I am writing to seek advice for my friend. He was a victim of a hijacked journal. The name of the journal is XXXXXXXX Review. He paid US$600 as an APC. He later learned that the journal is a hijacked journal. He has emailed the journal requesting to retract the paper and to possibly refund the publication fee. However, until now, he got no responseI received the following email from a colleague (edited slightly):and he asked if there was anything that could be done. My response was a curt “no.” Apparently, he had tried to contact the journal to no avail.Journal of Advanced Nursing (Dadkhah, What is illustrated above is one of the many aspects of the “hydra‐headed monster” of the predatory publishing “industry.” In this case, the unfortunate friend of my colleague had submitted to a website — probably responding to a predatory email — that appeared to be convincing and possibly identical to a genuine journal website. However, the journal identity had been used to set up a nearly identical website or an old version of the website had been found on the Internet and reactivated. This kind of criminal activity goes beyond even the questionable practices of most predatory journals. These, at least in most circumstances, publish your paper albeit without a peer review process, no editing and the minimum of production. In the case of a hijacked journal website, your paper will never be published, and you will have paid for nothing. The rise of these hijacked websites was first brought to my attention in the editorial pages of Dadkhah, .Nursing Open, will request money at the point of submission. Payment is only requested if your manuscript is accepted. If you reach a point where payment is requested on submission, retreat and report the website to the genuine publisher of the journal you are targeting. If in doubt; don't!What can you do to protect yourself from the hijacked websites? First, never respond to any emails asking you to submit a manuscript to a journal. Reputable journals never send out such invitations and especially never attempt the kind of ridiculous flattery: “greetings”; “esteemed professor”; “hoping you are in good health”; “we await your manuscript”; “we need one more to complete our next volume”; or any nonsense like that. On a desktop or portable computer simply delete; on a smartphone…swipe to the left! If you plan to submit and find a journal website yourself, you are on very safe ground. Nevertheless, you may be directed to a hijacked website and it may be hard to tell. If you have any suspicions, then try searching for the website again and compare with what you find. Check URLs carefully — is the URL that of a reputable publisher — e.g., Wiley — which will provide the platform for the journal? If in doubt, email or phone the journal and get the URL directly from them. If you do proceed with a hijacked website, you will inevitably be alerted at the point where payment is requested. Note carefully — no reputable journal, including open access journals such as


Prior to the meeting, an international panel led by Michael Alpers and Kim Mulholland assembled a discussion paper which called for a global action plan [GAP] against childhood pneumonia. This paper was discussed at ISPPD and with some modifications, it was accepted by the conference delegates to become known as the ISPPD declaration . During In 2009, I co-chaired a tri-nation meeting on childhood pneumonia with Bob Douglas in Sydney. This meeting was attended by 43 delegates from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia and from international donor agencies to discuss further local initiatives aimed at reducing child mortality and morbidity from pneumonia, as well as support in the Asia-Pacific region for the GAPP initiative [In comparison to other childhood killers such as malaria and diarrhoea, the situation for pneumonia is much more complicated. The diagnosis is not straight forward, the decision to treat with antibiotics is often ambiguous and preventative interventions are complicated, in that, a multipronged approach is necessary. Risk factors associated with the environment and pollution need to be addressed. What is required is a preventative approach based on effective case management practices, vaccination and strategies to improve childhood nutrition and correct deficiencies in essential micronutrients such as zinc. Hence, as recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the mid 1990’s when the concept of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness program was introduced, the prevention of pneumonia requires a child specific rather than a disease specific approach . As a copneumonia is a peer reviewed, online, open access journal. It is dedicated to establishing an international forum for pneumonia in the broadest context and as a means for bringing together knowledge related to pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of pneumonia. The journal will publish original research articles, case studies, reviews, critical commentaries, correspondence, highlights and news on all aspects of pneumonia.pneumonia will be published by Griffith University ePress. There are no fees for the submission of manuscripts, nor any costs associated with their publication or access online.pneumonia will become a journal of choice for those wishing to publish high quality manuscripts in the field and establish a forum for discussion.I am confident that over the coming years pneumonia at pneumonia.org.au and to submit material for publication in the journal.I invite you to visit


Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. Without their support and commitment, we simply could not publish the journal.Adoga, MosesAjiboye, JustusAkinyemi, JoshuaAltaf, ArshadAntunes, FranciscoArogundade, LindaAtkins, S.Bastos, Joao LuizBeck, StefanBerentsen, SigbjornBlanco, Jose RamonBranson, BernardBrowning, Kristine K.Bruce, DouglasChang, LarryChristian, ChandlerColasanti, JonathanCollins, AlexandraCotte, LaurentCrane, Larrydaneshfar, FatemehDemetrovics, ZsoltDi Biagio, AntonioDionne-Odom, JodieDoro Altan, AnnamariaEdokwe, ChidozieEkong, ErnestEriobu, NnakeluEstrada Perez, VicenteEtienne-Mesubi, MartineEvangeli, MichaelFair, CynthiaFeldman, MatthewFierer, DanielGalato, DayaniGerle, ElisabethGiordano, TomGreenberg, KenGrzeszczuk, AnnaHanna, DavidHodgson, IanHolstad, MarciaHorberg, MichaelImashuku, ShinsakuJacomet, ChristineJoglekar, AlokKaplan, RachelKarris, Maile Y.Keshavamurthy, VinayKietrys, DavidKikuchi, KimiyoKingori, CarolineKulkarni, VamanKumar, GaneshLam-ubol, AroonwanLaws, Michael BartonLee, CliffLewis, JosephLiao, BingMagidson, JessicaMakinson, AlainMarhefka, StephanieMatthews, LynnMehrjerdi, ZahraMenzaghi, BarbaraMuliira, JoshuaMuralidharan, ShrikanthMurphy, Richard A.Musa, VeraMwiru, RamadhaniMyer, LandonNeogi, UjjwalNgure, KennethNozza, SilviaNwankwo, NorbertOgoina, DimieOkada, SeijiÖzakgül, A. A.Pacek, LaurenPereira, MarcoPhanuphak, NittayaPhilbin, Morgan M.Pirak, ArezooPopoola, OladayoPoudel, KrishnaRajagopal, JahnaviRana, AadiaRebeiro, PeterReddy, V. R. SudhaRodriguez-Diaz, CarlosRutledge, ScottSabin, CarolineSanders, E. J.Sawers, LarryShetty, AvinashShort, WilliamSigel, KeithSilva-Vergara, Mario LeonSingh, VijendraSlim, JihadSonderup, MarkSoriano, VincentSterrantino, GaetanaStrehlau, R.Swendeman, DallasUmeh, CliffordVance, DavidWalker, NaomiWortley, PascaleYoung, BenjaminOn behalf of the editorial office, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the reviewers who took the time to provide us with invaluable feedback on manuscripts submitted to


The purpose of this secondary analysis was to assess the relationship between objective and subjective perceptions of motor function measures in older adults following a 12 week adapted tango or health education intervention. A quasi-experimental, two-group, repeated-measures design was used. The study took place in diverse senior independent living communities in an urban metropolitan area. 74 older adults participated  years; Education: n=12, age: 84.1 (7.86) years). Participants were assigned to 20 sessions of 90-minute tango (n = 62) or health education (n = 12) classes over 12 weeks. Motor function, depression, mental and physical quality of life were measured before and after intervention. At post-test, participants indicated their level of agreement with statements that they improved in the objectively measured domains of motor function. Correlations were performed between subjectively rated agreement, and changes in motor function and depression/quality of life. Tango subjective ratings were negatively correlated with empirically observed improvements in balance (r= -.423) and endurance (r= -.241); although their ratings moderately correlated positively with coordination (r=.319) and minimally correlated positively with lower body strength (r=.188). In Tango, decreased depression was positively correlated with self-perceived improved lower body strength (r=.271) and endurance (r= .254). Improved mental function was moderately (r=.423) positively correlated with self-perceived improved balance and coordination (r=.306). After rehabilitation, even in the presence of improved depression and quality of life, older adults may not perceive empirically observed motor function improvements, particularly in balance and lower body strength.


