Publications by authors named "Isabel Teixeira"

Seed beetles spend most of their lives within the seeds of host plants belonging to the Fabaceae family. Evidence suggests the cues that mediate pre-oviposition behaviour in Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by the seeds and suggests differential abilities in environment sensing between sexes. Here, we tested whether VOCs from different legume species trigger different levels of attraction, whether females and males differ in their ability to respond to VOCs, and whether the seeds promoting different behaviours feature singular VOCs.

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  • The study investigates how the bean beetle, Zabrotes subfasciatus, adapts to new host plants through changes in gene expression, focusing on the early stages of this adaptation.
  • Researchers conducted a short-term selection experiment with populations that shifted from their usual host to Cicer arietinum, revealing significant differences in gene expression related to stimuli, signaling, and development.
  • The findings suggest that specific genes, such as those involved in histone methylation and reproductive functions, play a crucial role in the insect's adaptation process, laying the groundwork for further genomic studies on insect evolution.
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  • Orange thyme is gaining popularity as a condiment and herbal tea, but its chemical properties and health benefits are not well understood.
  • A study revealed that orange thyme contains high levels of rosmarinic acid, luteolin-hexuronide, and eriodictyol-hexuronide, which make up 85% of its phenolic content.
  • The extracts demonstrated strong antioxidant activity, significant inhibition of tyrosinase, moderate anti-acetylcholinesterase effects, and good anti-inflammatory properties, indicating its potential for use in food and health industries.
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A realistic description of the variability in bacterial growth and division is critical to produce reliable predictions of safety risks along the food chain. Individual-based modeling of bacteria provides the theoretical framework to deal with this variability, but it requires information about the individual behavior of bacteria inside populations. In this work, we overcome this problem by estimating the individual behavior of bacteria from population statistics obtained with flow cytometry.

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Background And Objectives: The SAPS 3 (Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3) prognostic system is composed of 20 parameters, represented by an acute physiology score and assessment of the previous status, aimed at establishing a predictive mortality index for patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU). The objective of this study was to validate this system and determine its discriminatory power in surgical patients in Brazil.

Methods: This is a prospective study undertaken in two surgical ICUs of two different hospitals over a one-year period; patients younger than 16 years, who stay at the ICU for less than 24 hours, readmitted to the unit, and those admitted for dialysis were excluded from the study.

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Thirty mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria were isolated from thermobiotically digested sewage sludge in culture medium supplemented with poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL). The ability of each purified isolate to degrade PCL and to produce polymer-degrading extracellular enzymes was assessed. Isolates were characterized based on random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), 16S rDNA sequence-based phylogenetic affiliation and carbohydrate-based nutritional versatility.

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