Size-Tunable Band Structure and Optical Properties of Colloidal Silicon Nanocrystals Synthesized via Thermal Disproportionation of Hydrogen Silsesquioxane Polymers.

Dodecane-capped silicon nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized by using a low-temperature (800-1100 °C) polymer variant of traditional hydrogen silsesquioxane thermal disproportionation. Highly crystalline Si NCs having tunable diameters (3.0-6.7 nm) and thus photoluminescence (PL) peaks (1.68-1.29 eV) were attained via changes in the maximum annealing temperature. Modifications in the NC band structure with diameter were explored by comparison of emission with absorption spectra obtained from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Large apparent energy shifts between onsets and PL were noted, being significant for smaller NCs (≤∼4.0 nm). This, along with comparatively "softer" onsets, is commensurate with density of states elongation around PL peaks associated with increasing confinement predicted for indirect semiconductor nanostructures. Tauc analyses of absorption additionally revealed three distinguishable optical transitions in all NCs: attributed to indirect Γ25'-Δ1 in lower energy ranges (likely the emission progenitor), indirect Γ25'-L1 overtaken by quasi-direct Γ-X wave function mixing for NC diameters ≤∼4.0 nm within the midenergy regime, and direct Γ25'-Γ15 transitions at energies nearing and above ∼3 eV.

Measurement of the Isolated Nuclear Two-Photon Decay in

The nuclear two-photon or double-gamma (2γ) decay is a second-order electromagnetic process whereby a nucleus in an excited state emits two gamma rays simultaneously. To be able to directly measure the 2γ decay rate in the low-energy regime below the electron-positron pair-creation threshold, we combined the isochronous mode of a storage ring with Schottky resonant cavities. The newly developed technique can be applied to isomers with excitation energies down to ∼100 keV and half-lives as short as ∼10 ms. The half-life for the 2γ decay of the first-excited 0^{+} state in bare ^{72}Ge ions was determined to be 23.9(6) ms, which strongly deviates from expectations.

Chronic inflammation decreases arcuate kisspeptin expression in male sheep.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria induces an immune response and impairs reproduction through suppression of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), subsequently luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. While there is evidence that acute inflammation inhibits kisspeptin, little is known about the impact of chronic inflammation on this key reproductive neuropeptide in livestock species. Thus, we sought to examine a central mechanism whereby LPS suppresses LH secretion in sheep. Twenty wethers were randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups: control (CON; n=4), single acute IV LPS dose (SAD; n=4), daily acute IV LPS dose (DAD; n=4), daily increasing IV LPS dose (DID; n=4), and chronic subcutaneous LPS dose (CSD; n=4). On Days 1 and 7, blood samples were collected every 12 minutes for 360 minutes using jugular venipuncture. Following blood collection on Day 7, all animals were euthanized, brain tissue was perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde, and hypothalamic blocks were removed and processed for immunohistochemistry. On Day 1, LH pulse frequency was significantly lower (p=0.02) in SAD (0.25 ± 0.1 pulses/hour), DAD (0.25 ± 0.1 pulses/hour), DID (0.35 ± 0.1 pulses/hour), and CSD (0.40 ± 0.1 pulses/hour) compared to CON (0.70 ±0.1 pulses/hour). On Day 7, only DID animals (0.35 ± 0.1 pulses/hour) had significantly lower (p=0.049) LH pulse frequency compared to controls (0.85 ± 0.1 pulse/hour). Furthermore, only DID animals (33.3 ± 10.9 cells/section/animal) had significantly fewer (p=0.001) kisspeptin-immunopositive cells compared to controls (82.6 ± 13.6 cells/section/animal). Taken together, we suggest that daily increasing doses of LPS is a powerful inhibitor of kisspeptin neurons in young male sheep and a physiologically relevant model to examine the impact of chronic inflammation on the reproductive axis in livestock.

Self-Assembling Peptide-Based High-Relaxivity Targeted MRI Contrast Agents.

