The Chronicle is highlighting pivotal figures and events throughout the University’s history Duke’s West Campus is best known for its dramatic Gothic architecture and the grand chapel that sits at the heart of its central quad wasn’t fully recognized for his contribution to the University’s design until decades after his death Abele — who may have never stepped foot on the campus he designed in the then-segregated South — was finally memorialized by the University in 2016 with the renaming of West Campus’ main quad to “Abele Quad.” The Chronicle looks back on the story of the man responsible for crafting the now-iconic campus Abele was born April 21 Julian himself followed his siblings in attending the Institute for Colored Youth, founded in 1873 as the first public preparatory school for Black children. Abele was mentored by the principal of his school, Fanny Copin who encouraged him to pursue architecture and a higher education Although educational opportunities were limited for Black people at the time, in 1897, Abele became the first Black person to receive a Certificate of Architectural Drawing at the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art He enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Architecture the next year and was elected president of the student architectural society in his senior year he became only the third Black person in the country to earn a bachelor’s degree in architecture and the first Black graduate at UPenn though the segregationist policies of the time prevented him from participating in his commencement ceremony “Those behind in the race of life must run faster or forever remain behind,” Abele once said in regards to his educational pursuits. At the time, he was the “most formally educated architect” in the country It was at UPenn’s two-year program where Abele’s admiration of French architectural styles manifested, as the school was one of the first in the nation to incorporate teachings from the renowned École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His later work on the Free Library and Museum of Art in Philadelphia are reflections of his admiration for Ange-Jacques Gabriel After graduating, Abele acquired a Certificate of Completion in Architectural Design from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1903 He went on to be hired by Horace Trumbauer in 1906 where he gained much of his architectural experience since company policy dictated designs would be signed in the name of the firm “The lines are all Mr. Trumbauer’s, but the shadows are all mine,” Abele said — later characterized the relationship between his father and Trumbauer as one marked by “a great deal of respect.” Abele took over the firm alongside fellow architect William Frank after Trumbauer’s death in 1938 finally able to sign his own name on his designs He remained at the firm until his death in 1950 Abele’s relationship with Duke began after Trumbauer’s firm was commissioned to design tobacco magnate James B The company later drafted an expansion to Duke’s property in Newport and drew up plans for a New Jersey estate that was never developed Abele designed many of West Campus’ most iconic facilities He was also responsible for redesigning East Campus in a Georgian architectural style and for drafting the plans for Baldwin Auditorium Abele designed a total of 11 Georgian-style buildings on East Campus and 38 Gothic-style buildings on West Campus Due to segregation policies in the Jim Crow South, Abele may never have visited the final manifestations of his designs at Duke — the matter remains unclear because many of the architectural firm’s records were destroyed after the business closed in 1968 After much of the construction was complete, the firm consulted a professor at Vanderbilt University for input on the statues to be placed at the Chapel entrance He recommended the company choose “three men of prominence in the South” — former President Thomas Jefferson None of the men had any connection to the University and no credit was given at the time to the Black architect who designed the campus “He was a victim of apartheid in this country,” Cook wrote in her letter one of many student mobilizations that contributed to the Duke Board of Trustees ultimately voting in May 1986 to divest from companies profiting from business in segregated South Africa In 2016, a Duke Bass Connections team investigated how the University’s history is told to prospective students and families touring the school. They found that tour guides rarely mentioned Abele and his contribution to Duke — even after Abele Quad was named after him earlier that year The team concluded by calling on Duke leadership to “acknowledge and examine those times when unjust decisions were made.” staff and faculty must be able to see themselves in both the line and shadow of Julian F Abele’s Quadrangle,” the team wrote in the report The University now honors Abele with a portrait of the architect that originally hung in the foyer of the Allen Building — the first of a Black person to occupy the space It now hangs in the Gothic Reading Room of the David M Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library Aseel Ibrahim is a Trinity sophomore and an associate news editor for the news department.        Zoe Kolenovsky is a Trinity junior and data editor of The Chronicle's 121st volume. She was previously news editor for Volume 120. Share and discuss “The architect of Duke: Julian Abele” on social media. Volume 15 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1543100 Introduction: The rising use of dental implants is accompanied by an expected increase in peri-implant diseases which poses a significant threat to implant success and necessitates a thorough understanding of its pathogenesis for effective management Methods: To gain deeper insights into the role and impact of the peri-implant microbiome in the pathogenesis and progression of PI we analyzed 100 samples of saliva and subgingival biofilm from 40 participants with healthy implants (HI group) or with co-occurrence of diagnosed PI-affected implants and healthy implants (PI group) using shotgun metagenomic sequencing We identified the most discriminative species distinguishing healthy from diseased study groups through log ratios and differential ranking analyses Results and discussion: Mogibacterium timidum Porphyromonas gingivalis and Olsenella uli were associated with the subgingival peri-implant biofilm Rothia mucilaginosa and Rothia aeria were more prevalent in the healthy peri-implant biofilm Functional pathways such as arginine and polyamine biosynthesis including putrescine and citrulline biosynthesis showed stronger correlations with PI-affected implants peri-implant health was characterized by the predominance of pathways involved in purine and pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotide de novo biosynthesis glucose and glucose-1-phosphate degradation Our findings reveal that healthy implants in PI-free oral cavities differ significantly in microbial composition and functional pathways compared to healthy implants co-occurring with PI-affected implants which more closely resemble PI-associated profiles where microbial and functional biomarkers follow similar trends Bacteria play a central role in biofilm formation acting as primary colonizers and dominating both in abundance and function within a healthy oral microbiome the oral microbiome is a complex ecosystem encompassing fungi all of which must be considered to comprehensively understand the microbial community Future advancements in this field are likely to hinge on integrative analyses that encompass the complete metagenome and metatranscriptome of the entire microbial consortium Shotgun metagenomic sequencing has more power to identify less abundant taxa and more capacity to identify most microorganisms at the species level than 16S rRNA sequencing, and it allows to obtain the potential functional profiles of the microbial communities analyzed (Durazzi et al., 2021) we utilized shotgun metagenomic sequencing to analyze the microbiomes of saliva and subgingival peri-implant biofilms aiming at identifying distinct microbial signatures and potential functional pathways associated with PI The study design included patients with healthy implants as well as those with co-occurring PI-affected and healthy implants Saliva samples were analyzed to evaluate their potential as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for identifying PI biomarkers This cross-sectional study is reported based on the 2020 revised PRISMA statement (Page et al., 2021) It was carried out according to the Helsinki Declaration (as per the 2013 revision) and all participants signed a written informed consent form before participation The study was approved by the Egas Moniz Ethics Committee (process number 1123) Participants seeking dental care at the Egas Moniz Dental Clinic (Almada Portugal) were invited to participate if: aged 18 years old or over; presence of at least one dental implant with a history of at least one year in function; no diagnosis of periodontitis; no history of local or systemic antibiotics or oral antiseptic mouth rinses use within the past 2 months Women being pregnant or breastfeeding were not included in the study The sampling period was from January 2023 to September 2023 Every clinical procedure strictly adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and the guidelines of Good Clinical Practice A brief questionnaire was used to gather relevant demographic and clinical information presence of immune or inflammatory diseases number of remaining teeth and dental implants All information underwent de-identification before creating the database and conducting data analysis The participants were asked to refrain from oral hygiene for 24 hours and from eating and drinking for 2 hours before the examination and sampling To define peri-implant health or PI, the criteria included in the 2018 Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions (Caton et al., 2018) were used The diagnosis of a healthy implant involved the following clinical criteria: absence of clinical signs of redness and swelling absence of bleeding upon probing (except in one location absence of increased probing depth (when compared to previous examinations) After clinical inspection and a final diagnosis participants were assigned to one of two groups: patients with healthy implants (HI group) or patients with co-occurrence of diagnosed PI-affected implants and healthy implants (PI group) we collected a saliva sample and one or two subgingival peri-implant biofilm samples In group HI we obtained a saliva sample (HI_Sa) and a subgingival biofilm sample from a healthy implant site (HI_HIS) a subgingival biofilm sample from a healthy implant site (PI_HIS) and a subgingival biofilm sample from an implant site affected by PI (PI_PIS) Sampling was performed prior to any antiseptic mouthwash use Two milliliters of unstimulated saliva were collected from each participant by drooling into a 4-mL cryotube with the aid of a saliva collection aid device (Salimetrics, USA). All samples were immediately transported to the laboratory, where glycerol was added to a final concentration of 20% in aseptic conditions, and then stored at -80°C in aliquots of 1 mL (Marotz et al., 2021) and then stored at -80°C for subsequent DNA extraction The extraction of total genomic DNA from frozen saliva and subgingival biofilm samples was performed using the DNeasy PowerSoil Pro kit (Qiagen, Germany). However, a prior step was performed to selectively deplete human DNA, as Marotz et al. (2021) described with minor modifications and detailed next Control extractions were performed using only sample buffer to determine potential contamination during the protocol execution and using the ZymoBIOMICS Microbial Community Standard (Zymo Research Corporation USA) to validate the efficacy of the extraction method comprising 40 from saliva and 60 from subgingival biofilm One-mL saliva aliquot was thawed, vortexed, and then centrifuged at 15,000 ×g, room temperature, for 6 min to pellet cells. Before DNA extraction, a method was applied to selectively deplete host DNA, based on that described by Marotz et al. (2021) the pellet resuspended in 200 μL nuclease-free H2O and left at room temperature for 5 min to allow for osmotic lysis of human cells Propidium monoazide was added to a final concentration of 10 μM at approximately 12 cm from a blue light (wavelength of 480 nm) and exposed for 25 min Samples were then centrifuged at 15,000 × g and the pellet resuspended in 800 µL of solution CD1 (from the DNeasy PowerSoil Pro kit) immediately transferred to a PowerBead Pro tube of the same kit briefly vortexed and incubated at 65°C from 10 min and processed according to the manufacturer’s protocol from step 2 on centrifuged at 15,000 ×g for 6 min at 4°C washed once with 750 µL of PBS 1× resuspended in 200 μL nuclease-free H2O briefly vortexed and left at room temperature for 5 min the PMA protocol was the same as described above the PP strips were prior transferred to a PowerBead Pro tube and the pellet resuspended in 800 µL of solution CD1 was also transferred to the same tube followed by vortexing and incubation at 65°C from 10 min and then the manufacturer’s protocol from step 2 on The project consisted of the sequencing of 100 DNA metagenome samples The concentration of DNA was determined with the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer (Life Technologies) using the Qubit dsDNA HS Assay Kit (Life Technologies) Each DNA library was prepared from 0.5 nanograms of high-quality genomic DNA with the Nextera XT DNA Sample Preparation Kit (Illumina USA) and paired-end sequenced in the NextSeq 2000 Illumina® sequencer with the NextSeq 1000/2000 P2 XLEAP-SBS Reagent Kit (300 cycles All procedures were performed according to standard manufacturer’s protocols Sequenced reads were quality-filtered with Trimmomatic version 0.39 (Bolger et al., 2014) using the following parameters: 1) sequencing adapters were removed, 2) bases with an average quality lower than Q25 in a window of 5 bases were trimmed, and 3) reads with less than 100 bases were discarded. High-quality reads were filtered against the reference human genome sequence assembly GRCh38/hg38 with Bowtie version 2.5 (Langmead et al., 2009) The demographic and clinical data of patients were analyzed using IBM® SPSS® Statistics v.29 applying comparative statistical tests such as Pearson’s chi-square test or Mann-Whitney based on variable types and data characteristics Values of p < 0.05 were considered significant High-quality sequences were analyzed with MetaPhlAn version 4.0.6 (Blanco-Míguez et al., 2023) for determining taxa abundances using the MetaPhlAn clade-specific marker genes mpa_vOct22_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202212 database The number of read counts for each taxon identified at the species level per sample was retrieved and used to build an abundance table comprising read counts from all samples The abundance table was used for composition alpha and beta diversities and differential abundance analyses The number of reads mapping to fungi and viruses on the MetaPhlAn database was very low or even absent. To overcome this limitation, the high-quality reads were analyzed with Kraken2 version 2.1.1 (Wood et al., 2019) against the Viral genomes (2019) and the Fungi genomes (2019) Kraken databases. Abundance estimation at the species level was retrieved with Bracken version 2.9 (Bayesian Reestimation of Abundance with Kraken) (Lu et al., 2017) The number of read counts for each taxon identified per sample was used to build an abundance table comprising information from all samples Hill numbers were calculated for Species richness, Shannon and Inverted Simpson with the hilldiv package, version 1.5.1 (Alberdi and Gilbert, 2019) Hill numbers were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s test or the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn’s test with Bonferroni correction after testing for normality with the Shapiro test Beta diversity was analyzed with Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) in phyloseq using the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity and the Jaccard similarity coefficient. The indexes were tested for statistical differences with PERMANOVA, followed by pairwise PERMANOVA using the adonis function of the vegan package version 2.6-4 (Oksanen et al., 2020) with 1000 permutations and the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure for multiple comparison corrections Homoscedasticity was tested with the betadisper function of the vegan package The 10% most influential species were analyzed according to PCA axis 1 or 2 The abundance table was additionally analyzed with Songbird version 1.0.4 (Morton et al., 2019) to identify correlations between taxa and study groups Songbird was run in Qiime2 version 2020.2 in the multinomial mode with the parameters 50,000 epochs a minimum sample count of 50 and a minimum feature count of 20% of the samples Log ratios of relevant bacteria were extracted from Qurro Data visualization and statistical inference analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics v.30 A p-value and an adjusted p-value of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant High-quality sequences were analyzed with HUMAnN version 3.9 (Beghini et al., 2021) to determine the abundance of the functional pathways present in the metagenomes using the MetaPhlAn clade-specific marker genes mpa_vOct22_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202212 database The unstratified functional pathway data was used to build an abundance table comprising read counts from all samples The abundance table was used for composition and beta diversities analyses (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity and Robust Aitchison distance and PCA using DEICODE) and was additionally analyzed with Songbird version 1.0.4 to identify correlations between functional pathways and study groups All these analyses were performed as described above Demographic and clinical characteristics of the sampled population (patients in HI and PI groups) From the 100 sequenced samples, a total of 652,464,113 high-quality read pairs were obtained, from which 439,265,781 were non-human read pairs, with an average of 4,392,658 read pairs per sample (ranging from 299,855 to 27,677,702). Sequencing and analysis metrics are shown in Supplementary Table S1 Sequence analysis using MetaPhlAn software identified 596 bacterial species present in at least one sample 52 fungal species and 586 viral species (though most viral species were not shared among samples and were present in very low relative abundances) were identified using Kraken2 The vast majority of viruses were bacteriophages Fifty-eight bacterial species were pinpointed with a relative abundance of > 1% in at least one of the five study groups, as shown in Figure 1A The sum of their average relative abundances was 78.95% the PI_PIS group exhibited a greater percentage of species that were present in very low relative abundances compared to the other study groups (A) Relative abundances (>1%) of the bacterial composition at the species level in each study group (B) Hill diversity indices (Species richness Shannon and Inverted Simpson) of the bacterial communities of the five study groups Supplementary Figures S2A, B of Supplementary Material show the relative abundance (>1%) of all species of fungi and viruses Schizosaccharomyces pombe was the most abundant fungus in all study groups Most abundant phages were associated with Streptococcus spp Hill diversity, which includes species richness and modified versions of the traditional Shannon and Simpson indices, was used to measure the diversity of the bacterial community of each study group (Figure 1B) Bacterial Hill-species richness did not differ significantly between the two study groups of saliva nor among the three study groups of subgingival biofilm from implant sites saliva groups had higher species richness (large number of rare species) than subgingival biofilm groups which emphasizes the dominance of common species in a community The Hill-Shannon index balances the influence of species richness and evenness in a community The Hill-Shannon diversity of the saliva groups (HI_Sa and PI_Sa) was substantially higher than the groups of subgingival biofilms of healthy implants (HI_HIS or PI_HIS) the PI_PIS was not statistically different from any other of the four study groups the groups showing higher diversity in terms of presenting a higher number of rare species and a higher number of common species were both saliva groups they were all homogeneous regarding species richness PI-affected implants tendentially showed bacterial communities with higher Hill-Shannon diversity than healthy implants although those differences were not statistically significant Hill diversity indices were also calculated for fungal and viral communities of each study group (Supplementary Figures S2C, D of Supplementary Material) no statistically significant differences were observed between the two study groups of saliva nor among the three study groups of subgingival biofilm from implant sites major and significant differences were pinpointed between saliva and subgingival biofilms groups regardless of the presence of health or disease (PI) Significant taxonomic differences in the oral metagenome of saliva from healthy and PI-affected patients (HI_Sa vs PI_Sa) (A) Bacterial differential ranks of the 23 out of 231 (9.96%) species more (identified as numerator) and less (identified as denominator) associated with PI_Sa using the group HI_Sa as reference as estimated from multinomial regression by Songbird (B) Log ratio plots of the 23 out of 231 species across HI_Sa and PI_Sa groups (C) Log ratio plots of specific combinations of bacterial species across HI_Sa and PI_Sa groups Statistical significance based on a Student’s t-test (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01) Similarly, log ratios were calculated for the subgingival biofilm groups. Figure 3 displays the differential rankings of the top and bottom 10% of species that changed the most relative to each other between the two groups being compared (see also Supplementary Tables S4-S6) Key species were highlighted based on their ranking and/or enrichment (positive and higher intercept) Differential ranks of the 10% species changing the most relative to each other in the two compared groups of subgingival biofilms (A) 14 out of 145 species presenting very different ranks in PI_HIS vs PI_PIS (B) 15 out of 159 species presenting very different ranks in HI_HIS vs PI_PIS (C) 13 out of 137 species presenting very different ranks in HI_HIS vs PI_HIS and several species of Actimomyces were more associated with HI_HIS The log ratio of all species selected at the 10% threshold was significantly higher in PI_PIS compared to HI_HIS and in PI_HIS compared to HI_HIS (p < 0.01). Although an increase was also observed in PI_PIS compared to PI_HIS, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.054), as