The effect of chlorogenic acid (CA) on the dielectric response of lotus seed starch (LS) after microwave treatment, the behavior and digestive characteristics of the resulting starch/chlorogenic acid complex (LS-CA) at different degrees of gelatinization and the inhibition of α-amylase by chlorogenic acid were investigated. The variation in dielectric loss factor, ε″, and dielectric loss tangent, tanδε, of the microwave thermal conversion indicated that LS-CA had a more efficient microwave-energy-to-thermal-energy conversion efficiency than LS. This gelatinized LS-CA to a greater extent at any given temperature between 65 and 85 °C than LS, and it accelerated the degradation of the starch crystalline structure. The greater disruption of the crystal structure decreased the bound water content and increased the thermal stability of LS-CA compared to LS. The simulated in vitro digestion found that the presence of the LS-CA complex improved the slow-digestion property of lotus seed starch by increasing its content of resistant and slowly digested starch. In addition, the release of chlorogenic acid during α-amylase hydrolysis further slowed starch digestion by inhibiting α-amylase activity. These findings provide a foundation for understanding the correlation between the complex behavior and digestive properties of naturally polyphenol-rich, starch-based foods, such as LS, under microwave treatment, which will facilitate the development of starch-based foods with tailored digestion rates, lower final degrees of hydrolysis and glycemic indices. Microwaves are electromagnetic waves with a frequency range of 300 MHz–300 GHz and a wavelength range of 1 mm–1 m. Microwave treatment has become an efficient and convenient method of thermomechanical food processing and is widely used in both home cooking and the food industry . This maThe microwave cooking of starch-based foods is mostly accompanied by starch pasting/gelatinization. Water molecules are the main mediators of starch gelatinization, which enables starch granules to absorb water, swell and dissolve at high temperatures, forming a paste/gel ,6. HowevNelumbo nubifera Gaertn, which has a long historical tradition of consumption and medicinal use in Asia , because of its effects of lowering blood pressure, regulating heart rate, relieving anxiety and improving sleep [Lotus seed is the mature seed of ng sleep . As a tyng sleep ,14. In lng sleep ,16,17.In this study, lotus seed starch–chlorogenic acid complexes were prepared by microwave treatment, and their physicochemical and digestive properties were determined, in different gelatinization states, to clarify the relationship between them. The findings will help to establish a theoretical basis for the application of microwave processing to starch-based foods.v/v aqueous ethanol to remove polyphenols and lipids. The resulting lotus seed starch (LS) contained 9.55% moisture, 0.30% ash, 0.33% protein and 0.27% lipids, as determined by Chinese national standard methods. Chlorogenic acid (CA) was from Shanghai Yuanye Bio-technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China.Fresh lotus seeds  were mixed with distilled water at a 1:3 ratio, disrupted in a tissue masher for 1 min , passed through a 120-mesh filter and then allowed to settle for 24 h. The supernatant was discarded, and the sediment was washed with deionized water until there were no visible impurities on the surface. Finally, the sediment was stirred for 10 h in 95% A dielectric data acquisition system  consisting of a vector network analyzer, a dielectric probe and a multiplexed data logger was constructed as described previously . A threew/v starch suspension in distilled water, with 0 (control), 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9% w/w chlorogenic acid (based on the dry weight of starch) was treated in a microwave extractor , equipped with a water circulation and temperature monitoring system and heated (210 W) to 15 different final temperatures in the range 30−100 °C, with an interval of 5 °C between each temperature, to simulate the starch pasting process. At each set temperature, samples were removed and washed (×3) with 50% v/v aqueous ethanol to remove unbound CA from the LS, freeze-dried, crushed using a pulverizer and filtered through a 100 mesh screen to obtain powdered starch test samples.An 8% g for 10 min). Supernatant (0.5 mL) was mixed with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (1 mL), deionized water was added to a total volume of 4 mL, and then Na2CO3 solution  was added, and the mixture was left to stand in the dark for 20 min. The absorbance was measured at 760 nm  and the chlorogenic acid content calculated from a standard curve of gallic acid .The degree of complexation was determined as described previously , with mic refers to the area of the crystalline region, which is the area of the peaks in the diffraction pattern, and Aa refers to the area of the amorphous “hump”, which is the area of the region enclosed by the diffusion curve at the bottom of the diffraction pattern.XRD was performed as described previously , with miThe thermal properties of the starch samples  were analyzed via a thermogravimetric analyzer . The samples (5 mg) were heated in the temperature range 30−800 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere (50 mL/min). The heating rate was 10 °C/min.g for 10 min. The supernatant was dried to constant weight and the weights of the dried residue and the centrifugation pellet recorded; the swelling power and solubility were calculated as follows:The starch sample was mixed with 20 volumes of deionized water and shaken in a reciprocating shaker (160 rpm) at room temperature (25 °C) for 1 h, and then, the mixture was centrifuged at 5000× Digestibility was determined as described previously , with miThe amount of chlorogenic acid released during digestion was determined by the method of w/v) was added and incubated for 10 min, and then dinitrosalicylic acid reagent (1 mL) was added and mixed, heated in a boiling water bath for 5 min and then cooled to room temperature. The volume was adjusted to 15 mL and the absorbance measured at 540 nm. The percentage inhibition was calculated as follows:b = Acontrol − Acontrol blank; and As = Asample − Asample blank.Amylase inhibition was determined as described previously ,23 with m and Vmax were calculated as follows:max corresponds to the intercept on the Y-axis, and −1/Km corresponds to the intercept on the X-axis.The Michaelis–Menten kinetics and the type of inhibition were determined from Lineweaver–Burk plots ,25. The p < 0.05.SPSS 17.0 and Origin Pro 7.5 software were used for data processing and correlation analysis. Each experiment was performed three times in parallel, and the results are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (SD), with a significance level of The dielectric response, a key determinant of the propagation of microwave energy in materials, is characterized by the dielectric constant , the dielectric loss factor  and the dielectric loss tangent  . The effThe microwave-assisted gelatinization of starch involved molecules within the starch/water system absorbing microwave energy, which was converted into thermal energy by the polarization/relaxation process described above; the starch granules swelled and ruptured, releasing starch molecules into the water phase to form a gel/paste. The ε′ of LS decreased with a temperature increasing from 30 to 100 °C, and that of LS-CA decreased similarly but was lower at all temperatures A.The ability of the starch system to absorb microwave energy depends mainly on the number of polarizable dipoles (free water molecules) per unit volume of the starch suspension . In the The ε″ and tanδε decreased from 30 to 75 °C and then increased from 75 to 100 °C B,C. TherThe complexation of small molecules with starch is influenced by various factors, such as the degree of starch gelatinization, the temperature and competitive binding between molecules . After tStarch can crystalize in four different structural forms, i.e., A-, B-, V- and C-type structures, according to the spatial arrangement of starch chains  ,33. UngeThe crystallographic transition is directly related to the number of bound water molecules between the starch helical units. A-type crystals are monoclinic systems with a dense arrangement of double helices, which can retain only eight bound water molecules per unit cell. In contrast, B-type crystals are hexagonal systems with a less-ordered crystal structure, which can form a unique helical inner cavity, with a repeat unit of six glucose residues, and can bind 36 water molecule ligands per unit hexagonal cell ,38. At hThe relative crystallinity of LS-CA was lower than that of LS at the same degree of gelatinization (27.3% at 65 °C). LS started to show extensive structural disruption at 75 °C (Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis is an effective method to assess the thermal behavior of starch, which indicates how the physical state of the starch varies with temperature . The theThe second and main stage of mass loss, from 200–550 °C, resulted from the degradation and decomposition of the more stable structures in the starch  . At thisThe third stage of mass loss occurred from 550–800 °C. The starch in this temperature range would be almost completely degraded into small molecules, pyrolyzed  or carboAn increase in gelatinization results in the breakage of hydrogen bonds between the starch molecules and the crystalline region of the starch granules changes from a compact to a looser state, accompanied by the absorption of many water molecules, resulting in extensive swelling of the starch granules . After mAfter gelatinization, the linear starch chains were able to diffuse freely, but interchain hydrogen bonds were very easily formed between them ,46, leadThe digestion curves of LS and LS-CA and the CA release at the corresponding digestion levels were determined A–C. The The digestive properties of starch–polyphenol complexes are closely related to the amylase-inhibitory activity of the polyphenols; hydrolysis of the starch releases the complexed polyphenol, which increasingly inhibits the action of the amylase, slowing the rate of starch hydrolysis ,50. At tCA may inhibit amylase action in two ways, direct inhibition by binding to the enzyme, or by binding to starch molecules, which could hinder their binding to the enzyme active-site. In addition, a previous report suggested that, in the presence of polyphenols, starch molecules form V-type complexes (RS5) with the polyphenols, through hydrophobic interactions within the helical cavity ,52. V-typ < 0.05).The digestion experiments also revealed the distribution between rapidly digested starch , slowly digested starch  and resistant starch  of ~2 mg/mL. This is in agreement with a previous report [50 of CA for amylase is 1.96 mg/mL for the digestion of maize starch. The type of inhibition of α-amylase by CA was determined using the Lineweaver–Burk double-reciprocal plot (m/Vmax) and y-axis intercept (1/Vmax) of the fitted straight line increased with an increasing CA concentration, with the Km increasing from 1.68 to 2.12 (mg.mL−1) and the Vmax increasing from 0.34 to 0.25 (mg.mL−1.min−1)  . This suIn this study, the effect of CA on the dielectric response of lotus seed starch during gelatinization by microwave treatment and the complex behavior between them were investigated. In addition, the relationship between lotus seed starch–chlorogenic acid complex formation and the digestive properties of the starch was revealed. In the complex, chlorogenic acid interfered with microwave energy transfer by increasing the “hysteresis effect” on water molecules, which improved the microwave energy–thermal energy conversion efficiency of the aqueous starch suspension. This accelerated the microwave gelatinization of the starch, accelerating the degradation of its crystalline structure. During starch gelatinization, many free starch chains were released from the starch crystals and combined with chlorogenic acid molecules to form complexes, stabilized by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The chlorogenic acid in the complexes was gradually released during enzymic digestion, enabling it to increasingly inhibit α-amylase action via a mixture of competitive and non-competitive inhibition. The α-Amylase inhibition further improved the already good slow-digestion property of lotus seed starch, in addition to the increased content of resistant and slowly digested starch induced by the presence of chlorogenic acid. Generally, chlorogenic acid had a significant effect on the dielectric response, physicochemical properties and digestive characteristics of starch, and microwave treatment was an effective means to promote interaction and complex formation between starch and phenolic compounds.


