Publications by authors named "Rodrigo D"

Article Synopsis
  • Research has focused on using natural plant materials, like gallic acid (GA), to influence post-meal blood sugar levels by forming complexes with amylose in starch, leading to resistant starch.
  • The study compared the properties of normal rice starch and rice starch-GA composites processed through high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and thermal treatments, noting significant structural changes during digestion.
  • The HHP processing resulted in unique gel structures and a marked increase in resistant starch, indicating that HHP might be an effective method for creating starch-based foods with better digestion profiles.
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Nucleoredoxin (NXN) is a prominent oxidoreductase enzyme, classified under the thioredoxin family, and plays a pivotal role in regulating cellular redox homeostasis. Although the functional characterization of NXN has been extensively studied in mammals, its role in fish remains relatively unexplored. In this study, the NXN gene from Planiliza haematocheilus (PhNXN) was molecularly and functionally characterized using in silico tools, expression analyses, and in vitro assays.

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Peroxiredoxin 5 (Prdx5) is the last recognized member of Prdx family. It is a unique, atypical, 2-Cys antioxidant enzyme, protecting cells from death caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, the Prdx5 ortholog of Amphiprion clarkii (AcPrdx5) was identified and characterized to explore its specific structural features and functional properties.

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The group represents a serious risk in powdered and amylaceous foodstuffs. Cold plasma (the fourth state of matter) is emerging as an alternative effective nonthermal technology for pasteurizing a wide range of matrices in solid, liquid, and powder form. The present study aims to evaluate the mechanisms involved in inactivation via cold plasma, focusing on (i) the technology's ability to generate damage in cells (at the morphological and molecular levels) and (ii) studying the effectiveness of cold plasma in biofilm mitigation through the direct effect and inhibition of the biofilm-forming capacity of sublethally damaged cells post-treatment.

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Article Synopsis
  • - An exposure assessment model has been developed to estimate microbial concentrations in rice-derived products after 24 hours of storage at 20°C, considering both growth and inactivation of spores.
  • - The model shows that chitosan can significantly reduce microbial load during storage, serving as an added control measure to enhance food safety when there are cold chain interruptions.
  • - Under two contamination scenarios, the model predicts that 55% to 100% of portions could be contaminated, highlighting the importance of using chitosan to maintain product quality and safety throughout the supply chain.
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Thioredoxin domain-containing protein 12 (TXNDC12) is a member of the thioredoxin-like superfamily that contributes to various thiol-dependent metabolic activities in all living organisms. In this research, the TXNDC12 gene from yellowtail clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii) was structurally characterized using in silico tools, assessed for immunological expression, and evaluated for biological activity using recombinant protein and cellular overexpression. The deduced coding sequence of AcTXNDC12 comprised a 522-bp nucleotide, encoding 173 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 19.

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Interferon-related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1) is a viral responsive gene associated with interferon-gamma. Herein, we identified the IFRD1 gene (EaIFRD1) from red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara), evaluated its transcriptional responses, and investigated its functional features using various biological assays. EaIFRD1 encodes a protein comprising 428 amino acids with a molecular mass of 48.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study tested low-pressure CP with oxygen and synthetic air at various power levels (100-300 W) and exposure times (10-30 min), effectively killing the bacteria with notable differences in performance between the gases.
  • * Results showed that air plasma achieved a 3.71-log reduction, while oxygen plasma exceeded 5 log cycles, attributed to the strong antimicrobial properties of oxygen-containing radicals; the Weibull model successfully represented bacterial inactivation.
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Galectin-4 belongs to the galactoside-binding protein family and is a type of tandem repeat galectin. Despite previous studies indicating its importance in fish immunology, a comprehensive investigation is necessary to fully understand its role in immunomodulatory functions and cellular dynamics. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the immunomodulatory functions of galectin-4 with a particular focus on its antimicrobial and cellular proliferative properties.

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This study investigated the effects of low-pressure cold plasma on the inactivation of vegetative cells and spores in an inert matrix (borosilicate glass slide) and in rice grains, using oxygen as ionization gas. Greater reductions in counts were observed in vegetative cells rather than spores. The experimental data obtained show that both the power of the plasma treatment and the matrix proved to be determining factors in the inactivation of both the spores and vegetative cells of .

