Optical tracking of nerve activity using intrinsic changes in birefringence

Changes in birefringence (or dynamic birefringence) provide an arguably cleaner method of measuring IOS as compared to scattering methods. Other imaging methods have substantial limitations. Nerves inherently exhibit a static (rest condition) birefringence that is associated with the structural anisotropies of axonal protein filaments, membrane phospholipids and proteins, as well as surrounding tissues, which include Schwann cells and axon sheaths. The dynamic birefringence, or “crossed-polarized signal” (XPS), in neurons arises from activity in axons and occurs with a rapid momentary change, typically a decrease, in the birefringence when action potentials (APs) propagate along them. We improved the signal-to-noise to make detecting this signal an easier task, and present the XPS as a viable candidate for detecting AP activity in anisotropic nervous tissue. Our data collectively serves as a strong indication that there is a capacitive-charging-like effect directly inducing a gradual recovery (long tail) of the XPS to baseline, and also causing a smoothing of the XPS trace. A setup was constructed that successfully demonstrated the feasibility of tracking propagating compound APs in a peripheral nerve using the XPS. We made significant progress in the attempt to investigate birefringence of myelination. For the first time, the XPS in a myelinated tissue was detected, and it appears to be bipolar in nature. Further work in investigating the nature of this signal is needed, and is currently underway. Since changes in birefringence in neurons are associated instantaneously with electrophysiological phenomena, they are well-suited for fast imaging of propagating action potentials in neuronal tissue. In summary, imaging based on polarization sensing of changes in birefringence offers promise for an improved noninvasive method of detecting and tracking AP activity in myelinated and unmyelinated nerves and could be designed for pre-clinical and surgical applications

Encapsulation effects of galactomannans combined with xanthan on the survival of two lactic strains under simulated digestive hostilities

Galactomannans are the main component of locust bean gum from the fruit of the carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua L. They are a reserve of polysaccharides, found in the translucent endosperm of the seeds. They are designated as the best gels with thickening capacity and are, therefore, widely used as a natural food additive (E410) in many food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations. In this study, we aim to exploit this gelling property of carob galactomannans in the microencapsulation of lactic bacteria in order to protect them from the negative effects of simulated digestive conditions. Two beneficial bacteria are used: Lactobacillus rhamnosus LBRE-LSAS and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb12. Their survival in the free state or encapsulated in pure carob galactomannan gel combined with xanthan, was determined after residence in simulated in vitro digestive conditions (gastric: pH 2, pepsin 3 g/l and intestinal: bile 0.3%: W/V, pH 6.5. The results obtained show that gel encapsulation of carob galactomannans combined with xanthan improves the survival of these two beneficial strains to simulated digestive hostilities. the loss under gastric conditions 36.79% (3.55 log CFU/mL) for the non-encapsulated cells and only 12% (1.2 log CFU/mL) for the encapsulated ones. However, galactomannans alone do not appear to be effective in keeping a minimum of 106 bacterial cells viable when confronted with the hostile conditions of the digestive tract where they will be called upon to exert their positive effect on health. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.704863

Exploiting stochastic dominance to generate abnormal stock returns

We construct zero cost portfolios based on second and third degree stochastic dominance and show that they produce systematic, statistically significant, abnormal returns. These returns are robust with respect to the single index CAPM, the Fama-French 3-factor model, the Carhart 4-factor model and the liquidity 5-factor model. They are also robust with respect to momentum portfolios, transactions costs, varying time periods and when broken down by a range of risk factors, such as firm size, leverage, age, return volatility, cash flow volatility and trading volume

New Alien Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (October 2020)

