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This study aimed to investigate the textural changes of cooked germinated brown rice (GBR) during freeze-thaw treatment and propose a strategy for enhancing its texture using magnetic field (MF). Seven freeze-thaw cycles exhibited more pronounced effects compared to 7 days of freezing, resulting in increases in GBR hardness by 85.59 %-164.36 % and decreases in stickiness by 10.34 %-43.55 %. Water loss, structural damage of GBR flour, and starch retrogradation contributed to the deterioration of texture. MF mitigated these effects by inhibiting the transformation of bound water into free water, reducing water loss by 0.39 %-0.57 %, and shortening the phase transition period by 2.0-21.5 min, thereby diminishing structural damage to GBR flour and hindering starch retrogradation. Following MF treatment (5 mT), GBR hardness decreased by 21.00 %, while stickiness increased by 45.71 %. This study elucidates the mechanisms through which MF enhances the texture, offering theoretical insights for the industrial production of high-quality frozen rice products.

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We propose a compact, portable, and low-cost holographic microscope designed for the characterization of micrometric particles suspended in a liquid. This system is built around a commercial optical microscope by substituting its illumination source (a light-emitting diode) with a collimated laser beam. Similarly, a quartz flow cell replaces the microscope glass slide using a 3D-printed custom mount. With the hardware presented in this paper, the holographic imaging of the electromagnetic fields emitted by the particles that intercept the laser beam achieves a resolution close to that of optical microscopes but with a greater depth of field. Several morphological and optical features can be extracted from the holograms, including particle projected section, aspect ratio, and extinction cross-section. Additionally, we introduce a remote system control that enables users to process the acquired holograms on a remote computational device. This work provides a comprehensive description of the methodology of image processing in holographic microscopy and a series of validation measurements conducted using calibrated particles. This technique is suitable for the characterization of airborne particles found in snow, firn, and ice; here we report experimental results obtained from Alpine ice cores.

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The study constructed a model of temperature fluctuation (TF, -20 °C âˆ¼ -10 °C) during frozen status to build a link between the tilapia fillets muscle of ice crystal morphology, moisture distribution, protein oxidation index and the edible quality. When TF treatment more than 3 times, the brightness, color and hardness of frozen tilapia fillets decreased significantly, and the cooking loss and thawing loss increased significantly. The free and unconjugated water in frozen fish fillets exceeded 97 % and did not change much after 9 times TF. The K and TVB-N values were within the safety standards (K < 60 %, TVB-N < 30 mg N/100 g). The ice crystals in the tissues were significantly increased. Protein carbonyls and Ca2+-ATPase were significantly reduced, and secondary structures were irregular. Network correlation analysis showed that ice crystal morphology was significantly correlated with the color, texture and protein oxidation index of frozen tilapia fillets. The results would provide theoretical approach for the transportation and sales of tilapia industrial enterprises.

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PURPOSE: To examine ice flavor use and its correlates among middle and high school students who currently (any past 30-day) used e-cigarettes. METHODS: The 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) assessed for the first time the use of e-cigarette flavors that included the word "ice" or "iced" in the name. Using logistic regression, data from the 2023 NYTS were used to examine differences in sociodemographic characteristics and tobacco use behaviors by ice flavor use among students who currently used e-cigarettes (n=1,565). RESULTS: Among middle and high school students who currently used e-cigarettes, an estimated 1.1 million or 57.9% reported ice flavor use. Youth who currently used e-cigarettes were more likely to use ice flavors if they used e-cigarettes on ≥20 of the past 30 days compared to 1-5 days (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]=2.31, 95% CI: 1.36-3.94); used fruit (aOR=2.27, 95% CI: 1.36-3.80), candy (aOR=2.73, 95% CI:1.54-4.82), or mint flavors (aOR=3.63, 95% CI:1.98-6.65) compared to those who did not use the respective flavor type; reported any nicotine dependence compared to those who did not (aOR= 1.71, 95% CI:1.04-2.80); or had mild/moderate (aOR=1.97, 95% CI: 1.01-3.83) or severe psychological distress (aOR=2.41, 95% CI: 1.25-4.62) compared to those without psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found that ice-flavored e-cigarette use among youth was associated with use of e-cigarettes on ≥20 days, use of fruit, candy, or mint flavors, any symptoms of nicotine dependence, and psychological distress (mild/moderate, severe). Emergence of novel flavor categories and features of e-cigarettes warrant continued surveillance to provide an understanding of associated use patterns, especially among youth. IMPLICATIONS: This study examined ice flavor use and its correlates among middle and high school students who currently used e-cigarettes. Ice-flavored e-cigarette use among youth was positively associated with frequent e-cigarettes use, use of fruit, candy, or mint flavors, and any symptoms of nicotine dependence. Additionally, the likelihood of ice-flavored e-cigarette use was associated with severity of psychological distress.

