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•Fiji_ImageJ integral image filter resource can improve both accuracy and reproducibility over a reference method for adults age estimation.•Considered Cameriere's (2008) pulp/tooth ratio methodology, the experimental protocol expressed not only a better adherence to the linear regression equation (an increase of 10% in the determination coefficient), but also an one-year reduction considered both the Standard Error of the mean (SE) and the mean of the residuals (RM).•The more visible and sharper contours under filtered examinations seem to have contributed to the intra-rater and to the inter-rater concordance score improvement; ranging respectively from 8% to 9% higher in the experimental protocol.

ABSTRACTThe research on substance use disorders is ongoing in the quest to find anti-addiction vaccines to treat drug abuse. This article provides a systematic review of clinical trials that have been conducted on humans to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and abstinence rates of anti-addiction vaccines for different drugs, with useful results regarding cocaine and nicotine vaccines in particular; this study includes also a meta-analysis to establish the antibody-titer production following the nicotine vaccination, while a meta-analysis of cocaine vaccines was not performed due to the small number of included trials. The articles taken into consideration were published between 2002 and 2015, including searches through 2022. Overall, 13 articles were selected with 2,266 participants from different ethnic groups. The meta-analysis of nicotine vaccines showed that vaccinated groups were 50 times more likely to create specific antibodies compared to the non-vaccinated. These results demonstrated how the nicotine vaccine has good immunogenicity.

One of the most frequently used area for age estimation, in children and adolescents, is hand–wrist. This retrospective study of 257 Egyptian children and adolescents (142 boys and 115 girls), aged 4–18 years, used the ratio between the total area of carpal bones and epiphyses of the ulna and radius (Bo) and carpals (Ca) as age indicators. Age calculated, using a formula reported earlier for an Italian sample, resulted in a standard error of estimate of 1.96 years. The new regression model for the Egyptian population, describing age as a linear function of gender (g) and the ratio between carpal bones area and carpal area (Bo/Ca), yielded the following equation: Age=−0.998+18.708 (Bo/Ca)+1.724g (Bo/Ca). This model explained 71% of total variance. The median of the absolute values of residuals (observed−predicted age) was −1.67 years, with a standard error of estimate of 1.85 years. It can be concluded that the Cameriere׳s method is not completely suitable for the Egyptian sample and a new modified formula was proposed.

Estimation of skeletal age using radiographic images is widely used for assessing biological growth in clinical and auxological studies. The most frequent areas used for age estimation in children and adolescents are tooth and wrist/hand, both giving good results with only a low level of radiation. In particular, ossification of the carpals shows good agreement with chronological age. This study of a sample of 150 Italian children and adolescents aged between 5 and 17 years focused on analyzing the possible applications of the proportion of carpal area (Ca) mineralization as a criterion of age estimation. The ratio between the total area of carpal bones and epiphyses of the ulna and radius (Bo) and Ca was calculated. This ratio (Bo/Ca) was used for linear regression analysis. The regression model, describing age as a linear function of the ratio Bo/Ca, yielded the following equation: Age=−3.253+0.719 g+20.610 Bo/Ca, and explained 83% of the total variance (R2=0.83). The median of the absolute values of residuals (observed age minus predicted age) was 0.08 years, with a quartile deviation of 1.59 years, and a standard error of estimate of 1.19 years.Estimation of skeletal age using radiographic images is widely used for assessing biological growth in clinical and auxological studies. The most frequent areas used for age estimation in children and adolescents are tooth and wrist/hand, both giving good results with only a low level of radiation. In particular, ossification of the carpals shows good agreement with chronological age. This study of a sample of 150 Italian children and adolescents aged between 5 and 17 years focused on analyzing the possible applications of the proportion of carpal area (Ca) mineralization as a criterion of age estimation. The ratio between the total area of carpal bones and epiphyses of the ulna and radius (Bo) and Ca was calculated. This ratio (Bo/Ca) was used for linear regression analysis. The regression model, describing age as a linear function of the ratio Bo/Ca, yielded the following equation: Age=−3.253+0.719 g+20.610 Bo/Ca, and explained 83% of the total variance (R2=0.83). The median of the absolute values of residuals (observed age minus predicted age) was 0.08 years, with a quartile deviation of 1.59 years, and a standard error of estimate of 1.19 years.

Abstract: This paper concerns a method for estimating the age of children based on their teeth. The sample consisted of 455 Italian white children (213 boys, 242 girls) aged between 5 and 15 years. The purpose of the present investigation was to present a method for assessing chronological age based on the relationship between age and measurement of the open apices in teeth. Pearson’s correlation coefficients between age and these variables showed that the correlations between age and the open apices in teeth were significant and negative. Furthermore, gender and the number of teeth with the apical end of the root canals completely closed (N 0) showed a significant correlation with chronological age. With the aid of a stepwise multiple regression model, a linear relationship between open apices, N 0, and age was shown. Statistical analysis indicated that these morphological variables explain 83.6% of the variations in estimated chronological age. The median of residual errors between the actual and estimated ages was −0.035 years [interquartile range (IQR)=1.18 years].

•Ear identification by Cameriere et al. (2011) method was tested.•The tests demonstrated that the method can be applied in a Brazilian sample.•Cameriere et al. (2011) method has potential practical application in crime scenes.•The k-dimensional tree algorithm allows identifying a person by ears.