Instituto Tecnólogico de La Laguna

Post-harvest losses of ‘Cruiser’ cantaloupe reach ~15% in arid regions of Mexico, representing substantial wasted water and embedded greenhouse-gas emissions. This study presents an open-access, low-temperature maceration protocol for converting cosmetically rejected fruit into a carotenoid-rich spirit at rural scale. A 5-day maceration at 20 °C (15% pulp, 20% v/v ethanol) preserved color, β-carotene, and antioxidant capacity over 90 days of storage. Shelf-life predictions beyond this period are model-based and require long-term validation. Trained assessors characterized the beverage with a favorable aromatic profile driven by fruity esters and floral terpenes. Life-cycle results indicated lower cradle-to-gate impacts than reference mango spirits, and composting of pomace generated a mature soil amendment. A simplified techno-economic scenario suggests potential for rural processing but excludes taxation, licensing, and regulatory compliance; thus, economic feasibility cannot yet be confirmed. Overall, this study provides a proof-of-concept pathway for valorizing cantaloupe waste through low-temperature maceration and identifies critical analytical, regulatory, and economic aspects needed for future scale-up.

In this paper, a novel Interval predictor-based controller is presented to solve the Bispectral Index regulation problem in anesthetic procedures where Propofol and Remifentanil are employed together. The resulting control scheme does not require observing or filtering the drug concentrations on the patient’s effect site from the BIS signal, and only requires knowing a feasible interval of initial conditions to ensure the convergence of the regulation errors to some target compact sets around the origin, despite perturbations and uncertainties affecting the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Some simulations, considering different in silico patients, are included to illustrate the implementability of the methods.

This paper presents a nonlinear control scheme to regulate the inductor current of a quadratic boost converter, which is based on the reduced redundant power processing (R²P²) concept. For the inductor current regulation task, the control scheme is based on the passivity based control (PBC) strategy, where the synthesis procedure for the control law and the stability conditions are given. Simulation results show the performance of the PBC scheme implemented in the quadratic converter.

This work present a robust control framework for unicycle mobile robots (UMRs) that perform trajectory tracking across terrains with distinct physical characteristics. These surface dependent disturbances such as wheel slip or uneven textures—affect the robot’s motion and control precision. The framework incorporates three nonlinear strategies: homogeneous, first, and second–order sliding–mode controllers, each designed to manage a specific disturbance profile and achieve either finite or asymptotictime convergence. A real-time vision module running on an embedded platform classifies the terrain and triggers the corresponding controller. The architecture was validated through both simulations and physical experiments, demonstrating improved tracking stability under diverse terrain conditions.

Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs), a product of nanotechnology, have emerged as promising biostimulants with significant applications in sustainable agriculture for enhancing crop yield and quality. In this study, the effects of foliar-applied CSNPs on yield and bioactive compounds in melon (Cucumis melo L.) fruits were evaluated. Five increasing concentrations of CSNPs (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mg mL−1) were foliarly applied. The foliar spraying of CSNPs exerted positive effects on fruit productivity and nutraceutical attributes. The most significant yield and commercial quality were achieved with the 0.4 mg mL−1 dose. In contrast, the 0.8 mg mL−1 dose was most effective in enhancing optimal postharvest characteristics, including fruit firmness and reduced weight loss, as well as stimulating the accumulation of bioactive compounds (such as flavonoids and vitamin C) and antioxidant capacity. In the case of phenols, the highest total phenolic content was observed at concentrations of 0.6 and 0.8 mg mL−1. Therefore, the foliar application of CSNPs constitutes a versatile and sustainable strategy, allowing for the tailoring of application doses to either maximize yield or enhance the functional and postharvest quality of melon fruits.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a multifactorial degenerative joint disease and a leading cause of disability in older adults. Obesity is the most modifiable risk factor for KOA. Previous studies have suggested an association between polymorphisms in the FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) genes and KOA, potentially mediated by obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the association between the rs1558902 FTO genetic variant, obesity, and KOA in a northern Mexican Mestizo population. Materials and Methods: A total of 462 individuals were included in the study. Participants were classified into three groups: (i) a reference population (n = 189), (ii) individuals with primary KOA (n = 130), and (iii) non-KOA individuals (n = 143). The rs1558902 variant was genotyped using DNA microarray technology in the reference population and by real-time PCR in the KOA and non-KOA groups. Binary and multinomial regression analyses were performed. Results: The rs1558902 variant showed a significant association with obesity in the reference population under codominant (p = 0.012) and recessive (p = 0.008) genetic models. These associations remained statistically significant after adjustment for sex and age using multinomial logistic regression. In the codominant model, the association with an odds ratio (OR) of 6.884 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.470-32.225; p = 0.014), while in the recessive model, the OR was 7.429 (95% CI: 1.619-34.091; p = 0.010). However, no significant association was observed between rs1558902 and KOA. Conclusions: These findings confirm the association between the rs1558902 FTO variant and overweight/obesity in a northern Mexican Mestizo population, but not with KOA. Further research is needed to explore this association in the context of other genetic and clinical factors.

