Halophilic bacteria are promising reservoirs for halotolerant enzymes that have gained much attention in biotechnological applications due to their remarkable activity and stability. In this study, 62 halophilic bacterial strains isolated from a solar saltern were screened for the production of various extracellular enzymes. The results revealed that 31 strains (50%) were positive for amylase production while 26 strains (41.9%) were positive for protease. Further, 22 strains (35.48%) exhibited β-glucosidase activity and only 17 (27.41%) demonstrated lipase activity. Of the investigated halophiles, ten strains growing in the presence of ≥15% NaCl (w/v) were selected and identified based on their 16S rRNA gene sequences as Halomonas meridiana, Salinivibrio costicola, Virgibacillus oceani, Virgibacillus marismortui, Marinobacter lipolyticus, Halobacillus karajensis, Salicola salis, Pseudoalteromonas shioyasakiensis, Salinicoccus amylolyticus, and Paracoccus salipaludis. Therefore, the present study highlights the diversity of the culturable halophilic bacteria in a Mediterranean solar saltern, harboring various valuable halotolerant enzymes.

Two different multivariate techniques have been applied for the quantitative analysis of caffeine, codeine, paracetamol and p-aminophenol (PAP) in quaternary mixture, namely, Partial Least Squares (PLS-1) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). For suitable analysis, a calibration set of 25 mixtures with various ratios of the drugs and PAP impurity were established using a 4-factor 5-level experimental design. The most meaningful wavelengths for the chemometric models were chosen using Genetic Algorithm (GA) as a variable selection technique. By using an independent validation set, the validity of the proposed methods was evaluated. A comparative study was established between the three multivariate models (PLS-1, GA–PLS and GA–ANN). The comparison between the various models revealed that the GA–ANN model was superior at resolving the highly overlapped spectra of this quaternary combination. The drugs were successfully quantified in their pharmaceutical dosage form utilizing the GA–ANN models.

SummaryBackground
Timely and safe elective health care facilitates return to normal activities for patients and prevents emergency admissions. Surgery is a cornerstone of elective care and relies on complex pathways. This study aimed to take a whole-system approach to evaluating access to and quality of elective health care globally, using inguinal hernia as a tracer condition.
Methods
This was a prospective, international, cohort study conducted between Jan 30 and May 21, 2023, in which any hospital performing inguinal hernia repairs was eligible to take part. Consecutive patients of any age undergoing primary inguinal hernia repair were included. A measurement set mapped to the attributes of WHO's Health System Building Blocks was defined to evaluate access (emergency surgery rates, bowel resection rates, and waiting times) and quality (mesh use, day-case rates, and postoperative complications). These were compared across World Bank income groups (high-income, upper-middle-income, lower-middle-income, and low-income countries), adjusted for hospital and country. Factors associated with postoperative complications were explored with a three-level multilevel logistic regression model.
Findings
18 058 patients from 640 hospitals in 83 countries were included, of whom 1287 (7·1%) underwent emergency surgery. Emergency surgery rates increased from high-income to low-income countries (6·8%, 9·7%, 11·4%, 14·2%), accompanied by an increase in bowel resection rates (1·2%, 1·4%, 2·3%, 4·2%). Overall waiting times for elective surgery were similar around the world (median 8·0 months from symptoms to surgery), largely because of delays between symptom onset and diagnosis rather than waiting for treatment. In 14 768 elective operations in adults, mesh use decreased from high-income to low-income countries (97·6%, 94·3%, 80·6%, 61·0%). In patients eligible for day-case surgery (n=12 658), day-case rates were low and variable (50·0%, 38·0%, 42·1%, 44·5%). Complications occurred in 2415 (13·4%) of 18 018 patients and were more common after emergency surgery (adjusted odds ratio 2·06, 95% CI 1·72–2·46) and bowel resection (1·85, 1·31–2·63), and less common after day-case surgery (0·39, 0·34–0·44).
Interpretation
This study demonstrates that elective health care is essential to preventing over-reliance on emergency systems. We identified actionable targets for system strengthening: clear referral pathways and increasing mesh repair in lower-income settings, and boosting day-case surgery in all income settings. These measures might strengthen non-surgical pathways too, reducing the burden on society and health services.
Funding
NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery and Portuguese Hernia and Abdominal Wall Society (Sociedade Portuguesa de Hernia e Parede Abdominal).