shown in Figure 4 Log ratios of the top and bottom 10% species changing the most across the two groups in comparison Statistical significance based on a Student’s t-test (**p < 0.01) which reinforces the differences in the microbiome of healthy implants depending on whether there is co-presence of PI-affected implants in the same oral cavity or not Log ratio plots of specific combinations of bacterial species across HI_HIS and PI_PIS groups (A) Differential ranks for the top 10% most and least influential fungal species associated with the disease group, using the healthy group as a reference, were also obtained (see Supplementary Table S7) were used to calculate log ratios; however no statistically significant differences were observed in the log ratios between the two groups compared Candida albicans was consistently identified as the numerator associated with disease groups PI_Sa (compared to HI_Sa) and PI_PIS (compared to either PI_HIS or HI_HIS) and we could identify which species were changing the most relative to each other those species were mostly bacteriophages and the log ratios calculated were not statistically different across compared groups (data not shown) 30 of 302 were selected for the HI_Sa and PI_Sa groups Several functional pathways were consistently more associated with the PI condition including the biosynthesis of arginine and polyamine as well as the degradation of purine nucleobases Other pathways could be pinpointed as health-promoting including the de novo biosynthesis of purine and pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotides and biosynthesis of sulphur amino acids (cysteine and L-methionine) Log ratio plots of the top and bottom 10% functional pathways selected across HI_Sa and PI_Sa (A) and log ratio plots of specific combinations of functional pathways across HI_Sa and PI_Sa (B) Statistical significance based on a Student’s t-test (*p < 0.05) Log ratio plots of the top and bottom 10% functional pathways selected across PI_HIS and PI_PIS (A) and log ratio plots of specific combinations of functional pathways across PI_HIS and PI_PIS (B) Log ratio plots of the top and bottom 10% functional pathways selected across HI_HIS and PI_PIS (A) and log ratio plots of specific combinations of functional pathways across HI_HIS and PI_PIS (B) Log ratio plots of the top and bottom 10% functional pathways selected across HI_HIS and PI_HIS (A) Log ratio plots of a specific combination of functional pathways across HI_HIS and PI_HIS (B): log [PWY-5838: superpathway of menaquinol-8 biosynthesis I + PWY0-1297: superpathway of purine deoxyribonucleosides degradation + P124-PWY: Bifidobacterium shunt/PWY-5918: superpathway of heme b biosynthesis from glutamate + PWY-8131: 5’-deoxyadenosine degradation II + PWY-5189: tetrapyrrole biosynthesis II (from glycine)] our results highlighted a higher log ratio of Veillonella atypica + Porphyromonas gingivalis to Actinomyces sp ICM47 + Actinomyces SGB17157 in the saliva of the PI group compared to the HI group gingivalis as core bacterial species in the dental plaque microbiome their specific roles in the PI microbiome remain unclear showing elevated levels of a combination of P provide a foundation for further investigation into their potential contributions to PI pathogenesis Functional pathways capture the collective metabolic activities of microbial communities changes in the microbiome are reflected in changes in functional pathways We could find combinations of functional pathways that were more linked to PI and others to peri-implant health Pathways associated with arginine and polyamine biosynthesis and citrulline biosynthesis were correlated with PI A major limitation of most studies investigating the human oral microbiome often constrained by the high costs associated with sequencing methods particularly shotgun metagenomic sequencing Given the highly individualized nature of the oral microbiome future research should prioritize larger and more diverse cohorts spanning various regions and countries to enhance the generalizability and applicability of the findings Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore changes in the oral microbiome during the transition from health to disease to advance precision and personalized medicine (Belibasakis et al., 2019). The development of tools for individualized microbiome profiling (personalized metagenomics) holds great potential for applications in microbiome-based medicine (Kim et al., 2024) Our findings indicate that healthy implants in an oral cavity without any PI-affected implants show distinct microbial signatures compared to healthy implants co-occurring with PI-affected implants in the same oral cavity The bacterial species and functional pathways associated with healthy implants co-occurring with PI-affected implants more closely resemble those related to PI than those associated with healthy implants in PI-free oral cavities This suggests that the microbiome and functional profile of implants diagnosed as healthy differ depending on their context within the oral cavity these microbial and functional biomarkers follow the same pattern in salivary samples PI-affected implants may serve as a reservoir for a different microbial niche influencing changes in the microbiome of healthy implants and saliva These findings also highlight saliva’s potential as a convenient and non-invasive medium for identifying biomarkers related to PI diagnosis and prevention With ongoing advancements in metagenomics and studies like ours there is a growing opportunity to identify biomarkers that can be validated and translated into clinical applications This has the potential to greatly enhance early diagnosis Such advancements are of significant clinical importance paving the way for potential breakthroughs in understanding and managing PI with important implications for both clinicians and researchers The datasets presented in this study can be found in a online repository, NCBI SRA database, under accession number PRJNA1163384 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sra/?term=PRJNA1163384) The studies involving humans were approved by Egas Moniz Ethics Committee,Egas Moniz School of Health & Science(process number 1123) The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. This research was funded by Portuguese National Funds provided by the FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) under the project "Metagenomic snapshot of the microbiome and resistome in peri-implantitis: pilot study”, with the grant number: 2022.01430.PTDC (http://doi.org/10.54499/2022.01430.PTDC) The authors would like to thank Egas Moniz Dental Clinic for its assistance with this project The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1543100/full#supplementary-material A guide to the application of Hill numbers to DNA-based diversity analyses Polyamines in the virulence of bacterial pathogens of respiratory tract and healthy sites: a cross-sectional pilot study Favorable subgingival plaque microbiome shifts are associated with clinical treatment for peri-implant diseases Peri-Implantitis versus Periodontitis: Functional differences indicated by transcriptome profiling and strain-level profiling of diverse microbial communities with bioBakery 3 Applications of the oral microbiome in personalized dentistry doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2019.05.023 pathogenesis and treatment of peri-implantitis: A European perspective Blanco-Míguez Extending and improving metagenomic taxonomic profiling with uncharacterized species using MetaPhlAn 4 Trimmomatic: A flexible trimmer for Illumina sequence data and extensible microbiome data science using QIIME 2 A new classification scheme for periodontal and peri-implant diseases and conditions – Introduction and key changes from the 1999 classification Patient-specific analysis of periodontal and peri-implant microbiomes Titanium as a modifier of the peri-implant microbiome structure Microbiota of peri-implant healthy tissues and peri-implantitis: A comprehensive review Comparison between 16S rRNA and shotgun sequencing data for the taxonomic characterization of the gut microbiota Interventions for replacing missing teeth: Treatment of peri-implantitis Visualizing ‘omic feature rankings and log-ratios using Qurro Biome-microbiome interactions in peri-implantitis: A pilot investigation Current data on oral peri-implant and periodontal microbiota and its pathological changes: A systematic review Strong oral plaque microbiome signatures for dental implant diseases identified by strain-resolution metagenomics The microbiome of peri-implantitis: A systematic review of next-generation sequencing studies Nucleotide biosynthesis: The base of bacterial pathogenesis The peri-implant microbiome—A possible factor determining the success of surgical peri-implantitis treatment Identification of Streptococcus cristatus peptides that repress expression of virulence genes in Porphyromonas gingivalis Human Microbiome Project (2010). Manual of procedures for Human Microbiome Project core microbiome sampling protocol A HMP Protocol 07-001. Available online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/gap/cgi-bin/GetPdf.cgi?id=phd003190.2 (Accessed December 11 Google Scholar Difference in microbiome compositions of healthy peri-implant sulcus and peri-implantitis sulcus from the same patient Microbiological profile of peri-implantitis: Analyses of microbiome within dental implants Microbial profiling of peri-implantitis compared to the periodontal microbiota in health and disease using 16S rRNA sequencing Genome-resolved metagenomics: A game changer for microbiome medicine Fructan biosynthesis by yeast cell factories Discriminating microbial community structure between peri-implantitis and periodontitis with integrated metagenomic Microbiological findings in early and late implant loss: an observational clinical case-controlled study microbiological characteristics and treatment strategies Peri-implantitis is not periodontitis: Scientific discoveries shed light on microbiome-biomaterial interactions that may determine disease phenotype The severity of human peri-implantitis lesions correlates with the level of submucosal microbial dysbiosis Ultrafast and memory-efficient alignment of short DNA sequences to the human genome Bracken: Estimating species abundance in metagenomics data Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Analysis of composition of microbiomes: A novel method for studying microbial composition Host DNA depletion in saliva samples for improved shotgun metagenomics A novel sparse compositional technique reveals microbial perturbations PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Establishing microbial composition measurement standards with reference frames Oksanen, J., Blanchet, F. G., Friendly, M., Kindt, R., Legendre, P., McGlinn, D., et al. (2020). vegan: community ecology package (Version 2.6-4). Available online at: https://cran.r-project.org/package=vegan Google Scholar The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews Do concurrent peri-implantitis and periodontitis share their microbiotas Posit Team (2023). RStudio: Integrated development environment for R (Boston, MA: Posit Software, PBC). Available at: http://www.posit.co/ Google Scholar R Core Team (2023). R: A language and environment for statistical computing (Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing). Available at: https://www.R-project.org/ Google Scholar Sakurai-Yageta Molecular mechanisms of biotin in modulating inflammatory diseases PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Exploring the microbiome of healthy and diseased peri-implant sites using Illumina sequencing Peri-implantitis: Summary and consensus statements of group 3 Distinct interacting core taxa in co-occurrence networks enable discrimination of polymicrobial oral diseases with similar symptoms Impact of surface characteristics on the peri-implant microbiome in health and disease Metagenomic analysis of healthy and diseased peri-implant microbiome under different periodontal conditions: A cross-sectional study The characteristics of microbiome and cytokines in healthy implants and peri-implantitis of the same individuals Peri-implant and periodontal micro-biome diversity in aggressive periodontitis patients: A pilot study Biosynthesis of tetrapyrrole cofactors by bacterial community inhabiting porphyrine-containing shale rock (Fore-sudetic monocline) Revealing the importance of prenatal gut microbiome in offspring neurodevelopment in humans The Galaxy Community (2024) and collaborative data analyses: 2024 update Vázquez-Baeza EMPeror: A tool for visualizing high-throughput microbial community data Management of peri-implantitis - A contemporary synopsis Oral microbiome associated with differential ratios of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus cristatus ggplot2: Elegant graphics for data analysis (New York: Springer-Verlag) Google Scholar Improved metagenomic analysis with Kraken 2 PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Biotin deficiency induces intestinal dysbiosis associated with an inflammatory bowel disease-like phenotype Intra-oral single-site comparisons of periodontal and peri-implant microbiota in health and disease Periodontal and peri-implant microbiome dysbiosis is associated with alterations in the microbial community structure and local stability Identification and characterization of a haem biosynthesis locus in Veillonella Veillonellae: beyond bridging species in oral biofilm ecology Mendes JJ and Alves R (2025) Linking peri-implantitis to microbiome changes in affected implants Received: 10 December 2024; Accepted: 26 March 2025;Published: 17 April 2025 Copyright © 2025 Bessa, Egas, Pires, Proença, Mascarenhas, Pais, Barroso, Machado, Botelho, Alcoforado, Mendes and Alves. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Lucinda J. Bessa, bGJlc3NhQGVnYXNtb25pei5lZHUucHQ= Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish Francisco Castro passed away peacefully in Oakland He was born to Henrique Coelho Castro and Vitalina Alves Azevedo in Ribeirinha They had four beautiful children and 10 beautiful grandchildren and worked in the dairy industry for 35 years go to the bullfights (where he became a director) and he enjoyed spending time at the casino He served as the President of CPSC in 1987 and he was a member of the Azores Band of Escalon for 20 years He loved his goats and livestock and enjoyed making goat cheese He was a San Francisco Giants and a San Francisco 49ers fan In conjunction with his love of those teams and truly enjoyed watching his grandkids play sports Francisco is preceded in passing by his loving parents Henrique Coelho Castro Vitalina Alves Azevedo and his brother Jose Henrique Castro He is survived by his beloved wife Darlene (Borba) Castro of 45 years and their children Sabrina Silva of Manteca and Derek Castro (Charlotte Castro) of Galt He also leaves behind his beautiful grandchildren; Haylee Castro He is also survived by his sister Vitalina Serpa of Visalia Deegan Funeral Chapel is honored to serve the Castro family A visitation will be held at Deegan Funeral Chapel in Escalon on May 16 A Rosary and Funeral Mass will be held at St Memorial donations in honor of Francisco Castro can be made to the ALS Association Here’s how coworking spaces around the world are marking this year’s coworking anniversary Suggested Reading: International Coworking Day 101: Everything You Need to Know About 9th August 9th August has become recognised as the day that “coworking” was born a coworking space owner from BeesOffice in Rio de Janeiro and some other members of a Coworking Google Group forum who decided to mark August 9th as International Coworking Day it’s an opportunity to throw open their doors and raise awareness of the benefits of coworking to their local communities and Cat Johnson from the Coworking Content Alliance Allwork.Space reached out to workspace owners to find out how they’re marking this year’s coworking anniversary In New Bedford, MA, Groundwork is celebrating by offering free coworking all day to the public along with refreshments ice cream sundaes and chair massages courtesy of a new local cafe which partnered with Groundwork to create a coffee pop-up stall for the day “We also asked members to tell us their favorite tunes so that we can create a member faves playlist to play throughout the day,” said Groundwork’s Caitlin Joseph In San Juan, Puerto Rico, CoCo.Haus is running a full day event starting with a round table breakfast served by a barista followed by a talk on productivity and a sprint work session then a lunch and learn entrepreneurship panel where 5 of members talk about their stories and industries “We’re finishing with a big happy hour with other members of the larger community at a nearby gastropark,” said founder Novel Coworking will be offering a free day of coworking nationwide in celebration of International Coworking Day as well as hosting in-center community events with food At EnerSpace the team are doing an “Around the World” happy hour and a free coworking day In Winnipeg, Canada, Canoe Coworking’s Tara Everett says: “Three spaces are collaborating at one (one is open and the other two are in development) with a lunch and a panel to build awareness community and education about coworking and its amazing benefits.” In Oklahoma, business center brand PC Executive Services is offering free coworking day passes and a giveaway for private day office passes at both of its Oklahoma City and Edmond locations In Mumbai, India, the Ministry of New is celebrating its members by treating them to lunch and they’ll be seated at a 50ft long communal table in the courtyard “This year’s theme at Ministry Of New is ‘Connecting the Dots’,” says Marlies Bloemendaal “During lunch we will introduce our next ‘mastermind sessions’ where we tap into our collective experience and networks to tackle certain issues in our city In Preston, UK, Society1 is offering a day of free coworking to local business owners who haven’t tried it before because “sitting at home on your own is boring.” Allison Blevins of FACTORY explains how they’re using International Coworking Day to work together with other spaces in the Grane Valley and inspire a little exploration: “We’ve teamed up with other coworking spaces in our valley to create the Grand Valley Progressive Workday We had a map designed and we are encouraging workers to visit each space throughout the day The first person to visit all five spaces will win three months of coworking!” FACTORY is also adding a bit of fun by offering a prize draw entry to members who complete their profiles There will also be an ice cream top-it party during the afternoon and a happy hour at the end of the day The team at WorkSuites is giving away 19 one-month coworking memberships for their newly expanded Uptown Cole space and The Woodlands in Houston “We have 19 locations so that is why we chose 19 memberships We will also have ‘Kolaches and Coworking’ at each of our locations on Friday morning.” Canadian brand Coworkly is offering free coworking for the day and is also setting up an outdoor pop-up space by placing desks on the main street outside the building In Brisbane, Australia, Central Business Associates is welcoming new previous and existing coworking members to come along and be a part of their flexible workspace community for the day Coworking first-timers can enjoy a free trial in the space while former and current members receive discounted rates for the day hygge coworking in Charlotte is laying on breakfast and spending the day showing appreciation for the community that they’ve built within their walls “Zero Day is our monthly community event which will be held this Friday and focuses on taking a moment away from work to be open to meeting someone new It’s collaborative and many new connections are formed — which only help in growing the event and the bond within the hygge walls.” Spaces Working Together to Celebrate International Coworking Day In addition to independent events, a number of coworking spaces are hosting coordinated events. Among them, several members of New Work Cities are hosting coordinated Work Sprints, while the Kansas City Coworking Alliance has planned an afternoon of games and refreshments with friends and family members of the KC Coworking Alliance member spaces The Atlanta Coworking Alliance is enjoying an extra celebration, as the city has proclaimed August 9th ‘Atlanta Coworking Day’ led by the newly formed Atlanta Coworking Alliance is described as “a huge win for our independent coworking communities” with spaces coming together to host various public and member activities throughout the week The Women Who Cowork alliance, founded by Iris Kavanagh and Laura Shook Guzman, is taking the opportunity to encourage people to go out and support their local women owned coworking communities, which they are coordinating via social media “Women Who Cowork is celebrating our 3rd anniversary and taking this week to focus on the question ‘Why are we doing this now Why are we called to do this work now?’” – which includes a Facebook live discussion between Iris and a number of coworking members on Friday Both Laura and Iris are also hosting events at their own spaces there will be a free day of wellness coworking “to support a day of work/life balance” complete with a free Yoga Nidra class and chair massage What are you doing to celebrate International Coworking Day? Let us know by tagging Allwork.Space in your updates and photos on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or Instagram Despite a challenging economic environment New Zealand's coworking and flexible workspace market has demonstrated notable resilience Exploring the Future Of Work® since 2003 Please enter your username or email address to reset your password We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. SearchBrowseServicesOpen researchInstitution LoginSearchMenu links Too many automated requests from this network - No HTML tags allowed- Web page URLs will display as text only- Lines and paragraphs break automatically- Attachments Your email address will be used in order to notify you when your comment has been reviewed by the moderator and in case the author(s) of the article or the moderator need to contact you directly shared ownership in or any close relationship with any organisation whose interests may be affected by the publication of the response Please also list any non-financial associations or interests (personal religious or other) that a reasonable reader would want to know about in relation to the submitted work This pertains to all the authors of the piece The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. Brazilian architects Estudio America won a competition in Salvador for the refurbishment and expansion of the Castro Alves Theatre. More images and architect’s description after the break. A theatre is part of those initiatives that play an essential role in a people’s cultural life. With its public character, by definition, sites where performances