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[Objective] This study aimed to explore the mechanism of action between Amomum villosum polysaccharide (AVP) and wheat starch and reveal the dose-effect relationship of AVP on the quality of wheat starch. [Methods] an AVP-wheat starch compound system with different concentrations of AVP was prepared. The effects of different concentrations of AVP on the gelatinization characteristics, rheological properties, thermodynamic properties, crystal structure and digestion characteristics of wheat starch were studied. [Results] The AVP could increase the viscosity and gelatinization temperature of the wheat starch compound system, reduce the leaching of amylose during gelatinization and the damage degree of the crystalline region during wheat starch gelatinization, and delay the gelatinization process. When the concentration of AVP was 1.00%, the disintegration value of the compound system was 299 mPa·s, the retrogradation value was 532 mPa·s, and the gelatinization enthalpy was 666.29 J/g, indicating that the anti-aging effect and the stability were the best. Fourier infrared spectrum analysis showed that there was a hydrogen bond interaction between AVP and wheat, and the bond was the strongest when the mass concentration of AVP was 1.00%. The results of in vitro simulated digestion showed that AVP could inhibit the digestion of wheat starch. [Conclusion] Adding AVP can effectively improve the thermal stability of wheat starch and reduce the digestibility of wheat starch.

In recent years, real-time global ionospheric map (RT-GIM) products have been actively developed by the international global navigation satellite system (GNSS) service (IGS) and its ionosphere associate analysis centers (IAACs) along with the increase of RT-GNSS multi-frequency and multi-constellation observations. In this study, the accuracy and consistency of three RT-GIM products from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan University (WHU), and IGS are evaluated and analyzed utilizing three validation methods, namely, comparison with JASON-3 vertical total electron content (VTEC), the difference of slant total electron content (dSTEC), and IGS combined final GIM (IGSG) data. The test period was from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022, including the different solar activities. First, the comparison with JASON-3 data illustrates that the quality of the three RT-GIM products over oceans is in great consistency with that of the IGSG during different levels of solar activity and the daily mean bias (MEAN) values in low and high solar activities are approximately 5 and 10 TECU, respectively. The root mean square (RMS) values under low and high solar activities can be up to 7 and 12 TECU. Furthermore, the dSTEC validation results present that the MEAN values of RT-GIM products from different IAACs at high- and mid-latitude stations are about 0.5 TECU, which is smaller than those at low-latitude stations at about 1 TECU over continental regions. The standard deviation (STD) and RMS values for various RT-GIM products are within 3 and 4 TECU at low latitudes, respectively. In terms of the comparison with IGSG, the result shows that IGS combined RT-GIM (IRTG) presents better consistency than CAS RT-GIM (CRTG) and WHU RT-GIM (WRTG) in 2021 and 2022, with average annual STD and RMS values of 2.56 and 2.78 TECU, respectively. The daily biases of the RT-GIM products relative to IGSG can reach 4 TECU in high solar activities and the daily STD and RMS values are mainly within the 5 to 6 TECU range, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine oncologic outcomes for patients with T4b sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) treated with either surgery plus radiotherapy or definitive radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: Between January 1999 and December 2016, 85 patients with T4b SNSCC were analyzed retrospectively, there were 54 who received surgery plus radiotherapy (S + RT group) ± chemotherapy and 31 with definitive radiotherapy (RT group) ± chemotherapy. A 1: 2 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance clinical factors and match patients. Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model were used to determine risk factors on survival outcomes. Results: The median follow‐up time was 76.7 months. The cumulative rates of locoregional control (LRC), distant metastasis‐free survival (DMFS), cancer‐specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) at 5 years for entire cohort were 44.6%, 33.1%, 38.8%, and 33.9% respectively. After PSM, a total of 50 patients in S + RT group and 25 patients in RT group were analyzed. The 5‐year LRC, DMFS, CSS, and OS between S + RT and RT group were 58.6% versus 27.5% (p = 0.035), 42.8% versus 20.0% (p = 0.006), 50.3% versus 22.0% (p = 0.005), 44.5% veruss 20.0% (p = 0.004). The 5‐year survival rates with orbital retention between groups were 32.7% and 15.0%, p = 0.080. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed non‐surgical therapy (HR = 3.678, 95%CI 1.951–6.933) and invasion of cranial nerves (other than maxillary division of trigeminal nerves) (HR = 2.596, 95%CI 1.217–5.535) were associated with decreased OS. Conclusion: The inclusion of surgery in the multimodal management of T4b SNSCC might confer a survival benefit. Further prospective studies comparing the oncologic outcomes of S + RT with RT are warranted. Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 133:2222–2231, 2023 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the prevalence of hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC) with synchronous second primary malignancies (Syn‐SPMs), their impact on clinical outcomes, and associated risk factors in the image‐enhanced endoscopy era. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 673 patients newly diagnosed with HPC at our cancer center between 2009 and 2019. The patients were divided into three groups: (a) no second primary malignancies (N‐SPMs, n = 533); (b) synchronous carcinoma in situ (Syn‐Tis, n = 60); (c) synchronous invasive tumors (Syn‐invasive, n = 80). Propensity score matching was conducted to balance the N‐SPMs and Syn‐invasive groups at a 3:1 ratio. Results: Most (96.1%) underwent pretreatment esophagogastroduodenoscopy evaluation with image‐enhanced endoscopy. The incidence rates were: Syn‐SPMs, 20.8%; Syn‐Tis, 8.9%; Syn‐invasive, 11.9%. At a median follow‐up of 66.7 months, the Syn‐Tis and N‐SPMs groups had a similar 5‐year overall survival (OS; 45.6% vs. 44.5%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.956; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.660–1.385; p = 0.806). Compared to the N‐SPMs group, the Syn‐invasive group had poorer 5‐year OS (27.0% vs. 52.9%; HR, 2.059; 95% CI, 1.494–2.839; p < 0.001). Alcohol consumption was significantly associated with Syn‐SPMs occurrence (odds ratio, 2.055, 2.414, and 3.807 for light, intermediate, and heavy drinkers, respectively). Conclusion: The prevalence of Syn‐SPMs among patients with HPC was high. Syn‐invasive SPMs decreased the survival of patients with HPC. Routine screening with image‐enhanced endoscopy should be recommended to detect early‐stage SPMs, especially for heavy alcohol drinkers. Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 133:1906–1913, 2023 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile components in green wheat under different treatments including raw, washing, blanching, precooling, freezing, steaming, boiling, frying, and freeze‐drying were evaluated by gas chromatography‐ion mobility spectroscopy (GC‐IMS) and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). Five key aroma substances including n‐hexanal, benzaldehyde, nonanal, 2‐pentylfuran, and (E)‐oct‐2‐enal were found by Venn diagram and odor activity values (OAV). Furthermore, according to volatile fingerprints characteristics and the aroma profile of sensory evaluation, it was found that green wheat under different treatments mainly presented seven characteristic flavor notes including sweet flowers, fat fragrance, mushroom hay, waxy aldehyde, citrus fruity, vegetable‐like bean, and bitter almond from the sensory evaluation, and they could be divided into four categories, which was consistent with the results of PCA and GC‐IMS. Hence, the volatile compounds of green wheat samples could be visualized and identified quickly via GC‐IMS and the samples could be clearly classified based on the difference of volatile compounds. Practical applications: In the study, fingerprints coupled with cluster analysis were a visualized method for the identification of volatile compounds. Meanwhile, a new method, Venn diagram with OAV, was used to identify the key aroma of products. Finally, a rapid method to classify products by GC‐IMS was performed. In future practical applications, GC‐IMS can be used to classify products from different origins and different manufacturers. Similarly, it can identify fake and inferior products and whether the products have deteriorated. In addition, this research will provide a new strategy to find the relationship between flavor compounds and various processed technologies toward different cereals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the pretreatment systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 839 patients with non-metastatic NPC recruited from two independent institutions. The training-set cohort and the external validation-set cohort was comprised of 459 and 380 patients from each institution, respectively. The optimal cut-off value of SII was determined, and a prognostic risk stratification model was developed based on the training cohort and further assessed in the validation cohort. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was applied to minimize the confounding effects of unbalanced covariables., Results: The optimal cut-off value of the SII in the training cohort was 686, which was confirmed using the validation cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that both before and after PSM, SII values > 686 were independently associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) ratio in both cohorts (before PSM, P  = 0.008 and P  = 0.008; after PSM, P  = 0.008 and P = 0.007, respectively). Based on the analysis of independent prognostic factors of SII and N stage, we developed a categorical risk stratification model, which achieved significant discrimination among risk indexes associated with PFS and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in the training cohort. There was no significant difference in PFS between RT alone and combined therapies within the low- and intermediate-risk groups (5-year PFS, 77.5% vs. 75.3%, P  = 0.275). Patients in the high-risk group who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy experienced superior PFS compared with those who received other therapies (5-year PFS, 64.9% vs. 40.3%, P  = 0.003)., Conclusion: Pretreatment SII predicts PFS of patients with non-metastatic NPC. Prognostic risk stratification incorporating SII is instructive for selecting individualized treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests., (© 2021 Chinese National Cancer Center. Published by Elsevier B.V.)