Los hongos micorrízicos arbusculares (HMA) y rizobacterias promotoras del crecimiento vegetal (PGPR) hacen eficiente la aplicación de dosis reducidas de fertilizantes sintéticos, estimulando el crecimiento y la productividad de los cultivos. El objetivo del presente trabajo es evaluar el efecto combinado de Rhizoglomus intraradices, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila y una dosis reducida de fertilizante sintético en la morfo-productividad y contenido mineral de pepino bajo condiciones de invernadero. Un diseño completamente al azar se utilizó con los siguientes tratamientos; Fertilización sintética 100% (FS); R. intraradices + FS 50 % (Ri+FS50%); S. rhizophila + FS 50% (Sr+FS50%) y R. intraradices + S. rhizophila más FS 50% (Ri+Sr+FS50%) utilizando 200 plantas por tratamiento. Se determinó altura (cm), diámetro del tallo (mm), número de hojas y por planta se determinó; número de botones, flores masculinas y femeninas, número de zarcillos, índice de verdor (Iv), número y peso de frutos (g), peso total del fruto/planta (kg), rendimiento (kg m-2), contenido mineral de N, P, K, Ca y Mn en %, unidades formadoras de colonias (UFC) y colonización micorrízica. Los datos fueron procesados a través de un análisis de varianza según el criterio de Tukey a un 95% de confianza. Los resultados indican que las plantas con Ri+Sr+FS50% incremento de forma significativa (P ≤ 0.001) la altura (24.18 cm), diámetro del tallo (6.40 mm), número de hojas (18.35), zarcillos (3.10), flores masculinas (0.4), índice de verdor (256.95), flores femeninas (8.90), número de frutos (8.6) y rendimiento (15.92 kg m-2), en comparación con la aplicación del fertilizante sintético al 100% (FS). El uso de microorganismos benéficos en combinación con una dosis reducida de fertilizantes sintéticos incrementa la productividad del pepino, por lo tanto, puede constituir una alternativa sostenible en los sistemas agrícolas, reduciendo costos de producción y disminuyendo la contaminación ambiental salvaguardando la salud humana y animal.

Vermicomposting is a sustainable biotechnological process that transforms organic waste through the synergistic activity of earthworms, such as Eisenia fetida, and their associated microbiota. This study evaluated bacterial and physicochemical dynamics during the vermicomposting of bovine manure by analyzing the microbial composition of the substrate and the gut of E. fetida at three time points (weeks 0, 6, and 12). The V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced, and microbial diversity was characterized using QIIME2. Significant differences in alpha diversity (observed features, Shannon index, and phylogenetic diversity) and beta diversity indicated active microbial succession. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteriota were the dominant phyla, with abundances varying across habitats and over time. A significant enrichment of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and the genera Chryseolinea, Flavobacterium, and Sphingomonas was observed in the manure treatments. In contrast, Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, and the genera Methylobacter, Brevibacillus, Enhygromyxa, and Bacillus, among others, were distinctive of the gut samples and contributed to their dissimilarity from the manure treatments. Simultaneously, the physicochemical parameters indicated progressive substrate stabilization and nutrient enrichment. Notably, the organic matter and total organic carbon contents decreased (from 79.47% to 47.80% and from 46.10% to 27.73%, respectively), whereas the total nitrogen content increased (from 1.70% to 2.23%); these effects reduced the C/N ratio, which is a recognized indicator of maturity, from 27.13 to 12.40. The macronutrient contents also increased, with final values of 1.41% for phosphorus, 1.50% for potassium, 0.89% for magnesium, and 2.81% for calcium. These results demonstrate that vermicomposting modifies microbial communities and enhances substrate quality, supporting its use as a biofertilizer for sustainable agriculture, soil restoration, and agrochemical reduction.