The Composition of Volatiles and the Role of Non-Traditional LOX on Target Metabolites in Virgin Olive Oil from Autochthonous Dalmatian Cultivars.

The lipoxygenase pathway has a significant influence on the composition of the volatile components of virgin olive oil (VOO). In this work, the influence of the maturity index (MI) on the activity of the lipoxygenase enzyme (LOX) in the fruits of the autochthonous Dalmatian olive cultivars Oblica, Levantinka and Lastovka was studied. The analysis of the primary oxidation products of linoleic acid in the studied cultivars showed that LOX synthesises a mixture of 9- and 13-hydroperoxides of octadecenoic acid in a ratio of about 1:2, which makes it a non-traditional plant LOX. By processing the fruits of MI~3, we obtained VOOs with the highest concentration of desirable C6 volatile compounds among the cultivars studied. We confirmed a positive correlation between MI, the enzyme activity LOX and the concentration of hexyl acetate and hexanol in cultivars Oblica and Lastovka, while no positive correlation with hexanol was observed in the cultivar Levantinka. A significant negative correlation was found between total phenolic compounds in VOO and LOX enzyme activity, followed by an increase in the MI of fruits. This article contributes to the selection of the optimal harvest time for the production of VOOs with the desired aromatic properties and to the knowledge of the varietal characteristics of VOOs.

[Validation of method for estimation age of majority by the third molar maturity index on the sample of Ufa population]. / Validatsiya metoda opredeleniya vozrasta sovershennoletiya po indeksu zrelosti tret'ego molyara na vyborke naseleniya g. Ufy.

The assessment of majority age is important for determining legal responsibility. The definition of the 3rd molar maturity index (Im3) have proven to be a simple and effective method of majority age establishment, the accuracy of which has been tested in different populations. There is a clear lack of studies in this scientific area in Russia. OBJECTIVE: To test diagnostic accuracy of majority age assessment method by 3rd molar (Cameriere index) in the Ufa sample. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The number of orthopantomograms equal 120 from males and females aged from 14 to 23 years without apparent pathological changes of the pulp of teeth 38 and 48 was examined. The measures were conducted using the standard R. Cameriere method. The method of logistic regression, determination of predictive values of sensitivity and specificity were used. RESULTS: The Im3 cut-off point, that was equal 0.08, had a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 95% in the male sample, accuracy of age group determination was 93%. In the female sample the method sensitivity was 93%, specificity - 97%, accuracy - 97%. CONCLUSION: The study results confirmed the absence of population variability of the Cameriere index value, that makes it possible to use the majority age determination method by 3rd molar for practical application in the examination of a living person at the territory of the Russian Federation.

Third molar maturity index (I3M) assessment according to different geographical zones: a large multi-ethnic study sample.

Identification of living undocumented individuals highlights the need for accurate, precise, and reproducible age estimation methods, especially in those cases involving minors. However, when their country of origin is unknown, or it can be only roughly estimated, it is extremely difficult to apply assessment policies, procedures, and practices that are accurate and child-sensitive. The main aim of this research is to optimize the correct classification of adults and minors by establishing new cut-off values for four different continents (Africa, America, Asia, and Europe). For this purpose, a vast sample of 10,701 orthopantomographs (OPTs) from four continents was evaluated. For determination and subsequent validation of the new third molar maturity index (I3M) cut-off values by world regions, a cross-validation by holdout method was used and contingency tables (confusion matrices) were generated. The lower third molar maturity indexes, from both left and right side (I3ML and I3MR) and the combination of both sides (I3ML_I3MR) were calculated. The new cut-off values, that aim to differentiate between a minor and an adult, with more than 74.00% accuracy for all populations were as follows (I3ML; I3MR; I3ML_I3MR, respectively): Africa = (0.10; 0.10; 0.10), America = (0.10; 0.09; 0.09), Asia = (0.15; 0.17; 0.14), and Europe = (0.09; 0.09; 0.09). The higher sensitivity (Se) was detected for the I3ML for male African people (91%) and the higher specificity (Sp) of all the parameters (I3ML; I3MR; I3ML_I3MR) for Europeans both male and female (> 91%). The original cut-off value (0.08) is still useful, especially in discriminating individuals younger than 18 years old which is the goal of the forensic methods used for justice.