This article includes 23 new records of alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to 4 Phyla (Chordata, Echinodermata, Arthropoda and Mollusca), distributed from the Alboran to the Levantine Sea. Records are reported from eight countries listed from West to East as follows: Algeria: new records of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus; Spain: further spread and establishment of the sea slug Lamprohaminoea ovalis in continental shores; Tunisia: first record of the Atlantic Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus in the Gulf of Gabes; Italy: a new occurrence of the pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus in Northern Ionian waters; first record of Cephalopholis taeniops in the Ionian Sea; first record of the redlip blenny, Ophioblennius atlanticus in the Ionian Sea; Slovenia: first record of the isopod Paranthura japonica in Slovenia; Greece: first record of the molluscs Eunaticina papilla, Plocamopherus ocellatus and the fish Cheilodipterus novemstriatus; first record of the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata in Kriti; the long-spined sea urchin Diadema setosum in the Ionian Sea; Turkey: first record of the sea spider Ammothea hilgendorfi; the stomatopod Cloridina cf. ichneumon; the fishes Pempheris rhomboidea from the Sea of Marmara and Paranthias furcifer from the Aegean Sea; Lebanon: new records of the fishes Arothron hispidus, Rachycentron canadum, Heniochus intermedius and Acanthurus monroviae; first record of Acanthostracion polygonius. The records of Cloridina cf. ichneumon from southern Turkey and the fish Acanthostracion polygonius from Lebanon, both being the first Mediterranean records, are noteworthy

“New Alien Mediterranean Biodiversity Records” (March 2021)

This article includes twenty (20) new records of alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to six (6) Phyla (Rhodophyta, Tracheophyta, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, and Chordata) distributed from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Sea of Alboran. The records are reported from nine (9) countries and can be classified into two categories: new records for the Mediterranean Sea and new records of non-indigenous species expanding within the Mediterranean Sea. The first category includes the gastropod Turbo radiatus from Lebanon coasts, the portunid crab Charybdis (Charybdis) natator from Tunis southern lagoon, the mollusc Thuridilla mazda from South Spain, and the nudibranch Okenia picoensis from the Alboran coasts of Spain and from Malta. The second category includes the bivalve Nudiscintilla cf. glabra from the Aegean coast of Turkey, the rhodophyte Colaconema codicola from the North Aegean coasts of Greece, the naked band gaper Champsodon nudivittis from the Sea of Marmara, Turkey. Also, the brachyuran Gonioinfradens giardi from the Greek Ionian waters, the codlet Bregmaceros nectabanus from the Croatian coasts of the Adriatic Sea, and the bryozoan Arbopercula tenella and copepod Parvocalanus crassirostris both from the Gulf of Trieste, Slovenian and Italian coasts, respectively. New records were also reported for the ascidian Distaplia bermudensis from brackish the Gulf of Naples, Italy, the damselfish Abudefduf cf. saxatilis and the seagrass Halophila stipulacea from Sardinia, Tyrrhenian Sea, and for the fish Paranthias furcifer from the harbour of Almeria, Alboran Sea, Spain. Through these records, an understanding of the expanding mechanisms and processes and, if possible, the development of mitigation measures within the region will be further facilitated

New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (July 2019)

This is the second collective paper issued in 2019, currently amalgamates new knowledge on the Mediterranean geographic distributions of 17 species from five phyla (six aliens, three cosmopolitans, two east Atlantic records and six natives). The acknowledged species were reported from ten countries, mentioned here from west to east: Spain: first report of the east Atlantic grouper Cephalopholis taeniops in the western Mediterranean and an inclusion of Pontarachna puntulum and Litarachna communis to the pontarachnid fauna of Spain; Morocco: first record of Solea senegalensis from the Moroccan Mediterranean coast; Algeria: a valid confirmation for the presence of Sardinella maderensis; Malta: a first record of the Red Sea stomatopod Erugosquilla massavensis; Italy: a rare observation of the crab Paragalene longicrura from Siciliy and a further integration of the alien brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus to the commercial catch in Sicily; Montenegro: a first record of the Lessepsian bigfin reef squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana from the Adriatic Sea; Turkey: northernmost documentation of the Mediterranean flatworm Prostheceraeus giesbrechtii in the Aegean Sea; Israel: a solid confirmation for the population establishment of both the alien rock shrimp Sicyonia lancifer and two species of angelfish, and a first and deepest record of the crystalline goby Odondebuenia balearica; Lebanon: first record of the jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca; Syria: first records of the crown jellyfish Nausithoe punctate and the smallscale codlet Bregmaceros nectabanus

