Stable isotope dilution assay and HS-SPME-GCMS quantification of key aroma volatiles of Australian pineapple (Ananas comosus) cultivars.

Pineapple aroma is one of the most important sensory quality traits that influences consumer purchasing patterns. Reported in this paper is a high throughput method to quantify in a single analysis the key volatile organic compounds that contribute to the aroma of pineapple cultivars grown in Australia. The method constituted stable isotope dilution analysis in conjunction with headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas-chromatography mass spectrometry. Deuterium labelled analogues of the target analytes purchased commercially were used as internal standards. Twenty-six volatile organic compounds were targeted for quantification and the resulting calibration functions of the matrix -matched validated method had determination coefficients (R2) ranging from 0.9772 to 0.9999. The method was applied to identify the key aroma volatile compounds produced by popular pineapple cultivars such as 'Aus Carnival', 'Aus Festival', 'Aus Jubilee', 'Aus Smooth (Smooth Cayenne)' and 'Aussie Gold (73-50)', grown in Queensland, Australia. Pineapple cultivars varied in its content and composition of free volatile components, which were predominantly comprised of esters, followed by terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones.

Comparing the sensory properties of commercially available animal and plant-based burgers.

The number of plant-based meat products on supermarket shelves around the world has grown in recent years however reproducing the sensory experience of eating meat remains a challenge. This study aims to evaluate the sensory gaps between animal and plant-based meat products, specifically burger-type products, from the Australian market. The sample set of 19 commercially available burgers comprises 8 animal-based burgers prepared using beef, chicken, kangaroo, pork, or turkey and 11 high protein plant-based burgers. Vegetable patties are beyond the scope of this study. A trained sensory panel (n = 14) determined the major differences in aroma, texture, flavor, and aftertaste between meat and meat analogues during oral processing, particularly those that may impact consumer acceptability. The animal-based burgers scored high for meaty (aroma), meaty (flavor), and umami but not legume, vegetative, bitterness, and lingering spice attributes. They also received higher average scores for juiciness, fattiness, and final moistness than the plant-based burgers but scored lower in cohesiveness. The plant-based burgers scored high for legume and bitterness but not meaty (aroma), meaty (flavor), and umami attributes. Improving current products and designing new products with desirable sensory properties will enhance consumer acceptability and reinforce recent growth in the plant-based meats market.

Coffee brewing sonoreactor for reducing the time of cold brew from several hours to minutes while maintaining sensory attributes.

This research designed and developed an ultrasonic reactor for a fast and on demand production of cold brew coffee, remarkably reducing the brewing time from 24 h to less than 3 min. The technology was engineered by utilizing resonance to induce ultrasonic waves around the walls of the brewing basket of an espresso machine. The sound transmission system comprised a transducer, a horn and a brewing basket. This arrangement transformed the coffee basket into an effective sonoreactor that injected sound waves at multiple points through its walls, thereby generating multiple regions for acoustic cavitation within the reactor. Furthermore, acoustic streaming induced greater mixing and enhanced mass transfer during brewing. The design was accomplished by modeling the transmission of sound, and acoustic cavitation. Brew characterization and chemical composition analysis was performed, considering factors such as pH, acidity, color, and the composition of caffeine, fatty acids, and volatiles. The efficiency of the extraction increased by decreasing the basket loading percentage (BLP). For instance, sonicating at 100 W doubled the extraction yield and caffeine concentration, from 15.05 % to 33.44 % at BLP = 33 %, and from 0.91 mg/mL to 1.84 mg/mL at BLP = 67 %, respectively. The total fatty acids increased from 1.16 mg/mL to 9.20 mg/mL, representing an eightfold increase, at BLP = 33 %. Finally, a sensory analysis was conducted to evaluate appearance, aroma, texture, flavor, and aftertaste, which demonstrated that coffee brewed for 1 and 3 min in the sonoreactor exhibited almost undistinguishable properties compared to a standard 24 h brewing without ultrasound.

Astringency and its sub-qualities: a review of astringency mechanisms and methods for measuring saliva lubrication.

