Background The caloric test and the video head impulse test (vHIT) are diagnostic tools to examine vestibular neuritis (VN) patients through assessing the function of the semicircular canals. Both tests assess the vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) with major differences between them as regards stimulus characteristics, frequency, methodology and function examined. The caloric test is the gold standard test in VOR assessment. The vHIT assesses the same reflex (VOR) by using a video-assisted examination of the impulsive manoeuvre. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the presence or absence of agreement between both vHIT and the caloric test in VN patients. Design A case-control study was conducted in Audiovestibular unit, Department of ENT, Zagazig University Hospitals. About 24 patients with VN were included. Both vHIT and the caloric test were done on two consecutive days. We assessed the agreement between these two tests. Results Horizontal gain asymmetry (GA) with the canal paresis. There was a slight agreement between both tests. Conclusions The VHIT and the caloric test stimulate different frequencies of VOR. They are complementary rather than being alternatives in the diagnosis of peripheral VN.

In wastewater treatment plants the antagonistic activities of actinomycetes could be contributing significantly in microbe-removing mechanisms, which are a combination of different factors. For this purpose, out of 58 actinomycetes isolates from a wastewater treatment plant in Al-Fayoum Governorate, Egypt, only 36 different morphological isolates were selected for further studies. Although 35 isolates (97.23%) were active against one or more of tested bacteria, WD5 isolate had broad-spectrum antagonistic activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive tested bacteria. WD5 ethyl acetate extract recorded the highest antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96 (23 mm) and the lowest antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 2453 (11 mm). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of extract using available NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) library data identified seven bioactive compounds: 2-methylbutyl acetate, 3′,5′-dinitrobenzoic acid, 1-octadecene, tetradecane, dodecane, docosane, and methylamine,N,N-bis(N.-decyl). Many earlier studies mentioned the antibacterial activity of all above seven compounds. The 16S rRNA sequence of WD5 was recorded in GenBank under the accession number MK491056 and confirmed by comparing it with the known 16S rRNA sequences in GenBank as Streptomyces sp. These results indicated antagonistic activity of actinomycetes in the removal of wastewater-associated bacteria.

Biosurfactants are chemical compounds produced by some microorganisms to initiate oil biodegradation. They have been applied generously in many industries. The present work aimed to isolate and identify a new bacterial strain, of water habitat, capable of producing biosurfactant. So, water samples were collected from three different water environments including river Nile at Alkanater city, Qalyubia governorate; was representing clear raw water. River Nile at ship settlement station, Imbaba city, Giza governorate; was representing oil- contaminated water, where there were some oil spills from ship fixation. Rahawy drain, Giza governorate; was representing highly polluted wastewater. The bacterial community of each water environment was isolated and inventoried, then screened for biosurfactant production by blood hemolysis, oil spreading technique, drop collapse assay, foaming activity and emulsification activity. Bacterial strains isolated from the oil-contaminated environment showed high potential for biosurfactant production, and the best biosurfactant producing isolate was identified by 16S rRNA technique as Pseudomonas protegens, and the produced biosurfactant was belong to rhamnolipid group.

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Ismailia Canal is one of the significant streams of the Nile River in Egypt. The study aimed to determine the water quality of Ismailia Canal based on the regional and seasonal variability of physicochemical parameters, irrigation criteria, and the irrigation water quality index (IWQI). It was observed that the physicochemical parameters were within the acceptable FAO irrigation limits. All cations and anions values were within the acceptable FAO limits for irrigation, except the potassium (K+) concentrations were over the permissible irrigation limits. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) suggested a significant seasonal variation in the canal’s water quality concerning all parameters (p value ˂ 0.05). However, the regional variation among various sites was statistically insignificant (p value > 0.05). Statistical analysis was used to calculate the correlation coefficient between different parameters, and the study showed highly significant correlation coefficients between different pairs of water quality parameters. The correlation matrix showed that the pH significantly affected IWQI (r = 0.661). The irrigation criterion values for Ismailia Canal were good, and the WQI levels for irrigation utilization at all studied sites were satisfactory. Deterioration of water quality may occur due to industrial, municipal, and agricultural activities. Drainage water should be treated before being mixed with irrigation water to improve its suitability for irrigation.