Erratum zu:Pathologie 202310.1007/s00292-023-01209-1In Abb. Der Originalbeitrag wurde korrigiert.


Simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT) is a complex and demanding procedure with a considerable risk of morbidity and mortality. Advances in surgical techniques and organ preservation have introduced changes in care protocols. Two cohorts of patients receiving SPKT with two different protocols were compared to determine overall survival and pancreatic and renal graft failure-free survival.  This retrospective observational study was conducted in two cohorts of SPKT recipient patients that underwent surgery between 2001 and 2021. Outcomes were compared in transplant patients between 2001 and 2011  and 2012-2021 . In addition to the temporality, the cohorts were defined by a protocolization of technical aspects and medical management in cohort 2 (improved protocol), compared to a wide variability in the procedures carried out in cohort 1 . Overall survival and pancreatic and renal graft failure-free survival were the primary outcomes. These outcomes were determined using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the log-rank test. p > 0.05). Pancreatic graft failure-free survival had an average of 1705 days (95% CI: 1037-2373) in cohort 1, lower than the average in cohort 2  (p = 0.016). Similarly, renal graft failure-free survival had an average of 2167 days (95% CI: 1485-2849) in cohort 1, lower than the average in cohort 2  (p = 0.017).  Fifty-five SPKT were performed during the study period: 32 in cohort 1 and 23 in cohort 2. In the survival analysis, an average of 2546 days (95% CI: 1902-3190) was found in cohort 1, while in cohort 2, it was 2540 days (95% CI: 2100-3204) ( This analysis indicates that pancreatic and renal graft failure-free survival associated with SPKT decreased significantly in cohort 2, with results related to improvements in the treatment protocol implemented in that cohort. In the different types of diabetes mellitus (DM), some mechanisms lead to chronic hyperglycemia, ranging from an absolute deficit in insulin secretion (as in type 1 DM) to resistance to insulin (as occurs in DM type 2), among other mechanisms. DM can affect people of all ages, ethnic groups, sex, and socioeconomic levels. Currently, around 500 million people in the world live with the disease, which contributes to a high burden of morbidity and mortality [The prevalence of DM has increased markedly in Latin America. The underdiagnosis of this condition is notable in this region, in addition to the risk factors . SpecifiThe relationship between DM and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is established, with diabetic nephropathy being the main cause of CKD. CKD requiring renal replacement therapy represents about 45% of cases; other associated factors such as obesity, arterial hypertension, and ischemic heart disease are added [Renal transplantation is widely recognized as the best therapeutic alternative for most CKD patients. Likewise, simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT) is considered to represent the best treatment option for patients with CKD, with an indication for kidney transplantation and type 1 DM . In thisSPKT is a complex and demanding procedure with a considerable risk of morbidity and mortality; however, in terms of long-term patient survival (greater than 10 years), the population with the best results corresponds to SPKT recipients. Moreover, the initial increase in perioperative mortality is offset during follow-up by the benefits of better glycemic control (in the long term) with a lower probability of dying from DM complications . In patiOver the years, advances in surgical techniques, immunosuppression, and preservation technology have emerged, improving SPKT outcomes; however, several concerns in this regard, such as the selection of the donor and recipient, the choice of the optimal procedure, organ procurement, preservation techniques, and ideal immunosuppression, have remained latent . In factIn the present study, two cohorts of patients receiving SPKT with two different protocols were compared to determine overall survival and pancreatic and renal graft failure-free survival. In addition to the temporality, the cohorts were defined using a protocolization of technical aspects and medical management in cohort 2 (improved protocol), compared to a wide variability in the procedures carried out in cohort 1 .This single-center, retrospective observational study analyzes the information of a group of patients who received SPKT and underwent surgery between 2001 and 2021 at the Hospital San Vicente Fundación, Rionegro, Colombia. Records of adult patients with CKD who presented type 1 DM and were SPKT recipients were included. The sample included all the records of patients who met the eligibility criteria. The study protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital San Vicente Fundación, Rionegro, Colombia (written consent was obtained by the review board). Moreover, the bioethical recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki were followed. This study also complies with the principles established by the Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism.Overall survival and pancreatic and renal graft failure-free survival were the primary outcomes. Moreover, the following features were considered as secondary outcomes: cold pancreatic ischemia, cold kidney ischemia, duration of surgery, early outcomes at 30 days , reintervention, delayed graft function, postoperative transfusion, infection, pancreatic and kidney graft function, pancreatic graft thrombosis, and death), and late outcomes . The age of the donor and the characteristics of the recipient were also evaluated .Pancreatic graft failure was defined as requiring exogenous insulin therapy, explantation, or death of the recipient. Renal graft failure was defined as a return to permanent dialysis therapy, explantation, or death of the recipient. Early graft failure was defined as that which occurs in the first month after transplantation.in situ extraction and hot dissection, arterial vascular reconstruction with the Y graft to the superior mesenteric artery, the splenic artery of the graft (used in only 1/3 of the cases in cohort 1), systemic venous drainage , a small duodenal segment with enteric exocrine drainage , use of an immunosuppression scheme that included thymoglobulin induction , and close monitoring of glycemia in the postoperative period were implemented. Hyperglycemia and insulin requirement were considered as indicators of graft vascular complications.In addition to the temporality, the cohorts were defined by a protocolization of technical aspects and medical management in cohort 2, compared to a wide variability in the procedures carried out in cohort 1. In cohort 1 , the extraction of the pancreas was performed in a block with the liver and was later separated during bench surgery. Moreover, vascular reconstruction in bench surgery was performed with portal vein grafting and long arterial grafts. Unlike cohort 1, in cohort 2 (improved protocol), aspects such as The information was obtained from secondary sources  that remain in the institutional clinical history application. The information was consolidated in a format predesigned for the study. The data extraction and analysis procedures were blinded in such a way that the information related to the data of the individuals and the respective cohort was known after the analysis was completed. Once the survey of all patients was obtained, the population was divided into two cohorts, one that received the transplant protocol used between 2001 and 2011  and the other cohort that received the protocol implemented between 2012 and 2021 (improved protocol).For the description of the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, absolute and relative frequencies were reported. For the quantitative variables, the assumption of normality was verified with the Shapiro-Wilk test. Variables with a normal distribution were reported using the arithmetic mean with the respective standard deviation. Otherwise, the median and interquartile range  were reported.p < 0.05. Overall survival, renal graft failure-free survival, and pancreatic graft failure-free survival were determined using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Survival between the two study cohorts was compared using the log-rank test. Confidence intervals (CI) of 95% were reported. The assumptions of these analyses were considered. The analysis was performed with a statistical package (SPSS v 24 IBM).An exploratory analysis was carried out to establish the differences in the variables of interest, between the patients receiving combined transplants operated on before the year 2011  and after the year 2012 . The above was carried out using the Mann–Whitney test for quantitative variables and Pearson's chi-square test for qualitative variables. Statistical significance was defined as Between 2001 and 2021, 55 SPKT were performed in 55 patients with a median age of 35 years (IQR: 30-40 years). A total of 58.2% of the patients were male, with a mean of 20 years in the time elapsed between the diagnosis of diabetes and renal transplantation, and 2 years from the start of renal replacement therapy and transplantation .p = 0.013), while the proportion of men transplanted in cohort 2 tended to be higher, but without statistically significant differences .Thirty-two patients received the transplant between 2001 and 2011  and 23 between 2012 and 2021 . The median age was higher in cohort 2 compared to cohort 1 .The analysis of the results at 30 days revealed a trend towards a lower requirement for transfusion therapy in the intraoperative period in the second cohort (68.8% versus 52.2%), while the use of blood products, in the postoperative period, showed significant differences between cohorts 1 and 2 . A total of 62.5% of the patients in cohort 1 required at least one reoperation compared to 26.1% in cohort 2 (p = 0.04). Infection was documented in 53.1% and 8.7% in cohorts 1 and 2, respectively, with statistically significant differences (p = 0.001) (Delayed kidney graft function occurred in 25% of the cases in cohort 1 and 4.3% in cohort 2 (= 0.001) .p = 0.001). Renal graft failure occurred in 15% of cohort 1 and 4.3% of cohort 2, while pancreatic graft failure occurred in 31.3% of patients in cohort 1 and 13% in cohort 2 (The follow-up period of cohorts 1 and 2 was 716 days (IQR 298-1513) and 910 days (IQR 450-1666), respectively. Death-censored graft failure was significantly higher in cohort 1 (10/32) versus cohort 2 (2/23) (cohort 2 .p = 0.112) (p = 0.016). The Kaplan-Meier curves are observed in p = 0.017).Considering the primary results, the following was observed. In the survival analysis, an average of 2546 days (95% CI: 1.902-3.190) was found in cohort 1, while it was 2540 days in cohort 2 (95% CI: 2100-3204), without statistically significant differences (= 0.112) . PancreaIn this study, two cohorts of patients that received SPKT were evaluated. When comparing the two cohorts, a lower percentage of reoperations, infections, and graft failure and a lower proportion of mortality were observed in cohort 2 (improved protocol).A recent international consensus concluded that pancreatic transplantation could improve patient survival in the long term, providing a dramatic improvement in the quality of life of recipients; furthermore, pancreatic transplantation can improve the course of chronic complications of diabetes, depending on the severity . Thus, tThe extension of the indication to selected patients with type 2 DM and the recent evidence (on improvement over time in outcomes and long-term benefits) have positioned SPKT at the level of the best treatment alternatives previously available, such as living-donor kidney transplantation and optimal medical management of diabetes , 15.Patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease experience excessive morbidity and mortality; however, SPKT has shown