Olive Fruit Ripening Degree and Water Content Relationships with Phenolic Acids and Alcohols, Secoiridoids, Flavonoids and Pigments in Fruit and Oil.

Olive drupe traits (i.e., ripening index and pericarp water content) and minor components (i.e., phenols and pigments in both fruit and oil) are important for human health and are affected by agronomic background. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between fruit traits, phenols, and pigments in samples derived from different soil and water management practices. Chromatographic (UHPLC-MS/MS) and spectroscopic (1HNMR and near UV-Vis spectroscopy) techniques were employed for the characterization of olive fruits and oils. The use of various techniques allowed the identification of interesting trace compounds. We observed that most of the fruit phenols (a total of 29 compounds) were correlated with the degree of ripening: most of the phenolic acids (and their derivatives), phenolic alcohols, and secoiridoids were negatively correlated, whereas the majority of the studied flavonoids were positively correlated. The relationship between the ripening index and fruit phenolic compounds appears to be dependent on the metabolic pathway that controls the synthesis of each individual compound. Conversely, the secoiridoids and pigments in olive oil showed a negative correlation with pulp moisture, probably because of the influence of the water content on the extractability and transfer in the oil phase of these minor components.

[Forensic medical diagnostics of age by the Cameriere method]. / Sudebno-meditsinskaya diagnostika vozrasta po metodu Cameriere.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY: Was to conduct the comparative analysis of the age groups' separation accuracy (<18 years old; ≥18 years old) by orthopantomogram depending on the examination's side in Russian population sample. The number of orthopantomograms equal 600 (190 of male and 410 of female) aged from 14 to 23 were investigated. Index value of third molar (Im3) was calculated by the R. Cameriere method, in female and male, on the right and left sides. Index of third molar on the right and left sides shows a high correlation. In the male sample the result specificity was 0.97 on the left and 1.0 on the right, the sensitivity was 0.96 on the left and 0.94 on the right. In the female sample the values were as follows: the specificity was 0.96 on the left and 0.98 on the right, the sensitivity was 0.92 on the left and 0.94 on the right. The results showed the possibility of Im3 (0.08) use to determine the target age group for Russian citizens of both sexes regardless of examination side.

Study of the ethnicity's influence on the third molar maturity index (I3M) for estimating age of majority in living juveniles and young adults.

Estimation of age of majority has important applications in the forensic daily practice because of the increasing demand for age estimates of unaccompanied minors. Diagnostic accuracy of I3M to assess legal adult age of 18 years has been already tested in several specific population samples. The aim of this work was to compare the available data about sensitivity and specificity of the third molar maturity index (I3M) from five different regional groups' radiographic samples to study possible ethnical difference. For this purpose, a sample of 6157 orthopantomograms (OPGs), coming from 15 countries, was analysed. Data about sensitivity and specificity were pooled using a bivariate modelling approach. The one-way MANOVA analysis was applied to assess the likelihood that sensitivity and specificity of the five regional groups are sampled from the same population. The result of the one-way MANOVA showed that both sensitivity and specificity did not depend from the regional groups. The obtained sensitivity was 84% (95% CI: 82% and 85%), and its specificity was 94% (95% CI: 93% and 95%). Based on these results, the I3M was a useful statistical tool to identify whether a subject has reached the legal age of 18 years old, regardless of his or her ethnicity.

Comparison of the third molar maturity index (I3M) between left and right lower third molars to assess the age of majority: a multi-ethnic study sample.