Astringency is an important mouthfeel attribute that influences the sensory experiences of many food and beverage products. While salivary lubricity loss and increased oral friction were previously believed to be the only astringency mechanisms, recent research has demonstrated that nontactile oral receptors can trigger astringency by responding to astringents without mechanical stimulation. Various human factors have also been identified that affect individual responses to astringents. This article presents a critical review of the key research milestones contributing to the current understanding of astringency mechanisms and the instrumental approaches used to quantify perceived astringency intensity. Although various chemical assays or physical measures mimic in-mouth processes involved in astringent mouthfeel, this review highlights how one chemical or physical approach can only provide a single measure of astringency determined by a specific mechanism. Subsequently, using a single measurement to predict astringency perception is overly idealistic. Astringency has not been quantified beyond the loss of saliva lubrication; therefore, nontactile receptor-based responses must also be explored. An important question remains about whether astringency is a single perception or involves distinct sub-qualities such as pucker, drying, and roughness. Although these sub-quality lexicons have been frequently cited, most studies currently view astringency as a single perception rather than dividing it into sub-qualities and investigating the potentially independent mechanisms of each. Addressing these knowledge gaps should be an important priority for future research.

Effectiveness of preconception weight loss interventions on fertility in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

IMPORTANCE: Weight loss before conception is recommended for women with overweight or obesity to improve fertility outcomes, but evidence supporting this recommendation is mixed. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of weight loss interventions using lifestyle modification and/or medication in women with overweight or obesity on pregnancy, live birth, and miscarriage. DATA SOURCES: An electronic search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, including Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature was conducted through July 6, 2022, via Wiley. STUDY SELECTION AND SYNTHESIS: Randomized controlled trials examining weight loss interventions through lifestyle and/or medication in women with overweight or obesity planning pregnancy were included. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted, reporting the risk ratio (RR) for each outcome. Subgroup analyses were conducted by intervention type, type of control group, fertility treatment, intervention length, and body mass index (BMI). MAIN OUTCOME(S): Clinical pregnancy, live birth, and miscarriage events. RESULT(S): A narrative review and meta-analysis were possible for 16 studies for pregnancy (n = 3,588), 13 for live birth (n = 3,329), and 11 for miscarriage (n = 3,248). Women randomized and exposed to a weight loss intervention were more likely to become pregnant (RR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.07-1.44; I2 = 59%) but not to have live birth (RR = 1.19, 95% CI 0.97-1.45; I2 = 69%) or miscarriage (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 0.79-1.74; I2 = 31%) compared with women in control groups. Subgroup analyses revealed women randomized to weight loss interventions lasting 12 weeks or fewer (n = 9, RR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.13-1.83) and women with a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 (n = 7, RR = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.18-2.02) were more likely to become pregnant compared with women in the control groups. Miscarriage was higher in intervention groups who underwent fertility treatment (n = 8, RR 1.45; 95% CI 1.07-1.96). CONCLUSION(S): Pregnancy rates were higher in women undergoing preconception weight loss interventions with no impact on live birth or miscarriage rates. Findings do not support one-size-fits-all recommendation for weight loss through lifestyle modification and/or medication in women with overweight or obesity immediately before conception to improve live birth or miscarriage outcomes.

Safety and Efficacy of Insulins in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Continuous Enteral Nutrition.

OBJECTIVE: There is a relative lack of consensus regarding the optimal management of hyperglycemia in patients receiving continuous enteral nutrition (EN), with or without a diagnosis of diabetes. METHODS: This retrospective study examined 475 patients (303 with known diabetes) hospitalized in critical care setting units in 2019 in a single center who received continuous EN. Rates of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and glucose levels within the target range (70-180 mg/dL) were compared between patients with and without diabetes, and among patients treated with intermediate-acting (IA) biphasic neutral protamine Hagedorn 70/30, long-acting (LA) insulin, or rapid-acting insulin only. RESULTS: Among those with type 2 diabetes mellitus, IA and LA insulin regimens were associated with a significantly higher proportion of patient-days in the target glucose range and fewer hyperglycemic days. Level 1 (<70 mg/dL) and level 2 (<54 mg/dL) hypoglycemia occurred rarely, and there were no significant differences in level 2 hypoglycemia frequency across the different insulin regimens. CONCLUSION: Administration of IA and LA insulin can be safe and effective for those receiving insulin doses for EN-related hyperglycemia.

Bringing back a forgotten legume-Sensory profiles of Australian native wattleseeds reveal potential for novel food applications.

