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Autonomous University of Queretaro

UniversityQuerétaro City, Mexico

Research output, citation impact, and the most-cited recent papers from Autonomous University of Queretaro (Mexico). Aggregated across the NobleBlocks index of 300M+ scholarly works.

Total works
14.9K
Citations
398.0K
h-index
187
i10-index
8.7K
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Autonomous University of QueretaroUniversidad Autónoma de QuerétaroUniversidad de QuerétaroUniversity of Querétaro

Top-cited papers from Autonomous University of Queretaro

A Comprehensive Review of YOLO Architectures in Computer Vision: From YOLOv1 to YOLOv8 and YOLO-NAS
Juan Terven, Diana‐Margarita Córdova‐Esparza, Julio-Alejandro Romero-González
2023· Machine Learning and Knowledge Extraction2.8Kdoi:10.3390/make5040083

YOLO has become a central real-time object detection system for robotics, driverless cars, and video monitoring applications. We present a comprehensive analysis of YOLO’s evolution, examining the innovations and contributions in each iteration from the original YOLO up to YOLOv8, YOLO-NAS, and YOLO with transformers. We start by describing the standard metrics and postprocessing; then, we discuss the major changes in network architecture and training tricks for each model. Finally, we summarize the essential lessons from YOLO’s development and provide a perspective on its future, highlighting potential research directions to enhance real-time object detection systems.

Fruit and Vegetable Waste: Bioactive Compounds, Their Extraction, and Possible Utilization
Narashans Alok Sagar, Sunil Pareek, Sunil Sharma, Elhadi M. Yahia +1 more
2018· Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety1.2Kdoi:10.1111/1541-4337.12330

Fruits and vegetables are the most utilized commodities among all horticultural crops. They are consumed raw, minimally processed, as well as processed, due to their nutrients and health-promoting compounds. With the growing population and changing diet habits, the production and processing of horticultural crops, especially fruits and vegetables, have increased very significantly to fulfill the increasing demands. Significant losses and waste in the fresh and processing industries are becoming a serious nutritional, economical, and environmental problem. For example, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that losses and waste in fruits and vegetables are the highest among all types of foods, and may reach up to 60%. The processing operations of fruits and vegetables produce significant wastes of by-products, which constitute about 25% to 30% of a whole commodity group. The waste is composed mainly of seed, skin, rind, and pomace, containing good sources of potentially valuable bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, polyphenols, dietary fibers, vitamins, enzymes, and oils, among others. These phytochemicals can be utilized in different industries including the food industry, for the development of functional or enriched foods, the health industry for medicines and pharmaceuticals, and the textile industry, among others. The use of waste for the production of various crucial bioactive components is an important step toward sustainable development. This review describes the types and nature of the waste that originates from fruits and vegetables, the bioactive components in the waste, their extraction techniques, and the potential utilization of the obtained bioactive compounds.

Conservation Status of Imperiled North American Freshwater and Diadromous Fishes
Howard L. Jelks, Stephen J. Walsh, Noel M. Burkhead, Salvador Contreras-Balderas +4 more
2008· Fisheries858doi:10.1577/1548-8446-33.8.372

Abstract This is the third compilation of imperiled (i.e., endangered, threatened, vulnerable) plus extinct freshwater and diadromous fishes of North America prepared by the American Fisheries Society'S Endangered Species Committee. Since the last revision in 1989, imperilment of inland fishes has increased substantially. This list includes 700 extant taxa representing 133 genera and 36 families, a 92% increase over the 364 listed in 1989. The increase reflects the addition of distinct populations, previously non-imperiled fishes, and recently described or discovered taxa. Approximately 39% of described fish species of the continent are imperiled. There are 230 vulnerable, 190 thretened, and 280 endangered extant taxa, and 61 taxa presumed extinct or extirpated from nature. Of those that were imperiled in 1989, most (89%) are the same or worse in conservation status; only 6% have improved in status, and 5% were delisted for various reasons. Habitat degradation and nonindigenous species are the main threats to at-risk fishes, many of which are restricted to small ranges. Documenting the diversity and status of rare fishes is a critical step in identifying and implementing appropriate actions necessary for their protection and management.