N = 80) or group B . There were significant differences in patient age (p = 0.022), transitional zone volume (p = 0.001), transitional zone index (p = 0.33), total international prostate symptom score (IPSS) (p < 0.001), IPSS-voiding subscore (p < 0.001), IPSS-storage subscore (p < 0.001), and quality of life (QoL) score (p = 0.002) between groups A and B. After adjusting for relevant variables, significant differences in total IPSS, IPSS-voiding subscore, and QoL score were maintained. Men with high periurethral stiffness were associated with worse urinary symptoms than those with low periurethral stiffness, suggesting that periurethral stiffness might play an important role in the development of LUTS.We attempted to visualize the periurethral stiffness of prostatic urethras using strain elastography in the midsagittal plane of transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) and to evaluate periurethral stiffness patterns in relation to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). A total of 250 men were enrolled. The stiffness patterns of the entire prostate and individual zones were evaluated using strain elastography during a TRUS examination. After excluding 69 men with inappropriate elastography images, subjects were divided according to periurethral stiffness into either group A (low periurethral stiffness,  Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is known to induce bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and cause lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) . ProstatInterestingly, several reports have shown that a fibrotic change in the prostate produces stiffer tissue and reduces elasticity and compliance, thus inducing LUTS ,15,16,17The medical records of men who had visited our clinic  and underwent transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) with strain elastography between August 2017 and May 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The following eligibility criteria were used for subjects in the present study: (1) men aged 40–70 years, (2) a complete international prostate symptom score (IPSS) questionnaire, including quality of life (QoL) score, (3) no medical therapy for BPH, (4) no history of urogenital cancer, such as bladder or prostate cancer, (5) no uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, (6) no neurologic disease history that could influence LUTS, (7) no previous lower urinary tract surgery, (8) no evidence of urogenital infections, and (9) no urinary tract abnormalities. The Institutional Review Board of Gangnam Severance Hospital approved the study protocol .TRUS with elastography was performed using a single BK 3000 scanner . All examinations were performed by an experienced urologist (J.K.K.) with five years of experience in performing TRUS and elastography examinations. For all subjects, a conventional TRUS examination was performed in the left decubitus position with the subjects’ buttocks located at the edge of the bed and their knees bent up to their chests. Total prostate volume (TPV) and transitional zone volume (TZV) measurements were investigated using the prostate ellipsoid formula (height × width × length × π/6). Transitional zone index (TZI) was calculated according to the formula TZI = TZV/TPV . After fIn all subjects, elastography images merged with gray-scale images were obtained in transverse and midsagittal planes using TRUS. Then, all images were evaluated according to elastography patterns by two urologists who were blinded to the subjects’ clinical features, including age, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). When elastography images were inconsistent or of low quality due to several reasons in repeated examination, the subject’s case was excluded for statistical analysis. Subjects with properly obtained elastography images were divided into two groups: Group A was defined by an entirely delineated prostatic urethra with predominantly yellow to red signals, suggestive of high elasticity  in elastography. Therein, the stiffness of the entire prostatic urethra course could be distinguished from adjacent prostatic tissue. Group B was defined by proximal prostatic urethras that showed green to blue signals, suggestive of low elasticity , and their urethral stiffness was similar to the adjacent prostatic tissue . When tht-test and the Mann–Whitney U-test. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed by matching the subjects in group A with those in group B. Propensity score matching was performed using subject age, TPV, TZV, and PSA. Total IPSS was classified into IPSS-post-micturition, storage (IPSS-S), and voiding (IPSS-V) symptom subscores [p-values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant.All statistical analyses were performed on data of groups A and B, which showed a consistently similar pattern of periurethral elastography. Statistical comparisons of continuous variables between the two groups were conducted using Student’s ubscores ,28. Theshttp://www.r-project.org); the MatchIt package v3.0.2 (https://www.rdocumentation.org) was used to perform propensity matching.All computations were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics  and R freeware v3.5.3  were selected . In the Previous studies have reported that patients with BPH exhibit significant differences in smooth muscle cells, including elastic and collagen fibers with a higher rate of stromal hyperplasia than of epithelial hyperplasia, especially in symptomatic patients ,30. PathA few recent studies have reported a relationship between LUTS/BPH and prostate elasticity that was evaluated using TRUS with elastography, which is a novel medical imaging modality that maps the elastic properties and stiffness of soft tissue. Alan et al.  revealedIn the present study, unlike previous studies that used transverse images only, sagittal images were also evaluated for visualization of periurethral stiffness patterns along the entire urethral course. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the relationships between LUTS/BPH and the entire course of periurethral elasticity in sagittal images from prostatic ultrasound using elastography. Previous researches have mainly focused on the average stiffness of each zonal anatomy and performed elastography in the transverse image at a random location of the prostatic urethra ,31. As sIn this study, we investigated the elasticity pattern in the periurethral area and found that this pattern is associated with LUTS. This finding suggests that periurethral stiffness is an important etiology for understanding the pathophysiology of male LUTS. We also performed a propensity score matching analysis to more clearly elucidate the relationship between urethral stiffness and urinary symptoms. However, our study did not provide enough information to clarify the mechanism underlying the relationship between elasticity and BOO. Firstly, our study was based on health check-up data in the health promotion center, and asymptomatic or mild symptomatic individuals were also included. Additional works in real clinical settings are needed to elucidate the role of periurethral stiffness in LUTS/BPH. Furthermore, despite several positive reports supporting the relationship between the changes in periurethral stiffness and the developing of LUTS/BPH, it is not yet clear that there is a definite mechanism underlying the relationship between urethral stiffness and urinary symptoms.Secondly, our study used a different type of elastography than that used in previous studies ,31. Our The stiffness pattern of the prostate is heterogeneous throughout the entire prostate and even within each zone. The peripheral zone tends to show relatively higher stiffness than the transitional zone in patients with LUTS/BPH. Strain elastography is a feasible and useful method with which to visualize periurethral stiffness patterns of the entire prostatic urethra during TRUS. Notably, men with high periurethral stiffness in the proximal urethral course appear to show worse urinary symptoms than those with low periurethral stiffness. This finding suggests that gradual change in periurethral elasticity can be an important indicator in the development of LUTS.


Soluble proteins extracted from the developing rice seeds were separated by gel filtration chromatography. In the absence of BEIIb activity, BEIIa was eluted in a broad molecular weight range (60–700 kDa). BEIIa in the wild-type was eluted with a mass below 300 kDa. Further, majority of inactive BEIIb co-eluted with SSI, SSIIa, and BEI, in a mass fraction over 700 kDa, whereas only small amounts of these isozymes were found in the wild-type. Compared with the be2b lines, the ss1 mutant showed subtle differences in protein profiles, but the amounts of SSIIa, SSIVb, and BEI in the over-700–kDa fraction were elevated. Immunoprecipitation revealed reduced association of SSIIa and BEIIb in the ss1 mutant, while the association of BEIIb with SSI, SSIIa, SSIVb, BEI, and BEIIa were more pronounced in the be2b mutant that produced inactive BEIIb enzyme. Mass spectrometry and western blotting revealed that SSI, SSIIa, SSIIIa, BEI, BEIIa, starch phosphorylase 1, and pullulanase were bound to the starch granules in the be2b mutants, but not in the wild-type and ss1 mutant. These results will aid the understanding of the mechanism of amylopectin biosynthesis.Amylopectin, the major component of starch, is synthesized by synergistic activity of multiple isozymes of starch synthases (SSs) and branching enzymes (BEs). The frequency and length of amylopectin branches determine the functionality of starch. In the rice endosperm, BEIIb generates short side chains of amylopectin and SSI elongates those branches, which can be further elongated by SSIIa. Absence of these enzymes greatly affects amylopectin structure. SSI, SSIIa, and BEIIb associate with each other and with other starch biosynthetic enzymes although SSIIa is low activity in japonica rice. The aim of the current study was to understand how the activity of starch biosynthetic enzyme complexes is compensated in the absence of SSI or BEIIb, and whether the compensatory effects are different in the absence of BEIIb or in the presence of inactive BEIIb. Interactions between starch biosynthetic enzymes were analyzed using one  Amylopectin, the major component of starch, is composed of highly branched glucose polymers  were analyzed by gel-filtration chromatography and co-immunoprecipitation. In addition, to understand the relationship between the complex formation of starch biosynthetic proteins and the affinity of these enzymes for the starch granule, starch granule-bound proteins were identified by nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS/MS). Finally, the possible compensatory effects on starch biosynthetic protein complex formation are discussed.In the current study, to understand how the composition of starch biosynthetic enzyme complexes is compensated in the absence of SSI or BEIIb in japonica rice, soluble proteins extracted from the developing rice seeds of the e7, an SSI-deficient mutant (ss1), was generated by insertion of retrotransposon Tos 17 in exon 7 of the SSI gene in the parental line Nipponbare (Nip), as described previously (ss1 mutant. Line EM10 [be2b (-)], which lacks BEIIb protein, was previously isolated from N-nitroso-N-methylurea mutant population of the japonica cultivar, Kinmaze (Kin) (EM10 [be2b (-)] mutant. Line #1411 [be2b (+)] was generated by backcrossing twice a high-yield, large grain rice cultivar Akita 63 (Akt) . Mid-developing seeds (10–15 days after flowering) harvested from 20 plants per line were collected and stored at -30°C until use.Japonica rice mutant line eviously . Nip wasze (Kin) . Kin was63 (Akt)  with thetitution . Althouginactive . Akt wasPseudomonas isoamylase  as described previously , 100 mM NaCl, and 10 μL/mL protease inhibitor (Sigma), as described previously . After cSoluble proteins, extracted as described above, were incubated with isozyme-specific antibodies and protein A sepharose (Sigma), as described elsewhere . After eSamples were loaded onto 7.5% acrylamide SDS-PAGE gels. After blotting onto a polyvinylidene fluoride membrane, the membranes were incubated with isozyme-specific antisera as the primary antibodies, and the remaining procedures were performed as described previously .Gel filtration fraction (7.5 μL), prepared as described above, were resolved in native-PAGE gels containing 0.0001% oyster glycogen as a primer. The experiment was performed as previously reported .Ten grains of the developing rice seeds were ground