Documented as one of the oldest living civilizations, there is now evidence that Indigenous communities in Australia followed a sustainable lifestyle with well-designed agricultural practices and adequate physical activity. Commonly known as wattleseeds in Australia, unique cultivars of Acacia have been consumed by Indigenous Australians for over 60,000 years. This research used descriptive sensory profiling to develop a lexicon for the aroma and flavor profiles of four wattleseed species before and after being subjected to different processing techniques. The processing methods selected were pressure cooking, dry roasting, wet roasting, and malting. The species included were Acacia kempeana, Acacia adsurgens, Acacia colei, and Acacia victoriae. Sensory differences were observed between the different cultivars as well as between the different food processing techniques. Results show that wattleseed species diversity is a key driver in determining the aroma profile, while taste profiles are modified by the type of processing method applied. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provides foundational knowledge on these culturally significant seeds, supporting practical opportunities to diversify the uses of wattleseeds in food products.

Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) bioactivity against spoilage microorganisms and oxidative reactions in refrigerated raw beef patties under modified atmosphere packaging.

Raw beef patties were treated with either 450 ppm of Sodium metabisulphite (SMB), or Kakadu plum powder (KPP) (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%) or no additive (negative control) and stored under Modified Atmosphere Packaging at 4 ± 1 °C for 20 days. Lipid oxidation, microbial growth rate, pH, instrumental color, and surface myoglobin were studied. Total phenolic compounds (TPC) and vitamin C of the KPP were also measured. The TPC was 13.9 g GAE/ 100 g dry weight (DW) and for vitamin C, the L-AA (l-ascorbic acid) and DHAA (dehydroascorbic acid) were 12.05 g/100 g and 0.5 g/ 100 g DW, respectively. The experimental results indicated that lipid oxidation was significantly delayed throughout the storage period for KPP-treated samples compared to both the negative control and SMB-treated samples. KPP at levels of 0.2% and 0.4% in the raw beef patties were efficient in slowing down the microbial growth rate compared to the negative control; however, SMB had a higher antimicrobial activity. The pH, the redness as well as metmyoglobin formation in the raw beef patties were reduced by the inclusion of the KPP in treated samples. A correlation (r = -0.66) was noted between KPP treatments and lipid oxidation, but there was no correlation (r = -0.006) between KPP treatment and microbial growth. This study demonstrates that KPP could be used as natural preservative for shelf-life extension of raw beef patties.

Review of the Aroma Chemistry of Pineapple (Ananas comosus).

Pineapple (Ananas comosus), one of the most flavorful and popular tropical fruits consumed worldwide, is known to contain many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at varying concentrations. Much attention has been paid to understand which VOC plays a significant role in the sensory aroma notes of the fruit. Though, nearly 480 VOCs have been identified to date using different analytical techniques, only 40 compounds are reported to contribute to the unique flavor of pineapple. A consolidated database of the reported VOCs and key aroma compounds of pineapple is currently not available. This review discusses the available published data regarding the analytical methodologies, volatile profile of different varieties of pineapple at different maturities, and their characteristic aroma compounds. The output of this review is a subset of key pineapple aroma volatiles that can be targeted in analytical method development for utilization in varietal improvement or other research of pineapple.

What is brain fog?

BACKGROUND: The term 'brain fog' is increasingly used colloquially to describe difficulties in the cognitive realm. But what is brain fog? What sort of experiences do people talk about when they talk about brain fog? And, in turn, what might this tell us about potential underlying pathophysiological mechanisms? This study examined first-person descriptions in order to better understand the phenomenology of brain fog. METHODS: Posts containing 'brain fog' were scraped from the social media platform Reddit, using python, over a week in October 2021. We examined descriptions of brain fog, themes of containing subreddits (topic-specific discussion forums), and causal attributions. RESULTS: 1663 posts containing 'brain fog' were identified, 717 meeting inclusion criteria. 141 first person phenomenological descriptions depicted forgetfulness (51), difficulty concentrating (43), dissociative phenomena (34), cognitive 'slowness' and excessive effort (26), communication difficulties (22), 'fuzziness' or pressure (10) and fatigue (9). 50% (363/717) posts were in subreddits concerned with illness and disease: including COVID-19 (87), psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, autoimmune and functional disorders. 134 posts were in subreddits about drug use or discontinuation, and 44 in subreddits about abstention from masturbation. 570 posts included the poster's causal attribution, the most frequent attribution being long COVID in 60/570 (10%). CONCLUSIONS: 'Brain fog' is used on Reddit to describe heterogeneous experiences, including of dissociation, fatigue, forgetfulness and excessive cognitive effort, and in association with a range of illnesses, drugs and behaviours. Encouraging detailed description of these experiences will help us better understand pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cognitive symptoms in health and disease.