A Review of Methods for Sensing the Nitrogen Status in Plants: Advantages, Disadvantages and Recent Advances
Rafael Muñoz-Huerta, Ramón Gerardo Guevara-González, Luis Miguel Contreras-Medina, Irineo Torres‐Pacheco +2 more
2013· Sensors581doi:10.3390/s130810823

Nitrogen (N) plays a key role in the plant life cycle. It is the main plant mineral nutrient needed for chlorophyll production and other plant cell components (proteins, nucleic acids, amino acids). Crop yield is affected by plant N status. Thus, the optimization of nitrogen fertilization has become the object of intense research due to its environmental and economic impact. This article focuses on reviewing current methods and techniques used to determine plant N status. Kjeldahl digestion and Dumas combustion have been used as reference methods for N determination in plants, but they are destructive and time consuming. By using spectroradiometers, reflectometers, imagery from satellite sensors and digital cameras, optical properties have been measured to estimate N in plants, such as crop canopy reflectance, leaf transmittance, chlorophyll and polyphenol fluorescence. High correlation has been found between optical parameters and plant N status, and those techniques are not destructive. However, some drawbacks include chlorophyll saturation, atmospheric and soil interference, and the high cost of instruments. Electrical properties of plant tissue have been used to estimate quality in fruits, and water content in plants, as well as nutrient deficiency, which suggests that they have potential for use in plant N determination.

Structural brain abnormalities in the common epilepsies assessed in a worldwide ENIGMA study
Christopher D. Whelan, André Altmann, Juan A. Botía, Neda Jahanshad +4 more
2017· Brain546doi:10.1093/brain/awx341

Progressive functional decline in the epilepsies is largely unexplained. We formed the ENIGMA-Epilepsy consortium to understand factors that influence brain measures in epilepsy, pooling data from 24 research centres in 14 countries across Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Australia. Structural brain measures were extracted from MRI brain scans across 2149 individuals with epilepsy, divided into four epilepsy subgroups including idiopathic generalized epilepsies (n =367), mesial temporal lobe epilepsies with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE; left, n = 415; right, n = 339), and all other epilepsies in aggregate (n = 1026), and compared to 1727 matched healthy controls. We ranked brain structures in order of greatest differences between patients and controls, by meta-analysing effect sizes across 16 subcortical and 68 cortical brain regions. We also tested effects of duration of disease, age at onset, and age-by-diagnosis interactions on structural measures. We observed widespread patterns of altered subcortical volume and reduced cortical grey matter thickness. Compared to controls, all epilepsy groups showed lower volume in the right thalamus (Cohen's d = -0.24 to -0.73; P < 1.49 × 10-4), and lower thickness in the precentral gyri bilaterally (d = -0.34 to -0.52; P < 4.31 × 10-6). Both MTLE subgroups showed profound volume reduction in the ipsilateral hippocampus (d = -1.73 to -1.91, P < 1.4 × 10-19), and lower thickness in extrahippocampal cortical regions, including the precentral and paracentral gyri, compared to controls (d = -0.36 to -0.52; P < 1.49 × 10-4). Thickness differences of the ipsilateral temporopolar, parahippocampal, entorhinal, and fusiform gyri, contralateral pars triangularis, and bilateral precuneus, superior frontal and caudal middle frontal gyri were observed in left, but not right, MTLE (d = -0.29 to -0.54; P < 1.49 × 10-4). Contrastingly, thickness differences of the ipsilateral pars opercularis, and contralateral transverse temporal gyrus, were observed in right, but not left, MTLE (d = -0.27 to -0.51; P < 1.49 × 10-4). Lower subcortical volume and cortical thickness associated with a longer duration of epilepsy in the all-epilepsies, all-other-epilepsies, and right MTLE groups (beta, b < -0.0018; P < 1.49 × 10-4). In the largest neuroimaging study of epilepsy to date, we provide information on the common epilepsies that could not be realistically acquired in any other way. Our study provides a robust ranking of brain measures that can be further targeted for study in genetic and neuropathological studies. This worldwide initiative identifies patterns of shared grey matter reduction across epilepsy syndromes, and distinctive abnormalities between epilepsy syndromes, which inform our understanding of epilepsy as a network disorder, and indicate that certain epilepsy syndromes involve more widespread structural compromise than previously assumed.