by plastic pestle. Then, soluble proteins and proteins loosely bound to the starch granules were removed by extracting three times in 1 mL of a buffer containing 0.125 M Tris-HCl (pH 6.8), 4% SDS, and 5% β-mercaptoethanol. After centrifugation, the starch pellet was washed twice with 1 mL of water and twice with 1 mL of acetone. Starch was then dried and the starch granule-bound proteins were extracted using 20 volumes (w/v) of denaturing buffer containing 8 M urea, 0.125 M Tris-HCl (pH 6.8), 4% SDS, and 5% β-mercaptoethanol, at 37°C for 2 h with agitation. After centrifugation, the supernatant was loaded on 7.5% SDS-PAGE gels. The gels were silver-stained and photographed, or used for western blotting. Duplicated gels were stained by Coomassie brilliant blue and the bands were excised.Oryza sativa NCBInr 20110709 protein sequence database. The Mascot search parameters were as follows: one maximum missed cleavages, mass tolerance of ±0.2 Da, cysteine carbamidomethylation (variable modification), methionine oxidation (variable modification), and charge state of +2 and +3. Only those proteins matched with scores at a 95% confidence level were considered as significant hits.The gel pieces were treated with trypsin and analyzed by nano-LC-MS/MS, QSTAR XL (Applied Biosystems) connected with Bio NanoLC , by standard protocol at JBioS Co., Ltd. The data generated were submitted to search with the Mascot  algorithm. The protein identification was carried out using ss1 null mutant and two be2b mutants lacking BEIIb activity (lines #1411 and EM10) were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis following debranching the endosperm starch with isoamylase .Regard less of the presence or absence of inactive BEIIb protein, both n Figure . A drast studies . A smallss1 null mutant were separated by gel filtration chromatography. The eluted fractions were denatured, and analyzed by western blotting using isozyme-specific antibodies  were higher than in the wild-type, and in fraction 7–13 (<300 kDa) were lower than in the wild-type . Soluble proteins obtained from lines #1411 and EM10, and the parental wild-types Akt and Kin (respectively) were separated by gel filtration chromatography. The eluted fractions were analyzed by native-PAGE activity staining  enriched in fractions 2 and 3; only a small amount of BEIIb was found in fractions 2 and 3 from the wild-type . However, the amount of BEI that eluted in fractions 1–7 was considerably elevated in line #1411 , while more SSI eluted in fractions 2–4 in line #1411 than in the wild-type , while more SSIIa eluted in line #1411 fractions 2 and 3 than in the wild-type  Figures .ss1 mutant, interactions of SSIIa with other starch biosynthetic enzymes were reduced and that between SSIIa and BEIIb was reduced, as assessed by reciprocal co-immunoprecipitations; however, the yield of SSIIa protein by SSIIa immunoprecipitation was also reduced  in line #1411 . As expected, SSI was not detected in the  Figures . By cont Figures . SSI, SS Figures . The onl Figures . The amoe Figure .EM10 were identified by nano-LC-MS/MS as SSIIIa, Pho1, PUL, PPDK, BEIIa, SSIIa, BEI, heat shock protein 70, SSI, and GBSSI  with SSIIa and BEIIb in the amyloplast stroma in developing wild-type maize kernels . Similarin vitro studies demonstrated the functional interaction of recombinant rice SSI and BEIIb enzymes; these interactions simultaneously and synergistically increase the mutual function of the interacting proteins, to generate amylopectin branches in crystalline lamellae , in which SSIIIa is usually present; by contrast, only a low amount of SSI is present in that molecular weight fraction in the wild-type rice . When thss1 rice mutant expressing ca. 20% of SSI of that in the wild-type, the amounts of SSIIa, SSIVb, BEI, BEIIb, and PUL eluting in the high-molecular-weight fractions (>700 kDa) were slightly elevated compared to the wild-type  was lower than in the wild-type , in which no BEIIa was detected in the parental wild-type Figures , while t1411, majority of the inactive BEIIb eluted in high-molecular-weight fractions (and was enriched in fractions 2–3), together with SSI, SSIIa, SSIIIa, SSIVb, BEI, and BEIIa , cannot be compensated by either BEI or BEIIa , the obsbe2b mutants of maize and rice are different. The elution pattern of maize BEI resembles that of BEIIa in rice. BEI in wild-type maize elutes only in fractions smaller than 158 kDa, whereas in maize be2b mutant lacking BEIIb protein, BEI elutes in a broad molecular weight range (up to 700 kDa)  regardless of the presence and absence of inactive BEIIb  . On the b Figure . The elul mutant .be2b mutant that expresses inactive BEIIb protein lacking amino acids 272–299, no increase in its association with other starch biosynthetic enzymes was apparent  and increased amylopectin long chains (DP > 16)  than wild-type (25%)  than wild-type  . When BEpe (25%) . On the ild-type . In addiynthesis .be2b mutant rice lines, EM10 and #1411, were essentially identical  or absence (line EM10) of inactive BEIIb protein. The only exception was the presence of small amounts of BEIIb in line #1411 (Figures EM10 were identified by nano-LC-MS/MS, and included SSIIIa, Pho1, PUL, PPDK, BEIIa, SSIIa, BEI, heat shock proteins 70, and SSI (Figure be2b mutant of maize similarly contain SSIIIa, Pho1, BEIIa, SSIIa, BEI, and SSI (In the current study, the number and amounts of starch granule-bound proteins detected in both  Figures . The stace line #411 or abI Figure . Starch  and SSI . Associa and SSI , 2011.be2b mutant rice lines used this study show less short chains with DP 8–12 and more long chains (Starch biosynthetic enzymes that form a protein complex in maize stroma were suggested to bind to starch granules therein , 2012. Hg chains .in vitro reconstitution and crystallization of specific protein complexes will provide further insight into the mechanisms responsible for starch synthesis.Starch granule-bound Pho1, BEI, and BEIIb are phosphorylated in maize , 2011, aNC, YI, NA, SM, and KK performed the experiments. NC wrote the manuscript. NF conceived the original research plans and supervised the research. NF and RM contributed to the manuscript writing.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The handling Editor declared a past co-authorship with the authors NC and NF and a shared affiliation, though no other collaboration, with the authors NC, YI, NA, SM, RM, and NF.


Background and purpose — Uncemented cups in total hip arthroplasty (THA) are often augmented with additional screws to enhance their primary stability. We investigated whether there is a difference in the risk for revision between cups with screw holes and cups without screw holes.Patients and methods — We analyzed the risk for cup revision of uncemented cups registered in the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register (SHAR) between 2000 and 2017 with respe ct to the presence of screw holes. Only patients with primary osteoarthritis (OA) were included. 22,725 cups, including 12,354 without screw holes and 10,371 with screw holes, were evaluated. Revision rates at 2 and 10 years after the primary operation were analyzed.Results — At a median follow-up time of 3.4 years (0–18), 459 cup revisions were reported. The main reasons for cup revision during the whole observation time were infection, 52% of all cup revisions, and dislocation, 26% of all cup revisions. The survival rate with cup revision due to aseptic loosening as endpoint was 99.9% (95% CI 99.8–99.9) at 2 years for both cups with and cups without screw holes, and the survival rates at 10 years were 99.5% (CI 99.3–99.7) and 99.1% (CI 98.6–99.5), respectively. Cups without screw holes showed a decreased risk of revision due to any reason at both 2 years  and 10 years .Interpretation — We found a very low revision rate for aseptic loosening with modern, uncemented cup designs. Cups with screw holes had an increased risk of revision due to any reason in patients with primary OA Uncemented cups have gained popularity in recent years, even in countries traditionally using cemented fixation . Our hypothesis was that screw fixation reduces the risk for early aseptic loosening but increases the risk for late failure because of potentially increased risk for osteolysis due to screw holes  were classified into “cups with screw holes” regardless of whether the holes were intended for screws or pegs, as long as the holes penetrated the entire thickness of the shell. Cup revision is defined as any reoperation of the hip where 1 or more components of the cup  were removed or exchanged. “Aseptic loosening” as the reason for revision includes aseptic loosening, osteolysis, liner instability, technical reasons (explain), and wear.Failure due to insufficient primary stability most often occurs within the first 2 years. Hence, survival of the cups up to a 2-year follow-up was analyzed. Aseptic loosening due to osteolysis is a late complication that might be influenced by the presence of screw holes. Therefore, we also evaluated the 10-year survival.Supplementary data). Both hips were included in 2,885 patients. Cups without screw holes were used in 1,305 of these bilateral THA patients, and cups with screw holes were used in 1,217 bilateral THA patients. The remaining 363 patients had 1 of each type of cup used on each on the 2 sides. The median follow-up time for cups without screw holes was 2.6 years (0–16) and for cups with screw holes was 5.2 years (0–18) (Supplementary data). The number of procedures and the proportion of cups without screw holes increased over time  were reported to the SHAR, including 63 different cup designs. During the 18-year study period, 30 of these cup designs were reported in less than 100 cases and for 17 cup designs in even less than 10 cases. Only cases using cups that have been frequently used both with and without screw holes and that are still available today were included in this study. After applying the exclusion criteria described in ver time .Operations from 81 different hospitals are included, of which 30 hospitals used cups with screw holes in more than 90% of cases, and 30 hospitals used cups with screw holes in less than 10% of cases.Poor bone quality or abnormal anatomy could lead to the use of cups with screws in primary THA. Neither of these factors is registered in the SHAR. We assumed that older patients and women, in general, have poorer bone quality and patients who had dysplasia or sequelae after hip diseases, as well as patients with other secondary arthrosis, are more likely to have abnormal anatomy. Therefore, we used the patient’s age and sex to adjust the dataset and excluded all diagnoses other than primary osteoarthritis (OA). To various extents, the presence of a hydroxyapatite (HA) coating, the head size, and the head material will contribute to the revision risk  have been used in uncemented cups in Sweden. Hence, only cups with the x-linked PE liner were included in the analysis.Continuous variables are described as the means, medians, and ranges. Comparisons between groups were performed using independent Student’s t-tests, Welch’s t-tests, or 1-way ANOVA. Categorical data were analyzed with chi-square tests. Survival of the cup was calculated using life tables with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). For comparison of the survival of cups with and without screw holes, the log-rank test was used. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with CIs were calculated using multivariable Cox regression models.Supplementary data); therefore, the risk for revision was not calculated beyond 10 years.The total observation time comprised 18 years (2000–2017). However, the number of cups at risk for revision after 10 years was only 1,846, and the distribution of cups with and cups without screw holes was unequal between cup design .The study was approved by the Regional Ethics Committee in Gothenburg (dnr 348-17). No competing interests are declared. The research was funded by SHAR and grants from the regional agreement on medical training and clinical research (ALF) between Västerbotten County Council and Umeå University.The survival rate with cup revision for aseptic loosening within 2 years was 99.9% (CI 99.8–99.9) for both groups . When inSupplementary data).The crude HR for the risk of cup revision due to aseptic loosening of cups without screw holes compared with cups with screw holes was 0.8 (CI 0.4–1.7). After adjusting for sex, age, surgical approach, type of stem fixation, presence of HA coating, head size, head material, and cup design, we found that screw holes had no influence on cup revision due to aseptic loosening . The crude HR for cup revision for any reason was 0.8 (CI 0.7–1.0) for cups without screw holes. After adjustment for the covariates, cups without screw holes showed a lower risk for cup revision for any reason with an HR of 0.6 (CI 0.5–0.8)  and an EIn 293 out of 22,725 hips, cup revision, including exchange (or extraction) of the cup, the liner, or both, was performed within the first 2 years after the primary operation. These early revisions were caused by infection in 58% of cases, dislocation in 27%, and aseptic loosening in 9%. Other complications, such as fracture, implant failure, or pain, caused less than 6% of early cup revisions.The proportion of various reasons for early revision did not differ significantly between cups with and without screw holes (p = 0.2) but differed significantly between cup designs (p = 0.03). For example, all revisions of the Tritanium cup were performed due to infection, while the main reason for revision of the Continuum cup was dislocation (47%).The overall 10-year survival rate for aseptic loosening was 99.1% (CI 98.6–99.5) for cups without screw holes and 99.5% (CI 99.3–99.7) for cups with screw holes . HoweverBetween the 2- and 10-year follow-up, 152 cup revisions were registered. 41% of these revisions were caused by infection, 26% by dislocation, and 20% because of aseptic loosening. The distribution of these revisions did not differ statistically significantly between patients who underwent unilateral or bilateral operations.We found similar risk both at 2 years and 10 years for revision because of aseptic loosening between cups with and without screw holes in patients with primary OA. However, the risk for cup revision for any reason at both 2 and 10 years was higher when a cup with screw holes was used.Screw fixation of uncemented cups increases stability in simulated models  studies (Minten et al. Using screws has some potential risks. Both prolonged operation time (Pepe et al. During the last 2 decades, the number of uncemented cups used per year in Sweden has substantially increased. In the last decade, cups designed without screw holes have been used more often in operations for primary OA than have cups with holes. Data from the current study show that this development did not increase the risk of aseptic loosening. In contrast, we found a higher HR for cup revision for any reason if the cup had screw holes, at both 2 and 10 years. The main reason for both early and late revision was infection. A longer operation time when using screws might have caused a higher risk for infection, and there might also have been differences related to patient selection, which are not possible to adjust for in a register study. The E-value shows that unmeasured confounders need to increase the risk for revision by 2.7 times and must be 2.7 times more common in the group of patients who received a cup with screw hole to fully explain away the differences at 2 years. Of the possible confounding factors available, female sex, the use of cemented stems, and HA coating of the cups reduced the risk for cup revision for any reason. However, these 3 risk-reducing factors were overrepresented in the group of cups with screw holes. Nevertheless, cups with screw holes showed a higher risk for revision due to any reason both at 2 years and 10 years after operation.The second most common reason for revision in this study was dislocation. The larger the head size, the lower the risk for revision due to dislocation (Hailer et al. HA coating has been discussed in several other papers. There is still no consensus on how HA coating influences the risk for cup revision. Several studies have shown an increased revision rate for HA-coated cups (Stilling et al. The main limitation of this study is the lack of detailed patient- or surgeon-related information that might have influenced the decision to use screws. Register data do not provide any information regarding the reason why a specific implant was chosen in the individual case. Perhaps surgeons chose cups with the possibility of augmentation with screws in more difficult cases. Excluding all diagnoses other than primary OA reduces the variety of some of these factors. A comparison of the included hospitals showed significant differences in the use of cups with screw holes. It is unlikely that these differences between hospitals can be explained fully by case mix.Another limitation of our study is that only 2 of the cup designs, with unequal distribution between the groups, had a follow-up time of more than 10 years. Therefore, no reliable analysis was possible beyond 10 years of follow-up, and general conclusions about the long-term consequences of using cups with screw holes should be made with caution. A new analysis of the registry data will be necessary when a sufficient number of cases with several different cup designs have been followed for more than 10–15 years to obtain robust long-term data.17% of patients were registered with bilateral cups. This subgroup decreases the variance within the groups and can increase the risk for type 1 errors. However, we did not find a statistically significant difference in HR for revision between cups in patients with unilateral THA and cups in patients with bilateral THA.The incidence of aseptic loosening was very low, making it statistically uncertain to adjust for a large number of potential confounders. The larger number of revisions for any reason gives better statistical strength.In conclusion, we found that the revision rate for modern and frequently used uncemented cups was very low, and cup revision due to aseptic loosening within 2 years was extremely rare. We could not show that the use of cups designed for additional fixation with screws had any advantages in standard patients. In contrast, cups with screw holes increased the risk of cup revision for any reason. Notably, our study mainly embraces the first decade after the operation. Longer follow-up is needed to evaluate whether this conclusion remains valid during the second decade.supplementary data in the online version of this article, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17453674. 2019.1599777VO: study design, data collection, statistical analysis, data analysis, manuscript writing. SM: statistical analysis, data analysis, manuscript writing. KN and SC: data analysis, manuscript writing. JK: study design, data collection, statistical analysis, data analysis, manuscript writing, study supervision.Acta thanks Ross W Crawford for help with peer review of this study.


Currently, there are no imaging predictors of immunotherapy outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The study aim was to determine if stiffness changes measured by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) can be a predictor of immunotherapy response in patients with advanced HCC.R); p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.This was a prospective study of 15 patients with biopsy proven-advanced HCC treated with Pembrolizumab. All patients had liver MRE and liver biopsy at baseline and at 6 weeks of therapy. Change in HCC stiffness on MRE was compared with overall survival (OS), time to disease progression (TTP), and number of intratumoral CD3+ T lymphocytes. Analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation (n = 4), HBV (n = 1) and NASH (n = 4). Median OS and TTP were 44 weeks and 13 weeks, respectively. Average baseline HCC stiffness and change in HCC stiffness were 5.0 kPa and 0.12 kPa, respectively. In contrast, average non-tumor liver stiffness was 3.2 kPa, and did not significantly change at 6 weeks (p = 0.42). Average size of measured tumor and change in size were 4 cm and − 0.32 cm, respectively. Change in HCC stiffness at 6 weeks correlated significantly with OS (R = 0.81), and TTP . Abundance of intratumoral T lymphocytes on tumor biopsy correlated significantly with HCC stiffness .Nine patients were evaluable. Median age was 71 years . Etiology of liver disease was HCV (Our pilot MRE data suggests early change in tumor stiffness may be an indicator of immunotherapy response in patients with advanced HCC. HCC is considered the fifth most common malignancy worldwide, with the third-highest mortality . An estiImaging assessment of HCC response to targeted therapies is challenging since reduction in size may not occur. Tumor stability is used as a marker of response without necessarily conferring improved outcomes –9. MR ElImmunotherapy response decreases viable tumor cells, but increases immune content, and causes stromal and fibrosis flux due to effects on immune cell function. We hypothesize that such changes in tumor cellularity and stroma in patients treated with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy would effect MRE tumor stiffness. The purpose of our study was to determine if stiffness changes measured by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) can be a predictor of immunotherapy response in patients with advanced HCC.This was a prospective, Institutional Review Board approved study. A total of 15 patients were accrued through our Liver Center, with biopsy proven advanced HCC (not amenable to curative therapy), Child-Pugh Score A, who were treated with anti-PD-1, Pembrolizumab monotherapy. Clinical responses were determined by blinded independent review using RECIST 1.1 and mRECIST 1.1. All patients provided written informed consent. Eligible patients were over 18 years of age with radiographic disease progression on sorafenib or intolerance to sorafenib treatment, and ECOG 0 or 1. All patients underwent liver MRI with MR Elastography (MRE) and liver biopsy at baseline and at 6 weeks of therapy. Date of documented disease progression on patient follow-up and date of death were obtained from the patients’ electronic medical records.MR Elastography (MRE) was performed on a 3 T whole body MRI scanner  with a 32-channel phased-array torso coil. Acoustic waves at 60 Hz were generated by an active driver and transmitted to the liver through an external passive driver placed over the subject’s right upper quadrant (overlying the liver). Data was acquired using a 2D-echoplanar imaging (EPI) based MRE sequence with the following imaging parameters: TR/TE = 600 ms/Minimum Full; slice thickness/gap =7/2.5 mm; FOV 38-42 cm; acquisition matrix = 64 × 64; NEX = 2; 6 axial slices through widest cross-section of the liver including at least one slice through the tumor; parallel imaging factor = 2, and acquisition time = 16–19 s (one breath hold). Automated in-line post-processing was used to generate quantitative maps or “elastograms” of liver stiffness in units of kilopascals (kPa) –16, and Liver and tumor stiffness (kPa) was measured by an independent reader blinded to pathologic and clinial data. MRE derived average non-tumorous liver stiffness (kPa) was measured by placing regions-of-interest (ROIs) on the MRE elastograms (stiffness maps) to include as much of the non-tumorous liver as possible away from the HCC. Measurements were obtained at 3 axial levels through widest portions of liver while excluding any visible major vessels –16. Aver2) region of interest (ROI) at × 20 magnification to cover a total intratumoral area of 1.65mm2. A pancytokeratin (AE1/AE3) marker was used and the intratumoral area compartmentalized in epithelial (tumor) and stroma compartment. Total intratumoral lymphocytes (CD3+) was expressed as an average of cell densities from the areas analyzed (n/mm2). HCC tumor grade and number of T lymphocytes  were obtained from the database of the parent MDACC-sponsored clinical protocol supported by Merck & Co.All subjects underwent image guided liver biopsy at baseline and at 6 weeks of pembrolizumab treatment. Histopathology analysis was performed by a pathologist in five intratumoral areas using 660 μm × 500 μm , and range. Spearman rank correlation was estimated between imaging measurements at the 2 time-points, and between imaging measurements and lymphocytes (n/mm2) on pathology. Overall survival (OS) or time-to-progression (TTP) was correlated with baseline and change in both HCC size and stiffness, and baseline non-tumorous liver stiffness. Comparison of tumor grade with HCC stiffness, and of changes in HCC stiffness between groups with survival of either more than or less than 52 weeks was performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum test.p-values of 0.05 or less were considered statistically significant. Statistical analyses were carried out using SAS version 9.3 and JMP version 14.0 .HCC stiffness was correlated