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The freezing temperature greatly limits the growth, development and productivity of plants. The C-repeat/DRE binding factor (CBF) plays a major role in cold acclimation, enabling plants to increase their freezing tolerance. Notably, the INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION1 (ICE1) protein has garnered attention for its pivotal role in bolstering plants' resilience against freezing through transcriptional upregulation of DREB1A/CBF3. However, the research on the interaction between ICE1 and other transcription factors and its function in regulating cold stress tolerance is largely inadequate. In this study, we found that a R2R3 MYB transcription factor CDC5 interacts with ICE1 and regulates the expression of CBF3 by recruiting RNA polymerase II, overexpression of ICE1 can complements the freezing deficient phenotype of cdc5 mutant. CDC5 increases the expression of CBF3 in response to freezing. Furthermore, CDC5 influences the expression of CBF3 by altering the chromatin status through H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 modifications. Our work identified a novel component that regulates CBF3 transcription in both ICE1-dependent and ICE1-independent manner, improving the understanding of the freezing signal transduction in plants.

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The ice lakes in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have exhibited a pronounced expansion against the backdrop of global warming, consequently amplifying the local risk of ice lake outburst disasters. However, surveys of ice lake changes in the entire region have consistently been incomplete due to the prevalent high cloud density. On the basis of Landsat remote sensing images and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform, in this study, the full convolution segmentation algorithm is utilized to accurately and comprehensively map the regional distribution of ice lakes in southeastern Tibet at consistent time intervals in 1993, 2008, and 2023. Furthermore, the formation, distribution, and dynamic changes in these ice lakes are investigated. The numbers of ice lakes discovered in 1993, 2008, and 2023 were 2520, 3198, and 3877, respectively. These lakes covered areas of approximately 337.64 ± 36.86 km2, 363.92 ± 40.90 km2, and 395.74 ± 22.72 km2, respectively. These ice lakes are located primarily between altitudes of 4442 m and 4909 m. The total area experienced an annual growth rate of approximately 0.57 % from 1993 to 2023. In the present study, the long-term variations in ice lakes in each district and county are examined. These findings indicate that between 1993 and 2023, the expansion of ice lakes was more pronounced in regions with a large number of marine glaciers. Notably, Basu County presented the highest annual growth rate of the ice lake population, at 6.23 %, followed by Bomi County, at 4.28 %, and finally, Zayul County, at 2.94 %. The accelerated shrinkage of marine glaciers induced by global warming is the primary driver behind the expansion of ice lakes. The results obtained from this research will enhance our overall understanding of the complex dynamics and mechanisms that govern the formation of ice lakes while also offering valuable perspectives on the potential risks linked to their expansion in this particular area.

