sot_question
stringlengths 42
9.8k
| ds_name
stringclasses 8
values | pred_label
int64 0
2
| logits
sequencelengths 3
3
|
|---|---|---|---|
['The small G-protein ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (RAC1) plays various roles in mammalian cells, such as in the regulation of cytoskeletal organisation, cell adhesion, migration and morphological changes. The present study examines the effects of RAC1 ablation on pancreatic beta cell function.', 'Isolated islets from pancreatic beta cell-specific Rac1-knockout (betaRac1(-/-)) mice and RAC1 knockdown INS-1 insulinoma cells treated with small interfering RNA were used to investigate insulin secretion and cytoskeletal organisation in pancreatic beta cells.', 'BetaRac1(-/-) mice showed decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, while there were no apparent differences in islet morphology. Isolated islets from the mice had blunted insulin secretion in response to high glucose levels. In RAC1 knockdown INS-1 cells, insulin secretion was also decreased in response to high glucose levels, consistent with the phenotype of betaRac1(-/-) mice. Even under high glucose levels, RAC1 knockdown INS-1 cells remained intact with F-actin, which inhibits the recruitment of the insulin granules, resulting in an inhibition of insulin secretion.'] Does ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 ( RAC1 ) regulate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion via modulation of F-actin? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.5160233974456787,
-0.9818097949028015,
2.531463623046875
] |
['To investigate the effect of support and growth medium (GM) on Pleurotus ostreatus biofilm production, specific metabolic activity (SMA) and ultrastructure.', 'Biofilms were developed on membranes covering a broad range of surface properties and, due to the applicative implications of mixed biofilms, on standard bacterial GM in stationary and shaken culture. Hydrophilic (glass fibre, Duran glass and hydroxyapatite) and mild hydrophobic (polyurethane, stainless steel, polycarbonate, nylon) supports were more adequate for biofilm attachment than the hydrophobic Teflon. Among the GM, sucrose-asparagine (SA) was more conducive to biofilm production than Luria-Bertani and M9. GM was more influential than support type on biofilm ultrastructure, and a high compactness was evident in biofilms developed on SA. Biofilms on Duran glass were more efficient than planktonic cultures in olive-mill wastewater treatment.'] Are pleurotus ostreatus biofilm-forming ability and ultrastructure significantly influenced by growth medium and support type? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.8114287853240967,
-0.5469607710838318,
2.5177769660949707
] |
['Low-grade gliomas (LGGs) are rare brain neoplasms, with survival spanning up to a few decades. Thus, accurate evaluations on how biomarkers impact survival among patients with LGG require long-term studies on samples prospectively collected over a long period.', "The 210 adult LGGs collected in our databank were screened for IDH1 and IDH2 mutations (IDHmut), MGMT gene promoter methylation (MGMTmet), 1p/19q loss of heterozygosity (1p19qloh), and nuclear TP53 immunopositivity (TP53pos). Multivariate survival analyses with multiple imputation of missing data were performed using either histopathology or molecular markers. Both models were compared using Akaike's information criterion (AIC). The molecular model was reduced by stepwise model selection to filter out the most critical predictors. A third model was generated to assess for various marker combinations.", 'Molecular parameters were better survival predictors than histology (ΔAIC = 12.5, P< .001). Forty-five percent of studied patients died. MGMTmet was positively associated with IDHmut (P< .001). In the molecular model with marker combinations, IDHmut/MGMTmet combined status had a favorable impact on overall survival, compared with IDHwt (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.33, P< .01), and even more so the triple combination, IDHmut/MGMTmet/1p19qloh (HR = 0.18, P< .001). Furthermore, IDHmut/MGMTmet/TP53pos triple combination was a significant risk factor for malignant transformation (HR = 2.75, P< .05).'] Is iDH/MGMT-driven molecular classification of low-grade glioma a strong predictor for long-term survival? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.3644109964370728,
-1.7988214492797852,
2.1043262481689453
] |
['Lymph lymph node metastasis from melanoma ≤0.50 mm (ultrathin) is an infrequent event. However, because many newly diagnosed melanomas are ultrathin, a significant proportion of patients who present with lymph node disease have an ultrathin melanoma. The authors hypothesized that ultrathin melanomas that present with lymph node metastasis represent biologically aggressive lesions with a worse prognosis.', 'The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry data were queried to identify patients with cutaneous melanoma who presented with lymph node metastasis diagnosed between 1998 and 2008. Hazard ratios (HRs) from Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to compare disease-specific survival (DSS) between various tumor depths.', 'In total, 6134 patients with lymph node-positive melanoma were identified and stratified according to tumor depth, including 588 (10%) with a tumor depth ≤0.50 mm, 519 (8%) with a tumor depth from 0.51 to 1.00 mm, 1669 (27%) with a tumor depth from 1.01 to 2.00 mm, 1871 (31%) with a tumor depth from 2.01 to 4.00 mm, and 1487 (24%) with a tumor depth >4.00 mm; and the respective 5-year DSS rates were 63%, 76%, 75%, 60%, and 43%. Multivariable analysis confirmed a similar trend in HRs for DSS: The HR was 1.00 for a tumor depth ≤0.50 mm (reference category) and 0.64 (P < .001), 0.65 (P < .001), 0.95 (P = .57), and 1.42 (P < .001) for tumor depths of 0.51 to 1.00 mm, 1.01 to 2.00 mm, 2.01 to 4.00 mm, and >4.00 mm, respectively. This association of tumor depth with DSS persisted for N1 and N2 disease but not for N3 disease.'] Is ultrathin primary a marker for worse prognosis in lymph node-positive cutaneous melanoma? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.1423581838607788,
-1.772965669631958,
1.9194496870040894
] |
['Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an endogenous gaseotransmitter/modulator, is becoming appreciated that it may be involved in a wide variety of processes including inflammation and nociception. However, the role and mechanism for H2S in nociceptive processing in trigeminal ganglion (TG) neuron remains unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate distribution of endogenous H2S synthesizing enzyme cystathionine-β-synthetase (CBS) expression and role of H2S on excitability and voltage-gated potassium channels of TG neurons.', 'Immunofluorescence studies were carried out to determine whether CBS was co-expressed in Kv1.1 or Kv1.4-positive TG neurons. Whole cell patch clamp recordings were employed on acutely isolated TG neurons from adult male Sprague Dawley rats (6-8\u2009week old). von Frey filaments were used to examine the pain behavioral responses in rats following injection of sodium hydrosulfide.', 'In rat TG, 77.3±6.6% neurons were immunoreactive for CBS, 85.1±3.8% for Kv1.1 and 97.8±1.1% for Kv1.4. Double staining showed that all CBS labeled cells were Kv1.1 and Kv1.4 positive, but only 92.2±6.1% of Kv1.1 and 78.2±9.9% of Kv1.4 positive cells contained CBS. Application of H2S donor NaHS (250\u2009μM) led to a significant depolarization of resting membrane potential recorded from TG neurons. NaHS application also resulted in a dramatic reduction in rheobase, hyperpolarization of action potential threshold, and a significant increase in the number of action potentials evoked at 2X and 3X rheobase stimulation. Under voltage-clamp conditions, TG neurons exhibited transient A-type (IA) and sustained outward rectifier K+ currents (IK). Application of NaHS did suppress IK density while did not change IA density of TG neurons (n=6). Furthermore, NaHS, a donor of hydrogen sulfide, produced a significant reduction in escape threshold in a dose dependent manner.'] Does hydrogen sulfide increase excitability through suppression of sustained potassium channel currents of rat trigeminal ganglion neurons? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.0924344062805176,
-1.4880801439285278,
2.5727739334106445
] |
["The purpose of this study was to examine repeated measures of fine motor function in relation to self-assessed motor conditions in Parkinson's disease (PD).", "One-hundred PD patients, 65 with advanced PD and 35 patients with different disease stages have utilized a test battery in a telemedicine setting. On each test occasion, they initially self-assessed their motor condition (from 'very off' to 'very dyskinetic') and then performed a set of fine motor tests (tapping and spiral drawings).", 'The motor tests scores were found to be the best during self-rated On. Self-rated dyskinesias caused more impaired spiral drawing performance (mean\xa0=\xa09.8% worse, P\xa0<\xa00.001) but at the same time tapping speed was faster (mean\xa0=\xa05.0% increase, P\xa0<\xa00.001), compared to scores in self-rated Off.'] Is spiral drawing during self-rated dyskinesia more impaired than during self-rated Off? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 0 | [
0.5821409821510315,
-1.411782145500183,
-0.041169628500938416
] |
['The aim of this study was to define TAC1 and TACR1 methylation profiles for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumors at diagnosis and follow-up and to evaluate their prognostic significance and value as a biomarker of recurrence.', 'TAC1 and TACR1 expression was measured in a panel of cell lines by quantitative RT-PCR. The TAC1 and TACR1 promoter methylation status was determined by quantitative methylation-specific PCR.', 'Methylation was associated with TAC1 and TACR1 transcription inhibition. TAC1 methylation in 49/100 (49 %) of HNSCC tumor specimens significantly correlated with p16 methylation (P = 0.010), E-cadherin methylation (P = 0.041), galanin methylation (P = 0.037), and disease-free survival (P = 0.002). Stage III and IV patients manifesting TAC1 hypermethylation had significantly shorter survivals than did patients without TAC1 methylation (P = 0.022). TACR1 methylation in 34/100 (34 %) cases was significantly correlated with galanin methylation (P = 0.014) and GALR1 methylation (P = 0.004). TAC1 promoter hypermethylation was statistically correlated with reduced disease-free survival (log-rank test, P = 0.002). In multivariate logistic-regression analysis, methylation of TAC1 and of the gene pair TAC1 and TACR1 was associated with an odds ratio for recurrence of 3.35 (95 % CI, 1.37-8.19; P = 0.008) and 5.09 (95 % CI, 1.44-18.02; P = 0.011), respectively.'] Is frequent promoter hypermethylation of tachykinin-1 and tachykinin receptor type 1 a potential biomarker for head and neck cancer? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.016329765319824,
-1.555411458015442,
2.587864875793457
] |
['Affective symptoms have adverse effects in hospital and long-term cardiac outcomes of post Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients. This study aims to identify personality traits and maladaptive coping strategies that could predict affective symptoms in early post-ACS patients.', 'Seventy patients undergoing revascularization procedures were examined within a week after their admission by means of the Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale. Personality was analyzed through the Type D Personality Scale and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situation. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors of anxiety and depressed mood.', 'A high rate of depressive and anxious symptoms was found and 76% of patients resulted Type D personality. Depression was associated with b-blocker therapy, Type D personality, and specific coping strategies. Unmarried status, low education, unstable angina, Type D personality, emotion, and avoidance oriented coping independently predicted anxiety.'] Do specific personality traits and coping styles predict affective symptoms in early post acute coronary syndrome inpatients? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.5356462001800537,
0.0989915132522583,
1.5550129413604736
] |
['Cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) are important metastasis promoters. This study has investigated the functional significance of the increased circulation of galectin-3, a common feature in patients with cancer and in particular those with metastasis, on cytokine secretion from the blood vascular endothelium in cancer.', 'The effects of galectin-3 on secretion of cytokines from human microvascular lung endothelial cells were assessed in vitro by cytokine array and in vivo in mice. The consequences of galectin-3-induced cytokine secretion on endothelial cell behaviors were determined, and the relationship between the levels of circulating galectin-3 and cytokines in patients with colorectal cancer with and without metastasis was investigated.', 'Galectin-3 at pathologic concentrations found in patients with cancer induces secretion of IL-6, G-CSF, sICAM-1, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor from blood vascular endothelial cells in vitro and in mice. These cytokines autocrinely/paracrinely interact with the vascular endothelium to increase the expressions of endothelial cell surface adhesion molecules integrinα(v)β(1), E-selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1, resulting in increased cancer cell-endothelial adhesion and increased endothelial cell migration and tubule formation. In patients with metastatic colon cancer, higher serum galectin-3 levels correlated significantly with increased serum G-CSF, IL-6, and sICAM1 concentrations.'] Does increased circulation of galectin-3 in cancer induce secretion of metastasis-promoting cytokines from blood vascular endothelium? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.4951374530792236,
-1.2546175718307495,
2.7503814697265625
] |
['According to current guidelines, skin testing for hymenoptera venom allergy should be performed in a stepwise manner, maintaining 15- to 20-min intervals between the injections of venom. Given the long-winded procedure of sequential skin testing, we retrospectively explored the safety of simultaneous intradermal testing.', 'Four hundred and seventy-eight consecutive patients with a convincing history of an anaphylactic reaction after a hymenoptera sting were tested. All venom concentrations (0.02\xa0ml of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0\xa0μg/ml of honey bee and wasp venom) were administered simultaneously to the skin.', 'Four hundred and seventy-two (98.7%) patients tolerated the simultaneous intradermal test without any side-effects. Only three subjects (0.6%) had a presumed allergic reaction during the test; another three reactions were considered vasovagal.'] Is simultaneous intradermal testing with hymenoptera venoms safe and more efficient than sequential testing? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.2682578563690186,
-1.1881134510040283,
1.5289626121520996
] |
["Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, with knee osteoarthritis being the leading cause of lower extremity disability among older adults in the US. There are no treatments available to prevent the structural pathology of osteoarthritis. Because of vitamin K's role in regulating skeletal mineralization, it has potential to be a preventative option for osteoarthritis. We therefore examined the relation of vitamin K to new-onset radiographic knee osteoarthritis and early osteoarthritis changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).", 'Subjects from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) Study had knee radiographs and MRI scans obtained at baseline and 30 months later, and plasma phylloquinone (vitamin K) measured at baseline. We examined the relationship of subclinical vitamin K deficiency to incident radiographic knee osteoarthritis and MRI-based cartilage lesions and osteophytes, respectively, using log binomial regression with generalized estimating equations, adjusting for potential confounders.', 'Among 1180 participants (62% women, mean age 62±8 years, mean body mass index 30.1±5.1 kg/m(2)), subclinical vitamin K deficiency was associated with incident radiographic knee osteoarthritis (risk ratio [RR] 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.25) and cartilage lesions (RR 2.39; 95% CI, 1.05-5.40) compared with no deficiency, but not with osteophytes (RR 2.35; 95% CI, 0.54-10.13). Subclinically vitamin K-deficient subjects were more likely to develop osteoarthritis in one or both knees than neither knee (RR 1.33; 95% CI, 1.01-1.75 and RR 2.12; 95% CI, 1.06-4.24, respectively).'] Is vitamin K deficiency associated with incident knee osteoarthritis? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.7251054048538208,
-1.4740359783172607,
2.207429885864258
] |
['Overweight and obesity are associated with a dyslipidaemia which can be improved by weight loss. Whether genetic predisposition to an adverse lipid profile modifies such beneficial effects of weight loss on lipid levels in overweight and obese individuals was examined.', 'White European participants (n = 374) who completed a 12-month weight loss trial were genotyped for 36 lipid-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), previously identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Genetic predisposition scores (GPSs) were calculated for four lipid traits by summing the number of risk alleles (RA) for each participant. The associations of each GPS with four lipid traits were assessed at baseline, and with lipid changes in response to weight change after 12 months.', 'At baseline, the trait-specific GPSs were associated with 0.11 ± 0.04 mM higher total cholesterol/RA (P = 0.004), 0.05 ± 0.02 mM higher low density lipoprotein cholesterol/RA (P = 0.005), 0.03 ± 0.007 mM lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol/RA (P = 0.00002) and 0.04 ± 0.01 mM higher triglyceride/RA (P = 0.00002). After the intervention, weight loss was associated with improvements in all lipids (P < 0.01). GPS attenuated the weight loss-associated reduction in TC so those with a higher GPS had less improvement (interaction = 0.01 ± 0.005 mM/GPS/kg weight loss, P = 0.003). A similar pattern was observed for LDLC (interaction = 0.004 ± 0.002 mM/GPS/kg weight loss, P = 0.07). There was no evidence of a GPS-modifying effect for change in HDLC or TG.'] Does genetic predisposition to an adverse lipid profile limit the improvement in total cholesterol in response to weight loss? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.3564037084579468,
-1.612518548965454,
1.9773308038711548
] |
['CD73 converts extracellular AMP to adenosine which is well known to inhibit lipolysis. It is unknown, however, whether adenosine formed directly by CD73 is functionally relevant in this process.', 'We therefore explored the effect of CD73-derived adenosine on body fat of aged mice.', 'In lean mice, extracellular adenosine formation by adipocytes is dependent on CD73. High fat diet down-regulates the expression of CD73 in wildtype mice similar to ob/ob mice. Transgenic mice chronically lacking CD73 (CD73(-/-)) gain significantly less body weight and show decreased superficial white fat content as well as increased serum free fatty acids and triglycerides. In addition, intramyocellular lipid levels are significantly increased. This phenotype is accompanied by an increase in blood glucose and serum insulin levels although insulin secretion and the level of insulin degrading enzyme are unaltered. Additionally, insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation is reduced in skeletal muscle of CD73(-/-) mice.'] Does deletion of CD73 promote dyslipidemia and intramyocellular lipid accumulation in muscle of mice? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.4746789932250977,
