BackgroundReversible splenial lesion syndrome (RESLES) is a disorder radiologically characterized by reversible lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC). Most of patients with RESLES associated with encephalitis/encephalopathy were identified in Japanese population, but almost no Chinese patients were diagnosed as RESLES associated with encephalitis/encephalopathy.MethodsPossible patients with reversible isolated SCC lesions were retrieved from January 2012 to July 2015 using keyword “restricted diffusion and isolated SCC lesion” in MRI report system from a large academic center. The clinical, laboratory and radiological data were summarized.ResultsA total of 15 encephalitis/encephalopathy patients (9 males and 6 females) were identified with a reversible isolated SCC lesion. Except for 13 patients with fever symptom, 8 patients also had cold symptoms before the onset of neurological symptoms. The neurological symptoms included headache, vertigo, seizure, disturbance of consciousness, and delirious behavior. Thirteen patients completely recovered within 1 month, but 2 patients who were subjected to mechanical ventilation had persistent neurological deficits. The initial MRI features showed isolated ovoid or extending SCC lesions with homogeneous hyperintense on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and decreased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. The follow-up MRI revealed that isolated SCC lesions with diffuse restriction disappeared at 10 to 32 days after the initial MRI study. Fractional anisotropy map revealed the decreased value of SCC lesion in a severe case with poor prognosis.ConclusionsRESLES associated with encephalitis/encephalopathy is a reversible syndrome with an excellent prognosis in most patients, while a few patients required ventilator supporting at the early stage might have severe neurological sequelae. Reversible signal changes on DWI and ADC are identified in all patients, but fractional anisotropy values can be decreased in severe patient with neurological sequelae.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12883-016-0572-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This study investigated the hypolipidemic effect of whole grain Qingke (WGQ) and its influence on intestinal microbiota. Changes in the serum lipid, intestinal environment, and microbiota of Sprague-Dawley rats fed high-fat diets supplemented with different doses of WGQ were determined. Results showed that high doses of WGQ significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the Lee's index, serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels whereas they increased the body weight of the rats. Cecal weight and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration increased with increasing WGQ dose. An Illumina-based sequencing approach showed that the relative abundance of putative SCFA-producing bacteria Prevotella and Anaerovibrio increased in the rats fed the WGQ diet. Principal component analysis revealed a significant difference in intestinal microbiota composition after the administration of the WGQ diet. These findings provide insights into the contribution of the intestinal microbiota to the hypolipidemic effect of WGQ.

No abstract

No abstract

Summary The amino acid contents, texture, pectin and microstructure of bamboo shoots (Dendrocalamus latiflorus) with different salt concentrations during pickling process were examined to evaluate the effects of such process on its nutrient contents and texture. The results show that the total amino acid content of fresh bamboo shoots (FBS) was 16.35 g/100 g of dry weight, whereas those of pickled bamboo shoots (PBS) with different salt concentrations (8% and 20%) were 6.89 g/100 g and 7.91 g/100 g of dry weight, respectively. The texture analysis revealed that the hardness of the two PBS decreased by 60% and 47% after 90 days of pickling process, respectively. The protopectin contents of such PBS decreased by 64% and 49%, respectively, whereas their content of water‐soluble pectin exhibited an increasing tendency during the pickling process. In addition, the scanning electron microscope images of the bamboo shoots revealed that the FBS tissues presented almost isodiametric parenchyma cells with a regular shape, whereas the parenchyma cells of PBS showed a clear turgor loss, presenting degradation and shrinkage in the cell wall contours.

No abstract

Abstract:To explore the functional properties of mixed biopolymer systems affected by acid and salts. The effects of acid and salt solutions (i.e., NaCl, KCl and CaCl 2 ) on the pasting, rheology, texture and microstructure of lotus root starch-konjac glucomannan (LRS/KGM) mixtures were assessed. Acid (citric acid buffer) treatment worsened the pasting (except for breakdown viscosity), rheological (except for fluid index), and textural properties, thereby inhibiting retrogradation, weakening pseudoplasticity and thickening, and reducing mixture viscoelasticity. Furthermore, it led to destructive ruptures and large pores in the internal microstructure. Salt treatment worsened the pasting properties (except for setback viscosity), thus inhibiting retrogradation and weakening pseudoplasticity, but enhanced the rheological properties, improving thickening and fluctuating viscoelasticity of the mixture. Moreover, salt addition decreased the hardness while increasing mixture cohesiveness, and modified the elasticity, adhesiveness and internal microstructure in a salt type-and concentration-dependent manner. A salt solution concentration of 0.5 mol/L NaCl, 0.1 mol/L KCl, and 0.5 mol/L CaCl 2 led to the mixture with the best texture and gel network.

Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters) participate in various plant growth and abiotic stress responses. In the present study, 131 ABC genes in barley were systematically identified using bioinformatics. Based on the classification method of the family in rice, these members were classified into eight subfamilies (ABCA–ABCG, ABCI). The conserved domain, amino acid composition, physicochemical properties, chromosome distribution, and tissue expression of these genes were predicted and analyzed. The results showed that the characteristic motifs of the barley ABC genes were highly conserved and there were great diversities in the homology of the transmembrane domain, the number of exons, amino acid length, and the molecular weight, whereas the span of the isoelectric point was small. Tissue expression profile analysis suggested that ABC genes possess non-tissue specificity. Ultimately, 15 differentially expressed genes exhibited diverse expression responses to stress treatments including drought, cadmium, and salt stress, indicating that the ABCB and ABCG subfamilies function in the response to abiotic stress in barley.