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OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to describe non-concussion head and neck ice hockey injuries in children in the US. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using data from the NEISS database. The NEISS database was reviewed from 2010 to 2021 for injuries in the head, neck, mouth, eye, and ear related to ice hockey in children 1-18 years old. Records where the only injury was a concussion or internal head injury were removed. Frequencies were calculated and chi-squared tests were performed. RESULTS: 475 children were included, with mean age of 13.1 years old (95 % CI 12.7-13.4), and 426 (89.7 %) were male. Females were significantly younger with mean age 11.8 years versus 13.2 years for males (t = -2.4, df = 473, p = .018). 110 (23.2 %) injuries were related to hockey sticks, 92 (19.4 %) involved a fall, and 32 (6.7 %) were subsequent to body checking. 301 of the injuries (63.4 %) were lacerations, 71 (14.9 %) contusions or abrasions, and 26 (5.5 %) strains and sprains. The type of injury varied according to head and neck region (p < .001). 231 (82.8 %) of facial injuries, 16 (76.2 %) of ear injuries, and 33 (62.3 %) of oral injuries were lacerations. Eight (1.7 %) patients were admitted or observed overnight, while the rest were discharged home. CONCLUSION: Female ice hockey players sustain injuries at younger ages than males, which may reflect the loss of older girls from the sport. In older boys, injury rates may reflect the loss of mandated full face protective shields.

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This study aimed to utilize blueberry pectin and calcium chloride to design a gel network structure for loading nut oils (peanut and walnut oil, respectively). The optimization of emulsion gel preparation was conducted through orthogonal experiments, utilizing the oil-holding ratio and gel strength as critical indicators. The emulsion gel was applied to the ice cream production. It was revealed that the peroxide value of the nut oil emulsion gels was significantly lower than that of nut oils. Both nut oil emulsion gel ice creams exhibited higher expansion rates, lower melting rates, and decreased hardness than the nut oil ice creams. Notably, walnut oil emulsion gel ice cream demonstrated a melting rate similar to traditional butter ice cream. Emulsion gel ice cream has higher fat globule instability and viscosity. Overall, the comprehensive emulsion gel ice cream indicators were comparable to conventional butter ice cream and notably superior to peanut and walnut oil ice cream. Using emulsion gel as a fat substitute in ice cream was feasible. The implications of these results were significant for advancing the utilization of nut oil emulsion gel within the ice cream industry.

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Freezing storage is the most common method of food preservation and the formation of ice crystals during freezing has an important impact on food quality. The water molecular structure, mechanism of ice crystal formation, and ice crystal structure are elaborated in the present review. Meanwhile the methods of ice crystal characterization are outlined. It is concluded that the distribution of the water molecule cluster structure during the crystallization process directly affects the formed ice crystals' structure, but the intrinsic relationship needs to be further investigated. The morphology and distribution of ice crystals can be observed by experimental methods while simulation methods provide the possibility to study the molecular structure changes in water and ice crystals. It is hoped that this review will provide more information about ice crystallization and promote the control of ice crystals in frozen foods.

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This article presents the results of comprehensive radiological studies conducted in 2021 in order to assess the radiation situation in the Kungur Ice Cave (hereinafter referred to as the KIC). Since the cave is a fairly popular sightseeing object, therefore, the safety of both tourists and workers is a key task for scientific study. The radiation safety assessment was carried out taking into account the parameters of the radiation (gamma) background, measurements of radon and thoron concentrations, microclimatic indicators (air temperature, humidity), airflow rate, illumination and calculation of the indicator of a special assessment of working conditions (SAWC). Such comprehensive and detailed studies were conducted in the KIC for the first time, allowing some patterns to be identified and confirmed. For the indicators of gamma-activity and radon concentration, there is a clear dependence on the season of the year, which is directly related to microclimatic indicators, as well as to compliance with the ventilation regulations that have been established in the cave. The applied ventilation modes provide safe values of the radiation background and toron. In the summer months, the average radon content in the cave exceeds the maximum permissible concentrations by a factor of 7, which required calculation of the time of work in the cave. For the first time, special assessment of working conditions has been calculated for Kungur Ice Cave, but only for the winter period. The SAWC is defined for a working group consisting of engineers, workers and guides, taking into account such parameters as temperature, illumination, humidity, severity and intensity of labor and ionizing radiation (radiation background). According to preliminary data, the overall assessment of labor based on all parameters falls under the "harmful" class of conditions.

