Publications by authors named "H Barak"

Article Synopsis
  • Microorganisms are incredibly diverse and abundant but most remain uncultured, leading to a limited understanding of microbial life, commonly referred to as "microbial dark matter" (MDM).
  • Metagenomic sequencing techniques, utilizing both 16S rRNA gene and shotgun sequencing, help identify unknown microbes by comparing gene sequences to existing databases, but many sequences go unaligned and overlooked.
  • The study analyzed 16S rRNA sequences from various environments, validating unknown bacterial sequences and classifying them, ultimately uncovering potentially new microbial lineages and highlighting the significance of MDM in environmental analysis.
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Background And Aims: Tofacitinib (TFB) appears to be effective in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC); however, available real-world studies are limited by cohort size. TFB could be an option in the treatment of acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC). We aimed to investigate efficacy and safety of TFB in moderate-to-severe colitis and ASUC.

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The desert truffle is an ascomycete fungus that forms ect-endomycorrhiza in the roots of plants belonging to Cistaceae. The fungus forms hypogeous edible fruit bodies, appreciated as gourmet food. Truffles and host plants are colonized by various microbes, which may contribute to their development.

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Throughout the Negev Desert highlands, thousands of ancient petroglyphs sites are susceptible to deterioration processes that may result in the loss of this unique rock art. Therefore, the overarching goal of the current study was to characterize the composition, diversity and effects of microbial colonization of the rocks to find ways of protecting these unique treasures. The spatial organization of the microbial colonizers and their relationships with the lithic substrate were analysed using scanning electron microscopy.

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Water and soil contamination by industrial wastes is a global concern. Biological treatment of industrial wastewater using bioreactors allows the removal of organic matter and nutrients and enables either reuse or safe discharge. Wastewater bioremediation depends in part on the microbial communities present in the bioreactor.

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