take place have in fact a significant function in the structuring of cities and territories which they irrigate culturally. The connection between the addition and the existing building was possible by the creation of two separate flows of functional services and general public establishing a coherent and balanced dialogue which brings potential to the use of the physical space At the so called “Café Teatro” the original design was intended to be recovered, but adapted to contemporary needs, as it was once a perfect fit to the foyer. The main room, dressing room and the stage support areas were redistributed, for a clearer organization. The stage area will have the requested requalification, to meet more freely the scenic changes. The audience will be reorganized, for both allocation of seats and for finishes, according to the most modern materials and techniques of acoustic treatment. Along the length of the rear facade of the theater The proposal meets what was required by the program but a very workable solution will allow twice as many parking places than what was required thus facilitating its commercial exploitation The bicycle racks have been strategically positioned to better receive the flow of this type of vehicles considering its existence as an opportunity to encourage changes in the transport mode of the population Authors Carlos Eduardo García Guilherme Motta Lucas Fehr (Registered Architect) Marcus Vinicius Damon Mario Figueroa Vicente Deeke Boguszewiski Amanda Renz Juliana Baldocchi Kalina Juzwiak Luiza Monserrat Mario do Val Renata Santoniero Tiago Collet You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Metrics details The COVID-19 pandemic threatens indigenous peoples living in suburban areas of large Brazilian cities and has thus far intensified their pre-existing socio-economic inequalities We evaluated the epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 infection among residents of the biggest urban multiethnic indigenous community of the Amazonas state Blood samples of 280 indigenous people living in the surrounding area of Manaus were tested for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA or IgG antibodies The risk factors and sociodemographic information were assessed through an epidemiological questionnaire We found a total positivity rate of 64.64% (95% CI 59.01–70.28) for SARS-CoV-2 infection IgA and IgG were detected in 55.71% (95% CI 49.89–61.54) and 60.71% (95% CI 54.98–66.45) of the individuals Over 80% of positive individuals were positive for both IgA and IgG.No significant difference in positivity rates between genders or age groups was observed the age group ≥ 60 years old showed the highest antibody ratios (IgA mean ratio = 3.080 ± 1.623; IgG mean ratio = 4.221 ± 1.832) while the age groups 13–19 and 20–29 showed the lowest IgA (mean ratio = 2.268 ± 0.919) and IgG ratios (mean ratio = 2.207 ± 1.246) Individuals leaving the home more frequently were at higher risk of infection (Odds ratio (OD) 2.61; 95% CI 1.00–1.49; p = 0.048) Five or more individuals per household increased fivefold the risk of virus transmission (OR 2.56; 95% CI 1.09–6.01; p = 0.019) The disproportionate dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 infection observed among the study population might be driven by typical cultural behavior and socioeconomic inequalities this population is not being targeted by public policies and appears to be chronically invisible to the Brazilian authorities This situation put indigenous communities under worrying threat during public health emergencies This population is completely invisible to the Brazilian public health agenda this study assessed the magnitude of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and its transmission risk factors among the biggest multiethnic urban indigenous community located on the west side of Manaus This study was approved by the Brazilian Commission for Ethics in Research-CONEP (approval number: 4.260.763) All individuals signed the informed consent form before taking part in this study An informed consent was obtained from a parent and/or legal guardian of the participants under the age of 18 years old The confidentiality and the right to leave the study at any time were guaranteed to all participants All experiments were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations we randomly recruited indigenous residents in the community of Parque das Tribos the biggest multiethnic urban indigenous community in Manaus Over 1300 indigenous people from 35 different ethnicities live in this community This study applied consecutive sampling as a selection strategy and the sample size was statistically estimated using a 95% confidence interval Flow chart shows study design and the number of individuals included The optical density was measured in a spectrophotometer (Epoch Microplate and the test positivity was determined according to the cut-off formula indicated by the manufacturer Cut-off ranges were obtained by calculating a ratio of the optical density (OD) values of the control or patient sample over the OD of the calibrator according to the following formula: OD of the control or patient sample/OD of calibrator = ratio Ratios < 0.8 were considered negative and ratios ≥ 1.1 positive Ratios 0.8≥ to < 1.1 were considered borderline Individuals with borderline results were retested twice within 2–4 weeks the specificity and sensibility for anti-S IgG ≥ 21 days post-symptom onset are 100% and 99.3% the specificity is 100% and sensibility is 92.4% Serological tests were performed at the Laboratory of Virology and Immunology of the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) All the patients included in this study signed a written consent form All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript Ethnic diversity of the study population and positivity rates (A) SARS-CoV-2 positivity according to ethnicity IgG and IgA/IgG positivity among infected individuals Smaller dots represent the antibody ratio from each individual Larger dots and vertical lines represent mean and standard deviation Dashed line represent cut-off values specified by the manufacturer Main clinical symptoms and pattern of positivity according to the day of onset of the individual’s symptoms (A) Number of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals positive for SARS-CoV-2 (B) IgA and IgG positivity rates according to the day of the onset of the symptoms Number 0 means the individuals presented symptoms on the day of blood collection Dots and vertical lines represent mean and standard deviation The total positivity rates were similar between women and men (p = 0.207) and no significant differences between age groups were observed (Table 1) when the IgG positivity rates were compared based on antibody ratios the difference observed between the following age groups was statistically significant: ages 20–29 and 40–49 (p = 0.044); 13–19 and ≥ 60 (p = 0.002); 20–29 and ≥ 60 (p = 0.0004) (Supplementary 1A) People belonging to the age group ≥ 60 years old showed the highest antibody ratios (IgA mean ratio = 3.080 ± 1.623; IgG mean ratio = 4.221 ± 1.832) These values may indicate the serum level of antibodies in these individuals in order to confirm this information it is necessary to perform antibody titration we were not able to assess the antibody serum levels The main reasons for leaving the home were either to work or buy food (A) Association between the risk of exposure to infection and the household size (number of members) (B) SARS-CoV-2 prevalence rates according to the number of inviduals per resindence (A) Purchasing power and behavior characteristics (B) of study population the effectiveness of pandemic response management demands a better comprehension on the impact of social asymmetries in relation to SARS-CoV-2 exposure risk within different population groups especially amid ethnic minorities living in poverty such as the indigenous populations of this region These data clearly show that indigenous people are disproportionately hit by SARS-CoV-2 infection This scenario might be a result of social vulnerabilities which in turn maximize dissemination of the virus and put this population at greater risk This population struggles to adopt measures to prevent and mitigate the SARS-CoV-2 spread since they have limited access to basic services like adequate sanitation and clean water The study population was composed of families of low education and income levels Our findings showed that over 95% of the residents of Parque das Tribos had no access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation The precarious and chaotic social conditions of the study population could be the main reason for the high positivity rates observed we did not follow up the study population to observe the clinical outcome of the infection More comprehensive studies are necessary in order to confirm this speculation The authors suggested that these age groups might be more susceptible or exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection because they are working adults who must leave home to support their families we observed that the individuals of the study population who left home more often (2–4 times a week) had an increased infection risk The main reasons for leaving home were either to work or to buy food Our findings demonstrated that individuals living in households with six or more people had an almost fivefold increase in risk This situation is worsened by poor-quality housing The dwellings of Parque das tribos are very small buildings constructed with low-quality materials without essential basic infrastructure such as a supply of safe drinking water or effective sewerage housing conditions are completely inadequate for keeping them safe from many communicable diseases Our data also showed that most of the individuals partially trust the information coming from the Brazilian government the use of herbs can cause a false sensation of protection which may result in the discontinuation of important measures to prevent COVID-19 and enhance the vulnerability of these populations this study indicates that indigenous peoples living in urban areas are being dramatically affected by SARS-CoV-2 especially because of their poor socioeconomic conditions and lack of access to adequate health assistance This population is fighting a double battle due to the fact that a) in the Brazilian national health system (SUS) their indigenous identity is not recognized by the patient management system and b) They are not assisted by SESAI because they are outside their villages or reservations Both situations reinforce the invisibility of these populations we need coordinated national actions that prioritize ethnic vulnerable groups in the battle against COVID-19 We need public policies that promote health adequate housing and sanitation for these populations indigenous people living in urban areas are doomed to suffer at unprecedented levels during the current pandemic All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files Population and environment in Amazônia: Landscape and household dynamics IBGE. Senso demográfico IBGE. Inst. Bras. Geogr. e Geoestatistica. https://biblioteca.ibge.gov.br/index.php/bibliotecacatalogo?view=detalhes&id=264529 (2010) The challenges facing indigenous communities in Latin America as they confront the COVID-19 pandemic Under-reporting of COVID-19 cases among indigenous peoples in Brazil: A new expression of old inequalities Response quality in survey research with children and adolescents: The effect of labeled response options and vague quantifiers World Health Organization. Clinical management of COVID-19: interim guidance. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/3321969 (2020) World Health Organizationzation. Operational considerations for case management of COVID-19 in health facility and community: interim guidance. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/331492 (2020) Aziz, N. A. et al. Seroprevalence and correlates of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies from a population-based study in Bonn, Germany. Nat. Commun. [Internet] Springer US 12, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22351-5 (2021) and COVID-19: Evidence from a fuzzy multidimensional analysis of deprivations in Brazil High prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody in the Xikrin of Bacajá (Kayapó) indigenous population in the Brazilian Amazon SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and associated factors in Manaus Brazil: Baseline results from the DETECTCoV-19 cohort study SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence in Brazil: Results from two successive nationwide serological household surveys Structure and function relationships in IgA Enhanced SARS-CoV-2 neutralization by dimeric IgA IgA dominates the early neutralizing antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 Distinct features of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgA response in COVID-19 patients Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19 Age groups that sustain resurging COVID-19 epidemics in the United States COVID-19 and Brazilian indigenous populations SÁUDE INDÍGENA EM TEMPOS DE BARBÁRIE: Política pública Induction of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines by respiratory viruses and reversal by standardized Echinacea Echinacea-A source of potent antivirals for respiratory virus infections Download references The authors thank the community chief Miqueias Kokama and the community residents Vanderlecia Ortega dos Santos Alcinea Martins Albuquerque and Ana Cláudia Martins Tomas for all support provided during this study This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES) under Finance code PROCAD AMAZÔNIA 88881.200581/201801 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (FAPEAM-Pró-Estado Program) and Rede Corona-ômica BR MCTI/FINEP affiliated to RedeVírus/MCTI (FINEP = 01.20.0029.000462/20 Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA) Anderson Nogueira Barbosa & Ana Carla Bruno Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia Básica e Aplicada Carlos Eduardo de Castro Alves & Allyson Guimarães da Costa Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Aplicadas à Hematologia Leonardo Calheiros de Oliveira & Allyson Guimarães da Costa Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal-PPG-BIONORTE and A.N.B.; writing—original draft preparation: G.S.P. and R.P.-S.; writing—review and editing: G.S.P and A.G.C.; supervision: G.S.P.; project administration The authors declare no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-96843-1 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science by FABIANO MAISONNAVE | The Associated Press Brazil (AP) — Brazilian federal agents aboard three helicopters descended on an illegal mining site on Tuesday in the Amazon rainforest leaving behind an increasingly familiar find for authorities: Starlink internet units Agents from the Brazilian environment agency's special inspection group and the federal highway police rapid response group on Tuesday found one Starlink terminal up and running next to a pit, an officer who participated in the raid told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity over concerns for his personal safety. They also seized mercury, gold and ammunition, and destroyed fuel and other equipment used by miners in an area known as Ouro Mil, controlled by Brazil´s most feared criminal organization, known as the First Command of the Capital, according to federal investigations. Since taking office this year, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has sought to crack down on environmental violations, particularly illegal mining in Yanomami land, Brazil's largest Indigenous territory. In recent years, an estimated 20,000 prospectors contaminated vital waterways with mercury used to separate gold. They have disrupted traditional Indigenous life, brought disease and caused widespread famine. The environment agency, known as Ibama, has seized seven Starlink terminals in Yanomami land over the past five weeks, the agency's press office said. Illegal miners have long used satellite internet to communicate and coordinate, but until now that entailed sending a technician, usually by plane, to install a heavy, fixed antenna that cannot be carried off when mining sites move or are raided. And the connection was slow and unstable, especially on rainy days. Starlink – which first became available in Brazil last year and has spread rapidly – solved those problems. Installation is do-it-yourself, the equipment works even on the move, speed is as fast as in Brazil´s large cities and it works during storms. Starlink has long viewed the Amazon as an opportunity. That was underscored by Musk's visit to Brazil last May, when he met with then-President Jair Bolsonaro. That project with the government hasn't advanced, however. SpaceX and the communications ministry haven't signed any contract, and only three terminals were installed in Amazon schools for a 12-month trial period, the ministry's press office said in an emailed response to questions. Nevertheless, Starlink has taken off in the region and begun ushering in change. In Atalaia do Norte, on the western reaches of the Brazilian Amazon near the borders with Peru and Colombia, Rubeney de Castro Alves installed Starlink at his hotel in December. Now, he can make bank transfers and conduct video calls. He even started bingeing on Netflix. "There are so many new things to watch that I'm not even sleeping," Alves said, chuckling. His son once flew all the way to Manaus, the state capital 1,140 kilometers (708 miles) away, just to negotiate with a group of tourists via conference call. Today, internet at his 11-room hotel in Atalaia do Norte is more reliable than in Manaus, and he bought a second terminal for his tour boat to enable communications on its 10-day voyages, Alves said. With high demand for internet, dozens of the riverside town's 21,000 residents flock to Alves' hotel each day. Its balcony is a meeting point for teenagers who spend hours playing online games on their phones. A world away, in Ukraine, Starlink has yielded advantages on the battlefield in its war with Russia. Ukraine has received some 24,000 Starlink terminals that allow continued internet in the most vulnerable regions of the southeast even amid ongoing Russian shelling. In large Ukrainian cities, authorities have set up "points of resilience" that offer free internet along with hot beverages. The benefits of connectivity were immediately apparent to bad actors in the Amazon, Hugo Loss, operations coordinator for Brazil´s environment agency, told the AP in a phone interview. Another official with the environment agency told AP it is just beginning to expel miners from the Yanomami territory and the spread of Starlink has complicated that mission. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns about personal safety. An unauthorized reseller of Starlink in Boa Vista, the gateway for travel into Yanomami territory, has been marketing the units in a WhatsApp group for illegal miners and promising same-day delivery. Her price for a terminal is $1,600— six times what Alves pays for service at his little hotel in Atalaia do Norte. Others are selling the Starlink terminals on Facebook groups for illegal miners, like one called "Fanatics for Prospecting." As lawbreakers have gained access to superior internet service, authorities have started using Starlink themselves. Federal agents installed a terminal at a new checkpoint on the Uraricoera River – an important corridor for miners entering Yanomami territory. The official who informed the AP about the Tuesday raid used Starlink to send photos and even heavy video files of their operation. Brazil's environment agency told the AP via email that it, along with other federal bodies, is studying how to block Starlink's signal in illegal mining areas, calling it crucial to stopping the activity. The AP emailed James Gleeson, SpaceX's Communications Director, questions about Starlink's presence in Brazil and its use by illegal miners in remote areas, but received no response. AP journalist Yuras Karmanau contributed from Tallinn, Estonia. Self-taught intellectual wrote poetry and essays, in addition to translating the works of other important authors Ormuzd Alves/Folhapress José Paulo Paes, in 1991, in his home library in the city of São PauloOrmuzd Alves/Folhapress Family's personal collection Paes and the literary critic Alfredo Bosi (in a suit), who became friends in the 1960sFamily's personal collection Family's personal collection With his wife, ballerina Dora Costa, to whom he dedicated his second book, Cúmplices, in 1951Family's personal collection Family's personal collection Paes (wearing glasses) at an event (undated) attended by Bahian novelist Jorge Amado (at the microphone)Family's personal collection Paes, who worked in the publishing sector as an editor at Cultrix in São Paulo from the 1960s to the 1980s, was mild-mannered in nature, which may have contributed to his work receiving little attention from scholars. Among the few reviews of the author are, for example, a preface by Alfredo Bosi for the anthology Um por todos (One for all), published in 1986 by Editora Brasiliense, and another by literary critic Davi Arrigucci for the anthology Os melhores poemas (The best poems; Global, 1998). Reproduction Book covers for some books written by the author The work Um passarinho me contou won the Jabuti prize in 1997Reproduction Paes’s poems were marked by the memorialist tone he adopted to delve into his childhood and evoke family memories of Taquaritinga in the book Prosas seguidas de odes mínimas (Prose followed by minor odes; Companhia das Letras This stylistic turn coincided with a tragic biographical event: the amputation of his left leg due to a circulatory issue which he inherited from Drummond and carried throughout his life prevented the poet from surrendering to cheap sentimentality: “Legs/ for what do I want you?/ If I no longer have/ anything to dance for./ If I no longer want/ to go anywhere anymore./ Legs?