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Cryopreservation is important in manufacturing of cell therapy products, influencing their safety and effectiveness. During freezing and thawing, intracellular events such as dehydration and ice formation can impact cell viability. In this study, the impact of controlling the ice nucleation temperature on intracellular events and viability were investigated. A model T cell line, Jurkat cells, were evaluated in commercially relevant cryoformulations (2.5 and 5 % v/v DMSO in Plasma-Lyte A) using a cryomicroscopic setup to monitor the dynamic changes cells go through during freeze-thaw as well as a controlled rate freezer to study bulk freeze-thaw. The equilibrium freezing temperatures of the studied formulations and a DMSO/Plasma-Lyte A liquidus curve were determined using DSC. The cryomicroscopic studies revealed that an ice nucleation temperature of -6°C, close to the equilibrium freezing temperatures of cryoformulations, led to more intracellular dehydration and less intracellular ice formation during freezing compared to either a lower ice nucleation temperature (-10 °C) or uncontrolled ice nucleation. The cell membrane integrity and post thaw viability in bulk cryopreservation consistently demonstrated the advantage of the higher ice nucleation temperature, and the correlation between the cellular events and cell viability.

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Two cases of pain evoked by cold food ingestion, following root canal therapy (RCT), are presented. The source of pain was detected when cold application to the vestibular, periapical area corresponding to the teeth involved evoked strong pain of about 30 sec durations. In the first case, the patient suffered from strong pain in the right mandibular area over the last 4 months. After successive RCT of 3 right mandibular teeth the spontaneous pain eased significantly, but strong pain evoked by cold food ingestion persisted. Cold application to the vestibular periapical area of teeth involved identified the source of pain, which was abolished by 80 mg/day of slow-release propranolol. In the second case, cold allodynia developed after RCT. The RCT was performed for prosthetic reasons with no prior pain. Pain could be duplicated by cold application to the vestibular area of the treated tooth. The patient preferred no treatment when the source of pain was explained. In both cases cold application did not produce any pain in other intra oral locations, including the contralateral vestibular area or the mid soft or hard palate. Pain mechanisms, neurovascular and neuropathic, which differ for each case are discussed.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are severely polluted in aquatic environments and can harm aquatic organisms. Due to the limitation of conducting toxicity experiments directly on threatened and endangered (T&E) species, their toxicity data is scarce, hindering accurate risk assessments. The development of computational toxicology makes it possible to assess the risk of pollutants to T&E fishes. This study innovatively combined machine learning models, including random forest (RF), artificial neural network (ANN), and XGBoost, and the QSAR-ICE model to predict chronic developmental toxicity data of PFASs to T&E fishes. Among these, the XGBoost model exhibited superior performance, with R2 of 0.95 and 0.81 for the training and testing sets, respectively. Internal and external validation further confirmed that the XGBoost model is robust and reliable. Subsequently, it was used to predict chronic developmental toxicity data for seven priority PFASs to T&E fishes in the Yangtze River. Acipenseridae fishes (e.g., Acipenser dabryanus and Acipenser sinensis) showed high sensitivity to PFASs, possibly due to their unique lifestyle and physiological characteristics. Based on these data, the predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) of individual PFASs was calculated, and the risk for T&E fishes in the Yangtze River was assessed. The results indicated that the risk of PFASs to T&E fishes is low (3.85 × 10-9∼8.20 × 10-4), with perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as the high-risk pollutants. The risk in the middle and lower reaches of the river is higher than in the upper reaches. This study provides a new approach for obtaining chronic toxicity data and conducting risk assessments for T&E species, advancing the protection of T&E species worldwide.