Chemical composition of bunya nuts (Araucaria bidwillii) compared to Araucaria angustifolia and Araucaria araucana species.

Three of nineteen Araucaria tree species from around the world produce large edible seeds. While composition is established for edible pinhão and piñones nuts from Brazil and Chile, respectively, the first detailed characterisation for the composition of edible Araucaria bidwillii (bunya nut) from Australia is provided. Almost half of the kernel weight is moisture and the main component in the dried kernel is starch. Whilst low in protein and fat, it contains all essential amino acids and half the fatty acids are polyunsaturated (Omega-3 and 6). Bunya nuts are a source of dietary fibre, folate and minerals (Cu, Mn, Fe, Mg), while the nut husks and inner coating are high in phenolics, mainly catechin. The composition supports the Traditional Knowledge of Aboriginal Australians that the bunya nut is an energy dense and nutrient rich food. Similarities in the composition among the three different edible varieties were found, which should assist in developing sustainable value chain propositions via shared knowledge on processing and utilisation.

Statistical Mediation Analysis for Models with a Binary Mediator and a Binary Outcome: the Differences Between Causal and Traditional Mediation Analysis.

Mediation analysis is an important statistical method in prevention research, as it can be used to determine effective intervention components. Traditional mediation analysis defines direct and indirect effects in terms of linear regression coefficients. It is unclear how these traditional effects are estimated in settings with binary variables. An important recent methodological advancement in the mediation analysis literature is the development of the causal mediation analysis framework. Causal mediation analysis defines causal effects as the difference between two potential outcomes. These definitions can be applied to any mediation model to estimate natural direct and indirect effects, including models with binary variables and an exposure-mediator interaction. This paper aims to clarify the similarities and differences between the causal and traditional effect estimates for mediation models with a binary mediator and a binary outcome. Causal and traditional mediation analyses were applied to an empirical example to demonstrate these similarities and differences. Causal and traditional mediation analysis provided similar controlled direct effect estimates, but different estimates of the natural direct effects, natural indirect effects, and total effect. Traditional mediation analysis methods do not generalize well to mediation models with binary variables, while the natural effect definitions can be applied to any mediation model. Causal mediation analysis is therefore the preferred method for the analysis of mediation models with binary variables.

Holistic approach to effects of foods, human physiology, and psychology on food intake and appetite (satiation & satiety).

Appetite (satiation and satiety) is an essential element for the control of eating behavior, and as a consequence human nutrition, body weight, and chronic disease risk. A better understanding of appetite mechanisms is necessary to modulate eating behavior and food intake, and also provide a practical approach for weight management. Although many researchers have investigated the relationships between satiation/satiety and specific factors including human physiology, psychology, and food characteristics, limited information on the interactions between factors or comparisons between the relative importance of factors in contributing to satiation/satiety have been reported. This article reviews progress and gaps in understanding individual attributes contributing to perceived satiation/satiety, the advantages of considering multiple factors together in appetite experiments, as well as the applications of nondestructive sensing in evaluating human factors contributing to relative appetite perception. The approaches proposed position characterization of appetite (satiation and satiety) for personalized and precision nutrition in relation to human status and healthy diets. In particular, it is recommended that future studies of appetite perception recognize the inter-dependence of food type and intake, appetite (satiation and satiety), and individual status.

Folate vitamers in the Australian green plum: Through growth and ripening and across locations.

The green plum is a native fruit of Australia that grows on the tree Buchanania obovata. This study aimed to confirm the high level of folate in green plums by analyzing a large number of ripe samples from multiple locations and to understand how folate vitamers change as the fruit grows through maturity stages. This study analyzed green plums for five vitamers of folate, H4folate, 5-CH3-H4folate, 5-CHO-H4folate, 10-CHO-PteGlu, and PteGlu (folic acid) using a stable isotope dilution assay on a liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS). Green plums were tested from four locations, two harvests and five maturity stages. Another 11 ripe samples, each from different tree clumps from one location, were also tested as were ripe red-colored green plums. The results show the 5-CH3-H4folate in green plum increases and accumulates in the fruit through development, ripening and senescence. The ripe green plums contain between 82.4 ± 5.5 and 149.4 ± 10.7 µg/100 g Fresh Weight (FW). The red-colored green plums are even higher in folate, with total folate measured as 192.5 ± 7.0 and 293.7 ± 27.4 µg/100 g FW, and further analysis of them is suggested. There is some variation in amounts of folate between fruit from different locations and sets of trees, but all ripe green plums tested are considered good dietary sources of folate.