improved outcomes, such as graft survival at 1, 3, and 5 years. These results are comparable to that of cardiac, hepatic, and renal grafts . The resAccording to information from the International Pancreas Transplant Registry (IPTR), the survival of patients receiving pancreas transplants in the West is greater than 95% at 1 year and 90% at 3 years, while the 1-year graft survival for SPKT recipients is 85%. This data is close to that found in the second cohort of our center and seems to be maintained over time, at least until the scope of follow-up in this study. It has been established that the half-life of a pancreatic graft in the context of SPKT is over 14 years. The variable with the greatest impact on this improvement seems to be pancreatic graft survival at one year, which in turn has been favored mainly by a decrease in early graft loss, usually related to perioperative complications . SimilarDonor selection is considered a critical shortcoming of pancreatic donors. In this regard, it is recommended that the possibility of extracting the pancreatic graft be analyzed in each potential deceased donor. In our context, the low number of recipients on the waiting list  allows transplant centers to be rigorous in the selection of pancreas donors. As shown in the two cohorts analyzed, the donors of the grafts for combined transplantation did not exceed 30 years of age on average.In the literature, there are tools available such as the “preprocurement pancreas suitability score (P-PASS)”  and the in situ and hot dissection of the hepatoduodenal ligament. This dissection is demanding and time-consuming; however, we consider that this procedure is safe with the potential for less bleeding during reperfusion, with a reduction in the need for reinterventions for this cause, as documented in the comparison between cohorts.Regarding the extraction and preservation phase, we have found convenient For preservation, the Belzer-UW® solution was used, instilled through the aorta and portal vein; other solutions have been used with dissimilar results, some of them markedly unfavorable for other solutions , 21. AmoIn bench surgery, a standard technique of reconstruction with the arterial Y graft and dissection for portal elongation without the vein graft was applied to all recipients in the second cohort. We believe that this approximation could be related to the differences observed in the risk of pancreatic graft thrombosis.A right retroperitoneal position of the graft was used, with systemic venous drainage. The literature contains variable reports regarding the benefits and disadvantages of drainage to the portal circulation versus drainage to the systemic circulation; however, no technique has been established with significant clarity , 15, 21.SPKT is a technically demanding procedure; it has been considered the solid organ transplant with the highest rate of complications, especially in the first month after transplantation , 15, 17.The restriction of this treatment to the subgroup of patients with type 1 DM and advanced kidney disease has been challenged by different groups, with long-term results exceeding optimistic expectations for a selected group of patients with type 2 DM , 26. AccIn general, with some exceptions , 30, thePancreatic transplantation is the only method of replacing complete pancreatic function in insulin-dependent patients , 32. TheThis study represents the largest series of patients with SPKT in Colombia, with analysis of early outcomes, renal and pancreatic graft failure-free times, and recipient survival. In the future, prospective analytical and multicenter studies should be carried out to evaluate other factors not considered in this work, including specific characteristics of donors and recipients, immunosuppression schemes, other outcomes, and especially the quality of life.The main limitation of this study is related to the retrospective nature of its design, where a causal relationship is not established; however, cohort studies are among the highest levels of scientific evidence –38.In conclusion, simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation is a demanding procedure with great benefits in the medium and long term for patients with advanced chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus. However, better results were observed in cohort 2 (improved protocol) in terms of reoperation, infection, delayed graft function, and death-censored graft failure. Moreover, this study denoted that pancreatic and renal graft failure-free survival associated with SPKT decreased significantly in cohort 2, with results related to improvements in the treatment protocol implemented in that cohort.


Modified TPS showed higher a Vicat softening point, suggesting better hot water resistance. Halloysite improved TPS stiffness due to higher storage modulus. However, TPS/PP-HNT had the lowest stiffness, and TPS/HNT the highest. Halloysite increased Tα and lowered Tβ due to its simultaneous reinforcing and plasticizing effect. TPS/HNT showed an additional β-relaxation peak, suggesting the formation of a new crystalline phase. The mechanical properties of TPS were also improved in the presence of both pure and modified halloysites.Potato thermoplastic starch (TPS) containing 1 wt.% of pure halloysite (HNT), glycerol-modified halloysite (G-HNT) or polyester plasticizer-modified halloysite (PP-HNT) was prepared by melt-extrusion. Halloysites were characterized by FTIR, SEM, TGA, and DSC. Interactions between TPS and halloysites were studied by FTIR, SEM, and DMTA. The Vicat softening temperature, tensile, and flexural properties were also determined. FTIR proved the interactions between halloysite and the organic compound as well as between starch, plasticizers and halloysites. Pure HNT had the best thermal stability, but PP-HNT showed better thermal stability than G-HNT. The addition of HNT and G-HNT improved the TPS’s thermal stability, as evidenced by significantly higher T As the materials of the millennium, plastics have become synonymous with technical and economic progress ,2. UnforOne of the most widespread natural polymers is starch ,13,14. IStarch is produced from many different renewable sources. It is a cheap and inherently biodegradable material. It can be completely converted by microorganisms into carbon dioxide, water, minerals, and biomass, without negatively impacting the environment . Starch Starch contains mainly of 15–35 wt.% linear amylose and 65–85 wt.% non-linear amylopectin. The association of amylose and amylopectin, in the native state, gives a semicrystalline structure ,13. It i2 forms the outer surface and the positively charged Al2O3 forms the inner surface of the HNT. Halloysite, thanks to high specific surface area, good thermal stability, low cost, and unique surface properties, is one of the most important clay minerals [Halloysite, due to its structure consisting of hollow nanotubes and multiple rolled aluminosilicate layers, is physically and chemically similar to kaolinite ,31,32. Tminerals ,34.Schmitt et al.  found thTherefore, it can be expected that even a small addition of HNT will increase thermoplastic starch’s resistance to hot water and improve its mechanical properties. As far as we know, no comprehensive research on the use of pure halloysite and halloysite containing glycerol or polyester plasticizer for the modification of thermoplastic potato starch has been described yet. It was expected that HNT would act as a plasticizer and a reinforcing agent simultaneously.Therefore, this article presents the effect of unmodified and modified with glycerol or polyester plasticizer halloysite on the thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties of thermoplastic potato starch. Before modification, pure HNT was subjected to ultra-sonication to introduce more organic compound into its porous structure and improve molecular interactions between TPS components. The structure and thermal properties were analyzed by Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMTA), thermogravimetric thermal analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Vicat softening temperature. Moreover, its tensile and flexural properties were determined.w 2340 g/mol.Native potato starch with amylose content of 21%, pH 5.5–7.5 was obtained from B.E.S.T. Company, Parczew, Poland. Before processing, the starch was conditioned at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity for 48 h. Under these conditions, native starch contained 11% moisture. Glycerol (99% purity)  and sorbitol (Sigma-Aldrich) were used as plasticizers. Pure (HNT) and modified with glycerol (G-HNT) or polyester plasticizer (PP-HNT) halloysite nanotubes were used as a plasticizer and reinforcer, simultaneously . Pure haModified halloysite was obtained in a two-stage process published elsewhere . In the A BET-N2 sorption method  was used to determine the specific surface area of halloysite nanoparticles. The morphology of pure and modified halloysite nanotubes was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at 20 kV, using a Jeol JSM-6490LV microscope (Japan).Plasticized starch was obtained in a two-stage process published elsewhere . At firs−1 resolution, in the spectral range of 4000–500 cm−1, using a KBr pellets technique. At least three samples of each halloysite and starch were evaluated.Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)  was used to analyze the chemical structure. The spectra were recorded using at least 64 scans with 2 cmThe starch morphology was characterized by SEM in high vacuum using a Joel JSM 6100 microscope  operating at 20 kV. The impact fractured surface of the injection molded samples was coated with a thin gold layer to avoid charging and increase image contrast. At least three samples of each starch were evaluated.The viscoelastic properties were studied by torsion dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMTA) using a dynamic analyzer  at a frequency of 1 Hz. The strain level was 0.1%. Data were collected from −150 to 100 °C at a heating rate of 3 °C/min. The specimens (38 mm × 10 mm × 2 mm) were cut from injection molded samples. At least three samples of each starch were evaluated.5%), 10% weight loss (T10%), and total weight loss at 700 °C were determined. In addition, the maximum decomposition rate temperature (Tmax) was determined from the differential thermogravimetric curve, which is the first derivative of the TG curve. The minima visible on DTG curve correspond to Tmax. At least three samples of each halloysite and starch were evaluated.Thermal stability was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) using a TGA/SDTA 851e thermogravimetric analyzer  in a nitrogen atmosphere at heating rate of 10 °C/min, from 25 to 700 °C. The temperatures of 5% weight loss  analysis was carried out using a DSC 822e apparatus  at a temperature from −50 °C to 200 °C in an argon atmosphere. The heating rate was 10 °C/min, and the argon flow rate was 50 mL/min. At least three samples of each halloysite and starch were tested.The Vicat softening point was determined using HV3 apparatus by CEAST, Italy, according to ISO 306, method A .The tensile and flexural properties were measured using an Instron 5500R universal testing machine  according to ISO 527 and ISO 178, respectively. The crosshead speeds for tensile and flexural tests were 5 and 2 mm/min, respectively. The gage length for tensile tests was 50 mm. The average of five measurements was taken as the result.BET confirmed that before and after ultra-sonication, pure HNT had a porous structure with an average pore size of 11 nm and 17 nm, respectively . At the −1), the HNT spectrum shows two distinct peaks at 3690 and 3618 cm−1, corresponding to the stretching vibration of the Al2-OH groups’ inner-surface and the deformation vibration of interlayer water, respectively [−1 is related to the OH stretching and deformation vibration of the adsorbed water, respectively. The bands at wavenumbers 1113 and 1023 cm−1 are assigned to the Si-O in-plane stretching vibration