with HCC size at baseline and tumor T lymphocytes. A scatter plot with a linear regression line was used to show the relationship between HCC stiffness difference and overall survival time (or time to progression). All tests were two-sided and Of the total of 15 patients, 4 withdrew , 1 patient did not undergo MRE scan, and 1 patient had MRE exam failure. The remaining 9 patients included 6 men. Median age was 71 years .n = 4), HBV (n = 1) and NASH (n = 4).HCC was well-differentiated in 2 of 9 patients, moderately differentiated in 6 and poorly differentiated in 1. Median overall survival and time to progression were 44 weeks  and 13 weeks , respectively. Etiology of liver disease was HCV (No correlation was found for stiffness of non-tumor liver and etiology of liver disease.p = 0.42). Baseline non-tumor liver stiffness did not significantly correlate with overall survival, (p = 0.056), Table Average non-tumor liver stiffness was 3.2 kPa range, 2.1–4.3), and did not significantly change at 6 weeks .Correlation of overall survival with baseline and change in HCC size and stiffness are shown in Table p = 0.055), Table R = 0.81, p = 0.008), Fig. p = 0.02), Fig. R = 0.88, p = 0.009), Fig. Average baseline HCC stiffness and change in stiffness were 5 kPa range, 2.4–9.1) and 0.12 kPa , respectively. There was no significant correlation between overall survival and baseline HCC stiffness , but not with tumor grade (p = 0.3). HCC stiffness was significantly correlated with tumor T lymphocytes  Fig. HCC stiffness was significantly correlated with baseline HCC size (Imaging predictors of immunotherapy response in HCC could aid the identification of patients more likely to benefit from the treatment and represent an important unmet need. Our preliminary data suggests that an early increase in HCC stiffness may be an indicator of early immunotherapy (anti–PD-1) response.n = 21). Our findings are concordant with this study since we also did not observe a significant correlation between tumor stiffness and tumor grade. However, this could have been due to there only being 1 patient with poorly differentiated HCC in our study. We observed a correlation between HCC stiffness and HCC size (p = 0.036), which is discordant with Thompson et al. [There is limited data on MRE assessment of HCC. Thompson et al. , reporten et al. . This man et al. , only inTo our knowledge, there are no prior studies evaluating HCC stiffness changes using MRE in patients treated with immunotherapy. Interestingly, increase in HCC stiffness at 6 weeks was correlated with improved outcome but not change in HCC size or enhancement. Our findings suggest effects related to immune cell infiltration and alteration in tumor stroma (including fibrosis and angiogenesis), can result in early increased tumor stiffness as an independant biomarker of response.We found a significant correlation between HCC stiffness on MRE and the number of lymphocytes on tumor biopsy. This is supportive of the theory that anti-PD-1 therapy causes increased T lymphocyte activation in the immune-mediated response to tumor. However, further larger studies are necessary to better understand the underlying mechanisms. If our findings are confirmed, MRE would have an important clinical impact on the response assessment of advanced HCC treatment with checkpoint inhibitors, enabling early identification of treatment response.Our study has some limitations. First, this is a pilot study that is meant to be hypothesis-generating, and the number of patients is small. Nevertheless, our study showed a strong correlation between early increase in tumor stiffness on MRE and overall survival. Further larger studies are necessary to validate our initial promising observations. Second, HCC was sampled with image-guide core biopsies. Given the heterogeneity of HCC, the biopsy sample may not have been representative of the whole tumor. However, we did observe a correlation between HCC stiffness and tumor T lymphocytes. Third, since patients were being treated with pembrolizumab, they had previously failed treatment or were intolerant to sorafenib. Prior treatment may have affected patient outcomes. However, anti-PD-1 therapy was used as a second-line treatment for all the subjects. Our study focused on change in HCC stiffness on serial MRE, and showed all patients that had an increase in tumor stiffness had better outcomes irrespective of baseline HCC stiffness. Fourth, in our exploratory study HCC stiffness measurements were made by a single independent radiologist placing region-of-interest on the tumor. Future larger studies could benefit having more than 1 radiologist measure tumor stiffness to allow assessment of interobserver agreement.In summary, our preliminary data demonstrated that HCC stiffness increase on MRE in patients treated with immunotherapy significantly correlated with overall survival and time to progression. MRE has the potential to be a useful tool in the assessment of anti-PD-1 therapy in advanced HCC and may be beneficial to the many active immunotherapy trials.Our pilot MRE data suggests early change in tumor stiffness may be an indicator of immunotherapy response in patients with advanced HCC.


The DP6-12 of AP in waxy rice starch (WRS) was higher than that in non-waxy rice starch (NRS) with increasing OSA levels. Because the amylose and long chain of AP accessed easily with OSA groups, the digestibility of NRS was lower than that of WRS. The emulsion stability was higher in WRS than in NRS. From the above results, it is suggested that amylose should have a higher affinity with OSA esterification than AP and that the emulsion stability should increase in WRS, but the digestibility should decrease in NRS after OSA modification.Waxy and non-waxy rice starches from japonica type Korean rice varieties were esterified with different levels of octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA), and the molecular structure of amylopectin (AP), digestibility, and emulsion stability were investigated. As OSA levels increased, the degree of substitution, granule size, peak and final viscosities, emulsion stability, and short chain of AP increased. However, the gelatinization temperature and enthalpy, and digestibility decreased. All OSA esterified starches showed a new band at 1723 cm Starch consists of linear amylose (AM) and branched amylopectin (AP), and is the most important biopolymers due to its natural biodegradability, abundance, and annual renewal . Most ofIn 1953, the starch modification using octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) first reported by Caldwell and Wurzburg has been applied to various fields for over half a century, especially as a food additive ,5. OSA eRice, as a staple crop, is one of the main energy source in worldwide. Japonica and indica type rice are the two major domestic Asian rice varieties. Japonica type rice is cultivated in East Asia including Korea, whereas in most other regions indica rice is the dominant type of rice. Waxy and non-waxy rice differs the amylose content of starch. In general, waxy rice starch (WRS) has only amylopectin, but non-waxy rice starch (NRS) contains 7–33% amylose and 67–93% amylopectin ,12. StarTherefore, the objectives of this research were to prepare OSA-modified rice starches using japonica-type WRS and NRS, and to compare the differences between OSA modified WRS and NRS. The physicochemical properties, particle size distribution, crystalline structure, morphology, and molecular structures of amylopectin, in addition to digestibility and emulsion stability for application in food systems were compared two OSA rice starches.The DS of OSA rice starches prepared with different OSA levels were analyzed. The effect of the OSA levels was represented at the addition of 1, 2, and 3% OSA, while keeping constant all of the other conditions given above. The DS of WRS and NRS manufactured using 1, 2, and 3% OSA were 0.0140, 0.0246, and 0.0262, and 0.0147, 0.0213, and 0.0258, respectively. The DS of OSA rice starches increased with increasing levels of OSA. When a relatively lower level of OSA was added, the DS increased rapidly, whereas in higher levels, the DS increased slowly. These results were in agreement with other studies  reportedThe particle size distribution (PSD) of OSA-modified WRS and NRS is shown in However, in case of Sinseonchal WRS, it seemed that the addition of OSA had no noticeable effect on PSD, and the mean particle diameter started to increase when 2% OSA added. The OSA substitution with starch occurs mostly in the amorphous region of starch molecule without affecting the crystalline region, inserting an OSA group along amylose molecules and/or at branch points of AP ,24. BecaThe shape and size of OSA-modified rice starches was observed using SEM and compared to that of native starch . The OSA−1, indicating the presence of a hydroxyl group (O–H). The peaks at 2930 cm−1 and 1640 cm−1 observed the C–H stretching vibration and bound water present in the starch, respectively [−1 were due to stretching of the C–O bond. Compared to native starch, the spectrum of OSA-modified starch showed two new peaks at approximately 1572 and 1723 cm−1. The peak at 1723 cm−1 was attributable to the meaningful IR stretching vibration of C=O that occurred, indicating existing the ester carbonyl groups. Whereas the peak at 1572 cm−1 was revealed the asymmetric stretching vibration of carboxylate RCOO− [Octenyl succinylation is going to substitute the hydroxyl groups of starch molecules for carbonyl groups of OSA. The insertion of these carbonyl groups to starch molecule structure confirmed through FT-IR spectroscopy ,8,16,17.ectively . In the te RCOO− . These rp < 0.05). It is possible that esterification of OSA occurred in amorphous regions of starch, might affect the crystalline region, resulting in the reduction of the crystalline region’s intensity [The crystallinity of native and OSA-modified rice starches was measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern . Both rintensity .The percentages of chain length distribution of AP in native and OSA-modified rice starches are presented in Sinseonchal WRS was consisted only AP, the outer long-chains of AP can substitute for OSA during modification. Therefore, the chain length distribution of Sinseonchal AP changed more apparent than that of AP in Hopyeong NRS. When the distribution of OSA groups in OSA waxy maize starch was studied, the OSA groups of starch were distributed in the interior and amorphous parts of AP, as well as on the outside of the starch granules ,24.The in vitro digestibility of native and OSA rice starches is shown in p < 0.05). The pasting temperature of native NRS was higher than that of native WRS. The OSA-modified rice starches increased in peak, trough, and final viscosities, but decreased in pasting temperature with increasing OSA levels. The effect of hydrophobic groups in the OSA starches could increase the viscosity, according to the formation of a network of hydrophobic containing polymers such as increase hydrophobicity of cellulose by modification [The pasting characteristics of OSA-modified rice starches are shown in fication . The pasfication ,19,20,29The onset, peak, and conclusion temperatures, as well as the gelatinization enthalpy of native and OSA-modified starches are shown in o, Tp, and ΔH of the OSA-modified starches. The To, Tp, and ΔH of WRS all decreased more than those of NRS, due to the increment of the DP6-12 chain length proportion within the AP molecule to substitute with OSA groups.The peak temperature of the OSA starches similarly affected the pasting temperatures from the RVA profiles. For instance, hydrophobic groups weakened the interactions between starch molecules, allowing the granules to gelatinize at lower temperatures . These rThe OSA rice starches can use as an emulsifier due to the hydrophobicity of the octenyl group. The data of creaming index and oil absorption capacity of OSA-modified NRS and WRS were used as a measure of emulsion stability .Creaming is defined the oil-in-water instability that originates from a density difference of two liquids in emulsion . The crep < 0.05). OSA-modified NRS showed better oil absorption capacity than OSA-modified WRS, because the AM molecules were more accessible to esterification with OSA. Amylose linear chain formed inclusion complexes with certain hydrophobic ligands, such as iodine, alcohols, fatty acids, and surfactants [The oil absorption capacity of OSA-modified WRS and NRS ranged from 130.42–142.66% and 117.28–148.98%, respectively  at different OSA levels, and the physicochemical, pasting, and