/ One is enough,” he writes in “Ode to my left leg.” Twenty-five years after José Paulo Paes’s death academic studies on the author are expected to become more in-depth with the incorporation of his collection at IEB-USP “We want to focus on Paes’s essays that were left out of the collection and continue researching him,” concludes Paixão © Revista Pesquisa FAPESP - All rights reserved. CITRUS HEIGHTS CALIFORNIA STAKE: (June 17, 2019) President — Robert Cameron Martell, 53, owner and operator, Awesome Pool Services; succeeding Ned P. Telford; wife, Karen Bailey Martell. Counselors — Richard Scott Newey, 59, owner, Route 40 Classics; wife, Dayna Darlene Wills Newey. Daniel Austin Bills, 62, director of finance and administration, Sacramento Suburban Water District; wife, Karen Coleman Bills. CURITIBA BRAZIL TARUMA STAKE: (June 9, 2019) President — Antônio Carlos Ribeiro Cavalcanti, 57, partner, A&C Educação Corp.; succeeding Gerson de Castro Alves; wife, Célia Regina Pires Cavalcanti. Counselors — Wesley de Castro Rocha, 44, video producer; wife, Luciane Dombeck Rocha. Davi Fernandes Goveia Ramos, 49, micro entrepreneur, Vectron Automação; wife, Eliane Alves Goveia Ramos. DURANGO MEXICO STAKE: (May 26, 2019) President — Manuel de Jesus Cervantes Renteria, 36, business owner; succeeding Jose de Jesus Bretado Rodriguez; wife, Bernal Arreola Alfonsina. Counselors — Kemmerly Edgardo Erazo Pineda, 38, staff, Department of Investgation and Development, Durango; wife, Hilica Carolina Caceres Guerra. Guillermo Alfonso Silva Hernandez, 31, general manager, SHITSU; wife, Sicinya De Leon Delgadillo. MANTARO PERU STAKE: (May 26, 2019) President — Julio Max Inga Dolores, 45, collections advisor; succeeding Vicente M. Jorge Quispe; wife, Renee Ines Salcedo Charapaqui. Counselors — Marcos Maita Acero Arturo, 48, cashier, collector, Electrocentro; wife, Mariela de Perez Callupe. José Luis Pérez Martinez, 34, university teacher, Los Andes Peruvian University; wife, Mariela Callupe Palpan. NAPA CALIFORNIA STAKE: (June 9, 2019) President — David Shawn Barlow, 49, senior manager of safety and health, Genentech; succeeding Kory D. Judd; wife, Mindirae Cook Barlow. Counselors — John Carl Cope, 55, judge, State of California; wife, Ann Marie Painter Cope. Michael Vincent Wagner, 64, OB/GYN, St. Joseph's Medical Group; wife, Cathleen Anne Cochran Wagner. OAKDALE MINNESOTA STAKE: (March 3, 2019) President — Jeffrey Green Chipman, 51, professor, surgeon, University of Minnesota; succeeding James D. Lash; wife, Paula Ann Mortensen Chipman. Counselors — Christopher John Speak, 48, director of sales, JanSport/VF Corporation; wife, Christie DaJuana Romine Speak. Patrick Francis Thibaudeau, 58, vice president, HGA; wife, Barbara Sheffield Thibadeau. PALOS VERDES CALIFORNIA STAKE: (June 9, 2019) President — Joseph Earl Whitaker Jr., 55, president and CEO, SkyOne Federal Credit Union; succeeding Michael J. Gazdik; wife, Noelle Phillips Whitaker. Counselors — Peneueta Roy Lata, 61, WHS assistant manager, Uchid of America; wife, Asopani Sagala Lata. Luis Camarillo Ruiz, 53, creative director, Silo Films; wife, Eva Marie Richardson Ruiz. PROVO UTAH OAK HILLS STAKE: (June 16, 2019) President — Mark Ballif Woodruff, 64, executive secretary to President Russell M. Nelson; succeeding James G. Blair; wife, Peggy Marie Petersen Woodruff. Counselors — John Ben Haws, 44, Church history professor, BYU; wife, Laura Favero Haws. John Byron Bingham, 44, professor and associate dean, Marriott School of Business, BYU; wife, Amy Eliza Pearce Bingham. Volume 11 - 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.610011 This article is part of the Research TopicCrop Physiology under LED LightingView all 23 articles Ultraviolet B (UV-B) (280–315 nm) and ultraviolet A (UV-A) (315–400 nm) radiation comprise small portions of the solar radiation but regulate many aspects of plant development how plants respond to UV-B in the presence of different light qualities is poorly understood This study aimed to assess the effects of a low UV-B dose (0.912 ± 0.074 kJ m–2 day–1 at a 6 h daily UV exposure) in combination with four light treatments (blue red and broadband white at 210 μmol m–2 s–1 Photosynthetically active radiation [PAR]) on morphological and physiological responses of cucumber (Cucumis sativus cv We explored the effects of light quality backgrounds on plant morphology and on acclimation ability to saturating light intensity Our results showed that supplementary UV-B significantly decreased biomass accumulation in the presence of broad band white UV-B also reduced the photosynthetic efficiency of CO2 fixation (α) when combined with blue light despite showing high accumulation of anthocyanins were unable to cope with saturating light conditions No significant effects of UV-B in combination with green light were observed for gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters but supplementary UV-B significantly increased chlorophyll and flavonol contents in the leaf epidermis Plants grown under red light and UV-B significantly increased maximum photosynthetic rate and dark respiration compared to pure red light red and UV-B treated plants exposed to saturating light intensity showed higher quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) fraction of open PSII centres and electron transport rate and showed no effect on the apparent maximum quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) or non-photochemical quenching in contrast to solely red-light conditions These findings provide new insights into how plants respond to UV-B radiation in the presence of different light spectra although the response of these photoreceptors to green light is extremely weak compared to red and blue radiation rely on the sole use of LEDs and provide a unique environment for investigating new opportunities of LED lighting use such as in monochromatic illumination and the use of UV to manipulate plant growth and development Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), is an important food crop with fast growth and high sensitivity toward the spectral composition of the light environment. These aspects make cucumber an interesting crop for studying light-driven responses in plants, such as responses to UV radiation (Qian et al., 2019, 2020) The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of supplementary UV-B on growth morphology and physiology of cucumber plants grown under different monochromatic light backgrounds We hypothesized that: (I) different monochromatic lights have different impacts on plant morphology and (II) the response of cucumber to UV-B radiation is highly dependent on individual monochromatic light backgrounds creating a daily light integral (DLI) of approx Because of the comparatively low photosynthetic photon flux efficacy from green LEDs the green FL300 lamp was complemented by two custom-made narrow To eliminate stray light the sides of the trolleys were covered with non-transparent black/white plastic with the white side facing inward the position effect within each treatment was minimized by randomizing the treatment pots daily Photosynthetically active radiation of four different light backgrounds (broadband White The plant-weighted UV normalized to 300 nm was quantified to 42.4 ± 3.4 mW m–2 corresponding to 0.912 ± 0.074 kJ m–2 day–1 (at a 6 h daily UV exposure) Plants were exposed to UV-B radiation for 14 days Thereafter 22 plants per treatment were measured and harvested (see below) To investigate whether the different light acclimation regimens induced a difference in the ability to cope with photoinhibition the remaining treatment plants were subjected to a saturating light treatment for 5 h at 1600 μmol m–2 s–1 PAR provided by two FL300 Sunlight luminaires delivering an additional light integral of 29 mol m–2 5 h–1 Figure 1. (A) Spectral irradiance (in W(cm2 nm)–1) in Perspex covered (control) and cellulose acetate covered (UV-B) boxes under four different PAR backgrounds (Table 1); broadband White (gray line) Red (with lines of respective color) and UV-B (violet line) (B) Spectral irradiance in the UV range (violet line) with enlarged scale and the plant-weighted UV dose (black dotted line) in the UV-B treatments Plant growth was assessed for 5–7 plants per treatment through destructive harvest at the end of the UV-B radiation treatment The plant height was measured from the stem base to the apical meristem and the stem diameter (Ø) 1 cm above the soil using a digital slide caliper (Biltema The number of true leaves and leaf area (LA) was measured on scanned leaves using the Image J software (version 1.52a) (Wayne Rasband leaf and stem fresh mass (LFM and SFM) and dry mass (LDM and SDM) were determined after drying for 3 days at 80°C individual leaf area (ILA = LA/leaf number) internode length (INL = height/leaf number) and dry mass per cent (DM% = total DM/total FM) were calculated the apparent quantum yield of CO2 assimilation based on incident light (α) maximum net assimilation rate at light saturation (Amax) and the convexity (θ) of the light response curve Non-destructive measurements of chlorophyll flavonol and anthocyanin contents were assessed on the adaxial side of the last fully developed leaf with a Dualex+ (FORCE-A The four replicates per treatment were measured immediately after the daily UV-B exposure Biomass accumulation of cucumber plants grown under four PAR backgrounds after 14 days without (solid bars) or with (dashed bars) exposure to supplementary UV-B irradiation (A) Height (cm); (B) Internode length (INL Capital letters indicate significant differences between growth light qualities without UV-B and lower-case letters between non-UV-B-exposed plants and UV-B-exposed plants within the same light backgrounds (A) Fitted light response curves of cucumber grown under four LED light backgrounds (White and Red) without (solid bars) and with (dashed bars) exposure to supplementary UV-B radiation for 14 days [for variation of the data at light saturation refer from panels (B–F)] Curve fitted parameters: (B) Maximum net assimilation rate (Amax); (C) Dark respiration (Rdark); (D) Light compensation point (LCP); (E) Apparent quantum yield of photosynthesis (α); and (F) convexity (θ) Bars represent the mean values (n = 21 ± SE) Capital letters indicate significant differences between growth light qualities without UV-B and lower-case letters between non-UV-B-exposed plants and UV-B-exposed plants within the same PAR background Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters measured in cucumber plants grown under four different PAR qualities (White and Red) and without (solid bars) or with (dashed bars) exposure to supplementary UV-B radiation for 14 days prior to and after a 5 h saturating light treatment (1600 μmol m–2 s–1) (A) Maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm); (B) Apparent electron transport rate (ETR); (C) Fraction of oxidized PSII (qL) Bars represent mean values (Before saturating light: n = 21 ± SE; After saturating light n = 15 ± SE) Capital letters indicate significant differences between growth light qualities without UV-B and lower-case letters between non-UV-B-exposed plants and UV-B exposed plants within the same PAR background (B) flavonol and (C) anthocyanin content of cucumber plants and grown under different light quality backgrounds (White blue-light-grown plants are able to efficiently use photosynthates for growth If comparing plants grown in white or green light by putting the values of TDM TLA and Amax to 1 for white-light-grown plants the relative values for the green-light-grown plants will be TDM = 1.07 If these numbers are used to calculate a very crude estimation of the total canopy Amax without taking internal shading and light acclimation into consideration the white-light-grown plants will have canopy Amax of 1 × 1 = 1 while the green-light-grown plants will have 1.65 × 0.65 = 1.07 This crude relative photosynthesis rate at light saturation on canopy level actually fits to the relative TDM for the green-light-grown plants In nature, a green-light-enriched environment is an indication of overgrowing vegetation triggering a shade-avoidance response resulting in stem elongation and upward leaf orientation (Zhang et al., 2011; Zhang and Folta, 2012; Wang et al., 2015). Moreover, Folta (2004) suggested that supplementary green light irradiation induces early hypocotyl elongation Inhibition of stem elongation is a phytochrome-dependent response and the wavelengths of our green growth light fall precisely outside the range of the phytochrome action spectrum thus simulating a light environment lacking the red wavelengths green light grown plants were significantly taller than the plants grown under red and broadband white light This suggests that plants grown under green light in addition to having thinner and larger leaves also tried to optimize light absorption by growing taller in response to a red-depleted light environment While blue growth light did not change any of the plants’ photosynthetic parameters compared with plants grown in white light, plants grown under green light showed decreased Amax, Rdark, and LCP, while maintaining α and θ at the same levels as plants grown in white or blue light (Figure 3). All these changes correspond to low-light acclimation of photosynthesis (Givnish, 1988) resulting in an NPQ increase in proportion to ETR Plants grown under green light showed a large decrease in the light saturated Amax compared with plants grown in white light at the lower growth irradiance (210 μmol m–2 s–1) the decrease of An was considerably smaller Since the total biomass production was even higher in plants grown under green light than in plants grown under white PAR this suggests that the green-light-grown-plants were not source limited The low NPQ of red-light-grown cucumber suggests a low heat dissipation which could be associated with a strong down-regulation of the photosynthetic process impairment of photosynthesis could explain the growth inhibition observed in cucumber grown under red light manifested as plants with the smallest stem Ø and lowest biomass accumulation (LDM and TDM) compared with plants grown under the other light qualities Red-light-grown cucumber also had highest LMR suggesting that the plants allocated as many resources as possible toward leaves to mitigate growth inhibition NPQ decreased in plants grown under all different monochromatic light qualities indicating that energy dissipation due to down-regulation of PSII increased at the expense of light-regulated heat dissipation (NPQ) campanulas and chrysanthemums with an increasing proportion of blue light in a red background light in contrast to a low flavonoid content in plants grown under monochromatic red light as well as the decreased Fv/Fm and α suggest that the red light is a stress factor in cucumber but that the accumulated anthocyanins were insufficient to protect the leaves from light stress by the red growth light This may be due to different levels of UV-B used in in different studies as well as the use of different UV-B to PAR ratios Cucumbers appear less susceptible to low levels of UV-B when grown in green light since a decrease in NPQ was the only significant UV-B-induced change in the photosynthesis parameters suggesting a slightly increased energy flow to photochemistry This was accompanied by higher concentrations of chlorophyll and flavonols adding UV-B to red PAR growth light boosted photosynthesis of cucumber plants compared with the corresponding red PAR control and Rdark indicated increased photosynthesis this was not due to improved photochemistry (no increase in α) but rather due to a positive effect on the biochemical processes regulating CO2 assimilation supplementary UV-B had no negative effect on Fv/Fm and did not induce any additional stress to the photosynthetic machinery of red-light-grown plants no changes in epidermal pigment content (chlorophyll and anthocyanin) were observed when supplementary UV-B was added to a red PAR growth light The positive effects on photosynthesis may explain the lack of growth inhibition caused by UV-B in a background of red growth light it seems that such another stress (in this case photoinhibition) has to be of a certain magnitude for a plant to benefit from the UV-B treatment the effect of UV-B mitigating a second stress follows a gradient from no beneficial effect at all in non-stressed leaves to a beneficial effect in already light stressed leaves we show that different monochromatic light backgrounds exert different responses in growth and physiology in cucumber enabled normal photosynthetic functioning of leaves of cucumber plants without compromising biomass accumulation Despite being exposed to the same light level plants grown in green light showed low light acclimation of photosynthesis but because of the changed canopy architecture with larger and thinner leaves these plants had the highest total biomass production the low light acclimation was more pronounced and accompanied by light stress symptoms that reduced Fv/Fm and also led to reduced growth Our data confirmed our second hypothesis that cucumber responses to UV-B are highly dependent of the spectrum of monochromatic growth light Supplementary UV-B radiation decreased plant growth and development in plants grown under blue Although the results suggest dysfunctional photosynthesis in plants grown under red light UV-B boosted some photosynthetic parameters actually increasing the potential carbon gain UV-B and red light could act synergistically on priming the plant antioxidant capacity and diminish negative effects of photoinhibition a more in-depth study of the metabolic and molecular pathways and antioxidants triggered by the treatments is required to fully explain our findings The findings presented here could have a positive impact on horticultural settings By using the right monochromatic light in early stages of cucumber production plant development may be accelerated and thus decreasing overall production time The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author/s CP performed the experiment and most of the analysis LM assisted with analysis and worked on the manuscript ER helped analyzing data and edited the manuscript C-OO worked with editing of the manuscript ÅS prepared spectral figures and edited the manuscript All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version The project was funded by GUDP (Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries) for the project Dynamic light, Interreg North Sea project SMARTGREEN and research center iFood. This project was also funded by research grants from the Knowledge Foundation (http://kks.se; grant #20130164), and the Swedish Research Council Formas (http://formas.se/en; grant #942-2015-516) The project was also supported by the Faculty for Business Science and Technology at Örebro University and by Örebro University Vice Chancellor’s strategic research programme on ‘Food and Health’ project was covered by the Research School for Science and Technology and iFood (Aarhus University Centre for Innovative Food Research) Irina Kalbina for the technical assistance and guidance We also thank Nikolaj Bjerring Jensen and Dr Rong Zhou for the helpful discussion and critical evaluation of the manuscript The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.610011/full#supplementary-material apparent quantum yield of photosynthesis; θ maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII; Fq ′ /Fm ′ quantum yield or operation efficiency of PSII; gs individual leaf area; INL internode length; LCP Multiple functional roles of flavonoids in photoprotection The blue-light receptor cryptochrome 1 shows functional dependence on phytochrome A or phytochrome B in Arabidopsis thaliana Relative effectiveness and interaction of ultraviolet−B red and blue light in anthocyanin synthesis of apple fruit Effects of growth under different light spectra on the subsequent high light tolerance in rose plants Phototropins but not cryptochromes mediate the blue light-specific promotion of stomatal conductance while both enhance photosynthesis and transpiration under full sunlight CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Blue-light photoreceptors in higher plants PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Photosynthesis under artificial light: the shift in primary and secondary metabolism Penetration of UV−B radiation in foliage: evidence that the epidermis behaves as a non−uniform filter Alterations in photosynthesis and pigment distributions in pea leaves following UV−B exposure CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar The Arabidopsis PHYTOCHROME KINASE SUBSTRATE2 protein is a phototropin signaling element that regulates leaf flattening and leaf positioning Contribution of intercellular reflectance to photosynthesis in shade leaves CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar UVR8 mediates UV-B-induced Arabidopsis defense responses against Botrytis cinerea by controlling sinapate accumulation Demotes-Mainard Interactive effects of UV-B light with abiotic factors on plant growth and chemistry and their consequences for defense against arthropod herbivores PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Green light stimulates early stem elongation CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Green light: a signal to slow down or stop PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Reversal of blue light-stimulated stomatal opening by green light End-of-production supplemental lighting with red and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) influences red pigmentation of four lettuce varieties CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Adaptation to sun and shade: a whole-plant perspective CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Plant factories versus greenhouses: comparison of resource use efficiency UV-B photoreceptor-mediated signalling in plants PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Hernández Physiological responses of cucumber seedlings under different blue and red photon flux ratios using LEDs CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar and stress: inseparable companions or loosely linked associates “The effects of UV-B on the biochemistry and metabolism of plants,” in UV-B Radiation and Plant Life High blue light improves acclimation and photosynthetic recovery of pepper plants exposed to UV stress CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Blue light dose-responses of leaf photosynthesis and chemical composition of Cucumis sativus grown under different combinations of red and blue light A simple sequentially rejective multiple test procedure Google Scholar Huché-Thélier Light signaling and plant responses to blue and UV radiations – perspectives for applications in horticulture Ultraviolet-B radiation effects on plants: induction of morphogenic responses Editorial: interactive effects of UV-B radiation in a complex environment Higher plants and UV-B radiation: balancing damage CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Photomorphogenic responses to ultraviolet-B light PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Effect of green light wavelength and intensity on photomorphogenesis and photosynthesis in Lactuca sativa “What role does UVB play in determining photosynthesis?,” in Handbook of Photosynthesis (Boca Raton: CRC Press) CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Two separate UV-B radiation wavelength regions control expression of different molecular markers in Arabidopsis thaliana Supplementary ultraviolet-B irradiation reveals differences in stress responses between Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes Interactive effects of PAR and UV radiation on the physiology morphology and leaf optical properties of two barley varieties Influence of PAR and UV-A in determining plant sensitivity and photomorphogenic responses to UV-B radiation Inhibitory effects of ambient levels of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation on growth of cucumber CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Role