Concentration-dependent increases in relaxivity (r1) were found to be induced by self-assembly when Fmoc is adjacent to tryptophan in peptide-based MRI contrast agents featuring Gd-DOTA. A series of di- and tri-peptides were synthesized to test the effect of ionic strength, N-terminal substituent, peptide length, net charge, and relative location of Fmoc and tryptophan on r1 and critical aggregation concentration (CAC) at 1.0 Tesla. Compared to nominal r1 values of 3.5-7.4 mM-1 s-1 per Gd(III), r1 values increased dramatically to 13.2-16.9 mM-1 s-1 per Gd(III) upon self-assembly, with CACs between 0.22 and 2.59 mM when tested in H2O or PBS. When tested in fetal bovine serum (FBS), the compounds maintained high r1 values of 11.2-13.0 mM-1 s-1, but had dramatically lower CAC values below 25 µM. These findings guided the synthesis of two targeted, high-relaxivity MRI contrast agents that contained PSMA-binding ligand, DCL. Their r1 values in H2O or PBS increased from 5.9-7.4 mM-1 s-1 to 13.5-14.8 mM-1 s-1 with CAC values of 1.65-2.70 mM. In FBS, their r1 values were found to be 11.2-11.9 mM-1 s-1, with CAC values below 25 µM. By the conjugation of targeting agents in the last step of synthesis, a broadly applicable route to targeted, high-relaxivity MRI contrast agents is offered.

Sustaining attention in affective contexts during adolescence: age-related differences and association with elevated symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Sustained attention, a key cognitive skill that improves during childhood and adolescence, tends to be worse in some emotional and behavioural disorders. Sustained attention is typically studied in non-affective task contexts; here, we used a novel task to index performance in affective versus neutral contexts across adolescence (N = 465; ages 11-18). We asked whether: (i) performance would be worse in negative versus neutral task contexts; (ii) performance would improve with age; (iii) affective interference would be greater in younger adolescents; (iv) adolescents at risk for depression and higher in anxiety would show overall worse performance; and (v) would show differential performance in negative contexts. Results indicated that participants performed more poorly in negative contexts and showed age-related performance improvements. Those at risk of depression performed more poorly than those at lower risk. However, there was no difference between groups as a result of affective context. For anxiety there was no difference in performance as a function of severity. However, those with higher anxiety showed less variance in their reaction times to negative stimuli than those with lower anxiety. One interpretation is that moderate levels of emotional arousal associated with anxiety make individuals less susceptible to the distracting effects of negative stimuli.

Case Series: Hepatic and Splenic Titanium Dioxide Deposition in Association With Intravenous Drug Use.

ABSTRACT: Titanium dioxide is a versatile compound that is found in a variety of consumer products, medical hardware, and pharmaceuticals. Although oral and topical ingestion of this compound is common, intravenous introduction is much less common. We present three cases where significant titanium dioxide deposits were identified in liver and splenic tissue of three decedents, all of whom died of illicit drug overdose in the same geographic area and had fentanyl and its metabolites in blood on postmortem toxicologic testing. At autopsy, liver sections had a granular texture with fine white stippling grossly, and histologic examination of hepatic and splenic tissues showed scattered patches of black granular material with pink birefringence. Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy performed on these tissues revealed the presences of clusters of titanium dioxide. Immunohistochemical staining of both the liver and spleen with CD68 confirmed the titanium dioxide clusters were within macrophages. Intravenous titanium dioxide nanoparticle elimination studies in rats suggest a time sensitive period for this elimination, with a transient period of pigment deposition between 1-58 days following injection. If a time-dependent link between titanium dioxide pigment deposition within tissues and intravenous drug use can be shown, this could be a valuable tool for Pathologists.

Characterization of placentome vascular perfusion in relation to pregnancy associated glycoproteins throughout gestation in pregnant beef heifers.

During pregnancy, blood flow to the uterus changes to support fetal demand. Placentomes serve as vascular attachment sites on the placenta for exchange of gases, nutrients, and metabolic products. Non-invasive methods of ultrasonography and biomarkers have been described to assess placental health and fetal viability. Pregnancy associated glycoproteins (PAGs) are produced by the ruminant placenta and are detected in maternal circulation. In cattle, changes in circulating PAG concentrations are associated with embryonic and fetal outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the association between placentome blood perfusion and circulating PAG concentrations as they relate to the health of the developing fetus. We hypothesized that placentome perfusion and PAG concentration will be positively correlated and associated with neonatal outcome. A prospective, observational study was designed using 26 pregnant, nulliparous, Angus heifers in which PAG concentration and placentome blood perfusion were assessed throughout gestation, with assessment of calving characteristics following parturition. Placentome blood perfusion was visualized at 30-day intervals via transrectal Doppler ultrasonography with power flow function. Ultrasound images were analyzed using ImageJ software to determine the percent area of perfusion and integrated pixel densities. Venous blood was collected and PAG concentrations were determined via serum PAG enzyme-linked immunoassay. Mean placentome blood perfusion increased as gestation advanced. PAG concentrations demonstrated the expected temporal trend, increasing with gestation length, and were positively linearly correlated with placentome perfusion (P < 0.0001). The relationship identified between circulating PAG concentration and placentome blood perfusion suggests the use of transrectal power flow Doppler ultrasonography as a noninvasive technique to determine placental blood flow morphometrics to assess conceptus wellbeing throughout pregnancy.

