Integrated sedimentological studies, sequential analysis and clay mineralogy on the lower Eocene rocks in the Western Desert provided important information on the reconstruction of the depositional basin, cyclicity, and paleoclimatic conditions. Two formations are recognized; the Esna and Farafra formations, with a gradational contact in-between. The studied sequence exhibits lateral facies changes as revealed from field and microfacies investigations. Eight facies were recognized and summarized in a carbonate ramp model. It represents also a general regressive trend, which records a transition from an outer ramp into a peritidal zone. The facies stacking patterns constitute several kinds of meter-scale, shallowingupward cycles. Two different types of depositional cycles are here defined. The stratigraphic sections show a hierarchical organization of many cycles defined by five depositional sequences. It is suggested that composite eustatic sea level oscillations caused by cyclic perturbations of the Earth’s orbit played a fundamental role in determining the formation of the observed hierarchical cyclic organization. Summing up, it is believed that the paleotopography had resulted from the impact of the Syrian Arc Folding System. A confusing additional complication is introduced by syndepositional sedimentary structures, especially during the late Cretaceous/Eocene times, coupled by several tensional forces. Clay mineralogy has revealed the presence of smectite, kaolinite and illite. Their origin may be attributed to the gradual increase in the amount of erosion of the newly elevated crystalline source rocks to the south of Egypt, in areas of moderate rainfall and rapid weathering and/or to reworking processes of soils which presumably developed on basement rocks. Changes in source rocks or climatic influence during the early Eocene may account for the observed differences in clay mineral abundances.

A new ceria (CeO2) nanocubic modified surfactant is used as the basis of a novel nano-based microextraction technique for highly sensitive detection of pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus). The technique uses ultrasound enhanced surfactant-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (UESA-DLLME) with and without ceria (CeO2) followed by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). In order to achieve high separation efficiency, we investigated the influential parameters, including extraction time of ultrasonication, type and volume of the extraction solvent and surfactant. Among various surfactants, the cationic surfactants can selectively offer better extraction efficiency on bacteria analysis than that of the anionic surfactants due to the negative charges of bacteria cell membranes. Extractions of the bacteria lysate from aqueous samples via UESA-DLLME-MALDI-MS were successfully achieved by using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB, 10.0 µL, 1.0×10−3 M) as surfactants in chlorobenzene (10.0 µL) and chloroform (10.0 µL) as the optimal extracting solvent for P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, respectively. Ceria nanocubic was synthesized, and functionalized with CTAB (CeO2@CTAB) and then characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and optical spectroscopy (UV and FTIR). CeO2@CTAB demonstrates high extraction efficiency, improve peaks ionization, and enhance resolution. The prime reasons for these improvements are due to the large surface area of nanoparticles, and its absorption that coincides with the wavelength of MALDI laser (337 nm, N2 laser). CeO2@CTAB-based microextraction offers lowest detectable concentrations tenfold lower than that of without nanoceria. The present approach has been successfully applied to detect pathogenic bacteria at low concentrations of 104–105 cfu/mL (without ceria) and at 103–104 cfu/mL (with ceria) from bacteria suspensions. Finally, the current approach was applied for analyzing the pathogenic bacteria in biological samples (blood and serum). Ceria assist surfactant (CeO2@CTAB) liquid–liquid microextraction (LLME) offers better extraction efficiency than that of using the surfactant in LLME alone.

To investigate T-cell functional molecules and inflammatory cytokines and to assess T-cell apoptosis in malnourished infants, 64 infants from undernourished women and 28 healthy control infants were recruited to the study. Malnourished infants showed a significant decrease in the levels of circulating IL-2 and IL-7 and increases in the levels of IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-, as measured by flow cytometry. There was a significant reduction in the number of CD3+ T cells and an increase in apoptotic T cells, which was associated with an up-regulation of CD95 and PD-1 expression on CD3+ T cells in malnourished compared to control infants. Significant reductions were also observed in the phosphorylation of AKT and STAT5 and in the expression of CCR7 and CXCR4 receptors in malnourished children, and these reductions were associated with a significant reduction in T-cell migratory capacity to their ligands CCL21 and CXCL12, respectively, as measured using an in vitro chemotaxis assay. Taken together, these data suggest that lymphocytes from malnourished infants are short-lived and dysfunctional.

In multiple myeloma (MM) blood-borne malignant plasma cells home to bone marrow (BM), where they accumulate in close contact with stromal cells. Nevertheless, the mechanisms responsible for MM cell chemotaxis are still poorly defined. In the present study we explored the mechanisms involved in the chemotaxis of RPMI 8226 cell line, RPMI 8226 cell line was found to express CCR3, CCR5, CCR9, CXCR3 and CXCR4, but these cells were migrated only towards CXCL12 (the ligand for CXCR4). To clarify the signaling pathways involved in the regulation of MM cell chemotaxis, we therefore analyzed the effect of various inhibitors targeting intracellular effectors proteins on the CXCL12-mediated RPMI 8226 chemotaxis using flow cytometry and western blot analysis. Using flow cytometry, we observed that the chemotaxis of RPMI 8226 cell to CXCL12 was completely abrogated by adding AMD (CXCR4 antagonist), PTX (G-protein coupled receptor inhibitor) and U73122 (phospholipase C beta; PLC
inhibitor), moreover, CXCL12-mediated RPMI 8226 chemotaxis was partially inhibited by 1 μM wortmannin (WM, Class II PI3K inhibitor)), SH5 (AKT inhibitor), Y27632 (Rho-A inhibitor), SN50 (IkB inhibitor), PD98059 (ERK1/2 MAPK inhibitor) and Na3VO4 (phosphatase inhibitor). These results were further confirmed by using western blot analysis where we observed that triggering of CXCR4 by CXCL12 resulted in the activation of PLC
3, PI3K/AKT, RhoA, IB and ERK1/2. In conclusion, our results revealed that PLC
3, PI3K/AKT, RhoA, IKB and ERK1/2 are crucial effectors for CXCL12- mediating MM cell chemotaxis.

Malnutrition in children is frequently associated with an increased incidence of infection. Apoptosis of immune cells in undernourished organisms may cause an increase in the organism's susceptibility to diseases related to immune suppression. Lymphocyte apoptosis was described in malnutrition. The role of factor of apoptosis signal (fas,CD95) in apoptosis of lymphocyte populations in malnourished children is still unclear. Objective: This study investigated apoptosis in T lymphocytes in different types of malnutrition and the role of Fas in lymphocyte apoptosis and its relation to clinical and laboratory parameters of malnutrition. Study design: Sixty-three malnourished infants and children were compared to 27 healthy controls. Beside thorough history and clinical examination, laboratory investigations and flow cytometry assessment of T lymphocytes were done. The viability of T lymphocytes was determined by combination of fluorescence dye 7-amino actinomycin, CD95 and CD3. Results: There was significant increase in apoptotic T-cells in the patients compared to the controls. There was up-regulation of Fas expression in CD3+ cells. Furthermore CD3+/CD95+ cells were less viable than CD3+/CD95- cells of the patients and than CD3+/CD95+ cells of the controls. All the clinical and laboratory parameters of the studied patients showed no significant correlations with any of the apoptotic indices. Conclusion: Increased apoptosis in T lymphocytes in malnourished children may be the cause of the decrease in lymphocyte count in their peripheral blood. This in turn may be the cause of decreased cell mediated immunity and the more common occurrence of infection in such patients. Upregulation of Fas may be the cause of apoptosis in T lymphocytes in these malnourished children.