Relationship between nondestructive firmness measurements and commercially important ripening fruit stages for peaches, nectarines and plums

Fruit firmness measurement is a good way to monitor fruit softening and to predict bruising damage during harvest and postharvest handling. Ripening protocols traditionally utilize a destructive penetrometer-type fruit firmness measure to monitor ripening. Until recently, methods of assessing fruit texture properties nondestructively were not commercially available. The nondestructive Sinclair iQ™ firmness tester was investigated to monitor ripening and predict bruising susceptibility in stone fruit. This work was carried out on four peach, three plum, and five nectarine cultivars over two seasons. The correlations between destructive and nondestructive firmness measurements were significant (p-value = 0.0001), although too low for commercial applications as they varied from r2 = 0.60–0.71 according to fruit type. Using a different approach, the relationship between destructive and nondestructive firmness measures was characterized in terms of segregating these fruit according to their stages of ripening. This was done by using discriminant analysis (66–90% agreement in ripeness stage classification was observed in validation tests). Discriminant analysis consistently segregated nondestructive firmness measured fruit into commercially important classes (“ready to eat”, “ready to buy”, “mature and immature”). These represented key ripening stages with different bruising potentials and consumer acceptance. This work points out the importance to relate nondestructive measurements directly to important commercial physiological stages rather than to correlate them with the current standard penetrometer values. Thus, destructive and nondestructive firmness measurements can be directly used to identify the stage of ripeness and potential susceptibility to bruising during postharvest changes. Further work is recommended to evaluate the performance of this nondestructive sensor in segregating fruit according to their stage of ripeness under packinghouse or processing plant conditions

Western Mediterranean climate and environment since Marine Isotope Stage 3: a 50,000-year record from Lake Banyoles, Spain

We present new stable isotope (δ¹⁸Ocalcite and δ¹³ Ccalcite) and diatom data from a 67-m sediment core (BAN II) from Lake Banyoles, northeastern Spain. We reassessed the chronology of the sequence by correlating stable isotope data with a shorter U-series-dated record from the lake, confirming a sedimentological offset between the two cores and demonstrating that BAN II spans Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3–1. Through comparison with previous records, the multi-proxy data are used to improve understanding of palaeolimnological dynamics and, by inference, western Mediterranean climate and environmental change during the past ca. 50,000 years. Three main zones, defined by isotope and diatom data, correspond to the MIS. The basal zone (MIS 3) is characterised by fluctuating δ¹⁸Ocalcite and benthic diatom abundance, indicating a high degree of environmental and climate variability, concomitant with large lake-level changes. During the full glacial (MIS 2), relatively constant δ¹⁸Ocalcite and a poorly preserved planktonic-dominated diatom assemblage suggest stability, and intermittently, unusually high lake level. In MIS 1, δ¹⁸Ocalcite and δ¹³Ccalcite initially transition to lower values, recording a pattern of Late Glacial to Holocene change that is similar to other Mediterranean records. This study suggests that Lake Banyoles responds limnologically to changes in the North Atlantic ocean–atmosphere system and provides an important dataset from the Iberian Peninsula, a region in need of longer-term records that can be used to correlate between marine and terrestrial archives, and between the western and eastern Mediterranean

"Ready to eat": maduración controlada de fruta de hueso en cámara

El desarrollo de un protocolo para controlar la maduracion poscosecha de fruta de hueso, ha permitido a los productores californianos el envio de frutos a los puntos venta en condiciones optimas para el consumo ("lista para comer") mejorando el precio final y preci

Evaluación del funcionamiento de un sensor comercial de firmeza en pera. Estudio metrológico

Non-destructive firmness estimation of fruits has recently become available for packers, although they demand more information on their performance and reliability. A commercial device based on low mass impact has been tested in this work, and it has been applied on pears. Correlation between the firmness Índex gíven by the device and Magness-Taylor forcé was low (r=0.896). Classifications modeled with discrlmínant analysis showed that it is feasible sort samples into two firmness groups 96 to 91 % of correct classification for pear). Classification into three classes yields lower scores. A study searching for sources of variation ¡n the measurement showed that the distance sensor-fruit, the displacement from the center, and the operating pressure affect the reading ¡n a significant way

Evaluation of a Kiwifruit non-destructive firmness sensor

Non-deslructive firmness sensors have recently become available for packers and f r u í handlers although they derrand more ¡nforrratbn on their performance and reliability. A corrmerdal sensor based on low rrass irrpact has been tested on kiwifruit. Correlatton betweer the firrmess Índex given by the device and Magness-Taybr foro» was low (r3 = 0.594). Classiftoatbns modeled with dbcrirrinant analysls showed that it Is feasible to sort samples Into two firnness groups (96 to 91%), but dassiflcatbn into three dasses yields lower scores

Predicting pitting damage during processing in California clingstone peaches using color and firmness measurements

Nondestructive and destructive measures of color and firmness were studied to determine the feasibility of predicting the level of damage to clingstone peaches during mechanical pitting. Nondestructive and destructive measures of firmness were equally variable when measuring the firmness at three equatorial cheek locations (coefficient of variation of about 17%), both had inverse relationships with the level of pitting damage (r2 ranged from 0.70 to 0.83), and could classify peaches into two categories (those subject to and those not subject to pitting damage) with classification accuracies of 75.2% and 81.7%, respectively. Destructive firmness was not a good predictor of nondestructive firmness in clingstone peaches. Skin color was not a good predictor of flesh color in clingstone peaches, and flesh color was not a good predictor of potential for damage to clingstone peaches during mechanical pitting

Fibromatosis palmar infantil: a propósito de un caso

Presentamos como caso clínico, una fibromatosis palmar infantil, complicada con un granuloma piógeno. Ambas entidades, aunque si bien se comportan con una elevada agresividad local, tienen un compor - tamiento benigno, en la mayoría de las ocasiones, siempre que no se trate de la expresión externa de una entidad de mayor gravedad denominada miofibromatosis infantil. Describimos el caso y el seguimiento del paciente, destacando que dentro de un diagnóstico anatomopatológico, de escasa especificidad, es crucial un diagnóstico clínico de mayor envergadura para descartar lesiones de otras localizaciones que pueden poner en peligro la vida del mismo.We present a case of palmar fibromatosis complicated with a pyogenic granuloma in a child. Both entities, even though they are locally aggressive, have a benign behavior in most cases, provided that they are not part of a more serious entity known as infantile myofibromatosis. We report the clinical case and follow up of the patient, highlighting the fact that as we deal with an anatomopathological diagnosis of quite limited specificity, it is crucial to look for an adequate clinical diagnosis in order to discard other lesions in different locations which could endanger our patient's life

On the estimation of free-surface turbulence using ultrasonic sensors

Accurate determination of free-surface dynamics has attracted much research attention during the past decade and has important applications in many environmental and water related areas. In this study, the free-surface dynamics in several turbulent flows commonly found in nature were investigated using a synchronised setup consisting of an ultrasonic sensor and a high-speed video camera. Basic sensor capabilities were examined in dry conditions to allow for a better characterisation of the present sensor model. The ultrasonic sensor was found to adequately reproduce free-surface dynamics up to the second order, especially in two-dimensional scenarios with the most energetic modes in the low frequency range. The sensor frequency response was satisfactory in the sub-20 Hz band, and its signal quality may be further improved by low-pass filtering prior to digitisation. The application of the USS to characterise entrapped air in high-velocity flows is also discussed