Petrophysical Modelling For the Bahariya Formation, Egypt

AbstractLithologic laminations have great consequences on the Bahariya sandstone, which are distinguished by the calculated reservoir statistical parameters. The non-laminated Bahariya studied samples have the lowest mean bulk density and specific internal surface values, while they have the highest mean porosity, permeability and Spor values. On the other hand, the laminated samples exhibit high values. The non-laminated Bahariya samples have the lowest mean permeability anisotropy, due to its relative pore-framework homogeneity. Contrary, the laminated Bahariya samples have the highest mean permeability anisotropy. By the same behaviour, the non-laminated Bahariya samples have the highest mean electrical resistivity value, due to the lack of conductive minerals, while the laminated Bahariya samples have the highest mean electrical resistivity.The non-laminated Bahariya samples show the lowest mean magnetic susceptibility value, while the laminated samples reveal high values. Sonic wave velocities (Vp and Vs) are statistically treated, while the velocity anisotropy is calculated for all samples. Laminated samples display higher velocity in comparable to the non-laminated ones. Thin sections and SEM-micrographs were made for some selected samples in order to recognize the Bahariya sandstone forming minerals. Glauconite, micas, zircon, rutile and pyrite minerals are composing the laminas in the laminated samples, while some glauconitic sandstone are predominant in the non-laminated ones.A number of linear regression models were performed among some measured petrophysical parameters, in order to differentiate between the laminated and the non-laminated sandstones, and to obtain reliable relationships permitting reservoir characterization

Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Background: Renal disease is a common manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Both glomerular and tubular functions could be affected. The tubular function can be measured by different methods including urinary retinol binding protein (RBP). Objective: The study was aimed to assess the urinary RPB level in SLE patients with and without evidence of renal disease and to determine whether its measurement would be of value in early diagnosis and subsequent monitoring of renal disease in SLE. Methods: We studied 22 female patients with SLE aged between 6 and 18 years (mean ±SD: 14.4±3.6 years) in comparison to 18 healthy age and sex matched subjects. Patients were categorized into two groups: Group I (non-renal SLE patients) which included 7 patients, who had no clinical or laboratory evidence of renal disease; Group II (renal SLE patients) which included 15 patients with lupus nephritis. They were subjected to determination of disease activity using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and laboratory investigations including complete urine analysis, ESR, serum ANA, anti-DNA and C3 in SLE patients, and corrected creatinine clearance, urinary total protein, urinary microalbumin, and urinary RBP by ELISA. Results: The urinary RBP (mg/g Cr) was significantly higher in SLE patients as a whole than controls. It was higher in renal patients than both non-renal patients and controls (1.1±0.32, 0.75±0.15, 0.5±0.08 respectively, t = 3.6, p < 0.001; t = 7.11, p < 0.001 respectively). Also, it was higher in non-renal patients than controls (t = 4.1, p < 0.001). Urinary RBP was inversely correlated to corrected creatinine clearance(r=-0.55, p < 0.05) and positively correlated to SLEDAI score, ESR, total protein and albumin in urine (r = 0.38, p < 0.05; r = 0.41, p < 0.05; r = 0.64, p < 0.05; r = 0.58, p < 0.05 respectively). From the 7 non-renal SLE patients who had urinary total protein <0.2 gm/24 hrs and no increase of albumin in urine, there were 5 patients (71.4%) with increased urinary RBP. The diagnostic sensitivity of urinary RBP, total protein and albumin in urine were 82%, 59% and 77% respectively. So, RBP held the best predictive value among other parameters in this study. From a prognostic point of view, Z score analysis of studied parameters revealed the importance of RBP in the follow up of non-renal SLE patients. Conclusion: Urinary RBP is increased in SLE patients whether demonstrating evidence of renal disease or not. The increased urinary RBP in a large proportion of patients who had no other evidence of renal involvement could reflect early subclinical nephropathy. In renal SLE patients, RBP correlated positively to other parameters of disease activity and severity such as SLEDAI score, urinary total protein and albumin, and correlated negatively to corrected creatinine clearance. So its measurement seems to be useful in early diagnosis and subsequent monitoring of renal disease activity in SLE.Keywords: retinol binding protein, SLE, nephritis, urine, childrenEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2003; 1(2): 126-3

Comparative Study on the Essential Oils from Five Wild Egyptian Centaurea Species: Effective Extraction Techniques, Antimicrobial Activity and In-Silico Analyses

The genus Centaurea is recognized in folk medicine for anti-inflammatory, anti-itch, antitussive, purgative, astringent, and tonic activities. To study the chemical determinant for antimicrobial activity essential oils (EOs), five Centaurea species were analyzed including: C. scoparia, C. calcitrapa, C. glomerata, C. lipii and C. alexandrina. Conventional hydro-distillation (HD) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), as new green technologies, were compared for the extraction of essential oils. GC/MS analysis identified 120 EOs including mostly terpenoid except from C. lipii and C. alexandrina in which nonterpenoids were the major constituents. Major terpenoids included spathulenol, caryophyllene oxide and alloaromadendrene oxide-2. To probe antibacterial activity, potential EO inhibitors of a bacterial type II DNA topoisomerase, DNA gyrase B were screened via an in silico molecular docking approach. Spathulenol and alloaromadendrene oxide-2 possessed the best binding affinity in the ATP- binding pocket of Gyrase B enzyme. Principal component analysis and agglomerative hierarchical clustering were used for sample classification and revealed that sesquiterpenes contributed the most for accessions classification. In vitro antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Aspergillus niger for all EOs were also evaluated. EOs from C. lipii, C. glomerata and C. calcitrapa exhibited significant MIC against S. aureus with an MIC value of 31.25 µg/mL

Feature-Based Molecular Networking for the Exploration of the Metabolome Diversity of Common Egyptian <i>Centaurea</i> Species in Relation to Their Cytotoxic Activity

Centaurea is a genus compromising over 250 herbaceous flowering species and is used traditionally to treat several ailments. Among the Egyptian Centaurea species, C. lipii was reported to be cytotoxic against multidrug-resistant cancer cells. In this context, we aimed to explore the metabolome of C. lipii and compare it to other members of the genus in pursuance of identifying its bioactive principles. An LC-MS/MS analysis approach synchronized with feature-based molecular networks was adopted to offer a holistic overview of the metabolome diversity of the Egyptian Centaurea species. The studied plants included C. alexandrina, C. calcitrapa, C. eryngioides, C. glomerata, C. lipii, C. pallescens, C. pumilio, and C. scoparia. Their constitutive metabolome showed diverse chemical classes such as cinnamic acids, sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids, and lignans. Linking the recorded metabolome to the previously reported cytotoxicity identified sesquiterpene lactones as the major contributors to this activity. To confirm our findings, bioassay-guided fractionation of C. lipii was adopted and led to the isolation of the sesquiterpene lactone cynaropicrin with an IC50 of 1.817 µM against the CCRF-CEM leukemia cell line. The adopted methodology highlighted the uniqueness of the constitutive metabolome of C. lipii and determined the sesquiterpene lactones to be the responsible cytotoxic metabolites