Basin scale variability of Ostreopsis spp. blooms provides evidence of effectiveness of an integrated sampling approach.

Ostreopsis spp. blooms have been occurring in the last two decades in the Mediterranean Sea in association with a variety of biotic and abiotic substrata (macroalgae, seagrasses, benthic invertebrates, sand, pebbles and rocks). Cells proliferate attached to the surfaces through mucilaginous trichocysts, which lump together microalgal cells, and can also be found in the plankton and on floating aggregates: such tychoplanktonic behavior makes the quantitative assessment of blooms more difficult than planktonic or benthic ones.

An 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.

The recent paper by Bariche Fricke (2020) presents an updated checklist of the marine fish species in Lebanon including 367 fish species, 70 non-indigenous and 28 new records. According to Bariche Fricke (2020), the inventory is based on the published scientific papers related to the marine fishes in Lebanon, since Gruvel (1928, 1931), as well as grey literature, images published in newspapers or on local websites and social media. However, important scientific papers and published reports, providing important data on marine fishes in Lebanon, were missed.

Demineralization Inhibition by High-Speed Scanning of 9.3 µm CO Single Laser Pulses Over Enamel.

Background And Objective: In vitro studies were conducted to evaluate the use of an automated system for high-speed scanning of single 9.3 µm CO laser pulses in the inhibition of caries-like lesion formation in the enamel of extracted human molars. The effect of the laser in generating an acid-resistant layer and the effect of the layer on inhibiting surface mineral loss during pH cycling was explored.

Histopathological and biomechanical changes in soft palate in response to non-ablative 9.3-μm CO laser irradiation: an in vivo study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate in vivo the biomechanical and morphological changes in soft palates of Wistar rats from non-ablative irradiation with a 9.3-μm CO laser. A blinded, randomized, controlled study was designed with 45 Wistar rats categorized into treated and control sets.

Real-time imaging of action potentials in nerves using changes in birefringence.

Polarized light can be used to measure the electrical activity associated with action potential propagation in nerves, as manifested in simultaneous dynamic changes in their intrinsic optical birefringence. These signals may serve as a tool for minimally invasive neuroimaging in various types of neuroscience research, including the study of neuronal activation patterns with high spatiotemporal resolution. A fast linear photodiode array was used to image propagating action potentials in an excised portion of the lobster walking leg nerve.

Elucidating the temporal dynamics of optical birefringence changes in crustacean nerves.

Intrinsic optical properties, such as optical birefringence, may serve as a tool for minimally invasive neuroimaging methods with high spatiotemporal resolution to aid in the study of neuronal activation patterns. To facilitate imaging neuronal activity by sensing dynamic birefringence, temporal characteristics behind the signal must be better understood. We have developed a novel nerve chamber to investigate changes in birefringence at the stimulation site, and at distances ~4-28 mm from that site.