Neurodiversity, Networks, and Narratives: Exploring Intimacy and Expressive Freedom in the Time of Covid-19.

The Narratives of Neurodiversity Network (NNN) is a neurodivergent academic, creative, and educator collective that came together with allies during the Covid-19 pandemic to create a network centred around emerging narratives about neurodiversity and exploring new ways of learning and socialising. The network focuses on exploring the roles of written, spoken, and visual narratives across cultural locations about neuro-atypical experiences in generating improved agency and self-advocacy for those who have been subject to pathologization through neuro-normativity and intersecting oppression. During the last year, widening access to digital platforms has provided a space to explore these issues outside of traditional academic spaces. We run a monthly "Salon," our mixed-media "reading, listening, and watching" group, in an effort to find positive representation within contemporary culture. Discussions have moved beyond mimesis and into a consideration of how narrative and storyworlds can question the supposed naturalness of certain ways of being in and perceiving the world. This article interrogates the network's core principles of nonhierarchical co-production, including the roles of creativity, community, identity, and emancipatory research which were animated by the new techno-social context. We consider the cultural lives of neurodiversity in the West and beyond, including ethical and aesthetic dimensions. We share a faith in the power of storytelling to inform new social identities for neurodivergent people and to inform scientific understandings of atypical cognition. In exploring this, we speak through a porous first-person plural narrator, to unsettle the idea that there is a hegemonic "we" speaking on behalf of all neurodivergent people.

Acute Toxicity of Hypofractionated and Conventionally Fractionated (Chemo)Radiotherapy Regimens for Bladder Cancer: An Exploratory Analysis from the RAIDER Trial.

AIMS: Adding concurrent (chemo)therapy to radiotherapy improves outcomes for muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients. A recent meta-analysis showed superior invasive locoregional disease control for a hypofractionated 55 Gy in 20 fractions schedule compared with 64 Gy in 32 fractions. In the RAIDER clinical trial, patients undergoing 20 or 32 fractions of radical radiotherapy were randomised (1:1:2) to standard radiotherapy or to standard-dose or escalated-dose adaptive radiotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and concomitant therapy were permitted. We report exploratory analyses of acute toxicity by concomitant therapy-fractionation schedule combination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants had unifocal bladder urothelial carcinoma staged T2-T4a N0 M0. Acute toxicity was assessed (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events) weekly during radiotherapy and at 10 weeks after the start of treatment. Within each fractionation cohort, non-randomised comparisons of the proportion of patients reporting treatment emergent grade 2 or worse genitourinary, gastrointestinal or other adverse events at any point in the acute period were carried out using Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Between September 2015 and April 2020, 345 (163 receiving 20 fractions; 182 receiving 32 fractions) patients were recruited from 46 centres. The median age was 73 years; 49% received neoadjuvant chemotherapy; 71% received concomitant therapy, with 5-fluorouracil/mitomycin C most commonly used: 44/114 (39%) receiving 20 fractions; 94/130 (72%) receiving 32 fractions. The acute grade 2+ gastrointestinal toxicity rate was higher in those receiving concomitant therapy compared with radiotherapy alone in the 20-fraction cohort [54/111 (49%) versus 7/49 (14%), P < 0.001] but not in the 32-fraction cohort (P = 0.355). Grade 2+ gastrointestinal toxicity was highest for gemcitabine, with evidence of significant differences across therapies in the 32-fraction cohort (P = 0.006), with a similar pattern but no significant differences in the 20-fraction cohort (P = 0.099). There was no evidence of differences in grade 2+ genitourinary toxicity between concomitant therapies in either the 20- or 32-fraction cohorts. CONCLUSION: Grade 2+ acute adverse events are common. The toxicity profile varied by type of concomitant therapy; the gastrointestinal toxicity rate seemed to be higher in patients receiving gemcitabine.