and perpendicular Si-O-Si stretching vibration, respectively. The band at wavenumber 907 cm−1 corresponds to the O-H deformation of the internal hydroxyl groups, and that at 787 cm−1 is due to a symmetrical Si-O stretching vibration. The bands at 744 and 687 cm−1 are attributed to the perpendicular Si-O stretching vibration. All these observations suggest the presence of more than one type of water in the halloysite structure, and are consistent with previous reports on halloysite [FTIR spectra of pure and modified halloysite are presented in ectively . The wealloysite ,42,43,44−1 (OH vibration), 2947 cm−1 , 2875 cm−1 , and 1455 cm−1 (CH bending vibration), belonging to glycerol, prove the interaction of glycerol with HNT. In addition, these bands were slightly shifted compared to glycerol, and their intensity decreased significantly. The band of adsorbed water at 1630 cm−1 shifted to 1636 cm−1. The bands at 1113, 998, and 787cm−1 shifted slightly to 1110, 993 and 783 cm−1, respectively. Compared to the pure HNT, the spectrum of PP-HNT (−1 (C−H stretching vibration), 2926 cm−1 , 2862 cm−1 (CH2 stretching vibration), and 1636 cm−1 (C=O stretching vibration), belonging to succinic acid, proving the interaction of polyester plasticizer with HNT. The intensity of the bands decreased significantly compared to polyester plasticizer. The band at 787 cm−1 shifted slightly to 791 cm−1. All these observations suggest the interactions between halloysite and the organic compounds .In the case of PP-HNT and G-HNT, it was clear that the characteristic peaks of HNT were maintained. In the G-HNT spectrum, the presence of new peaks at the wavenumbers 3296 cmf PP-HNT  shows ne5%) compared to pure HNT results from the presence of an organic compound  in the halloysite structure, which degrades at a much lower temperature (max3) compared to the Tmax of pure HNT  of the anhydrous glucose ring [−1 to water resulting from the starch hygroscopicity [−1 and 1012 cm−1 indicate the interactions between starch and plasticizers molecules [−1 is attributed to intramolecular hydrogen bonding of hydroxyl groups or the water plasticizing effect [−1 and 998 cm−1 is lower for TPS/HNT and TPS/G-HNT compared to TPS, but higher for TPS/PP-HNT, demonstrating the molecular interactions between starch, plasticizers (glycerol/sorbitol) and halloysite. Similar observations on the interactions between starch and plasticizers have been reported in other studies [The chemical structure and molecular interactions of native starch, plasticizers and halloysite were studied by FTIR spectroscopy. Unmodified and modified TPS show similar FTIR absorption bands . The brol groups ,50. The ose ring , and thecopicity . It is kcopicity . The peaolecules . The pea studies ,53.The morphology of native and plasticized starch was observed by SEM, as illustrated in α), which probably corresponds to the melting process of thermoplastic starch. Compared to TPS, the storage modulus of TPS modified with halloysite shows a significant increase in the following order: TPS/G-HNT < TPS/PP-HNT < TPS/HNT, which indicates higher stiffness. This is due to the limitations of the starch chains’ segmental movement [α).Dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMA) was performed to investigate the interfacial interactions between starch and halloysite. Two distinct decreases in the storage modulus (G′) can be observed in movement ,54 and tmovement . This phg) or secondary transformations. The upper transition is attributed to the glass transition of the starch-rich phase (Tα), while the lower one is attributed to the glass transition of the glycerol-rich phase (Tβ) [β and higher Tα  shows two peaks at −21 °C and 50 °C b. The G″ase (Tβ) ,26,55. Aigher Tα . A decre studies ,26.5% and T10% by 19 °C and 17 °C, respectively, compared to unmodified TPS. The incorporation of G-HNT into TPS also increases the decomposition onset temperature (9 °C) and 10% mass loss temperature (3 °C). Thus, due to high thermal stability and good interaction with native starch, glycerol and sorbitol, HNT and G-HNT improve the thermal stability of starch [Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine the temperature above which the degradation and destruction of thermoplastic starch begins. The addition of 1 wt.% halloysite affects the thermal stability of TPS, depending on its modification . The higf starch ,35. Howeg) of TPS. Tg was observed from −1.2 °C to 4.3 °C, depending on halloysite modification. TPS/PP-HNT showed the lowest Tg, suggesting better flexibility, which was confirmed by mechanical properties  in the halloysite structure, which degrades at a much lower temperature. FTIR confirmed the interactions between starch, plasticizers  and halloysite. HNT and G-HNT, due to high thermal stability and good interaction with TPS components, increased its heat resistance. Moreover, HNTs improved stiffness of thermoplastic potato starch, as evidenced by the higher storage modulus, depending on the halloysite modification. TPS/HNT exhibited the highest stiffness, while TPS/PP-HNT the lowest stiffness. DMTA confirmed simultaneous reinforcing and plasticizing effect of halloysite, as evidenced by an increase in TPotato starch is a cheap, renewable, easily available, and particularly good raw material for both physical and chemical modification, while halloysite is a natural and biocompatible raw material. Therefore, biodegradable starch-based materials modified with halloysite can replace conventional non-degradable polymers in single-use plastic products. Such studies are currently being conducted by our research group and will be the subject of a future publications.The results of the work are protected by the Polish patent application P 441 782 (2022).


Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) has gained popularity in cases of corneal thinning and leaking descemetocele. In this study, we introduced an intralamellar tectonic patch graft in addition to conventional DALK procedures to treat frank cornea perforation.This retrospective case series included 13 patients (13 eyes) with frank corneal perforations who underwent DALK combined with intralamellar tectonic patch graft between December 2015 and December 2021. In addition to the standard DALK procedure, the perforation site was repaired with an extra intralamellar tectonic patch graft. The collected data included patient demographics, aetiology, size and location of the corneal perforation, visual acuity, surgical details, and postoperative complications.2, 6–12 months postoperatively. There was no recurrence of perforation, and the anterior lamellar graft remained transparent in 12 patients (92.3%). Postoperative complications included epithelial defects (23.1%), ocular hypertension (15.4%), and cataract (7.7%).Seven patients underwent autologous intralamellar patch grafts, whereas six received allogeneic ones. Anatomical success was achieved in all patients. The mean postoperative follow-up was 33.31 ± 25.96 months (6–73 months). The postoperative visual acuity (0.90 ± 0.65 logMAR) was significantly improved (P = 0.003) compared to the preoperative score (1.74 ± 0.83 logMAR). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved in 12 eyes (92.3%). The mean endothelial cell density was 2028 ± 463 cells/mmDALK combined with intralamellar tectonic patch graft may serve as a secure and effective alternative in treating frank corneal perforation, with reduced complications compared to conventional penetrating keratoplasty.The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12886-023-03179-7. Corneal perforation is the breakdown of the outer shell of the eye and it is a medical emergency that requires urgent treatment, as the exposure of the eye content to the external environment may lead to severe ocular morbidities; the worst result could be enucleation . CornealAlthough tectonic deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) has gained popularity over the years, it was primarily performed in descemetocele and impending perforation –9. PenetThis retrospective study included 13 patients (13 eyes) with frank corneal perforations who underwent DALK combined with intralamellar patch graft between December 2015 and December 2021 at Peking University Third Hospital. All interventions were performed by the same surgeon (J. H.) under local anesthesia. This study was conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.The cornea was fully exposed using a lid speculum. The globe was fixed by fixation sutures through the superior and inferior recti. The prolapsed iris was adequately rinsed with a balanced salt solution and tobramycin. In patients who presented with a crumbly iris, the iris was excised as they have a higher chance of getting infected; otherwise, the iris was preserved as much as possible and returned to the anterior chamber.Since the size and location of the perforation varied considerably, we adopted different types of DALK from circular, semilunar, to crescentic. The anterior lamellar grafts were harvested from the anterior corneal cap of the pre-cut donor cornea which was prepared for Descemet-stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). The uniform thickness of the DSAEK graft was 150–200 μm, so there would be nearly 400 μm left for lamellar keratoplasty.The recipient bed was prepared by manually dissecting the stroma layer by layer. After the complete excision of the pathological stroma, if the deep stroma remained intact, we would further peel off a piece of stroma layer approximately 20 μm, namely the autologous intralamellar patch graft, at the top of the remaining stroma and flip it over to cover the perforation site Fig. . OtherwiIn the severe iris synechia condition, viscoelastic material was used to separate the iris from the posterior cornea. An air bubble was injected to reformed the anterior chamber and the pupil gradually returned to its normal shape. Finally, a bandage contact lens was used to protect the postoperative ocular surface and to promote epithelial healing.In one case, severe necrosis of the nasal peribulbar conjunctiva led to a conjunctival autograft. In four cases of autoimmune disease and one case of neurotrophic ulcer, an amniotic membrane patch graft was applied, while the latter also underwent tarsorrhaphy. Postoperative treatment included antibiotics to prevent infection, steroids to ease inflammation, topical immunosuppressive agents to restrain graft rejection, and artificial tears to promote epithelial healing.Anatomical success was defined as achieving tectonic integrity once and for all so that no further intervention out of tectonic purpose should be required. In determining the postoperative graft-hose interface haze, the grading system was as follows: mild for minimal interface haze where iris details are blurry but still visible; moderate for cases where only pupil edges can be seen; severe for cases where the pupil edges are not visible. These eyes were evaluated and graded by the same ophthalmologist performing the surgery who was fully aware of the nature of the intralamellar patch graft. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) was used to look for interface fluid and observe the gradual assimilation of the intralamellar patch graft. Confocal microscopy was used to measure the endothelial cells density.P < 0.05.Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0. Changes in Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Statistical significance was set at The study included 13 eyes of 13 patients  with a mean age of 52.38 ± 18.51 years old (ranging from 16 to 71). The aetiology included microbial keratitis , autoimmune disease , blepharokeratoconjunctivitis , marginal degeneration , neurotrophic keratitis , and traumatic injury . Details of the individual cases are listed in Table Three patients had received initial treatment at their local hospital. Case No.4 had undergone a lamellar keratoplasty but soon suffered from perforation recurrence. Case No.10 had received a conjunctival flap, but the perforation site continued to leak. Case No.12 had undergone an amniotic membrane transplantation. However, the amniotic membrane fell off a week after the surgery and the remaining suture leaded to a severe rejection. The other ten patients presented with untreated, leaking perforation. In case No.8, We performed an allogeneic scleral patch as a temporizing tectonic measure while removing the infectious dacryocyst.2, 6–12 months postoperatively. In 12 cases (92.3%), the anterior stromal graft remained transparent. Among them, five intralamellar patch grafts showed mild graft–host interface haze; six showed moderate haze; one showed severe haze. The comparison of the interface haze between autologous and allogeneic intralamellar groups is presented in Table During the DALK combined with intralamellar patch graft procedure, seven patients underwent autologous intralamellar patch grafts, while six received allogeneic grafts. Anatomical success was achieved in all patients. The mean postoperative follow-up was 33.31 ± 25.96 months (6–73 months). The postoperative visual acuity (0.90 ± 0.65 LogMAR) was significantly improved (P = 0.003) compared to the preoperative visual acuity (1.74 ± 0.83 LogMAR). Postoperative ASOCT showed favorable reconstruction of the anatomical structure  caused by residual viscoelastic material was detected in two eyes. An anterior chamber tap was performed, followed by an intravenous injection of Mannitol 20%, and the IOP dropped to normal within two days. Epithelial defects were detected in three eyes; with the administration of bandage contact lens as well as topical agents including epidermal growth factor and preservative-free artificial tears, two of them were recovered while the other (No.9) developed persistent corneal epithelial defects (PCED). The patient had been diagnosed with herpetic keratitis two years ago and had suffered from recurring virus relapses despite receiving medication treatment at the local hospital. After six months of anti-viral therapy  and preservative-free artificial tears treatment, the epithelium lesion showed no improvement and we had to perform PK for this patient.PK is the most common type of tectonic keratoplasty performed for corneal perforation. Although initial anatomical success is usually achieved, graft survival differs due to the immune rejection. Graft clarity rate after the PK ranged from 44.55 to 71.0% at the last follow-up , 17–19. In fact, the idea of treating corneal perforation by partial-thickness keratoplasty has become increasingly popular. Research shows that tectonic mini-DSAEK could successfully seal the corneal perforation from within the anterior chamber –24. HowePrevious research has reported good outcomes of using a thin lamellar graft as the intralamellar patch for sterile corneal perforation , 28. HerThe aetiology remains a major determinant of postoperative visual results. Research has found that therapeutic grafts for herpetic keratitis have poor outcomes. In addition to a significant rate of rejection and recurrence, hypoesthesia secondary to the loss of nerve cells may provoke exposure keratopathy . Our stuThe limitation of this study remains its retrospective nature and the small scale of cases. Since there is plenty of management to prevent a corneal ulcer from developing into a frank corneal perforation, this particular disease is growing rare nowadays. Despite the small sample size, we covered all aspects of common aetiology in this study, which may prove the broad applicability of this innovative surgical approach. The comparison of the interface haze between the autologous and allogeneic intralamellar groups might lack rigor, for the size, location, and aetiology were different among the cases. More research needs to be conducted to further evaluate the vision result between using the allogeneic and autologous intralamellar patch graft.DALK combined with intralamellar patch graft was successful in restoring tectonic integrity and improving visual acuity in frank corneal perforation. It could achieve similar leakproofness to that of PK while yielding the advantage of reduced incidence of rejection likes DALK. Furthermore, both the anterior DALK grafts and the allogeneic intralamellar patch grafts could be harvested from the anterior corneal cap of the pre-cut donor cornea prepared for DSAEK to maximize the donor cornea resources. Considering the scarcity of donor corneas in Asian countries, this approach may serve as a secure and effective alternative to PK for frank corneal perforation.Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.Supplementary Material 1Supplementary Material 2


Especially, an improved spatial resolution leads to improved detection rates of smaller prostate cancer (PCa) lesions. However, physiological PSMA uptake of ganglia of the sympathetic trunk can be quickly misinterpreted as possible PSMA-positive lymph node metastases. The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate [18F]PSMA-1007 uptake and its intra-individual reproducibility in ganglia of the sympathetic trunk.18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT scan and, accordingly, a follow-up examination between August 2018 and August 2021. Cervical, coeliac, and sacral ganglia were identified on the iterative PET reconstructions and correlated with CT component. Tracer uptake of ganglia was determined by measuring SUVmax and SUVmean values. Anatomical position of the ganglia in relation to adjacent vertebral bodies were noted. Statistical analyses were conducted using two-way repeated measures ANOVA and descriptive statistics.We retrospectively included 28 consecutive patients (median age 69 ± 9 with a range of 49–90) with biochemical recurrence of PCa who underwent [18F]PSMA-1007 uptake was found in coeliac ganglia followed by cervical and sacral ganglia. The SUVmax in coeliac ganglia was 3.13 ± 0.85 (follow-up scan 3.11 ± 0.93), in cervical ganglia 2.73 ± 0.69 (follow-up scan 2.67 ± 0.74), and in sacral ganglia 1.67 ± 0.50 (follow-up scan 1.64 ± 0.52). The SUVmean in coeliac ganglia was 2.28 ± 0.64 (follow-up scan 2.28 ± 0.66), in cervical ganglia 1.62 ± 0.43 (follow-up scan 1.61 ± 0.43) and in sacral ganglia 1.15 ± 0.33 (follow-up scan 1.12 ± 0.34). In a given ganglion station, there was no statistically significant difference of SUVmax or SUVmean values between baseline and follow-up scans.The highest [18F]PSMA-1007 uptake in ganglia of the sympathetic trunk showed a low variability of SUVmax or SUVmean and a good intra-individual reproducibility of [18F]PSMA-1007 uptake in follow-up scans. These findings might improve and guide the differentiation of ganglia from possible malignant lesions.The first systematically described physiological [ Therd Europe , 4. Howeablished , 6. On t18F]DCFBC was the first 18F-labeled PSMA ligand which was clinically evaluated. It turned out that the ligand has a high plasma protein binding resulting in a persistent blood-pool activity. Further development led to the second notable 18F-labeled PSMA ligand [18F]DCFPyL, which has greater affinity for PSMA and fast(er) renal elimination providing better tumor-to-background ratios at early timepoints [18F]PSMA-1007 which was introduced in 2016 PSMA-1007 uptake in ganglia of the sympathetic trunk and to evaluate the intra-individual reproducibility of quantitative SUV values in these structures.The aim of this retrospective analysis is to characterize, allocate, and quantify the extent of [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT in the Department of Nuclear Medicine of University Hospital Duesseldorf and, accordingly, a follow-up examination between August 2018 and August 2021. Studies with extensive lymph node metastases as well as studies without a follow-up examination were excluded.We retrospectively included 28 consecutive patients  with biochemical recurrence of PCa who underwent [18F]PSMA-1007 was synthesized as described previously [18F]PSMA-1007 on a Siemens Biograph mCT . The examination included a diagnostic CT scan and the intravenous administration of a contrast agent at the beginning of the scan. The scans were acquired in 3D mode; the acquisition time per bed position was 3–4 min. Data were corrected for random, dead time, scatter, and attenuation. Iterative reconstruction of data using ordered-subsets expectation maximization algorithm  was performed.[eviously  and inje18F]PSMA-1007 uptake (SUVmax/SUVmean), anatomical position in relation to adjacent vertebral bodies, and the side were assessed and noted both in baseline and follow-up scans. Criteria for ganglia were focal or tear-drop-shaped or ribbon-shaped [18F]PSMA-1007 uptake that could be correlated in CT in a typical localization para- or prevertebral.The analysis of the images was performed in consensus by two nuclear medicine physicians (D.S. and E.M.). The cervical, coeliac, and sacral ganglia were, preferably pairwise, identified on the iterative reconstructions  and correlated with the CT. The [18F]-PSMA-1007 PET/CT SUV metrics were defined as variables and the location of ganglia or the follow-up examination as factors. These statistical analyses were performed with SigmaPlot version 14.0 . The quantitative data are demonstrated as mean ± SD. P values less than 0.001 were considered significant.We performed a two-way repeated measures ANOVA. The [18F]PSMA-1007 uptake was detected in altogether 315 ganglia. The highest uptake was found in coeliac ganglia  followed by cervical  and sacral ganglia . The SUVmean was coeliac , cervical , and sacral    . These findings may contribute to an additional diagnostic certainty. However, individual coeliac and cervical ganglia had a relatively high SUVmax up to 5.6 and 4.4, respectively. This could cause a misinterpretation. But a typical anatomical allocation should support the correct differentiation of ganglia. Our study showed that detectable ganglia had the same anatomic localization in all cases at the beginning and in the follow-up. The cervical and coeliac ganglia were found along the vertebra in the area of T1/T2 and T12/L1, respectively. Sacral ganglia were accordingly localized in presacral region. In most cases, ganglia could be identified pairwise, which in addition to the typical anatomic localization and developed SUVmax values further facilitates the discrimination from metastases.With the present study, we assessed SUV18F]PSMA-1007 with very robust SUVmax values in intra-individual comparison. Consequently, an increased tracer uptake in a follow-up scan in the localization of hypothetic ganglia would be more likely a metastasis or an inflamed lymph node than a ganglion.In the clinical routine, physicians can make a decision about malignancy on the basis of increasing uptake in subsequent examinations. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first investigation analyzing physiological uptake of the ganglia using PSMA-1007 uptake in ganglia of the sympathetic trunk. Hereby, we demonstrated that ganglia have a good intra-individual reproducibility of [18F]PSMA-1007 uptake in follow-up examinations as well as a low variability of SUVmax or SUVmean and appear in the same, typical anatomical localization. These findings might improve and guide the differentiation of ganglia from malignant lesions in clinical practice.To our best knowledge, this is the first systematic description of the physiological [