Annona muricata: A comprehensive review on its traditional medicinal uses, phytochemicals, pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action and toxicity
Ana V. Coria‐Téllez, Efigenia Montalvo‐González, Elhadi M. Yahia, Eva N. Obledo‐Vázquez
2016· Arabian Journal of Chemistry527doi:10.1016/j.arabjc.2016.01.004

Annona muricata L. (Magnoliales: Annonaceae) is a tropical plant species known for its edible fruit which has some medicinal merits, but also some toxicological effects. This review focuses on the phytochemicals contents, bioactivity, biological actions and toxicological aspects of extracts and isolated compounds, as well as medicinal uses of A. muricata, with the objective of stimulating further studies on extracts and fruit pulp used for human consumption. Traditional medicinal uses of A. muricata have been identified in tropical regions to treat diverse ailments such as fever, pain, respiratory and skin illness, internal and external parasites, bacterial infections, hypertension, inflammation, diabetes and cancer. More than 200 chemical compounds have been identified and isolated from this plant; the most important being alkaloids, phenols and acetogenins. Using in vitro studies, extracts and phytochemicals of A. muricata have been characterized as an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-protozoan, antioxidant, insecticide, larvicide, and cytotoxic to tumor cells. In vivo studies of the crude extracts and isolated compounds of A. muricata were shown to possess anxiolytic, anti-stress, anti-inflammatory, contraceptive, anti-tumoral, antiulceric, wound healing, hepato-protective, anti-icteric and hypoglycemic activities. In addition, clinical studies support the hypoglycemic activity of the ethanolic extracts of A. muricata leaves. Mechanisms of action of some pharmacological activities have been elucidated, such as cytotoxic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antinociception and hypotensive activities. However, some phytochemical compounds isolated from A. muricata have shown a neurotoxic effect in vitro and in vivo, and therefore, these crude extracts and isolated compounds need to be further investigated to define the magnitude of the effects, optimal dosage, mechanisms of action, long-term safety, and potential side effects. Additionally, clinical studies are necessary to support the therapeutic potential of this plant.

Coalescence of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Mauricio Terrones, Humberto Terrones, Florian Banhart, Jean‐Christophe Charlier +1 more
2000· Science510doi:10.1126/science.288.5469.1226

The coalescence of single-walled nanotubes is studied in situ under electron irradiation at high temperature in a transmission electron microscope. The merging process is investigated at the atomic level, using tight-binding molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. Vacancies induce coalescence via a zipper-like mechanism, imposing a continuous reorganization of atoms on individual tube lattices along adjacent tubes. Other topological defects induce the polymerization of tubes. Coalescence seems to be restricted to tubes with the same chirality, explaining the low frequency of occurrence of this event.

Chemical Composition of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Fruit: Nutritional and Phytochemical Compounds
María Elena Maldonado Celis, Elhadi M. Yahia, Ramiro Antonio Bedoya, Patricia Landázuri +4 more
2019· Frontiers in Plant Science490doi:10.3389/fpls.2019.01073

Mango fruit has a high nutritional value and health benefits due to important components. The present manuscript is a comprehensive update on the composition of mango fruit, including nutritional and phytochemical compounds, and the changes of these during development and postharvest. Mango components can be grouped into macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, lipids, fatty and organic acids); micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and phytochemicals (phenolic, polyphenol, pigments, and volatile constituents). Mango fruit also contains structural carbohydrates such as pectins and cellulose. The major amino acids include lysine, leucine, cysteine, valine, arginine, phenylalanine, and methionine. The lipid composition increases during ripening, particularly the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The most important pigments of mango fruit include chlorophylls (a and b) and carotenoids. The most important organic acids include malic and citric acids and they confer the fruit acidity. The volatile constituents are a heterogeneous group with different chemical functions that contribute to the aromatic profile of the fruit. During development and maturity stages occurs important biochemical, physiological and structural changes affecting mainly the nutritional and phytochemical composition, producing softening, modifying aroma, flavor, and antioxidant capacity. In addition, postharvest handling practices influence total content of carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamin C, antioxidant capacity and organoleptic properties.