First Evidence of Axial Shape Asymmetry and Configuration Coexistence in

The excited states of N=44 ^{74}Zn were investigated via γ-ray spectroscopy following ^{74}Cu ß decay. By exploiting γ-γ angular correlation analysis, the 2_{2}^{+}, 3_{1}^{+}, 0_{2}^{+}, and 2_{3}^{+} states in ^{74}Zn were firmly established. The γ-ray branching and E2/M1 mixing ratios for transitions deexciting the 2_{2}^{+}, 3_{1}^{+}, and 2_{3}^{+} states were measured, allowing for the extraction of relative B(E2) values. In particular, the 2_{3}^{+}→0_{2}^{+} and 2_{3}^{+}→4_{1}^{+} transitions were observed for the first time. The results show excellent agreement with new microscopic large-scale shell-model calculations, and are discussed in terms of underlying shapes, as well as the role of neutron excitations across the N=40 gap. Enhanced axial shape asymmetry (triaxiality) is suggested to characterize ^{74}Zn in its ground state. Furthermore, an excited K=0 band with a significantly larger softness in its shape is identified. A shore of the N=40 "island of inversion" appears to manifest above Z=26, previously thought as its northern limit in the chart of the nuclides.

Excitatory cholinergic responses in mouse primary bronchial smooth muscle require both Ca2+ entry via l-type Ca2+ channels and store operated Ca2+ entry via Orai channels.

Malfunctions in airway smooth muscle Ca2+-signalling leads to airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ca2+-release from intracellular stores is important in mediating agonist-induced contractions, but the role of influx via l-type Ca2+ channels is controversial. We re-examined roles of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ store, refilling of this store via store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) and l-type Ca2+ channel pathways on carbachol (CCh, 0.1-10 µM)-induced contractions of mouse bronchial rings and intracellular Ca2+ signals of mouse bronchial myocytes. In tension experiments, the ryanodine receptor (RyR) blocker dantrolene (100 µM) reduced CCh-responses at all concentrations, with greater effects on sustained rather than initial components of contraction. 2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB, 100 µM), in the presence of dantrolene, abolished CCh-responses, suggesting the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ store is essential for contraction. The SOCE blocker GSK-7975A (10 µM) reduced CCh-contractions, with greater effects at higher (e.g. 3 and 10 µM) CCh concentrations. Nifedipine (1 µM), abolished remaining contractions in GSK-7975A (10 µM). A similar pattern was observed on intracellular Ca2+-responses to 0.3 µM CCh, where GSK-7975A (10 µM) substantially reduced Ca2+ transients induced by CCh, and nifedipine (1 µM) abolished remaining responses. When nifedipine (1 µM) was applied alone it had less effect, reducing tension responses at all CCh concentrations by 25% - 50%, with greater effects at lower (e.g. 0.1 and 0.3 µM) CCh concentrations. When nifedipine (1 µM) was examined on the intracellular Ca2+-response to 0.3 µM CCh, it only modestly reduced Ca2+ signals, while GSK-7975A (10 µM) abolished remaining responses. In conclusion, Ca2+-influx from both SOCE and l-type Ca2+ channels contribute to excitatory cholinergic responses in mouse bronchi. The contribution of l-type Ca2+ channels was especially pronounced at lower doses of CCh, or when SOCE was blocked. This suggests l-type Ca2+ channels might be a potential target for bronchoconstriction under certain circumstances.

Patterns of Failure After Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy to Sacral Metastases.

AIMS: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is increasingly used to treat sacral metastases. We analysed our centre's local relapse rates and patterns of failure after sacral SBRT and assessed whether using the consensus contouring recommendation (CCR) may have prevented local relapse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a single-centre retrospective review of patients treated with sacral SBRT between February 2012 and December 2021. The cumulative incidence of local relapse, patterns of failure and overall survival were determined. Two investigators reviewed planning computed tomography scans and imaging at relapse to determine if local relapse was potentially preventable with a larger CCR-derived radiotherapy field. RESULTS: In total, 34 patients received sacral SBRT, with doses ranging from 24 to 40 Gy over three to five fractions. The most frequently used schedule was 30 Gy in three fractions. Common primaries treated included prostate (n = 16), breast (n = 6), lung (n = 3) and renal (n = 3) cancers. The median follow-up was 20 months (interquartile range 13-55 months). The cumulative incidence of local relapse (4/34) was 2.9% (95% confidence interval 0.2-13.2), 6.3% (95% confidence interval 1.1-18.5) and 16.8% (95% confidence interval 4.7-35.4) at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years, respectively. The patterns of failure were local-only (1/34), local and distant (3/34) and distant relapse (10/34). The overall survival was 96.7% (95% confidence interval 90.5-100) and 90.6% (95% confidence interval 78.6-100) at 1 and 2 years, respectively. For prostate/breast primaries, the cumulative incidence of local relapse was 4.5% (95% confidence interval 0.3-19.4), 4.5% (95% confidence interval 0.3-19.4) and 12.5% (95% confidence interval 1.7-34.8) at 6 months, 1 and 2 years, respectively. Twenty-nine cases (85.3%) deviated from the CCR. Sacral relapse was potentially preventable if the CCR was used in one patient (2.9% of the whole cohort and 25% of the relapsed cohort). DISCUSSION: We have shown excellent local control rates with sacral SBRT, which was largely planned with a margin expansion approach.

Smartphone Apps for Problem Gambling: A Review of Content and Quality.

Purpose of review: Problem gambling can have profound consequences for affected individuals, yet only a small proportion of people with problem gambling seek treatment. Mobile phone applications (apps) may provide an effective and scalable therapeutic option. The purpose of this study was to evaluate publicly available mobile apps aimed at improving problematic gambling behavior. Recent findings: To date, there are no published studies that have evaluated the quality of publicly available smartphone apps for problem gambling in the US. There is thus a significant gap in knowledge of existing apps for addressing problem gambling. Summary: This study included a review of 14 problem-gambling-specific apps. Apps that incorporated cognitive-behavioral therapy concepts and in-app communities were associated with better aesthetics and information quality scores. Additionally, in-app communities were associated with better engagement scores. Our results highlight the importance of evidence-based and engaging features in apps designed to help people with problem gambling.

ß-Delayed One and Two Neutron Emission Probabilities Southeast of

The ß-delayed one- and two-neutron emission probabilities (P_{1n} and P_{2n}) of 20 neutron-rich nuclei with N≥82 have been measured at the RIBF facility of the RIKEN Nishina Center. P_{1n} of ^{130,131}Ag, ^{133,134}Cd, ^{135,136}In, and ^{138,139}Sn were determined for the first time, and stringent upper limits were placed on P_{2n} for nearly all cases. ß-delayed two-neutron emission (ß2n) was unambiguously identified in ^{133}Cd and ^{135,136}In, and their P_{2n} were measured. Weak ß2n was also detected from ^{137,138}Sn. Our results highlight the effect of the N=82 and Z=50 shell closures on ß-delayed neutron emission probability and provide stringent benchmarks for newly developed macroscopic-microscopic and self-consistent global models with the inclusion of a statistical treatment of neutron and γ emission. The impact of our measurements on r-process nucleosynthesis was studied in a neutron star merger scenario. Our P_{1n} and P_{2n} have a direct impact on the odd-even staggering of the final abundance, improving the agreement between calculated and observed Solar System abundances. The odd isotope fraction of Ba in r-process-enhanced (r-II) stars is also better reproduced using our new data.

The impact of mindfulness training in early adolescence on affective executive control, and on later mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests that mindfulness training (MT) appears effective at improving mental health in young people. MT is proposed to work through improving executive control in affectively laden contexts. However, it is unclear whether MT improves such control in young people. MT appears to mitigate mental health difficulties during periods of stress, but any mitigating effects against COVID-related difficulties remain unexamined. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether MT (intervention) versus psychoeducation (Psy-Ed; control), implemented in after-school classes: (1) Improves affective executive control; and/or (2) Mitigates negative mental health impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A parallel randomised controlled trial (RCT) was conducted (Registration: https://osf.io/d6y9q/; Funding: Wellcome (WT104908/Z/14/Z, WT107496/Z/15/Z)). 460 students aged 11-16 years were recruited and randomised 1:1 to either MT (N=235) or Psy-Ed (N=225) and assessed preintervention and postintervention on experimental tasks and self-report inventories of affective executive control. The RCT was then extended to evaluate protective functions of MT on mental health assessed after the first UK COVID-19 lockdown. FINDINGS: Results provided no evidence that the version of MT used here improved affective executive control after training or mitigated negative consequences on mental health of the COVID-19 pandemic relative to Psy-Ed. No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence that MT improves affective control or downstream mental health of young people during stressful periods. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: We need to identify interventions that can enhance affective control and thereby young people's mental health.