The diagnostic accuracy of the I3M to assess the legal age of 18 years has already been tested in several specific-population samples. The left lower third molar has been extensively used for discriminating between minors and adults. This research aimed to compare the usefulness of lower third molar maturity indexes, from both left and right side (I3ML and I3MR), in samples originating from four distinct continents in order to examine possible differences in their accuracy values. For this purpose, a sample of 10,181 orthopantomograms (OPGs), from Europe, Africa, Asia and America, was analysed and previously scored in other studies. The samples included healthy subjects with no systemic disorders with both third molars and clear depicted root apices. Wilcoxon Signed Rank test for left and right asymmetry did not show any significant differences. Data about sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, likelihood ratio and accuracy were pooled together and showed similar results for I3ML and I3MR, respectively. In addition, all these quantities were high when only the I3MR was considered to discriminate between adults and minors. The present referable database was the first to pool third molar measurements using panoramic radiographs of subjects coming from different continents. The results highlighted that both I3ML and I3MR are reliable indicators for assessing the legal age of 18 years old in those jurisdictions where this legal threshold has been set as the age of majority.

On the Squalene Content of CV Chondrolia Chalkidikis and Chalkidiki (Greece) Virgin Olive Oil.

This work is a continuation of efforts to establish the nutritional profile of virgin olive oil (VOO) from cv. Chondrolia Chalkidikis and Chalkidiki and to strengthen its positioning in the global VOO landscape. VOOs produced at an industrial scale in different olive mills of the Chalkidiki (Greece) regional unit as well as VOOs obtained at the laboratory scale from drupes of different maturity stages for four consecutive harvesting years were examined for their squalene (SQ) content using both HPLC and GC procedures. The mean values of SQ were found to be 4228 (HPLC) and 4865 (GC) mg/kg oil (n = 15) and were of the same magnitude as that in VOOs from cv Koroneiki (4134 mg/kg, n = 23). Storage of VOOs in the dark at room temperature for 18 months indicated an insignificant mean SQ content loss (~2%) in comparison to a mean loss of 26% for alpha-tocopherol content. This finding strengthens our view that SQ does not act as a radical scavenger that donates hydrogen atoms to the latter. The four consecutive harvest years studied indicated a clear declining trend in VOO SQ concentration upon olive ripening. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic work concerning the SQ content of Chondrolia Chalkidikis and Chalkidiki VOOs.

The Potential of Virgin Olive Oil from cv. Chondrolia Chalkidikis and Chalkidiki (Greece) to Bear Health Claims according to the European Legislation.

The European food legislation authorizes the use of certain health claims based on a scientific basis. This study aimed to evaluate the fatty acid, tocopherol, and polar phenol composition of virgin olive oil (VOO) from cv. Chondrolia Chalkidikis and Chalkidiki regarding the fulfillment of official requirements for the health claims of 'oleic acid', 'vitamin E', and 'olive oil polyphenols'. The examination of representative industrial VOOs from 15 olive mills of the Chalkidiki regional unit showed that the two cultivars yield oils contained the necessary concentrations of the responsible bioactive compounds. This evidence was further substantiated by a four harvest study whereby olives from different maturity stages were sampled from three olive groves. Oils were extracted at a laboratory scale and examined for their content in the above-mentioned three categories of constituents. Oils produced at industrial scale from olives harvested on the 'technological optimum' stage according to the olive grove proprietor were also analyzed. Extra virgin olive oil of the studied cultivars can safely bear the generic claims for 'oleic acid' and 'vitamin E'. The cultivars present great potential regarding the total hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol content of the extracted oil required to attain the third health claim that may be influenced negatively by manufacturing practices.

Cameriere's third molar maturity index in assessing age of majority: a study of a French sample.

Forensic age estimation is a challenging field in forensic sciences because of the increase of migratory flows. Medicolegal age assessment is a key point because it has many implications for authorities. Dental age estimation is an essential part of the global age assessment. The aim of this study was to evaluate and test the accuracy of Cameriere's cutoff values of the third molar maturity index (I3M) in assessing legal adult age of 18 years in a French population. The sample was constituted of 431 orthopantomograms performed between January 2014 and August 2017 on patients aged between 14 and 22 years. The reproducibility and repeatability of the method were high. Age distribution gradually decreases as I3M increases in both sexes. 0.08 seemed to be the best I3M cutoff. For females, the sensitivity and specificity of the test were 74.51% and 88.23%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for males were 92.19% and 88.35%, respectively. The accuracies were 80.74% for female, 90.57% for male. Estimated post-test probabilities were 0.879 for female and 0.899 for male. To conclude, the specific cutoff value of I3M ˂ 0.08 may be a useful additional tool in discriminating adults and minors in French population.