Cement-treated sand reinforced with geogrids (CTSGs) has higher bending resistance and toughness than cement-treated sands (CTSs). To explore the reinforcement mechanism of geogrids with different stiffness and layers on CTSGs, three-point bending tests and numerical tests based on DEM are carried out on CTS specimens and CTSG specimens considering different reinforcement conditions. The results show that the geogrids and cement-treated sands have good cooperative working performance. Compared with CTSs, CTSG specimens show better ductility, flexural strength and toughness. The increase in geogrid stiffness and geogrid layers promote the reinforcement effect. On the meso-level, different geogrid stiffness and layers affect the crack propagation speed and distributions of cracks due to the anchorage action of geogrids, resulting in different reinforcement effects. In addition, the layers and stiffness of geogrids affect the evolution of the internal force chains of CTSG specimens. Both the increase in geogrid layers and decrease in geogrid stiffness reduce the average internal force of geogrids and weaken the anisotropy of the normal contact force of the specimens. The simulation results interpret the reinforcement mechanism of a CTSG specimen from crack development and internal force evolution, which can support a mesoscopic supplement to laboratory tests. Classic engineering materials such as cement-treated sand and concrete have high compressive strength but poor flexural and bending resistance, often requiring reinforcing materials with good tensile properties. On the other hand, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection and advances in production and construction technology, geogrids have been widely used in civil engineering projects . CompareCurrently, laboratory testing is the main method for studying the mechanical properties of geogrid-reinforced cement mortar materials. Based on a series of laboratory tests, researchers have found that geogrid reinforcement can effectively delay the propagation and development of micro-cracks ,4, signiNumerous laboratory tests have demonstrated the feasibility and advantages of geogrid-reinforced cement mortar ,6,7,8,9,In summary, to enhancing the understanding of the CTSG structure from the macro and micro perspectives, this paper establishes a discrete element numerical model of CTSG specimens based on data obtained from laboratory three-point bending tests and analyzes the effects of geogrid stiffness and reinforcement layer number on the load deflection relationship, flexural strength and toughness of CTSGs. The microscopic analysis of different geogrid stiffness factors quantitatively is presented.3 and the thickness is 3 mm. The schematic diagram of the working condition with different geogrid layers is shown in The materials selected in the test mainly include sand (standard construction sand), cement (P.O cement) and triaxial geogrid  is load–deflection curve.In the formula, P1 of the key node are P1  and deflection L/150 .According to ASTM C1609/C1609M-10 [P1), the mechanical responses of the specimens under different working conditions are similar. The loads both experience linear increases until the deflection increase to P1, then the load drops rapidly from point P1 onwards. However, the load of the CTS specimen decreases sharply to 0 after P1, while the loads of the CTSG specimens increase after decreasing, which illustrates that the reinforced specimens exhibit better bearing capacity. In addition, the bearing capacity of the double-layer reinforced condition is better than that of the single-layer reinforced condition. Comparing the bending strength index f under different geogrid layers, it can be seen that the bending strength f1 changes slightly with the increase in the number of layers, while f2 increases significantly. The CTS specimen, due to its quick fracturing, fails to demonstrate any toughness. For the geogrid-reinforced specimens, the rate of toughness increase (slope of the toughness–deflection curve) for the double-layer reinforced specimens is faster than that of the single-layer reinforced specimens.2D to simulate the three-point bending test of the CTS and CTSG specimens with different geogrid stiffness and layer number, and analyzes the reinforcement mechanism and deformation failure mechanism of geogrid on the bending resistance of the CTSGs.In order to investigate the influence of geogrid stiffness and layer number on the mechanical response of CTSGs, this investigation uses discrete element software PFCIn order to ensure that the numerical test is consistent with the laboratory test, the numerical test needs to consider the cohesion of cement mortar, the tensile effect of the grid and the interaction between the mortar and the grid. There are two main modeling methods for discrete element simulation of bonding materials such as cement. One is to simplify the cement mortar into an aggregate of spherical particles and consider its bonding through a parallel bonding contact model ,18. The The parallel bond model used in the simulation can transfer bending moment and resist rotation, as shown in The bond stress in the parallel bond model is determined by the correlation between force and displacement. This correlation is established by considering various parameters such as normal and tangential stiffness, tensile and shear strength and bond radius factor, etc. The force and force moment acting on the parallel bond can be denoted as The vectors t represents time steps. The parallel bond experiences the maximum tensile stress and shear stress.The variables used in the equation include If the maximum tensile stress acting on the bond is greater than the ultimate tensile strength of the bond itself, the bond will break and produce tensile cracks. Similarly, if the maximum shear stress acting on the bond exceeds the ultimate shear strength of the bond itself, the bond will break and produce shear cracks.−5. According to the actual loading situation of the three-point loading test, the clump simulation actuator and bearers are created according to the response size and spacing, as shown in The numerical test process is as follows: firstly, a rectangular closed area is generated according to the actual size of 350 mm × 100 mm, and the particles are randomly placed according to the target porosity and particle size range (2–3 mm uniform gradation) of the specimen. In the process of specimen generation, the contact model between the particles and wall is set as the linear elastic model, and the friction coefficient between particles is set as 0, so as to ensure that the particles can be evenly and densely accumulated. The damping coefficient is 0.7, and then the internal force balance is calculated. Based on the position of the geogrid during the test, single-layer and double-layer geogrids were generated by clumps. After calculating the balance, the geogrid was replaced by clusters, and the solving operation was completed until the unbalanced force ratio was less than 1 × 10L/150 mm), the loading ends.In order to reduce the influence of inertia force in the process of numerical simulation, the method of slowly increasing the loading speed is adopted when the simulated sample is loaded: after the loading rod contacts the specimen, it is slowly accelerated from 0 mm/min to a predetermined loading speed of 0.05 mm/min through 50,000 cycles. When the loading rod displacement is 2.1 mm  of the geogrid at different deflections is quantified and normalized according to the internal forces of the CTSG-3-S specimen, as shown in To investigate the evolution of normal contact force chain in different specimens, diagrams of the normal contact force chain under different loading conditions are plotted. The Fourier function proposed by ROTHENBURG  is used In the equation,δ1, because the specimen has not yet cracked and the geogrid has little effect at this time. After the deflection of the CTS specimen reaches δ1, the specimen is destroyed, the area surrounded by the normal contact force distribution diagram decreases rapidly and it no longer changes with the increase in the deflection. Comparing CTSG-1-S and CTSG-3-S, when the stiffness of the geogrid is low, the normal contact force of the specimen reaches its maximum when the deflection is δ1, and then the area surrounded by the normal contact force distribution graph is significantly reduced. With the further increase in the deflection, although the area increases, it still cannot reach its maximum value. Under high stiffness, the normal contact force of the specimen decreased after the deflection exceeds δ1, but could be restored to a level higher than that at δ1 due to a stronger reinforcement effect.The data in the figures have been normalized using the maximum component of the normal contact force distribution when the deflection of CTSG-1-S reaches δ1. δ1 is the deflection corresponding to the first peak value point of each specimen. The dashed lines in the figures represent the Fourier fitting curves. As shown in n decreased with increasing geogrid stiffness (which means anisotropy of mortar decreased). Comparing CTSG-3-S and CTSG-3-D, it can be seen that the contact force of double-layer reinforced specimens decreased smaller at cracking and had a greater contact force value when deflection come to 2 mm. The Fourier fitting coefficient an of double-layer reinforced specimens increased, as the double-layered reinforcement increased the range of the mortar tensile area (as shown in The Fourier fitting coefficient aTo investigate the influence of the number of layers and stiffness of geogrids on geogrid reinforced cement-treated sand (CTSG) and analyze the mesoscopic mechanism of their impact on bending resistance, this study conducted laboratory three-point bending tests on CTSG specimens with different layers of geogrid reinforcement, and a series of DEM simulation tests are conducted to supplement the effect of geogrid stiffness. The experimental results compared the flexural response process and mesoscopic parameters evolution of CTSG under different conditions, leading to the following conclusions.Geogrids can improve the flexural performance of CTSGs, and the increase in geogrid stiffness and layers has a promoting effect on this improvement. The failure process of CTSG specimens can be divided into three stages: pre-fracture, crack development and residual failure, exhibiting good ductility. Geogrid reinforcement can enhance the flexural strength and toughness of CTSG specimens. The increase in geogrid stiffness and layers can suppress the strength loss of the first peak strength, promote load recovery and make the specimen more resilient.Geogrids have a significant impact on the crack propagation rate and distribution of CTSG specimens. Once CTS specimens crack, the main crack quickly penetrates the cross-section, and the number of cracks is small when the specimen fails. After cracking, due to the anchoring effect of the geogrids in CTSGs, the main crack develops slowly with the increase in deflection. At the same time, geogrids transmit tensile stresses to the surrounding mortar, causing the mortar to produce multiple fine triangular cracks in the area of tensile stress concentration. The increase in geogrid stiffness and layers can strengthen the anchorage effect and increase the crack distribution area and total number of cracks in the specimen.There is a marginal effect of changing the number and stiffness of geogrids on the toughness improvement of CTSG specimens. The toughness growth rate of CTSG specimens decreases as the stiffness of the geogrids increases. The greater the stiffness of the geogrids, the greater the toughness growth rate of CTSG specimens when the number of reinforcements is increased. When the stiffness of the geogrid is low, improving the stiffness has a better effect on the toughness improvement of CTSG specimens, and the improvement of single-layer CTSG specimens is greater than that of double-layer CTSG specimens. When the stiffness of the geogrid is high, the benefit of increasing the number of reinforcements is higher. CTSG-1-D has a toughness value 39.1% higher than CTSG-1-S, while CTSG-3-D has a toughness value 44.1% higher than CTSG-3-S.Increasing the number of layers of the geogrid has a promoting effect on the anisotropy of the normal contact force inside the CTSG specimen, while increasing the stiffness of the geogrid shows an inhibitory effect. The reason may be that increasing the number of layers of geogrid will increase the tensile area of the specimen when it is bent, and the internal contact force of the mortar will increase more significantly in the horizontal direction, thereby enhancing the anisotropy.