-1.1025809049606323,
2.5681633949279785
] |
['The impact of obesity on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) outcome remains controversial and has been considered a relative contraindication for the procedure. We investigated the influence of Body Mass Index (BMI) on the clinical course of adults undergoing an ambulatory HSCT after a non-myeloablative conditioning regimen.', 'Adults with hematologic diseases undergoing an autologous or allogeneic HSCT after reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) and supported exclusively with enteral nutrition (EN) were studied. BMI and body fat were sequentially determined. Patients were divided into three BMI subgroups: underweight; normal, and overweight/obese.', 'Seventy-seven patients with a median follow-up of 21months were evaluated. Fourteen (18.2%) were underweight, 21 (27.3%) had a normal weight, and 42 (54.5%) were overweight/obese. A significant weight loss was observed among all three weight groups after HSCT (P=0.014). No correlation was found between time to engraftment and BMI (P=0.91), serum albumin (P=0.387), and fasting glucose (P=0.64), nor between BMI and acute (P=0.456) or chronic (P=0.209) graft versus host disease (GVHD). On multivariate analysis a higher overall survival (OS) was documented for obese patients (P=0.037).'] Is obesity associated with higher overall survival in patients undergoing an outpatient reduced-intensity conditioning hematopoietic stem cell transplant? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.148573160171509,
-1.3202306032180786,
2.5098209381103516
] |
['The association between past stroke subtypes and recurrent stroke subtypes in non-cardiogenic stroke remains unknown.', 'Patients with ischaemic stroke who had a past history of large-artery disease (LAD) or small-artery disease (SAD) subtypes were assessed. LAD was subdivided into intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) and extracranial atherosclerosis (ECAS). LAD stroke mechanisms were categorized as artery-to-artery embolism, in situ thrombotic occlusion and local branch occlusion, while SAD was subdivided into lacunar infarction (LI) and branch atheromatous disease (BAD) on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging findings. The relationship between past and current strokes was analyzed.', 'Among the 202 patients enrolled, the LAD group (n\u2005=\u2005111) had 64 and 47 patients with ICAS and ECAS, and the SAD group (n\u2005=\u200591) had 63 and 28 patients with LI and BAD, respectively, at the time of past stroke. Patients with LAD developed LAD-associated strokes most often (n\u2005=\u200599, 89.2%), and patients with SAD developed SAD most often (n\u2005=\u200569, 75.8%; P\u2005<\u20050.001). Patients with ICAS were more likely to develop ICAS later (n\u2005=\u200546, 79.3%), whereas those with ECAS developed ECAS more often (n\u2005=\u200531, 75.6%; P\u2005<\u20050.001). Patients with ICAS presenting with artery-to-artery embolism more often developed artery-to-artery embolism later (n\u2005=\u200526, 72.2%), whereas those with local branch occlusion developed recurrent local branch occlusion most often (n\u2005=\u200510, 66.7%, P\u2005=\u20050.005). In the SAD group, patients with BAD developed LAD more frequently than the LI group (n\u2005=\u200511, 39.3% vs. n\u2005=\u20059, 14.3%, P\u2005=\u20050.022).'] Are stroke recurrence patterns predicted by the subtypes and mechanisms of the past , non-cardiogenic stroke? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.0630446672439575,
-1.6495134830474854,
1.5897148847579956
] |
['Direct in vivo MRI of dental hard tissues by applying ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI techniques has recently been reported. The objective of the presented study is to clinically evaluate the applicability of UTE MRI for the identification of caries lesions.', '40 randomly selected patients (mean age 41 ± 15 years) were enrolled in this study. 39 patients underwent a conventional clinical assessment, dental bitewing X-ray and a dental MRI investigation comprising a conventional turbo-spin echo (TSE) and a dedicated UTE scan. One patient had to be excluded owing to claustrophobia. In four patients, the clinical treatment of the lesions was documented by intraoral pictures, and the resulting volume of the cavity after excavation was documented by dental imprints and compared with the MRI findings.', 'In total, 161 lesions were identified. 157 (97%) were visible in the UTE images, 27 (17%) in the conventional TSE images and 137 (85%) in the X-ray images. In total, 14 teeth could not be analysed by MR owing to artefacts caused by dental fillings. All lesions appear significantly larger in the UTE images as compared with the X-ray and TSE images. In situ measurements confirm the accuracy of the lesion dimensions as observed in the UTE images.'] Do ultrashort echo time ( UTE ) MRI for the assessment of caries lesions? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.813517689704895,
-1.2188451290130615,
2.1208138465881348
] |
['Hypothyroidism is a chronic condition of endocrine disorder and its precise molecular mechanism remains obscure. In spite of certain efficacy of thyroid hormone replacement therapy in treating hypothyroidism, it often results in other side effects because of its over-replacement, so it is still urgent to discover new modes of treatment for hypothyroidism. Sini decoction (SND) is a well-known formula of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is considered as efficient agents against hypothyroidism. However, its holistic effect assessment and mechanistic understanding are still lacking due to its complex components.', 'A urinary metabonomic method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was employed to explore global metabolic characters of hypothyroidism. Three typical hypothyroidism models (methimazole-, propylthiouracil- and thyroidectomy-induced hypothyroidism) were applied to elucidate the molecular mechanism of hypothyroidism. 17, 21, 19 potential biomarkers were identified with these three hypothyroidism models respectively, primarily involved in energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism and purine metabolism. In order to avert the interference of drug interaction between the antithyroid drugs and SND, the thyroidectomy-induced hypothyroidism model was further used to systematically assess the therapeutic efficacy of SND on hypothyroidism. A time-dependent recovery tendency was observed in SND-treated group from the beginning of model to the end of treatment, suggesting that SND exerted a recovery effect on hypothyroidism in a time-dependent manner through partially regulating the perturbed metabolic pathways.'] Does metabolic profiling provide a system understanding of hypothyroidism in rats and its application? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.5323712825775146,
-1.2740411758422852,
2.874480962753296
] |
['Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality among older people. We have studied whether its prevalence can be reduced by a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA).', '1000 randomly-selected persons aged ≥75 years were divided into intervention (n = 500) and control groups (n = 500). We focused on those subjects in whom an orthostatic blood pressure test had been performed at least once during the study period (2004-2007) (n = 365 and 332 for intervention and control groups, respectively). A CGA, including evaluation of the adequacy of the medication, was performed annually in the intervention group but not in the control group. We conducted Markov models to study change in the OH profiles and the effect of CGA on it. Competing risk of mortality was modeled as an absorbing state to avoid attrition bias.', 'Over 3 years, the prevalence of OH decreased (35.0% → 28.0%) in the intervention group, whereas its prevalence increased in the control group (32.8% → 40.8%). By Markov models it was shown that CGA had a statistically significant effect on recovering from OH. In addition, CGA was shown to protect from developing OH.'] Does comprehensive geriatric assessment decrease prevalence of orthostatic hypotension in older persons? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.239707112312317,
-1.11769700050354,
1.4387943744659424
] |
['Steatosis is an increasingly common problem worldwide, accompanying increasing obesity. Recently, it has been suggested that oxidative stress plays an important role in development of fatty liver disease. We carried out an epidemiological study to clarify the role of oxidative stress and antioxidative activity in steatosis.', 'This study was conducted with 184 male workers who had received their annual health checkup. Steatosis was confirmed using ultrasonography. Oxidative stress and antioxidative activity were assessed using the dROM test and the BAP test, respectively.', 'Steatosis was confirmed in 59 subjects (29.7%) by ultrasonography. There was no significant difference between cases and controls in BAP levels (2229.0 μmol/L vs. 2194.3μmol/L, p = 0.83). The steatosis group showed significantly lower dROM levels than the control group (332.7 U. CARR vs. 316.8 U. CARR, p < 0.05). In addition, we carried out logistic regression analysis to assess the combination between dROM levels and BAP levels. Subjects with high dROM levels and high BAP levels had 74% lower risk for steatosis than subjects with low dROM levels and high BAP levels.'] Are moderate oxidative stress and high antioxidative activity associated with steatosis in Japanese males? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.7716153860092163,
-1.1819181442260742,
1.9212236404418945
] |
['Deep oceans have been suggested as a possible site where the origin of life occurred. Along with this theoretical lineage, experiments using components from deep ocean water to recreate life is underway. Here, we propose that if terrestrial organisms indeed evolved from deep oceans, supply of deep ocean mineral water (DOM) to humans, as a land creature, may replenish loss of molecular complexity associated with evolutionary sea-to-land migration.', 'We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover human study to evaluate the effect of DOM, taken from a depth of 662 meters off the coast of Hualien, Taiwan, on time of recovery from a fatiguing exercise conducted at 30°C.', 'The fatiguing exercise protocol caused a protracted reduction in aerobic power (reduced VO2max) for 48 h. However, DOM supplementation resulted in complete recovery of aerobic power within 4 h (P\u2009<\u20090.05). Muscle power was also elevated above placebo levels within 24 h of recovery (P\u2009<\u20090.05). Increased circulating creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin, indicatives of exercise-induced muscle damage, were completely eliminated by DOM (P\u2009<\u20090.05) in parallel with attenuated oxidative damage (P\u2009<\u20090.05).'] Does deep ocean mineral water accelerate recovery from physical fatigue? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.365086793899536,
-0.8135768175125122,
2.1887056827545166
] |
['This study aimed to determine if preoperative time course changes in serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels can predict clinical outcome of surgical intervention for active infective endocarditis.', 'Surgically treated patients (n = 109) with active infective endocarditis were reviewed retrospectively. We divided the patients into 2 subgroups according to preoperative transition of increasing or decreasing serum CRP levels, and performed a comparative study. The increasing CRP group included 29 patients and the decreasing CRP group included 80 patients.', 'There were more patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and New York Heart Association functional class IV in the increasing CRP group. Hospital mortality was significantly higher in the increasing CRP group (34.5%) than that in the decreasing CRP group (5.0%) (p <0.05). In multivariate analysis, 3 significant risk factors of surgical outcome were identified: a tendency for increasing preoperative CRP levels (odds ratio [OR]: 18.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-320.78), nosocomial infective endocarditis (OR: 18.73, 95% CI: 1.57-223.60), and dialysis (OR: 1025.46, 95% CI: 2.89-363587.12).'] Does preoperative increasing C-reactive protein affect the outcome for active infective endocarditis? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.8925048112869263,
-1.3862097263336182,
2.3281776905059814
] |
['In Africa, data on Chlamydia trachomatis infection are scarce because reliable diagnosis is costly and not widely available. Our objective was to evaluate the incidence and correlates of C. trachomatis infection among high-risk Kenyan women.', 'We conducted prospective cohort analyses using data from a cohort of women who reported transactional sex. C. trachomatis testing was performed using the Gen-Probe Aptima GC/CT Detection System. We used Andersen-Gill proportional hazards modeling to evaluate correlates of C. trachomatis.', 'Between August 2006 and December 2010, 865 women contributed 2011 person-years of observation. Sixty-four women experienced 101 episodes of C. trachomatis infection (incidence rate, 5.0/100 person-years). There was a large difference in incidence by age group: those younger than 25 years had an incidence of 27.6 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.3-46.5), those 25 to 34 years old had an incidence of 8.4 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 6.4-11.0), and those 35 years and older had an incidence of 2.6 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 1.8-3.6). In multivariate analyses, younger age (<25 and 25-34 years vs. ≥35 years; hazard ratio [HR], 8.5 [95% CI, 4.1-17.7] and 2.9 [95% CI, 1.7-5.0], respectively), depot medroxyprogesterone acetate use (HR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-3.0), and recent Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection (HR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.5-7.4) were significantly associated with increased risk of acquiring C. trachomatis infection.'] Does incidence and correlate of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in a high-risk cohort of Kenyan women? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.6397373676300049,
-1.4823625087738037,
2.1350560188293457
] |
['Plasma alphafetoprotein (AFP) concentrations are high at birth and decline progressively to reach adult levels between eight and 24 months of age. AFP is an important tumour marker for hepatoblastoma but may also increase following hepatic resection. The liver and intestine have similar embryonic origins from endoderm, so we postulated that plasma AFP may also rise after extensive bowel resection.', 'AFP was measured postoperatively in plasma in four infants who had undergone resections of large amounts of intestine. AFP was measured twice in two babies and multiple times in the other two.', 'In three of the four infants, the AFP concentrations were markedly above the expected levels for age, and in all four babies, AFP concentrations rose when they may have been expected to fall.'] Is extensive bowel resection in infancy another cause of increasing plasma alphafetoprotein concentration? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.2666800022125244,
-0.8322170972824097,
2.112086772918701
] |
['Difference in phenotypes of sensory neurons innervating dental pulp or gingivomucosa may be responsible for intense pain sensations in pulpitis in contrast to relatively painless chronic periodontitis. Therefore, we classified these neurons according to their size and two neurochemical characteristics of nociceptors, their TrkA expression and isolectin IB4 binding.', 'In rats (n=6) fluorescent tracers Fluorogold and TrueBlue were simultaneously applied into the standard-sized tooth cavity and nearby gingival sulcus, respectively. After the fluorescence on paraffin trigeminal ganglia (TG) sections was identified and photographed, immunohistochemistry for TrkA expression and IB4 binding was performed on the same sections.', 'The average sizes of TG neurons projecting to the gingivomucosa and dental pulp were 894±441μm(2) and 1012±381μm(2), respectively. The proportions of small-sized gingival and pulpal neurons were 14% and 5%, respectively (p<0.05). The proportions of TrkA-positive neurons among all gingival or pulpal neurons were 76% and 86%, respectively (p<0.05). Among all gingival or pulpal neurons the proportions of IB4-positive neurons were 46% and 3% (p<0.001), respectively, and the majority of them were small-medium sized.'] Are dental pulp and gingivomucosa in rats innervated by two morphologically and neurochemically different populations of nociceptors? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.7362345457077026,
-1.4255084991455078,
2.15488862991333
] |
["MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding regulatory RNAs that control gene expression usually producing translational repression and gene silencing. High-throughput sequencing technologies have revealed heterogeneity at length and sequence level for the majority of mature miRNAs (IsomiRs). Most isomiRs can be explained by variability in either Dicer1 or Drosha cleavage during miRNA biogenesis at 5' or 3' of the miRNA (trimming variants). Although isomiRs have been described in different tissues and organisms, their functional validation as modulators of gene expression remains elusive. Here we have characterized the expression and function of a highly abundant miR-101 5'-trimming variant (5'-isomiR-101).", "The analysis of small RNA sequencing data in several human tissues and cell lines indicates that 5'-isomiR-101 is ubiquitously detected and a highly abundant, especially in the brain. 5'-isomiR-101 was found in Ago-2 immunocomplexes and complementary approaches showed that 5'-isomiR-101 interacted with different members of the silencing (RISC) complex. In addition, 5'-isomiR-101 decreased the expression of five validated miR-101 targets, suggesting that it is a functional variant. Both the binding to RISC members and the degree of silencing were less efficient for 5'-isomiR-101 compared with miR-101. For some targets, both miR-101 and 5'-isomiR-101 significantly decreased protein expression with no changes in the respective mRNA levels. Although a high number of overlapping predicted targets suggest similar targeted biological pathways, a correlation analysis of the expression profiles of miR-101 variants and predicted mRNA targets in human brains at different ages, suggest specific functions for miR-101- and 5'-isomiR-101."] Is a highly expressed miR-101 isomiR a functional silencing small RNA? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.8399511575698853,
-1.076208472251892,
1.9394066333770752
] |