thermal properties, the molecular structure of AP, digestibility, and emulsion stability were investigated. The DS increased with increasing OSA levels, and was not significantly different between WRS and NRS. The OSA-modified WRS showed an increase in DP6-12 of AP, peak and final viscosities, and emulsion stability, but showed a decrease in digestibility, DP ≥ 25 of AP, pasting temperature, and endothermic enthalpy. OSA modification of NRS increased peak, final, and setback viscosities, and granular size, but decreased digestibility, DP ≥ 37 of AP and pasting temperature. OSA-modified NRS showed higher granule size, and pasting temperature, but a lower digestibility, DP6-12 of AP than OSA-modified WRS. The emulsion stability increased with increasing DS in both starches. It may be that OSA undergoes earlier esterification with the AM molecule of NRS compared to AP of WRS. Additionally, as OSA-modified WRS showed smaller granule sizes compared with OSA-modified NRS, it could possibly be more useful to use wall materials for emulsifying and encapsulation.Japonica type two Korean rice varieties, waxy Sinseonchal and non-waxy Hopyeong rice, were received from the National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration in Wanju, Jeollabukdo, Korea. Octenyl succinic anhydride  was obtained from Daesang Co., and canola oil  was purchased. Pancreatin (P7545 from porcine) and amyloglucosidase (A9913), isoamylase and D-glucose GOPOD-format assay kit were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Co.  and Megazyme , respectively.Starch was isolated by the alkaline steeping method  from japg for 10 min). Thereafter, the OSA starch dried at room temperature passed through a 100-mesh sieve. The degree of substitution (DS) was analyzed in accordance with the titrimetric method [Rice starch  and distilled water 140 mL) were added into three neck round bottom flask, mixed with magnetic stirrer to adjust pH 8.5 using 1 N NaOH. Octenyl succinic anhydride  added dropwise (0.1 mL/min) with continuous stirring (at pH 8.5). After modifying for 6 h, the starch reactant adjusted to pH 7, washed and centrifuged  with sonication at 500 W for 2 min.The particle size distribution of OSA starch was estimated using a Malvern Mastersizer 3000 . The OSA rice starch was dispersed in distilled water . The OSA-modified starch sample put on a SEM stub and coated with gold/platinum under vacuum. The SEM acceleration conditions were voltage 15 kV for 100 sec, and the magnifications used were 2000× and 7000×.−1 under a 4 cm−1 resolution.The Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR/NIR) spectra of the OSA rice starches were observed using an FT-IR/NIR spectrometer  at room temperature ,38. OSA The crystallinity and intensity of the OSA starch were examined by an X-ray diffractometer . The OSA starch was kept in a desiccator until the moisture removed. The diffractometer was operated under the following conditions; Cu-Kα; Ni; 3000 cps, 8°/min; diffraction angle (2θ) 5–40°; 30 mA; and 40 kV. The relative crystallinity of OSA starch was calculated following the method of Mun & Shin  using soThe branched chain length distribution of AP was analyzed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) with pulsed amperometric detection  ,39. BrieThe pasting behaviors of the OSA starch were investigated using a Rapid Visco Analyzer . Starch  was mixed with distilled water (25 mL) and stirred using a constant paddle at 160 rpm/min. The sample canister held at 50 °C for 1 min, heated to 95 °C for 3.7 min, kept at 95 °C for 2.5 min, cooled down to 50 °C for 3.8 min, and maintained at 50 °C for 2 min . The paso), peak (Tp), and conclusion (Tc) temperatures, and gelatinization enthalpy (∆H) were compared.The thermograms of the OSA starches were obtained using a differential scanning calorimeter  with calibration using indium. Starch  and deionized water (6.0 mg) were put into the aluminum pan, sealed, allowed to equilibrate for 12 h, and programmed at a rate of 10 °C/min from 30 to 130 °C . The onsThe oil absorption capacity of the OSA starch was measured according to the method outlined by Bhosale and Singhal . The OSAThe emulsion stability of OSA starch was measured by the method of Krstonošić, Dokić, Nikolić and Milanović . Five mip < 0.05.The results were represented as the mean ± standard deviation at least triplicate. The data were analyzed through the analysis of variance (ANOVA). SPSS 12.0  was used using a Duncan’s multiple range test for significance at


G″ > G′). As potato starch concentration increased, the tensile strength, elongation at break, and elastic modulus values of chicken skin gelatin-based films also increased (p < 0.05). Additionally, increasing the concentration of potato starch caused incremental changes in water vapor permeability and melting temperatures (Tm), but a reduction in water solubility (p < 0.05). In addition, the surface smoothness and internal structure of composite films improved via potato starch incorporation. The incorporation of potato starch was also found to provide good barrier properties against ultraviolet and visible light, but did not significantly influence the transparency values of composite films. Overall, chicken skin gelatin film with 6% potato starch concentration incorporation was the most promising composite film, since it was found to exhibit optimal performance in terms of physical properties.The aim of this study was to investigate the rheological, physical, and mechanical properties of chicken skin gelatin film forming solutions (FFSs) and films incorporated with potato starch. Chicken skin gelatin-based FFSs with various potato starch concentrations  were prepared via casting technique. The dynamic viscoelastic properties of FFS were measured, and film characterization in terms of physical and mechanical properties was conducted. Potato starch incorporation with chicken skin gelatin-based FFS resulted in improvement of viscous behavior ( However, the environmental impacts caused by poor biodegradability have recently led to growing interest in the development of biodegradable-edible packaging materials.Food packaging is a coordinated enclosure system employed in preparing food for transport, distribution, storage, retailing, and end-use. Manufacturers aim for optimal cost and ultimate consumer satisfaction.3 By utilizing natural commodities such as polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and blended composites, this type of packaging has attracted attention due to its many advantages over synthetic materials. For example, some such materials offer good protection against the environment.4 This was confirmed by Suderman et al.,5 who found that certain proteins and polysaccharides were the primary polymers used in making biodegradable-edible films. Proteins, specifically gelatin components, are commonly used as major ingredients in edible film development due to their superior film forming properties as compared with other non-protein sources.6 Examples include chicken skin gelatin film7 and fish gelatin film.8 However, prior studies have also uncovered the disadvantages of edible coatings, especially in gelatin-based films. These disadvantages include high water vapor permeability (WVP), moisture content and films solubility as compared to lipid and polysaccharide-based films.7An edible film can be defined as a thin layer of material that can be eaten, but which provides a barrier to mass transfer within the food itself or between the food and the environment.9 Tuna fish skin,10 and bovine skin.11 In addition, chicken skin gelatin shows potential as an alternative source due to its superior characteristics. While chicken skin gelatin has a similar chemical composition to bovine gelatin, it offers better physicochemical properties against reported fish gelatin.12 Therefore, numerous studies have been performed to confirm the functionalities of gelatin-based composite films, including rice starch-gelatin films,13 tapioca starch-gelatin films,14 tapioca starch-gelatin films,15 and carboxymethyl cellulose-gelatin films.16 However, due to its highly hydrophilic nature, edible films composed of gelatin have been found to have limited resistance against moisture. Hence, improvements in internal crosslinking through the development of a composite blended film matrix can be made to achieve better stability and extensibility.Numerous protein sources have been utilized for gelatin production, including pig skin,17 Starches from different sources have been studied in order to determine their functionality, especially in the food packaging context, such as potato starch,18 corn starch,19 sago starch,20 and rice starch.21 Potato starch has recently been highlighted by numerous researchers as a potentially excellent incorporation agent due to remarkable characteristics such as high amylose content and large granule size. It offers many advantages in terms of transparency, paste clarity, and extensibility.22 Hence, the use of potato starch in the development of an edible composite film may improve its overall performance.Starch is more widely used than other polymers due to its excellent performance, specifically in terms of mechanical strength and oxygen barrier properties.23 The physical properties of films are determined in terms of tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EAB), and Young’s modulus (YM).13,14 Moreover, physical properties of films were include water solubility, WVP, light transmittance and film transparency, thermal properties, and also morphology of films. A study by Nur Hazirah et al.24 demonstrated greater TS in composite blends of protein and polysaccharides compared to proteins or polysaccharides in isolation, thus confirming a better orientation network between those two biopolymer chains.Ideally, the performance of packaging film can be confirmed by its functional properties, specifically the physical and rheological properties of a film forming solution (FFS). Rheological properties indeed play an important role in the production of high-quality composite films. They must be considered in optimizing the processing design, since they influence the spreadability, thickness and uniformity of FFS and the finalized film’s performance.Therefore, the objectives of this study are to determine the viscoelastic properties of a chicken skin gelatin FFS and characterize the mechanical and physical properties of chicken skin gelatin film as affected by varying concentrations of potato starch.G′ and G″ moduli, all chicken skin gelatin-potato starch FFS showed a strain range of 0.1–10% indicating a linear viscoelastic domain. Critical strain at 1% was defined as the limit strain of the LVR to mark the end of the linear stress–strain relation.The rheological properties of chicken skin gelatin-potato starch films forming solution were measured within the linear viscoelastic region (LVR) with small-amplitude oscillatory testing in order to verify gelatinization and structure of gels in terms of viscous and elastic properties. From both G′) and loss or viscous modulus (G″) of chicken skin gelatin-potato starch FFS at different formulations. Across the angular frequency range from 10 to 100 rad/s, all the FFS showed an increase in G′ upon frequency increased. FFS E (8% potato starch) was found to obtain higher EM (G′) compared to other formulated FFS. This is due to the potato starch polymer chains with increased concentration participating in the formation of a film matrix network structure.25 This resulted in a higher value for G′ as potato starch concentration increased. This result was similar to that of a study conducted by Huang et al.,26 where the G′ value of pectin-fish scale gelatin gel increased as the angular frequency increased. Meanwhile, focusing on the similar gelatin sources which chicken skin gelatin characterized by Sarbon et al.,12 chicken skin gelatin showed positive growth as represented by G′ moduli as frequency increased, hence confirming the stable gel network formed.Figure G″ > G′). This indicates that this chicken skin gelatin-potato starch-based FFS dominantly demonstrates viscous behavior. However, both moduli still had similar linearly incremented trends against increasing angular frequency, which indicates that G″ was also frequency dependence. This explains the potato starch content’s crucial role in enhancing structural integrity, providing more interacting starch chains for the formation of FFS network structure.27All FFS showed the similar dynamic viscoelastic behavior with a typical liquid-like response across 1–100 rad/s angular