•Maturity at harvest and after storage plus genotype impact melon fruit flavor.•Volatiles increased in storage for all melon genotypes with esters being dominant.•Short shelf-life melons associated ...with esters, sulphur compounds and a terpenoid.•Long shelf-life melons related with green/grassy aroma/flavor, firmness, aldehydes.
Flavor is a key attribute defining melon fruit quality and driving consumer preferences. We characterized and compared fruit ripening patterns (ethylene, respiration), physicochemical properties (rind/flesh color, firmness, soluble solids, acidity), aroma volatiles, and flavor-related sensory attributes in seven melon genotypes differing in shelf life capacity. Fruits were evaluated at optimal maturity and after storage for six days at 5 °C plus one day at room temperature. Total volatile content increased after storage in all genotypes, with esters being dominant. Shorter shelf-life genotypes, displaying a sharper climacteric phase, correlated with fruity/floral/sweet flavor-related descriptors, and with esters, sulfur-containing compounds and a terpenoid. Longer shelf-life types were associated with firmness, green and grassy aroma/flavor and aldehydes. Multivariate regression identified key volatiles that predict flavor sensory perception, which could accelerate breeding of longer shelf-life melons with improved flavor characteristics.
Over the last 70 yr, more than 12,000 maize accessions have been screened for their level of resistance to western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (LeConte; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), ...larval feeding. Less than 1% of this germplasm was selected for initiating recurrent selection or other breeding programs. Selected genotypes were mostly characterized by large root systems and superior root regrowth after root damage caused by western corn rootworm larvae. However, no hybrids claiming native (i.e., host plant) resistance to western corn rootworm larval feeding are currently commercially available. We investigated the genetic basis of western corn rootworm resistance in maize materials with improved levels of resistance using linkage disequilibrium mapping approaches. Two populations of topcrossed doubled haploid maize lines (DHLs) derived from crosses between resistant and susceptible maize lines were evaluated for their level of resistance in three to four different environments. For each DHL topcross an average root damage score was estimated and used for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. We found genomic regions contributing to western corn rootworm resistance on all maize chromosomes, except for chromosome 4. Models fitting all QTL simultaneously explained about 30 to 50% of the genotypic variance for root damage scores in both mapping populations. Our findings confirm the complex genetic structure of host plant resistance against western corn rootworm larval feeding in maize. Interestingly, three of these QTL regions also carry genes involved in ascorbate biosynthesis, a key compound we hypothesize is involved in the expression of western corn rootworm resistance.
El objetivo de este artículo es analizar el efecto de la desigualdad del ingreso en el crecimiento económico por entidad federativa en México. Para esto se realiza una breve revisión de literatura, ...un análisis descriptivo de las variables empleadas y se aplica un modelo econométrico de datos panel. Se utilizan variables como el Producto Interno Bruto per cápita, la matrícula escolar, la formación bruta de capital fijo y el coeficiente de Gini por entidad federativa. Los resultados del modelo indican que el incremento de la desigualdad genera un impacto negativo en el crecimiento económico.
•Sensory panelists detected differences in texture among 10 melon genotypes.•Instrumental assessments detected differences in texture among 10 melon genotypes.•Instrumental parameters can predict ...texture sensory attributes in melon genotypes.•Breeding programs targeting texture may be accelerated by instrumental methods.
Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a commercially important horticultural crop worldwide that exhibits extensive phenotypic and genetic variation. Texture is one of the key attributes defining melon fruit quality and overall consumer preference. The aim of this research was two-fold: first, to characterize and compare differences in fruit sensory and instrumental textural properties among a diverse panel of melon fruit genotypes (to determine if each methodology is capable of discriminating among genotypes independently); and secondly, to assess the correlations between texture-related sensory attributes and instrumental parameters. During two production seasons, fruit from 10 melon genotypes with diverse textural characteristics were harvested at optimal commercial maturity and stored for six days at 5 °C plus one day at room temperature, then analyzed for textural instrumental and sensory properties. Both methodologies detected significant and reproducible differences in texture among the assayed melon genotypes. Furthermore, texture-related sensory attributes of firmness, crunchiness, and juiciness significantly correlated with several parameters obtained through the instrumental assessment of texture by using different probes of the texture analyzer instrument, independently. Our results indicate that texture-related attributes and overall fruit quality improvement could be accelerated significantly by the application of instrumental measurements to select for phenotypes that highly associate with consumer perception, decreasing costs and time investments.