['Plant parasitism represents an extraordinary interaction among flowering plants: parasitic plants use a specialized organ, the haustorium, to invade the host vascular system to deprive host plants of water and nutrients. Various compounds present in exudates of host plants trigger haustorium development. The two most effective haustorium inducing factors (HIFs) known for the parasitic plant Triphysaria versicolor (T. versicolor) are peonidin, an antioxidant flavonoid, and 2,6-dimethoxybenzoquinone (DMBQ), an oxidative stress agent. To date, two genes involved in haustorium initiation in T. versicolor have been identified: TvQR1, a quinone oxidoreductase that generates the active HIF from DMBQ, and TvPirin, a transcription co-factor that regulates several other DMBQ- responsive and -non-responsive genes. While the expression of these genes in response to DMBQ is well characterized, their expression in response to peonidin is not. In addition, the pattern of polymorphisms in these genes is unknown, even though nucleotide changes in TvQR1 and TvPirin may have contributed to the ability of T. versicolor to develop haustoria. To gain insights into these aspects, we investigated their transcriptional responses to HIFs and non-HIF and their natural nucleotide diversity.', 'Here we show that TvQR1 and TvPirin are transcriptionally upregulated by both DMBQ and peonidin in T. versicolor roots. Yet, while TvQR1 also responded to juglone, a non-HIF quinone with toxicity comparable to that of DMBQ, TvPirin did not. We further demonstrate that TvPirin encodes a protein shorter than the one previously reported. In the T. versicolor natural population of Northern California, TvQR1 exhibited remarkably higher molecular diversity and more recombination events than TvPirin, with the highest non-synonymous substitution rate in the substrate recognition and catalytic domain of the TvQR1 protein.'] Do the differentially regulated genes TvQR1 and TvPirin of the parasitic plant Triphysaria exhibit distinctive natural allelic diversity? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.6012675762176514,
-0.8187164068222046,
2.4879062175750732
] |
['In endometrial carcinoma, myometrial invasion is a well known predictor of recurrence, and important in the decision making for adjuvant treatment. According to the FIGO staging system, myometrial invasion is expressed as invasion of <50%> of the myometrium (50%MI). It has been suggested to use the absolute depth of invasion (DOI), or the tumor free distance to the serosa (TFD). The aim of this study was to compare DOI, 50%MI, and TFD.', 'All patients diagnosed with endometrioid endometrial carcinoma at the RUNMC, and the CWH from 1999 to 2009 were included. Histologic slides were reviewed for histologic type and grade, DOI, 50%MI, and TFD. After review, 335 patients were identified. DOI, 50%MI, and TFD were evaluated for their prediction of clinicopathologic characteristics.', 'The prediction of recurrence was best performed by DOI when compared to TFD, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.726, and 0.638 respectively. The optimal cut-off value for DOI was 4mm. DOI independently correlated with recurrence of disease, and death of disease. TFD was associated with advanced age and large tumor diameter. DOI was the best predictor of progression-free and disease-specific survival next to 50%MI and TFD (HR 3.15, 95%CI 1.16-8.56) and (HR 10.35, 95%CI 1.23-86.93).'] Is absolute depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer superior to the currently used cut-off value of 50 %? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.0717467069625854,
-1.833559274673462,
1.8617255687713623
] |
['Despite early diagnosis of prostate cancer, seminal vesicle invasion is still a common clinical scenario nowadays. The objective of this study is to evaluate clinical and pathological prognostic factors in that subgroup of patients.', 'After approval of our Ethical Committee, we selected all pT3b prostate cancer patients operated between 1987 and 2010. Neoadjuvant treatment patients were excluded. The biochemical free survival periods BFS and the period free of complementary treatment were calculated with the Kaplan Meier method. Cox regression model was used to select those variables associated with biochemical failure and the need for complementary treatment. We considered complementary treatment when radiotherapy or hormone therapy in an adjuvant or salvage scheme was required.', '101 patients were selected from 1470 procedures. Among these, 28 patients died (27,7%), 18 due to tumor, and 74 showed biochemical relapse (73,3%). The median follow up was of 4 years and 4 months. The five years BFS was 30.2% (IC 95%: 20.2-40.1), whereas the 5 year period free of complementary treatment was 16.9% (IC 95%: 8.1-25.8%). In the multivariate analysis, margin status (R) was independently and significantly associated with biochemical relapse and the need for complementary treatment. Likewise, the preoperative PSA was associated to biochemical relapse and N1 tumours were clearly associated to complementary treatment.'] Is margin status a very important prognostic factor for patients with pT3b prostate cancer? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.3400719165802,
-1.3258427381515503,
2.757039785385132
] |
['Previous studies have indicated that the antimicrobial efficacy of endodontic irrigants may be diminished in the presence of patient tissues and fluids. With Streptococcus gordonii as a model microorganism, we used a genetic approach to investigate the hypothesis that bacterial surface proteins with collagen-binding abilities may function to protect biofilm cells from antiseptics commonly used in root canal treatment.', 'S. gordonii strain DL1 or isogenic mutant strains with deletions of genes encoding collagen-binding surface proteins were grown in microtiter plates to form 8-hour biofilms. Planktonic cells were aspirated, and the remaining biofilm cells were buffer-washed and then incubated with either pH-adjusted buffer or potentially protective solutions of type I collagen, serum, or saliva. Biofilms were rewashed, pulsed with sodium hypochlorite, chlorhexidine digluconate, or BioPure MTAD, and then rewashed. Fresh medium was added, and survivor cell growth was monitored for 24 hours.', 'Buffer-treated biofilm cells of all 3 strains were similarly killed by sodium hypochlorite, chlorhexidine digluconate, and MTAD. Collagen, serum, and saliva significantly protected strain DL1 from all 3 antiseptics compared with buffer-treated cells (P ≤ .0004). However, preincubation with collagen, serum, or saliva left both mutant strain biofilms significantly more susceptible to all 3 antiseptics than were respectively treated strain DL1 biofilms (P ≤ .005).'] Do collagen-binding streptococcal surface proteins influence the susceptibility of biofilm cells to endodontic antimicrobial solutions? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.3824846744537354,
-1.384136438369751,
2.829333782196045
] |
['CD44 is a transmembrane glycoprotein with various biological functions. Histologic studies have shown that CD44 is strongly expressed in odontoblasts at the appositional stage of tooth development. We investigated whether CD44 is involved in the mineralization of dental pulp cells.', 'Ten human third molars with incomplete root formation were collected and processed for immunohistochemistry of CD44. Dental pulp cells isolated from another 5 human third molars were assayed for their viability, alkaline phosphatase activity, and alizarin red staining in vitro after silencing stably their expression of CD44 by using the short hairpin RNA technique. The CD44 knockdown cells were cultured on a collagen sponge and transplanted subcutaneously into the dorsal surfaces of immunocompromised mice. After 6 weeks, the subcutaneous tissues were processed for alizarin red staining and immunohistochemistry of human specific antigen. The dental pulp cells transduced with control short hairpin RNA were used as the control in all assays.', 'CD44 is expressed in odontogenic cells with active mineral deposition during tooth development. Odontoblasts in the root ends of immature teeth express a stronger CD44 signal compared with those in the crown portion. When CD44 expression was stably suppressed in dental pulp cells, their mineralization activities were substantially decreased in both in vitro and in vivo assays.'] Is cD44 involved in mineralization of dental pulp cells? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.486579179763794,
-1.1547154188156128,
2.7160656452178955
] |
['Dental pulp functions include pulp cell activity involvement in dentin formation. In this study we investigated the age-related changes in dental pulp cells that may influence pulp cell activity for restoring pulp function.', 'Human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) were serially subcultured until spontaneously arrested. Altered expression of chronic inflammatory molecules and age-related molecules were determined by Western blotting. Odontogenic functions impaired by senescence were assayed by Western blotting, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, alkaline phosphatase activity, and alizarin red S staining. To understand the mechanism of aging process by stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS), the cells were treated with H(2)O(2). Replicative senescence and SIPS were also compared.', 'Replicative senescence of HDPCs was characterized by senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and reactive oxygen species formation. These cells exhibited altered expression of chronic inflammatory molecules such as intracellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma, and heme oxygenase-1 and age-related molecules such as p53, p21, phosphorylated-extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and c-myb. SIPS cell results were similar to replicative senescence. Furthermore, HDPCs decreased odontogenic markers such as dentin sialophosphoprotein and dentin matrix-1 and osteogenic markers such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 and -7, runt-related transcription factor-2, osteopontin, alkaline phosphatase activity, and mineralized nodule formation by replicative senescence and SIPS.'] Does aging of in vitro pulp illustrate change of inflammation and dentinogenesis? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.5627005100250244,
-1.1870160102844238,
2.8150129318237305
] |
['To assess the relation between retinal vascular caliber and renal function.', 'Eighty apparently healthy subjects screened for cardiovascular risk factors (mean age 47 years, 51% female, 36% hypertensive, without diabetes or renal dysfunction) were recruited. Retinal vascular calibers were measured from fundus photographs and expressed as central retinal artery and venular equivalent. Renal function was assessed by measurement of glomerular filtration rate (urinary clearance of 99mTc-DTPA) and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio.', 'Mean glomerular filtration rate was 117 ml/min/1.73m(2). Overall, central retinal artery and venular equivalent were positively correlated with glomerular filtration rate (r = +0.31, p = 0.005 and r = +0.30, p = 0.006, respectively). In addition, central retinal artery equivalent was negatively correlated with urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (r = -0.34, p = 0.002). No significant relationship was found between central retinal venular equivalent and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (r = +0.12, p = 0.32). The observed relations between retinal vascular calibers and renal function parameters remained significant after adjusting for potential confounding factors.'] Is retinal vascular caliber associated with renal function in apparently healthy subjects? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.8704479932785034,
-1.3033338785171509,
2.260028600692749
] |
['Dextromethorphan (DXM), a commonly used antitussive, is a dextrorotatory morphinan. Here, we report that DXM inhibits the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption by abrogating the activation of NF-κB signalling in vitro. Oral administration of DXM ameliorates ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis in vivo.', 'DXM was reported to possess anti-inflammatory properties through inhibition of the release of pro-inflammatory factors. However, the potential role and action mechanism of DXM on osteoclasts and osteoblasts remain unclear. In this study, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed to investigate the potential effects of DXM on osteoclastogenesis and OVX-induced bone loss.', 'Osteoclastogenesis was examined by the TRAP staining, pit resorption, TNF-α release, and CCR2 and CALCR gene expression. Osteoblast differentiation was analyzed by calcium deposition. Osteogenic and adipogenic genes were measured by real-time PCR. Signaling pathways were explored using Western blot. ICR mice were used in an OVX-induced osteoporosis model. Tibiae were measured by µCT and serum markers were examined with ELISA kits.', 'DXM inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. DXM mainly inhibited osteoclastogenesis via abrogation of IKK-IκBα-NF-κB pathways. However, a higher dosage of DXM antagonized the differentiation of osteoblasts via the inhibition of osteogenic signals and increase of adipogenic signals. Oral administration of DXM (20 mg/kg/day) partially reduced trabecular bone loss in ovariectomized mice.'] Does dextromethorphan inhibit osteoclast differentiation by suppressing RANKL-induced nuclear factor-κB activation? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.363546133041382,
-1.4001259803771973,
2.805633783340454
] |
['Deciphering the molecular and cellular processes that govern macrophage foam cell formation is critical to understanding the basic mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis and other vascular pathologies.', 'Here, we identify a pivotal role of plasminogen (Plg) in regulating foam cell formation. Deficiency of Plg inhibited macrophage cholesterol accumulation on exposure to hyperlipidemic conditions in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. Gene expression analysis identified CD36 as a regulated target of Plg, and macrophages from Plg(-/-) mice had decreased CD36 expression and diminished foam cell formation. The Plg-dependent CD36 expression and foam cell formation depended on conversion of Plg to plasmin, binding to the macrophage surface, and the consequent intracellular signaling that leads to production of leukotriene B4. Leukotriene B4 rescued the suppression of CD36 expression and foam cell formation arising from Plg deficiency.'] Are macrophage gene expression and foam cell formation regulated by plasminogen? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.647416591644287,
-0.883476972579956,
2.6057496070861816
] |
['Endovascular repair is associated with better 30-day outcomes than open surgical repair for patients with infrarenal aortic aneurysms. In patients with complex aortic aneurysms (CAAs) requiring suprarenal or supravisceral aortic cross-clamping during open repair, few data exist directly comparing the real-world outcomes of open repair versus endovascular repair with fenestrated-branched stent grafts (FEVAR).', 'Outcomes for patients who underwent elective CAA repair using open repair and FEVAR between 2005 and 2010 were analyzed using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. CAA was defined as aneurysm of the aorta involving the visceral and/or renal arteries.', 'This study compared 1091 patients who underwent open repair (group A: male, 71.5%; age, 71 ± 9 years) with 264 patients treated with FEVAR (group B: male, 82.2%; age, 74 ± 9 years). The 2 groups did not significantly differ with respect to American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification (ASA III/IV: A, 93%; B, 95%, P = 0.6), severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (A: 21%; B: 22%; P = 0.7), prior cardiac surgery (A: 24%; B: 20%; P = 0.19), or preoperative renal function (glomerular filtration rate: A: 69 ± 2; B: 70 ± 27; P = 0.535). Group A had significantly higher risk of any complication (A: 42%; B: 19%; P < 0.001), nonsurgical complications (A: 30%; B: 8%; P < 0.001), pulmonary complications (A: 21%; B: 2%; P < 0.001), renal complications (A: 10%; B: 1.5%; P = 0.001), and any cardiovascular complication (A: 8%; B: 2%; P < 0.001). The composite end point of surgical site infections/graft failure/bleeding transfusions were also higher in group A (A: 22%; B: 15%; P = 0.014). Thirty-day mortality was significantly lower for FEVAR (A: 5.4%; B: 0.8%; P = 0.001), as was total length of hospital stay (A: 11 ± 10 days; B: 4 ± 5 days; P < 0.001).'] Does endovascular repair with fenestrated-branched stent grafts improve 30-day outcomes for complex aortic aneurysms compared with open repair? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.8155392408370972,
-1.567736268043518,
2.3821330070495605
] |
['This study sought to determine whether survival in this cohort of patients was adversely affected by increased residential altitude.', 'The success of the Fontan procedure depends in large part on low pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Factors that increase PVR, including an increase in residential altitude, may adversely affect long-term outcome. Higher altitude has been shown to affect functional well-being in patients with a Fontan circulation.', 'Databases from a tertiary cardiac care center in the Intermountain West (elevation 5,000 feet) were analyzed for patients born with single-ventricle anatomy who would now be of adult age. Complete data were then collected on all identified patients who subsequently underwent the Fontan operation. Correlates of, and time to, adverse outcome, defined as death, cardiac transplantation, or clinical decompensation requiring a move to sea level, were determined.', 'Of 149 patients with single-ventricle anatomy, 103 underwent the Fontan procedure, with 70 surviving to adulthood at moderate altitude. Adverse outcome occurred in 55, with death in 24 (23%), cardiac transplantation in 18 (17%), and clinical decompensation requiring move to sea level in 13 (13%). There was no relationship between type, age at, or era of Fontan procedure and long-term outcome. Correlates of long-term, transplant-free survival at moderate altitude included lower residential altitude (4,296 vs. 4,637 feet, p < 0.001), and lower pulmonary artery pressures before the Fontan procedure (13 vs. 15 mm Hg, p = 0.01), and after (14 vs. 18 mm Hg, p = 0.01).'] Does living at altitude adversely affect survival among patients with a Fontan procedure? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.7473520040512085,
-0.998390793800354,
1.7670429944992065
] |
['The transcription factor sex determining region Y (SRY)-box 2 (SOX2) (3q26.3-q27) has been recently identified as a recurrently activated major oncogene in squamous cell carcinoma of various sites. Its prognostic value in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is currently unclear.', 'To correlate SOX2 protein expression with the occurrence of occult lymph node metastasis and relapse free survival in early oral SCC.', 'SOX2 expression in 120 T1/T2 oral SCC patients was evaluated using a tissue microarray technique. Intensity of SOX2 expression was quantified by assessing the Intensity/Reactivity Scores (IRSs). These scores were correlated with the lymph node status of biopsied sentinel lymph nodes and recurrence. Log rank univariate and Cox regression multivariate analysis was used to determine statistical significance.', 'Twenty-six of 120 primary tumours (21.7%) showed high SOX2 expression. High expression levels of SOX2 significantly correlated with negative lymph node status in univariate (p=0.001) and multivariate analysis (p=0.003). Sensitivity was found to be 95.6% with a negative predictive value of 92.3%. Specificity was 32% with a positive predictive value of 45.7%.'] Is high sex determining region Y-box 2 expression a negative predictor of occult lymph node metastasis in early squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.1401727199554443,
-1.4793139696121216,
2.662179470062256
] |