Quartzite caves located on table-top mountains (tepuis) in the Guyana Shield, are ancient, remote, and pristine subterranean environments where microbes have evolved peculiar metabolic strategies to thrive in silica-rich, slightly acidic and oligotrophic conditions. In this study, we explored the culturable fraction of the microbiota inhabiting the (ortho)quartzite cave systems in Venezuelan tepui (remote table-top mountains) and we investigated their metabolic and enzymatic activities in relation with silica solubilization and extracellular hydrolytic activities as well as the capacity to produce antimicrobial compounds. Eighty microbial strains were isolated with a range of different enzymatic capabilities. More than half of the isolated strains performed at least three enzymatic activities and four bacterial strains displayed antimicrobial activities. The antimicrobial producers Paraburkholderia bryophila CMB_CA002 and Sphingomonas sp. MEM_CA187, were further analyzed by conducting chemotaxonomy, phylogenomics, and phenomics. While the isolate MEM_CA187 represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas imawarii sp. nov. is proposed, P. bryophila CMB_CA002 is affiliated with a few strains of the same species that are antimicrobial producers. Chemical analyses demonstrated that CMB_CA002 produces ditropolonyl sulfide that has a broad range of activity and a possibly novel siderophore. Although the antimicrobial compounds produced by MEM_CA187 could not be identified through HPLC-MS analysis due to the absence of reference compounds, it represents the first soil-associated Sphingomonas strain with the capacity to produce antimicrobials. This work provides first insights into the metabolic potential present in quartzite cave systems pointing out that these environments are a novel and still understudied source of microbial strains with biotechnological potential.

Background and aimEnvironmental pollutants and global climate changes have a negative health effect on honeybees, and increase honey contamination.The aim of this study was to test the effect of antibiotic usage and agricultural practices on the presence of a total of 461 pesticides, 30 antibiotics, and five elements traces in honey samples collected from Egyptian apiaries of different environmental conditions representing intensive, and limited agriculture production regions.

Materials and methods

Pesticides and antibiotic residues in honey were detected at trace levels using tandem mass spectrometry techniques Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS).

Antibiotics were detected using only Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry LC-MS/MS. The quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique (QICP-MS) was applied for the trace element analysis.

Results and conclusion

Amitraz and acetamiprid were more frequent. The highest concentration of amitraz (0.022 mg/kg) was found in samples obtained from apiaries in the north delta. Iron and zinc were the highest frequently detected elements in all the collected honey samples. Also, Cu was less frequently detected elements in honey samples with percent values of 7%. Cd and Pb were found in honey samples from apiaries in the south delta of Egypt at 20%, and 27%, respectively. Most of the collected samples were contaminated with antibiotics. A direct relation between agriculture production and uncontrolled antibiotics applications on a beehive was concluded due to the increased diseases of bees in the regions of intensive agriculture production. Only two pesticides were detected along with low concentrations of toxic elements in too low levels to exceed their ‘European Union Maximum Residue Limit’ EU MRL.