Improvement of Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotube Composites through Chemical Functionalization
Carlos Velasco‐Santos, Ana Laura Martínez‐Hernández, Frank T. Fisher, Rodney S. Ruoff +1 more
2003· Chemistry of Materials399doi:10.1021/cm034243c

Chemically functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes were incorporated into a polymer matrix by in situ polymerization, to improve the transfer of mechanical load through a chemical bond, which was demonstrated by Raman and infrared spectroscopies. The resulting composite shows higher storage modulus ( E ‘) and tensile strength than existing similar composites, with only 1 wt % of functionalized nanotubes. E ‘ at 90 °C is increased by an outstanding 1135% and the glass transition temperature is exceptionally raised by ≅40 °C.

In search of the ‘we’ of social media activism: introduction to the special issue on social media and protest identities
Paolo Gerbaudo, Emiliano Treré
2015· Information Communication & Society373doi:10.1080/1369118x.2015.1043319

An internet meme using the Anonymous’ Guy Fawkes mask ‘going viral’ on Facebook; the hashtag #wearethe99percent launched by the Occupy Wall Street movement being adopted by thousands of internet us...

Impact of micronutrient deficiencies on obesity
Olga P. García, Kurt Z. Long, Jorge L. Rosado
2009· Nutrition Reviews372doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00228.x

Micronutrient deficiencies have been found in obese individuals across age groups worldwide. While the effects of micronutrient deficiencies on human functions have been studied widely in different populations, there is limited information on how these micronutrient deficiencies affect obese populations. An examination of the available literature suggests associations exist between micronutrient deficiencies and obesity in different populations. These associations and possible mechanisms of the deficiencies' metabolic effects, such as their influence on leptin and insulin metabolism, are discussed here. Further studies are needed to clarify the roles of the different micronutrient deficiencies with respect to obesity and its comorbid conditions.

Arsenic Exposure and Cognitive Performance in Mexican Schoolchildren
Jorge L. Rosado, Dolores Ronquillo, Katarzyna Kordas, O Ramírez Rojas +4 more
2007· Environmental Health Perspectives359doi:10.1289/ehp.9961

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested an effect of high arsenic concentration on cognitive and neurobehavioral function in humans. OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to identify demographic and nutritional factors that are associated with As exposure and the influence of this exposure on cognitive function in school-age children. METHODS: We recruited 602 children 6-8 years of age living within 3.5 km of a metallurgic smelter complex in the city of Torreón, Mexico, to participate in a cross-sectional evaluation. Of these, 591 had complete anthropometry, iron, and zinc status by biochemical measurements in serum, blood lead concentration (PbB), and arsenic in urine (UAs), and 557 completed several cognitive performance tests. RESULTS: The mean for UAs was 58.1 +/- 33.2 microg/L; 52% of the children had UAs concentrations > 50 microg/L, and 50.7% of children had PbB > or = 10 microg/dL. UAs concentration was associated with low socioeconomic status. Nutritional status indicators were not related to UAs concentrations. Linear and logistic regressions adjusted for hemoglobin concentration, PbB, and sociodemographic confounders showed a significant inverse association between UAs and Visual-Spatial Abilities with Figure Design, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, the WISC-RM Digit Span subscale, Visual Search, and Letter Sequencing Tests (p < 0.05). Boys excreted significantly more UAs (p < 0.05) and were affected on different cognitive areas than girls. CONCLUSIONS: Children living in an area contaminated with both As and lead showed that As contamination can affect children's cognitive development, independent of any effect of lead.