['To determine if acoustic radiation force impulse elastography-derived bowel wall shear wave velocity (SWV) allows distinction of acutely inflamed from fibrotic intestine in a Crohn disease animal model.', 'University Committee on the Use and Care of Animals approval was obtained. An acute inflammation Crohn disease model was produced by treating eight Lewis rats with a single administration of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) enema, with imaging performed 2 days later in the surviving six rats. Colonic fibrosis in an additional eight Lewis rats was achieved by administering repeated TNBS enemas during 4 weeks, with imaging performed in the surviving seven rats 7 days later to allow acute inflammation resolution. Nine transcutaneous bowel wall SWV measurements were obtained from the colon in all rats without and with applied strain. Mean SWVs without and with applied strain were compared between animal cohorts by using the Student t test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created to assess diagnostic performance.', 'Mean bowel wall SWVs were significantly higher for fibrotic versus acute inflammation cohort of rats at 0% (3.4 ± 1.1 vs 2.3 ± 0.5 m/sec; P = .047) and 30% (6.3 ± 2.2 vs 3.6 ± 0.9 m/sec; P = .02) applied strain. Both acute inflammation and fibrotic cohort of rats demonstrated linear increases in mean SWV with increasing applied strain, with significantly different mean slopes (P = .02) and y-intercepts (P = .02). The area under the ROC curve of the SWV ratio (mean SWV/applied strain) for differentiating histopathologically confirmed fibrotic from inflamed bowel was 0.971.'] Does uS elastography-derived shear wave velocity help distinguish acutely inflamed from fibrotic bowel in a Crohn disease animal model? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.6932779550552368,
-1.5889986753463745,
2.31661057472229
] |
['Viral infections are the most frequent cause of asthma exacerbations and are linked to increased airway reactivity (AR) and inflammation. Mice infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic airway inflammation (OVA/RSV) had increased AR compared with OVA or RSV mice alone. Furthermore, interleukin 17A (IL-17A) was only increased in OVA/RSV mice.', 'To determine whether IL-17A increases AR and inflammation in the OVA/RSV model.', 'Wild-type (WT) BALB/c and IL-17A knockout (KO) mice underwent mock, RSV, OVA or OVA/RSV protocols. Lungs, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and/or mediastinal lymph nodes (MLNs) were harvested after infection. Cytokine expression was determined by ELISA in the lungs or BAL fluid. MLNs were restimulated with either OVA (323-229) peptide or RSV M2 (127-135) peptide and IL-17A protein expression was analysed. AR was determined by methacholine challenge.', 'RSV increased IL-17A protein expression by OVA-specific T cells 6 days after infection. OVA/RSV mice had decreased interferon-β protein expression compared with RSV mice. OVA/RSV mice had increased IL-23p19 mRNA expression in lung homogenates compared with mock, OVA or RSV mice. Unexpectedly, IL-17A KO OVA/RSV mice had increased AR compared with WT OVA/RSV mice. Furthermore, IL-17A KO OVA/RSV mice had increased eosinophils, lymphocytes and IL-13 protein expression in BAL fluid compared with WT OVA/RSV mice.'] Does iL-17A inhibit airway reactivity induced by respiratory syncytial virus infection during allergic airway inflammation? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.0139405727386475,
-1.5050499439239502,
2.5124142169952393
] |
['Intestinotrophic therapies, such as glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) analogs, may enhance intestinal adaptation and reduce dependence on parenteral nutrition (PN) in patients with intestinal failure associated with short bowel syndrome (SBS-IF). However, because GLP-2 enhances cellular growth, there is concern that GLP-2 analogs may also encourage growth of malignant cells.', 'To histologically examine the effects of teduglutide, a recombinant human GLP-2 analog, on the mucosa of the small and large intestine for indications of dysplastic transformation.', 'In a multicenter, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 83 PN-dependent patients with SBS-IF were monitored for several weeks to ensure optimal and stable PN. Patients were then randomized to receive 24 weeks of placebo (n=16), teduglutide (0.5 mg/kg/d; n=35), or teduglutide (0.10 mg/kg/d; n=32).', "Biopsies were obtained from 77 patients to yield 390 individual histologic interpretations. After 6 months of treatment, no features of dysplasia were found in any biopsy from the large or small intestine of patients receiving placebo or either dose of teduglutide. New secondary diagnoses, such as eosinophilic colitis or Crohn's disease, were found at a low frequency overall: teduglutide (0.05 mg/kg/d; range, 3.1% to 6.3%); teduglutide (0.10 mg/kg/d, 3.3%); placebo (range, 6.7% to 13.3%)."] Does teduglutide enhance structural adaptation of the small intestinal mucosa in patients with short bowel syndrome? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.1465542316436768,
-1.4983769655227661,
2.6865837574005127
] |
['Skeletal muscle adipose tissue (AT) infiltration (myosteatosis) increases with aging and may contribute to the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It remains unclear if myosteatosis is associated to glucose and insulin homeostasis independent of total and central adiposity.', 'The association between intermuscular AT (IMAT) in the abdominal skeletal muscles (total, paraspinal, and psoas) and fasting serum glucose, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in 393 nondiabetic Caucasian men aged 65+ was evaluated. Abdominal IMAT, visceral AT (VAT), and subcutaneous AT (SAT) (cm(3) ) were measured by quantitative computed tomography at the L4-L5 intervertebral space.', 'In age, study site, height, and muscle volume adjusted regression analyses, total abdominal and psoas (but not paraspinal) IMAT were positively associated with glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR (all P < 0.003). The associations between total abdominal and psoas IMAT and insulin and HOMA-IR remained significant after further adjusting for lifestyle factors, as well as duel-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measured total body fat, VAT, or SAT in separate models (all P < 0.009).'] Is abdominal myosteatosis independently associated with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance among older men without diabetes? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.4142510890960693,
-1.2796674966812134,
2.776989221572876
] |
['Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) by catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) requires suppression of patient restlessness by sufficient sedation in addition to maintaining stable respiration. We applied adaptive-servo ventilation (ASV) and examined the effects of ASV combined with deep propofol sedation on PVI using a NavX.', 'We analysed 75 paroxysmal AF (PAF) patients (62 ± 11 years; 53 men and 22 women) who underwent PVI for treatment of PAF using an ASV system combined with deep sedation (ASV group). Control patients included 75 consecutive PAF patients (62 ± 11 years; 51 men and 24 women) who underwent PVI just before introduction of the ASV system. Deep sedation was defined as a Ramsay sedation score of 6. The ASV group had a lower frequency of restless body movements compared with the control group during PVI (1.5 ± 0.7 vs. 7.8 ± 1.4 times, P < 0.01). The frequency of respiratory compensation and EnGuide alignment of catheter position by the NavX was lower in the ASV (4.2 ± 3.3 and 8.8 ± 7.1 times) than control group (7.1 ± 5.1 and 15.2 ± 10.0 times, P < 0.05 and <0.01, respectively). Consequently, significantly lower total electrical energy supply (48.7 ± 6.0 KJ) was required in the ASV than control group (64.5 ± 24.9 KJ, P < 0.01). Further, significantly shorter fluoroscopy and procedural times were observed in the ASV (28 ± 5 and 109 ± 25 min) than the control group (33 ± 6 and 141 ± 38 min, respectively, P < 0.01) and the AF recurrence rate was significantly lower in the ASV than the control group (12 vs. 25%, P < 0.01).'] Is adaptive-servo ventilation combined with deep sedation an effective strategy during pulmonary vein isolation? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.3803807497024536,
-1.7268970012664795,
2.0847854614257812
] |
['Current guidelines recommend an initial L-thyroxine (L-T4) dose of 10-15 μg/kg/day for the treatment of congenital hypothyroidism (CH). We analyzed our data for the treatment outcome at 1 month after we noted a frequent overtreatment even at the lower end of this dose range.', 'A 3-year chart review of 55 patients with confirmed CH was performed. The patients were divided to three groups based on L-T4 dose: Group 1 (6-9.9 μg/kg), Group 2 (10-11.9 μg/kg), and Group 3 (12-15 μg/kg). Overtreatment was defined as T4>16 μg/dL/free T4>2.3 ng/dL±thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) <0.5 μIU/L and undertreatment was defined as TSH>6 μIU/L at 1 month.', 'At 1 month, 45.8%, 37.5%, and 16.6% in Group 1, 30%, 55%, and 15% in Group 2, and 0%, 75%, and 25% in Group 3 had target labs, overtreatment, and undertreatment, respectively.'] Is in congenital hypothyroidism , an initial L-thyroxine dose of 10-12 μg/kg/day sufficient and sometimes excessive based on thyroid tests 1 month later? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-0.8929439783096313,
-1.7789769172668457,
1.7396655082702637
] |
['A limited amount of data exist regarding the effect of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) and graduated compression stockings (GCS) on the incidence of VTE in the ICU setting. The objective of this study was to examine the association of mechanical thromboprophylaxis with IPC or GCS with the risk of VTE and hospital mortality among critically ill medical-surgical patients.', 'In this prospective cohort study of patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary-care medical center between July 2006 and January 2008, we used multiple propensity scores adjustment to examine the association of IPC and GCS with VTE. The primary outcome was incident VTE, including DVT and pulmonary embolism. The following data were collected: patient demographics, admission physiologic data, VTE risk factors, pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis, and mechanical thromboprophylaxis.', 'Among 798 patients enrolled in the study, incident VTE occurred in 57 (7.1%). The use of IPC was associated with a significantly lower VTE incidence compared with no mechanical thromboprophylaxis (propensity scores adjusted hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.22-0.95; P=.04). GCS were not associated with decreased VTE incidence. No significant interaction was found between the mechanical thromboprophylaxis group and the type of prophylactic heparin used (P=.99), recent trauma (P=.66), or recent surgery (P=.07) on VTE risk.'] Is use of intermittent pneumatic compression and not graduated compression stockings associated with lower incident VTE in critically ill patients : a multiple propensity scores adjusted analysis? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.1557724475860596,
-1.2602455615997314,
2.4786763191223145
] |
['Based on the antitumor function of the delta-tocotrienol, shed light on the relationship between the proliferation inhibition effect of delta-tocotrienol on human colon cancer cells SW620 with Wnt signal pathway.', 'To adopt the MTT method, found the effects of diverse doses of delta-tocotrienol on colon cancer cells SW620. Detected the expressions level of the factors related to Wnt signal pathway via Western bloting and immunocytochemistry, to observe the influence of delta-tocotrienol on Wnt-1, beta-catenin, c-jun, cylin D1.', 'delta-tocotrienol has a significant proliferation inhibition effect on the colon cancer cells SW620,under delta-tocotrienol treated, SW620 cell inhibition rate is 70.43%. The IC50 is 15.18 micromol/L. The expression levels of wnt-1, beta-catenin c-jun and cylin D1 are downregulated (P < 0.05).'] Does [ Experimental study on delta-tocotrienol inhibit the Wnt pathway in the colon cancer cell SW620 ]? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.4453327655792236,
-1.1424212455749512,
2.685241222381592
] |
['Pharmacological blockade showed sympathetic origin of 0.03 to 0.15 Hz blood pressure (BP) oscillations and parasympathetic origin of 0.15 to 0.5 Hz RR-interval (RRI) oscillations, but has not been used to determine origin of cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) oscillations at these frequencies. This study evaluated by pharmacological blockade whether 0.1 Hz CBFV oscillations are related to sympathetic and 0.2 Hz CBFV oscillations to parasympathetic modulation.', 'In 11 volunteers (24.6 ± 2.3 years), we monitored RRIs, BP, and proximal middle cerebral artery CBFV, at rest, during 180 s sympathetic BP activation by 0.1 Hz sinusoidal neck suction (NS), and during 180 s parasympathetic RRI activation by 0.2 Hz NS. We repeated recordings after 25 mg carvedilol, and after 0.04 mg/kg atropine. Autoregressive analysis quantified RRI-, BP-, and CBFV-spectral powers at 0.1 Hz and 0.2 Hz. We compared parameters at rest, during 0.1 Hz, or 0.2 Hz NS, with and without carvedilol or atropine (analysis of variance, post hoc testing; significance, P<0.05).', 'Carvedilol significantly increased RRIs and lowered BP, CBFV, and 0.1 Hz RRI-, BP-, and CBFV-powers at baseline (P=0.041 for CBFV-powers), and during 0.1 Hz NS-induced sympathetic activation (P<0.05). At baseline and during 0.2 Hz NS-induced parasympathetic activation, atropine lowered RRIs and 0.2 Hz RRI-powers, but did not change BP, CBFV, and 0.2 Hz BP- and CBFV-powers.'] Does autonomic blockade during sinusoidal baroreflex activation prove sympathetic modulation of cerebral blood flow velocity? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.8054182529449463,
-1.4907410144805908,
2.376807451248169
] |
['Patient-reported outcome measures have been found useful in many disciplines but have received limited evaluation after stroke. The current study investigated the relationship that patient-reported measures have with standard impairment and disability scales after stroke.', 'Patients with motor deficits after stroke were scored on standard assessments including the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, modified Rankin Scale, and Fugl-Meyer motor scale, and on 2 patient-reported measures, the hand function domain of the Stroke Impact Scale, which documents difficulty of hand motor usage, and the amount of use portion of the Motor Activity Log, which records amount of arm motor usage.', 'The 43 participants had mild disability (median modified Rankin Scale=2), moderate motor deficits (Fugl-Meyer motor scale=46 ± 22), and mild cognitive/language deficits. The 2 patient-reported outcome measures, Stroke Impact Scale and Motor Activity Log, were sensitive to the presence of arm motor deficits. Of 21 patients classified as having minimal or no impairment or disability by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale or modified Rankin Scale (score of 0-1), 15 (71%) reported difficulty with hand movements by the Stroke Impact Scale score or reduced arm use by the Motor Activity Log score. Furthermore, of 14 patients with a normal examination, 10 (71%) reported difficulty with hand movements or reduction in arm use.'] Do patient-reported measures provide unique insights into motor function after stroke? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-0.6475321054458618,
-0.4483817517757416,
0.27589061856269836
] |
['A correlation has been found between periodontal disease (PD) and stroke. This study was conducted to investigate whether dental prophylaxis and periodontal treatment reduce the incidence rate (IR) of ischemic stroke.', 'We identified 510 762 PD cases and 208 674 non-PD subjects from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2010. The PD cases were divided into dental prophylaxis, intensive treatment, and no treatment groups. The stroke IRs were assessed among groups during follow-up. Cox regression analysis was used after adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities to determine the relationship between periodontal treatment and incidence of ischemic stroke.', 'The stroke IR of the non-PD subjects was 0.32%/year. In the PD group, subjects who received dental prophylaxis had the lowest stroke IR (0.14%/year); subjects with intensive treatment or tooth extraction had a higher stroke IR (0.39%/year); and subjects without PD treatment had the highest stroke IR (0.48%/year; P<0.001). After adjustment for confounders, the dental prophylaxis and intensive treatment groups had a significant lower hazard ratios for stroke than the non-PD group (hazard ratio=0.78 and 0.95; 95% confidence interval=0.75-0.81 and 0.91-0.99, respectively), whereas the PD without treatment group had a significant higher hazard ratio for stroke (1.15; 95% confidence interval=1.07-1.24), especially among the youngest (20-44) age group (hazard ratio=2.17; 95% confidence interval=1.64-2.87) after stratifying for age.'] Are dental prophylaxis and periodontal treatment protective factors to ischemic stroke? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-0.3098737597465515,
-1.6562445163726807,
0.9806645512580872
] |
['Alternatively polarized macrophages (Mϕ) shape the microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and temper anticancer immune responses. We investigated if sorafenib alters the HCC microenvironment by restoring classical macrophage polarization and triggering tumor-directed natural killer (NK) cell responses. In vivo experiments were conducted with sorafenib (25 mg/kg)-treated C57BL/6 wildtype as well as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and lymphotoxin transgenic mice with and without HCC. Monocyte-derived Mϕ or tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) isolated from HCC tissue were treated with sorafenib (0.07-5.0 μg/mL) and cocultured with autologous NK cells. Mϕ and NK cell activation was analyzed by flow cytometry and killing assays, respectively. Cytokine and growth factor release was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Short-term administration of sorafenib triggered activation of hepatic NK cells in wildtype and tumor-bearing mice. In vitro, sorafenib sensitized Mϕ to lipopolysaccharide, reverted alternative Mϕ polarization and enhanced IL12 secretion (P = 0.0133). NK cells activated by sorafenib-treated Mϕ showed increased degranulation (15.3 ± 0.2% versus 32.0 ± 0.9%, P < 0.0001) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) secretion (2.1 ± 0.2% versus 8.0 ± 0.2%, P < 0.0001) upon target cell contact. Sorafenib-triggered NK cell activation was verified by coculture experiments using TAM. Sorafenib-treated Mϕ increased cytolytic NK cell function against K562, Raji, and HepG2 target cells in a dose-dependent manner. Neutralization of interleukin (IL)12 or IL18 as well as inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway reversed NK cell activation in Mϕ/NK cocultures.'] Does sorafenib perpetuate cellular anticancer effector functions by modulating the crosstalk between macrophages and natural killer cells? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.0720279216766357,
-1.4488048553466797,
2.5897839069366455
] |