of phenolics in the resistance mechanisms of plants against fungal pathogens and insects Google Scholar Effects of supplemental light quality on growth and phytochemicals of baby leaf lettuce CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Impact of UV-B radiation on photosynthesis - an overview Chlorophyll fluorescence—a practical guide CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Effects of monochromatic light irradiation by LED on the growth and anthocyanin contents in leaves of cabbage seedlings CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis: a guide to good practice and understanding some new applications Increased antioxidant activity and changes in phenolic profile of Kalanchoe pinnata (Lamarck) persoon (Crassulaceae) specimens grown under supplemental blue light Changes induced by ultraviolet-B (280-320 nm) radiation to vegetative growth and photosynthetic characteristics in field grown Vigna unguiculata L Convexity of the photosynthetic light-response curve in relation to intensity and direction of light during growth Estimation of the effect of photoinhibition on the carbon gain in leaves of a willow canopy Effect of light quality on growth and vegetable quality in leaf lettuce Spectral effects of supplementary lighting on the secondary metabolites in roses Predawn and high intensity application of supplemental blue light decreases the quantum yield of PSII and enhances the amount of phenolic acids “Linear mixed-effects models: basic concepts and examples,” in Mixed-Effects Models in S and S-PLUS UV-B and cadmium induced changes in pigments photosynthetic electron transport activity antioxidant levels and antioxidative enzyme activities of Riccia sp UV regulates the expression of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis genes in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in an organ and spectrum dependent manner UV-A light induces a robust and dwarfed phenotype in cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.) without affecting fruit yield Perception of UV-B by the Arabidopsis UVR8 protein LEDs for energy efficient greenhouse lighting CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Don’t ignore the green light: exploring diverse roles in plant processes Alterations in pigment content in leaves of Pisum sativum after exposure to supplementary UV-B CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Green light drives CO2 fixation deep within leaves CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Final Report (EPA-IAG-D6-0168): Radiation Sources and Relative Environmental Control for Biological and Climatic Effects of UV Research (BACER) Google Scholar photosynthesis and fruit yield of cucumber to LED-lighting within the canopy Green light augments far-red-light-induced shade response CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar UV-A light induces anthocyanin biosynthesis in a manner distinct from synergistic blue + UV-B light and UV-A/blue light responses in different parts of the hypocotyls in turnip seedlings Ultraviolet radiation as a limiting factor in leaf expansion and development Acclimation to UV-B radiation and visible light in Lactuca sativa involves up-regulation of photosynthetic performance and orchestration of metabolome-wide responses Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing Google Scholar Effects of UVB radiation on light-dependent and light-independent protein phosphorylation in thylakoid proteins CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Green light signaling and adaptive response PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Green light induces shade avoidance symptoms UV-B promotes flavonoid synthesis in Ginkgo biloba leaves CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Monochromatic light increases anthocyanin content during fruit development in bilberry Ottosen CO and Strid Å (2021) Spectral Composition of Light Affects Sensitivity to UV-B and Photoinhibition in Cucumber Copyright © 2021 Palma, Castro-Alves, Morales, Rosenqvist, Ottosen and Strid. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) *Correspondence: Carl-Otto Ottosen, Y29vQGZvb2QuYXUuZGs= All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V., its licensors, and contributors. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. For all open access content, the relevant licensing terms apply. Volume 10 - 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00391 This article is part of the Research TopicPrimary Metabolism in FruitsView all 31 articles The monocot banana fruit is one of the most important crops worldwide the harvest of commercial bananas usually occurs when the fruit is physiologically mature but unripe The universal treatment of green bananas with ethylene or ethylene-releasing compounds in order to accelerate and standardize the ripening of a bunch of bananas mimics natural maturation after increasing the exogenous production of ethylene The trigger of autocatalytic ethylene production regulated by a dual positive feedback loop circuit derived from a NAC gene and three MADS genes results in metabolic processes that induce changes in the primary metabolism of bananas These changes include pulp softening and sweetening which are sensorial attributes that determine banana postharvest quality bananas accumulate large amounts of starch (between 15 and 35% w/w of their fresh weight Pulp softening and sweetening during banana ripening are attributed not only to changes in the activities of cell wall hydrolases but also to starch-to-sugar metabolism starch granule erosion and disassembling are key events that lead bananas to reach their optimal postharvest quality The knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate sugar primary metabolism during banana ripening is fundamental to reduce postharvest losses and improve final product quality Recent studies have shown that ethylene-mediated regulation of starch-degrading enzymes at transcriptional and translational levels is crucial for sugar metabolism in banana ripening the crosstalk between ethylene and other hormones including indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid also influences primary sugar metabolism we will describe the state-of-the-art sugar primary metabolism in bananas and discuss the recent findings that shed light on the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of this metabolism during fruit ripening there is an indication that the pattern of starch accumulation and degradation is highly correlated with the banana specie Starch consists of linear amylose and highly branched amylopectin in the proportion 20:80. Amylose is formed by linear α-D-(1,4)-glucose units, whereas amylopectin consists of several short chains of α-D-(1,4)-glucose units interconnected by α-D-(1-6)-glucose units making up to 6% of the bonds in the molecule (Buléon et al., 1998; Hoover, 2001; BeMiller, 2019) These two macromolecules are arranged in the form of granules with a well-organized internal structure alternating between semi-crystalline and amorphous layers The granules of banana starch are highly resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis and they appear to undergo the natural process of degradation by enzymatic corrosion of the surface the abovementioned studies show no evidence of porous structures at the granule surface which would facilitate the access of hydrolases during ripening Figure 1. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of starch from unripe bananas. Starch granules isolated from unripe (A) Terra (plantain), (B) magnification of image, (C) Thap Maeo (banana), and (D) magnification of image, treated with porcine α-amylase (24 h; 37°C; 3 U/mg of starch). Images produced by SEM were acquired by the authors following the protocol described by Peroni-Okita et al. (2015) Starch-to-sucrose metabolism has been extensively studied in model systems in the context of energy sources for plant growth and development including Arabidopsis leaves (transitory starch) and the endosperm of germinating cereal seeds (storage starch) Both metabolism and energy supply in photosynthetic tissues clearly differ from the equivalent processes in heterotrophic tissues The starch breakdown in fleshy fruits such as bananas is less understood Starch-to-sucrose metabolism in model systems and banana pulp Main enzymes responsible for starch degradation in (A) Arabidopsis leaves it is likely that GWD- and PWD-induced phosphorylation of banana starch favors granule hydration and phase transition from the crystalline state to the soluble state In Arabidopsis leaves, the neutral and phosphorylated glucans released from the granule surface undergo a complex net of enzymatic reactions. Starch-dephosphorylating enzymes prevent phosphate groups from obstructing the action of other enzymes, while starch-debranching enzymes from both the isoamylase-like protein 3 sub-family (DBE\ISA3, EC 3.2.1.68) and the limit dextrinase family (DBE\PUL, EC 3.2.1.142) hydrolyze side chains at the C6 position (Streb et al., 2012) and 10 MaBAM transcripts were observed at various stages of development and ripening in bananas of cv and MaBAM3c showed high levels of relative expression after climacteric in both cultivars Recently, an extensive study (Xiao et al., 2018) has found 38 genes associated with starch metabolism in bananas including three GWD 17 presented high transcript accumulation in ethylene-treated fruits (MaGWD1 The same pattern was also observed at the climacteric of naturally ripening bananas and in fruits treated with 1-MCP the fruits treated with 1-MCP were long delayed in relation to those allowed to ripen naturally as ripening took place only after the increase of endogenous ethylene synthesis the authors have identified 18 proteins related to starch degradation in protein extracts isolated from starch granules of unripe and ripe bananas and MaISA3 had higher levels in the extracts isolated from ripe than those from unripe fruits A similar trend was observed in their transcript levels as confirmed for the MaGWD1 protein by Western blotting using an anti-GWD1 antibody MaGWD1 accumulation was accelerated in ethylene-treated bananas and delayed after 1-MCP treatment Although the evidence points to a significant role for ethylene in the regulation of starch mobilization in bananas, there is a lack of systematic analysis of ethylene response elements in the promoter regions of genes associated with starch metabolism in the Musa genome. Miao et al. (2017) have identified response elements to diverse hormonal classes in the upstream regions of 16 MaBAM genes which was highly expressed in the fruit after the climacteric peak showed a single element of ethylene response (ERE) in the promoter region This gene also had elements of response to auxin and methyl jasmonate in the promoter region suggesting a multi-hormonal regulation of expression Ethylene-induced regulation of starch degradation (A) A dual feedback loop of MADS-box sequences (MaMADS) and no apical meristem (NAM) Arabidopsis transcription activation factor 1/2 (ATAF) and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC) (NAC) transcription factors appear to regulate ethylene responses in bananas This results in the (B) induction of several genes related to starch degradation during fruit ripening including a glucan six α- and β-amylases (MaAMY3 and a plastidic glucose translocator (MapGlcT2-2) Treatment with gibberellic acid also promoted a delay on starch degradation in bananas (Rossetto et al., 2003), although the mechanism is apparently not the same as for auxin. Studies with other hormones such as abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate have influenced banana ripening in other aspects, such as cell wall metabolism (Lohani et al., 2004) and carotenoid synthesis (Kaur et al., 2017) more research needs to be carried out to fully understand the cross talk of these plant hormones in starch-to-sucrose metabolism during banana ripening The circuit was derived from a no apical meristem (NAM) and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC) (NAC) TF and the three MADS transcription factors described above (MaMADS 1 The effects of hormones and TF on the starch-to-sugar metabolism in bananas continue to be a field for further research Further studies may add more layers of complexity to the understanding of the regulation of this pivotal metabolism in the physiology of the fruit in addition to enabling the enhancement of its commercial quality All datasets generated for this study are included in the manuscript All authors equally collected literature data wrote the manuscript and revised the article The authors acknowledge the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP; Grants (FAPESP; Grant #2013/07914-8) VC-A received a fellowship from the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES; Finance Code 001) JRON has a Fellowship in Research Productivity 1D and EP has a Fellowship in Research Productivity 2 both granted by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq; Grant #310511/2018-6 and #311773/2016-8 1. http://banana-genome.cirad.fr/ Characterization of the sucrose phosphate phosphatase (SPP) isoforms from Arabidopsis thaliana and role of the S6PPc domain in dimerization Characterization of multiple SPS knockout mutants reveals redundant functions of the four Arabidopsis sucrose phosphate synthase isoforms in plant viability and strongly indicates that enhanced respiration and accelerated starch turnover can alleviate the blockage of sucrose biosynthesis Biosynthesis and degradation of starch in higher plants CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar “Starches: molecular and granular structures and properties” in Starch Google Scholar and expression of an isoamylase-type starch-debranching enzyme from banana fruit Buléon Starch granules: structure and biosynthesis Chavez-Salazar Isolation and partial characterization of starch from banana cultivars grown in Colombia Role of the plastidic glucose translocator in the export of starch degradation products from the chloroplasts in Arabidopsis thaliana Differential transcriptional regulation of banana sucrose phosphate synthase gene in response to ethylene low temperature and different photoperiods during fruit ripening and functional analysis of banana SPS gene promoter Starch breakdown during banana ripening: sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar A critical role for disproportionating enzyme in starch breakdown is revealed by a knock-out mutation in Arabidopsis D’Hont The banana (Musa acuminata) genome and the evolution of monocotyledonous plants Der Agopian Identification of fructooligosaccharides in different banana cultivars water dikinase activity stimulates breakdown of starch granules by plastidial β-amylases The regulation of MADS-box gene expression during ripening of banana and their regulatory interaction with ethylene Digestion of raw banana starch in the small intestine of healthy humans: structural features of resistant starch Eukaryotic starch degradation: integration of plastidial and cytosolic pathways Characterization of ripening-specific MADS-BOX genes from banana Microscopy of starch: evidence of a new level of granule organization Physical characteristics of starch granules and susceptibility to enzymatic degradation Google Scholar Analysis of resistant starch degradation in postharvest ripening of two banana cultivars: focus on starch structure and amylases Banana transcription factor MaERF11 recruits histone deacetylase MaHDA1 and represses the expression of MaACO1 and expansins during fruit ripening A periodic distribution of the chain length of amylopectin as revealed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography Proteome analysis of potato starch reveals the presence of new starch metabolic proteins as well as multiple protease inhibitors Oligosaccharide synthesis in the banana and its relationship to the transferase activity of invertase Fluxes of carbohydrate metabolism in ripening bananas CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar and physicochemical properties of tuber and root starches: a review Branch-structure difference in starches of A- and B-type X-ray patterns revealed by their Naegeli dextrins Digestibility and changes to structural characteristics of green banana starch during in vitro digestion Mbéguié-A-Mbéguié Lineage-specific evolutionary histories and regulation of major starch metabolism genes during banana ripening molecular cloning and characterization of an α-amylase occuring in the pulp of ripening bananas and its expression in Pichia pastoris Regulation of banana phytoene synthase (MaPSY) expression characterization and their modulation under various abiotic stress conditions The effects of harvest maturity on storage quality and sucrose-metabolizing enzymes during banana ripening CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Inhibition of Arabidopsis chloroplast beta-amylase BAM3 by maltotriose suggests a mechanism for the control of transitory leaf starch mobilisation Ethylene control of fruit ripening: revisiting the complex network of transcriptional regulation Genome-wide analysis of banana MADS-box family closely related to fruit development and ripening Changes in activities of cell wall hydrolases during ethylene-induced ripening in banana: effect of 1-MCP CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Genome encode analyses reveal the basis of convergent evolution of fleshy fruit ripening Effects of ethylene and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on gene expression and activity profile of α-1,4-glucan-phosphorylase during banana ripening Starch and sugar transformation during the ripening of plantains and bananas CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Mbeguie-A-Mbeguie EIN3-like gene expression during fruit ripening of Cavendish banana (Musa acuminata cv The AGPase family proteins in banana: genome-wide identification and expression analyses reveal their involvement in the development Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the beta-amylase genes strongly associated with fruit development and abiotic stress response in two banana cultivars Millan-Testa Determination of the molecular and structural characteristics of okenia Structural biology of starch-degrading enzymes and their regulation Activity and expression of banana starch phosphorylases during fruit development and ripening Composition of carbohydrates from banana cultivars (Musa spp.) during ripening Google Scholar Partial purification and characterization of sucrose phosphate synthase from preclimacteric and climacteric bananas CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Sucrose synthase activity and expression during development and ripening in bananas CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Banana sucrose-phosphate synthase gene expression during fruit ripening CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Beta-amylase expression and starch degradation during banana ripening Peroni-Okita The cold storage of green bananas affects the starch degradation during ripening at higher temperature Peroni-Okita Visualization of internal structure of banana starch granule through AFM Peroni-Okita In vivo degradation of banana starch: structural characterization of the degradation process starch degradation and sucrose formation by indole-3-acetic acid during banana ripening Spatiotemporal profiling of starch biosynthesis and degradation in the developing barley grain Phosphorylation of C6- and C3-positions of glucosyl residues in starch is catalysed by distinct dikinases Effects of gibberellic acid on sucrose accumulation and sucrose biosynthesizing enzymes activity during banana ripening Roy Choudhury Characterization of an AGAMOUS-like MADS box protein a probable constituent of flowering and fruit ripening regulatory system in banana an auxin response factor involved in the control of sugar metabolism during tomato fruit development Exploratory SAXS and HPAEC-PAD studies of starches from diverse plant genotypes Transitory starch metabolism in guard cells: unique features for a unique function Thap Maeo bananas: fast ripening and full ethylene perception at low doses Arabidopsis thaliana AMY3 is a unique redox-regulated chloroplastic alpha-amylase doi: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-050312-120057 Ripening-associated changes in the amounts of starch and non-starch polysaccharides and their contributions to fruit softening in three banana cultivars Plantain and banana starches: granule structural characteristics explain the differences in their starch degradation patterns The simultaneous abolition of three starch hydrolases blocks transient starch breakdown in Arabidopsis Effect of the alkaline treatment on the ultrastructure of C-type starch granules A comprehensive investigation of starch degradation process and identification of a transcriptional activator Mab HLH6 during banana fruit ripening alpha-Amylase is not required for breakdown of transitory starch in Arabidopsis leaves Fabi JP and Peroni-Okyta FHG (2019) The Starch Is (Not) Just Another Brick in the Wall: The Primary Metabolism of Sugars During Banana Ripening Received: 05 February 2019; Accepted: 14 March 2019; Published: 02 April 2019 Copyright © 2019 Cordenunsi-Lysenko, Nascimento, Castro-Alves, Purgatto, Fabi and Peroni-Okyta. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) * Correspondence: Beatriz Rosana Cordenunsi-Lysenko, aG9qYWtAdXNwLmJy Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish. Volume 8 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2023.1217684 The focus of this study is to holistically analyse the influence of social media influencers' content on young people's lives in Ireland this study aimed to answer the following research question: Who are the five preferred influencers that this young sample follows and what are their motives for following them this study analyzed two free-answer questions that were part of a longer questionnaire via thematic analysis using NVivo This study's sample population comprised 81 participants between 16 and 26 years old part of the Generation Z cohort and living in Ireland The results of the analysis indicated five main motives that make this young sample follow their preferred social media influencers the findings in this study confirm that the sample is susceptible to being influenced by SMIs in different contexts three drivers play a crucial role consist of parasocial relationship the insights discovered in this research can provide essential information to marketers to support the development of more effective marketing communication strategies This cohort is therefore an ideal sample group for this research as they are actively online and tend to follow and interact with SMIs Ireland was chosen as an accessible location for data collection and research Additionally, the Digital News Report Ireland 2020, a study for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, found that Gen Z in Ireland is also increasingly using social media as their primary source for news consumption, growing by 3% points over 5 years (Kirk et al., 2020) with smartphones being used by 71% of Gen Zers as their primary device for accessing news, an increase of 18% points over 5 years (Kirk et al., 2020) The literature available about SMIs and their impact on young people is limited, even more so regarding the influence of SMIs on Generation Z in Ireland. Borau-Boira et al. (2022) state that SMI is a relatively new topic of academic research; there are still few studies exploring how followers perceive the figure of the influencer which is crucial to design marketing strategies The purpose of the present study is to holistically analyse the influence of social media influencer content on young peoples' lives This objective can be summarized as the following question: Who are the five preferred influencers that this young sample follows and what are their motives for following them This article highlights responses to this question through a thematic analysis This research was conducted in Ireland with participants living in Ireland and they pertain to the Generation Z cohort aged 16 to 26 two educational institutions were contacted written consent was obtained from subjects over 18 years old and from subjects and their parents or legal guardians when under 18 years old Sample demographics (Figure 1) of the total population (N = 81) are as follows: N = 50 female, N = 31 male; N = 56 ages from 16 to 19 years old, N = 25 ages from 20 to 26 years old; N = 52 are enrolled in a secondary school and N = 29 are enrolled in a private higher education institution (Jackson and Bazeley, 2019; NVivo, 2022) All participants lived in Ireland at the time of study and pertained to the Generation Z cohort Demographic information of the sample population Two free-answer questions of the SUSIS questionnaire were designed to get as much insights as possible from the participants' responses These questions are: Q5-Please indicate your five most favorite influencers and in which social media channel you follow them; and Q6-Please indicate five main motives that make you follow your favorite influencers The responses to these questions directly correlate to the research question of the present study: Who are the five preferred influencers that this young sample follows and what are their motives for following them Data was collected in 2022 at two educational institutions in Ireland: a secondary school and a private higher education institution The questionnaire informed the participants about the topic studied their right to withdraw from the study at any time the researcher's contact information and that participants must be living in Ireland and use social media to participate participants were asked for consent to complete the first section of the questionnaire The participants' views were clear in their answers writing between one to three lines of text All text was transcribed from the paper-based questionnaire outlining the 5 favorite influencers that this young sample follows the channels where they follow them and the motives to be following them Not all participants filled all blanks or linked the influencers to the specific motives All Word files were converted to PDF and stored in NVivo Example of preliminary notes taken during phase 1 “Students have been using the word “relatable” very often” “There is a great diversity of influencers and it might be difficult to find a pattern” “Participants always refer to celebrities and singers as influencers” “Participants were not assigning the influencers to the motives (Q5 to Q6) they were generalising the motives” “Participants tend to be motivated and inspired by their influencers” As some participants did not fill in all blanks according to their interests and preferences Some participants might not have five favorite influencers or five main motives to follow these influencers thinking mainly about answering the RQ and contribute to the research purpose with influencers channels and motives receiving their own sets of nodes from 1 to 5 indicating descriptions and numbers of responses and references NVivo was used to generate graphs for comparison and interpretation of the coding process, such as the number of cases coded by age (Graph 1) or by sex (Graph 2). Cases represent units of analysis (Jackson and Bazeley, 2019) Graph 1. Codes by age, elaborated by the author using NVivo (2022) Graph 2. Codes by sex, elaborated by the author using NVivo (2022) The highest cases coded were counted in the ages 16 to 17 The most cases coded appear in the influencer and motive nodes as these spaces in the questionnaire required more effort compared to channels After all relevant data was coded, patterns and relationships were identified and a list of themes related to the RQ and research objective was created. A theme is a broader category containing multiple codes that appear to be related to each other and indicate ideas that are generally important to the research question (Saunders et al., 2019) Word similarity was also analyzed using NVivo at a code level and visualized by clustering (Graph 3) The “Channels” element has more word similarities The “Motives” element can generate patterns; however the “Influencers” nodes show a diversity of words indicating that generating patterns in this regard will be difficult Graph 3. Items Clustered by Word Similarity, elaborated by the author using NVivo (2022) The influencer and channel codes were analyzed first to identify patterns and relationships As the RQ involves five preferred influencers for this young sample population patterns were created with a ranking scale from 1 to 5 indicating the first to fifth most preferred influencers channels and created themes were then selected based on this ranking scale Nodes were then created in NVivo using the theme names for storage Table 2. Word frequency analysis by themes/nodes, elaborated by the author using NVivo (2022) This word count ranking confirms the clustering data from Graph 3 often ranging from 2 to 7 duplicate citations in which frequency counts were much higher for Instagram Motive codes were then analyzed, storing the patterns and relationships into new theme nodes using NVivo. Themes were created based on participant responses and experimenter interpretation of these data, taking the RQ into consideration to identify patterns and relationships. Figure 2 below shows an example of theme nodes in NVivo and their connection to codes This analytical step goes beyond outlining the motives additionally contrasting and correlating participant responses with theoretical interpretation Figure 2. Codes and Themes for Motives, elaborated by the author via NVivo (2022) green circles represent themes and yellow circles represent sub-themes I engaged in a comprehensive process that began with an examination of motive codes focusing on identifying patterns and relationships to create new thematic nodes within NVivo depicted visually with colored circles for codes went beyond merely outlining motives and involved a careful interpretation of participant responses and alignment with the theory Themes were generated during a third phase followed by an exhaustive fourth phase where I performed a recursive review of candidate topics This meticulous review led to the elimination of themes that did not fit my analysis and culminated in the creation of a final thematic map that significantly contributed to answering the research question and achieving the objectives of the study The central theme identified based on the analysis is the “demonstration of some degree of being influenced by SMIs,” since many quotes demonstrate a degree of influence in various ways Other behavioral themes were generated based on an analysis of the participants' responses and related to the theory covered in this research These themes are “showing some degree of parasocial relationship,” “showing some degree of trust” and “showing some degree of relatability.” Identifying themes related to these theories provides an insightful answer to the RQ the last themes created were the main motives to be influenced by SMIs since the influence was evident through their responses linkage to the theory and connection among themes were considered rather than ranking by frequency of a code Such themes concerning motives are: “seeking for entertainment,” “following them because their content is interesting,” “following them because of product/brand recommendations,” “searching for advice tips and learning” and “interested in their lifestyle and/or demonstrating interest in mental health wellbeing and positive thoughts.” Sub-themes were identified based on occurrences linked to the main themes: “influenced by some sense of social causes or social justice,” “searching for news political opinion and general information,” “showing some degree of care for appearance body image and body satisfaction” and “searching for content related to sports gym and fitness.” These sub-themes are motives by individuals to make them following influencers some themes were consolidated without the need to remove or modify any themes Finalized thematic map demonstrating themes The themes and sub-themes, outlining the main excerpts from the data in a quotation format, were documented with an illustrative analysis for each theme and sub-theme (Appendix 1). Themes and sub-themes related to channels and influencers were quantitatively ranked and fully and deeply analyzed in the above sections and are therefore not included in this Appendix The data excerpt table links themes and sub-themes additionally including an interpretation of participants' views and an explanation as to the ranking of the motives The purpose of the present study was to holistically analyse the influence of social media influencer (SMI) content on young people's lives this study focuses on the following research question: Who are the five preferred influencers that this young sample follows and what are their motives for following them This is since understanding motives for following SMIs also led to a better understanding of the influence of SMI content in their lives dynamism of posts (57.9%) and interaction with audiences (61.7%) Linking these factors with the research data a parasocial relationship could be inferred between the sample population and their listed influencers Some degree of intimacy from different perspectives From a marketing perspective, parasocial relationships can lead to trust, thereby leading to increased levels of purchase intentions and brand evaluations, mainly when the SMI content contains advertising disclosures (Breves et al., 2021) there is a certain degree of trust related to participant interaction with SMI content The sample trust their influencers when searching for products and brand recommendations which can be explained through a high level of parasocial relationship the sample shows some sense of relatability to their SMIs sharing common characteristics and personality traits This might be another factor that strengthens the relationship between followers and SMIs as they perceive their own characteristics and personality in their influencers Consolidated ranking of the 5 Main Influencers by frequency These influencers can be inferred to influence this sample more than other SMIs as they were cited more frequently. These influencers, a brief description and the type of content they post, their preferred social media platform and number of followers/subscribers can be found in Appendix 2 These data can be useful to improve marketing research as well as to enhance the quality of marketing communication five main motives and some sub-themes were documented This theme is connected to parasocial relationships and the next main motive the second main motive was “Following them because their content is interesting,” as indicated by responses that clearly outlined interest in SMI content While interest in SMI content can make a given person search for and follow the influencer this varies and depends on each person's interests and needs This theme is linked to the theme of trust since the factors that cause participants to show interest are what might lead them to trust the influencers and their content This study shows that SMIs indeed hold an important role in influencing young people to follow brands and buy products and are therefore key players in marketing strategies and should be taken into consideration to enhance the effectiveness of strategies particularly in terms of digital marketing and social media marketing Finally, the last motive was built based on participant response patterns (Appendix 1): “Interested in their lifestyle and/or demonstrating interest in mental health wellbeing and positive thoughts.” This theme is linked to the theme of relatability and two sub-themes: “Showing some degree of care for appearance gym and fitness.” This theme and the two sub-themes align with much of the principal content of the five main influencers This demonstrates interest in the lifestyle of SMIs this theme encompasses care for appearance and seeking advice in this regard through this holistic analysis the sample population in this study was found to be susceptible to being influenced by SMIs in several different contexts The main drivers that generated this influence were parasocial relationship Different results can stem from such influence interest in the content produced by SMIs and product/brand recommendations From a marketing perspective and the participant responses it is evident that SMIs have an important and influential role in marketing communication strategies specifically regarding product and brand recommendations the data analysis of a young sample population reveals a complex relationship between social media influencers (SMIs) and their followers The susceptibility of these young individuals to be influenced by SMIs is intricately linked to three main themes: parasocial relationship These participants seem to view their favorite influencers as friends and extensive knowledge about SMIs and their content fostered through intimate insights into influencers' lives lays a foundation of trust that impacts participants' purchase intentions and brand evaluations This trust is further emphasized when the SMIs' content contains advertising disclosures with their effectiveness in engaging the audience hinging on their communicative skills the influence of SMIs becomes a central theme underpinned by the interaction of parasocial relationships shaping marketing strategies and enhancing the understanding of Generation Z's digital engagement and TikTok to be the primary platforms for engagement focusing marketing strategies on these platforms could yield significant dividends future research could also explore the ethical implications of such influence especially in the context of susceptibility to misinformation This might include regulations on the disclosure of paid partnerships and the vetting of information for accuracy when SMIs discuss topics like news or health this study holds meaningful implications across various sectors Managers can use the insights to refine their marketing strategies academics can build upon the foundation laid by this research and society at large needs to consider the regulatory and ethical frameworks that can harness this influencer power for the greater good The research objective of this paper was attained which aimed to provide insights into the factors that lead Generation Z to be influenced by social media influencers (SMIs) The thematic analysis brought a holistic overview of this matter using participant responses and outlined the main influencers their main channels and the motives for following them The thematic map from the analysis can be used for This research offers specific evidence for the influence of SMIs on young people's lives and is in line with previously published findings in the area expanding it by providing a more focused point of view Since motives to follow influencers can differ by age this provides specific insights into Generation Z youth in Ireland Previous studies as well as the current manuscript show important elements related to being influenced by SMIs in different age groups The findings from this study can be useful for marketers to understand the importance of SMIs within marketing communication strategies as well as to studies from the field of social sciences that aim to explore the influence of SMIs from both positive and negative perspectives This research does not show direct evidence of harmful content promoted by SMIs with the possible exception that a few influencers cited by participants might have some degree of aggressive gaming content related to war scenes and/or weapons the intent of participants to seek information related to news and political opinion may also be a concern as the information provided may not always be accurate thereby drastically increasing the spread of fake news as these influencers can reach millions of subscribers the attachment to other information provided by SMIs Acknowledging the limitations of this study is essential to guide future research and ensure a more comprehensive understanding of the issues under investigation The primary limitations encountered in this research pertain to the sample size and access to the sample population both of which may have an impact on the breadth and depth of the findings The sample size in this study was relatively limited which may curtail the generalizability of our findings Given that larger sample sizes have the potential to uncover a wider range of themes and subthemes the current study's conclusions may not fully capture the richness and complexity of the phenomena under investigation It is thus recommended that future research in this area consider using a more substantial sample size A larger sample would allow for a more comprehensive exploration of the themes and subthemes pertinent to this area of study thereby providing more robust and reliable data Access to the sample population was also a significant constraint in this study The utilization of a paper-based questionnaire distributed face-to-face inherently restricted the population that could be reached limiting the diversity and range of participants as those who are more accessible or willing to participate may not be representative of the broader population of interest It is suggested that future studies could adopt more inclusive and wide-reaching data collection methods Leveraging digital platforms for data collection could facilitate wider access to potential respondents This would ultimately enhance the representativeness and validity of the findings an online questionnaire may more easily provide results from a larger sample size Further analyses should also more deeply investigate the motives that make young people follow their influencers from a cross-cultural perspective making the results applicable to different counties and cultures further study can investigate and define different types of influence and content such as contrasting positive and negative content Although the findings provide important insights it is crucial to reflect critically on some aspects of the research such as explicitly investigating the effect of marketing advertisements promoted by SMIs on young people's lives This research clearly highlighted five main factors influencing young people in Ireland to follow their influencers this study shows evidence that their favorite SMIs hold influence over this sample in different contexts Some degree of parasocial relationship and trust are identified through the analysis as drivers of this influence marketers can encourage the presence of the factors discovered here to enhance the online presence of SMIs within marketing communication strategies focused on specific target audiences such as the Generation Z cohort studied here Marketers might also use this study as a foundation for designing new frameworks and strategies they wish to impose on customers who follow influencers to increase the leverage of a marketing communication strategy by better understanding target audiences and the macroenvironment this manuscript makes a noteworthy contribution to the field by providing a comprehensive analysis of the influence exerted by social media influencers (SMIs) on the lives of Generation Z in Ireland The research delves into the preferences and motives of this demographic in following specific influencers thereby illuminating the contributing factors to this influence The findings underscore parasocial relationships and relatability as the principal drivers of SMI influence on this young population The identified susceptibility to influencer impact is widespread The research elucidates the paramount role of SMIs in marketing communication strategies especially in the domain of product and brand endorsements The insights garnered can be leveraged to bolster the effectiveness of these marketing approaches thus enhancing their ability to resonate with and influence Generation Z this study contributes to the understanding of how young people communicates with their influencers and the potential impact behind this phenomenon this study strengthens the existing body of literature by augmenting it with a more refined perspective on the studied population Despite the limitations concerning sample size and population access the findings proffer a deeper comprehension of the sway of SMIs over young people's lives The findings act as a stepping stone for future research paving the way for explorations into cross-cultural perspectives and the impact of SMI-promoted marketing advertisements this study goes beyond answering its central research question about the identity and appeal of five preferred influencers for a young sample It embarks on a thematic analysis to illuminate the underlying motives that make these young individuals follow their chosen social media influencers With the inclusion of 81 Generation Z participants residing in Ireland the study findings confirm that these young people are susceptible to the influence of SMIs across various contexts this research offers valuable insights that inform marketing strategy and contribute to the academic discourse on the influence of social media influencers on the youth It provides a crucial starting point for additional investigations and serves as a vital reference for further scholarly inquiries and marketing practices alike The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary material further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author The studies involving humans were approved by TU Dublin Blanchardstown Campus Ethics Committee Written informed consent for participation in this study was provided by the participants' legal guardians/next of kin and roles and writing—original draft: CA This research was partially funded by: Technological University Dublin (2020/21) I would like to thank gratefully the guidance of TU Dublin's faculty in the collection of data The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2023.1217684/full#supplementary-material intimacies: influencers and perceived interconnectedness CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Cultivating parasocial relationships with social media influencers: findings from PLS-SEM fsQCA An artificial intelligence analysis of climate-change influencers' marketing on Twitter CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Barry, R. (2022). Who is TikTok star Olivia Neill and how did she become famous? Heat World Blog. Available online at: https://heatworld.com/celebrity/news/olivia-neill-youtube-tiktok/ (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Beatty, J. (2021). Marketing Strategies Behind Adele's Success. Embryo Blog. Available online at: https://embryo.com/blog/marketing-strategies-behind-adeles-success/ (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Behaviour and Attitudes Research and Insight (2021). The 2021 Sign of the Times Survey. Dublin. Available online at: https://banda.ie/wp-content/uploads/J.202460-SOTT-2021-Online-version.pdf (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Challenges of digital advertising from the study of the influencers' phenomenon in social networks CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar the importance and interplay of parasocial relationships and advertising disclosures in explaining influencers' persuasive effects on their followers Quantity and Quality in Social Research (Contemporary Social Research) CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar A worked example of Braun and Clarke's approach to reflexive thematic analysis PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Chaffey, D. (2021). Global Social Media Research Summary 2021, Global Social Media Research Summary 2021 - Smart Insights. Smart Insights Blog. Available online at: https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-social-media-research/ (accessed August 14 Google Scholar What drives digital engagement with sponsored videos an investigation of video influencers' authenticity management strategies Influencer marketing: an exploratory study to identify antecedents of consumer behavior of millennial CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Social media influencer marketing and children's food intake: a randomized trial Sponsored: consumer insights on social media influencer marketing CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Resolving the complexity in Gen Z's envy occurrence: a cross-cultural perspective CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Young adults' motivations for following social influencers and their relationship to identification and buying behavior CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar “I want to be as trendy as influencers” – how “fear of missing out” leads to buying intention for products endorsed by social media influencers Exploring the credibility of online celebrities' Instagram profiles in influencing the purchase decisions of young female users CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Double Click (2006). Influencing the Influencers: How Online Advertising and Media Impact Word of Mouth. New York, NY: Double Click. Available online at: http://www.digitaltrainingacademy.com/research/2007/08/understanding_social_spaces_ne.php (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Excel (2023). Excel Software. Excel. Available online at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/excel (accessed August 14 Google Scholar but do so differently: an empirical comparison of peer-to-peer accommodation consumption between millennials and generation Z CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Mass communication and para-social interaction PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Driving brand engagement through online social influencers: an empirical investigation of sponsored blogging campaigns CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Hybrid Calisthenics (2022). Hybrid Calisthenics Website. Available online at: https://www.hybridcalisthenics.com/ (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Jacksepticeye Wikidata (2022). Jacksepticeye Wikidata. Wikidata. Available online at: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20089050 (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Google Scholar New education policy: qualitative (contents) analysis and Twitter mining (sentiment analysis) CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Influencer marketing: Social media influencers as human brands attaching to followers and yielding positive marketing results by fulfilling needs trust me not: a nuanced view of influencer marketing on social media CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Kirk, N., Park, K., Robbins, D., Culloty, E., Casey, E., and Suiter, J. (2020). Digital News Report Ireland 2020. Dublin. Available online at: https://www.bai.ie/en/media/sites/2/dlm_uploads/2020/06/DNR-2020-Report-Web-version_DMB.pdf (accessed August 14 PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar consumer perceptions of social media influencers who wear face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic and Community-Based Participatory Research Approaches Google Scholar Magnante, M. (2022). Chris Bumstead (CBum) – Complete Profile: Training, Diet, Height, Weight, Biography. Fitness Volt Blog. Available online at: https://fitnessvolt.com/chris-bumstead-profile/ (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Impacts of influencer attributes on purchase intentions in social media influencer marketing: Mediating roles of characterizations Google Scholar Morse, J. M. (1994). Designing Funded Qualitative Research. Handbook of Qualitative Inquiry, Sage Publications Ltd. Available online at: https://www.scirp.org/(S(351jmbntvnsjt1aadkposzje))/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspx?ReferenceID=928823 (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Can social media influencer (SMI) power influence consumer brand attitudes the mediating role of perceived SMI credibility Närvänen Parasocial relationships of Generation Z consumers with social media influencers in Influencer Marketing CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Neill, O. (2022). Olivia Neill TikTok Page. TikTok Page. Available online at: https://www.tiktok.com/@olivianeill (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Google Scholar NVivo (2022). NVivo Software. Lumivero. Available online at: https://www.qsrinternational.com/nvivo-qualitative-data-analysis-software/home (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Feasibility and acceptability of the gerontological personality disorders scale (gps) in general practice: a mixed methods study More trust in fewer followers: diverging effects of popularity metrics and green orientation social media influencers CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Reaper, L. (2021). Ireland's Generation Z: The Kids Are Alright, Or Are They? Available online at: https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/ireland-s-generation-z-the-kids-are-alright-or-are-they-1.4520073 (accessed August 14 Google Scholar “It's selling like hotcakes”: deconstructing social media influencer marketing in long-form video content on youtube via social influence heuristics Understanding Digital Marketing: Marketing Strategies for Engaging the Digital Generation Google Scholar Sánchez-Fernández How social media influencers affect behavioural intentions towards recommended brands: the role of emotional attachment and information value Google Scholar Sidemen Wikidata (2022). Sidemen Wikidata. Wikidata Subscriber Statistics. Available online at: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q81339539 (accessed August 14 Google Scholar Sidemen YouTube Channel (2022). Sidemen YouTube Channel. YouTube. Available online at: https://www.youtube.com/@Sidemen (accessed August 14 Google Scholar The role of social media influencers in shaping customer brand engagement and brand perception CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Motivating social influencers to engage in health behavior interventions Analysis of the role of digital influencers and their impact on the functioning of the contemporary on-line promotional system and its sustainable development CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Narcissism for fun and profit: an empirical examination of narcissism and its determinants in a sample of generation Z business college students Applying thematic analysis to education: a hybrid approach to interpreting data in practitioner research Do green women influencers spur sustainable consumption patterns Descriptive evidences from social media influencers CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar How social media influencers foster relationships with followers: the roles of source credibility and fairness in parasocial relationship and product interest How social media influencers' narrative strategies benefit cultivating influencer marketing: Tackling issues of cultural barriers Citation: Alves de Castro C (2023) Thematic analysis in social media influencers: who are they following and why Received: 05 May 2023; Accepted: 29 August 2023; Published: 15 September 2023 Copyright © 2023 Alves de Castro. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) *Correspondence: Charles Alves de Castro, Y2hhcmxlc0BpY2QuaWU= CUNY Home The City University of New York More about Carlos dos Santos, Jr. 2016 | Kingsborough Community College is a noted Brazilian performer and choreographer who performed as a principal dancer with major Brazilian dance companies such as Dos Santos has performed with Complexions Contemporary Ballet His choreographic credits include works for Colorado Ballet He has created many projects with Dance Brasil including his latest collaboration with award-winning composer colleges and universities throughout the U.S and abroad and has served as a jury member and resident choreographer of Youth America Grand Prix international student ballet competition since its inception The CUNY Dance Initiative receives major support from the Howard Gilman Foundation and Mertz Gilmore Foundation Additional support is provided by the SHS Foundation Eleições para conselhos tutelares ocorreram no domingo (1) - © Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil Although a final assessment of the elections for Brazil’s Child Protective Services has not yet been concluded it can already be said there has been an increase in popular participation but further work is needed to ensure more engagement and combat the conservative religious presence in these agencies Partial data released by the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC indicates there was an increase of 25% in voter turnout compared to what was recorded in the last elections experts interviewed by Brasil de Fato state that this growth is still not enough and that communication about the election needs to be expanded to encourage the population to participate Monitoring and valuing post-election work is also seen as crucial a specialist in children's and youth rights states that the current scenario favors conservative movements in these elections Former national secretary for the Rights of Children and Adolescents and former president of the National Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (Conanda Alves points out that the election must be treated as a priority by public authorities to involve the whole of society “As this is an electoral process with optional and non-compulsory voting neighborhood associations and parliamentarians are stronger These sectors are the ones that participate the most and not exactly the common voter especially because it was a very poorly publicized process.” an estimated 1.6 million people voted in the capital cities The number should increase with the consolidation of information from the more than 5,000 Brazilian municipalities that hold elections Councilor Carlos Alberto de Souza Júnior from the Municipal Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents in the city of São Paulo says that the rise in participation is important “I always say that I would like 10% of the population to participate We still face the challenge of making these elections known We have further lost society's participation due to two elements: we need to improve communication channels to publicize the process but we also need to create a method of publicizing candidates.” a professor at the School of Social Service at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) states that the increase in participation in the elections shows deeper engagement but highlights that there are still consistent challenges it is necessary to standardize the entire electoral process nationally profile research and training of counselors The predominance of elected candidates aligned with conservative agendas even with an increase in the representation of the progressive democratic field indicates there is still a path to be taken to achieve representation that is in full convergence with the precepts of the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA in Portuguese) and our Federal Constitution.” She also mentions the need for valuing professionals through the creation of a minimum wage floor to attract qualified the professor emphasizes that it is urgent to create conditions to expand the activities of the agency A map of election results in the city of São Paulo made by Paulo César de Oliveira and published by the Institute of Public and Social Cooperation shows the presence of the conservative field in Child Protective Services.  58% are aligned with the field and 35% support the progressive agenda and the effective application of the ECA Ariel de Castro Alves sees the influence of national political polarization in this scenario particularly those that lost the national electoral process last year It’s a kind of payback in light of last year’s presidential election and also in favor of the conservative agendas they defend.” Carlos Alberto de Souza Junior states that overcoming the conservative agenda within Brazil’s Child Protective Services is the biggest challenge “Conservatism within an agency like Brazil’s Child Protective Services completely undermines its effectiveness regardless of who the child or adolescent is Extreme conservatism protects rights in its own bubble.” the elections amplified warnings made by the national network for the defense of children and youth about the influence of conservative religious groups and far-right parties on the agency she identifies signs of resistance from the progressive field citing as an example the platform The Election of the Year an initiative that provided information about candidates committed to the Statute of Children and Adolescents More than 2,500 applications were listed on the website 26 of the 106 candidates listed on the platform were elected signaling a movement towards more progressive representation (…) These initiatives together with the increase in popular participation indicate the beginning of a collective effort to counterbalance the conservative influence and reaffirm democratic and progressive principles in Child Protective Services But there is still a long way to go,” she concludes the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship intends to publish a final report on the elections for Brazilian Child Protective Services What is known in Brazil as “Conselhos Tutelares” are municipal bodies responsible for protecting and guaranteeing the rights of children and adolescents They were created by the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA a Brazilian legislation that establishes the rights and duties of people under the age of 18 The main roles of Conselhos Tutelares are: • Ensure the rights of children and adolescents: Its main goal is to ensure that the fundamental rights of these young people are respected and guaranteed • Respond to cases of rights violation: When a situation of violation of the rights of a child or adolescent occurs Child Protective Services must act to protect the victim and take the necessary measures to solve the problem • Guiding families: It also guides families through risky situations or social vulnerability offering support so that they can adequately care for their children • Refer cases to the Public Prosecutor's Office: When a situation of violation of rights is serious and requires legal measures Child Protective Services has the power to forward the case to the Public Prosecutor's Office which can take the necessary legal measures • Engage in protection networks: Child Protective Services are part of child and adolescent protection networks to promote the protection of children's and teens’ rights The agency is made up of counselors elected by the local community who play a fundamental role in promoting and defending the rights of children and adolescents acting as one of the public services to contact in cases of violation of these rights They perform their functions independently and autonomously being an essential tool in ensuring compliance with the ECA at the municipal level All original content produced and editorially authored by Brasil de Fato may be reproduced provided it is not altered and proper credit is given All original content produced and editorially authored by Brasil de Fato may be reproduced Metrics details Assessing the vector diversity and abundance provides information on the local malariogenic potential or risk of transmission This study aimed to determine the Anopheles species composition and distribution in areas with autochthonous and imported malaria cases in Roraima State A longitudinal study was conducted from January 2017 to October 2018 sampling larvae and adult mosquitoes in three municipalities of Roraima State: Boa Vista These areas have different risks of malaria importation Four to six mosquito larval habitats were selected for larval sampling at each municipality along with two additional sites for adult mosquito collection All larval habitats were surveyed every two months using a standardized larval sampling methodology and MosqTent for adult mosquitoes A total of 544 Anopheles larvae and 1488 adult mosquitoes were collected from the three municipalities studied Although the species abundance differed between municipalities were collected from all larval habitats studied while Anopheles darlingi were collected only from Boa Vista and São João da Baliza Adults of 11 species of the genus Anopheles were collected and the predominant species in Boa Vista was An darlingi (85.6%) was the most predominant species followed by An the most abundant species in Pacaraima was Anopheles braziliensis (62%) the majority of anophelines exhibited greater extradomicile than peridomicile-biting preference Anopheles darlingi was the only species found indoors Variability in biting times was observed among species and municipalities This study revealed the composition of anopheline species and habitats in Boa Vista The species sampled differed in their behaviour with only An Anopheles darlingi appeared to be the most important vector in São João da Baliza although there were increasing reports of imported malaria Understanding the diversity of vector species and their ecology is essential for designing effective vector control strategies for these municipalities characterizing the vector species involved in local transmission in these border municipalities and their larval habitats is considered a priority this study aimed to identify anopheline larval habitats and mosquito species distribution and behaviour in areas with imported (Boa Vista and Pacaraima) and autochthonous malaria (São João da Baliza) The identification of potential larval habitats and the ecological conditions that determine the presence of Anopheles species competent to transmit Plasmodium is an important contribution for the control and elimination of malaria in Roraima This information will allow for the assessment of potential local malaria vectors in each municipality and may explain differences in transmission patterns The long-term goal is to direct vector control measures as part of integrated policies to reduce the region's malariogenic potential and mitigate Map of Roraima State with highlights on rivers and locations of the municipalities of Pacaraima—1 and surrounding vegetation in Boa Vista (A) Adult mosquitoes were collected in January comprising dry (November to April) and rainy (May to October) seasons the collections were performed simultaneously at two sites for three consecutive days at sunset from 18:00 to 21:00 and compared in the intradomicile Sampling efforts throughout the studied period consisted of 480 h in each site: 144 h in the intradomicile (Nasci aspirator) and 192 h in the extradomicile (96 h with MosqTent and 96 h with Shannon) Species were morphologically identified using dichotomous keys for the Neotropical Anopheles species triannulatus complexes were not identified in this study; these species are referred to as sensu lato Daily and monthly rainfall data were obtained from the National Water Agency (Agência Nacional de Águas Statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad InStat Comparisons between mean temperature and pH were performed using the Wilcox test To evaluate the association of environmental factors with the occurrence of species in larval habitats univariate logistic models was used with species as the outcome and debris) were used as independent variables The associations between species and environmental variables were presented as odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals Differences between the two non-reference categories were related to reference categories Anopheles spp. larvae were found in all 15 permanent larval habitats in the studied municipalities: four sites in Boa Vista, six in Pacaraima, and five in São João da Baliza. Table 1 shows the main characteristics of each larval habitat and larvae of Anopheles spp were found in all four types of water collection Streams were widely distributed (66.6%) in the study area the types of water collections were streams and lakes; in Pacaraima 26.7% of the habitats had a surface area of < 150 sq m while 40% were > 150 < 300 sq m and 33.3% had a surface area greater than 300 sq m The majority of the larval habitats in Boa Vista were located at a distance > 15 m from houses larvae were found in both transparent (60%) and turbid (40%) water habitats the water current was slow-moving (53.3%) or stagnant (26.7%) and the temperature and pH were distinct in the habitats sampled the larval habitats presented a lower water temperature (20.48 ± 1.0) than in Boa Vista (25.5 ± 3.2; p < 0.0001) and São João da Baliza (26.4 ± 0.95; p < 0.01) and a higher pH (6.0 ± 0.75) when compared to Boa Vista (4.1 ± 1.15; p < 0.01) This study further observed that 53.3 and 33.3% of the habitats were partially shaded and shaded Half of the larval habitats in Pacaraima were shaded while in Boa Vista and São João da Baliza the majority were partially shaded one of which was in Pacaraima and the other in São João da Baliza Marginal vegetation was present in all larval habitats while