Detection and Classification of Bacterial Cells After Centrifugation and Filtration of Liquid Specimens Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy.

Five species of bacteria including Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterobacter cloacae were deposited from suspensions of various titers onto disposable nitrocellulose filter media for analysis by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Bacteria were concentrated and isolated in the center of the filter media during centrifugation using a simple and convenient sample preparation step. Summing all the single-shot LIBS spectra acquired from a given bacterial deposition provided perfectly sensitive and specific discrimination from sterile water control specimens in a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Use of the single-shot spectra provided only a 0.87 and 0.72 sensitivity and specificity, respectively. To increase the statistical validity of chemometric analyses, a library of pseudodata was created by adding Gaussian noise to the measured intensity of every emission line in an averaged spectrum of each bacterium. The normally distributed pseudodata, consisting of 4995 spectra, were used to compare the performance of the PLS-DA with a discriminant function analysis (DFA) and an artificial neural network (ANN). For the highly similar bacterial data, no algorithm showed significantly superior performance, although the PLS-DA performed least accurately with a classification error of 0.21 compared to 0.16 and 0.17 for ANN and DFA, respectively. Single-shot LIBS spectra from all of the bacterial species were classified in a DFA model tested with a tenfold cross-validation. Classification errors ranging from 20% to 31% were measured due to repeatability limitations in the single-shot data.

Delayed diagnosis of palatal adenoid cystic carcinoma: Review of diagnostic workup and image features of perineural spread.

OBJECTIVES: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is the malignancy most likely to spread perineurally. Delayed diagnosis often leads to undetected perineural spread (PNS). Better understanding of diagnostic processes, clinical and imaging features in ACC may allow earlier diagnoses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective records search of the University of Washington Radiology archive identified patients with palatal ACC diagnosis and pre-treatment MDCT and/or MRI. Demographic data, clinical findings, diagnostic workup history and image features including the presence of PNS were recorded. RESULTS: 44 patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Symptoms included pain, mass, numbness, and sinonasal congestion. The most common finding on clinical examination was visible or palpable palatal mass. 55% of patients were evaluated by a dentist pre-diagnosis. Most common initial impressions were infection and/or dental disease. PNS was identified in 81.8% of patients, most commonly at pterygopalatine fossa, palatine foramina/canals, Vidian canal, or foramen rotundum. PNS was statistically significantly associated with paresthesia (p = 0.003) but not with tumor size, age, gender, or tobacco history. 44% of patients were diagnosed ≥1 year from initial symptoms, with a mean delay of 18.3 (range < 1-72) months. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the first analysis of the nature of the diagnostic process of palatal ACC. Majorities of patients were evaluated by a general dentist pre-diagnosis. PNS was identified in a majority of patients and all the patients who presented with paresthesia had evidence of PNS. Despite patients presenting with paresthesia, palatal ACC is often initially misdiagnosed resulting in delayed diagnosis.

Effect of bovine feeding system (pasture or concentrate) on the oxidative and sensory shelf life of whole milk powder.

Correlating volatile compounds with the sensory attributes of whole milk powder (WMP) is fundamental for appreciating the effect of lipid oxidation (LO) on sensory perception. LO compounds can adversely affect the sensory perception of WMP by imparting rancid, metallic, and painty notes. Whole milk powders derived from milk produced by cows maintained on a pasture diet (grass and grass-clover mix) versus a nonpasture diet [total mixed ration (TMR); concentrates and silage] were stored at room temperature 21°C (ambient storage) and 37°C (accelerated storage) and analyzed for volatile compounds and sensory attributes every 2 mo for a total of 6 mo. Thirteen volatile compounds originating from LO were chosen to track the volatile profile of the WMP during storage. Color, composition, total fatty acid, and free fatty acid profiling were also carried out. Significant variations in the concentrations of 14 fatty acids were observed in WMP based on diet. Concentrations of free fatty acids increased in all sample types during storage. Similar trends in sensory attributes were observed with an increase in painty attributes, corresponding to an increase in hexanal. Buttery/toffee attributes were found to be more closely correlated with TMR WMP. Those WMP derived from pasture diets were found to be more susceptible to LO from a volatile perspective, particularly in relation to aldehyde development, which is likely due to increased concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid found in these samples.