Predictive Value of Gray-Matter-White-Matter Ratio on Brain Computed Tomography for Delayed Encephalopathy after Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: This study is aimed at determining the predictive value of the gray-matter-white-matter ratio (GWR) on brain computed tomography for delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning (DEACMP). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study reviewed 352 patients with acute CO poisoning and who underwent the brain computed tomography test. These patients were admitted to Cangzhou Central Hospital from May 2010 to May 2020. The patients were divided into the DEACMP (n = 16) and non-DEACMP (n = 336) groups. Pearson's correlation coefficients were computed for correlation analysis. The predictive value of GWR for DEACMP was evaluated by using logistic regression analysis and receiver operator characteristic curves. RESULTS: The morbidity of DEACMP was 4.5% (16/352). The GWR-basal ganglia, GWR-cerebrum, and GWR-average in the DEACMP group were lower than those in the non-DEACMP group. Correlation analysis indicated that GWR-basal ganglia (r = 0.276; P < 0.001), GWR-cerebrum (r = 0.163; P = 0.002), and GWR-average (r = 0.200; P < 0.001) were correlated with DEACMP. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that reduced GWR-basal ganglia, GWR-cerebrum, and GWR-average were independent risk factors (P < 0.001; P = 0.008; P = 0.001; respectively). Compared with GWR-cerebrum and GWR-average, GWR-basal ganglia had a higher area under the curve of 0.881 (95% confidence interval: 0.783-0.983) with sensitivity and specificity of 93.8% and 68.7%, respectively. The cut-off value of GWR-basal ganglia was 1.055. CONCLUSION: GWR, especially GWR-basal ganglia, is an early useful predictor for DEACMP.

Effects of ionic polysaccharides and egg white protein complex formulations on dough rheological properties, structure formation and in vitro starch digestibility of wet sweet potato vermicelli.

Effects of ionic polysaccharides [chitosan (C), sodium alginate (A) and xanthan (X)] and egg white protein (EP) complex formulations on dough rheology, structure formation and in vitro starch digestibility of wet sweet potato vermicelli (SPV) were investigated. Linear viscoelastic region (LVR) with low strain level of 0.015-0.036% were observed for all starch doughs with different complex formulations. Starch doughs complexed with A-X, C-EP, A-EP and X-EP exhibited lower degree of dependence of G' on frequency sweep and maximum creep compliance in creep-recovery test, followed by those with C-A-EP and A-X-EP, suggesting stable network structure formation. Wet SPV with C-A exhibited the strongest tensile strength (1.99 g/mm2), followed by those with C-EP and C-A-EP (1.51 and 1.58 g/mm2), and all showed high tensile distance (91.00%, 77.92% and 66.91%) and cooking break time (46.0, 45.5 and 48.5 min) respectively. Evenly distributed air cells with smaller pore sizes were formed, and compacted patterns of starch molecules were presented in all wet SPV with different complex formulations. Wet SPV with C-A-EP showed lower rapidly digestible (31.42%) but higher resistant starch (61.59%) content compared to other formulations. Thus, complex formulations of C-A, C-EP and C-A-EP show great application potential in wet SPV with high quality.

Effects of different polysaccharides and proteins on dough rheological properties, texture, structure and in vitro starch digestibility of wet sweet potato vermicelli.

The effects of polysaccharides (chitosan, xanthan and sodium alginate) and proteins (gluten, egg white protein) on dough rheological properties, texture, structure and in vitro starch digestibility of wet sweet potato vermicelli (SPV) were investigated. All starch doughs exhibited a linear viscoelastic region (LVR) of <0.05% strain. Chitosan, sodium alginate and xanthan incorporated dough exhibited lower maximum creep compliance and degree of dependence of G' on frequency sweep than those with egg white protein and gluten, suggesting the formation of stable network structure with stronger deformation resistance. Wet SPV with chitosan exhibited the highest tensile strength, tensile distance and cooking break time, followed by sodium alginate, xanthan, egg white protein and gluten. A mass fracture structure and evenly distributed air cells with similar pore sizes were formed in all wet SPV. Physical linkages between starch and polysaccharides or proteins in all wet SPV were confirmed by similar FTIR spectra. Xanthan and sodium alginate addition decreased the rapidly digestible starch, and increased the resistant starch in wet SPV. In conclusion, all polysaccharides and proteins can improve the quality of wet SPV, and xanthan, sodium alginate and egg white protein show greater application potential.

Optimization of ultrasound-microwave assisted acid extraction of pectin from potato pulp by response surface methodology and its characterization.

The ultrasound-microwave assisted HCl extraction of pectin from potato pulp was optimized using the response surface methodology. Effects of extraction temperature, pH, and time on the yield were evaluated, and structural characteristics of pectin extracted under optimal conditions were determined. The yield was 22.86 ±â€¯1.29% under optimal conditions of temperature 93 °C, pH 2.0, and time 50 min. The obtained pectin was rich in branched rhamnogalacturonan I (61.54 mol%). Furthermore, the pectin was a low-methoxyl (degree of methylation, 32.58%) but highly acetylated (degree of acetylation, 17.84%) pectin and the molecular weight was 1.537 × 105 g/mol. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that pectin had a linear region of α-1, 4-linked galacturonic acids which could be methyl and acetyl-esterified, and rhamnose linked with galacturonic acid to form rhamnogalacturonan which was branched with side chains. Scanning electron microscopy showed most of pectin had a lamellae structure.

Extraction, structure, and emulsifying properties of pectin from potato pulp.

Effects of HCl, H2SO4, HNO3, citric acid, and acetic acid on the yield, structure, and emulsifying properties of potato pectins were investigated. Results showed that the highest yield (14.34%) was obtained using citric acid, followed by HNO3 (9.83%), HCl (9.72%), H2SO4 (8.38%), and acetic acid (4.08%). The degrees of methylation (37.45%) and acetylation (15.38%), protein content (6.97%), and molecular weight (3.207 × 105 g/mol) were the highest for pectin extracted using acetic acid, and (galactose + arabinose)/rhamnose was 33.34, indicating that it had a highly branched rhamnogalacturonan I domain. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed a specific absorbance peak at 1064 cm-1, which corresponds to the acetyl groups in potato pectins. SEM showed that all potato pectins are morphologically different. The emulsifying activity (EA, 44.97%-47.71%) and emulsion stability (ES, 36.54%-46.00%) of the pectins were influenced by acid types, and were higher than those of commercial citrus and apple pectin.

Effects of extraction methods and particle size distribution on the structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of dietary fiber from deoiled cumin.

This study evaluated the effects of alkali extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, shear emulsifying assisted enzymatic hydrolysis, and particle size distribution on the chemical composition and the structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of deoiled cumin dietary fibers (AEDF, EHDF and SEDF). Compared to AEDF and EHDF, SEDF had the highest total dietary fiber, crystalline regions, water swelling capacity (6.79-7.98ml/g), oil adsorption capacity (6.12-7.25%), α-amylase activity inhibition ratio (14.79-21.84%), glucose adsorption capacity (2.02-60.86%), and bile acid retardation index (16.34-50.08%). DFs sieved with mesh sizes >80 exhibited better physicochemical and functional properties than unsieved DFs. The physicochemical properties of sieved DFs improved with increasing sieve mesh sizes (40-120), but decreased with sieve mesh sizes >120, while the functional properties increased with increasing sieve mesh sizes. SEDF sieved with mesh sizes 100-150 can be used as functional ingredients due to its excellent physicochemical and functional properties.