['The new criteria for preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD) proposed 3 stages: abnormal levels of β-amyloid (stage 1), stage 1 plus evidence of brain injury (stage 2), and stage 2 plus subtle cognitive changes (stage 3). However, a large group of subjects with normal β-amyloid biomarkers have evidence of brain injury; we labeled them as the "suspected non-Alzheimer pathophysiology" (sNAP) group. The characteristics of the sNAP group are poorly understood.', 'Using the preclinical AD classification, 430 cognitively normal subjects from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging who underwent brain magnetic resonance (MR), (18)fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), and Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography (PET) were evaluated for FDG PET regional volumetrics, MR regional brain volumetrics, white matter hyperintensity volume, and number of infarcts. We examined cross-sectional associations across AD preclinical stages, those with all biomarkers normal, and the sNAP group.', 'The sNAP group had a lower proportion (14%) with apolipoprotein E ε4 genotype than the preclinical AD stages 2 + 3. The sNAP group did not show any group differences compared to stages 2 + 3 of the preclinical AD group on measures of FDG PET regional hypometabolism, MR regional brain volume loss, cerebrovascular imaging lesions, vascular risk factors, imaging changes associated with α-synucleinopathy, or physical findings of parkinsonism.'] Are brain injury biomarkers dependent on β-amyloid in normal elderly? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.4206602573394775,
-1.2611302137374878,
2.757199764251709
] |
['To investigate the influence of the silent mutation c.816C > G (L272) of Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) and of apolipoprotein (APO) E alleles on cholesterol absorption markers, sitosterol and campesterol, in 87 patients with primary hyperlipidemias.', 'In all subjects genotyped for silent polymorphism in NPC1L1 gene c.816C > G (L272L) and for APO E polymorphism, campesterol and sitosterol were measured by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.', 'Thirty-eight patients carrying the G allele of NPC1L1 showed significantly greater concentrations (log values) of campesterol (1.86 ± 0.3 vs 1.61 ± 0.3 10(2) μmol/mmol cholesterol, p < .001) and sitosterol (2.03 ± 0.2 vs 1.94 ± 0.2 10(2) μmol/mmol cholesterol, P = .05). Patients with at least one E4 allele showed values of sitosterol greater than those carrying E3E3 or E3E2 (2.05 ± 0.2 10(2) μmol/mmol cholesterol vs 1.95 ± 0.2 10(2) μmol/mmol cholesterol, P = .004). The presence of the G allele (β = .379, P < 0.001) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (β = .242, P = .019) was an independent predictor of campesterol values (R of the model = 0.473, P < .001). The E4 allele (β = .293, P = .005) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (β = .311, P = .003) were independent predictors of sitosterol values (R 0.416, P of the model <.001).'] Do a silent mutation of Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 and apolipoprotein E4 modulate cholesterol absorption in primary hyperlipidemias? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.0810991525650024,
-1.6889111995697021,
1.7344430685043335
] |
['During orthodontic therapy the correct strength of mechanical strain plays a key role for bone remodelling during tooth movement. Aim of this study was to investigate the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPdLF) depending on the applied strength of mechanical strain compared to osteoblasts (HOB).', 'HPdLF and HOB were loaded with different strengths (1%, 5% and 10%) of static mechanical strain (SMS) for 12h in vitro. Viability was verified by MTT and apoptosis by TUNEL assay. Gene expression of cyclin D1, collagen type-1 (COL-I), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of the NF-κB ligand (RANKL) were investigated using RT-PCR. OPG and RANKL synthesis was measured by ELISA and ALP activity by colorimetric assay.', '10% of SMS led to a decrease in cell viability of both cells lines, but no increased rate of apoptosis. RT-PCR showed the highest increase of cyclin D1 expression for HPdLF and HOB when applied to 5% of SMS, and HOB showed a doubling of COL-I gene expression. HPdLF and HOB showed a strength-dependent synthesis of OPG and ALP activity, whereas HOB demonstrated a decrease in OPG synthesis and ALP activity when applied to 10% of SMS.'] Is osteogenic differentiation of periodontal fibroblasts dependent on the strength of mechanical strain? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.1339972019195557,
-1.4717438220977783,
2.641066074371338
] |
['To evaluate the relevance of ongoing nociceptive joint inputs to the maintenance of widespread pain hypersensitivity in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) and to determine whether a reversal in the widespread pressure hypersensitivity together with an improvement in pain and function occurs after total hip replacement in these patients.', 'Forty patients with hip OA participated. Twenty patients underwent total hip replacement, and the other 20 patients were assigned to a waiting list. Pressure-pain thresholds (PPTs) over the second metacarpal bone and the gluteus medius, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and tibialis anterior muscles were assessed bilaterally with a pressure algometer before and 3 months after total hip replacement surgery. Assessments of pain intensity (by visual analog scale [VAS]), physical function (by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index), and health status (by the Short Form 12 health survey and the EuroQol 5-domain index) were also performed.', 'Patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty exhibited a reduction in widespread pressure pain hyperalgesia (increases in PPTs) over local and distant pain-free areas, as compared with before surgery and as compared with the patients assigned to the waiting list. PPTs were related to hip pain intensity, and significant correlations were found between higher VAS scores and lower average PPTs over all points assessed (-0.409 < r < -0.306, P < 0.05). Patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty exhibited a greater decrease in pain intensity and greater increases in function and health status than did those who were on the waiting list. Changes in the intensity of hip pain were moderately associated with changes in pressure pain sensitivity in the hip arthroplasty group.'] Is normalization of widespread pressure pain hypersensitivity after total hip replacement in patients with hip osteoarthritis associated with clinical and functional improvements? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.352492094039917,
-0.9967320561408997,
2.3675358295440674
] |
['Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is one of the main causes of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). No established link is available between pathological scores of CAA and its outcome. This study aimed to identify the correlations between pathological severity and poor postoperative outcome in the Chinese population.', "Between May 2006 and April 2011, 367 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for CAA-related ICH in 71 hospitals throughout the mainland of China were enrolled in this study. Twelve months after surgery, we evaluated these patients' outcomes according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and statistically correlated risk factors (demographics, medical history, pathological results, and surgical details) that are associated with a favorable (mRS < 3) and poor (mRS ≥ 3) outcome groups.", 'Risk factors for poor postoperative outcome in 367 patients with CAA-related ICH included advanced age (OR 1.034, 95%CI 1.001 - 1.067, P = 0.042), CAA pathology severity (OR 2.074, 95%CI 7.140 - 16.25, P < 0.001), lobar hematoma (OR 0.225, 95%CI 0.104 - 0.486, P < 0.001), presence of intraventricular hemorrhage (OR 0.478, 95%CI 0.229 - 1.001, P = 0.050), and/or subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR 2.629, 95%CI, 1.051 - 6.577, P = 0.039).'] Does severe pathological manifestation of cerebral amyloid angiopathy correlate with poor outcome from cerebral amyloid angiopathy related intracranial hemorrhage? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.7293920516967773,
-1.3926680088043213,
2.0772674083709717
] |
['The failure to wean from mechanical ventilation is related to worse outcomes after cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the serum level of B-type natriuretic peptide is a predictor of weaning failure from mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery.', 'We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of 101 patients who underwent on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. B-type natriuretic peptide was measured postoperatively after intensive care unit admission and at the end of a 60-min spontaneous breathing test. The demographic data, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters, fluid balance, need for vasopressor or inotropic support, and length of the intensive care unit and hospital stays were recorded. Weaning failure was considered as either the inability to sustain spontaneous breathing after 60 min or the need for reintubation within 48 h.', 'Of the 101 patients studied, 12 patients failed the weaning trial. There were no differences between the groups in the baseline or intraoperative characteristics, including left ventricular function, EuroSCORE and lengths of the cardiac procedure and cardiopulmonary bypass. The B-type natriuretic peptide levels were significantly higher at intensive care unit admission and at the end of the breathing test in the patients with weaning failure compared with the patients who were successfully weaned. In a multivariate model, a high B-type natriuretic peptide level at the end of a spontaneous breathing trial was the only independent predictor of weaning failure from mechanical ventilation.'] Do high levels of B-type natriuretic peptide predict weaning failure from mechanical ventilation in adult patients after cardiac surgery? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.2353250980377197,
-1.3153302669525146,
2.6735408306121826
] |
['To determine the roles of body size and longitudinal body weight changes in the survival of incident peritoneal dialysis patients.', 'Patients (n = 1911) older than 18 years of age recruited from 114 dialysis centers (Dec/ 2004-Oct/2007) and participating in the Brazilian Peritoneal Dialysis Multicenter Cohort Study were included. Clinical and laboratory data were collected monthly (except if the patient received a transplant, recovered renal function, was transferred to hemodialysis, or died).', 'Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards. Total follow-up was 34 months. The mean age was 59 years (54% female). The weight category percentages were as follows: underweight: 8%; normal: 51%; overweight: 29%; and obese 12%. The multivariate model showed a higher risk of death for a body mass index <18.5 kg/m², a neutral risk between 25 and 29.9 kg/m² and a protective effect for an index >30 kg/m². Patients were divided into five categories according to quintiles of body weight changes during the first year of dialysis: <-3.1%, -3.1 to+0.12%, +0.12 to <+3.1% (reference category), +3.1 to +7.1% and >+7.1%. Patients in the lowest quintile had significantly higher mortality, whereas no negative impact was observed in the other quintiles.'] Do body size and longitudinal body weight changes increase mortality in incident peritoneal dialysis patients of the Brazilian peritoneal dialysis multicenter study? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-0.9764827489852905,
-1.233316421508789,
1.2953085899353027
] |
['Relapsed or refractory pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains a major cause of death from cancer in children. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of SAR3419, an antibody-drug conjugate of the maytansinoid DM4 and a humanized anti-CD19 antibody, against B-cell precursor (BCP)-ALL and infant mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) xenografts.', 'ALL xenografts were established as systemic disease in immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice from direct patient explants. SAR3419 was administered as a single agent and in combination with an induction-type regimen of vincristine/dexamethasone/l-asparaginase (VXL). Leukemia progression and response to treatment were assessed in real-time, and responses were evaluated using strict criteria modeled after the clinical setting.', 'SAR3419 significantly delayed the progression of 4 of 4 CD19(+) BCP-ALL and 3 of 3 MLL-ALL xenografts, induced objective responses in all but one xenograft but was ineffective against T-lineage ALL xenografts. Relative surface CD19 expression across the xenograft panel significantly correlated with leukemia progression delay and objective response measure scores. SAR3419 also exerted significant efficacy against chemoresistant BCP-ALL xenografts over a large (10-fold) dose range and significantly enhanced VXL-induced leukemia progression delay in two highly chemoresistant xenografts by up to 82 days. When administered as protracted therapy following remission induction with VXL, SAR3419 prevented disease recurrence into hematolymphoid and other major organs with the notable exception of central nervous system involvement.'] Does the anti-CD19 antibody-drug conjugate SAR3419 prevent hematolymphoid relapse postinduction therapy in preclinical models of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.2165005207061768,
-1.4676737785339355,
2.7175216674804688
] |
['To compare the cumulative survival and event free survival in patients with Jo-1 versus non-Jo-1 anti-tRNA synthetase autoantibodies (anti-synAb).', 'Anti-synAb positive patients initially evaluated from 1985 to 2009 were included regardless of the connective tissue disease (CTD) diagnosis. Clinical data were extracted from a prospectively collected database and chart review. Survival between Jo-1 and non-Jo-1 was compared by log rank and Cox proportional hazards methods.', '202 patients possessed anti-synAb: 122 Jo-1 and 80 non-Jo-1 (35 PL-12; 25 PL-7; 9 EJ; 6 KS; 5 OJ). The diagnoses at first visit for Jo-1 and non-Jo-1 patients were myositis in 83% and 40.0%, overlap or undifferentiated CTD in 17% and 47.5%, and systemic sclerosis in 0% and 12.5%, respectively (p<0.001). The median delay in diagnosis was 0.4 years in Jo-1 patients versus 1.0 year in non-Jo-1 patients (p<0.001). The most common causes of death in the overall cohort were pulmonary fibrosis in 49% and pulmonary hypertension in 11%. The 5- and 10-year unadjusted cumulative survival was 90% and 70% for Jo-1 patients, and 75% and 47% for non-Jo-1 patients (p<0.005). The hazard ratio (HR) of non-Jo-1 patients compared with Jo-1 patients was 1.9 (p=0.01) for cumulative and 1.9 (p=0.008) for event free survival from diagnosis. Age at first diagnosis and diagnosis delay but not gender, ethnicity and CTD diagnosis influenced survival.'] Do patients with non-Jo-1 anti-tRNA-synthetase autoantibodies have worse survival than Jo-1 positive patients? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.3701220750808716,
-1.6386007070541382,
1.9988751411437988
] |
['Hormone replacement therapy increases the risk of developing ulcerative colitis in postmenopausal women. Chronic intestinal inflammation predisposes to colon cancer development, but effects of female hormones on colitis-associated cancer development have not been examined.', 'To investigate the role of female hormones in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-azoxymethane (AOM) mouse model for colitis-associated cancer.', 'We performed ovariectomies, or sham operations, on mice, and supplemented these animals with indicated hormones. Additionally, we used oestrogen receptor α or β (Erα or Erβ) mutant mice. To study colitis or colitis-associated cancer, we used DSS only, or DSS and AOM, respectively.', 'Ovariectomy protects female mice against colitis-associated tumour development. Hormone replacement in ovariectomised mice with either oestradiol (E2), medroxyprogesterone acetate or a combination of both suggests that oestrogens are the ovary-derived factor that promotes tumour development in the context of inflammatory damage. E2-treated animals showed increased clinical symptoms and Il-6 production upon DSS-induced colitis and enhanced epithelial proliferation. Treatment with E2 markedly increased the numbers of polyps in ovariectomised mice and also strongly promoted tumour progression with all E2-treated animals developing at least one invasive adenocarcinoma, whereas, placebo-treated animals developed adenomas only. Using Er mutant mice, we find that the protumorigenic effect of oestrogen depends on both Erα and Erβ.'] Do oestrogens promote tumorigenesis in a mouse model for colitis-associated cancer? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.5728137493133545,
-1.1821222305297852,
2.7602741718292236
] |
['Dietary pattern studies are traditionally the domain of epidemiological research. From a clinical perspective, there is a need to explore the effects of changing food and dietary patterns of individuals. The aim was to identify patterns of food choice in the context of a clinical weight loss trial. Cluster analysis based on reported serves of food groups revealed dietary patterns informative for the clinical setting.', 'Cluster analysis was conducted using diet history data from two clinical trials at baseline, and outcomes at 3 months were reviewed based on these clusters (n=231). The cluster solution was analysed using defined food groups in serves and with respect to clinical parameters and requirements for selected nutrients.', 'Two distinct dietary patterns were identified from the reported baseline dietary intakes. Subjects in Cluster 1 reported food patterns characterised by higher intakes of low-fat dairy and unsaturated oils and margarine and were generally more closely aligned to food choices encouraged in national dietary guidelines. Subjects in Cluster 2 reported a dietary pattern characterised by non-core foods and drinks, higher- and medium-fat dairy foods, fatty meats and alcohol. At 3 months, Cluster 2 subjects reported greater reductions in energy intake (-5317 kJ; P<0.001) and greater weight loss (-5.6 kg; P<0.05) compared with Cluster 1.'] Are baseline dietary patterns a significant consideration in correcting dietary exposure for weight loss? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.321427345275879,
-0.7443886399269104,
1.1770596504211426
] |
['The loss of skeletal muscle mass with aging has been attributed to a decline in muscle fiber number and muscle fiber size.', 'To define to what extent differences in leg muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) between young and elderly men are attributed to differences in muscle fiber size.', 'Quadriceps muscle CSA and type I and type II muscle fiber size were measured in healthy young (n=25; 23 ± 1 y) and older (n=26; 71 ± 1 y) men. Subsequently, the older subjects performed 6 months of resistance type exercise training, after which measurements were repeated. Differences in quadriceps muscle CSA were compared with differences in type I and type II muscle fiber size.', 'Quadriceps CSA was substantially smaller in older versus young men (68 ± 2 vs 80 ± 2 cm(2), respectively; P<0.001). Type II muscle fiber size was substantially smaller in the elderly vs the young (29%; P<0.001), with a tendency of smaller type I muscle fibers (P=0.052). Differences in type II muscle fiber size fully explained differences in quadriceps CSA between groups. Prolonged resistance type exercise training in the elderly increased type II muscle fiber size by 24 ± 8% (P<0.01), explaining 100 ± 3% of the increase in quadriceps muscle CSA (from 68 ± 2 to 74 ± 2 cm(2)).'] Is the decline in skeletal muscle mass with aging mainly attributed to a reduction in type II muscle fiber size? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-0.3494482934474945,
