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.