Thermal and Textural Properties of Organogels Developed by Candelilla Wax in Safflower Oil
Jorge F. Toro‐Vázquez, Juan A. Morales‐Rueda, Elena Dibildox‐Alvarado, Miriam A. Charó‐Alonso +2 more
2007· Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society354doi:10.1007/s11746-007-1139-0

Abstract We investigated organogel formation in dispersions of CW in safflower oil (SFO). Candelilla wax (CW) has as its main component hentriacontane (78.9%), a n ‐alkane with self assembly properties in organic solvents (i.e., vegetable oils). Results showed that, independent of the cooling rate (i.e., 1 °C/min and 10 °C/min) and gel setting temperature ( T set ), the CW organogels observed a thermoreversible behavior. This was evaluated by the behavior of thermal parameters that characterized organogel formation (gelation temperature, T g ; heat of gelation, ΔH g ) and melting (melting temperature, T p ; heat of melting, ΔH M ) after two heating‐cooling cycles. For a given CW concentration (i.e., 0.5, 1.0, and 3%), the magnitude of ΔH M and T p and the structural organization of the organogel, depended on the cooling rate, the thermodynamic drive force for gelation, and the annealing process occurring at high T set (i.e., 25 °C). At T set of 25 °C the microplatelet units that formed the organogel aggregated as a function of storage time, a process that resulted in an increase in organogel hardness. In contrast, at T set of 5 °C annealing occurred in a limited extent, but gels had higher solid fat content and microplatelet units of a smaller size than the gels obtained at 25 °C. The result was a three‐dimensional network with greater hardness than the one obtained at 25 °C. The 3% CW organogels showed no phase separation up to 3 months at room temperature, with textures of potential use by the food industry.

Current Advances in Detection and Treatment of Babesiosis
Juan Mosqueda, Andrea Margarita Olvera-Ramírez, Gabriela Aguilar‐Tipacamú, Germinal J. Cantó
2012· Current Medicinal Chemistry326doi:10.2174/092986712799828355

Babesiosis is a disease with a world-wide distribution affecting many species of mammals principally cattle and man. The major impact occurs in the cattle industry where bovine babesiosis has had a huge economic effect due to loss of meat and beef production of infected animals and death. Nowadays to those costs there must be added the high cost of tick control, disease detection, prevention and treatment. In almost a century and a quarter since the first report of the disease, the truth is: there is no a safe and efficient vaccine available, there are limited chemotherapeutic choices and few low-cost, reliable and fast detection methods. Detection and treatment of babesiosis are important tools to control babesiosis. Microscopy detection methods are still the cheapest and fastest methods used to identify Babesia parasites although their sensitivity and specificity are limited. Newer immunological methods are being developed and they offer faster, more sensitive and more specific options to conventional methods, although the direct immunological diagnoses of parasite antigens in host tissues are still missing. Detection methods based on nucleic acid identification and their amplification are the most sensitive and reliable techniques available today; importantly, most of those methodologies were developed before the genomics and bioinformatics era, which leaves ample room for optimization. For years, babesiosis treatment has been based on the use of very few drugs like imidocarb or diminazene aceturate. Recently, several pharmacological compounds were developed and evaluated, offering new options to control the disease. With the complete sequence of the Babesia bovis genome and the B. bigemina genome project in progress, the post-genomic era brings a new light on the development of diagnosis methods and new chemotherapy targets. In this review, we will present the current advances in detection and treatment of babesiosis in cattle and other animals, with additional reference to several apicomplexan parasites.

Detection and Classification of Single and Combined Power Quality Disturbances Using Neural Networks
Martin Valtierra‐Rodriguez, René de Jesús Romero-Troncoso, Roque A. Osornio‐Rios, Arturo García-Pérez
2013· IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics313doi:10.1109/tie.2013.2272276

The detection and classification of power quality (PQ) disturbances have become a pressing concern due to the increasing number of disturbing loads connected to the power line and the susceptibility of certain loads to the presence of these disturbances; moreover, they can appear simultaneously since, in any real power system, there are multiple sources of different disturbances. In this paper, a new dual neural-network-based methodology to detect and classify single and combined PQ disturbances is proposed, consisting, on the one hand, of an adaptive linear network for harmonic and interharmonic estimation that allows computing the root-mean-square voltage and total harmonic distortion indices. With these indices, it is possible to detect and classify sags, swells, outages, and harmonics-interharmonics. On the other hand, a feedforward neural network for pattern recognition using the horizontal and vertical histograms of a specific voltage waveform can classify spikes, notching, flicker, and oscillatory transients. The combination of the aforementioned neural networks allows the detection and classification of all the aforementioned disturbances even when they appear simultaneously. An experiment under real operating conditions is carried out in order to test the proposed methodology.

