effects of belimumab treatment on renal improvement and adverse effects. Our study included a total of six LN patients who received belimumab treatment and an additional six LN patients who received standard therapy. All participants were followed up for a duration exceeding 96 weeks to evaluate the outcomes of the treatments. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis incorporated data from three articles involving a total of 666 patients. The results of the analysis revealed that a higher proportion of patients who received belimumab treatment experienced renal improvement compared to those in the control group. The patients in belimumab group had a higher renal complete response rate and proteinuria improvement rate compared to the control group. However, belimumab treatment did not increase the renal partial response rate compared to the control group. The belimumab group also exhibited a higher proportion of patients who achieved normalization of antidouble-stranded DNA, as well as normalization of low C3 and C4 levels. In our case-control study, significant improvement in proteinuria was demonstrated with belimumab at Week 48 (p = 0.037) and at all subsequent time points (all p < 0.05). Over the course of 96 weeks, belimumab treatment was associated with renal function stabilization and an increase in C3 and C4 levels. Moreover, the use of belimumab resulted in a reduction in glucocorticoid dosage at Week 24 (p = 0.02). Additionally, patients receiving belimumab treatment had a lower risk of severe treatment-emergent adverse events, and no other significant adverse effects were observed between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with LN, the utilization of belimumab therapy has demonstrated notable improvements in renal response rates. Additionally, it has shown a decreased likelihood of serious treatment-related adverse events and a diminished need for glucocorticoid dosage when compared to the active control group.

Reducing manufacturing carbon emissions: Optimal low carbon production strategies respect to product structures and batches.

In the production process of industrial products, different product structures, batches, and the selection of different production methods directly affect the resource utilization, distribution, consumption, and carbon emission generation in the production process. In this study, a strategy to select low carbon production methods for product structure and batch is proposed to advance resource management and carbon emission reduction in manufacturing production processes. Specifically, taking a typical casting industry as an example, we analyze the two factors of product structures and batches on the resource consumption and environmental impact of the production process to establish a production process carbon emission model; using forty casting products as the research objects, the clustering algorithm and multiple linear regression analysis method are used to establish the influence relationship between product structure, batch, and production carbon emissions. Based on the characteristics of product structure and batch, a strategy is proposed for selecting a low carbon production method. The study shows that in sand casting production, the 3D printing method is more low carbon for small volumes, reducing 56.057 % of carbon emissions. However, traditional technology is more low carbon for large volumes, which can reduce at least 6.778 % of carbon emissions. In addition, as the number of casting batches increases, the advantage of low carbon in traditional casting technology will rise. The results of this study may provide a new way to help the manufacturing industry develop and optimize the environmental impact of the product manufacturing process.