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Peroxiredoxin-1 (Prdx1) is a thiol-specific antioxidant enzyme that detoxifies reactive oxygen species (ROS) and regulates the redox status of cells. In this study, the Prdx1 cDNA sequence was isolated from the pre-established Amphiprion clarkii (A. clarkii) (AcPrdx1) transcriptome database and characterized structurally and functionally.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how HIV affects the severity of mpox outcomes in a large group of patients from 18 hospitals in Spain, focusing on factors like duration of illness and the presence of complications.
  • - Out of 1,823 patients with PCR-confirmed mpox, around 43% were people living with HIV, with a significant portion having uncontrolled viral loads, leading to higher rates of long or complicated mpox.
  • - The findings suggest that individuals with uncontrolled HIV are at increased risk for severe mpox complications, highlighting the need for timely HIV testing and immediate antiretroviral therapy for those diagnosed.
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Rice due to its high carbohydrate content, is an ideal medium for growth, a spore-producing microorganism. The objective of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of a grape extract in combination with heat treatments and different pH against spores in a rice solution. The survivor data obtained were fitted to the Weibull survival function, and the values of parameters and (scale and shape indexes, respectively) were determined.

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Edible insects currently represent an interesting alternative protein source to the animal ones. The objective of the present wok is to characterize proteins isolated from common cricket (). Powder samples of this insect-based flour were obtained using two extraction methods, i.

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Thioredoxin-like protein 1 (TXNL1) is a redox-active protein belonging to the thioredoxin family, which mainly controls the redox status of cells. The TXNL1 gene from Amphiprion clarkii (AcTXNL1) was obtained from a pre-established transcriptome database. The AcTXNL1 is encoded with 289 amino acids and is predominantly localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus.

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Sexual harassment has become increasingly common in Ecuador's higher education centers. However, due to the lack of instruments that evaluate sexual harassment, the magnitude of this phenomenon in Ecuador is unknown. This research aims to analyze the construct validity and internal consistency reliability of a sexual harassment measurement scale in higher education institutions (ASIES).

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The COVID-19 pandemic made robot manufacturers explore the idea of combining mobile robotics with UV-C light to automate the disinfection processes. But performing this process in an optimum way introduces some challenges: on the one hand, it is necessary to guarantee that all surfaces receive the radiation level to ensure the disinfection; at the same time, it is necessary to minimize the radiation dose to avoid the damage of the environment. In this work, both challenges are addressed with the design of a complete coverage path planning (CCPP) algorithm.

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The heat resistance of Bacillus cereus spores inoculated in a rice substrate supplemented with insect chitosan as an alternative antimicrobial was studied. Two concentrations of insect chitosan were considered in order to assess the role of the insect chitosan concentration during the heat process. Results of the study indicated that the DT values were higher in the substrate without chitosan than in the substrate containing chitosan thus indicating a greater heat resistance to heat treatment of the microorganism inoculated in the substrate without chitosan.

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This study investigates the antimicrobial activity of insect chitosan against vegetative cells of Bacillus cereus in a rice matrix. Sample culture solutions were prepared with different concentrations of insect chitosan (150, 180, 220 and 250 μg/mL) and tested at three temperatures (30 °C, 20 °C and 10 °C), which simulate different storage temperature scenarios of precooked rice. The results indicate that insect chitosan has antimicrobial activity that depends on temperature and chitosan concentration.

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The present study challenges the assessment of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) technology on the bioactive activity (antioxidant/antiaging and antimicrobial potential) of powder, using as an animal model. Surface microdischarge cold atmospheric pressure plasma (SMD-CAPP) treatment was 3.3 W discharge power for 7 min.

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Edible insects are being accepted by a growing number of consumers in recent years not only as a snack but also as a side dish or an ingredient to produce other foods. Most of the edible insects belong to one of these groups of insects such as caterpillars, butterflies, moths, wasps, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, bees, and ants. Insect properties are analyzed and reported in the articles reviewed here, and one common feature is nutrimental content, which is one of the most important characteristics mentioned, especially proteins, lipids, fiber, and minerals.

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The growing world population and the need to reduce the environmental impact of food production drive the exploration of novel protein sources. Insects are being cultivated, harvested, and processed to be applied in animal and human nutrition. The inherent microbial contamination of insect matrices requires risk management and decontamination strategies.

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The effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) combined with enzymatic methods or gelatin incorporation in the gelation process of protein isolated from Acheta domesticus was investigated. The results indicate that transglutaminase (TGasa) or glucose oxidase (GOx) enzymes can induce reversible aggregation in dispersions of insoluble protein fractions and increase viscosity in dispersions of soluble fractions, but does not induce gel formation even after HHP treatment; in consequence, enzymatic treatment on cricket protein can be used to increase viscosity but not to form gels. It is technically feasible to obtain gels by adding 2% porcine gelatin to dispersions of protein fractions and subjecting them to HHP.

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