Continuum robots have good adaptability in unstructured and complex environments. However, affected by their inherent nature of flexibility and slender structure, there are challenges in high-precision motion and load. Thus, stiffness adjustment for continuum robots has consistently attracted the attention of researchers. In this paper, a stiffness adjustment mechanism (SAM) is proposed and built in a growth-controllable continuum robot (GCCR) to improve the motion accuracy in variable scale motion. The self-stiffness adjustment is realized by antagonism through cable force transmission during the length change of the continuum robot. With a simple structure, the mechanism has a scarce impact on the weight and mass distribution of the robot and required no independent actuators for stiffness adjustment. Following this, a static model considering gravity and end load is established. The presented theoretical static model is applicable to predict the shape deformations of robots under different loads. The experimental validations showed that the maximum error ratio is within 5.65%. The stiffness of the robot can be enhanced by nearly 79.6%. Industrial robots are provided with high rigidity to perform manufacturing tasks with accuracy, speed, and load capacity. These robots operate in confined spaces away from workers because of their use of inflexible linkages. Thus, continuum robots utilizing elastic components, such as series elastic actuators, have been developed to improve safety and allow for closer human–robot interaction in manufacturing environments.Inspired by the biology of snakes, elephant trunks, and octopus tentacles, continuum robots are widely studied to reproduce similar functions ,2. ContiIn recent years, researchers have developed several methods for adjusting the stiffness, as shown in Active stiffness adjustment: It requires an additional structure or mechanism to lock the robot actively, which can be understood as active stiffness adjustment;Passive stiffness adjustment: Based on the motion characteristics of the robot, stiffness adjustment is achieved without introducing additional actuation components;Lightweight design: The use of lightweight materials can effectively reduce the impact of robot weight on motion accuracy in gravity; continuum robots with gradually changing diameters can effectively shorten the distance between the center of mass and fixed end;Kinematics compensation: To fit the target by changing the actuation displacement initiative by kinematics algorithms.In , recent For growth-controllable continuum robots, it is of great importance for them to have the capability of adjustable stiffness . Due to Recently, researchers have focused their attention on nature-inspired designs ,22 as weTaking the continuum robot as a whole system, one method is to modify the internal forces between different components, such as the mechanisms of locking , and stiThis is a worthwhile study in a GCCR that uses variable length telescopic motion as the input and realizes self-stiffness adjusting. In this way, additional locking mechanisms are not necessary. Therefore, novel mechanisms are still required to achieve effective stiffness adjustment for a GCCR. Based on the comparison shown in A stiffness adjustment mechanism (SAM) is proposed and built in a growth-controllable continuum robot (GCCR) to improve the motion accuracy in variable scale motion.A statistics model that considers the weight of the robot and the end load is constructed and the shape of the robot can be predicted.Experimental testing is carried out to investigate the effect of the proposed SAM, modeling errors, and stiffness enhancement. The results provide efficacious insights to improve the design of the stiffness adjustment mechanism.This paper describes modeling and experimental studies on a passive stiffness adjustment method for growth-controllable continuum robots. The main contributions are:This paper addresses the passive stiffness adjustment feature for growth-controllable continuum robots and focuses on the following aspects: N constraint disks. For the presented GCCR, there are three degrees of freedom, namely, bending, rotating, and retracting [A generalized design of a rod-driven continuum robot with growth-controllable feature is shown in tracting . Based otracting , while tr is the distance between the drive rods and the plane that is perpendicular to the bending plane in the cross-section. For the presented GCCR, the extensible range of length is designed from 0.20 to 0.75 m.The model and coordinate system of the GCCR are shown in The workspace of a growth-controllable continuum robot reflects the motion capability, while the operating performance could be derived from the number of the degree of freedom. E. Amanov et al.  proposedA typical characteristic that sets the GCCR apart from traditional continuum robots is length changing. As stiffness adjustment of the GCCR is desired, the length change of the robot can be considered as the only independent variable. In this section, a novel mechanism based on spring and cable is proposed and built into the GCCR for its passive adjustment of stiffness. Based on the generalized rod-driven GCCR structure, a stiffness adjustment mechanism was proposed that can change the internal frictional force between the drive rods and constraint disks as the robot length changes. This design uses anisotropic distributed cables and geometry relationships to achieve local frictional force, unlike the antagonistic actuators , centralThe configuration of the SAM built in a GCCR is shown in The three cables inside the robot traverse constraint disks at different positions, as shown in Tension springs are utilized to pull the cables, and compression springs are utilized to maintain the relative position of the constraint disks due to their high power–weight ratio, flexibility, stable force deformation relationship, and compactness making them suitable for implementation in such a slender continuum robot. Thus, the stiffness adjustment of the robot can be achieved by the length changing of the robot. In this system, the only variable that affects the stiffness of the robot is the robot’s length.As a result, when the total length of the robot is short, the springs and cables provide a small tension force applied to the constraint disks and produce small frictional forces; when the robot is at a long length, the springs and cables are tightened, and the friction force increases. In this process, it is tensioned, and it will apply a normal force Based on the working principle of the stiffness adjustment mechanism, a force transmission chain can be obtained, as shown in Thus, the frictional friction provided by the cable isThe continuum robot has a slender structure, and the mass distribution is assumed uniform;Each curve of the drive rod is parallel to each other, including the virtual bone;Due to the compression springs being utilized to keep an equidistant sate of the constraint disks, the elastic potential energy is negligible.For solving the static deformation of GCCR, the first step is to create an equivalent fixed-end beam model. The virtual bone of the continuum robot is parallel to each drive rod due to the constraint disks, which keeps the spacing of each drive rod consistent. Thus, three assumptions are made as follows:As for the structure of the GCCR, the fiberglass rods are parallel to each other when the continuum robot is deformed. The elastic potential energy of each fiberglass rod can be expressed asAccording to the isometric line principle, the equivalent bending stiffness is obtained asHence, the equivalent-bending stiffness Equation . SubsequB can be written asK at point B isFurther, the curvature s yieldsSubsequently, differentiating Equation  respect Subsequently, Equation  is transThe rewritten left side of Equation  is as foSubstituting Equation  into EquThus, Equation  can be eTherefore,Integrating Equation , the lenSubstituting Equation , α is wrx-axis and z-axis, respectively. Based on the above derivation, the guided end coordinates can be expressed asBased on the consumption, the shape of the continuum robot is a constant curvature arc. As shown in Equation , the staL, the approximate shape of the robot can be obtained.By intercepting the corresponding arc through Based on the working principle and mechanical design mentioned above, a prototype is designed, as shown in The test platform aims to tune the stiffness of the main body of the robot in a gravity field when the robot has a different length or with a different end load. A stiffness test bench is established to fit the relationship between the tension force and deformation of the tension springs. Since the virtual bone cannot be directly measured, one side of the midpoints of the robot is marked in contrary colors, and the midpoint can be recognized as the center line of the virtual bone. The shape of the robot was captured by digital camera and measured in software .x-z plane with no end load. In this paper, two types of errors are considered. One is the absolute errors (unit: m), representing the distance between two guided end coordinates in experiments and simulation. For example, In this subsection, the performance of the GCCR with SAM under different robot lengths is shown. In this case, the robot length ranges from 0.2 m to 0.75 m. To compare the results under different actuation conditions more clearly, the robot only bends in the The results are shown in Both absolute and relative errors increase with the elongation of the robot.In general, the average error is greater than the robot end error.The average error almost shows a linear trend after the robot length is greater than 0.3 m, while the trend of end error change is not as significant as the average error.In this case, the role of the stiffness adjustment mechanism is confirmed. Secondly, As mentioned in Equation , is usedAccording to Equations  and 5),,5), the x-axis , the magnitude of the end load is changed from 0 N to 0.5 N and the relationship of end load Hysteresis can have an impact on the repetitive positioning accuracy of robots during actual tasks . Figure Based on the theoretical derivation in L to (1) When the robot performs stretching motion, as shown in Rotating as a robot bends at different r is the robot radius. (2) When (3) When The relationships between robot length changing and built in cable length changing are shown in For most slender continuum robots, e.g., the follow-the-lead continuum robot proposed in , mass diIn this system, the length changing of the continuum robot directly influences the tension forces of the springs and produces internal frictional force to “lock” the drive rods. In modeling, a static model was established, which considered the continuum robot as an equivalent-end beam with the corresponding equivalent bending stiffness. The experimental validations showed that the maximum error ratio is within 6.82%. The stiffness of tension springs is a crucial factor in the ability of stiffness adjustment. For now, considering the expansion ratio and linear extension range, a tension spring stiffness of 43.8 N/m is selected, and a stiffness enhancement ratio of 79.6% is obtained. As analyzed in Additionally, combined with For future research, using a more accurate model   will impectivity . FurtherMingyuan Wang et al., A driving component for a continuum robot, Chinese patent, ZL202111404400.5, Shanghai University, 2022. 12. 27. (Granted)Mingyuan Wang et al., A Modular Continuum Robot with Multiple Operation Modes, Chinese patent, ZL202111403853.6, Shanghai University, 2023. 8. 11. (Granted)