-0.7382479906082153,
0.2523995637893677
] |
['As one of the most dominant bacterial groups on Earth, cyanobacteria play a pivotal role in the global carbon cycling and the Earth atmosphere composition. Understanding their molecular responses to environmental perturbations has important scientific and environmental values. Since important biological processes or networks are often evolutionarily conserved, the cross-species transcriptional network analysis offers a useful strategy to decipher conserved and species-specific transcriptional mechanisms that cells utilize to deal with various biotic and abiotic disturbances, and it will eventually lead to a better understanding of associated adaptation and regulatory networks.', 'In this study, the Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) approach was used to establish transcriptional networks for four important cyanobacteria species under metal stress, including iron depletion and high copper conditions. Cross-species network comparison led to discovery of several core response modules and genes possibly essential to metal stress, as well as species-specific hub genes for metal stresses in different cyanobacteria species, shedding light on survival strategies of cyanobacteria responding to different environmental perturbations.'] Does cross-species transcriptional network analysis reveal conservation and variation in response to metal stress in cyanobacteria? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.536975145339966,
0.13022954761981964,
1.5765641927719116
] |
['Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal disorder of reproductive-age women. Yet the cause of BV has not been established. To uncover key determinants of BV, we employed a multi-omic, systems-biology approach, including both deep 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing and metabolomics of lavage samples from 36 women. These women varied demographically, behaviorally, and in terms of health status and symptoms.', '16S rRNA gene-based community composition profiles reflected Nugent scores, but not Amsel criteria. In contrast, metabolomic profiles were markedly more concordant with Amsel criteria. Metabolomic profiles revealed two distinct symptomatic BV types (SBVI and SBVII) with similar characteristics that indicated disruption of epithelial integrity, but each type was correlated to the presence of different microbial taxa and metabolites, as well as to different host behaviors. The characteristic odor associated with BV was linked to increases in putrescine and cadaverine, which were both linked to Dialister spp. Additional correlations were seen with the presence of discharge, 2-methyl-2-hydroxybutanoic acid, and Mobiluncus spp., and with pain, diethylene glycol and Gardnerella spp.'] Does a multi-omic systems-based approach reveal metabolic markers of bacterial vaginosis and insight into the disease? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.5431888103485107,
-1.2021230459213257,
2.8153021335601807
] |
["Many animals use information acquired from recent experiences to modify their responses to new situations. Animals' decisions in contests also depend on their previous experience: after recent victories individuals tend to behave more aggressively and after defeats more submissively. Although these winner and/or loser effects have been reported for animals of different taxa, they have only recently been shown to be flexible traits, which can be influenced by extrinsic factors. In a mangrove killifish (Kryptolebias marmoratus), for instance, individuals which lost an earlier contest were more likely than others to alter contest decisions after a recent win/loss. This result suggests that individuals perceiving themselves to have worse fighting abilities are more inclined to adjust contest strategy based on new information. If this is the case, an individual's propensity to modify behaviour after a win/loss might also be modulated by intrinsic mechanisms related to its ability to fight. Stress and sex steroid hormones are often associated with an individual's contest behaviour and performance, so, in this study, we tested the hypothesis that an individual's propensity to change behaviour after wins or losses also depends on its hormonal state.", "Our results show that an individual's propensity to adjust contest decisions after wins and losses does depend on its hormonal state: individuals with lower levels of cortisol (F), testosterone (T) and 11-ketotestosterone (KT) are more receptive than others to the influence of recent contest experiences, especially losing experiences, and the influences last longer. Furthermore, although winning and losing experiences resulted in significant changes in behaviour, they did not bring about a significant change in the levels of F, T, KT or oestradiol (E2)."] Are winner and loser effects modulated by hormonal states? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 1 | [
-2.4900848865509033,
0.8659020066261292,
0.7635672092437744
] |
['To provide risk estimates for celiac disease (CD) in Down syndrome (DS) compared with the general population.', 'In this nationwide Swedish case-control study, we examined the risk of CD in individuals with DS born between 1973 and 2008. Study participants consisted of 2 populations: 11,749 patients with biopsy-verified CD (villous atrophy [VA], equivalent to Marsh grade III) who were identified through histopathology reports from the 28 pathology departments in Sweden and 53,887 population-based controls matched for sex, age, calendar year of birth, and county of residence. We used prospectively recorded data from Swedish health registers to identify individuals with DS. ORs were calculated using conditional logistic regression.', 'Of the 11,749 individuals with CD, 165 had a diagnosis of DS (1.4%) compared with 55/53,887 controls (0.1%). This corresponded to an OR of 6.15 (95% CI = 5.09-7.43) for subsequent CD in individuals with DS compared with the general population. The association between DS and CD was not affected by maternal age at delivery, infant sex, or presence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in the child.'] Is down syndrome associated with elevated risk of celiac disease : a nationwide case-control study? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.092552661895752,
-0.773781955242157,
1.9463214874267578
] |
['Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most frequent complications associated with excess adiposity. Its pathogenesis is complex and there are multiple factors that may contribute to it.', 'To analyze whether cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), waist circumference (WC), and C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in children with obesity.', '79 overweight/obese children of both genders, 11-13 year-olds, with abnormal serum ALT from Porto public schools comprised the sample. Measurements included CRF (20-m Shuttle Run Test), WC (NHANES protocol), CRP and ALT (Cholestech LDX analyzer). Logistic regression adjusted for gender, maturation, and weight with ALT levels as dependent variable (risk vs. non risk), and WC (risk vs. non risk), CRP (risk vs. non risk), and CRF (fit vs. unfit) as independent variables. Level of significance was set at 95%.', 'Logistic regression showed that obese fit children were less likely to have abnormal ALT values (OR=.031)'] Is cardiorespiratory fitness , but not central obesity or C-reactive protein , related to liver function in obese children? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.9163159132003784,
-1.3251590728759766,
2.2898292541503906
] |
['To investigate whether do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) orders can be implemented in a standard nursing home in Japan, where routine DNAR orders are not yet common in many facilities including hospitals.', 'Ninety-eight residents in a 100-bed nursing home were evaluated. All of the eligible residents and/or their family members were asked whether they wanted to receive resuscitation, including mechanical ventilation.', 'The residents were 54 to 101 years of age (mean 83.3), with 27 males and 71 females. After administering the questionnaire, 92 (94%) patients did not want resuscitation and mechanical ventilation.'] Do implementation of attempt resuscitate orders in a Japanese nursing home? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 1 | [
-0.37050217390060425,
1.602380633354187,
-1.8217378854751587
] |
['This study examined if the delta-opioid (δ-opioid) receptor agonist, SNC-121, can improve retinal function and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival during glaucomatous injury in a chronic ocular hypertensive rat model.', 'IOP was raised in brown Norway rats by injecting hypertonic saline into the limbal venous system. Rats were treated with 1 mg/kg SNC-121 (intraperitoneally [IP]) once daily for 7 days. Pattern-electroretinograms (PERGs) were obtained in response to contrast reversal of patterned visual stimuli. RGCs were visualized by fluorogold retrograde labeling. Expression of TNF-α and p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase was measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.', 'PERG amplitudes in ocular hypertensive eyes were significantly reduced (14.3 ± 0.60 μvolts) when compared with healthy eyes (18.0 ± 0.62 μvolts). PERG loss in hypertensive eyes was inhibited by SNC-121 treatment (17.20 ± 0.1.3 μvolts; P < 0.05). There was a 29% loss of RGCs in the ocular hypertensive eye, which was inhibited in the presence of SNC-121. TNF-α production and activation of p38 MAP kinase in retinal sections and optic nerve samples were upregulated in ocular hypertensive eyes and inhibited in the presence of SNC-121. Furthermore, TNF-α induced increase in p38 MAP kinase activation in astrocytes was inhibited in the presence of SNC-121.'] Does delta-opioid agonist SNC-121 protect retinal ganglion cell function in a chronic ocular hypertensive rat model? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.2818686962127686,
-1.436095952987671,
2.746671676635742
] |
['Recent studies demonstrated that myeloid cells are associated with systemic immunosuppression in tumor-bearing hosts. In particular, myeloid cells positive for Gr-1 and CD11b in tumor-bearing mice are called myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) because of their suppression of T-cell activation. In this study, we investigated the antitumor effects of corosolic acid (CA) in murine sarcoma model.', 'The results from the in vivo study showed that CA administration did not suppress the tumor proliferation index, but significantly impaired subcutaneous tumor development and lung metastasis. Furthermore, CA administration inhibited signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (Stat3) activation and increased in the number of infiltrating lymphocytes in tumor tissues. Ex vivo analysis demonstrated that a significant immunosuppressive effect of MDSC in tumor-bearing mice was abrogated and the mRNA expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 and CCL2 in MDSC were significantly decreased by CA administration. Furthermore, CA enhanced the antitumor effects of adriamycin and cisplatin in in vitro.'] Does corosolic acid impair tumor development and lung metastasis by inhibiting the immunosuppressive activity of myeloid-derived suppressor cells? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.532750368118286,
-1.1585919857025146,
2.7463502883911133
] |
['The principal feature of tendon degeneration is structural change of the extracellular matrix (ECM) including collagens. In painful tendons, alterations of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) have been described; however, the initial molecular mechanism at the origin of these alterations is still poorly understood. A rat model of supraspinatus tendon overuse has been developed, which may be predictive of pathological tendon alterations.', 'To determine which MMPs are involved in early ECM remodeling during overuse and their relationship with the inflammatory context.', 'Controlled laboratory study.', 'Analyses were performed on rat supraspinatus tendons at 2 and 4 weeks of overuse on a downhill treadmill. Transcript levels of MMPs and TIMPs were assessed by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Western blotting and/or immunolabeling were used for MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-13, and extracellular MMP inducer (EMMPRIN, also called cluster of differentiation [CD] 147) detection. In situ and/or sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gelatin zymography was performed for MMP-2 and MMP-9. TIMP activity was revealed by reverse zymography. Inflammation was assessed by cytokine antibody array and/or immunolabeling.', 'Compared with a control, overused supraspinatus tendons showed a significantly higher gelatinolytic activity at 2 weeks, which slightly decreased at 4 weeks. MMP-9 and MMP-13 were undetectable; MMP-3 was downregulated in overused tendons. Only MMP-2, particularly its active form, and the MMP-2 activator MMP-14 were upregulated at 2 weeks of overuse when an increase in TIMP-2 transcripts was observed. MMP-2 upregulation occurred in the absence of inflammation but was associated with an increase of EMMPRIN/CD147.'] Do early events of overused supraspinatus tendons involve matrix metalloproteinases and EMMPRIN/CD147 in the absence of inflammation? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.4310829639434814,
-1.3878353834152222,
2.8631768226623535
] |
['What are the effects of continuous sauna exposure on seminal parameters, sperm chromatin, sperm apoptosis and expression of genes involved in heat stress and hypoxia?'] Does seminal and molecular evidence that sauna exposure affect human spermatogenesis? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 1 | [
-2.9984140396118164,
2.2284398078918457,
-0.03523990139365196
] |
['This study aimed to investigate the association between intraocular pressure and metabolic syndrome according to menopause status in nonglaucomatous Korean women.', 'We examined the relationship between intraocular pressure and metabolic syndrome in 4,524 nonglaucomatous Korean women (2,866 premenopausal women and 1,658 postmenopausal women) who participated in the 2008 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between metabolic syndrome and intraocular pressure after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, regular exercise, hypertension medication, and diabetes medication according to menopause status in women.', 'The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 5.4% for premenopausal women and 28.0% for postmenopausal women. The mean intraocular pressure gradually increased in accordance with the increasing number of components for metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women (P = 0.002), but not in premenopausal women (P = 0.387). In multivariate regression analysis, intraocular pressure was significantly associated with metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women (P = 0.015) after adjusting for confounding variables, but not in premenopausal women (P = 0.940).'] Is elevated intraocular pressure associated with metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women : the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.2569963932037354,
-0.5135276317596436,
1.9010047912597656
] |
['Proteomics technologies are well suited for harnessing the immune response to tumor antigens for diagnostic applications as in the case of breast cancer. We previously reported a substantial impact of hormone therapy (HT) on the proteome. Here, we investigated the effect of HT on the immune response toward breast tumor antigens.', "Plasmas collected 0-10 months prior to diagnosis of ER+ breast cancer from 190 postmenopausal women and 190 controls that participated in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study were analyzed for the effect of HT on IgG reactivity against arrayed proteins from MCF-7 or SKBR3 breast cancer cell line lysates following extensive fractionation.", 'HT user cases exhibited significantly reduced autoantibody reactivity against arrayed proteins compared to cases who were Not Current users. An associated reduced level of IL-6 and other immune-related cytokines was observed among HT users relative to nonusers.'] Does proteomic profiling of the autoimmune response to breast cancer antigens uncover a suppressive effect of hormone therapy? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.537489175796509,
-1.0634633302688599,
2.7079291343688965
] |
['Coronary microvascular resistance is increased after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which may be related in part to changed left ventricular (LV) dynamics. Therefore we studied the coronary microcirculation in relation to systolic and diastolic LV function after STEMI.', 'The study cohort consisted of 12 consecutive patients, all treated with primary PCI for a first anterior wall STEMI. At 4\xa0months, we assessed pressure-volume loops. Subsequently, we measured intracoronary pressure and flow velocity and calculated coronary microvascular resistance. Infarct size and LV mass were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging.', 'Patients with an impaired systolic LV function due to a larger myocardial infarction showed a higher baseline average peak flow velocity (APV) than the other patients (26\u2009±\u20097 versus 17\u2009±\u20095\xa0cm/s, p\u2009=\u20090.003, respectively), and showed an impaired variable microvascular resistance index (2.1\u2009±\u20091.0 versus 4.1\u2009±\u20091.3\xa0mmHg\u2009cm(-1)∙s(-1), p\u2009=\u20090.003, respectively). Impaired diastolic relaxation time was inversely correlated with hyperaemic APV (r\u2009=\u2009-0.56, p\u2009=\u20090.003) and positively correlated with hyperaemic microvascular resistance (r\u2009=\u20090.48, p\u2009=\u20090.01). LV dilatation was associated with a reduced variable microvascular resistance index (r\u2009=\u20090.78, p\u2009=\u20090.006).'] Is coronary microcirculatory dysfunction associated with left ventricular dysfunction during follow-up after STEMI? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.8515163660049438,
-1.6120903491973877,
2.4777283668518066
] |
['We sought to assess whether cardiorenal anemia syndrome (CRAS) in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients contributes to sympathetic overactivity through modulation of sympathetic reflexes.', 'We prospectively studied 15 patients with CRAS and CHF and 15 control CHF patients, matched for age, gender distribution, type of cardiomyopathy, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and BMI. We compared muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and the effect of peripheral chemoreflex deactivation on MSNA in both groups. We also compared sympathetic baroreflex function, assessed by the slope of the relationship between MSNA and diastolic blood pressure in both groups and while peripheral chemoreflexes were (by breathing 100% oxygen for 15 min) or not deactivated. Baseline MSNA was significantly elevated in CHF patients with CRAS compared with control CHF patients (83.1 ± 4.6 versus 64.9 ± 2.9 bursts/100 heart beats; P<0.05) and sympathetic baroreflex impaired (2.69 ± 0.44 vs 5.25 ± 0.60%bursts/mmHg; P<0.01). Chemoreflex deactivation with administration of 100% oxygen led to a significant decrease in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (77.8 ± 4.7 versus 82.1 ± 4.9 bursts/100 heart beats; P<0.01) and to an increase in sympathetic baroreflex function (2.77 ± 0.45 vs 5.63 ± 0.73%bursts/mmHg; P<0.01) in patients with CRAS and CHF. In contrast, neither room air nor 100% oxygen changed MSNA, hemodynamic or sympathetic baroreflex function in control CHF patients.'] Does cardiorenal anemia syndrome in chronic heart failure contribute to increased sympathetic nerve activity? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.7252745628356934,