New Alien Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (March 2021)

This article includes twenty (20) new records of alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to six (6) Phyla (Rhodophyta, Tracheophyta, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, and Chordata) distributed from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Sea of Alboran. The records are reported from nine (9) countries and can be classified into two categories: new records for the Mediterranean Sea and new records of non-indigenous species expanding within the Mediterranean Sea. The first category includes the gastropod Turbo radiatus from Lebanon coasts, the portunid crab Charybdis (Charybdis) natator from Tunis southern lagoon, the mollusc Thuridilla mazda from South Spain, and the nudibranch Okenia picoensis from the Alboran coasts of Spain and from Malta. The second category includes the bivalve Nudiscintilla cf. glabra from the Aegean coast of Turkey, the rhodophyte Colaconema codicola from the North Aegean coasts of Greece, the naked band gaper Champsodon nudivittis from the Sea of Marmara, Turkey. Also, the brachyuran Gonioinfradens giardi from the Greek Ionian waters, the codlet Bregmaceros nectabanus from the Croatian coasts of the Adriatic Sea, and the bryozoan Arbopercula tenella and copepod Parvocalanus crassirostris both from the Gulf of Trieste, Slovenian and Italian coasts, respectively. New records were also reported for the ascidian Distaplia bermudensis from brackish the Gulf of Naples, Italy, the damselfish Abudefduf cf. saxatilis and the seagrass Halophila stipulacea from Sardinia, Tyrrhenian Sea, and for the fish Paranthias furcifer from the harbour of Almeria, Alboran Sea, Spain. Through these records, an understanding of the expanding mechanisms and processes and, if possible, the development of mitigation measures within the region will be further facilitated

Écosystèmes côtiers du littoral libanais : état écologique, conservation, évolution

The aim of this study was to provide further knowledge of the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on the conservation status of important shallow habitats (vermetid reefs, Cystoseira forests) in a relatively poorly known region of the Mediterranean Sea: the Lebanese coast. Multiple approaches were applied for the first time along the Levantine Sea, such as the CARLIT (CARtography of rocky-shore LITtoral communities) index, a tool conceived to quantify the Ecological Status (ES) in the framework of the Water Directive (WFD 2000/60/EU). A general description of the Lebanese coastline, summarizing the major environmental features and anthropogenic activities influencing benthic communities, highlighted that Lebanon has been (and is at present) subject to multiple stressors. The application of the CARLIT, based on macroalgal, gives important insights on the ES of Lebanese ecosystems in relation to human impacts and provides a detailed cartography on the distribution and abundance of shallow communities, and in particular Cystoseira and Sargassum forests. The survey of some Lebanese vermetid reefs allowed the evaluation of their current status according to different human pressures and highlighted that they are highly affected by human pressures and only few of them are still alive. In a view of the upcoming oil and gas discovery offshore Lebanon, Lebanese marine ecosystems are under multiple and massive threats; the data provided in the research performed provide a baseline of the distribution and conservation status of key habitats along Lebanese coasts, in order to follow their evolution and to have a management tool in case of catastrophic oil spills.Le but de cette thèse est de mieux connaître les effets des activités anthropiques sur l'état de conservation des habitats côtiers importants (forêts de Cystoseira et trottoirs à Vermets) dans une région peu connue de la Méditerranée : la côte Libanaise. Plusieurs approches sont appliquées pour la première fois le long de la côte Levantine, tel que l'indice CARLIT (cartographie des communautés benthiques du littoral rocheux), un outil conçu pour évaluer l’Etat Ecologique (EE) dans le cadre de la Directive des Eaux (DCE 2000/60/UE). La description générale du littoral Libanais, résumant les principales caractéristiques environnementales et les activités anthropiques influençant les communautés benthiques, a souligné que la côte Libanaise a été (et est actuellement) soumis à plusieurs pressions de plusieurs origines. L'application du CARLIT, basé sur les communautés de macroalgues a fourni des idées importantes sur l’EE actuel de la côte rocheuse Libanaise en relation avec les impacts humains et a permis d’établir une cartographie détaillée de la répartition et de l'abondance des communautés côtiers, en particulier des forêts de Cystoseira et de Sargassum). L'étude de certains trottoirs à Vermets Libanais a permis d’évaluer leur état actuel en fonction des différentes pressions humaines et confirmer qu’ils sont très affectés et que peu sont encore vivants. Dans une perspective future et avec la découverte de pétrole et du gaz dans les eaux Libanaises, les écosystèmes marins Libanais seront soumis à plusieurs nouveaux menaces ; les recherches de cette thèse présentent une base de référence de l’EE de ces écosystèmes, permettant de les conserver et suivre leur évolution

