T-helper 1 Immune Response in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and its Relation to Disease Activity

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by various immunological abnormalities, including dysregulated activation of both T and B lymphocytes. The etiology of this immunological disorder has not been clearly elucidated. Aberrant production and imbalance of T-helper (Th) cell cytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of Th1 cytokines interleukin-18 (IL-18) and osteopontin (OPN) in SLE patients and their correlation with the disease activity. Methods: The study included 24 patients with SLE and 20 age- and sex- matched control subjects. The disease activity was evaluated with the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI). Plasma OPN and IL-18 concentrations were measured in patients and control groups using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Plasma OPN and IL-18 concentrations were significantly higher in SLE patients than in the control group (P < 0.001). OPN and IL-18 concentrations correlated positively and significantly with SLEDAI scores in SLE patients (r = 0.831, P < 0.001 and r = 0.826, P < 0.001 respectively). In addition, there was a highly significant positive correlation between OPN and IL-18 levels (r = 0.75, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The circulating IL-18 and OPN concentrations were significantly elevated in SLE patients and correlated with the SLEDAI score. This suggests a crucial role for Th1 cytokines in the inflammatory processes and tissue damage in SLE disease. Both cytokines my act as potential disease markers for monitoring of SLE disease activity and therapeutic efficacy. Keywords: SLE, Th-1, SLEDAI, osteopontin, IL-1

A new method for voice signal features creation

Digital audio is one of the most important types of data at present. It is used in several applications, such as human knowledge and many security and banking applications. A digital voice signal is usually of a large size where the acoustic signal consists of a set of values distributed in one column (one channel) (mono signal) or distributed in two columns (two channels) (stereo signal), these values usually are the results of sampling and quantization of the original analogue voice signal. In this paper we will introduce a method which can be used to create a signature or key, which can be used later to identify or recognize the wave file. The proposed method will be implemented and tested to show the accuracy and flexibility of this method

Dielectrical, optical, and structural characterization of TiO2/PVA nanocomposite films for dielectric applications

In this study, titanium dioxide/poly(vinyl) alcohol (TiO2/PVA) nanocomposite thin films were prepared by a simple spin-coating method for dielectric applications. Structural, morphological, optical, and dielectric properties of samples were analyzed by XRD, SEM, AFM, UV-VIS, and dielectric measurements. The effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on these properties was investigated. It was found that TiO2 nanoparticles lead to increase the crystallinity of nanocomposites. As TiO2 content in the composite structure increases, while average transmittance values decrease, reflectance values increase. The dielectric parameters such as real and imaginary part of complex permittivity which are related to the stored energy and the dissipation (or loss) of energy were significantly affected by the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles. In addition, alternating current (A.C.) conductivity increased with increasing applied frequency. The A.C. conductivity also confirmed that all the samples exhibited the insulator behavior and obeyed the universal power law