-1.4663281440734863,
2.1407623291015625
] |
['To examine mobility, balance, fall risk, and cognition in older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) as a function of fall frequency.', 'Retrospective, cross-sectional design.', 'University research laboratory.', 'Community-dwelling persons with MS (N=27) aged between 50 and 75 years were divided into 2 groups-single-time (n=11) and recurrent (n=16; >2 falls/12 mo) fallers-on the basis of fall history.', 'Not applicable.', 'Mobility was assessed using a variety of measures including Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12, walking speed (Timed 25-Foot Walk test), endurance (6-Minute Walk test), and functional mobility (Timed Up and Go test). Balance was assessed with the Berg Balance Scale, posturography, and self-reported balance confidence. Fall risk was assessed with the Physiological Profile Assessment. Cognitive processing speed was quantified with the Symbol Digit Modalities Test and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test.', 'Recurrent fallers had slower cognitive processing speed than single-time fallers (P ≤.01). There was no difference in mobility, balance, or fall risk between recurrent and single-time fallers (P>.05).'] Is cognitive processing speed related to fall frequency in older adults with multiple sclerosis? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.120509624481201,
-0.6387929320335388,
1.8665986061096191
] |
['Chronic alcohol abuse is associated with deficits in cognitive control functions. Cognitive control is likely to be mediated through the interaction between intrinsic large-scale brain networks involved in externally oriented executive functioning and internally focused thought processing. Improving the interaction between these functional brain networks could be an important target for treatment. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the effects of the cognitive enhancer modafinil on within-network and between-network resting-state functional connectivity and cognitive control functions in alcohol-dependent patients.', 'In a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and a Stroop task were employed in alcohol-dependent patients (n = 15) and healthy control subjects (n = 16). Within-network and between-network functional connectivity was calculated using a combination of independent component analysis and functional network connectivity analysis.', 'Modafinil significantly increased the negative coupling between executive networks and the default mode network, which was associated with modafinil-induced improvement in cognitive control in alcohol-dependent patients.'] Does modafinil modulate resting-state functional network connectivity and cognitive control in alcohol-dependent patients? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.6746509075164795,
-0.8040176033973694,
2.5798423290252686
] |
['Heart failure (HF) is approaching an epidemic proportion and has become one of the leading causes of death. It imposes a great burden on the healthcare system and society. Remodeling of cardiomyocyte membranes has a profound role in the pathogenesis of HF. However, whether dynamin (DNM), a membrane-remodeling GTPase, is associated with HF remains unclear.', 'Here, we identified that DNM2 is necessary for the maintenance of cardiac function. Endogenous DNM2 protein levels were gradually decreased in parallel with the progression of HF in different experimental animal models. Decreased DNM2 level was also observed in the end-stage failing human heart. DNM2-deficient zebrafish exhibited signs of notable cardiac apoptosis and eventually developed severe HF. Mechanistic study showed that DNM2 downregulation caused cardiomyocyte sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) overload and subsequent mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. These events were preceded by enhanced membrane translocation of the L-type Ca(2+) channel due to DNM2 deficiency-mediated membrane trafficking dysfunction. Furthermore, prevention of cardiomyocyte Ca(2+)-mishandling largely ameliorated the DNM2 deficiency-associated cardiomyocyte apoptosis and HF.'] Does dynamin-2 mediate heart failure by modulating Ca2+ -dependent cardiomyocyte apoptosis? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.55576491355896,
-1.152597427368164,
2.761303424835205
] |
['In human beings, dark skin requires more exposure to ultraviolet light to synthesize the same amount of vitamin D as lighter skin. It is has been repeatedly shown that at the latitude of the United States there are vitamin D disparities related to skin color. Although inadequate vitamin D status and health disparities have been associated with many of the same diseases, neither nutrition policy nor public health policy in the United States currently recognizes any role at all for vitamin D as a determinant of health disparities.', 'This study investigated the relationship between health, skin color, and vitamin D nutriture in the US population.', 'The design is cross-sectional, correlational, and can be generalized to the population of the United States.', 'We used data from 12,505 (unweighted) subjects (3,402 non-Hispanic blacks, 3,143 Mexican Americans, and 5,960 non-Hispanic whites), aged 13 years or older, from the continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006.', 'Self-rated health, a repeatedly validated indicator of objective health status, was used as a continuous measure of health.', 'Using software appropriate for the complex survey design of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the study consisted of six regression models, one predicting vitamin D status and five predicting self-rated health.', 'Controlling for the covariates sex, interview language, country of birth, tobacco use, age, body mass index, and leisure exercise as well as the socioeconomic variables education and family income, remaining disparities in self-rated health are greatly reduced or eliminated by controlling for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.'] Is vitamin D status a biological determinant of health disparities? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.7795965671539307,
-0.11236037313938141,
2.0285022258758545
] |
['Parental eating behavior traits have been shown to be related to the adiposity of their young children. It is unknown whether this relationship persists in older offspring or whether rigid or flexible control are involved. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that parental eating behavior traits, as measured by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), are related to offspring body weight.', 'Cross-sectional anthropometric and TFEQ data from phase 2 and 3 of the Québec Family Study generated 192 parent-offspring dyads (offspring age range: 10-37 years). Relationships were adjusted for offspring age, sex and reported physical activity, number of offspring per family and parent body mass index (BMI).', 'In all parent-offspring dyads, parental rigid control and disinhibition scores were positively related to offspring BMI (r=0.17, P=0.02; r=0.18, P<0.01, respectively). There were no significant relationships between cognitive restraint (P=0.75) or flexible control (P=0.06) with offspring BMI. Regression models revealed that parent disinhibition mediated the relationship between parent and offspring BMI, whereas rigid control of the parent moderated this relationship. The interaction effect between parental rigid control and disinhibition was a significant predictor of offspring BMI (β=0.13, P=0.05).'] Are parental eating behavior traits related to offspring BMI in the Québec Family Study? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.5201821327209473,
-0.2524259090423584,
0.9309083819389343
] |
['To examine the effects of sucrose on pain and biochemical markers of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) degradation and oxidative stress in preterm neonates experiencing a clinically required heel lance.', 'Preterm neonates that met study criteria (n = 131) were randomized into 3 groups: (1) control; (2) heel lance treated with placebo and non-nutritive sucking; and (3) heel lance treated with sucrose and non-nutritive sucking. Plasma markers of ATP degradation (hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uric acid) and oxidative stress (allantoin) were measured before and after the heel lance. Pain was measured with the Premature Infant Pain Profile. Data were analyzed by the use of repeated-measures ANOVA and Spearman rho.', 'We found significant increases in plasma hypoxanthine and uric acid over time in neonates who received sucrose. We also found a significant negative correlation between pain scores and plasma allantoin concentration in a subgroup of neonates who received sucrose.'] Does oral sucrose for heel lance increase adenosine triphosphate use and oxidative stress in preterm neonates? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.544105291366577,
-1.1716217994689941,
2.7548248767852783
] |
['To compare the associations between neuromuscular performance and anthropometric characteristics with habitual levels of physical activity in boys and girls during the initial stages of puberty.', 'In a cross-sectional study of 72 healthy children (39 boys and 33 girls) ranging in age from 8 to 14 years, sex differences in anthropometric and motor performance characteristics were compared at 3 Tanner stages (T1-T3). Outcome variables included dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements of body composition, assessments of neuromuscular function, and levels of physical activity (steps/day) measured by accelerometry.', 'Physical activity was lower in girls than boys at T2 and T3, but there was no sex difference at T1. Physical activity increased with Tanner stage for boys but did not differ between Tanner stages in girls. Physical activity at each Tanner stage was strongly associated (R(2) > 0.85) with neuromuscular characteristics for both boys and girls, but percentage of body fat also was associated with physical activity for T3 girls.'] Do associations between neuromuscular function and levels of physical activity differ for boys and girls during puberty? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.727203130722046,
-0.9304329752922058,
1.7291916608810425
] |
['Renal ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a systemic inflammatory process in which Th1 responses predominate affecting other organs including the lungs. The present study explored the phagocytic and microbicidal capacity of macrophages in rats with lung inflammation that underwent IRI.', 'The alveolar macrophages of rats sensitised to OVA were evaluated for phagocytosis and bacterial killing 24h after antigen challenge in animals with or without prior submission to 60 min of renal ischaemia.', 'Bronchoalveolar lavage had a high level of cellular infiltrate in immunised animals (420%) compared with control animals; IRI significantly reduced this infiltration (52%). Macrophages from animals immunised and challenged with OVA presented a 10x increase in phagocytic capacity compared to the control group, whereas immunised animals subjected to IRI showed a reduction in the phagocytic index of 68%. The killing of Klebsiella pneumoniae by macrophages from immunised animals was higher (56%) compared with the control group but reduced in animals submitted to IRI (45%). Immunised and challenged group showed an increase in gene expression levels of IL-10(450%), HO-1 (259%), INF-γ (460%) and MCP-1 (370%) compared to the immunised group subjected to IRI.'] Does acute kidney injury reduce phagocytic and microbicidal capacities of alveolar macrophages? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.474747896194458,
-1.1299238204956055,
2.679490566253662
] |
['To quantify set-up uncertainties during voluntary deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) radiotherapy using 3D-surface imaging in patients with left sided breast cancer.', 'Nineteen patients were included. Cone-beam CT-scan (CBCT) was used for online set-up correction while patients were instructed to perform a voluntary DIBH. The reproducibility of the DIBH during treatment was monitored with 2D-fluoroscopy and portal imaging. Simultaneously, a surface imaging system was used to capture 3D-surfaces throughout CBCT acquisition and delivery of treatment beams. Retrospectively, all captured surfaces were registered to the planning-CT surface. Interfraction, intra-fraction and intra-beam set-up variability were quantified in left-right, cranio-caudal and anterior-posterior direction.', 'Inter-fraction systematic (Σ) and random (σ) translational errors (1SD) before and after set-up correction were between 0.20-0.50 cm and 0.09-0.22 cm, respectively, whereas rotational Σ and σ errors were between 0.08 and 1.56°. The intra-fraction Σ and σ errors were ≤ 0.14 cm and ≤ 0.47°. The intra-beam SD variability was ≤ 0.08 cm and ≤ 0.28° in all directions.'] Do assessment of set-up variability during deep inspiration breath hold radiotherapy for breast cancer patients by 3D-surface imaging? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.0113637447357178,
-1.4350204467773438,
2.508157968521118
] |
['A decreased sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) has been shown to be associated with increased energy intake and therefore an increased body mass index, although other studies have not confirmed this association, suggesting the involvement of other factors. We investigated whether the endocannabinoid system, which also modulates hunger/satiety and energy balance, plays a role in modulating eating behavior influenced by a sensitivity to PROP.', 'The plasma profile of the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), anandamide (AEA), and congeners of AEA, palmitoylethanolamide and oleylethanolamide (OEA), was determined in normal-weight PROP supertasters (STs) and PROP non-tasters (NTs). A cognitive eating behavior disorder was assessed by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, which estimates dietary restraint, disinhibition, and perceived hunger.', 'The disinhibition score of NTs was higher than those of STs (P\xa0=\xa00.02). Moreover, in NTs, OEA was inversely correlated to the perceived hunger score (r\xa0=\xa0-0.7, P\xa0=\xa00.002), and AEA was positively correlated to the restraint score (r\xa0=\xa00.5, P\xa0=\xa00.04) and negatively to the perceived hunger score, although the latter correlation was at the limit of statistical significance (r\xa0=\xa0-0.47, P\xa0=\xa00.05). In addition, we found lower concentrations of AEA and 2-AG in the plasma of NT compared with ST subjects (AEA, P\xa0=\xa00.034; 2-AG, P\xa0=\xa00.003).'] Is taste sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil associated with endocannabinoid plasma levels in normal-weight individuals? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.7272541522979736,
-1.4788925647735596,
2.1483943462371826
] |
['Idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) is a rare cause of portal hypertension that lacks a specific diagnostic test. Requiring ruling-out other causes of portal hypertension it is frequently misdiagnosed. This study evaluates whether using high-throughput techniques there is a metabolomic profile allowing a noninvasive diagnosis of IPH.', "Thirty-three IPH patients were included. Matched patients with cirrhosis (CH) and healthy volunteers (HV) were included as controls. Metabolomic analysis of plasma samples was performed using UPLC-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry. We computed Student's P-values, corrected by multiple comparison and VIP score (Variable Importance in the Projection). The metabolites were selected with an adjusted Benjamini Hochberg P value <0.05. We use markers with a greater VIP score, to build partial least squares projection to latent structures regression with discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) representative models to discriminate IPH from CH and from HV. The performance of the PLS-DA model was evaluated using R(2) and Q(2) parameter. An additional internal cross-validation was done.", 'PLS-DA analysis showed a clear separation of IPH from CH with a model involving 28 metabolites (Q(2)=0.67, area under the curve (AUC)=0.99) and a clear separation of IPH from healthy subjects with a model including 31 metabolites (Q(2)=0.75, AUC=0.98). After cross-validation, both models showed high rates of sensitivity (94.8 and 97.5), specificity (89.1 and 89.7), and AUC (0.98 and 0.98), reinforcing the strength of our findings.'] Does metabolomics disclose potential biomarkers for the noninvasive diagnosis of idiopathic portal hypertension? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.9199905395507812,
-1.5082716941833496,
2.4762632846832275
] |
['This study aims to determine the role of serum interleukin-6 concentration for oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas.', 'Cohort study.', 'Tertiary referral center.', 'Two hundred thirty-seven untreated patients, 125 healthy individuals, and 104 individuals with oral premalignant lesions were enrolled. Interleukin-6 serum concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.', 'Serum concentrations of interleukin-6 were significantly higher in patients compared with the levels in healthy individuals and the subjects with oral premalignant lesions. Serum interleukin-6 levels were significantly higher in patients with higher pT status (from pT1 to pT4, median values in pg/mL = 0, 0, 1.3, and 5.0, respectively, with P < .001), higher pathological stages (from stage I to IV, median values = 0, 0, 1.3, and 3.6, respectively, with P < .001), positive bone invasion (5.0 vs 0, 1.4 vs 0; P < .001), and higher tumor depths (1.4 vs 0; P = .005). Patients with higher pretreatment levels of interleukin-6 (>1.35 pg/mL, median level) had worse prognoses for 5-year overall survival and disease-specific survival despite treatment (75.7% vs 54.9% and 79.1% vs 59.8%; P = .001 and .003, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analyses also indicated that higher interleukin-6 serum levels were an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and disease-free survival (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.417 and 2.364; P = .009 and .017, respectively).'] Are pretreatment interleukin-6 serum levels associated with patient survival for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.737082600593567,
-1.5475785732269287,
2.2974045276641846
] |