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Microplastics (MPs) are an anthropogenic emerging pollutant, with global contamination of both marine and freshwater systems extensively documented. The interplay of MP particle properties and environmental conditions needs to be understood in order to assess the environmental fate and evaluate mitigation measures. In cold climate, ice formation has appeared to significantly affect the distribution of MPs, but so far, limited research is available comparing different aquatic systems, especially freshwater. Experiments often rely on artificial water and specific MP model particles. This study used laboratory tests to investigate the ice-water distribution of a variety of environmentally relevant MP particle types (PP, PE, PS and PVC fragments (25-1000 µm), PET fibers (average length 821 µm, diameter 15 µm)) across different water types, including artificial water of high and low salinity, as well as natural water from a lake and a treatment wetland. Overall, ice entrapment of MPs occurred in almost all tests, but the ice-water distribution of MPs differed across the different water types tested. Among the tests with artificial water, salinity clearly increased MP concentrations in the ice, but it cannot be resolved whether this is caused by increased buoyancy, changes in ice structure, or thermohaline convection during freezing. In the natural freshwater tests, the partition of MPs was shifted towards the ice compared to what was seen in the artificial freshwater. The influence of different types of dissolved and particulate substances in the different waters on MPs fate should be considered important and further explored. In this study, the higher content of suspended solids in the lake water might have enhanced MP settling to the bottom and thereby contributed to the absence of MPs in the ice of the lake test, compared to the wetland test with low suspended solids and considerably more MPs in the ice. Furthermore, the higher negative charge in the lake water possibly stabilized the negatively charged MPs in suspension, and reduced ice entrapment. Regarding particle properties, shape had a distinct effect, with fibers being less likely incorporated into ice than fragments. No fibers were found in freshwater ice. However, it became clear that ice entrapment of MPs depends on factors other than the particles' buoyancy based on density differences and particle size and shape alone.

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BACKGROUND: Breaking bad news is one of the most difficult aspects of communication in medicine. The objective of this study was to assess the relevance of a novel active learning course on breaking bad news for fifth-year students. METHODS: Students were divided into two groups: Group 1, the intervention group, participated in a multidisciplinary formative discussion workshop on breaking bad news with videos, discussions with a pluri-professional team, and concluding with the development of a guide on good practice in breaking bad news through collective intelligence; Group 2, the control group, received no additional training besides conventional university course. The relevance of discussion-group-based active training was assessed in a summative objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) station particularly through the students' communication skills. RESULTS: Thirty-one students were included: 17 in Group 1 and 14 in Group 2. The mean (range) score in the OSCE was significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (10.49 out of 15 (7; 13) vs. 7.80 (4.75; 12.5), respectively; p = 0.0007). The proportion of students assessed by the evaluator to have received additional training in breaking bad news was 88.2% (15 of the 17) in Group 1 and 21.4% (3 of the 14) in Group 2 (p = 0.001). The intergroup differences in the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Jefferson Scale of Empathy scores were not significant, and both scores were not correlated with the students' self-assessed score for success in the OSCE. CONCLUSION: Compared to the conventional course, this new active learning method for breaking bad news was associated with a significantly higher score in a summative OSCE. A longer-term validation study is needed to confirm these exploratory data.

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This review examined the effect of acute heat mitigation strategies on physiological strain and exercise performance in females exercising in the heat. Three databases were searched for original research with an acute heat mitigation (intervention) and control strategy in active females and reporting core temperature, heart rate and/or aerobic exercise performance/capacity with ≥ 24°C wet bulb globe temperature. Hedges' g effect sizes were calculated to evaluate outcomes. Thirteen studies (n = 118) were included. Most studies that applied an acute heat mitigation strategy to females did not reduce thermal (9/10) or cardiovascular (6/6) strain or improve exercise performance/capacity (8/10). The most effective strategies for attenuating thermal strain were pre-cooling with ice-slurry (effect size = -2.2 [95% CI, -3.2, -1.1]) and ice-vests (-1.9 [-2.7, -1.1]), and pre- and per-cooling with an ice-vest (-1.8 [-2.9, -0.7]). Only pre-cooling with an ice-vest improved running performance (-1.8 [-2.9, -0.7]; ~0.43 min) whilst sodium hyperhydration improved cycling capacity at 70% V O2peak (0.8 [0.0, 1.6]; ~20.1 min). There is currently limited research on acute heat mitigation strategies in females, so the evidence for the efficacy is scarce. Some studies show beneficial effects with ice-slurry, ice-vests and sodium hyperhydration, which can guide future research to support female exercise performance in the heat.