frequency, in which the loss modulus was greater than storage modulus . In addition, considering the type of starch used in this composite FFS development, which is potato starch, several affect might be induced by the physicochemical properties of this particular starch. Due to its high molecular weight, gelatinized potato starch is able to produce high-viscosity paste.30 The large size of the potato starch granules and also great amylose content  compared to other common starches such as tapioca starch (17%) and rice starch (20%) influence its swelling properties, which will help prevent water retention, thus allowing good solubility properties.22 In short, chicken skin gelatin-potato starch FFS with varied potato starch concentration had a liquid state solution (G″ > G′) in which the G″ moduli increased considerably against G′ as angular frequency increasing.These findings are in agreement with those of Valencia et al.,The effects of varied potato starch concentration on TS are shown in Table 30 The compatible interlace between gelatin and macromolecular potato starch chains induced strengthen mechanical resistance, as a strong structural network formed in between anionic groups of polysaccharides and cationic groups of gelatin.31 Moreover, potato starch added into a composite film matrix is known to act as crosslinker, which helps in lowered molecular mobility throughout optimization entanglement chain.13 However, TS values decreased at 8 and 10% potato starch concentration. This is because the high levels of biopolymers added into blended films decreased the compactness of the films, resulting in reduced TS values. These findings were comparable against the results from chicken skin gelatin-based film incorporated with tapioca starch,14 as similar trends were observed for 5–15% tapioca starch formulated films with TS value ranging from 2.42 to 2.85 MPa. However, lower TS values (1.28–1.67 MPa) were reported by Al-Hassan and Norziah20 for gelatin-based film with 2–5% sago starch incorporation, as compared to this study (1.78–2.76 MPa). The high amylose content within potato starch granules was found to be attributed to the aggressive formation of more hydrogen bonding against chicken skin gelatin.22 The increment of potato starch content helps in formation of chicken skin gelatin-based composite film with better strength as implies by maximum TS possessed by film D with the formulation of 6% potato starch incorporation.Increasing potato starch concentration led to better enhancement in structural integrity within the composite film matrix.p < 0.05).The elongations at break of chicken skin gelatin films with varied concentration of potato starch incorporation are shown in Table 32 This is further explained by the inability of amylose inherent by potato starch to fora continuous network within the composite film matrix.33 However, an inappropriate level of starch concentration may lead to an inability to maintain a continuous network, which restrains the starch functional role as a crosslinker agent with composite blended film matrix.Generally, this decreasing EAB trend was attributed to the desired amount of potato starch producing an apparent plasticizing effect, promoting chain mobility. This was influenced by the existence of crosslinking reaction imparted by interlacement of gelatin and large macromolecular potato starch chains. These decreases in further EAB values may be attributed to the formation of intermolecular interactions between potato starch and gelatin molecules, thus contributing to the reduction of film flexibility which also affected the EAB values of films.34 The increment of potato starch incorporated into chicken skin gelatin-based blended film lead to a thicker film with higher TS and lower EAB, and might be the reason behind it. Further incorporation would help in producing a superior structural integrity of film matrix via the enhancement of chain entanglement in between gelatin and starch polymer chains, indirectly attributed to denser and stronger films, hence confirming the stiffness parameter relations.21Table 14 who reported an increment trend followed by decreasing EM values with a further increase of starch content. The highest EM value possessed by film C with 10% tapioca starch incorporation (3.43 MPa), while the lowest value assisted by film B with 5% tapioca starch incorporation. This may be due to the dominant phase of gelatin component within the interaction between polysaccharides and gelatin film matrix, thus implies the stronger properties and elevated the high film’s stiffness. Therefore, the EM of chicken skin gelatin-potato starch films was influenced by the addition of potato starch due to film D (4% potato starch) having the highest EM value among all film formulations.The findings obtained in this study are in agreement with a study conducted by Christine and Sarbon,Ultraviolet (UV) light transmission 200–280 nm), visible light (350–800 nm) and transparency values at 600 nm for six different formulated chicken skin gelatin-potato starch films are shown in Table 00–280 nm12 These aromatic amino acids are known to act as sensitive chromophores that aggressively absorb light at wavelengths below 300 nm. In addition to that, it can act as an excellent barrier to UV light, in agreement with a study by Nur Hazirah et al.24 Similarly, several studies related to chicken skin gelatin-based film such as,32 and also,13 offered light transmission readings from a low of 0.04 to a high of 0.16 only.With regard to the film characterization against UV light transmission (200–280 nm), the abundant presence of aromatic amino acids in gelatin molecules plays a crucial role in inhibiting UV light transmission. This is because ultraviolet light transmittance across films can lead to inappropriate deterioration of food, thus affecting their nutritional content as well as the overall flavor and texture of food. This is explained by the unique composition of chicken skin gelatin rich with aromatic amino acids content, consisting of 1.22% tyrosine, 1.77% phenylalanine, and 0.04% tryptophan, respectively.p < 0.05) for wavelengths 350, 400, 700, and 800 nm. The lower range of data assisted by chicken skin gelatin with potato starch incorporation compared to higher data of control film simply indicates that the incorporation of potato starch did contribute to the light transmission barrier. This might be due to the functionalities imparted by the amylose and amylopectin elements within starch polymers, as they are polarizable and able to oscillate the visible light waves in more than one direction. Hence, this could aid hindering the light transmission by absorbing more incoming light rays.35 This is also enhanced by the abundant number of glycosides rings attributed from the starch addition as formed by the less opened film matrix and may hinder the passage of light.36 Similar observations can be made for the addition of incorporating materials such as tapioca starch,14 CMC,32 and also rice flour13 into chicken skin gelatin films.For visible light transmission (350–800 nm), increasing the concentration of potato starch incorporation into chicken skin gelatin-based film significantly lowered the transmission of visible light (p < 0.05) for transparency value at 600 nm upon all formulated films, indicating that all of these films assisted a similar degree of transparency at 600 nm. The lower transparency value indicated that the film was more transparent where lower light absorbance was observed.10 This was due to the presence of higher potato starch incorporation across the film formulation, which mainly acts as a crosslinking agent in adjusting interfacial interactions in between starch and gelatin polymers, and eventually hinders light absorbance across composite films, thus affecting the transparency of the composite films. Additionally, considering the source of starch used in this study, which is potato starch, excellent transparency properties could possibly be enhanced by the greater number of phosphate monoester groups present within potato starch granules that helps in strengthened intermolecular bonds, thus inducing better light transmission across the film matrix.22 Thus, all the films produced in the recent study showed remarkable UV barrier properties. The addition of potato starch into gelatin films enhanced the prevention of UV transmission and thus improved the barrier properties of the blended films against UV light.Furthermore, there were no significant differences (p < 0.05) with formulation D. However, no significant difference (p < 0.05) was found for WVP values across film formulations A, B, C, and E, indicating that these films possessed a similar degree of hydrophilicity.WVP values for all different formulated chicken skin gelatin-potato starch films, including the control film, are shown in Table 13 According to Ahmad et al.,35 the high levels of additional biopolymers added into blended film matrix were found to lower the free volume availability, thus reducing film compactness. This condition would cause fewer water molecules to be attracted from the environment and produce lower WVP values. The increased WVP values with starch concentration increased may affected the inter and intra molecular structures of blended films. Therefore, the abundance of hydrophilic hydroxyl groups present within amylose concentration of potato starch is favorable to the adsorption and desorption of water molecules. This then allowed greater water affinity and facilitated the migration of water vapor molecules through the film.37As WVP is strongly dependent on the relative polarity of the polymer used, the presence of water can interact with polymer matrix if the films are strongly hydrophilic, thus leading to increasing values of WVP.30 which revealed that increasing native potato starch concentrations caused linear increment upon WVP values. Besides, similar increment trends of WVP could be observed with the addition of 0–20% rice flour into chicken skin gelatin-based films.13 The findings were also echoed in a study by Nur Hazirah et al.24 which reported increased WVP values from 24.40 to 36.38 gmm/m2dkPa with increasedxanthan gum incorporation into gelatin-CMC films blended (0–25% xanthan gum incorporation).These findings agreed with the similar increasing trend of net WVP values reported by Jagadeesh et al.,p < 0.05).The water solubility of chicken skin gelatin-potato starch edible composite films in various formulations are shown in Table 38 This can be observed by the highest value of film A (93.66%) which consisted only of chicken skin gelatin prior to its purpose to act as control film, where great hygroscopic properties of gelatin molecules alone allowed high water affinity, therefore resulting in optimum solubility. On the other hand, the descending trend of water solubility percentage observed might be due to inter and intramolecular interactions between polymer chains in the film matrix.35 This was further induced by the hydroxyl groups and amide group of chicken skin gelatin formed during the blending process, leading to strong hydrogen bonds interacting with hydroxyl groups of starch, finally allowing the reduction of available functional groups for water binding molecules.39 In addition, the presence of a potato starch as a crosslinker agent also influenced the cohesiveness achieved within the composite biopolymer matrix, thus preventing film solubility in water.40Basically, the effects of the incorporation of potato starch on the solubility of composite films may be associated with inherent hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of the biopolymers.14 and also 15–25% of rice flour incorporation (88.48–82.91%) by Soo and Sarbon.13 Furthermore, a higher reading of water solubility detected from chicken skin gelatin-based composite films than other composite films may be due to the higher levels of hydrophilic amino acids (4.66% lysine and 1.22% tyrosine) contained in chicken skin gelatin, which actively allowed complimentary contact with water molecules.12This decline trend also in agreement with studies of chicken skin gelatin-based film with incorporation of several starch sources, for instance 5–25% tapioca starch incorporation (87.91 to 83.29%) by Christine and Sarbon,Tm) of chicken skin gelatin-based films with and without the addition of potato starch are tabulated in Table Tm values for each of the composite films. Films D possessed significantly different Tm value against films A, B, C, E, and F, respectively. The highest peak of Tm exerted by film D with 6% potato starch incorporation.The melting