Essential oils possess significant antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and are increasingly used as natural substitutes for food preservation. Therefore, this study investigated the potential application of rosemary essential oil (REO) and REO nano-emulsion in the dairy plant. The antimicrobial effects of REO and REO nano-emulsion were determined by an agar well diffusion assay after chemical profiling by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). The REO nano-emulsion was characterized by a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The REO chemical profile revealed the presence of 42 chemical compounds, including 1, 8-cineole (9.72 %), and α-pinene (5.46 %) as major active components. REO nano-emulsion demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity compared to REO (P < 0.05) with a MIC value of 0.0001 mg/ml against Listeria monocytogenes and Aspergillus flavus and 0.001 mg/ml against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus. REO nano-emulsion enhanced the oxidative stability of pasteurized fresh cream, revealing a non-significant difference compared with that inoculated with butylated hydroxy anisol (BHA; synthetic antioxidant) (P˃ 0.05). Fortified cream and Karish cheese with REO nano-emulsion were evaluated organoleptically, and the results showed higher grades of overall acceptability when compared to control samples with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). Viability studies were estimated using the previously mentioned microorganisms in fortified fresh cream and Karish cheese with REO nano-emulsion. Results of the fortified cream showed a complete reduction of L. monocytogenes, A. flavus, and B. cereus on days 5, 7, and 10, respectively, and a 96.93 % reduction of P. aeruginosa by the end of the storage period. Regarding Karish cheese viability studies, C. albicans, A. flavus, and P. aeruginosa exhibited complete reduction on days 10, 10, and 15 of storage, respectively. In conclusion, REO nano-emulsion was recommended as a natural, safe, and effective antimicrobial and antioxidant additive in the dairy industry.

This study was carried out to assess the performance of the activated sludge process (ASP) for the treatment of oil refinery wastewater. Seasonal variation for temperature and the total dissolved solids (TDS) of wastewater were the key parameters examined. The treatment system is a batch-laboratory column that is continuously fed with oil refinery wastewater after physical separation of the surface oil layer in the refinery (API Separator). The determination of optimum operating conditions was performed for the treatment system at different temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 35 °C. Two main groups were examined: fresh wastewater (Group A) had an average TDS of less than 3 g/L, and saline wastewater (Group B) had an average TDS of 10–15 g/L. Results indicated that removal percentages in fresh wastewater (Group A) for chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), oil and grease (O&G), phenols, and total suspended solids (TSS) were (76%–83%), (80.9%–92%), (83.5%–100%), and (94%–100%), respectively, while removal percentages in saline wastewater (Group B) for COD, BOD, O&G, phenols, and TSS were (76%–81%), (85.3%–95.8%), (87.5%–90%), (100%), and (93%–92%), respectively. The highest removal efficiency for pollution parameters was obtained at an average temperature of 25–35 °C. In conclusion, the overall treatment efficiency of fresh wastewater is better than that of saline wastewater. The quality of treated effluents achieved complies with the permissible limits of Egyptian regulations. Finally, ASP is efficient for the oxidation of organic matter applied to oil refinery wastewater with similar characteristics.

Objectives
The present trial’s aim was to compare the remineralization potential of self-assembling peptide P11-4 combined with fluoride to that of fluoride varnish.

Materials and methods
Twenty-eight participants with 58 incipient carious lesions were enrolled in the present trial. Participants were randomly divided into two groups with 14 participants and 29 incipient lesions in each group. Patients were assigned either to self-assembling peptide combined with fluoride (Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus™) or sodium fluoride varnish (NaF, Bifluorid 10) groups. Both agents were applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions on non-cavitated incipient carious lesions. Lesions were assessed by two calibrated and blinded assessors at baseline, and after one-, three- and six-months using a laser fluorescence device (DIAGNOdent).

Results
Although laser fluorescence scores significantly improved in both groups over time (p < 0.05), no notable differences were evident between both groups at one-month (p > 0.05). Yet, at three- and six-months statistically lower laser fluorescence readings were evident in the self-assembling peptide combined with fluoride group in comparison to the fluoride alone group (p < 0.05). There was 60% less risk for caries progression for Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus™ when compared to NaF varnish after six months. Self-assembling peptide combined with fluoride was able to change 65.5% of non-cavitated carious lesions from DIAGNOdent score 3 (11–20) to score 1 (0–4). Fluoride varnish was able to change 13.8% of the lesions from score 3 to score 1 after six months.

Conclusions
The self-assembling peptide combined with fluoride varnish showed higher remineralization potential than fluoride varnish alone for incipient carious lesions over a six-months follow up.

Clinical relevance
The combination of self-assembling peptide P11-4 and fluoride could offer a new tool in managing incipient carious lesions.

This study investigated the neuroprotective effect of ferulic acid (FA) against bisphenol A (BPA) induced Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology in male rats.