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While the dominant role of halogens in Arctic ozone loss during spring has been widely studied in the last decades, the impact of sea-ice halogens on surface ozone abundance over the northern hemisphere (NH) mid-latitudes remains unquantified. Here, we use a state-of-the-art global chemistry-climate model including polar halogens (Cl, Br, and I), which reproduces Arctic ozone seasonality, to show that Arctic sea-ice halogens reduce surface ozone in the NH mid-latitudes (47°N to 60°N) by ~11% during spring. This background ozone reduction follows the southward export of ozone-poor and halogen-rich air masses from the Arctic through polar front intrusions toward lower latitudes, reducing the springtime tropospheric ozone column within the NH mid-latitudes by ~4%. Our results also show that the present-day influence of Arctic halogens on surface ozone destruction is comparatively smaller than in preindustrial times driven by changes in the chemical interplay between anthropogenic pollution and natural halogens. We conclude that the impact of Arctic sea-ice halogens on NH mid-latitude ozone abundance should be incorporated into global models to improve the representation of ozone seasonality.

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Alkaline ferri/ferro-cyanide-based flow batteries are well suited for energy storage because of their features of high electrochemical activity, good kinetics and low material cost. However, they suffer from low energy density and poor temperature adaptability. The ferri/ferro-cyanide catholyte exhibits low solubility (~0.4 M at 25 °C) in NaOH- or KOH-based supporting electrolyte and can easily form precipitates below room temperature. Here we report a lithium-based supporting electrolyte that significantly enhances the solubility of ferrocyanide. The use of LiOH intensifies the ion-dipole interaction between water molecules and solutes and cripples polarization among ferrocyanide ions. Thus, we have achieved a ferrocyanide-based catholyte of 1.7 M at 25 °C and of 0.8 M at -10 °C. A zinc-ferricyanide flow battery based on the lithium-based supporting electrolyte demonstrates a steady charge energy of ~72 Wh L-1catholyte at 25 °C for ~4200 cycles (~4200 hours). Furthermore, it remains stable for ~800 cycles (~800 hours) at -10 °C.

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This article introduces a novel risk factor for gastric cancer (GC) by analyzing available epidemiological data from East Asian populations. A significantly higher age-standardized GC rate was observed in Japanese and Korean populations than in Chinese populations, despite nearly identical ethnicity, food habits, obesity rates, and alcohol consumption. Given the pivotal role of environmental factors in GC development, particularly for the intestinal type, a thorough evaluation of the lifestyles of these three populations was conducted to identify commonalities and disparities. It was observed that Japanese and Korean individuals prefer consuming ice water, while Chinese individuals tend to drink warm water, potentially influenced by traditional Chinese medicine disciplines. Considering the key features of GC development, a literature review was conducted to investigate the mechanisms through which the consumption of ice water might contribute to GC initiation and progression. Mechanistically, exposing gastric cells to hypothermia can increase the risk of carcinogenesis through multiple pathways. This includes the promotion of Helicobacter pylori colonization, prolonged gastric inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction in gastric cells. Furthermore, drinking ice water can enhance the survival, proliferation, and invasion of GC cells by releasing cold shock proteins, increasing gastric acid secretion, and delaying gastric emptying. Additionally, hypothermia can boost the immune evasion of cancer cells by weakening the antitumor immune system and activating different components of the tumor microenvironment. This paper also explores the association between exposure of GC cells to hypothermia and current insights into cancer hallmarks. These findings may partially elucidate the higher incidence of GC in Japanese and Korean populations and provide a clue for future experimental studies.Graphical abstract available for this article.