transition temperatures or melting points  from this study are in agreement with the range of Tm values reported by Nor et al.7 They found that the Tm values ranged from 48.35 °C to 55.51 °C across 0–20% glycerol concentrations. This was comparable with the Tm values from this study with 30% glycerol used in the development of chicken skin gelatin-potato starch films. In short, film D with the highest Tm value indicated the homogeneity of continuous composite film matrix achieved by 6% potato starch incorporation into chicken skin gelatin. The findings in this current study have confirmed the compatibility of potato starch within chicken skin gelatin-based film through the occurrence of crosslinking reaction between polymers, indeed optimizing the thermal stability of edible films.These findings were also comparable with other studies of chicken skin gelatin-based films by Soo and SarbonThe scanning electron microscopy images of chicken skin gelatin-potato starch composite films were shown in Table 41 However, increasing potato starch incorporated into the chicken skin gelatin films was found to cause reduction of cracks intensity as observed on the surface of films B, D, and F, respectively. Film D showed a smoother, flat and bump-free surface compared to film B because of the ordered structure formed between gelatin and starch polymer chains without inappropriate layering.35 This is in agreement with a study by Christine and Sarbon14 in which the morphology surface images of gelatin-starch film showed a smoother surface with less protrusions compared to other films. In addition, the smoothness of film surface may be due to inter and intra molecular hydrogen bonding enhanced by the incorporation of starch.32 Thus, the incorporation of potato starch within chicken skin gelatin-based blended films has been proven to allow good compatibility between these two polymers thus exerted film with smoother surface.From microscopy images of the films’ surfaces, it was observed that film A (control) showed a bumpy surface due to some protrusions, as well as slight roughness with wide and noticed crack. This may be due to the discontinuous zones attributed to the only glycerol component presence within single gelatins film, which then lead to preferential channels occurring through drying, and producing noticed cracks along the film network.42 This is shown by the homogeneity of the film matrix between blending gelatin and starch polymer, which then leads to better internal compatibility.13 These observations were similar with study by Nazmi et al.,32 Christine and Sarbon14 and also Soo and Sarbon13 in which proven an improvement on smoothness of cross-section morphology via increasing concentrations of CMC, tapioca starch and also rice flour incorporation, respectively. These microscopic results were also found to echo the highest TS value exerted by film D, as if incorporation of potato starch has been proven to improve mechanical properties and performance.Focusing on the cross-section microscopic images, it can be confirmed that the presence of cracks was hugely reduced upon increment potato starch concentration into chicken skin gelatin blended film as detailed by films B, D, and F, as compared to the rough obvious long-lined structured cracks shown by film A. The influence of potato starch incorporation into gelatin-based film on film morphology is undeniable as the nature, shape and size of starch granules used as incorporation agent in development of composite film are crucial, as mentioned by De Carvalho and Grosso.G″ > G′) and also affected the mechanical and physical properties of chicken skin gelatin-potato starch composite films. The TS, Young’s EM, transparency, thermal properties, ultraviolet, microscopy, and visible light barrier transmission increased, and EAB was decreased with increasing potato starch concentrations. However, declining trends were observed on WVP and water solubility of composite films upon increasing potato starch concentration. This may reflect positive prospects on potato starch incorporation as a potential crosslinking agent in order to improve the functionalities of gelatin-based films, especially in the context of food packaging material development.In conclusion, the incorporation of potato starch into chicken skin gelatin-based film was found to influence the mechanical and physical properties of edible films. Potato starch incorporation were improved the viscous-like behavior .43Frozen chicken skins were thawed in a cold room (4–5 °C) overnight. The chicken skins were cut into thin 2–3 cm strips before drying overnight in a cabinet drier  at a temperature of 45 °C. The dried chicken skins were then grounded evenly in a blender  into smaller pieces before being defatted using the Soxhlet method  before being shaken and stirred slowly for 30 min at room temperature. The solution was then centrifuged  at 3500 × g for 10 min. The alkaline solution was replaced with a new sodium hydroxide solution every 30 min in order to remove non-collagenous proteins and pigments before rinsing with distilled water. The resulting pellets were then continuously pretreated with sulfuric acid 0.15% (w/v) and citric acid solution 0.7% (w/v), respectively, by performing the same series steps as alkaline pretreatment. Each treatment was repeated three times. The supernatants were removed and the resulting pellets were allowed a final rinse with distilled water. This was followed by centrifugation at 3500 × g for 10 min. This continued with overnight extraction in distilled water at 45 °C without stirring. The resultant mixture was filtered out using Buchner funnel with number 4 Whatman filter paper before proceeding to evaporation. The volume of the gelatin solution was reduced to 1/10 by evaporation under vacuum . The concentrated gelatin solution was freeze-dried and the resultant dry matter was referred to as ‘gelatin powder’. This gelatin powder was used in combination with various concentrations of potato starch to form film-forming solutions.The extraction of chicken skin gelatin was conducted according to Sarbon et al.44 with certain modifications. Six films formulations were developed with varying concentrations of potato starch based on total weight bases with chicken skin gelatin (4 g) in 100 ml distilled water, as presented in Table Edible composite gelatin FFSs were prepared following Rasid et al.44 with some modifications. Six different formulation of chicken skin gelatin-potato starch FFS were analyzed for dynamic viscoelasticity using a controlled-stress rheometer  with a cone-plate geometry . Temperature was controlled using a Peltier system. A prepared film-forming solution for each formulation (1 ml) was placed onto the rheometer lower plate’s surface then held for 5 min at room temperature for stress relaxation and temperature equilibration. As each sample was applied to the plate, silicone oil (Sigma cat. no 14615-3) was spread over the outer edge of the sample to prevent evaporation during frequency sweep heating. The extent of the LVR was determined by performing a small-amplitude oscillatory strain (SAOS) sweep test (0.01–20%) with a frequency of 0.1 Hz onto all FFS. The critical strain was defined as the limit strain of LVR which marks the end of the linear stress–strain relation. From the results of these tests, a strain amplitude of 1% within the linear viscoelastic domain in FFS was chosen to perform dynamic oscillatory tests. A dynamic frequency sweep was conducted over a range 0.01–50 rad/s at 25 °C within the identified LVR for each FFS. The results obtained were analyzed using Rheology Advantage Data Analysis V.5.3.1 (TA Instruments). The viscoelastic parameters verified included the storage or elastic (G′) modulus and loss or viscous (G″) modulus.Dynamic viscoelastic properties, through dynamic oscillatory measurement of prepared FFS, were determined according to Rasid et al.24 using a texture analyzer . The films were cut to 1 × 7 cm and the thickness of each film was measured at five different positions to obtain an average before being attached onto grip pairs of AT/G probe attached to the texture analyzer with 5 kg load cell. The initial gap separation was set to 50 mm. The film strips were then stretched by moving the upper grip at head speed of 1 mm/s until breaking. All three tests were performed in triplicate for each type of film. Values for TS, EAB, and EM were calculated using the following equations:Fmax is the max load (N) needed to pull the sample apart and A is the cross sectional area (m2) of the film sample.lmax is the film elongation (mm) at that moment of rupture and l0 is the initial grip length (mm) of the sample.2) and strain is change in length (mm) divided by original length (mm).The TS, EAB, and EM of chicken skin gelatin-potato starch composite edible film were determined following Nur Hazirah et al.13 The observations considered the surface and cross sections of film samples, which were first fractured under liquid nitrogen. The prepared samples were mounted on copper stubs perpendicularly to the surface and sputtered with gold coating. This was to ensure that the film was conductive enough to enable the direct flow of 10 kV accelerating voltage at magnification range from ×1500 to 3000.Film morphology analysis was performed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), JEOL model JSM-6610LV (Japan) following Soo and Sarbon.24 using a UV–Visible spectrophotometer  at wavelengths between 200 and 800 nm. All film samples from each formulation were cut into smaller sizes of 1 cm × 4 cm and placed directly into a test cell. An empty cell was used as a reference, and these tests were conducted in triplicate. The film transparency was calculated using the following equation:T is the fractional transmittance at 600 nm and x is the thickness of film (mm).The light transmission of gelatin-based films incorporated with potato starch films was measured according to the method by Nur Hazirah et al.,16 with some modification where circular aluminum cups containing 10 g of silica gel (50% RH) were sealed individually by each film sample with 2 cm × 2 cm length. The thickness of the films was measured using Palmer digital micrometer at six random positions. Each cup was weighed for initial weight, then placed in a desiccator containing distilled water at room temperature. The samples were weighed hourly for 6 h. This test was performed in triplicate for each film. The value of WVP was further calculated using the following equation:2 hPa), w is the weight gained by the cup (g), x is the average film thickness (mm), A is the permeation area (m2), t is time gained (h), and P2 − P1 is the difference of partial pressure.The WVP of the edible composite film was measured using a method described by Jahit et al.,45 with some modifications. Each sample was cut into 15 mm × 40 mm pieces and weighed. The films were then immersed into a 50 ml distilled water in a beaker before being sealed and stirred gently for 24 h at 10 rpm at 25 °C. The remaining undissolved films samples were filtered and dried using a hot air in ventilated oven at 110 °C for at least 2 days until a final constant weight was obtained. This test was performed in triplicate for each type of film. The solubility of the film was calculated according to the following equation:Water solubility of the edible composite films was determined according to a method by Saberi et al.46 About 5 mg of film was weighed using analytical balance  and placed in an aluminum sample pan, while another empty pan was used as reference. The pan was then hermetically sealed before heating from 5 to 150 °C at a scanning heating rate of 10 °C/min. Nitrogen gas was used to flush the DSC cell at a flow rate of 20 ml/min to maintain an inert environment. From the melting curve obtained, the melting temperatures (Tm) within the designated area limit were determined, appearing as peaks. These measurements were performed in triplicate.The thermal properties of edible composite films were performed by using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)  equipped with a cooling device (Intercooler II) as described by Sarbon et al.n = 3) and all collected data were presented by average ± standard deviation evaluated statistically using Minitab Version 14.0 software. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted with significant difference of the means was assessed on the basis of Fisher’s test with a confidence level of α < 0.05.All analyses were performed in triplicate (Further information on experimental design is available in the Reporting summary