No new groups were formed after the retrogradation of the compound system, the hydrogen bonding force increased with the increase in polysaccharide, and the relative crystallinity and the degree of ordering of the system decreased. The addition of TP increased the content of bound water and immobile water, decreased the content of free water, and increased the gel water-holding capacity, indicating that it could effectively inhibit the long-term retrogradation of WS. The findings provide new theoretical insights for the production of starch-based foods.This study investigated the effects of adding different concentrations of TP (tremella polysaccharide) on the water distribution, rheological, thermal, microstructure, and retrogradation properties of WS (wheat starch) gels. The results showed that the starch aging increased during storage, and the addition of TP reduced the rate of change of the elastic modulus of the starch gel and delayed the short-term aging of WS. In the same storage period, the hardness value of the gel decreased and the texture became softer with the increase in the mass fraction of TP. TP increased the T Foods produced with wheat flour as the main raw material, such as bread, Chinese steamed breads, and cake, are the favorite staple foods of people all over the world. However, the aging, hard texture, and poor taste of wheat staple food during storage significantly affect the product quality. The reason for this phenomenon is the aging of the wheat starch, which is the component with the highest content in wheat flour and accounts for 85% of the dry weight . Starch Starch is widely used in the food industry as a gelling agent, stabilizer, thickener, and water retention agent . HoweverDifferent hydrocolloids may also have different effects on starch due to differences in their origin and structure. The TP selected for this experiment was a heteropolysaccharide obtained by isolation and purification from the seeds of the tremella fruiting body, which is a combination of ten monosaccharides including glucose, galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, and ribose, with mannose as the main chain . TP is aWheat starch (purity 99.99%) was purchased from Yuanye Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China. .TP: Tremella was purchased from Wal-Mart Supermarket, Xunche Plaza Store, Changchun, China, and TP was made by the laboratory.TA.XT Plus texture analyzer, Beijing Weixun Ultra Technology Instrument Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China; DHR-1 rheometer Waters Group, Milford, MA, USA; Discovery DSC 25XX differential calorimetry scanner, TA, New Castle, DE, USA; MesoMR23-040V-I low-field NMR instrument Shanghai Newmark Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China; Phenom Pro scanning electron microscope; IR Prestige-21 Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, Shimadzu, Kyoto, Japan; MiniFlx 600 Benchtop X-ray Diffractometer.w/v)-TP  gels were prepared as follows: TP was dissolved in deionized water to which WS was added to obtain a homogeneous solution, which was stirred at 25 °C for 30 min to obtain a mixture. The gel was then formed by stirring in a water bath at 95 °C for 30 min and then cooled to room temperature. All the gels were placed in a uniform container, and the gel was made into a cylinder with a diameter of six centimeters and a height of eight centimeters; the gel was stored in a 4 °C refrigerator for 1, 7, and 14 days. A portion of the gel was removed and lyophilized and ground through a 100-mesh sieve.WS  was determined by the first programmed temperature measurement of the crucible after 24 h of equilibrium at room temperature. The set procedure was to increase temperature from 20 °C to 100 °C at a rate of 10 °C/min. After the gelatinized samples were cooled and stored at 4 °C for 1, 7, and 14 days, they were taken out successively for a second thermal scan to determine the enthalpy of retrogradation (ΔHr) of the samples. The aging rate was the ratio of enthalpy of retrogradation to enthalpy of gelatinization (ΔHr/ΔHg).According to Zhang et al. , 0.5 g o−1; 64 scans were performed with a resolution of 4 cm−1, and Origin 2021 was used for data processing to obtain infrared spectra. OMNIC 8.0 was used to deconvolute the infrared spectrum in the range of 1200 cm−1 to 900 cm−1, and the enhancement factor was set to 1.9 and the half-peak width to 40 cm−1.The starch gel was refrigerated at 4 °C for 1, 7, and 14 days, and then freeze-dried and ground into powder, which was then put through a 100-mesh sieve for use. Samples of 1 mg and 50 mg potassium bromide were weighed, ground, and mixed evenly, and then vacuumed at 15 MPa. Excluding the background of potassium bromide flakes, the determination range was 4000~400 cmThe ground sample in 1 = 376,786.36 Hz, sampling number TD = 1,000,054, P1 = 3.00 μs, P2 = 6.00 μs, SW =200 kHz, TE = 0.5 ms, Tw = 7500 ms, RFD = 0.08 ms, RG1 = 20.0 db, DRG1 = 3, cumulative times NS = 4, echo number NECH = 10,000. The signal was collected by NMRAS120 analysis software, and the data were normalized after inversion.Measurements were taken using slight modifications to the method of Wang et al. . The gelThe fresh starch paste prepared in p < 0.05 was considered significant. Origin 2021 was used for software mapping.SPSS Statistics 23.0 software was used to process the data, and the significant differences were determined using ANOVA. The aging degree of starch gel during storage is closely linked to its hardness, which can be characterized by the gel hardness value in the food physical property instrument . As showGelatinized starch undergoes aging during storage, which can be generally divided into short-term aging and long-term aging . Short-tr) represents the energy required to melt the crystalline structure, and the larger the enthalpy value, the higher the degree of starch recrystallization and the greater the degree of aging [p of starch after storage aging is about 50 °C, which is associated with the dissociation peak of amylopectin aging [0 and peak temperature Tp show a decreasing trend, but the enthalpy value ∆H increases gradually, indicating that the degree of starch aging increases and the energy of melting amylopectin crystallization increases.The enthalpy value  cm−1 can reflect the short-range orderliness of the system and the internal variation of the double helicity [−1 and (995/1022) cm−1 of WS stored for 1 day was 1.116 and 1.323, respectively. After 14 days of storage, the values of (1054/1021) cm−1 and (995/1022) cm−1 were significantly increased to 1.214 (p < 0.05) and 1.424 (p < 0.05). The results showed that the WS aged during storage and the double-helix packing density became more and more compact on the surface of starch grains. The ratio of (1054/1021) cm−1 and (1021/993) cm−1 of the compound system decreased gradually with the increase in TP mass fraction, indicating that TP can reduce the degree of order of the system and effectively delay the short-term and long-term aging of starch.The absorption peak intensity near (1054/1021) cmhelicity . As can XRD can characterize the long-range orderliness of WS. As shown in The crystallinity of WS stored for 1 d, 7 d, and 14 d is shown in Starch is often accompanied by water changes in the retrogradation process, and LF-NMR can quickly analyze the water distribution in the system . It was 2 of LF-NMR can reflect the water migration of the starch gel system [2, the closer and higher the binding between the substrate and water molecules [2b, T21), and the relaxation time is within 0.1~10 ms. There was unmovable water (T22) between amylose and amylopectin, and the relaxation time was within 10~100 ms. Relaxation time greater than 100 ms is considered to be free water T23 [In this work, LF-NMR was used to further analyze the changes in water migration in WS gel during the retrogradation process to verify the above speculation. The transverse relaxation time Tl system , which colecules . In the ater T23 .2 value of the system decreases with the addition of TP, indicating that the system is more closely bound to water molecules. The signal peak at the front end gradually decreases and disappears with the extension of storage time, which means that the close-knit structures in part of the system are degraded. The T22 and T23 values of all samples decreased with the increase in storage days. This indicates that the binding between starch and water molecules is gradually enhanced, and the leakage of amylose aggregates and rearranges, limiting the mobility of water [21 and T23 values of gels decreased with the increase in TP mass fraction; thus, system showed that a high TP mass fraction can enhance the water-holding capacity of gels and reduce the mobility of water molecules.The water migration changes of the compound system with different mass fractions of TP during the 1th, 7th, and 14th days of storage are shown in of water . As a reThe variation in the peak area and peak area ratio of each peak can be obtained by integrating the relaxation spectra. The relative content of water molecular mobility is proportional to the corresponding peak area ratio. It was observed by SEM that the gelatinized gel aggregated to form a dense three-dimensional network structure during the cooling process. As shown in r of starch decreased and the aging rate decreased significantly. The gel texture became softer and the hardness value decreased, indicating that the addition of TP hindered the aggregation and rearrangement of amylose and reduced the intermolecular force of starch, thus weakening the degree of starch aging. The results of FTIR showed that the values of R1054/1021 and R995/1022 decreased gradually, which proved that TP could inhibit the cross-linking between starch molecules and reduce the relative order degree of starch. XRD results show that TP reduces the crystallinity of starch by reducing the rearrangement and crystallization of WS. The content of bound water and unmovable water increases, while the content of free water decreases. The addition of TP significantly improved the structure of the gel and inhibited the retrogradation of the gel. TP can delay the short- and long-term aging of WS to a certain extent. This not only realizes the development and utilization of TP value, but also provides a theoretical basis for the storage of starch-based foods.This paper focuses on the effects of TP concentration on the water migration and aging characteristics of the WS gel system. The results showed that TP has the potential to retard the retrogradation of the wheat starch gel system. The elastic modulus of starch gel decreased with the increase in TP concentration during the same storage period. The ΔH