Background and objectives: PAHO promotes implementation of a knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) questionnaire as an element to support strategies to reduce blood pressure (BP) and ...cardiovascular diseases risk throughout reducing sodium intake. PAHO's KAP is targeted to adult population, however, a reduction of sodium intake also reduces BP in children. Considering that a family environment and parentás decisions may influence children salt/sodium intakes, our propose was to identify parent's KAP related to salt/sodium intake of children. Methods: PAHO's KAP questionnaire was adapted to evaluated salt/sodium variables focusing in Children. The adapted questionnaire was applying to parents and caregivers of children beneficiaries of a food complementary program in Antioquia - Colombia. Results: Questionnaires were obtained from 2997 parents and caregivers; 37.5 (SD ± 10.9) years old, 94.3% female, and 65% from rural areas. Related with knowledge, 15.6% of respondents declare that know difference between salt and sodium, 11.4% always know the amount of sodium ingested by children, 15.4% declare that always labeling of children's food has information about sodium content, 63.5% agree that sodium affects children's health and 62.1% consider that the amount of sodium ingested by their children is adequate. About attitudes, 57.4% and 29.2% of respondent try their children reduce salt and sodium intake, respectively. About practices, 81.7% of respondent declared some action to reduce children's salt/sodium, among them: 22% read food labeling related with sodium, 19.6% choose to buy low sodium content foods, and 68.9% avoid children's addition of salt on the table. Conclusions: Parents and caregivers recognize that sodium intake has a negative effect on children's health. However, they lack knowledge about what is sodium, furthermore, they think that sodium intake is adequate in children. Parents try to reduce children sodium intake, nevertheless, their actions generally aimed to decrease salt addition, rather than avoid foods source of sodium. It is important to implement educational strategies to sensitize parents and caregivers about a possible excessive intake of sodium in children and identification of food sources of the mineral.
Energy management allows planning operators to determine how renewable energy, such as solar, is used to meet generation and consumption goals. Several management strategies can be designed to ...improve energy quality, reducing the power grid dependence and producing ambient benefits and economical profits. These strategies must be previous assessed by means of simulation models in order to determine their reliability and viability. The proposed simulation model allows users to implement, monitoring, analyze and evaluate various energy management strategies for microgrid power systems, based in photovoltaic (PV) generation and industrial consumption forecasts. Improved and customized methods of PV generation forecast, load prediction and battery management are developed and integrated to the simulating system. A case study is presented to assess the performance, capabilities and outcomes.
El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la relación entre el consumo de energía (combustibles y energía eléctrica), la producción industrial y el nivel de empleo en México durante el periodo ...2003-2012. En el caso de México, el consumo de energía no parece reflejar una clara relación ni con la producción (agregada) ni con el empleo. Para determinar dicha relación, se emplea una metodología de cointegración de panel. Se estima el sentido de la causalidad de corto y largo plazos. Este documento es de relevancia para la política económica, dado que presenta evidencia favorable de las hipótesis de crecimiento y realimentación.
El objetivo de este artículo es analizar de qué manera los instrumentos de política fiscal influyen en el crecimiento y en la desigualdad del ingreso en México. Para lo cual se presentan los ...antecedentes teóricos y se utiliza un modelo de crecimiento endógeno que incorpora variables fiscales. Asimismo, se estima un modelo econométrico mediante la técnica de datos de panel. Los resultados empíricos muestran que; el gasto corriente no impacta al crecimiento económico; los impuestos directos ejercen un impacto negativo en el crecimiento, mientras que los impuestos indirectos no arrojan resultados significativos en el modelo; el gasto corriente contribuye a reducir la desigualdad; los impuestos directos contribuyen a una reducción de la desigualdad, mientras que los impuestos indirectos contribuyen a aumentarla. La originalidad y principal contribución de este trabajo radica en su enfoque por entidad federativa considerando aspectos redistributivos. La limitante de este tipo de estudios se debe a la escasez los datos fiscales en algunas entidades federativas. Se recomienda considerar otras variables para determinar el causal entre eficiencia y equidad cuando se determinan variables fiscales.
Fiscal Decisions, Economic Growth and Income Inequality The aim of this paper is to analyze how fiscal policy instruments influence growth and income inequality in Mexico. For which the theoretical ...background is presented and an endogenous growth model that incorporates fiscal variables is used. Likewise, an econometric model is estimated using the panel data technique. The empirical results show that; current spending does not impact economic growth; direct taxes have a negative impact on growth, while indirect taxes do not show significant results in the model; current spending contributes to reducing inequality; direct taxes contribute to a reduction in inequality, while indirect taxes contribute to increasing it. The originality and main contribution of this document lies in its approach by federal entity considering redistributive aspects. The limitation of this type of study is due to the scarcity of fiscal data in some states. It is recommended to consider other variables to determine the causal between efficiency and equity when determining fiscal variables.
PDF
