Publications by authors named "Ines Baptista"

Objective: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a recognized therapy for treatment-resistant depression and has been studied for its potential in managing chronic pain. Knowing the intrinsic relationship between pain and depressive symptomatology, this systematic review aims to assess the impact of TMS on depressive symptoms in patients with chronic pain.

Materials And Methods: Electronic databases were systematically searched until November 2023 for studies applying TMS in chronic pain patients, with an assessment of both pain and depressive symptomatology.

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Bacterial gene networks have operons, each coordinating several genes under a primary promoter. Half of the operons in have been reported to also contain internal promoters. We studied their role during genome-wide stresses targeting key transcription regulators, RNA polymerase (RNAP) and gyrase.

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Bacteria evolved genes whose single-cell distributions of expression levels are broad, or even bimodal. Evidence suggests that they might enhance phenotypic diversity for coping with fluctuating environments. We identified seven genes in E.

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Closely spaced promoters are ubiquitous in prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. How their structure and dynamics relate remains unclear, particularly for tandem formations. To study their transcriptional interference, we engineered two pairs and one trio of synthetic promoters in nonoverlapping, tandem formation, in single-copy plasmids transformed into cells.

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The topology of the transcription factor network (TFN) of is far from uniform, with 22 global regulator (GR) proteins controlling one-third of all genes. So far, their production rates cannot be tracked by comparable fluorescent proteins. We developed a library of fluorescent reporters for 16 GRs for this purpose.

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Objective: This study aimed to investigate the role of the incorporation of an antibacterial nanoceramic (AgVO) on the properties of a restorative dental glass-ceramic.

Method: A commercially available restorative glass-ceramic, commonly designated as porcelain (IPS d.SIGN) was functionalized with an antibacterial agent (nanostructured β-AgVO), synthesized by a hydrothermal route.

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Cold shock adaptability is a key survival skill of gut bacteria of warm-blooded animals. Escherichia coli cold shock responses are controlled by a complex multi-gene, timely-ordered transcriptional program. We investigated its underlying mechanisms.

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The robustness and sensitivity of gene networks to environmental changes is critical for cell survival. How gene networks produce specific, chronologically ordered responses to genome-wide perturbations, while robustly maintaining homeostasis, remains an open question. We analysed if short- and mid-term genome-wide responses to shifts in RNA polymerase (RNAP) concentration are influenced by the known topology and logic of the transcription factor network (TFN) of Escherichia coli.

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Increased expression of transketolase (TKT) and its isoform transketolase-like-1 (TKTL1) has been related to the malignant leukemia phenotype through promoting an increase in the non-oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Recently, it has also been described that TKTL1 can have a role in survival under hypoxic conditions and in the acquisition of radio resistance. However, TKTL1's role in triggering metabolic reprogramming under hypoxia in leukemia cells has never been characterized.

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Escherichia coli uses σ factors to quickly control large gene cohorts during stress conditions. While most of its genes respond to a single σ factor, approximately 5% of them have dual σ factor preference. The most common are those responsive to both σ, which controls housekeeping genes, and σ, which activates genes during stationary growth and stresses.

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Closely spaced promoters in tandem formation are abundant in bacteria. We investigated the evolutionary conservation, biological functions, and the RNA and single-cell protein expression of genes regulated by tandem promoters in E. coli.

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Purpose: To investigate the subjective experience of adult cancer patients undergoing external radiotherapy and provide evidence for better practices in radiotherapy services.

Methods: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA Statement Guidelines. Qualitative and mixed studies were identified through five electronic databases (CINAHL, PsychINFO, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science), between March and April 2020, using defined criteria.

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The internal spatial organization of prokaryotic organisms, including Escherichia coli, is essential for the proper functioning of processes such as cell division. One source of this organization in E. coli is the nucleoid, which causes the exclusion of macromolecules - e.

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Regulation of future RNA and protein numbers is a key process by which cells continuously best fit the environment. In bacteria, RNA and proteins exist in small numbers and their regulatory processes are stochastic. Consequently, there is cell-to-cell variability in these numbers, even between sister cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • Staphylococcal food poisoning is a health and economic issue caused by Staphylococcus aureus which produces harmful enterotoxins.
  • This research investigates the volatile exometabolome of both enterotoxic and non-enterotoxic strains of S. aureus using advanced gas chromatography, identifying 240 volatiles from ten chemical families.
  • The study reveals that enterotoxic strains release higher levels of metabolites related to amino acid and pyruvate degradation, offering a method to differentiate S. aureus strains based on the number of enterotoxins they produce, highlighting its importance for food safety.
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Intrinsic and acquired resistance to chemotherapy is the fundamental reason for treatment failure for many cancer patients. The identification of molecular mechanisms involved in drug resistance or sensitization is imperative. Here we report that tribbles homologue 2 (TRIB2) ablates forkhead box O activation and disrupts the p53/MDM2 regulatory axis, conferring resistance to various chemotherapeutics.

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In this work, the development of resistance and the recovery of growth after several consecutive cycles of high hydrostatic pressure (HPP) were for the first time evaluated in different strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Three strains of this important and highly resilient to HPP foodborne pathogen were used: a non-enterotoxigenic ATCC 6538 strain, treated with 600 MPa for 30 min at 20 °C, and the toxigenic strains 2153 MA (with enterotoxin A) and 2065 MA (with the enterotoxins A, G and I), treated with 600 MPa for 15 min at 20 °C. After the first treatment, surviving colonies were used to produce new bacterial cultures.

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Tributyltin (TBT) is a biocide extremely toxic to a wide range of organisms, which has been used for decades in antifouling paints. Despite its global ban in 2008, TBT is still a problem of great concern due to the high levels trapped in sediments. Aeromonas molluscorum Av27 is a TBT degrading bacterium that was isolated from an estuarine system.

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The surface microlayer (SML) is characterized by different physicochemical properties from underlying waters (UW). However, whether these differences in abiotic factors underlie the distinct sensitivity of bacterioneuston (i.e.

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A novel approach based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-ToFMS) was developed for the simultaneous screening of microbial and mite contamination level in cereals and coffee beans. The proposed approach emerges as a powerful tool for the rapid assessment of the microbial contamination level (ca. 70 min versus ca.

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The biological effects of UV radiation of different wavelengths (UVA, UVB and UVC) were assessed in nine bacterial isolates displaying different UV sensitivities. Biological effects (survival and activity) and molecular markers of oxidative stress [DNA strand breakage (DSB), generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative damage to proteins and lipids, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase] were quantified and statistically analyzed in order to identify the major determinants of cell inactivation under the different spectral regions. Survival and activity followed a clear wavelength dependence, being highest under UVA and lowest under UVC.

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Bacteria from the surface microlayer (bacterioneuston) and underlying waters (bacterioplankton) were isolated upon exposure to UV-B radiation, and their individual UV sensitivity in terms of CFU numbers, activity (leucine and thymidine incorporation), sole-carbon source use profiles, repair potential (light-dependent and independent), and photoadaptation potential, under different physiological conditions, was compared. Colony counts were 11.5-16.

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The effects of UV radiation (UVR) on estuarine bacterioneuston and bacterioplankton were assessed in microcosm experiments. Bacterial abundance and DNA synthesis were more affected in bacterioplankton. Protein synthesis was more inhibited in bacterioneuston.

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