['Efforts to reduce blood product use have the potential to avoid transfusion-related complications and reduce health care costs. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a multi-institutional effort to reduce blood product use affects postoperative events after cardiac surgical operations and to determine the influence of perioperative transfusion on risk-adjusted outcomes.', 'A total of 14,259 patients (2006-2010) undergoing nonemergency, primary, isolated coronary artery bypass grafting operations at 17 different statewide cardiac centers were stratified according to transfusion guideline era: pre-guideline (n = 7059, age = 63.7 ± 10.6 years) versus post-guideline (n = 7200, age = 63.7 ± 10.5 years). Primary outcomes of interest were observed differences in postoperative events and mortality risk-adjusted associations as estimated by multiple regression analysis.', 'Overall intraoperative (24% vs 18%, P < .001) and postoperative (39% vs 33%, P < .001) blood product transfusion were significantly reduced in the post-guideline era. Patients in the post-guideline era demonstrated reduced morbidity with decreased pneumonia (P = .01), prolonged ventilation (P = .05), renal failure (P = .03), new-onset hemodialysis (P = .004), and composite incidence of major complications (P = .001). Operative mortality (1.0% vs 1.8%, P < .001) and postoperative ventilation time (22 vs 26 hours, P < .001) were similarly reduced in the post-guideline era. Of note, after mortality risk adjustment, operations performed in the post-guideline era were associated with a 47% reduction in the odds of death (adjusted odds ratio, 0.57; P < .001), whereas the risk of major complications and mortality were significantly increased after intraoperative (adjusted odds ratio, 1.86 and 1.25; both P < .001) and postoperative (adjusted odds ratio, 4.61 and 4.50, both P < .001) transfusion. Intraoperative and postoperative transfusions were associated with increased adjusted incremental total hospitalization costs ($4408 and $10,479, respectively).'] Is blood product conservation associated with improved outcomes and reduced costs after cardiac surgery? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.7319260835647583,
-1.2138770818710327,
1.9706988334655762
] |
['Studies about children with respiratory diseases in Africa are impeded by the dearth of reliable data for the vast majority of countries on the continent. This study was conducted to establish representative reference values, therefore allowing a more accurate evaluation of lung function in Malagasy children.', "One thousand two hundred thirty-six students from three public and five private schools aged 8-12 years were recruited. A total of 1,093 children were healthy, had a valid lung function measurement and were thus deemed evaluable for this study. Lung function data were collected on consecutive days in Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital, using spirometry and a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire.", 'The lung volumes found were substantially lower compared to Caucasian and African equations. The mean Z-score (Stanojevic) for the forced vital capacity (FVC) found was -1.45 and -0.93 for the forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) with significant differences between private and public schools (FVC: P = 0.0023, FEV1: P = 0.0004).'] Is spirometric reference values in urban children in Madagascar : poverty a risk factor for low lung function? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-0.53255695104599,
-0.7030664086341858,
0.3285922110080719
] |
['The studying of physical-chemical qualities of liver bile and lipid exchange before and after cholecystectomy.', 'We spent the complex investigation of physical-chemical qualities of bile and lipid levels in 210 patients with cholelithiasis stage I (pre-stone) and in 90 patients with cholelithiasis stage II and III (with gallstones) after cholecystectomy.', 'In all examined patients we revealed disturbances of physical-chemical qualities of bile and lipid exchange. With correlation analysis it was found that bile lithogenity increases in high bile density, in progressing of inflammation process in bile ducts, in increasing of aterogene fractions of blood cholesterol.'] Does [ Wether cholescystectomy affect bile lithogenicity in cholelithiasis ]? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.519030809402466,
-1.0469545125961304,
2.697470188140869
] |
['Ischemia and reperfusion injury is critical in allograft vasculopathy (AV) development. We have shown that neutrophil-mediated medial smooth muscle cell (SMC) loss precedes AV and that prolonged cold ischemia (CI) impairs medial SMC recovery and accelerates AV development. We hypothesize that neutrophils (NØs) are responsible for failed medial SMC recovery that precedes AV.', 'Aortic transplants were performed between fully disparate C3H/HeJ murine donors and wild-type C57BL/6 (WT B6), B6.129S7-Rag1 (Rag1(-/-); intact innate but no adaptive immunity), and B6.129S-Cybb (NOX2(-/-); NØ loss-of-function) recipients under cyclosporine A immunosuppression. Grafts were exposed to 20 or 60 minutes CI before transplant and harvested at 1 day, 2 weeks, and 8 weeks after transplant. Some WT B6 recipients were treated with remote ischemic pre-conditioning (rIPC). Grafts were assessed for medial SMCs, NØs, and lesion area.', 'The 60-minute vs 20-minute CI grafts exhibited reduced SMC recovery at 2 weeks in WT B6 and Rag1(-/-) recipients (WT B6: p = 0.0009; Rag1(-/-): p = 0.0006). NØ influx was greater in Rag1(-/-) recipients of 60-minute vs 20-minute CI grafts at 1 day (p = 0.0002). The difference in 2-week medial SMC recovery between ischemia groups was abrogated in NOX2(-/-) recipients. At 8 weeks, NOX2(-/-) and rIPC recipients of 60-minute CI grafts exhibited smaller neointimal lesions than B6 recipients (NOX2(-/-): p = 0.0009; rIPC: p = 0.0005).'] Are neutrophils responsible for impaired medial smooth muscle cell recovery and exaggerated allograft vasculopathy in aortic allografts exposed to prolonged cold ischemia? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-1.563686728477478,
-1.7349387407302856,
2.2080605030059814
] |
['The calories in alcoholic beverages consumed by alcoholics are a major energy source and a strong modifier of their body weight. Genetic polymorphisms of alcohol dehydrogenase-1B (ADH1B) and aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) affect susceptibility to alcoholism and may affect body weight via gene-associated differences in fuel utilization in alcoholics.', 'We evaluated associations between ADH1B/ALDH2 genotypes and the body weight and body mass index (BMI) of 1,301 Japanese alcoholic men at the time of their first visit to an addiction center.', 'Median (25th to 75th) caloric intake in the form of alcoholic beverages was 864 (588 to 1,176) kcal/d. Age-adjusted caloric intake did not differ according to ADH1B/ALDH2 genotypes. The body weight and BMI values showed that the ADH1B*2/*2 and *1/*2 carriers (n = 939) were significantly leaner than the ADH1B*1/*1 carriers (n = 362) irrespective of age, drinking, smoking, and dietary habits. The age-adjusted body weight values of the ADH1B*2/*2, ADH1B*1/*2, and ADH1B*1/*1 carriers were 58.4 ± 0.4, 58.7 ± 0.5, and 63.6 ± 0.5 kg, respectively (ADH1B*2 vs. ADH1B*1/*1 carriers, p < 0.0001), and the corresponding BMI values were 21.0 ± 0.1, 21.0 ± 0.1, and 22.9 ± 0.2 kg/m(2) , respectively (ADH1B*2 vs. ADH1B*1/*1 carriers, p < 0.0001). No effects of inactive ALDH2 on body weight or BMI were observed. A multivariate analysis showed that BMI decreased by 0.35 per 10-year increase in age, by 1.73 in the presence of the ADH1B*2 allele, by 1.55 when the preferred beverage was whiskey, and by 0.19 per +10 cigarettes/d and that it increased by 0.10 per +22 g ethanol (EtOH)/d and by 0.41 per increase in category of frequency of milk intake (every day, occasionally, rarely, and never). The increase in BMI as alcohol consumption increased was significantly smaller in the ADH1B*2 group than in the ADH1B*1/*1 group (p = 0.002).'] Is alcohol dehydrogenase-1B genotype ( rs1229984 ) a strong determinant of the relationship between body weight and alcohol intake in Japanese alcoholic men? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-0.08587069064378738,
-1.7151670455932617,
0.7759103775024414
] |
['Despite faster transport times, concern about the safety of medical helicopters has led to scrutiny in the national media. Few criteria exist for the use of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS). This study evaluated if pediatric trauma patients transported by HEMS from the injury scene were more likely to be discharged from the emergency department and more likely to be less severely injured based on Injury Severity Score (ISS) compared with adult patients.', 'Retrospective data were obtained from the trauma registry at our Level I trauma center between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2009. Trauma patients arriving by HEMS from the injury scene were included. χ(2) was used to compare the discharge rate and the ISS (divided into 0-15 and 16-75) of the adult and pediatric populations. Pediatric patients were those younger than 16 years.', 'A total of 2,897 trauma patients were transported by HEMS. A total of 247 (9%) were pediatric patients, and 2,650 (91%) were adults. Among the pediatric patients, 23% were discharged, and 77% were admitted. Of the adult patients, discharge occurred in 16%, and 84% were admitted. Comparison of the discharge rate between pediatric and adult patients revealed a significantly higher proportion of discharge among the pediatric patients (p < 0.01). Among the pediatric patients, 72% had an ISS of 0 to 15, and 28% had an ISS of 16 to 75. Among the adult patients, 55% had an ISS of 0 to 15, and 45% had an ISS of 16 to 75. Comparison of these groups revealed a statistically significantly lower ISS in the pediatric group (p < 0.01).'] Are pediatric trauma patients more likely to be discharged from the emergency department after arrival by helicopter emergency medical services? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 0 | [
1.5740348100662231,
-0.8744985461235046,
-1.537795066833496
] |
['HIV infection disproportionately impacts minorities; yet research on racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence and correlates of HIV risk behaviors is limited.', 'This study examined racial/ethnic differences in the rates of HIV risk behaviors and whether the relationship between HIV risk factors and HIV risk behaviors varies by race/ethnicity in clients participating in NIDA Clinical Trials Network trials.', 'The sample was 41% non-Hispanic White, 32% non-Hispanic Black, and 27% Hispanic (N = 2,063). HIV risk behaviors and measures of substance and psychosocial HIV risk factors in the past month were obtained. Non-Hispanic Blacks engaged in less HIV sexual risk behaviors overall than non-Hispanic Whites. While non-Hispanic Whites were the most likely to report any injection drug use, Hispanics engaged in the most HIV drug risk behaviors. Specific risk factors were differentially predictive of HIV risk behavior by race/ethnicity. Alcohol use severity was related to engaging in higher sex risk behaviors for non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites. Greater psychiatric severity was related to engaging in higher sex risk behaviors for non-Hispanic Whites. Drug use severity was associated with engaging in higher risk drug behaviors for non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics with the magnitude of the relationship stronger for Hispanics.'] Does racial/ethnic differences in the rates and correlate of HIV risk behaviors among drug abusers? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 1 | [
-2.327685832977295,
1.9610801935195923,
-0.2684134542942047
] |
['While a substantial literature exists demonstrating a strong association of alcohol and intentional injury, less is known about the association of intentional injury with recreational drug use, either alone, or in combination with alcohol.', 'The risk of intentional injury due to alcohol and other drug use prior to injury is analyzed in a sample of emergency department (ED) patients.', 'Logistic regression was used to examine the predictive value of alcohol and drug use on intentional versus non-intentional injury in a probability sample of ED patients in Vancouver, BC (n = 436).', 'Those reporting only alcohol use were close to four times more likely (OR = 3.73) to report an intentional injury, and those reporting alcohol combined with other drug(s) almost 18 times more likely (OR = 17.75) than those reporting no substance use. Those reporting both alcohol and drug use reported drinking significantly more alcohol (15.7 drinks) than those reporting alcohol use alone (5 drinks).'] Do alcohol and drug use as predictors of intentional injuries in two emergency departments in British Columbia? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 1 | [
-0.9587571024894714,
0.5499380230903625,
-0.4018036723136902
] |
['Contingency management (CM) interventions are efficacious in treating cocaine abusing methadone patients, but few studies have examined the effect of age on treatment outcomes in this population. This study evaluated the impact of age on treatment outcomes in cocaine abusing methadone patients.', 'Data were analyzed from 189 patients enrolled in one of three randomized studies that evaluated the efficacy of CM versus standard care (SC) treatment.', 'Age was associated with some demographics and drug use characteristics including racial composition, education, and methadone dose. Primary drug abuse treatment outcomes did not vary across age groups, but CM had a greater benefit for engendering longer durations of abstinence in the middle/older and older age groups compared to the younger age groups. At the 6-month follow-up, submission of a cocaine positive urine sample was predicted by submission of a cocaine positive sample at intake, higher methadone doses, and assignment to SC rather than CM treatment.'] Do older methadone patients achieve greater durations of cocaine abstinence with contingency management than younger patients? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.0750014781951904,
-0.3690601885318756,
1.4832271337509155
] |
['Patients with prevalent or incident tuberculosis (TB) in antiretroviral treatment (ART) programmes in sub-Saharan Africa have high mortality risk. However, published data are contradictory as to whether TB is a risk factor for mortality that is independent of CD4 cell counts and other patient characteristics.', 'This observational ART cohort study was based in Cape Town, South Africa. Deaths from all causes were ascertained among patients receiving ART for up to 8 years. TB diagnoses and 4-monthly CD4 cell counts were recorded. Mortality rates were calculated and Poisson regression models were used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR) and identify risk factors for mortality. Of 1544 patients starting ART, 464 patients had prevalent TB at baseline and 424 developed incident TB during a median of 5.0 years follow-up. Most TB diagnoses (73.6%) were culture-confirmed. A total of 208 (13.5%) patients died during ART and mortality rates were 8.84 deaths/100 person-years during the first year of ART and decreased to 1.14 deaths/100 person-years after 5 years. In multivariate analyses adjusted for baseline and time-updated risk factors, both prevalent and incident TB were independent risk factors for mortality (IRR 1.7 [95% CI, 1.2-2.3] and 2.7 [95% CI, 1.9-3.8], respectively). Adjusted mortality risks were higher in the first 6 months of ART for those with prevalent TB at baseline (IRR 2.33; 95% CI, 1.5-3.5) and within the 6 months following diagnoses of incident TB (IRR 3.8; 95% CI, 2.6-5.7).'] Are prevalent and incident tuberculosis independent risk factors for mortality among patients accessing antiretroviral therapy in South Africa? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-0.7065657377243042,
-1.428210735321045,
1.2454025745391846
] |
['To characterize the clinical features and biochemical status at presentation of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in different age groups of children, and to analyze the outcomes of a certain treatment protocol.', 'We reviewed records of patients with DKA who were admitted to our hospital between January 2007 and December 2010. Patients were divided into three subgroups according to age, and the results were compared between these groups.', 'One hundred thirty-four episodes in 111 patients (64 females, 47 males) were analyzed. Of these 134 episodes, 60% was in patients with new-onset diabetes and 40% was in those with established diabetes. Patients younger than 5 years had lower C-peptide and HbA1c levels than older patients at clinical onset. They were also given more alkali therapy. The initial conscious level was found closely related to plasma osmolality and serum sodium levels. Seven of 11 patients with recurrent DKA were females. No major complication was observed.'] Are clinical features and management of diabetic ketoacidosis in different age groups of children : children less than 5 years of age at higher risk of metabolic decompensation? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.6630375385284424,
-0.424834281206131,
2.220262050628662
] |
['The ferroxidase center of DNA-binding protein from starved cells (Dps) is a major player in the iron oxidation/detoxification process that leads to a decreased reactive oxygen species production. The possible Mn(II) participation in this process has been studied in Dps from Kineococcus radiotolerans, a radiation-resistant bacterium with a high cytosolic Mn/Fe ratio and a high capacity to survive ionizing and stress conditions.', 'The X-ray structure of recombinant K. radiotolerans Dps loaded with Mn(II) has been solved at 2.0Å resolution. Mn(II) binding to K. radiotolerans Dps and its effect on Fe(II) oxidation have been characterized in spectroscopic measurements.', 'In K. radiotolerans Dps, the Fe-Fe ferroxidase center can have a Mn-Fe composition. Mn(II) binds only at the high affinity, so-called A site, whereas Fe(II) binds also at the low affinity, so-called B site. The Mn-Fe and Fe-Fe centers behave distinctly upon iron oxidation by O2. A site-bound Mn(II) or Fe(II) plays a catalytic role, while B site-bound Fe(II) behaves like a substrate and can be replaced by another Fe(II) after oxidation. When H2O2 is the Fe(II) oxidant, single electrons are transferred to aromatic residues near the ferroxidase center and give rise to intra-protein radicals thereby limiting OH release in solution. The presence of the Mn-Fe center results in significant differences in the development of such intra-protein radicals.'] Does kineococcus radiotolerans Dps form a heteronuclear Mn-Fe ferroxidase center that may explain the Mn-dependent protection against oxidative stress? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.43823504447937,
-1.0321260690689087,
2.5529282093048096
] |
['Increased expression of aggrecanase-1 (ADAMTS-4) has emerged as an important factor in osteoarthritis (OA) and other joint diseases. This study aimed to determine whether the expression of ADAMTS-4 in human chondrocytes is regulated by miRNA.', 'MiRNA targets were identified using bioinformatics. Chondrocytes were isolated from knee cartilage and treated with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β). Gene expression was quantified using TaqMan assays and protein production was determined by immunoblotting. Luciferase reporter assay was used to verify interaction between miRNA and target messenger RNA (mRNA).', "In silico analysis predicted putative target sequence of miR-125b on ADAMTS-4. MiR-125b was expressed in both normal and OA chondrocytes, with significantly lower expression in OA chondrocytes than in normal chondrocytes. Furthermore, IL-1β-induced upregulation of ADAMTS-4 was suppressed by overexpression of miR-125b in human OA chondrocytes. In the luciferase reporter assay, mutation of the putative miR-125b binding site in the ADAMTS-4 3'UTR abrogated the suppressive effect of miR125."] Does microRNA-125b regulate the expression of aggrecanase-1 ( ADAMTS-4 ) in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes? | qiaojin/PubMedQA | 2 | [
-2.3104565143585205,
-1.22386634349823,
2.5066447257995605
] |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.