Coastal ecosystems of the Lebanese coast : ecological status, conservation, evolution

Le but de cette thèse est de mieux connaître les effets des activités anthropiques sur l'état de conservation des habitats côtiers importants (forêts de Cystoseira et trottoirs à Vermets) dans une région peu connue de la Méditerranée : la côte Libanaise. Plusieurs approches sont appliquées pour la première fois le long de la côte Levantine, tel que l'indice CARLIT (cartographie des communautés benthiques du littoral rocheux), un outil conçu pour évaluer l’Etat Ecologique (EE) dans le cadre de la Directive des Eaux (DCE 2000/60/UE). La description générale du littoral Libanais, résumant les principales caractéristiques environnementales et les activités anthropiques influençant les communautés benthiques, a souligné que la côte Libanaise a été (et est actuellement) soumis à plusieurs pressions de plusieurs origines. L'application du CARLIT, basé sur les communautés de macroalgues a fourni des idées importantes sur l’EE actuel de la côte rocheuse Libanaise en relation avec les impacts humains et a permis d’établir une cartographie détaillée de la répartition et de l'abondance des communautés côtiers, en particulier des forêts de Cystoseira et de Sargassum). L'étude de certains trottoirs à Vermets Libanais a permis d’évaluer leur état actuel en fonction des différentes pressions humaines et confirmer qu’ils sont très affectés et que peu sont encore vivants. Dans une perspective future et avec la découverte de pétrole et du gaz dans les eaux Libanaises, les écosystèmes marins Libanais seront soumis à plusieurs nouveaux menaces ; les recherches de cette thèse présentent une base de référence de l’EE de ces écosystèmes, permettant de les conserver et suivre leur évolution.The aim of this study was to provide further knowledge of the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on the conservation status of important shallow habitats (vermetid reefs, Cystoseira forests) in a relatively poorly known region of the Mediterranean Sea: the Lebanese coast. Multiple approaches were applied for the first time along the Levantine Sea, such as the CARLIT (CARtography of rocky-shore LITtoral communities) index, a tool conceived to quantify the Ecological Status (ES) in the framework of the Water Directive (WFD 2000/60/EU). A general description of the Lebanese coastline, summarizing the major environmental features and anthropogenic activities influencing benthic communities, highlighted that Lebanon has been (and is at present) subject to multiple stressors. The application of the CARLIT, based on macroalgal, gives important insights on the ES of Lebanese ecosystems in relation to human impacts and provides a detailed cartography on the distribution and abundance of shallow communities, and in particular Cystoseira and Sargassum forests. The survey of some Lebanese vermetid reefs allowed the evaluation of their current status according to different human pressures and highlighted that they are highly affected by human pressures and only few of them are still alive. In a view of the upcoming oil and gas discovery offshore Lebanon, Lebanese marine ecosystems are under multiple and massive threats; the data provided in the research performed provide a baseline of the distribution and conservation status of key habitats along Lebanese coasts, in order to follow their evolution and to have a management tool in case of catastrophic oil spills

n updated checklist of the marine fishes in Lebanon. An answer to Bariche and Fricke (2020): "The marine ichthyofauna of Lebanon: an annotated checklist, history, biogeography, and conservation status"

Bitar, Ghazi, Badreddine, Ali (2021): n updated checklist of the marine fishes in Lebanon. An answer to Bariche and Fricke (2020): "The marine ichthyofauna of Lebanon: an annotated checklist, history, biogeography, and conservation status". Zootaxa 5010 (1): 1-128, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5010.1.1, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5010.1.