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This study measures the effect of public transport on overall visitors' satisfaction with Lebanon. The target sample represented n=250 tourists and residents of Lebanon. The instrument was composed of two parts. Excluding demographics all items were answered on a seven points likert type scale. Factor analysis was conducted where the Varimax method of rotation was used as a principal components method of extraction. Six performance dimensions of public transport were identified: safety and efficiency ease of use, cleanliness, price value, and difficulty to reach. Factors with eigenvalues greater than or equal to 1.0 were considered significant. Overall satisfaction with Lebanon as a tourist destination is negatively affected by safety and efficiency of transport mode, ease of use of transportation in Lebanon, and ease of access to attractions. Cleanliness and difficulty to reach the attraction positively affected overall satisfaction with Lebanon as a tourist destination. The study also revealed that the price value of transportation has no effect on the overall satisfaction with Lebanon as a tourist destination; therefore, it was eliminated from the results. This study concludes that the performance of public transport has an effect on the overall satisfaction with Lebanon as a destination. Keywords: Lebanon; public transport; safety; visitor satisfaction., Introduction This study measures the effect of public transport on overall visitors' satisfaction with Lebanon. Though several studies have been conducted to determine the effects of convenience on tourist's satisfaction, [...]

Salmonella Enteritidis is an important pathogen that can invade the intestinal cells of its host causing salmonellosis. SipA protein, an effector protein secreted by T3SS, maintains invasion of host cells more efficient. Thus, inhibitory aptamers against SipA protein were developed using magnetic bead-based Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) method. The enriched sequences were obtained after 9 SELEX rounds. Among which, an aptamer namely Apt17 displayed K d values equivalent to 114.9 and 63.4 nM at 27 °C and 37 °C, respectively. The effect of Apt17 on adhesion and invasion of Caco-2 cells by the tested strains was determined. While the adhesion and invasion of Salmonella Enteritidis TM 6 were inhibited by 70% and 37.7%, those of Salmonella Enteritidis TM 68 were inhibited by 45.71% and 39.5% respectively. These results represent a corner stone for future studies that could aim to develop putative inhibitors against Salmonellosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The appearance of resistant strains and the persistence of biofilms on different surfaces in a wide range of settings represent serious public health threats. Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) is a promising alternative technology to overcome these challenges. The current study assessed the antimicrobial effect of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) discs covalently functionalized with a cationic porphyrin, against E. coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter) Migula (ATCC® 10145™) growth. Irradiation with white LED light for 6 h resulted in 1.51 ± 0.03 and 3.26 ± 0.24 log reduction of planktonic P. aeruginosa and E. coli , respectively. The study also assessed the effect of the functionalized discs on biofilm formation by E. coli , P. aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC® 6538P™). The biovolumes of S. aureus , P. aeruginosa, and E. coli biofilms were decreased by 0.6 ± 0.1, 0.56 ± 0.13 and 0.74 ± 0.06 log reduction, respectively. These results emphasize the ability of porphyrin-functionalized photoactive surfaces to kill bacterial cells and consequently prevent biofilm formation. • Porphyrin tethered photoactive discs were assessed for their antimicrobial effect. • Irradiation of the discs reduced the counts of the tested strains. • Photodynamic inactivation of the tested strains also inhibited their biofilms. • The data demonstrates a potential approach to mitigate the threats of biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]