Biochemical, Sensory, and Molecular Evaluation of Flavour and Consumer Acceptability in Australian Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Varieties.

Inconsistency in flavour is one of the major challenges to the Australian papaya industry. However, objectively measurable standards of the compound profiles that provide preferable taste and aroma, together with consumer acceptability, have not been set. In this study, three red-flesh papayas (i.e., 'RB1', 'RB4', and 'Skybury') and two yellow-flesh papayas (i.e., '1B' and 'H13') were presented to a trained sensory panel and a consumer panel to assess sensory profiles and liking. The papaya samples were also examined for sugar components, total soluble solids, and 14 selected volatile compounds. Additionally, the expression patterns of 10 genes related to sweetness and volatile metabolism were assessed. In general, red papaya varieties had higher sugar content and tasted sweeter than yellow varieties, while yellow varieties had higher concentrations of citrus floral aroma volatiles and higher aroma intensity. Higher concentrations of glucose, linalool oxide, and terpinolene were significantly associated with decreased consumer liking. Significant differences were observed in the expression profiles of all the genes assessed among the selected papaya varieties. Of these, cpGPT2 and cpBGLU31 were positively correlated to glucose production and were expressed significantly higher in '1B' than in 'RB1' or 'Skybury'. These findings will assist in the strategic selective breeding for papaya to better match consumer and, hence, market demand.

Integrating Effects of Human Physiology, Psychology, and Individual Variations on Satiety-An Exploratory Study.

Satiety can influence food intake, and as a consequence has the potential to affect weight and obesity. Human factors such as physiology and psychology are likely to be important in determining satiety. However, it is not well-understood how these factors (individual variations) alone or combined contribute to satiety feelings. In addition, there have been limited or no attempts to use a holistic approach to evaluate satiety. In this study, three plant-based foods were used as mid-morning snack for 52 participants to evaluate satiety response (during three consecutive days, one-day-one-food type). The foods were served ad libitum until participants felt comfortably full prior to satiety monitoring. The study explored diverse human factors (n = 30) that might contribute to satiety including those related to oral physiology, metabolic factors, body composition and psychology. It identified important variables for satiety as well as the interactions among them and the influences of age, gender, and low satiety phenotype (consistently lower reported fullness scores) on satiety. Overall, combinations of factors rather than individual ones contributed to self-reported satiety. Food factors (e.g., type, composition) had limited effects, but there were only three types used in the study. The combination of metabolic factors [respiratory quotient, age, and body energy usage type (e.g., carbohydrate or fat)], oral sensitivity & processing, personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism), and eating behavior (e.g., emotional and external eating) were the most important for explaining individual satiety responses. Older participants had significantly higher reported satiety than younger participants, associated with significant differences in oral physiology, increased body fat, and mature psychological characters. Moreover, different satiety phenotypes had significant differences in relationships with body fat, oral physiology, personalities, food neophobia, and eating behaviors. The results of this study indicate that much greater insights into the factors determining satiety responses can be obtained by combining multiple food and human physiological and psychological characteristics. This study used more diverse measures of individual variation than previous studies of satiety and points the way toward a more holistic approach to understanding the (control of) perceptions of fullness at both individual and group levels.

Sensory properties of Australian bunya nuts.