Slab detachment control on mafic volcanic pulse and mantle heterogeneity in central Mexico
Luca Ferrari
2003· Geology310doi:10.1130/g19887.1

Research Article| January 01, 2004 Slab detachment control on mafic volcanic pulse and mantle heterogeneity in central Mexico Luca Ferrari Luca Ferrari 1Centro de Geociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Queretaro 76230, Mexico Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Luca Ferrari 1Centro de Geociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Queretaro 76230, Mexico Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 03 Jun 2003 Revision Received: 18 Sep 2003 Accepted: 22 Sep 2003 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2004) 32 (1): 77–80. https://doi.org/10.1130/G19887.1 Article history Received: 03 Jun 2003 Revision Received: 18 Sep 2003 Accepted: 22 Sep 2003 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Luca Ferrari; Slab detachment control on mafic volcanic pulse and mantle heterogeneity in central Mexico. Geology 2004;; 32 (1): 77–80. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G19887.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Seismic tomography studies and plate reconstructions suggest that the Farallon slab broke off shortly before subduction ended off southern Baja California. However, the progress of detachment in time and space and its consequences on the volcanism of central Mexico have not so far been considered. Here I use the Neogene geologic record of central Mexico to propose a lateral propagation of slab detachment beneath the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt during the late Miocene. I suggest that the trace of the detachment is expressed by a short (2–3 m.y.), eastward-migrating pulse of mafic volcanism that took place from ca. 11.5 to ca. 6 Ma to the north of the Pliocene–Quaternary volcanic arc, as hot, subslab material flowing into the slab gap produced a transitory thermal anomaly in the mantle wedge. Slab detachment of the deeper and denser part of the plate was initiated in the southern Gulf of California area by the incoming of progressively younger oceanic lithosphere at the paleotrench that produced an increasing coupling between the Magdalena microplate and the overriding North American plate. The tear in the slab propagated eastward from the Gulf of California to the Gulf of Mexico, paralleling the southern Mexico trench system. The decrease in the Rivera–North America convergence rate between ca. 9 and 7 Ma appears to be related to the loss of slab pull after the detachment. Sparse oceanic-island–type basalts emplaced since the end of the Miocene in the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt are located above a trench-parallel slab window between the inferred detachment trace and the leading edge of the present slab, which has been detected seismically. In this context, the occurrence of these unusual intraplate magmas is easily explained by the infiltration of enriched asthenosphere into the subarc mantle. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Early lexical development in Spanish-speaking infants and toddlers
Donna Jackson‐Maldonado, Donna Thal, Virginia A. Marchman, Elizabeth Bates +1 more
1993· Journal of Child Language306doi:10.1017/s0305000900008461

This paper describes the early lexical development of a group of 328 normal Spanish-speaking children aged 0;8 to 2;7. First the development and structure of a new parent report instrument, Inventario del Desarollo de Habilidades Communicativas is described. Then five studies carried out with the instrument are presented. In the first study vocabulary development of Spanish-speaking infants and toddlers is compared to that of English-speaking infants and toddlers. The English data were gathered using a comparable parental report, the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories. In the second study the general characteristics of Spanish language acquisition, and the effects of various demographic factors on that process, are examined. Study 3 examines the differential effects of three methods of collecting the data (mail-in, personal interview, and clinic waiting room administration). Studies 4 and 5 document the reliability and validity of the instrument. Results show that the trajectories of development are very similar for Spanish- and English-speaking children in this age range, that children from varying social groups develop similarly, and that mail-in and personal interview administration techniques produce comparable results. Inventories administered in a medical clinic waiting room, on the other hand, produced lower estimates of toddler vocabulary than the other two models.

Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside: Physical-Chemistry, Foodomics and Health Effects
Francisco J. Olivas‐Aguirre, Joaquı́n Rodrigo-García, Nina del Rocío Martínez–Ruiz, Arely Cárdenas +4 more
2016· Molecules303doi:10.3390/molecules21091264

Anthocyanins (ACNs) are plant secondary metabolites from the flavonoid family. Red to blue fruits are major dietary sources of ACNs (up to 1 g/100 g FW), being cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (Cy3G) one of the most widely distributed. Cy3G confers a red hue to fruits, but its content in raspberries and strawberries is low. It has a good radical scavenging capacity (RSC) against superoxide but not hydroxyl radicals, and its oxidative potential is pH-dependent (58 mV/pH unit). After intake, Cy3G can be metabolized (phases I, II) by oral epithelial cells, absorbed by the gastric epithelium (1%–10%) and it is gut-transformed (phase II & microbial metabolism), reaching the bloodstream (<1%) and urine (about 0.02%) in low amounts. In humans and Caco-2 cells, Cy3G’s major metabolites are protocatechuic acid and phloroglucinaldehyde which are also subjected to entero-hepatic recycling, although caffeic acid and peonidin-3-glucoside seem to be strictly produced in the large bowel and renal tissues. Solid evidence supports Cy3G’s bioactivity as DNA-RSC, gastro protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic chemo-preventive and as an epigenetic factor, exerting protection against Helicobacter pylori infection, age-related diseases, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and oral cancer. Most relevant mechanisms include RSC, epigenetic action, competitive protein-binding and enzyme inhibition. These and other novel aspects on Cy3G’s physical-chemistry, foodomics, and health effects are discussed.

Antioxidant Activity in Common Beans (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.)
Anaberta Cardador‐Martínez, Guadalupe Lóarca-Piña, B. Dave Oomah
2002· Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry299doi:10.1021/jf020296n

Beans were pearled to evaluate the feasibility of increasing antioxidant activity and phenolic antioxidants. Phenolics were concentrated mostly in the hull fraction at about 56 mg of catechin equivalents per gram of sample. The methanolic extracts of the pearled bean samples were screened for antioxidant potential using the beta-carotene-linoleate and the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in vitro model systems. The pearled material, also referred to as milled samples, exhibited antioxidant activity that correlated with phenolic content and inhibited DPPH significantly in a dose-dependent manner. Phenolics and antioxidant activities were also examined in chromatographic fractions of methanolic extracts of manually obtained hulls that represented a model used previously to ascertain antimutagenic activity. Fractions extracted with ethyl acetate/acetone and acetone displayed antioxidant activity, which implies potent free radical scavenging activity with antimutagenic activity.

Identification and Quantification of Betalains from the Fruits of 10 Mexican Prickly Pear Cultivars by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Elena Castellanos-Santiago, Elhadi M. Yahia
2008· Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry297doi:10.1021/jf800362t

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of betalain pigments in 10 cultivars/lines of prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) fruit grown in Mexico were conducted with reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Betacyanins and betaxanthins were identified by comparison with the UV/vis and mass spectrometric characteristics as well as the retention times of semisynthesized reference betaxanthins. Data revealed that the ratio and concentration of betalain pigments are responsible for the color in the different cultivars, showing the highest betalains content in the fruit of purple colored Camuesa (O. robusta Wendl.) (8.1 mg/g dry fruit), which is comparable to that found in red beet Beta vulgaris L. ssp. Var. Pablo) (8.6 mg/g dry tissue). Yellow betalains were absent in Reyna (O. alba-carpa) prickly pear cultivar. A total of 24 known/unknown betalains were present in the prickly pear fruit samples studied, including 18 betaxanthins and 6 betacyanins. Our results indicate that prickly pear cultivars can be considered as a potential source of yellow and red natural colorants.