emerging vegetation was present in 73.3% were found in all water bodies except in one fishpond in São João da Baliza A total of 544 Anopheles spp. specimens were obtained from 15 larval habitats, and the relative abundance of each larval species encountered is presented in Table 2 A total of 12 species were identified from 209 late-instar larvae (third and fourth stages) 335 Anopheles spp larvae were not identified at the species level and considered for statistical analysis mainly because they were early instar larvae (first and second stages) or were damaged Collections of the immature forms showed that An and Anopheles peryassui were collected from larval habitats from all municipalities while An Anopheles matogrossensis and Anopheles oswaldoi s.l were only observed in Boa Vista and São João da Baliza Anopheles evansae was present in Boa Vista and Pacaraima Anopheles mediopunctatus and Anopheles argyritarsis only in Pacaraima and Chagasia bonneae and Anopheles strodei were only found in São João da Baliza 99 larvae of eight species were collected mainly from two larval habitats; An darlingi (44.4%) was the most abundant species only a few second stage Anopheles larvae were collected The municipality of São João da Baliza presented the highest number of larvae collected (264) of nine species and An darlingi was present in all five larval habitats this species was present in only two larval habitats Pacaraima showed a total of 148 larvae of seven species collected were collected from a single larval habitat (5) in a fishpond the water had a lower pH and higher water temperature The univariate logistic models for the four most frequent Anopheles species are summarized in Table 3 Anopheles darlingi was more likely to occur in the stream larval habitat (OR = 6.85 darlingi had a higher chance of being captured in larval habitats with 150–300 sq m of surface area than those larger than 300 sq m (OR = 3.83 Anopheles darlingi was also less abundant in stagnant water (OR = 0.08 p < 0.01) than in moderate water currents The logistic models also showed a higher chance of An to be found in larval habitats > 300 sq m (OR = 0.13 p < 0.01) than those < 150–300 sq m (OR = 0.29 had a greater preference for aquatic habitats with transparent waters over turbid water (OR = 0.24 occurred in aquatic habitats with both transparent and turbid water Habitats exposed to the sun were related to the occurrence of An p < 0.01) in comparison to those partially shaded darlingi showed a preference for partially shaded over full sun habitats (OR = 0.1 Anopheles darlingi was more frequently observed in the presence of roots p < 0.01) than in the absence of debris was less likely to occur in habitats with debris (OR = 0.08 A total of 1,488 female Anopheles from 11 species were collected from all three municipalities (Table 4) Nine species were identified in Boa Vista and An Among the seven species collected from São João da Baliza darlingi (85.6%) was the most predominant species Pacaraima showed lower vector density than the municipalities of Boa Vista evansae were observed only in Boa Vista and An the majority of anophelines exhibited greater extradomicile than peridomicile biting preferences Anopheles darlingi was the only species found in the intradomicile were more abundant in the extradomicile than in the peridomicile braziliensis was captured in the peridomicile (33.8%) and in the extradomicile by MosqTent (29%) and by the Shannon trap collection (37.1%) The longitudinal study showed variation in the abundance of Anopheles species according to the period studied (Fig. 3). The collection each month represents the mean number of Anopheles captured in that month per collector per hour (4 h of capture for three consecutive days) for every two months in each locality. Seasonal dynamics of the most abundant anopheline species in Boa Vista (A) The rainy season in the state of Roraima occurs between April and September. Even so, in Boa Vista this was the period with the greatest abundance of Anopheles. In Pacaraima and São João da Baliza these species were more frequent in the driest months. In Boa Vista (Fig. 3A) An had the highest density during the studied months with the greatest frequency observed in April in the dry season The month of July for both years (2017 and 2018) had the greatest rainfall Anopheles darlingi was not abundant during the study months but showed a population increase in October at the end of the rainy season darlingi was predominant throughout the year and this species was more abundant in October was also collected in every month but in lower numbers Frequency by time of capture (from 12-h collections) of the main vectors collected in Boa Vista (A) The human biting rate (HBR) was estimated for the most common species collected in each municipality using the following calculation: the total number of anophelines captured during the 4-h collection (16:00 to 21:00) divided by the total number of collection days and the number of collectors. The data are presented in Table 5 showed the highest rate in the extradomicile (10.8 bites per night) followed by 3.8 in the peridomicile darlingi predominates with a low HBR in the peridomicile (0.3 bites) and in the extradomicile (0.8 bites) HBR was low in both the peridomicile (0.26) and extradomicile (0.22) for An darlingi presented higher HBR in the peridomicile (1.07) and in the extradomicile (1.64) than in Boa Vista while An São João da Baliza was the only municipality where An darlingi was collected in the intradomicile (three specimens at 19:00–20:00 and one at 20:00–21:00) Entomological surveillance to identify the component members of these complexes are mandatory to update the geographic distribution and its possible role as a regional vector of malaria parasites in Roraima presented the highest density at the end of the rainy season and was characterized as a less abundant population in interior regions than in riparian areas peaked at the beginning of the rainy season and was more abundant in the interior One of the control measures used in the malaria control programme in Roraima is indoor residual spraying which may explain the exophilic behaviour of this species in the studied area braziliensis may play some role in malaria transmission in Pacaraima when at high densities This study showed a diversity of anopheline larvae species and habitats in Boa Vista although there are increasing reports of imported malaria Considering the behaviour of the vectors in Boa Vista interventions such as intradomiciliary spraying will likely be insufficient to reduce malaria transmission It can be speculated that the local vector assemblage in Boa Vista is sufficient to sustain the disease and also provides a time buffer to mitigate the effects that imported cases would otherwise have if An This circumstance offers an opportunity to reduce the effects of cross-border malaria via early diagnosis and timely treatment environmental management of vector larval habitats and health education actions addressing individual and collective forms of prevention are indicated The datasets during and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request Ministério da Saúde, Brasil. Datasus. Sivep Malária. Sistema Eletrônico do Serviço de Informações ao Cidadão (e-SIC). 2021 [Available from: https://esic.cgu.gov.br/sistema/site/index.aspx.Information Malaria in Southern Venezuela: the hottest hotspot in Latin America A comprehensive analysis of malaria transmission in Brazil and implications for spillover in the region Effects of political instability in Venezuela on malaria resurgence at Ecuador-Peru border The impact of imported malaria by gold miners in Roraima: characterizing the spatial dynamics of autochthonous and imported malaria in an urban region of Boa Vista Evidence of an increased incidence of day 3 parasitaemia in Suriname: an indicator of the emerging resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to artemether Independent emergence of the Plasmodium falciparum kelch propeller domain mutant allele C580Y in Guyana Malaria in Venezuela: changes in the complexity of infection reflects the increment in transmission intensity Molecular surveillance for polymorphisms associated with artemisinin-based combination therapy resistance in Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected in the State of Roraima The dominant Anopheles vectors of human malaria in the Americas: occurrence data Ecology of Anopheles darlingi Root with respect to vector importance: a review Malaria vectors in the Brazilian amazon: Anopheles of the subgenus Nyssorhynchus and the re-emergence of Anopheles darlingi in Belem structure and behavior of Anopheles darlingi in a rural settlement in the Amazon rainforest of Acre Larval habitats of Anopheles species in a rural settlement on the malaria frontier of southwest Amazon some of their habits and relation to malaria in endemic areas of Rondonia State Ecological suitability and spatial distribution of five Anopheles species in Amazonian Brazil Potential vectors of malaria and their different susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax in northern Brazil identified by immunoassay Mosquito anthropophily: implications on malaria transmission in the Northern Brazilian Amazon Natural malaria infections in anophelines in Rondonia State Man biting rate seasonal variation of malaria vectors in Roraima host-seeking activity and natural infection rates of anopheline species in Boa Vista The importance of Anopheles albitarsis E and An darlingi in human malaria transmission in Boa Vista VK210 and VK247 genotypes of Plasmodium vivax in anopheline mosquitoes from Brazilian Amazon Phylogenetic network of mitochondrial COI gene sequences distinguishes 10 taxa within the neotropical Albitarsis Group (Diptera: Culicidae) confirming the separate species status of Anopheles albitarsis H (Diptera: Culicidae) and revealing a novel lineage Anopheles albitarsis J A newly recognized species in the Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albitarsis complex (Diptera: Culicidae) from Puerto Carreno Molecular phylogeny of neotropical Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) Albitarsis species complex (Diptera: Culicidae) A new mtDNA COI gene lineage closely related to Anopheles janconnae of the Albitarsis complex in the Caribbean region of Colombia Updating the bionomy and geographical distribution of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albitarsis F: a vector of malaria parasites in northern South America Comparative susceptibility of anopheline mosquitoes to Plasmodium falciparum in Rondonia Emergence of a new neotropical malaria vector facilitated by human migration and changes in land use Malaria vector incrimination in three rural riverine villages in the Brazilian Amazon Malaria entomological inoculation rates in gold mining areas of Southern Venezuela Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) vectores de malaria en el municipio de Puerto Carreño An ecoregional classification for the state of Roraima Brazil: the importance of landscape in malaria biology Spatial distribution of forest biomass in Brazil’s state of Roraima Principais mosquitos de importância sanitária no Brasil A lightweight battery-powered aspirator for collecting resting mosquitoes in the field MosqTent: An individual portable protective double-chamber mosquito trap for anthropophilic mosquitoes Prevention of re-establishment of malaria: historical perspective and future prospects Environmental variables associated with anopheline larvae distribution and abundance in Yanomami villages within unaltered areas of the Brazilian Amazon Malaria entomological risk factors in relation to land cover in the Lower Caura River Basin Spatial clustering and longitudinal variation of Anopheles darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae in a river of the Amazon: the importance of the forest fringe and of obstructions to flow in frontier malaria Biological variation in Anopheles darlingi Root Behavioral heterogeneity of Anopheles darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae) and malaria transmission dynamics along the Maroni River Diversity of anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and classification based on the characteristics of the habitats where they were collected in Puerto Iguazu Population fluctuation and larval habitat of anopheline in the Municipality of Sifontes Newly incriminated anopheline vectors of human malaria parasites in Junin Department Ecologic observations on anopheline vectors of malaria in the Brazilian Amazon Malaria vectors in the municipality of Serra do Navio Intra-population plasticity of Anopheles darlingi’s (Diptera Culicidae) biting activity patterns in the state of Amapa biting behaviour and parous rate of anopheline mosquito species in relation to malaria incidence in gold-mining areas of southern Venezuela Parity and age composition for Anopheles darlingi root (Diptera: Culicidae) and Anopheles albitarsis Lynch-Arribalzaga (Diptera: Culicidae) of the northern Amazon Basin Seasonal genetic partitioning in the neotropical malaria vector Anopheles darlingi Exophilic behavior of Anopheles darlingi Root in a southern region of Brazil High malaria transmission in a forested malaria focus in French Guiana: how can exophagic Anopheles darlingi thwart vector control and prevention measures Decreasing proportion of Anopheles darlingi biting outdoors between long-lasting insecticidal net distributions in peri-Iquitos Behavior and abundance of Anopheles darlingi in communities living in the Colombian Amazon riverside Malaria entomological inoculation rates in western Venezuela Anopheles species composition and entomological parameters in malaria endemic localities of North West Colombia Anopheles nuñeztovari como vector de malaria en el Bajo Calima Amazonian malaria vector anopheline relationships interpreted from ITS2 rDNA sequences Integrated vector management targeting Anopheles darlingi populations decreases malaria incidence in an unstable transmission area Distribution summaries of malaria vectors in the northern Brazilian Amazon Download references We thank the technical team of the State Entomology Center for their support in the fieldwork and the mapping of larval habitats and the Secretary of Health of Roraima—General Coordination for Health Surveillance for fieldwork support We also appreciate the reviewers for providing helpful comments and suggestions The study received financial support from PAEF (IOC-023-FIO-18-2-47 and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001 JOF was the recipient of a Research Productivity Fellowship from the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) AAE was supported by a grant from the US National Institutes of Health The funders had no role in the study design Laboratório de Mosquitos Transmissores de Hematozoários Maycon Sebastião Alberto Santos Neves & Teresa Fernandes Silva-do-Nascimento Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas Department of Biology/Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM) and AAE conceived the idea and participated in the study design and JL were responsible for the sample collection and JS performed the experiments and analysed the data corrected and approved the final manuscript The authors declare that they have no competing interests Dispersion graph of anopheline mosquitoes by mean intensity of rain unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-04033-1 Brazil - May 2022 - On the evening of Monday on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of the founding of the Bahia State Council of Education (CEE) the Salesians received the "CEE/180th Anniversary" Citation of Honor in recognition of their relevant contributions in the field of education The ceremony was held at the "Castro Alves" theater in Salvador and the Board of Directors of the Salesians of Bahia The evening was entirely focused on education and included numerous artistic and cultural interventions as well as a lecture given by Professor Aloízio Mercadante Barreto expressed gratitude for this recognition is the result of the tireless work of Salesians and lay people for a more humane and just education ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements · Cabinet signals moves to cool housing market · 620,000 evacuated as Chanchu nears · China not to abolish interest tax soon · Quest for bigger breasts ruins bodies · Pay rises by 16% for State sector workers · Death toll in Sao Paulo violence hits 156 · Saudis to Bush: Don't cut off Palestinians · US Senate OKs border fence · Iran rejects potential European incentives · Iraqis to present Cabinet Getty ImagesA video of a naked Brazilian boy getting whipped with an electric cable is causing outrage in the country Two security guards whipped the 17-year-old boy for allegedly stealing four bars of chocolate from a São Paulo supermarket, according to The Guardian. The disturbing video shows the naked boy getting whipped and gagged with his hands tied.   “It is like a scene from centuries ago,” detective Pedro Luis de Souza told The Guardian "They tied him up and whipped him until he promised to not do it again.” According to The Guardian, the boy spoke with TV Globo saying it was the third time he had been assaulted by the same two security guards after stealing from the supermarket The supermarket has removed the security guards “The company does not comply with any kind of illegality and will cooperate with the competent authorities involved in the investigation of the case in order to take the appropriate measures," the supermarket said in a statement a counselor with the State Human Rights Council told TV Globo that he is following the investigation and demanding the guards be held accountable for “barbaric and cruel acts of torture.” “There is overwhelming evidence of a crime of torture by security guards,"  de Castro Alves told TV Globo "Torture occurs when someone is subjected to intense physical or mental suffering." spoke with The Guardian and said the incident is connected to Brazil's history of slavery where Blacks were whipped daily.  "That guards filmed the torture showed how sure they were they would not get caught," Adami told The Guardian.  Seventy-five percent of Brazil’s 65,000 homicide victims in 2017 were Black or mixed race Get relevant content delivered to you once a week Ready to dive in Select your preferences and get ready for an experience tailored just for you *by clicking Subscribe you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Renata Castro Alves, immigration attorney and founder of Castro Legal Group says that there are both legal and personal frontiers to break and that many aspects of being American are incorporated far ahead from ever becoming a naturalized citizen she thinks nothing is more challenging than adopting American eating tastes and habits “It is easy for foreigners to judge American lifestyle choices — having a sandwich for lunch, who else does that? — but the reality is, eating American food is the final frontier to really fitting the mold,” she tells Bustle. “I remember eating American foods such sweet potato or green bean casseroles and thinking that in my home country of Brazil at a Christmas party my family attended with my Brazilian mom I noticed how Americanized I had become when I reached to the Sweet Potato Casserole without hesitation.” some people consider eating American foods to be the final frontier 12 women share what they first ate when they became American citizens “I am an immigration attorney residing in Florida who was naturalized almost 10 years ago. Right after my naturalization interview, I had the most American meal of all — a Big Mac with a Coke and fries. [...] Nothing is more classic American fanfare than a burger with a Coke and fries.” “I became an American citizen in 2007, more than a decade after immigrating to America. I celebrated this milestone by eating what, to me, was a quintessentially American meal — a steak burrito bowl from Chipotle with a side of guacamole and chips. Growing up in Kenya [...] I would consider it authentic American in the sense that this country has a way of Americanizing ethnic foods I guess this is why they call America a melting pot: Many different cultures blended into one.” “I got my citizenship about seven years ago in Los Angeles I was lucky enough to share the special occasion with my sister as we both got our citizenship on the same day because it meant I had to give up my Ethiopian citizenship The first meal I had after the ceremony was Ethiopian food We went to Little Ethiopia in Los Angeles and treated ourselves to some delicious You can take the girl out of her Ethiopian citizenship but you can’t take Ethiopian food out of the girl “I’m from Colombia and became an American citizen when I was 69 (I came to be with my son and granddaughter.) Afterwards I went to Cracker Barrel with my granddaughter but I felt a sense of accomplishment and like my family was proud of me It was a big moment for my family back in Colombia and is the biggest accomplishment of my life.” “I became a citizen alongside my mother in 2013 we went to Red Lobster — because it’s the pinnacle of American ‘high-end’ chain food — and indulged in all the buttery seafood It was definitely a special moment between my mother and I since we shared in the special moment of going through the ceremony together and then decompressed together under nautical décor and dimmed lighting.” I ate at a very nice restaurant and had seafood My citizenship made me feel a huge sense of achievement because I could successfully start carving the life I wanted for my family in America.” “My parents moved me from Colombia to the U.S so I had a permanent resident card until I was 18 we drove to Atlanta in order for me to become a U.S citizen and we ate at [...] a buffet-type place which was a big treat for me at the time.” I HAD to have an American hot dog with everything on it I meant it — but had no idea there would be soooo many things on it — not just mustard I think about it and try to go find an all-beef Chicago-style hot dog — with everything on it — wherever I am It immediately reminds me that I’m happy and proud to be an American and the freedom that goes with it I had seen it in American movies all the time and I couldn’t wait to taste the real thing once I was in America But I waited until I became a citizen for the big day “I went on my lunch break and came right back to work I scarfed down a sandwich and went back to work so I could keep providing for my family Earning my citizenship was something I’d always dreamed of so “My American college professor took me to my first dinner in the U.S. where I ordered three entrees of Mexican food (A typical plate is the size of your palm.) I hadn’t eaten for over 24 hours and was starving by the time we got to the restaurant ‘Are you sure you will be able to eat three entrees?’ my professor asked three entrees would’ve been no problem with how hungry I was so I thought all this food would be wasted my professor explained that I could take all this food with me and finish it the next day.”