Bunya nuts are the seeds of Araucaria bidwillii, a conifer native to South-East Queensland, Australia. They are one of the 19 species of Araucaria family found around the world, with the nuts from South America being the most commonly consumed. They are traditionally eaten boiled or roasted. This study aims to profile the sensory properties of bunya nuts with chestnut as a comparator. Since chestnuts do not come from a conifer tree, it is expected that there will be differences. Different methods of preparation are also expected to change the sensory attributes. Representative samples were collected from a variety of locations in South-East Queensland, prepared and presented to a panel of 14 experienced tasters applying conventional sensory descriptive profiling. During training, the panel developed a lexicon of 23 sensory attributes together with definitions and reference. Profiles of the boiled and roasted bunya nuts revealed higher scores for hardness on the first bite than chestnuts and, when chewed, became more crumbly, dry, and grainy. They had a savory aroma and flavor, and roasted samples exhibited a roasted aroma. Bunya nut samples were less sweet than chestnut samples. Differences in the sensory properties due to method of preparation were also observed. Boiled bunya nuts were softer and moister, with lower scores for crumbly and grainy. This research is foundational in providing technical information on the sensory profile of this important Indigenous Australian nut and provides a strong basis to support novel food sector opportunities for the bunya nut as a reemerging food source not only in Australia, but also South America. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: There is an increase demand for local, sustainable, and natural foods. Bunya nuts are native to Australia and are part of the Araucaria family, which includes 19 species that can be found around the world. To the best of our knowledge there is no study characterizing Araucaria nuts in terms of sensory attributes. This study builds a lexicon for bunya nuts and compares to chestnuts. It also shows how different preparation methods affect its sensory attributes, as well as possible future uses in product development. The outcomes might provide information to support studies on Araucaria nuts in other countries.

Predicting Satiety from the Analysis of Human Saliva Using Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometrics.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to analyze unstimulated saliva as a method to predict satiety in healthy participants. This study also evaluated features in saliva that were related to individual perceptions of human-food interactions. The coefficient of determination (R2) and standard error in cross validation (SECV) for the prediction of satiety in all saliva samples were 0.62 and 225.7 satiety area under the curve (AUC), respectively. A correlation between saliva and satiety was found, however, the quantitative prediction of satiety using unstimulated saliva was not robust. Differences in the MIR spectra of saliva between low and high satiety groups, were observed in the following frequency ratios: 1542/2060 cm-1 (total protein), 1637/3097 cm-1 (α-amino acids), and 1637/616 (chlorides) cm-1. In addition, good to excellent models were obtained for the prediction of satiety groups defined as low or high satiety participants (R2 0.92 and SECV 0.10), demonstrating that this method could be used to identify low or high satiety perception types and to select participants for appetite studies. Although quantitative PLS calibration models were not achieved, a qualitative model for the prediction of low and high satiety perception types was obtained using PLS-DA. Furthermore, this study showed that it might be possible to evaluate human/food interactions using MIR spectroscopy as a rapid and cost-effective tool.

A Randomization Permutation Test for Single Subject Mediation.

In response to the importance of individual-level effects, the purpose of this paper is to describe the new randomization permutation (RP) test for a mediation mechanism for a single subject. We extend seminal work on permutation tests for individual-level data by proposing a test for mediation for one person. The method requires random assignment to the levels of the treatment variable at each measurement occasion, and repeated measures of the mediator and outcome from one subject. If several assumptions are met, the process by which a treatment changes an outcome can be statistically evaluated for a single subject, using the permutation mediation test method and the permutation confidence interval method for residuals. A simulation study evaluated the statistical properties of the new method suggesting that at least eight repeated measures are needed to control Type I error rates and larger sample sizes are needed for power approaching .8 even for large effects. The RP mediation test is a promising method for elucidating intraindividual processes of change that may inform personalized medicine and tailoring of process-based treatments for one subject.

Starch Molecular Structural Features and Volatile Compounds Affecting the Sensory Properties of Polished Australian Wild Rice.

Cooked high-amylose rices, such as Australian wild rice (AWR) varieties, have slower digestion rates, which is nutritionally advantageous, but may have inferior eating qualities. Here, a comparison is made between sensory and starch molecular fine structure properties, and volatile compounds, of polished AWR varieties and some commercial rices (CRs). Starch structural parameters for amylopectin (Ap) and amylose (Am) were obtained using fluorophore-assisted capillary electrophoresis and size-exclusion chromatography. Volatile compounds were putatively using headspace solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sensory properties were evaluated by a trained panel. AWR had a disintegration texture similar to that of Doongara rice, while AWR had a resinous, plastic aroma different from those of commercial rice varieties. Disintegration texture was affected by the amounts of Ap short chains, resinous aroma by 2-heptenal, nonadecane, 2h-pyran, tetrahydro-2-(12-pentadecynyloxy)-, and estra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17ß-ol, and plastic aroma by 2-myristynoyl pantetheine, cis-7-hexadecenoic acid, and estra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17ß-ol. These findings suggest that sensory properties and starch structures of AWR varieties support their potential for commercialization.