Non-destructive postharvest quality monitoring of different pear and sweet pepper cultivars

Postharvest quality changes of two pear and five sweet pepper varieties during cold storage (2±1 °C and 10±1 °C, respectively) and shelf-life (22±2 °C and 20±1 °C, respectively) by non-destructive optical methods (laser backscattering imaging, chlorophyll fluorescence analysis, surface colour measurement) and texture analysis methods (acoustic impulse-response technique, impact method) were determined and monitored. The rate of the change of ‘Conference’ pears’ Fv/Fm chlorophyll fluorescence parameter was lower than for ‘Bosc kobak’, referring to the cultivar characteristic and photosynthetically active chlorophyll content related maturity and colour change. Acoustic and impact stiffness decreased during shelf-life, referring clearly to temperature related textural change. Taking into account the seven different measuring wavelengths (650–1064 nm), laser scattering parameters showed significant and cultivar dependent changes versus time during cold storage and shelf-life. The used non-destructive methods were found to be suitable for objective sweet pepper quality determination. Cold storage combined shelf-life resulted in a relatively longer shelf-life, with a lower intensity and rate of quality decrease in time, based upon mass loss, stiffness, surface colour, and chlorophyll fluorescence changes. ‘Gigant’, ‘Carma’, and ‘Kárpia’ cultivars were found to be favourable, but ‘Kais’ and ‘Kun’ hot pepper samples were really sensitive to quality degradation

Non-Destructive impact method for quality assessment of horticultural products

In the case of organic production the quality assessment of the fruits and vegetables is especially important. Monitoring of the maturation and ripening process, early detection of diseases, decision about harvest date and postharvest treatment need reliable, objective and – preferably – non-destructive quality testing methods. Dynamic hardness or stiffness measurement methods (resonance, impact, wave propagation) offer very useful tools in this field, but with strong limitations in applicability area and/or physical interpretation of the measured parameters. Our objective was to develop method and appropriate portable instrumentation to measure surface hardness – as quality measure – with a nondestructive method. The computer controlled instrument has an electromagnetically excited impactor fitted with a piezoelectric acceleration sensor, a signal conditioner and A/D converter. To ensure the uniform contact behavior (contact area) between the impactor and the tested produce of wide range of shape, spherical head was applied. Conclusively, Hertz contact theory is to be applied for evaluation of the impact signal. Instead of using empirical “hardness index” – as in the case of several existing instruments – our objective was the physical interpretation of the contact phenomena. The measured acceleration signal was mathematically processed to calculate real physical parameters (force, speed, deformation), and to characterize the process similarly to the widely used texture analyzers, penetrometers. A new hardness parameter – “dynamic elastic modulus” – was introduced. According to the methodological investigations, the measurement was found to be perfectly non-destructive for a wide range of products. Conclusively, the developed method offers a useful tool for quality evaluation of organic horticultural products

Spectroscopy as a rapid detecting paprika powder adulteration

Paprika powder, a spice known for imparting flavour, colour and aroma in foods has recently become compromised by fraudulent activities involving diverse adulterants such as corn flour and has prompted quality assurance (QA) measures. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-destructive method gaining grounds in QA applications. The study applied NIRS to detect paprika powder adulterated with corn flour. Chemometric evaluation spectra showed that NIRS could discriminate cornflour adulteration with 100% classification accuracy. Adulteration was also predicted with high accuracies coefficient of determination (R2CV) between 0.97 and 0.99 and low errors (0.72 g/100g), proving the future QA applications of NIRS

Quality changes of pear during shelf-life

The aims of our research work were the investigation of postharvest changes of pear samples (Pyrus communis cv. Bosc kobak) during combined cold storage and shelf-life (storage at room temperature), the determination of quality changes by mainly non-destructive methods, the modeling of the changes of the non-destructive parameters (acoustic, impact stiffness coefficient, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters [Fv/Fm, Fm/F0]), and multivariate statistical analysis of the measured and predicted data based on the data of the non-destructive texture analysis (acoustic and impact methods), chlorophyll fluorescence analysis and laser scattering measurement. Storage Time Equivalent Value (STEV) was calculated and introduced based on mass-loss analysis. The changes of the non-destructive parameters were analyzed vs. this virtual storage time (STEV). The changes of acoustic, impact stiffness coefficient and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters can be predicted by exponential function. The predicted time constants of the parameters were 21.0, 45.8, 47.1, 83.4, acoustic, impact stiffness coefficient, Fm/F0, Fv/Fm, respectively. The lower the time constant, the quicker is the change of the given parameter during storage, the higher is its sensitivity. By this point of view, the percentage mass loss related sensitivity to the characterization of textural changes, the predicted acoustic stiffness coefficient was found to be more sensitive than the impact stiffness coefficient. The Fm/F0 value characterized more sensibly the changes of the chlorophyll fluorescence than in the literature commonly used Fv/Fm. The non-contact laser scattering method based significant PLS models were constructed to predict the quality related pear characteristics (mechanical properties, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters)

ОПТИМІЗАЦІЯ ОБЛІКУ ТА СТАТИСТИЧНОГО АНАЛІЗУ ПАЦІЄНТІВ ВІДДІЛЕННЯ ДИТЯЧОЇ НЕВРОЛОГІЇ

Background. The article describes the computer desktop program for automation of accounting of patiet and statistical periodic reporting «Accounting of patient of the department of neurology». Materials and methods. SQL Server format relational local database and main components of Microsoft SQL Server architecture. Results. Desktop computer program designed to optimize the process of patient registration. Conclusions. An effective tool has been developed in the form of a computer program that ensures the processing of medical records of patients and the creation of statistical reports in order to improve the level of quality and accuracy of treatment by a neurologist.В статье описана компьютерная десктопная программа для автоматизации ведения учета пациентов и статистической периодичной отчетности «Учет пациентов отделения неврологии», разработанная для оптимизации процесса регистрации пациентов.У статті описана комп’ютерна десктопна програма для автоматизації ведення обліку пацієнтів і статистичної періодичної звітності «Облік пацієнтів відділення неврології», розроблена для оптимізації процесу реєстрації пацієнтів

РОБОЧЕ МІСЦЕ ЛІКАРЯ-ПЕДІАТРА

The article describes the computer software complex of automated maintenance of the primary medical accounting documentation «Medical Registrar», which was developed to optimize the work of a pediatrician and pediatric nurse, who keeps accounting documentation.В статье описан компьютерный программный комплекс автоматизированного ведения первичной учетной медицинской документации «Медицинский регистратор», разработанный для оптимизации работы врача-педиатра и медицинской сестры педиатрического участка, ведущей учет документации.У статті описаной комп'ютерний програмний комплекс автоматизованого ведення первинної облікової медичної документації «Медичний реєстратор», розроблений для оптимізації роботи лікаря-педіатра та медичної сестри педіатричної дільниці, яка веде облік документації