Medium-long term effects of saline reclaimed water and regulated deficit irrigation on fruit quality of citrus.

BACKGROUND: Non-conventional water sources and water-saving techniques can be valuable in semi-arid regions, although their long-term effects on citrus quality are little known. This study evaluated the effects of irrigation with two sources, transfer water (TW) and reclaimed water (RW), combined with two irrigation strategies, full irrigation (FI) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), on fruit quality of mandarins and grapefruits during eight growth seasons. RESULTS: Reclaimed water irrigation in mandarin, without water restriction, influenced maturity index (MI) less than TW-FI, because titratable acidity (TA) increased to a greater degree than soluble solid contents (SSC). Nevertheless, juice quality standards were satisfied. Regardless of the irrigation treatment (FI or RDI), a trend towards increasing fruit weight was also detected with RW. In grapefruit, its rootstock (Citrus macrophylla) enhanced salinity resilience with respect to the rootstock of mandarin ('Carrizo' citrange) and, hence, MI was not affected by RW. The RDI strategy, without saline stress (TW-RDI), increased, to a similar degree, both SSC and TA in mandarin fruit, not affecting the MI. In grapefruit, the water stress of RDI did improve the MI due to the TA did not change and SSC increased significantly, the TA did not change. The combination of both strategies, RW-RDI, decreased the MI only in some years because TA increased proportionally more than SSC in mandarin. CONCLUSIONS: The medium- and long-term feasibility of using RW and RDI to irrigate citrus was demonstrated. However, they must be performed cautiously and with appropriate management to avoid damaging fruit quality as a result of phytotoxic elements. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Olive oil characterization of cv. 'Arauco' harvested at different times in areas with early frost in Mendoza, Argentina.

BACKGROUND: 'Arauco' is the only autochthonous olive cultivar from Argentina. Little has been reported so far regarding the management of this crop. In this work, variations in fruit and chemical characteristics of olives harvested over a wide range of dates and seasons are reported for this cultivar at two sites in Mendoza province in central west Argentina. RESULTS: During the harvest periods studied, fruit oil content on a dry basis remained at its maximum and was stable, but fruit oil content on fresh basis increased as water content decreased with delay in harvest date. Harvest date affected the maturity index of fruits as well as the oxidative stability and phenolic content of oil. In contrast, the fatty acid profile was not consistently affected by harvest date. Environmental conditions, mainly the occurrence and intensity of frosts, strongly influenced oil quality as well as maturity with delay in harvest date. CONCLUSION: The most appropriate harvest time to obtain Arauco oil with a high oil yield and good chemical quality was before mid-May and with maturity index lower than 2. Fruits harvested after mid-May were exposed to minimum temperatures between -1.2 °C and - 4.0 °C, producing oil with low phenolic compounds and oxidative stability. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

The third molar maturity index in indicating the legal adult age in Kosovar population.

The third molar tooth, known as the "wisdom tooth," is the only tooth that can be used to determine legal adult age. This study aimed to test the accuracy of Cameriere's third molar maturity index (I3M) in assessing the legal adult age of 18 years in the Kosovar population. Orthopantomographs (OPTs) of 1221 healthy living Kosovar individuals, aged between 12 and 23 years and with no congenital or developmental anomalies, were analyzed. Intra-class correlation coefficients were 0.858 (95% CI, 0.786 to 0.906) and 0.852 (95% CI, 0.779 to 0.903) for intra-rater and for inter-rater agreement, respectively. The sample was divided into training dataset (800 OPTs) and test dataset (421 OPTs). The training dataset was used to generate the logistic regression model, while the test dataset was used to study the performance of the model. I3M and gender as independent variables and adult age (≥ 18 years) or minor age (< 18 years) as the dependent variable were used for logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to determine the specific cut-off value of I3M for predicting adult age. The results showed that only I3M statistically significantly contributed to discriminating adults and minors. ROC analysis showed that the cut-off value of I3M < 0.08 was the best in discriminating adults and minors. An analysis of the test dataset (421 OPTs) showed that as I3M decreased the age gradually increased. The performance of the cut-off value of I3M < 0.08, to discriminate between adults and minors, was analyzed by contingency tables for both sexes. In males, the accurate classification (Acc) was 0.968 (95% CI, 0.926 to 0.985), the sensitivity (Se) was 0.962 (95% CI, 0.925 to 0.978), and the specificity (Sp) was 0.976 (95% CI, 0.929 to 0.995). The Bayes post-test probability (Bayes PTP) was 0.975 (95% CI, 0.905 to 1.00). In females, Acc was 0.909 (95% CI, 0.870 to 0.917), Se and Sp were 0.826 (95% CI, 0.787 to 0.834) and 0.991 (95% CI, 0.953 to 1.00) respectively, while Bayes PTP was 0.989 (95% CI, 0.926 to 1.00). Our data support the usefulness of I3M < 0.08 to indicate legal adult age in a Kosovar population.

Third molar maturity index (I3M) for assessing age of majority in northern Chinese population.

In many countries, assessment of legal age, also known as age of majority, has become increasingly important over the years. In China, individuals older than 18 years of age have full capacity regarding civil conduct and can be tried as an adult for criminal charges. Therefore, from a legal point of view, it is crucial to determine whether an individual is an adult. The developmental degree of the third molar is widely recognized as a suitable site for age estimation in late adolescence. This article uses the third molar maturity index (I3M) with a cutoff value of I3M = 0.08, which was established by Cameriere et al. in 2008, to distinguish whether an individual is a minor or an adult (≥ 18 years of age) in a northern Chinese population. A total of 840 digital orthopantomograms (OPTs) from 420 male and 420 female northern Chinese subjects aged 12 to 25 years were evaluated. It was found that an increase in I3M corresponded to a decrease in chronological age. In our study, I3M = 0.10 showed better accuracy in age discrimination in both men and women. This threshold also resulted in high sensitivity (0.929 and 0.809) and specificity (0.940 and 0.973) in males and females, respectively. The proportion of correctly classified subjects was 0.917 (95% CI, 0.898 to 0.935) in total, 0.938 (95% CI, 0.915 to 0.961) in male and 0.895 (95% CI, 0.866 to 0.925) in female subjects. Bayes post-test probabilities were 0.967 (95% CI, 0.947 to 0.986) in males and 0.983 (95% CI, 0.966 to 0.998) in females. These differences in threshold values between Chinese and Caucasian populations might be because the development of third molars is delayed in the Chinese population compared to the Caucasian population. In conclusion, I3M might be a useful method in legal and forensic practices to determine ages in late adolescence in northern Chinese individuals. However, a specific population should be tested before I3M is used for legal age estimation.

Third molar maturity index (I3M) for assessing age of majority: study of a black South African sample.

AIMS: The evaluation of the cutoff value of I3M = 0.08 for discriminating black South African minors from adults, and its relationship with chronological age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of 833 panoramic radiographs of healthy black South African subjects (500 females and 333 males), in the age range of 14 to 24 years (mean age 17.67 years in females and 17.42 years in males), was retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: ICC values were 99.10% (95% CI 97.70 to 99.70%) and 99.20% (95% CI 98.00 to 99.60%), for the intra- and inter-observer reliability, respectively. I3M decreased as the real age gradually increased in both sexes. According to the logistic regression model, the variable sex was not significant when the probability that an individual is 18 years or older was calculated. The I3M = 0.08 was valuable in discriminating between adults and minors. The overall accuracy (ACC = fraction of accurately classified subjects) is 0.90 (95% CI 0.87-0.91); the proportion of correctly classified subjects (Se = sensitivity) is 0.80 (95% CI 0.76-0.84), and specificity (Sp) is 0.95 (95% CI 0.93-0.97). The PPV (predictive positive value) is 0.96 (95% CI 0.95-0.97), and the negative predictive value is 0.76 (95% CI 0.72-0.80). CONCLUSION: The results show that I3M is a valuable method to distinguish subjects who are around legal adult age in South Africa.

Non-Destructive Sensor-Based Prediction of Maturity and Optimum Harvest Date of Sweet Cherry Fruit.

(1) Background: The aim of the study was to use innovative sensor technology for non-destructive determination and prediction of optimum harvest date (OHD), using sweet cherry as a model fruit, based on different ripening parameters. (2) Methods: Two cherry varieties in two growing systems viz. field and polytunnel in two years were employed. The fruit quality parameters such as fruit weight and size proved unsuitable to detect OHD alone due to their dependence on crop load, climatic conditions, cultural practices, and season. Coloration during cherry ripening was characterized by a complete decline of green chlorophyll and saturation of the red anthocyanins, and was measured with a portable sensor viz. spectrometer 3-4 weeks before expected harvest until 2 weeks after harvest. (3) Results: Expressed as green NDVI (normalized differential vegetation index) and red NAI (normalized anthocyanin index) values, NAI increased from -0.5 (unripe) to +0.7 to +0.8 in mature fruit and remained at this saturation level with overripe fruits, irrespective of variety, treatment, and year. A model was developed to predict the OHD, which coincided with when NDVI reached and exceeded zero and the first derivative of NAI asymptotically approached zero. (4) Conclusion: The use of this sensor technology appears suitable for several cherry varieties and growing systems to predict the optimum harvest date.

Third molar maturity index (I3M) for assessing age of majority in a black African population in Botswana.

Assessment of legal age, also known as age of majority, is a controversial issue as there are few body biomarkers or evidence during late adolescence differentiating a subject from being a minor or adult. The third molar was recognized as a suitable site for age examination in late adolescence. We analyzed the development of the left mandibular third molar by the third molar maturity index (I3M) and a specific cut-off value of I3M = 0.08, established by Cameriere et al. in 2008 and used it for discriminating between minors and adult black Africans from Gaborone, Botswana. A final sample of panoramic radiographs (OPTs) of 1294 people (582 males and 712 females) aged between 13 and 23 years was evaluated. The real age decreased as I3M gradually increased. There was no statistically significant difference in the third molar development evaluated using I3M between males and females (p > 0.05) across different I3M classes. Results of 2 × 2 contingency tables for different cut-off values indicated that I3M = 0.08 was useful in discriminating between adults and minors. Precisely, for I3M = 0.08, the values of accuracy or overall fraction of correctly classified were 0.91 in males with a 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) of 0.88 to 0.93 and 0.92 (95 % CI, 0.90 to 0.93) in females. Values of sensitivity of the test or the proportion of participants being 18 years and older were 0.88 (95 % CI, 0.87 to 0.90) in males and 0.88 (95 % CI, 0.90 to 0.93) in females, while values of specificity or proportion of individuals younger than 18 who have I3M <0.08 were 0.94 (95 % CI, 0.91 to 0.96) in males and 0.96 (95 % CI, 0.94 to 0.98) in females. Positive predictive values of the test, where the participants whose I3M <0.08 were adults, were 0.94 (95 % CI 0.91 to 0.96) in males and 0.97 (95 % CI, 0.94 to 0.98) in females, while negative predictive values of the test, where the participants whose I3M was ≥0.08 were minors, were 0.88 (95 % CI 0.85 to 0.90) in males and 0.97 (95 % CI, 0.94 to 0.98) in females. The likelihood ratios of the positive test (LR+) were 13.67 (95 % CI, 9.21 to 21.02) in males and 23.73 (95 % CI, 14.20 to 42.28) in females, while likelihood ratios of the negative test (LR-) were 0.12 (95 % CI 0.10 to 0.16) in males and 0.12 (95 % CI, 0.11 to 0.15) in females. Bayes post-test probabilities, p, were 0.94 (95 % CI 0.90 to 0.98) in males and 0.97 (95 %CI, 0.93 to 1.00) in females. These results indicate with high accuracy that I3M may be a useful alternative method in legal and forensic practice to discriminate individuals of black African origin who are around the legal adult age of 18 years in Botswana. Further studies should address the usefulness of this method and specific cut-off for different adolescent populations.

Determination of the Optimum Harvest Window for Apples Using the Non-Destructive Biospeckle Method.

Determination of the optimum harvest window plays a key role in the agro-food chain as the quality of fruit depends on the right harvesting time and appropriate storage conditions during the postharvest period. Usually, indices based on destructive measurements are used for this purpose, like the De Jager Index (PFW-1), FARS index and the most popular Streif Index. In this study, we proposed a biospeckle method for the evaluation of the optimum harvest window (OHW) of the "Ligol" and "Szampion" apple cultivars. The experiment involved eight different maturity stages, of which four were followed by long cold storage and shelf life to assist the determination of the optimum harvest window. The biospeckle activity was studied in relation to standard quality attributes (firmness, acidity, starch, soluble solids content, Streif Index) and physiological parameters (respiration and ethylene emission) of both apple cultivars. Changes of biospeckle activity (BA) over time showed moderate relationships with biochemical changes during apple maturation and ripening. The harvest date suggested by the Streif Index and postharvest quality indicators matched with characteristic decrease in BA. The ability of biospeckle method to characterize the biological state of apples was confirmed by significant correlations of BA with firmness, starch index, total soluble solids and Streif Index, as well as good match with changes in carbon dioxide and ethylene emission. However, it should be noted that correlations between variables changing over time are not as meaningful as independent observations. Also, it is a well-known property of the Pearson's correlation that its value is highly susceptible to outlier data. Due to its non-selective nature the BA reflected only the current biological state of the fruit and could be affected by many other factors. The investigations showed that the optimum harvest window for apples was indicated by the characteristic drop of BA during pre-harvest development. Despite this, at the current state of development the BA method cannot be used as an indicator alone. Due to rather poor results for prediction in OHW the BA measurements should be supported by other destructive methods to compensate its low selectivity.

Determination of the olive maturity index of intact fruits using image analysis.

In this work, the maturity index of different samples of olives was objectively assessed by image analysis obtained through machine vision, in which algorithms of color-based segmentation and operators to detect edges were used. This method allows a fast, automatic and objective prediction of olive maturity index. This prediction value was compared to maturity index (MI), generally used by olive oil industry, based on the subjective visual determination of color of fruit skin and flesh. Machine vision was also applied to the automatic estimation of size and weight of olive fruits. The proposed system was tested to obtain a good performance in the classification of the fruit in batches. When applied to several olive samples, the maturity index predicted by machine vision was in close agreement with the maturity index of fruits visually estimated, values that are currently used as standards. The evaluation of weight of fruit also provided good results (R(2) = 0.91). These results obtained by image analysis can be used as a useful method for the classification of olives at the reception in olive mill, allowing a better quality control of the production process.

Comparison of the Cameriere's third molar maturity index and Olze et al.'s stages of radiographic visibility of the root pulp in a Turkish population.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the Cameriere's third molar maturity index and Olze et al.'s stages of radiographic visibility of the root pulp in estimating the age of maturity in the Turkish population. The age of majority, which is legally significant, marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. In Turkey, the age of majority is set at 18 years. As the third molars continue to develop at this age, they can serve as an indicator of dental age. Materials and methods: A total of 705 panoramic radiographs obtained from individuals aged 15 to 22 years, including children and adults, were included in this study. The left mandibular third molars were evaluated on panoramic radiographs using Cameriere's third molar maturity index and Olze's method of radiographic root pulp visibility (RPV) stages. Minimum and maximum values were noted for each stage, and a median with upper and lower quartiles, as well as mean and standard deviation were calculated. Sensitivity and specificity values were calculated. Results: In males, Cameriere's third molar maturity index demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.77% and specificity of 0.96%, while in females, it showed a sensitivity of 0.57% and specificity of 0.92%. Regarding Olze et al.'s stage 0, the sensitivity and specificity values were 0.86% and 0.79% in males, and 0.85% and 0.75% in females, respectively. Conclusion: Although both methods can be used to distinguish individuals below or above the age of 18, the cut-off value suggested by Cameriere's method resulted in a higher rate of type 2 error (false negativity). Therefore, the method proposed by Olze et al., based on the radiographic visibility of the root pulp, can be employed to differentiate between adults and minors in the Turkish population.