Publications by authors named "Ana M Cavaco"

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) presents as metastatic disease in one third of cases. Research on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and liquid biopsies is improving the understanding of RCC biology and metastases formation. However, a standardized, sensitive, specific, and cost-effective CTC detection technique is lacking.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this paper we report a method to determine the soluble solids content (SSC) of 'Rocha' pear ( L. cv. Rocha) based on their short-wave NIR reflectance spectra (500-1100 nm) measured in conditions similar to those found in packinghouse fruit sorting facilities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The combination of temperature and atmosphere composition for storage of Pyrus communis L. 'Rocha' treated with 1-methylcyclopropene was investigated. Fruits treated with 312 nl l(-1) 1-methylcyclopropene were stored at 0 ℃ and 2.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The variability of the volatile profile of 70 propolis samples from acaricide-treated and -untreated beehives maintained at Algarve (Portugal) was evaluated. Propolis samples were collected in three regions of Algarve at three different periods. Cluster analysis based on the propolis volatiles' chemical composition defined two main clusters, not related to the time of year, collection site, altitude, temperature or humidity ranges, and was based mainly on the relative amounts of viridiflorol, n-tricosane and n-nonadecane for cluster I.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fresh fruit and vegetables consumption has increased in the past few years due to the enhanced awareness of consumers for healthy food. However, these products are highly perishable, and losses can be of great significance if postharvest correct management is not provided. Fresh-cut products are of increasing importance, since they are presented to the consumer in a state that allows for direct and immediate consumption.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Propolis is a natural honeybee product known to be beneficial for human health, with a complex chemical composition, highly dependent on the collection site. The objective of the present research was to evaluate phenols and antioxidant activity of propolis samples collected in three main areas of Algarve, South of Portugal. Water revealed to be less effective for extracting phenolic compounds from propolis than the methanol and water/ethanol.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Consumption of minimally processed fruit and vegetables has increased significantly in the past few years due to the consumers' life style. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of treatment with ascorbic acid or calcium chloride on the quality parameters of fresh-cut kiwifruit prepared from fruit previously stored for 3 months, either treated or not treated with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) before storage. Harvested fruit were treated with 1 microL L(-1) 1-MCP for 20 h at room temperature ( approximately 20 degrees C) (MCP) or had no treatment (C) and were then stored at 0 degrees C.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Highly purified, intact chloroplasts were prepared from pea (Pisum sativum L.) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) following an identical procedure, and were used to investigate the cupric cation inhibition on the photosynthetic activity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We investigated the role of metabolite transporters in cold acclimation by comparing the responses of wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis thaliana (Heynh.) with that of transgenic plants over-expressing sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPSox) or with that of antisense repression of cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPas). Plants were grown at 23 degrees C and then shifted to 5 degrees C.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF