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['To analyze ovarian and uterine morphologic changes resulting from intrauterine and postnatal exposure to diesel exhaust.', 'Crossover study. Experimental groups: intrauterine and postnatal clean air exposure; intrauterine exposure to diesel only; postnatal exposure to diesel only; and intrauterine and postnatal exposure to diesel.', 'Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution.', 'Swiss mice.', 'Mice exposed to diesel exhaust with doses that correspond to the daily average PM₂.₅ levels (fine particles in the ambient air 2.5 μm or less in size) reported by the World Health Organization.', 'Morphometric analyses of the ovaries and uterus were performed to define the relative area occupied by follicles, corpus luteum, and stroma and the proportionate area of glands, epithelial layer, and stroma within the uterine endometrium.', 'A significant reduction in the proportion of primordial follicles was observed in intrauterine-exposed animals, those exposed during the postnatal period, and in animals exposed during both phases. Primary follicle proportion was reduced in animals exposed during pregnancy. No significant changes were detected in uterine morphology.'] Does intrauterine exposure to diesel exhaust diminish adult ovarian reserve?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.5904648303985596, -0.6872108578681946, 2.3514113426208496 ]
['Earlier studies have demonstrated an association between N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) catalytic activity and the genotype of a recently published tag single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs1495741. There have been no reports on the relationship between the rs1495741 genotype and antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity (ATDIH) to date.', 'The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of the NAT2 tag SNP (rs1495741) in the Taiwanese and its relation to the incidence of ATDIH.', 'A total of 348 tuberculosis patients were enrolled to determine the frequency of NAT2 tag SNP rs1495741 and its relation to the incidence of ATDIH. The conventional NAT2 variants alleles have also been investigated. Furthermore, to evaluate the correlation of NAT2 activity and rs1495741 genotypes, a pharmacokinetic study of isoniazid was also conducted in healthy volunteers.', 'Among the 348 tuberculosis patients, 20 (5.7%) were diagnosed with ATDIH. The frequencies of the three rs1495741 genotypes, viz., AA, AG, and GG, were 24.7, 52.3, and 23.0%, respectively. Signi&filig;cant differences among rs1495741 genotypes and susceptibility to hepatotoxicity were noted (odds ratio=14.068, P<0.05). Moreover, the rs1495741 genotypes showed an association with the isoniazid dosage required for induction of hepatotoxicity. In the pharmacokinetic study, NAT2 activity was strongly associated with genotype categories (P<0.001).'] Does the NAT2 tag SNP rs1495741 correlate with the susceptibility of antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.6768908500671387, -1.552384376525879, 2.162930488586426 ]
["Children with Crohn's disease (CD) may report abdominal pain despite clinical remission, suggesting that functional abdominal pain (FAP) may be playing a role. The aim of this study was to explore the presence and impact of FAP in children with CD in remission.", "Children, aged 9 to 17 years, with CD were enrolled. Demographic information, the Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index, and the Children's Depression Inventory were obtained. Disease remission was defined by physician global assessment, normal laboratories findings, absence of 3 or more stools a day, nocturnal stooling, bloody diarrhea, concurrent steroid therapy, strictures, or disease flare within 6 months. FAP was defined as patients with abdominal pain and CD remission. Rates of depression (Children's Depression Inventory >9) were compared.", "Of 307 children, 139 reported abdominal pain. Of this group, 18 of 139 (13%) children met the criteria for FAP. Despite clinical remission, 8 of 18 patients with CD having FAP were classified with active disease by Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index. These patients had a higher rate of depression than patients with CD in remission with no abdominal pain (55.6% versus 29.9%; P = 0.03), similar to patients with abdominal pain from active CD (55.6% versus 44.8%; P = 0.62)."] Do the overlap of functional abdominal pain in pediatric Crohn 's disease?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.2703992128372192, -0.7992917895317078, 1.2166999578475952 ]
['The objective was to see if hyperglycemia in the emergency department predicted traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) for infants and young children.', 'A 6-year retrospective chart review was performed on patients younger than 3 years. Patients identified from the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) database with ICH on computer tomography were compared with those with a history of trauma without ICH identified from a radiology database. Subgroup analysis was performed on the ICH group comparing abusive head trauma (AHT) and accidental. Primary outcomes measured were initial serum glucose level, length of stay, length of ventilation, mortality, and disability on discharge.', 'Fifty-three patients were admitted to the PICU with traumatic ICH with an overall mortality of 7.5%. The average initial glucose in the emergency department was significantly higher for the patients with ICH than those without (164 vs. 99 mg/dL, P < 0.0001). Combining elevated serum glucose with any abnormality in Glasgow Coma Scale score yielded sensitivity and specificity of 100%. The average presenting glucose was higher for AHT compared with accidental injury (190 vs. 133 mg/dL, P < 0.001). Patients with AHT had greater PICU and hospital length of stay and more severe disabilities on discharge (P < 0.001).'] Is hyperglycemia associated with intracranial injury in children younger than 3 years of age?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.5431948900222778, -1.3722758293151855, 1.961323857307434 ]
['Intra-articular distal humeral fractures can be approached in a variety of ways. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the functional outcomes of two approaches: approach with olecranon osteotomy and triceps-lifting approach for the treatment of intra-articular distal humeral fractures.', 'This study shows a consecutive series of 54 intra-articular distal humeral fractures of 54 patients who were treated with open reduction and internal fixation with anatomic plating. Lateral plating was performed in 10 (45.5 %) patients, and medial and lateral parallel plating was performed in 12 (54.5 %) patients in olecranon osteotomy group, while lateral plating was performed in 8 (25 %) patients, and medial and lateral parallel plating was performed in 24 (75 %) patients in triceps-lifting group.', 'Mean follow-up was 38.3 months for olecranon osteotomy group and 41.4 months for triceps-lifting group. Functional outcomes according to MAYO elbow score and extension-flexion motion arc values were significantly better in olecranon osteotomy group (p < 0.05).'] Does the olecranon osteotomy provide better outcome than the triceps-lifting approach for the treatment of distal humerus fractures?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.9606375694274902, -1.4258596897125244, 2.417264223098755 ]
['Phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3), a protein tyrosine phosphatase, is highly expressed in multiple human cancers and strongly implicated in tumor progression and cancer metastasis. However, the mechanisms by which PRL-3 promotes cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis are not very well understood. In this study, we investigated the contribution and molecular mechanisms of PRL-3 in ovarian cancer progression.', 'PRL-3 protein expression was detected on ovarian cancer tissue microarrays using immunohistochemistry. Stable PRL-3 depleted cell lines were generated using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) constructs. The migration and invasion potential of these cells were analyzed using Transwell and Matrigel assays, respectively. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect protein levels and distribution in PRL-3-ablated cells and the control cells. Cell morphology was observed with hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy. Finally, PRL-3-ablated and control cells were injected into nude mice for xenograft tumorigenicity assays.', 'Elevated PRL-3 expression was detected in 19% (26 out of 135) of human ovarian cancer patient samples, but not in normal ovary tissues (0 out of 14). Stable depletion of PRL-3 in A2780 ovarian cancer cells resulted in decreased migration ability and invasion activity compared with control parental A2780 cells. In addition, PRL-3-ablated cells also exhibited flattened morphology and extended lamellipodia. To address the possible molecular basis for the altered phenotypes associated with PRL-3 down-regulation, we assessed the expression profiles of various proteins involved in cell-matrix adhesion. Depletion of PRL-3 dramatically enhanced both RNA and protein levels of the cell surface receptor integrin α2, but not its heterologous binding partner integrin β1. Inhibition of PRL-3 also correlated with elevated expression and phosphorylation of paxillin. A pronounced increase in the expression and activation of c-fos, a transcriptional activator of integrin α2, was observed in these PRL-3 knock-down cells. Moreover, forced expression of EGFP-PRL-3 resulted in the suppression of both integrin α2 and c-fos expression in A2780 cells. Significantly, using a xenograft tumor model, we observed a greatly reduced tumorigenicity of A2780 PRL-3 knock-down cells in vivo.'] Does pRL-3 suppress c-Fos and integrin α2 expression in ovarian cancer cells?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.326474666595459, -1.3782764673233032, 2.7368783950805664 ]
['Glioblastomas are the commonest primary brain tumour and are considered one of the most heterogeneous tumour types. The introduction of a glioblastoma with oligodendroglial component (GBM + O) in the latest WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System (1) was to help with this. There has been conflicting evidence as to whether this tumour conferred a better prognosis than classical glioblastoma (GBM). The aim of this study was to study the clinical phenotype of these GBM + O tumours and compare it to the classical GBM.', 'All patients with histological evidence of a glioblastoma between 1st January 2007 and 31st January 2011 were identified from the Neuropathology Database. Clinical and radiological details were obtained for all patients. The overall survival of patients who were treated with chemoradiotherapy was obtained and the GBM + O cohort compared to the classical GBM cohort.', 'Three hundred and ninety-six patients with newly diagnosed glioblastomas were identified: 294 (74.2%) had classical GBM and 102 (25.6%) had GBM + O. The two cohorts presented at a similar age (61.1 years GBM + O vs. 63.2 years GBM; P = 0.09) and were matched for sex and side of the tumour. GBM + O were more likely to be located in the frontal lobes (38.2% for GBM + O vs. 27.2% for GBM: P = 0.04). In the group that was treated with chemoradiotherapy the overall survival was similar (median survival GBM + O 361 days vs. 379 days GBM; Log Rank 0.61, P = 0.43).'] Do glioblastomas with oligodendroglial component have the same clinical phenotype as classical glioblastomas?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.1567944288253784, -1.6495273113250732, 1.7786961793899536 ]
['Prostacyclin analogues are the most effective drugs to treat sclerodermic digital ulcers, but their systemic use is limited by their frequent side effects. The authors tested whether the prostacyclin analogues treprostinil and iloprost, delivered by cutaneous iontophoresis, induce sustained vasodilatation.', 'Twenty healthy volunteers received treprostinil by cathodal iontophoresis on the forearm. Skin blood flux was quantified using laser Doppler imaging.', 'Treprostinil 250 µM induced an increase in cutaneous vascular conductance AUC(80) (min) (31 897 ± 24 390 %BL·min) compared with NaCl 0.9% (P < .005), treprostinil 2.5 µM (P < .005), and treprostinil 25 µM (P < .005). This was confirmed when flux was recorded for up to 10 hours. Systemic and skin tolerance of treprostinil were good. Iloprost was stopped early because of local toxicity.'] Does cathodal iontophoresis of treprostinil induce a sustained increase in cutaneous blood flux in healthy volunteers?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.0428032875061035, -1.5176337957382202, 2.6072354316711426 ]
['Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a phenotype cluster predisposing to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We conducted a study to elucidate the genetic basis underlying linkage signals for multiple representative traits of MetS that we had previously identified at two significant QTLs on chromosomes 3q27 and 17p12.', 'We performed QTL-specific genomic and transcriptomic analyses in 1,137 individuals from 85 extended families that contributed to the original linkage. We tested in SOLAR association of MetS phenotypes with QTL-specific haplotype-tagging SNPs as well as transcriptional profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).', 'SNPs significantly associated with MetS phenotypes under the prior hypothesis of linkage mapped to seven genes at 3q27 and seven at 17p12. Prioritization based on biologic relevance, SNP association, and expression analyses identified two genes: insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) at 3q27 and tumor necrosis factor receptor 13B (TNFRSF13B) at 17p12. Prioritized genes could influence cell-cell adhesion and adipocyte differentiation, insulin/glucose responsiveness, cytokine effectiveness, plasma lipid levels, and lipoprotein densities.'] Do qTL-based association analyses reveal novel genes influencing pleiotropy of metabolic syndrome ( MetS )?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.3862671852111816, -1.203833818435669, 2.666092872619629 ]
['Study explored knowledge and perception of student nurses on the use of NANDA-I nursing diagnoses in the community setting.', 'Study adopted cross-sectional design. Convenient sampling method was used to select 290 nursing students. Data analysis was by descriptive and inferential statistics.', 'A majority (81.3%) of the participants considered NANDA-I nursing diagnoses to be useful in the community. Significant association existed in the perception and level of education of the students (χ(2) = 8.257, d.f. = 1, p= .04).'] Does student nurses ' perceived use of NANDA-I nursing diagnose in the community setting?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
1
[ -0.8599104881286621, 0.5090968608856201, -0.3190866708755493 ]
['Individuals with deficiencies of pulmonary surfactant protein C (SP-C) develop interstitial lung disease (ILD) that is exacerbated by viral infections including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). SP-C gene targeted mice (Sftpc -/-) lack SP-C, develop an ILD-like disease and are susceptible to infection with RSV.', 'In order to determine requirements for correction of RSV induced injury we have generated compound transgenic mice where SP-C expression can be induced on the Sftpc -/- background (SP-C/Sftpc -/-) by the administration of doxycycline (dox). The pattern of induced SP-C expression was determined by immunohistochemistry and processing by Western blot analysis. Tissue and cellular inflammation was measured following RSV infection and the RSV-induced cytokine response of isolated Sftpc +/+ and -/- type II cells determined.', 'After 5\u2009days of dox administration transgene SP-C mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR in the lungs of two independent lines of bitransgenic SP-C/Sftpc -/- mice (lines 55.3 and 54.2). ProSP-C was expressed in the lung, and mature SP-C was detected by Western blot analysis of the lavage fluid from both lines of SP-C/Sftpc -/- mice. Induced SP-C expression was localized to alveolar type II cells by immunostaining with an antibody to proSP-C. Line 55.3 SP-C/Sftpc -/- mice were maintained on or off dox for 7\u2009days and infected with 2.6x107 RSV pfu. On day 3 post RSV infection total inflammatory cell counts were reduced in the lavage of dox treated 55.3 SP-C/Sftpc -/- mice (p\u2009=\u20090.004). The percentage of neutrophils was reduced (p\u2009=\u20090.05). The viral titers of lung homogenates from dox treated 55.3 SP-C/Sftpc -/- mice were decreased relative to 55.3 SP-C/Sftpc -/- mice without dox (p\u2009=\u20090.01). The cytokine response of Sftpc -/- type II cells to RSV was increased over that of Sftpc +/+ cells.'] Does genetic replacement of surfactant protein-C reduce respiratory syncytial virus induced lung injury?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.090144395828247, -1.5545843839645386, 2.6502223014831543 ]
['Liver diseases are responsible for metabolic disturbances and the loss of muscle mass and function. This study aims to correlate maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) with the Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) severity score and associate VO2max with mortality in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.', 'This prospective study included 27 patients who had a diagnosis of alcoholic liver cirrhosis. All subjects were followed for 3 years and performed an exercise test to determine VO2max.', 'The study included 18 men and 9 women. We observed a strong inverse correlation between VO2max and MELD (r=-0.91, p<0.001). In a survival analysis, individuals who had a VO2max less than 14mL/kg showed 60% mortality when compared with those who had a VO2max greater than 14mL/kg (p<0.0001; OR: 3.29; 95% CI: 1.44-5.25).'] Does maximum oxygen consumption predict mortality in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -0.6419486999511719, -1.178478479385376, 0.9657237529754639 ]
['Intake of green tea may reduce the risk of breast cancer; polyphenols in this drink can influence enzymes that metabolize estrogens, known causal factors in breast cancer etiology.', 'We examined the associations of green tea intake (<1 time/week, 1-6 times weekly, or 7+ times weekly) with urinary estrogens and estrogen metabolites (jointly EM) in a cross-sectional sample of healthy Japanese American women, including 119 premenopausal women in luteal phase and 72 postmenopausal women. We fit robust regression models to each log-transformed EM concentration (picomoles per mg creatinine), adjusting for age and study center. In premenopausal women, intake of green tea was associated with lower luteal total EM (P trend=0.01) and lower urinary 16-pathway EM (P trend=0.01). In postmenopausal women, urinary estrone and estradiol were approximately 20% and 40% lower (P trend=0.01 and 0.05, respectively) in women drinking green tea daily compared to those drinking<1 time/week. Adjustment for potential confounders (age at menarche, parity/age at first birth, body mass index, Asian birthplace, soy) did not change these associations.'] Is green tea intake associated with urinary estrogen profiles in Japanese-American women?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.2045953273773193, -0.9360223412513733, 2.1386218070983887 ]
['Exposure to high-calorie foods may promote overeating by stimulating brain reward pathways and appetite. Abdominal fat has particularly adverse metabolic consequences and may alter brain pathways that regulate feeding behavior. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to test the hypothesis that high-calorie food cues activate brain reward regions and increase appetite, and to examine the relationship between abdominal fat and brain reward responsiveness in Hispanic women.', "fMRI was performed while 13 volunteers viewed 12 blocks of pictures of food and non-food items. Participants rated hunger and food desire after each block of pictures. Brain activation to high-calorie foods was determined by calculating a contrast of high-calorie food minus non-food images. Pearson's correlations were used to test the relationship between brain reward activation and waist circumference.", 'High-calorie food images activated brain reward regions (Z > 2.3, P < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons) and increased hunger (P = 0.001), desire for sweet (P = 0.012) and savory (P = 0.009) foods. The striatal response to high-calorie foods positively correlated with waist circumference, independent of BMI (r = 0.621, P = 0.031).'] Is abdominal fat associated with a greater brain reward response to high-calorie food cues in Hispanic women?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.99564790725708, -0.987247884273529, 2.058043956756592 ]
['Cryoablation is one of the local therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its safety and effect has not been studied in patients with Child class A or B and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C HCC. Metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) overexpression has been associated with poor prognosis of HCC, but its predictive value to post-cryoablation outcomes remains unknown in patients with BCLC stage C HCC.', 'This study assessed the safety and outcomes of cryoablation measured by time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS), and predictive value of MACC1 mRNA and protein overexpression in tumorous tissue to post-cryoablation outcomes in 120 advanced HCC patients with child-pugh class A or B by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining. The potenial correlation of MACC1 and c-Met expression to tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis was also analyzed.', 'The cryoablation in patients with advanced unresectable HCC resulted in a median TTP and OS of 5.5 (4.2- 6.7) months and 10.5 (9.0-12.0) months, respectively and no significant complications, comparable to the historical report for RFA therapy. The MACC1 mRNA and nuclear protein expression was significantly increased in tumorous tissues in these patients than that in normal liver tissue controls. Higher expression of MACC1 mRNA and nuclear protein in tumorous tissues in these patients was associated with shorter post cryoablation median TTP and OS than that with lower MACC1 expression.'] Does high intratumoral metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 expression predict poor outcomes of cryoablation therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.2467684745788574, -1.4218156337738037, 2.7003281116485596 ]
['Increased production of chemokines by adipose tissue and defective adipose tissue oxygenation as a result of obesity may induce leucocyte infiltration and subsequent systemic inflammation.', '1-To determine the relation between the amount of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue and the chemokine interferon-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) and angiogenic factor hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). 2-To determine the relation between the metabolic syndrome and IP-10 as well as HGF.', 'Patients originated from the Secondary Manifestations of ARTerial disease (SMART) cohort. In this study, a cohort of 1251 patients with manifest vascular disease was included. Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue thickness (SAT and VAT respectively) were measured ultrasonographically. IP-10 and HGF concentrations were measured with Luminex multiplex immuno assay in addition to fasting metabolic parameters. Linear regression analyses with adjustments for age, gender, smoking, estimated glomerular filtration rate, type 2 diabetes mellitus and medication use were applied to quantify the relations between adiposity or metabolic syndrome and IP-10 and HGF concentrations.', 'VAT was significantly associated with (log)IP-10 and (log)HGF, reflected by significant higher β-values in VAT quartile 4 compared with VAT quartile 1 (reference): β0.155 (95%CI:0.073-0.237) for IP-10 and β0.147 (95%CI:0.076-0.218) for HGF. Per standard deviation increase in VAT, (log)IP-10 levels increased with 0.057 pg/mL (95%CI:0.027-0.087) and (log)HGF increased with 0.051 pg/mL (95%CI:0.025-0.077). Effect estimates were not affected by including body mass index(BMI) in the model. In contrast, SAT was not associated with IP-10 and HGF. Furthermore, the presence of the metabolic syndrome was associated with IP-10 and HGF.'] Are hepatocyte growth factor and interferon-γ inducible protein-10 related to visceral adiposity?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.993420958518982, -1.5077431201934814, 2.505272150039673 ]
['Members of the Anopheles punctulatus group (AP group) are the primary vectors of human malaria in Papua New Guinea. The AP group includes 13 sibling species, most of them morphologically indistinguishable. Understanding why only certain species are able to transmit malaria requires a better comprehension of their evolutionary history. In particular, understanding relationships and divergence times among Anopheles species may enable assessing how malaria-related traits (e.g. blood feeding behaviours, vector competence) have evolved.', 'DNA sequences of 14 mitochondrial (mt) genomes from five AP sibling species and two species of the Anopheles dirus complex of Southeast Asia were sequenced. DNA sequences from all concatenated protein coding genes (10,770 bp) were then analysed using a Bayesian approach to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and date the divergence of the AP sibling species.', 'Phylogenetic reconstruction using the concatenated DNA sequence of all mitochondrial protein coding genes indicates that the ancestors of the AP group arrived in Papua New Guinea 25 to 54 million years ago and rapidly diverged to form the current sibling species.'] Do mitochondrial genome sequences reveal deep divergences among Anopheles punctulatus sibling species in Papua New Guinea?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
1
[ -2.0974864959716797, 1.7557841539382935, -0.4271222949028015 ]
['To investigate the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction (TD) and IgG subclasses of thyroid autoantibodies (TAs) and to determine the predictive factors of TD in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients.', 'Three hundred and twelve untreated hepatitis C virus-infected patients without a history of TD or treatment with thyroid hormones were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Clinical and biological factors were statistically analyzed to determine the correlation between TD and this patient population.', 'The incidence of TD WAS 12.5% in CHC patients. Clinical hypothyroidism (5.8%) and subclinical hypothyroidism (3.8%) were more frequent than clinical hyperthyroidism (1.6%) and subclinical hyperthyroidism (1.3%). The percentage of TA-positive patients was significantly higher in people 60 years than in those 60 years (31.9 VS 18.6%; P=0.042). Positive thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) was more frequent, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were lower in patients who displayed TD (TPOAb: 62.1 vs 10.8%, P=0.000; ALT: 43.5 vs 51 IU/l, P=0.046). The positive percentage of TPOAb IgG2 subclass in the TD group was significantly higher than that of patients without TD (66.7 vs 16.7%, P=0.005). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that only TPOAb IgG2 subclass positivity was an independent risk factor for TD in CHC patients (odds ratio=8; 95% CI: 1.225-52.246; P=0.030).'] Is the presence of thyroid peroxidase antibody of IgG2 subclass a risk factor for thyroid dysfunction in chronic hepatitis C patients?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.678906798362732, -1.606066107749939, 2.3136253356933594 ]
['To evaluate the effects of administration of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum CECT 7765 on metabolic and immune alterations in obese mice.', 'Adult male wild-type C57BL-6 mice were fed a standard diet or high-fat diet (HFD), supplemented or not with B. pseudocatenulatum CECT 7765 for 7 weeks. The assessments included biochemical and immunological parameters, insulin resistance, glucose tolerance, histology of liver, white-adipose and intestinal tissues, immunocompetent cell functions, and microbiota-related features.', 'B. pseudocatenulatum CECT 7765 reduced serum cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose levels and decreased insulin resistance and improved glucose tolerance in obese mice. This strain reduced serum levels of leptin, interleukin (IL)-6 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1, while increased those of IL-4 in HFD-fed mice. B. pseudocatenulatum CECT7765 reduced liver steatosis and the number of larger adipocytes and number of fat micelles in enterocytes of obese mice. The strain also improved the function of macrophages and dendritic cells in relation to phagocytosis, cytokine production, and induction of T-lymphocyte proliferation. The strain administration increased bifidobacteria and reduced enterobacteria and the inflammatory properties of the gut content in HFD-fed mice.'] Does bifidobacterium CECT 7765 improve metabolic and immunological alterations associated with obesity in high-fat diet-fed mice?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.464276075363159, -1.2384693622589111, 2.80940318107605 ]
['Retinal ganglion cells atrophy during the execution of the intrinsic apoptotic program. This process, which has been termed the apoptotic volume decrease (AVD) in other cell types, has not been well-characterized in ganglion cells.', 'Acute optic nerve crush was used to examine neuronal atrophy in the ganglion cell layer in wild-type and Bax-deficient mice. Nuclear size was measured from retinal wholemounts. Heterochromatin formation was assessed using transmission electron microscopy, whereas histone H4 acetylation was monitored using immunofluoresence. Ganglion cell and retinal transcript abundance was measured using quantitative PCR.', 'Nuclear and soma sizes linearly correlated in both control and damaged retinas. Cells in wild-type mice exhibited nuclear atrophy within 1 day after optic nerve damage. Three days after crush, nuclear atrophy was restricted to ganglion cells identified by retrograde labeling, while amacrine cells also exhibited some atrophy by 5 days. Similar kinetics of nuclear atrophy were observed in cells deficient for the essential proapoptotic gene Bax. Bax-deficient cells also exhibited other nuclear changes common in wild-type cells, including the deacetylation of histones, formation of heterochromatin, and the silencing of ganglion cell-specific gene expression.'] Does nuclear atrophy of retinal ganglion cells precede the bax-dependent stage of apoptosis?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.5828635692596436, -1.1612452268600464, 2.7897138595581055 ]
['Cordycepin plays an important role in modulating the function of central nervous system (CNS). However, the modulating mechanism is poorly understood. Excitatory synaptic transmission, the essential process in brain physiology and pathology, is critical in the signal integration activities of the CNS. To further understand the effects of cordycepin on CNS, we investigated the effects of cordycepin on excitatory synaptic transmission in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices.', 'The effects of cordycepin on excitatory synaptic transmission were investigated by using in vitro field potential electrophysiology and whole-cell patch clamp techniques.', 'Cordycepin significantly decreased the amplitudes of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) elicited in the CA1 by stimulation of the Schaffer-commissural fibers. And the reduction in fEPSPs amplitude was associated with an increase in the paired-pulse facilitation. Cordycepin also suppressed α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor-mediated responses but did not directly affect AMPA receptors and NMDA receptors. Furthermore, quantal analysis revealed that cordycepin decreased the frequency but not amplitude of miniature spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents.'] Does cordycepin suppress excitatory synaptic transmission in rat hippocampal slices via a presynaptic mechanism?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.5159265995025635, -1.107812523841858, 2.706897258758545 ]
['A recent, cross-sectional analysis of adults found that the hip circumference divided by height(1.5) minus 18 (the body adiposity index, BAI) was strongly correlated (r = 0.79) with percent body fat determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The BAI was proposed as a more accurate index of body fatness than BMI. We examined whether BAI was more strongly related, than was BMI and waist circumference, to skinfold thicknesses and levels of various risk factors for coronary heart disease.', 'Cross-sectional analyses of adults (n = 14,263 for skinfold thickness; n=6291 for fasting lipid levels) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III, 1988-1994.', 'As compared with BMI and waist circumference, we found that BAI was less strongly associated with the skinfold sum and with risk factor levels. For example, correlations with the skinfold sum were r = 0.79 (BMI) vs. r = 0.70 (BAI) among men, and r = 0.86 (BMI) vs. r = 0.79 (BAI) among women; p < 0.001 for the difference between each pair of correlations. An overall index of the 7 risk factors was also more strongly associated with BMI and waist circumference than BAI in analyses stratified by sex, race-ethnicity and age. Multivariable analyses indicated that if BMI was known, BAI provided little additional information on risk factor levels.'] Are skinfolds and coronary heart disease risk factors more strongly associated with BMI than with the body adiposity index?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -0.8653863668441772, -1.4606752395629883, 1.3880609273910522 ]
['Tree nuts, particularly almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, have been shown to possess cardioprotective effects. However, there is little information on the effects of hazelnut consumption on cardiovascular risk markers.', 'The antiatherogenic effect of hazelnut before and after consumption in hypercholesterolemic subjects was investigated. Twenty-one hypercholesterolemic volunteers (18 men and 3 women) were recruited in a double control sandwich model intervention study with a single group and three isoenergetic diet periods. These were control diet I (4 weeks), hazelnut-enriched diet (4 weeks; hazelnut contributing 18%-20% of the total daily energy intake), and control diet period II (4 weeks). The cardiovascular risk biomarkers such as endothelial function, using flow-mediated dilation (FMD) technique, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation products and inflammatory markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) as well as lipids and lipoprotein levels were monitored.', 'Consumption of a hazelnut-enriched diet significantly improved FMD (56.6%), total cholesterol (-7.8%), triacylglycerol (-7.3%), LDL-cholesterol (-6.17%), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (6.07%) compared with the control diet I. Oxidized-LDL, hs-CRP, and sVCAM-1 levels were significantly lower in the group ingesting a hazelnut-enriched diet compared with the control diets I and II. Modest correlations between sVCAM-1 and FMD and between sVCAM-1 and hs-CRP were observed (r = -0.49, P < .025; r = 0.66, P < .001, respectively).'] Does hazelnut-enriched diet improve cardiovascular risk biomarkers beyond a lipid-lowering effect in hypercholesterolemic subjects?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.24428653717041, -1.3488967418670654, 2.5678658485412598 ]
['Apamin-sensitive K currents (I(KAS)) are upregulated in heart failure. We hypothesize that apamin can flatten action potential duration restitution (APDR) curve and can reduce ventricular fibrillation duration in failing ventricles.', 'We simultaneously mapped membrane potential and intracellular Ca (Ca(i)) in 7 rabbit hearts with pacing-induced heart failure and in 7 normal hearts. A dynamic pacing protocol was used to determine APDR at baseline and after apamin (100 nmol/L) infusion. Apamin did not change APD(80) in normal ventricles, but prolonged APD(80) in failing ventricles at either long (≥300 ms) or short (≤170 ms) pacing cycle length, but not at intermediate pacing cycle length. The maximal slope of APDR curve was 2.03 (95% confidence interval, 1.73-2.32) in failing ventricles and 1.26 (95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.40) in normal ventricles at baseline (P=0.002). After apamin administration, the maximal slope of APDR in failing ventricles decreased to 1.43 (95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.84; P=0.018), whereas no significant changes were observed in normal ventricles. During ventricular fibrillation in failing ventricles, the number of phase singularities (baseline versus apamin, 4.0 versus 2.5), dominant frequency (13.0 versus 10.0 Hz), and ventricular fibrillation duration (160 versus 80 s) were all significantly (P<0.05) decreased by apamin.'] Does apamin-sensitive potassium current modulate action potential duration restitution and arrhythmogenesis of failing rabbit ventricles?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.457014799118042, -1.6271165609359741, 2.0948281288146973 ]
['Loss-of-function mutations in Na(v)1.5 cause sodium channelopathies, including Brugada syndrome, dilated cardiomyopathy, and sick sinus syndrome; however, no effective therapy exists. MOG1 increases plasma membrane (PM) expression of Na(v)1.5 and sodium current (I(Na)) density, thus we hypothesize that MOG1 can serve as a therapeutic target for sodium channelopathies.', 'Knockdown of MOG1 expression using small interfering RNAs reduced Na(v)1.5 PM expression, decreased I(Na) densities by 2-fold in HEK/Na(v)1.5 cells and nearly abolished I(Na) in mouse cardiomyocytes. MOG1 did not affect Na(v)1.5 PM turnover. MOG1 small interfering RNAs caused retention of Na(v)1.5 in endoplasmic reticulum, disrupted the distribution of Na(v)1.5 into caveolin-3-enriched microdomains, and led to redistribution of Na(v)1.5 to noncaveolin-rich domains. MOG1 fully rescued the reduced PM expression and I(Na) densities by Na(v)1.5 trafficking-defective mutation D1275N associated with sick sinus syndrome/dilated cardiomyopathy/atrial arrhythmias. For Brugada syndrome mutation G1743R, MOG1 restored the impaired PM expression of the mutant protein and restored I(Na) in a heterozygous state (mixture of wild type and mutant Na(v)1.5) to a full level of a homozygous wild-type state.'] Does mOG1 rescue defective trafficking of Na ( v ) 1.5 mutations in Brugada syndrome and sick sinus syndrome?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.2610580921173096, -1.3815827369689941, 2.6537249088287354 ]
['After intramyocardial injection, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may engraft and influence host myocardium. However, engraftment rate and pattern of distribution are difficult to control in vivo, hampering assessment of potential adverse effects. In this study, the role of the engraftment patterns of MSCs on arrhythmicity in controllable in vitro models is investigated.', 'Cocultures of 4×10(5) neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and 7% or 28% adult human MSCs (hMSCs) in diffuse or clustered distribution patterns were prepared. Electrophysiological effects were studied by optical mapping and patch-clamping. In diffuse cocultures, hMSCs dose-dependently decreased neonatal rat cardiomyocyte excitability, slowed conduction, and prolonged action potential duration until 90% repolarization (APD90). Triggered activity (14% versus 0% in controls) and increased inducibility of re-entry (53% versus 6% in controls) were observed in 28% hMSC cocultures. MSC clusters increased APD90, slowed conduction locally, and increased re-entry inducibility (23%), without increasing triggered activity. Pharmacological heterocellular electric uncoupling increased excitability and conduction velocity to 133% in 28% hMSC cocultures, but did not alter APD90. Transwell experiments showed that hMSCs dose-dependently increased APD90, APD dispersion, inducibility of re-entry and affected specific ion channel protein levels, whereas excitability was unaltered. Incubation with hMSC-derived exosomes did not increase APD in neonatal rat cardiomyocyte cultures.'] Do engraftment patterns of human adult mesenchymal stem cells expose electrotonic and paracrine proarrhythmic mechanisms in myocardial cell cultures?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.33083438873291, -1.434915542602539, 2.767057180404663 ]
['Oral supplementation with probiotic bacteria can protect against the development of allergic and inflammatory diseases.', 'The aim of this study was to investigate potential immunomodulatory and allergy-protective effects of processed Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG)-derived supernatants early in life in neonatal mice.', 'In vitro, RAW264.7 mouse macrophages were stimulated with viable LGG, LGG-derived supernatants, prepared from different growth phases, and different size fractions thereof, and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production was analysed. Supernatant fractions were also treated with protease, DNAse or carbohydrate-digesting enzymes to define the nature of immunomodulatory components. In vivo, neonatal Balb/c mice were orally supplemented with differentially processed LGG supernatants. Starting at 4 weeks of age, a protocol of ovalbumin-induced acute allergic airway inflammation was applied and protective effects of processed LGG supernatants were assessed.', 'Incubation of RAW264.7 cells with LGG-derived supernatants significantly increased TNFα and IL-10 production. These effects were not restricted to a particular molecular size fraction. Treatment with protease, but not with DNAse or carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, completely abolished the immunomodulatory activities. Incubation of TLR/NOD-transfected cells with LGG-derived supernatants revealed that recognition and signalling of bioactive components is mediated by TLR2 and NOD2. In vivo supplementation of newborn mice with processed LGG-derived supernatants resulted in pronounced protective effects on the allergic inflammatory response as reflected by reduced eosinophil numbers, modified T helper cell cytokine production, significantly less lung inflammation and reduced goblet cell numbers in comparison with sham-treated controls.'] Does neonatal supplementation of processed supernatant from Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG improve allergic airway inflammation in mice later in life?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.4606082439422607, -1.345834493637085, 2.84816837310791 ]
['Previous research has shown that gastric acid suppression by antacid drugs can promote allergic reactions to acid-labile food proteins. No data are available about whether antacid drugs can promote drug hypersensitivity reactions. The most potent and longer lasting inhibition of gastric secretion is provided by proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). We hypothesized that gastric acid suppression by proton pump inhibitors could be causative of drug hypersensitivity reactions during hospitalization.', 'To estimate the risk of developing drug hypersensitivity reactions during the hospitalization of patients treated with proton pump inhibitors, and other associated factors.', 'A nested case-control in a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients from September 2008 to December 2010 (70 771 admissions) was conducted using the registry of cases of interconsultations to the Allergy Department (161 confirmed cases of drug hypersensitivity reactions). A total of 318 controls were matched by first drug suspected in the hypersensitivity reaction, time of admission, age, gender and hospitalization wards.', 'The relative risk of drug hypersensitivity reaction occurrence during hospitalization of patients treated with PPIs compared with those not treated in the period of study was significant (RR: 3.97; 95% CI: 1.97-8.29). After controlling for confounders in the nested case-control cohort, the use of PPIs persists as a predisposing factor (OR: 4.35; 95% CI: 2-9.45). Personal history of drug allergy and a long hospitalization time were other predisposing factors of drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs). The hazard that a DHR has occurred during PPI treatment was 3.7% per day. The hazard for immediate or accelerated reactions was 1.706 (P = 0.003) times that of delayed reactions.'] Are proton pump inhibitors associated with hypersensitivity reactions to drugs in hospitalized patients : a nested case-control in a retrospective cohort study?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.086374282836914, -1.3753893375396729, 2.4721219539642334 ]
['Few studies have focused on pollen exposure and asthma in children. None have examined associations between persistent exposure to pollen in infancy and aeroallergen sensitisation and asthma in childhood.', 'To examine the association between higher ambient levels of pollen in the first 3-6 months of life and risk of eczema, sensitization to food and aeroallergens at 2 years and asthma or hayfever at age 6-7 years combined.', "Using a birth cohort of 620 infants with a family history of allergic disease born between 1990 and 1994, we examined risk of eczema or allergic sensitization (SPT > 3 mm to at least one of cow's milk, egg white, peanut, house dust-mite, rye grass, and cat dander) by age 2 and asthma or hayfever at age 6-7. Daily ambient levels of pollen were measured during this period.", 'Cumulative exposure to pollen concentrations up to 6 months was associated with aeroallergen sensitization with the highest risk occurring at 3 months (aOR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.06-1.72). Cumulative exposure to pollen up to 3 months was also associated with hayfever (aOR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.009-1.29) and between 4 and 6 months exposure with asthma only (aOR=1.35, 95% CI 1.07-1.72).'] Is persistent pollen exposure during infancy associated with increased risk of subsequent childhood asthma and hayfever?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.885796308517456, -0.49006929993629456, 1.4062578678131104 ]
['To determine the relationship between a history of child abuse and obesity among children admitted for psychiatric hospitalization.', 'The charts of 1434 youth consecutively admitted to an inpatient psychiatric facility during a 10-month period were retrospectively analyzed. Rates of physical and sexual abuse, as well as other factors believed to increase the risk of obesity, were compared between children whose body mass index (BMI) percentiles were between 5 and 80 and whose BMI percentiles were >85.', 'After correcting for age, race, gender, and antipsychotic usage, we found that a reported history of sexual abuse was associated with increased probability of being overweight/obese (BMI percentile 85-99) compared with being of typical BMI (aOR 1.41). Reported physical abuse neither increased the risk of obesity nor moderated the association between sexual abuse and increased weight. Antipsychotic treatment and female gender also were associated with increased BMI percentiles, with antipsychotic usage being the only variable associated with increased risk of a BMI percentile >99.'] Is sexual abuse associated with obese children and adolescents admitted for psychiatric hospitalization?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
1
[ -1.7109886407852173, 1.1545517444610596, -0.12419070303440094 ]
['Cataract, the leading cause of blindness, is associated with oxidative damage and protein modification in the lens. The present study was carried out to assess the efficacy of rutin on rat-lens crystallins in selenite-induced in-vivo cataract models.', 'Eight-day-old Sprague-Dawley rat pups were grouped as control (G I), experimental (G II) and rutin-treated (G III). The rat pups in G II, and G III received a single subcutaneous injection of sodium selenite (4\xa0μg/g body weight) and G I received a single subcutaneous injection of sterile water on the 10th day. The treatment groups (G III) were administered with rutin (1\xa0μg/g body weight) respectively from the 8th to 15th day. Cataract was visualized from the 16th day. Lens crystallins (α, β, and γ) were isolated by size exclusion chromatography. Chaperone activity of isolated crystallins was measured by heat, DTT, and oxidation-induced aggregation and refolding assays. Concentration of total protein (soluble and insoluble) and SDS-PAGE analysis of soluble proteins were also done.', 'Treatment with rutin prevented the loss of α crystallin chaperone property, and protein insolubilization prevailed during selenite-induced cataract.'] Does rutin ameliorate free radical mediated cataract by enhancing the chaperone activity of α-crystallin?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.4329540729522705, -1.3085412979125977, 2.802799701690674 ]
['Nausea and vomiting are well recognized in different clinical situations, suggesting that no single mechanism is likely to be responsible for their production. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) can have a negative impact on quality of life and this may lead to a refusal of curative therapy or to a decline in palliative benefits offered by cytotoxic treatment. Palonosetron is a new agent in the class of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists (5-HT3RAs), and differs from the other agents by its higher receptor-binding affinity and longer half-life. These pharmacological properties have resulted in improved antiemetic activity in clinical trials, particularly in the treatment of delayed CINV following moderate emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC).', 'A systematic review of the medical literature was completed to inform this update. MEDLINE, the Cochrane Collaboration Library and meeting materials from ASCO and MASCC were all searched.'] Do an update on palonosetron hydrochloride for the treatment of radio/chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.5032384395599365, -0.9141284227371216, 2.626274585723877 ]
['The relevance of the contribution of energy expenditure (EE) and substrate oxidation to weight change has not been fully confirmed.', 'The objective of the study was to determine whether metabolic parameters measured in a whole room indirect calorimeter are predictive of long-term body weight change.', 'The study was conducted at a clinical research unit in Phoenix, Arizona, from 1985 to 2005.', 'A total of 612 healthy subjects (384 males and 228 females; aged 29.5 ± 8.1 years; body mass index 33.0 ± 8.7 kg/m(2); percent body fat 30.9 ± 9.6%), including 422 Native Americans and 190 whites. Follow-up data were available for 292 Native Americans with a median follow-up time of 6.7 years (interquartile range 3.9-10.5).', 'Twenty-four-hour EE, sleeping metabolic rate, daily (fed) and sleeping (fasting) respiratory quotient, and carbohydrate and fat oxidation rates were measured during a 24-hour respiratory chamber. Body composition was assessed by underwater weighing or dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.', 'After accounting for demographic and body composition measures, the remaining variance of 24-hour EE was inversely related to the rate of weight change (ρ = -0.158, P = .007) and fat mass change (ρ = -0.179, P = .012), such that 100 kcal below the expected 24-hour EE corresponded to 0.2 kg/y weight gain, of which 0.1 kg/y was fat mass. Deviations from the predicted values of the sleeping metabolic rate (ρ = -0.121, P = .039) and fed respiratory quotient (ρ = 0.119, P = .042) were also associated with future weight change, whereas the fat oxidation rate was inversely associated with weight change in men (ρ = -0.174, P = .024) but not in women (ρ = 0.018, P = .853).'] Does lower energy expenditure predict long-term increases in weight and fat mass?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ 0.04208093136548996, -1.5694303512573242, 0.6417895555496216 ]
['Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) has been shown to play a central role in the promotion of cell motility, but its functional mechanism has remained unclear. With the aim of investigating the diagnostic and treatment modalities for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the signaling pathway that may contribute to TGF-β-mediated cell invasion in hepatoma cells was evaluated.', 'Three hepatoma cell lines, HepG2, PLC/PRF/5, and HLF, were treated with TGF-β, and the involvement of the non-canonical TGF-β pathway was analyzed by cell migration assays. HepG2 cells were treated with a p21-activated kinase-2 (PAK2)-targeting small interfering RNA and analyzed for their cell motility. The relationships between the PAK2 status and the clinicopathological characteristics of 62 HCC patients were also analyzed.', 'The cell migration assays showed that Akt is a critical regulator of TGF-β-mediated cell migration. Western blotting analyses showed that TGF-β stimulated Akt and PAK2 in all three hepatoma cell lines, and phosphorylated PAK2 was blocked by Akt inhibitor. Suppression of PAK2 expression by small interfering RNA resulted in increased focal adhesions with significantly repressed cell migration in the presence of TGF-β. Clinicopathological analyses showed that the phosphorylation level of PAK2 was closely associated with tumor progression, metastasis, and early recurrence of HCC.'] Is p21-activated kinase-2 a critical mediator of transforming growth factor-β-induced hepatoma cell migration?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.3976690769195557, -1.2827765941619873, 2.7516307830810547 ]
['Many forms of RNA duplexes with agonistic activity for pattern-recognition receptors have been reported, some of which are candidates for adjuvant immunotherapy for cancer. These RNA duplexes induce cytokines, interferons (IFNs) and cellular effectors mainly via two distinct pathways, TLR3/TICAM-1 and MDA5/MAVS.', 'We determined which pathway of innate immunity predominantly participates in evoking tumor immunity in response to RNA adjuvants.'] Is targeting TLR3 with no RIG-I/MDA5 activation effective in immunotherapy for cancer?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.40301775932312, -1.1071401834487915, 2.584343194961548 ]
['Sympathetic activation induced by sleep-disordered breathing may contribute to cardiovascular morbidity. However, the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) excludes respiratory effort-related arousals (RERAs) associated with inspiratory flow limitation without oxygen desaturation. We sought to determine whether RERAs are associated with sympathetic activation.', 'Twenty-five adults (12 males, 13 females) with AHI\u2009<\u200910/h and RERA index >5/h were included in this study. Power spectral density analysis was performed on two non-contiguous 10-min segments containing inspiratory flow limitation and arrhythmia-free electrocardiogram during N2 sleep. One segment contained RERA; the other did not, NO-RERA. Spectral power was described in a low-frequency domain (LF; 0.04-0.15\xa0Hz), primarily sympathetic modulation, and a high frequency domain (HF; 0.15-0.4\xa0Hz), parasympathetic modulation.', 'Analyses of LF and HF powers were made using normalized and absolute values. LF power was greater during RERA compared to NO-RERA (50.3 vs. 30.1\xa0%, p\u2009<\u20090.001) whereas HF power was greater during NO-RERA compared to RERA (69.9 vs. 49.7\xa0%, p\u2009<\u20090.001). The LF/HF ratio was greater during RERA than NO-RERA (1.01 vs. 0.43, p\u2009<\u20090.001). Gender differences emerged using absolute values of power: The percentage increase in LF power during RERA relative to NO-RERA was significantly greater for females than males, 247.6 vs. 31.9\xa0%, respectively (p\u2009<\u20090.02).'] Do respiratory effort-related arousals contribute to sympathetic modulation of heart rate variability?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -0.6448043584823608, -1.757460594177246, 1.348427414894104 ]
['To determine whether accumulation of 2-hydroxyglutarate in IDH-mutated low-grade gliomas (LGG; WHO grade II) correlates with their malignant transformation and to evaluate changes in metabolite levels during malignant progression.', 'Samples from 54 patients were screened for IDH mutations: 17 patients with LGG without malignant transformation, 18 patients with both LGG and their consecutive secondary glioblastomas (sGBM; n = 36), 2 additional patients with sGBM, 10 patients with primary glioblastomas (pGBM), and 7 patients without gliomas. The cellular tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites, citrate, isocitrate, 2-hydroxyglutarate, α-ketoglutarate, fumarate, and succinate were profiled by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Ratios of 2-hydroxyglutarate/isocitrate were used to evaluate differences in 2-hydroxyglutarate accumulation in tumors from LGG and sGBM groups, compared with pGBM and nonglioma groups.', 'IDH1 mutations were detected in 27 (77.1%) of 37 patients with LGG. In addition, in patients with LGG with malignant progression (n = 18), 17 patients were IDH1 mutated with a stable mutation status during their malignant progression. None of the patients with pGBM or nonglioma tumors had an IDH mutation. Increased 2-hydroxyglutarate/isocitrate ratios were seen in patients with IDH1-mutated LGG and sGBM, in comparison with those with IDH1-nonmutated LGG, pGBM, and nonglioma groups. However, no differences in intratumoral 2-hydroxyglutarate/isocitrate ratios were found between patients with LGG with and without malignant transformation. Furthermore, in patients with paired samples of LGG and their consecutive sGBM, the 2-hydroxyglutarate/isocitrate ratios did not differ between both tumor stages.'] Is accumulation of 2-hydroxyglutarate a biomarker for malignant progression in IDH-mutated low-grade gliomas?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.029721260070801, -1.4943302869796753, 2.5234878063201904 ]
['Experimental clinical stem cell therapy has been used for more than a decade to alleviate the adverse aftermath of acute myocardial infarction (aMI). The post-infarcted myocardial microenvironment is characterized by cardiomyocyte death, caused by ischemia and inflammation. These conditions may negatively affect administered stem cells. As postnatal cardiomyocytes have a poor proliferation rate, while induction of proliferation seems even more rare. Thus stimulation of their proliferation rate is essential after aMI. In metaplastic disease, the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been identified as potent mediators of the proliferation rate. We hypothesized that IL-6 could augment the proliferation rate of (slow-)dividing cardiomyocytes.', 'To mimic the behavior of therapeutic cells in the post-infarct cardiac microenvironment, human Adipose Derived Stromal Cells (ADSC) were cultured under hypoxic (2% O2) and pro-inflammatory conditions (IL-1β) for 24h. Serum-free conditioned medium from ADSC primed with hypoxia and/or IL-1β was added to rat neonatal cardiomyocytes and adult cardiomyocytes (HL-1) to assess paracrine-driven changes in cardiomyocyte proliferation rate and induction of myogenic signaling pathways.', 'We demonstrate that ADSC enhance the proliferation rate of rat neonatal cardiomyocytes and adult HL-1 cardiomyocytes in a paracrine fashion. ADSC under hypoxia and inflammation in vitro had increased the interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene and protein expression. Similar to conditioned medium of ADSC, treatment of rat neonatal cardiomyocytes and HL-1 with recombinant IL-6 alone also stimulated their proliferation rate. This was corroborated by a strong decrease of cardiomyocyte proliferation after addition of IL-6 neutralizing antibody to conditioned medium of ADSC. The stimulatory effect of ADSC conditioned media or IL-6 was accomplished through activation of both Janus Kinase-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) and Mitogen-Activated Protein (MAP) kinases (MAPK) mitogenic signaling pathways.'] Do adipose stromal cells primed with hypoxia and inflammation enhance cardiomyocyte proliferation rate in vitro through STAT3 and Erk1/2?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.4664433002471924, -1.3746604919433594, 2.873788356781006 ]
['Preclinical in vivo research on inflammatory bowel diseases requires proper animal models and techniques allowing longitudinal monitoring of colonic inflammation without the need to kill animals. We evaluated colonoscopy and μ-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (μPET/CT) as monitoring tools in a model for chronic colitis in mice.', 'Colitis was induced by adoptive transfer of CD4(+)CD25(-)CD62L(+) T cells in immunocompromised severe combined immunodeficient mice. Three study protocols were designed. In study 1, colonoscopy and µPET/CT were performed once, 4 weeks after transfer. In study 2 and study 3, colitis was sequentially followed up through colonoscopy (study 2) or colonoscopy plus µPET/CT (study 3). Each study included postmortem evaluation of colonic inflammation (macroscopy, microscopy, and myeloperoxidase activity).', 'In study 1, both colonoscopy and µPET/CT detected colitis 4 weeks after transfer. Study 2 showed a gradual increase in colonoscopic score from week 2 (1.4 ± 0.6) to week 8 (6.0 ± 1.1). In study 3, colitis was detected 2 weeks after transfer by µPET/CT (2.0 ± 0.4) but not by colonoscopy, whereas both techniques detected inflammation 4 and 6 weeks after transfer. Colonoscopy correlated with µPET/CT (r = 0.812, 0.884, and 0.781, respectively) and with postmortem analyses in all 3 studies.'] Are colonoscopy and µPET/CT valid techniques to monitor inflammation in the adoptive transfer colitis model in mice?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.8368808031082153, -1.5524781942367554, 2.42106294631958 ]
['Deficient peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) function is one component of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. Current molecular classification of such diseases is based on the predominant protein accumulating as intra- or extracellular aggregates. Experimental evidence suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired protein processing are closely interrelated. In vitro findings further indicate that PGC-1α dysfunction may contribute to protein misfolding in neurodegeneration.', 'To systematically evaluate the neuropathological alterations of mice lacking the expression of the full-length PGC-1α protein (FL-PGC-1α) but expressing an N-truncated fragment.', 'To assess the pattern of neurodegeneration-related proteins, we performed immunostaining for Tau, pTau, α-synuclein, amyloid-β, amyloid precursor protein, prion protein, FUS, TDP-43 and ubiquitin. Using hematoxylin and eosin, Klüver-Barrera and Bielschowsky silver stainings and anti-GFAP immunohistochemistry, we performed an anatomical mapping to provide a lesion profile.', 'The immunohistochemical pattern of neurodegeneration-related proteins did not differ between FL-PGC-1α knockout and wild-type animals, and there was a complete lack of protein deposits or ubiquitin-positive inclusions. The analysis of neuropathological alterations revealed widespread vacuolation predominating in the cerebral white matter, caudate-putamen, thalamus and brainstem, and reactive astrogliosis in the brainstem and cerebellar nuclei. This morphological phenotype was thus reminiscent of human mitochondrial encephalopathies, especially the Kearns-Sayre syndrome.'] Does neuropathology of partial PGC-1α deficiency recapitulate features of mitochondrial encephalopathies but not of neurodegenerative diseases?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.5194084644317627, -1.2970246076583862, 2.8852715492248535 ]
['Major peripheral vascular trauma is managed by several surgical specialties. The impact of surgical specialty training and certification on outcome has not been evaluated. We hypothesized that general surgeons without specialty training in vascular surgery would have outcomes equivalent to surgeons with vascular training in the management of extremity arterial injuries requiring interposition grafting.', 'We performed a multicenter, retrospective study of patients undergoing interposition grafting for peripheral vascular injury between 1995 and 2010. Specialty was defined by training and certification. Outcomes were recorded at the time of discharge from the index hospitalization. Factors affecting limb salvage were determined using logistic regression.', 'From the 11 participating centers, 615 patients were identified. General surgeons performed 69.9%, cardiac/vascular surgeons performed 27.3%, and surgeons of other specialties performed 2.8% of the grafts. There were 32 amputations (5.2%). Outcomes did not differ by institution. Factors associated with amputation were blunt mechanism, older age, female sex, hospital length of stay, and Injury Severity Score (ISS). There was no significant difference in limb salvage among specialty groups (general surgeons, 94%; cardiac/vascular, 95%; other, 100%).'] Is limb salvage after complex repairs of extremity arterial injuries independent of surgical specialty training?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.7025673389434814, -0.6153770089149475, 1.3896669149398804 ]
["Ethanol (EtOH) affects prefrontal cortex functional roles such as decision making, working memory, and behavioral control. Yet, the pharmacological effect of EtOH on dopamine, a neuromodulator in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), is unclear. Past studies exploring this topic produced conflicting outcomes; however, a handful of factors (temporal resolution, method of drug administration, estrous cycle) possibly contributed to these discrepancies. We sought to mitigate these factors in order to elucidate EtOH's pharmacological effects on mPFC dopamine in Long-Evans rats.", 'We administered experimental solutions via an intravenous (iv), handling-free route, monitored dopamine in the mPFC via microdialysis (10-minute samples), and used male rats to avoid estrous cycle/EtOH interactions. First, we rapidly (approximately 2.7 ml/min) or slowly (approximately 0.6 ml/min) administered 1.0 g/kg EtOH and saline infusions, showing that the experimental methods did not contribute to dopamine changes. Then, a cumulative dosing protocol was used to administer 0.25, 0.75, 1.50, and 2.25 g/kg iv EtOH doses to evaluate dose-response. Finally, we monitored dialysate EtOH levels during an oral EtOH self-administration session to compare the dialysate EtOH levels achieved during the pharmacological experiments to those seen during self-administration.', 'IV administration of a rapid or slow 1.0 g/kg EtOH infusion resulted in similar significant 55 ± 9 and 63 ± 15% peak dialysate dopamine increases, respectively. The 0.25, 0.75, 1.50, and 2.25 g/kg EtOH doses produced a nonsignificant 17 ± 5% and significant 36 ± 15, 68 ± 19, and 86 ± 20% peak dialysate dopamine increases, respectively. Self-administration dialysate EtOH concentrations fell within the range of concentrations noted during the EtOH dose-response curve.'] Does intravenous ethanol increase extracellular dopamine in the medial prefrontal cortex of the Long-Evans rat?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.0026378631591797, -1.4292283058166504, 2.431614875793457 ]
['Chagas heart disease is developed as a result of the infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Protein malnutrition contributes to secondary immunodeficiency. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of a low protein diet on the production of endothelin-1 and CX3CL1 in blood and cardiac tissue samples in an experimental model with T.\xa0cruzi infection.', 'Fisher rats were submitted to low protein (6%) and normal protein (15%) diets and then infected with the Y strain of T.\xa0cruzi. At days 15 and 120, parasites and immune cells were evaluated.', 'The low protein diet reduced body weight and circulating serum proteins, but promoted elevation of CX3CL1 and endothelin-1 levels in infected animals, which were unable to control blood parasitemia replication. In heart tissue, the low protein diet reduced cardiac CX3CL1, endothelin-1 and leucocyte infiltration in the acute phase, in particular CD68 and CD163 macrophage phenotypes.'] Does protein deficiency alter CX3CL1 and endothelin-1 in experimental Trypanosoma cruzi-induced cardiomyopathy?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.5371692180633545, -1.0148266553878784, 2.6623435020446777 ]
['Peripheral serotonin is involved in tumorigenesis and induces a pro-proliferative effect in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells; however, the intracellular mechanisms by which serotonin exerts a mitogenic effect remain unclear. In this research, we examined whether FOXO3a, a transcription factor at the interface of crucial cellular processes, plays a role downstream of serotonin in HCC cells.', 'The cell viability and expression of FOXO3a was assessed in three HCC cell lines (Huh7, HepG2 and Hep3B) during serum deprivation in the presence or absence of serotonin. Serum free media significantly inhibited HCC proliferation and led to reduced expression and nuclear accumulation of FOXO3a. Knockdown of FOXO3a enhanced the ability of serum deprivation to inhibit HCC cells proliferation. And overexpression of non-phosphorylated FOXO3a in HCC cells reversed serum-deprivation-induced growth inhibition. Serotonin reversed the serum-deprivation-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and upregulated FOXO3a in Huh7 cells; however, serotonin had no effect on the proliferation of serum-deprived HepG2 or Hep3B cells. In addition to proliferation, serotonin also induced phosphorylation of AKT and FOXO3a in serum-deprived Huh7 cells but not in HepG2 and Hep3B cells. However, the phosphorylation of FOXO3a induced by serotonin did not export FOXO3a from nucleus to cytoplasm in serum-deprived Huh7 cells. Consequently, we demonstrated that serotonin promoted the proliferation of Huh7 cells by increasing the expression of FOXO3a. We also provide preliminary evidence that different expression levels of the 5-HT2B receptor (5-HT2BR) may contribute to the distinct effects of serotonin in different serum-deprived HCC cells.'] Does serotonin promote the proliferation of serum-deprived hepatocellular carcinoma cells via upregulation of FOXO3a?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.417520523071289, -1.1135547161102295, 2.552288055419922 ]
['We hypothesized that the presence of an in-house neurologist or a neurology or emergency medicine (EM) residency is associated with a lower rate of missed stroke diagnosis and a greater use of thrombolytic therapy.', 'The outpatient Young Stroke registry from our academic medical center was reviewed. Patients 16 to 50 years of age who presented with ischemic stroke were included. Information on presentation, acute therapy, and missed diagnosis was obtained. The presence of an EM or neurology residency at the presenting hospital was recorded. We also assessed whether hospital teaching status in these fields affected missed diagnosis rates, the use of thrombolysis, or stroke intervention.', 'Ninety-three patients were included. Thirteen patients were misdiagnosed. In hospitals with and without a neurology residency, the missed diagnosis rate was 6.3% versus 18.0%, respectively (P=.21). Two patients were misdiagnosed in hospitals with a neurology residency, but neither had neurology consultations in the emergency department. If these cases are removed from our analysis, the rate of missed diagnosis with and without a neurology residency is 0% versus 20.6%, respectively (P=.008). Acute stroke therapy was administered in 17.9% of patients seen with an EM residency, compared to 2.7% without an EM residency (P=.046). With and without a neurology residency, acute stroke therapy was administered in 25% versus 8.2% of cases, respectively (P=.055).'] Does early access to a neurologist reduce the rate of missed diagnosis in young strokes?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -0.47324225306510925, -1.2762079238891602, 0.7713481187820435 ]
['The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of TAG320 in predicting functional stenosis severity evaluated by fractional flow reserve (FFR).', 'Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has limited specificity for predicting functionally significant stenoses. Recent studies suggest that contrast gradient attenuation along an arterial lesion, or transluminal attenuation gradient (TAG), may provide assessment of functional significance of coronary stenosis. The use of 320-detector row computed tomography (CT), enabling near isophasic, single-beat imaging of the entire coronary tree, may be ideal for TAG functional assessment of a coronary arterial stenosis.', 'We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of TAG320 using 320-row CCTA with FFR for the evaluation of functional stenosis severity in consecutive patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography and FFR for stable chest pain. The luminal radiological contrast attenuation (Hounsfield units [HU]) was measured at 5-mm intervals along the artery from ostium to a distal level where the cross-sectional area decreased to <2.0 mm(2). TAG320 was defined as the linear regression coefficient between luminal attenuation and axial distance. Functionally significant coronary stenosis was defined as ≤0.8 on FFR.', 'In our cohort of 54 patients (age 62.7 ± 8.7 years, 35 men, 78 vessels), TAG320 in FFR-significant vessels was significantly lower when compared with FFR nonsignificant vessels (-21 [-27; -16] vs. -11 [-16; -3] HU/10 mm, p < 0.001). On receiver-operating characteristic analysis, a retrospectively determined TAG320 cutoff of -15.1 HU/10 mm predicted FFR ≤0.8 with (a bootstrapped resampled) a sensitivity of 77%, specificity of 74%, positive predictive value of 67%, and negative predictive value of 86%. The combined TAG320 and CCTA assessment had an area under the curve of 0.88. There was incremental value of adding TAG320 to CCTA assessment for detection of significant FFR by Wald test (p = 0.0001) and integrated discrimination improvement index (0.11, p = 0.002).'] Is transluminal attenuation gradient in coronary computed tomography angiography a novel noninvasive approach to the identification of functionally significant coronary artery stenosis : a comparison with fractional flow reserve?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.618029236793518, -1.7124109268188477, 2.3542392253875732 ]
['Hepatitis C virus (HCV) induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress which, in turn, activates the unfolding protein response (UPR). UPR activates three distinct signalling pathways. Additionally, UPR induces autophagy (UPR-autophagy pathways). On the other hand, it has become clear that some positive-single-strand RNA viruses utilize autophagy. Some groups have used the siRNA silencing approach to show that autophagy is required for HCV RNA replication. However, the mechanism of induction of the UPR-autophagy pathways remain unclear in the cells with HCV.', 'we used a genome-length HCV RNA (strain O of genotype 1b) replication system (OR6) in hepatoma cells (HuH-7-derived OR6 cells). As control, we used OR6c cells from which the HCV genome had been removed by treatment with interferon-α. The UPR-autophagy pathways were activated to a greater degree in the OR6 cells as compared to the OR6c cells. Rapamycin, mTOR-independent autophagy inducer, activated HCV replication in the OR6 cells. On the other hand, HCV replication in the cells was inhibited by 3-methyladenine (3-MA), which is an inhibitor of autophagy. Salubrinal (Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2(eIF2)-alpha phosphatase inhibitor), 3-ethoxy-5, 6-dibromosalicylaldehyde (X-box binding protein-1 (XBP-1) splicing inhibitor) and sp600125 (c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) inhibitor) inhibited HCV replication and autophagy. Additionally, HCV replication and autophagy were inhibited more strongly by combination of these inhibitors.'] Do unfolded protein response pathways regulate Hepatitis C virus replication via modulation of autophagy?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.427126169204712, -1.256185531616211, 2.731846332550049 ]
['Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) is a multifunctional endocytic receptor that is highly expressed in adipocytes and the hypothalamus. Animal models and in vitro studies support a role for LRP1 in adipocyte metabolism and leptin signaling, but genetic polymorphisms have not been evaluated for obesity in people.', 'We examined whether dietary fats (eg., saturated, polyunsaturated) modulated the association of LRP1 rs1799986 with anthropometric traits. We studied a population-based sample of Puerto Ricans (n = 920, aged 45-74 y) living in the Boston area.We examined whether dietary fats (eg., saturated, polyunsaturated) modulated the association of LRP1 rs1799986 with anthropometric traits. We studied a population-based sample of Puerto Ricans (n = 920, aged 45-74 y) living in the Boston area.', 'In multivariable linear regression models, we dichotomized saturated fat intake and found significant interaction terms between total saturated fatty acids and LRP1 rs1799986 genotype for BMI (P=0.006) and hip (P = 0.002). High intake of saturated fat was associated with higher BMI (P = 0.001), waist (P = 0.008) and hip (P=0.003) in minor allele carriers (CT+TT) compared to CC participants. Further analysis of dichotomized individual saturated fatty acids revealed that interactions were strongest for two individual longer chain fatty acids. High intake of palmitic acid (C16:0; P = 0.0007) and high stearic acid intake (C18:0; P = 0.005) were associated with higher BMI in T carriers. Interactions were not detected for polyunsaturated fatty acids.'] Does low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 variant interact with saturated fatty acids in Puerto Ricans?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.0264689922332764, -1.3012423515319824, 2.3761086463928223 ]
['Vitamin D insufficiency is related to erythropoietin resistance in chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of ergocalciferol on the dose of erythrocyte-stimulating agent (ESA) administered to children with CKD stage 5 and vitamin D insufficiency.', 'Twenty patients aged <18 years with CKD stages 5 or 5D and vitamin D insufficiency were divided into two groups. During the 12-week study, ten patients received oral ergocalciferol (treatment) whereas the other ten patients did not (control). The ESA dosage was recorded monthly.', 'There were no significant differences in demographic data, ESA dosages, and laboratory data, including corrected calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, hemoglobin, ferritin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25D), and transferrin saturation levels, between the two groups at baseline. At the completion of the study, serum 25D levels in the treatment group were significantly increased from baseline (p = 0.02) and were significantly higher than the serum 25D levels in the controls (p < 0.005). The ESA dosage in the treatment group was significantly decreased when compared to baseline (p = 0.04).'] Does ergocalciferol decrease erythropoietin resistance in children with chronic kidney disease stage 5?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.62160325050354, -1.5041533708572388, 2.068901538848877 ]
['The aims of this study were to measure the levels of interleukin (IL)-33 and ST2 and T-helper (Th)2-associated cytokines (IL-13, IL-4, IL-5) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and examine the correlation of serum cytokine levels with disease activity and laboratory parameters.', 'Serum IL-33, IL-13, IL-4, and IL-5 levels were assessed by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the mRNA levels of IL-33 and ST2 were quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), in 43 AS samples and compared with 27 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.', 'Serum IL-33, IL-13, and IL-4 levels were increased significantly in AS patients compared with controls (p < 0.01); moreover, serum IL-33 and IL-13 levels were significantly higher in patients with active AS than in those with inactive AS (p < 0.05). The serum levels of IL-5 showed no significant difference between AS patients and controls (p > 0.05). Serum IL-33 levels were positively correlated with both IL-13 (r = 0.306, p < 0.01) and IL-4 levels (r = 0.432, p < 0.01). The mRNA levels of IL-33 and ST2 were significantly different between AS patients and controls (p < 0.01) but not between active and inactive AS patients.'] Are serum levels of IL-33 and its receptor ST2 elevated in patients with ankylosing spondylitis?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.4493361711502075, -1.517813801765442, 1.9538415670394897 ]
['Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) gene is considered as a promising candidate for the identification of polymorphisms affecting cattle performance. The objectives of the current study were to determine the association of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) IGF-1/SnaBI with fertility, milk production and body condition traits in Holstein-Friesian dairy cows under grazing conditions.', 'Seventy multiparous cows from a commercial herd were genotyped for the SNP IGF-1/SnaBI. Fertility measures evaluated were: interval to commencement of luteal activity (CLA), calving to first service (CFS) and calving to conception (CC) intervals. Milk production and body condition score were also evaluated. The study period extended from 3 wk before calving to the fourth month of lactation.'] Is a polymorphism in the insulin-like growth factor 1 gene associated with postpartum resumption of ovarian cyclicity in Holstein-Friesian cows under grazing conditions?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.104220151901245, -0.986416757106781, 2.2105050086975098 ]
['The eyes of giant and colossal squid are among the largest eyes in the history of life. It was recently proposed that sperm whale predation is the main driver of eye size evolution in giant squid, on the basis of an optical model that suggested optimal performance in detecting large luminous visual targets such as whales in the deep sea. However, it is poorly understood how the eye size of giant and colossal squid compares to that of other aquatic organisms when scaling effects are considered.', 'We performed a large-scale comparative study that included 87 squid species and 237 species of acanthomorph fish. While squid have larger eyes than most acanthomorphs, a comparison of relative eye size among squid suggests that giant and colossal squid do not have unusually large eyes. After revising constants used in a previous model we found that large eyes perform equally well in detecting point targets and large luminous targets in the deep sea.'] Does allometry indicate giant eyes of giant squid are not exceptional?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
1
[ -1.4304813146591187, 1.8188024759292603, -0.936714768409729 ]
['The plasminogen system plays many roles in normal epithelial cell function, and components are elevated in diseases, such as cancer and asthma. The relative contribution of each component to epithelial function is unclear. We characterized normal cell function in airway epithelial cells with increased expression of selected pathway components.', 'BEAS-2B R1 bronchial epithelial cells stably overexpressing membrane urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (muPAR), soluble spliced uPAR (ssuPAR), the ligand (uPA) or inhibitors (PAI1 or PAI2), were characterized for pathway expression. Cell function was examined using proliferation, apoptosis, and scratch wound assays. A549 alveolar epithelial cells overexpressing muPAR were similarly characterized and downstream plasmin activity, MMP-1, and MMP-9 measured.', 'Elevated expression of individual components led to changes in the plasminogen system expression profile, indicating coordinated regulation of the pathway. Increased muPAR expression augmented wound healing rate in BEAS-2B R1 and attenuated repair in A549 cells. Elevated expression of other system components had no effect on cell function in BEAS-2B R1 cells. This is the first study to investigate activity of the splice variant ssuPAR, with results suggesting that this variant plays a limited role in epithelial cell function in this model.'] Does urokinase receptor orchestrate the plasminogen system in airway epithelial cell function?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.565631866455078, -1.0704452991485596, 2.7546463012695312 ]
['To investigate the effects of safflor yellow A (SYA), a flavonoid extracted from Carthamus tinctorius L, on cultured rat cardiomyocytes exposed to anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R).', 'Primary cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were exposed to anoxia for 3 h followed by reoxygenation for 6 h. The cell viability was measured using MTT assay. The releases of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK), level of malondialdehyde (MDA), and activities of glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were analyzed. Hoechst 33258 staining and changes in Bcl-2/Bax ratio and caspase 3 activity were used to examine A/R-induced apoptosis.', 'The A/R exposure markedly decreased the viability of cardiomyocytes, suppressed the activities of SOD, GSH, CAT and GSH-Px, and Bcl-2 protein expression. Meanwhile, the A/R exposure markedly increased the release of LDH and CK, and MDA production in the cardiomyocytes, and increased the rate of apoptosis, caspase 3 activity, Bax protein expression. Pretreatment with SYA (40, 60 and 80 nmol/L) concentration-dependently blocked the A/R-induced changes in the cardiomyocytes. Pretreatment of the cardiomyocytes with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 200 μmol/L) produced protective effects that were comparable to those caused by SYA (80 nmol/L).'] Does safflor yellow A protect neonatal rat cardiomyocytes against anoxia/reoxygenation injury in vitro?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.3243978023529053, -1.4061393737792969, 2.767507791519165 ]
['Blood pressure (BP) should be kept within a narrow range to allow adequate tissue perfusion. In particular, heart-rate variability (HRV) can be used to assess autonomic cardiovascular modulation, and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) can provide valuable information about the ability of the cardiovascular system to adapt to different pressures. Our objective in the study described here was to investigate the effect of a difference of 10mm Hg in mean arterial pressure (MAP) on endothelial function and autonomic balance in young and normotensive soccer players.', 'Twenty-nine young male soccer players (mean age 17.7 years) were divided into two groups according to their MAP (mm Hg): MAP-84 and MAP-94. The BP, FMD, HRV and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) of each group were measured.', 'Systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were significantly higher (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.006, respectively) in the MAP-94 group. There were no differences in VO2max and endothelial function in the two groups (P < 0.7699). However, the standard deviation (SD) of normal RR intervals (SDNN) and the square root of the mean squared differences in successive RR intervals (RMSSD) were significantly lower in the MAP-94 than in the MAP-84 group (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.005, respectively). In the MAP-94 group, both the high-and low-frequency components were significantly (P < 0.001, P < 0.021, P < 0.017, respectively) lower in both absolute and normalized units, whereas the LF/HF ratio was significantly (P < 0.012) higher.'] Is higher mean blood pressure associated with autonomic imbalance but not with endothelial dysfunction in young soccer players?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.0559866428375244, -1.6379530429840088, 1.7213635444641113 ]
['Studies that investigated possible associations between the complexity of proximal humeral fractures and patient characteristics are rare. We hypothesized that the grade of fracture complexity may correlate with age and gender of hospitalized, adult patients.', 'Based on the Neer classification, we defined four radiological grades of fracture complexity. The data of adult patients that were treated during a 9-year period at a German hospital serving a town of 80,000 inhabitants was reviewed.', 'Seven hundred and eighty fractures were evaluated [518 female/262 male (66.41/33.59\xa0%), average age 64.2\xa0years (range 17.4-99.2)]. During the study period, the number of fractures increased to 167\xa0%. Almost two-thirds of the patients were females and older than 60\xa0years. Of all fractures, 86\xa0% were displaced fractures. In patients younger than 60\xa0years, 1.99-fold more complex fractures occurred in males (32.4\xa0%) than in females (16.2\xa0%). In contrast, in patients older than 60\xa0years, 1.72-fold more complex fractures occurred in females (54.1\xa0%) than in males (31.5\xa0%). There was a significant association between low-energy trauma and female gender older than 60\xa0years.'] Is the complexity of proximal humeral fractures age and gender specific?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -0.7374104261398315, -1.0287975072860718, 0.9299135208129883 ]
['Estrogen, a class of female sex steroids, is neuroprotective. Estrogen is synthesized in specific areas of the brain. There is a possibility that the de novo synthesized estrogen exerts protective effect in brain, although direct evidence for the neuroprotective function of brain-synthesized estrogen has not been clearly demonstrated. Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxin that induces neuronal degeneration in the central nervous system. The neurotoxicity of MeHg is region-specific, and the molecular mechanisms for the selective neurotoxicity are not well defined. In this study, the protective effect of de novo synthesized 17β-estradiol on MeHg-induced neurotoxicity in rat hippocampus was examined.', 'Neurotoxic effect of MeHg on hippocampal organotypic slice culture was quantified by propidium iodide fluorescence imaging. Twenty-four-hour treatment of the slices with MeHg caused cell death in a dose-dependent manner. The toxicity of MeHg was attenuated by pre-treatment with exogenously added estradiol. The slices de novo synthesized estradiol. The estradiol synthesis was not affected by treatment with 1 µM MeHg. The toxicity of MeHg was enhanced by inhibition of de novo estradiol synthesis, and the enhancement of toxicity was recovered by the addition of exogenous estradiol. The neuroprotective effect of estradiol was inhibited by an estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist, and mimicked by pre-treatment of the slices with agonists for ERα and ERβ, indicating the neuroprotective effect was mediated by ERs.'] Does de novo synthesized estradiol protect against methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat hippocampal slices?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.3662121295928955, -1.361293077468872, 2.7742562294006348 ]
['Red blood cell transfusion (RBCT) may increase the risk of thrombotic events (TE) in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) through changes induced by storage coupled with SAH-related hypercoagulability. We sought to investigate the association between RBCT and the risk of TE in patients with SAH.', '205 consecutive patients with acute, aneurysmal SAH admitted to the neurovascular intensive care unit of a tertiary care, academic medical center between 3/2008 and 7/2009 were enrolled in a retrospective, observational cohort study. TE were defined as the composite of venous thromboembolism (VTE), myocardial infarction (MI), and cerebral infarction noted on brain CT scan. Secondary endpoints included the risk of VTE, poor outcome (modified Rankin score 3-6 at discharge), and in-hospital mortality.', '86/205 (42 %) received RBCT. Eighty-eight (43 %) had a thrombotic complication. Forty (34 %) of 119 non-transfused and 48/86 (56 %) transfused patients had a TE (p = 0.002). In multivariate analysis, RBCT was associated with more TE by [OR 2.4; 95 % CI (1.2, 4.6); p = 0.01], VTE [OR 2.3; 95 % CI (1.0, 5.2); p = 0.04], and poor outcome [OR 5.0; 95 % CI (1.9, 12.8); p < 0.01]. The risk of TE increased by 55 % per unit transfused when controlling for univariate variables. Neither mean nor maximum age of blood was significantly associated with thrombotic risk.'] Does red blood cell transfusion increase the risk of thrombotic events in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.1969021558761597, -1.7555731534957886, 1.9064881801605225 ]
['The embryo of the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis has a total, unequal and invariant early cleavage pattern. It specifies cell fates earlier than other arthropods, including Drosophila, as individual blastomeres of the 8-cell stage are allocated to the germ layers and the germline. Furthermore, the 8-cell stage is amenable to embryological manipulations. These unique features make Parhyale a suitable system for elucidating germ layer specification in arthropods. Since asymmetric localization of maternally provided RNA is a widespread mechanism to specify early cell fates, we asked whether this is also true for Parhyale. A candidate gene approach did not find RNAs that are asymmetrically distributed at the 8-cell stage. Therefore, we designed a high-density microarray from 9400 recently sequenced ESTs (1) to identify maternally provided RNAs and (2) to find RNAs that are differentially distributed among cells of the 8-cell stage.', 'Maternal-zygotic transition takes place around the 32-cell stage, i.e. after the specification of germ layers. By comparing a pool of RNAs from early embryos without zygotic transcription to zygotic RNAs of the germband, we found that more than 10% of the targets on the array were enriched in the maternal transcript pool. A screen for asymmetrically distributed RNAs at the 8-cell stage revealed 129 transcripts, from which 50% are predominantly expressed in the early embryonic stages. Finally, we performed knockdown experiments for two of these genes and observed cell-fate-related defects of embryonic development.'] Is the maternal transcriptome of the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis inherited asymmetrically to invariant cell lineages of the ectoderm and mesoderm?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.1457936763763428, -1.0713744163513184, 2.3170065879821777 ]
['Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) has been associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) with a risk ranging from as high as two-hundred-fold to a protective effect. However, not all studies were blinded, and the efficacy of blinding was never assessed.', 'To evaluate the association of CCSVI with MS in a cross-sectional blinded study and look for any association of CCSVI with the severity of MS.', "The Echo-color Doppler examination was carried out in accordance with Zamboni's five criteria in 68 consecutive MS patients and 68 healthy controls, matched by gender and age (±5 years). Four experienced neurosonologists, blinded to the status of cases and controls, performed the study and were then asked to guess the status (case or control) of each participant. The number of positive CCSVI criteria was similar in the two groups. CCSVI, defined as the presence of two or more criteria, was detected in 21 cases (30.9%) and 23 controls (33.8%), with an OR of 0.9 (95%CL\u200a=\u200a0.4-1.8, p\u200a=\u200a0.71). The prevalence of CCSVI was related to age in cases (OR increasing from 0.2 to 1.4), but not in controls. CCSVI positive (N\u200a=\u200a21) and negative (N\u200a=\u200a47) MS patients were similar in clinical type, age at disease onset, disability, and fatigue. Disease duration was longer (16.5±9.8 years) in CCSVI positive than negative patients (11.5±7.4; p\u200a=\u200a0.04). The operators correctly guessed 34/68 cases (50%) and 45/68 controls (66%) (p\u200a=\u200a0.06), indicating a different success of blinding."] Is chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency associated with multiple sclerosis and its severity : a blind-verified study?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.4732931852340698, -1.656785011291504, 2.148728609085083 ]
['Network analysis is useful for understanding sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. We conducted egocentric and affiliation network analysis among HIV-infected young black men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Jackson, Mississippi, area to understand networks and connectedness of this population.', 'We interviewed 22 black MSM aged 17 to 25 years diagnosed as having HIV in 2006 to 2008. Participants provided demographic and geographic information about each sex partner during the 12 months before diagnosis and identified venues where they met these partners. We created affiliation network diagrams to understand connectedness of this population and identify venues that linked participants.', 'The median number of partners reported was 4 (range, 1-16); a total of 97 partners (88 of whom were male) were reported. All but 1 participant were connected through a network of venues where they had met partners during the 12 months before diagnosis. Three venues were named as places for meeting partners by 13 of 22 participants. Participants reported having partners from all regions of Mississippi and 5 other states.'] Do network analysis among HIV-infected young black men who have sex with men demonstrates high connectedness around few venues?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
1
[ -0.8658583760261536, 2.26484751701355, -2.044337749481201 ]
['Schizophrenia is associated with lower pre-morbid intelligence (IQ) in addition to (pre-morbid) cognitive decline. Both schizophrenia and IQ are highly heritable traits. Therefore, we hypothesized that genetic variants associated with schizophrenia, including copy number variants (CNVs) and a polygenic schizophrenia (risk) score (PSS), may influence intelligence.', 'IQ was estimated with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). CNVs were determined from single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data using the QuantiSNP and PennCNV algorithms. For the PSS, odds ratios for genome-wide SNP data were calculated in a sample collected by the Psychiatric Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) Consortium (8690 schizophrenia patients and 11 831 controls). These were used to calculate individual PSSs in our independent sample of 350 schizophrenia patients and 322 healthy controls.', 'Although significantly more genes were disrupted by deletions in schizophrenia patients compared to controls (p = 0.009), there was no effect of CNV measures on IQ. The PSS was associated with disease status (R 2 = 0.055, p = 2.1 × 10-7) and with IQ in the entire sample (R 2 = 0.018, p = 0.0008) but the effect on IQ disappeared after correction for disease status.'] Are schizophrenia genetic variants associated with intelligence?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.59445059299469, -0.5443705916404724, 1.11704683303833 ]
['The results from recent brain-machine interface (BMI) studies suggest that it may be more efficient to use simple arbitrary relationships between individual neuron activity and BMI movements than the complex relationship observed between neuron activity and natural movements. This idea is based on the assumption that individual neurons can be conditioned independently regardless of their natural movement association.', 'We tested this assumption in the parietal reach region (PRR), an important candidate area for BMIs in which neurons encode the target location for reaching movements. Monkeys could learn to elicit arbitrarily assigned activity patterns, but the seemingly arbitrary patterns always belonged to the response set for natural reaching movements. Moreover, neurons that are free from conditioning showed correlated responses with the conditioned neurons as if they encoded common reach targets. Thus, learning was accomplished by finding reach targets (intrinsic variable of PRR neurons) for which the natural response of reach planning could approximate the arbitrary patterns.'] Does volitional control of neural activity rely on the natural motor repertoire?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
1
[ -2.870551824569702, 1.487682819366455, 0.5677746534347534 ]
['To describe a standardized methodology for the performance of peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) in the treatment of headache disorders.', 'PNBs have long been employed in the management of headache disorders, but a wide variety of techniques are utilized in literature reports and clinical practice.', 'The American Headache Society Special Interest Section for PNBs and other Interventional Procedures convened meetings during 2010-2011 featuring formal discussions and agreements about the procedural details for occipital and trigeminal PNBs. A subcommittee then generated a narrative review detailing the methodology.', 'PNB indications may include select primary headache disorders, secondary headache disorders, and cranial neuralgias. Special procedural considerations may be necessary in certain patient populations, including pregnancy, the elderly, anesthetic allergy, prior vasovagal attacks, an open skull defect, antiplatelet/anticoagulant use, and cosmetic concerns. PNBs described include greater occipital, lesser occipital, supratrochlear, supraorbital, and auriculotemporal injections. Technical success of the PNB should result in cutaneous anesthesia. Targeted clinical outcomes depend on the indication, and include relief of an acute headache attack, terminating a headache cycle, and transitioning out of a medication-overuse pattern. Reinjection frequency is variable, depending on the indications and agents used, and the addition of corticosteroids may be most appropriate when treating cluster headache.'] Does expert consensus recommendations for the performance of peripheral nerve block for headaches -- a narrative review?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.884324789047241, -0.5725736021995544, 2.6521718502044678 ]
['Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder that affects the entire vascular system. Endovascular therapy (EVT) is the first surgical treatment choice in a large number of patients who suffer from this disease. However, late clinical failure after primarily successful interventions, with the need of a new reintervention, is the major drawback of this technique. The aim of this study is to determine the possible association between serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and fibrinogen levels both preintervention and during follow-up, and the outcomes of EVT and their association with the incidence of cardiovascular events or death in these patients.', 'This is a prospective cohort study in patients diagnosed with PAD in the iliac, femoral, popliteal, or distal sectors, within Rutherford category 3-5 who underwent EVT de novo. We determined levels of hsCRP and fibrinogen before surgery and during the follow-up period (at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months). We analyzed the possible association among inflammatory markers levels before EVT, during 1 year of follow-up and its variation during that year, and the incidence of reintervention, reintervention-free survival, and the occurrence of cardiovascular events or death.', 'Over the course of 1 year, 246 patients underwent a revascularizing treatment of the lower limbs; 64 patients qualified for inclusion in this study. In these 64 patients, a significant increase between basal hsCRP and fibrinogen levels and the incidence of reintervention (P=0.002 and 0.013, respectively) and death (P=0.001 and 0.013, respectively) during follow-up was found. A significant increase between higher hsCRP basal levels and the incidence of cardiovascular events during the follow-up period was also noted (P=0.004). Levels of basal hsCRP were related to reintervention-free survival after EVT (P=0.04). On the basis of the rate of hsCRP variation and its association with reintervention-free survival, we observed a progressive reduction of the levels of hsCRP until 12 months after the primary procedure.'] Does inflammatory burden predict long-term outcomes in endovascular therapy in peripheral arterial disease?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.0861783027648926, -1.3788009881973267, 2.462949514389038 ]
['To investigate the relationship between ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase-1(ENPP-1) expression and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) of end-plate chondrocytes after stimulation with intermittent cyclic mechanical tension (ICMT) by using an FX-4000T Flexercell Tension Plus unit.', 'Rat end-plate chondrocytes were cultured and ICMT (strain at 0.5 Hz sinusoidal curve at 10% elongation) applied for 7 days for 4 h/day and cultured for a further 2 days. End-plate chondrocytes were also exposed to 10 ng/mL of TGF-β1. Then, using small interfering RNA technology, small interfering TGF-β1 (siTGF-β1) was transfected. Expression of ENPP-1 and TGF-β1 was measured by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting.', 'Expression of both ENPP-1 and TGF-β1 was up-regulated after ICMT. Both RT-PCR and western blot showed that ENPP-1 expression decreases with siRNA TGF-β1 after 3% elongation 40 min, and cultured for an additional 2 days.'] Is intermittent cyclic mechanical tension-induced down-regulation of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 1 gene expression mainly dependent on TGF-β1 in end-plate chondrocytes?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.337686777114868, -1.4038976430892944, 2.7809579372406006 ]
['Infusion of purified haptoglobin (Hp) functions as an effective hemoglobin (Hb) scavenging therapeutic in animal models of hemolysis to prevent cardiovascular and renal injury. Epidemiologic studies demonstrate the phenotype heterogeneity of human Hp proteins and suggest differing vascular protective potential imparted by the dimeric Hp1-1 and the polymeric Hp2-2.', 'In vitro experiments and in vivo studies in guinea pigs were performed to evaluate phenotype-specific differences in Hp therapeutics. We found no differences between the two phenotypes in Hb binding and intravascular compartmentalization of Hb in vivo. Both Hp1-1 and Hp2-2 attenuate Hb-induced blood pressure response and renal iron deposition. These findings were consistent with equal prevention of Hb endothelial translocation. The modulation of oxidative Hb reactions by the two Hp phenotypes was not found to be different. Both phenotypes stabilize the ferryl (Fe(4+)) Hb transition state, provide heme retention within the complex, and prevent Hb-driven low-density lipoprotein (LDL) peroxidation. Hb-mediated peroxidation of LDL resulted in endothelial toxicity, which was equally blocked by the addition of Hp1-1 and Hp2-2.'] Are human Hp1-1 and Hp2-2 phenotype-specific haptoglobin therapeutics both effective in vitro and in guinea pigs to attenuate hemoglobin toxicity?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.4811079502105713, -1.3147170543670654, 2.8185505867004395 ]
['Patient satisfaction ratings are increasingly being used in health care as a proxy for quality and are becoming the focal point for several quality improvement initiatives. Affective disorders, such as depression, have been shown to influence patient-reported outcomes and self-interpretation of health status. We hypothesize that patient psychiatric profiles influence reported satisfaction with care, independent of surgical effectiveness.', 'To assess the predictive value of preoperative depression on patient satisfaction after revision surgery for same-level recurrent stenosis.', 'Retrospective cohort study.', 'Fifty-three patients undergoing a revision surgery for symptomatic same-level recurrent stenosis.', 'Patient-reported outcome measures were assessed using an outcomes questionnaire that included questions on health state values (EuroQol-5D [EQ-5D]), disability (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]), pain (visual analog scale [VAS]), depression (Zung self-rating depression scale), and Short Form 12 (SF-12) physical and mental component scores (PCS and MCS). Patient satisfaction was dichotomized as either "YES" or "NO" on whether they were satisfied with their surgical outcome 2 years after the surgery.', 'A total of fifty-three patients undergoing revision neural decompression and instrumented fusion for same-level recurrent stenosis-associated back and leg pain were included in this study. Preoperative Zung self-rating depression score (ZDS), education status, comorbidities, and postoperative satisfaction with surgical care and outcome was assessed for all patients. Baseline and 2-year VAS for leg pain (VAS-LP), VAS for low back pain (VAS-BP), ODI, SF-12 PCS and MCS, and health-state utility (EQ-5D) were assessed. Factors associated with patient satisfaction after surgery were assessed via multivariate logistic regression analysis.', 'Two years after surgery, a significant improvement was reported in all outcome measures: VAS-BP (5±2.94 vs. 9.28±1, p<.001), VAS-LP (3.43±2.95 vs. 9.5±0.93, p<.001), ODI (21.75±12.07 vs. 36.01±6, p<.001), SF-12 PCS (32.30±11.01 vs. 25.13±5.84, p<.001), SF-12 MCS (47.48±10.96 vs. 34.91±12.77, p<.001), EQ-5D (0.60±0.31 vs. 0.18±0.22, p<.001), and ZDS (37.52±11.98 vs. 49.90±10.88, p<.001). Independent of postoperative improvement in pain and disability (surgical effectiveness), increasing preoperative Zung depression score was significantly associated with patient dissatisfaction 2 years after revision lumbar surgery (Odds ratio=0.67 [confidence interval: 0.38, 0.87], p<.001).'] Does preoperative Zung depression scale predict patient satisfaction independent of the extent of improvement after revision lumbar surgery?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.6272053718566895, -1.4500958919525146, 2.0521998405456543 ]
['Congenital multiple intestinal atresia (MIA) is a severe, fatal neonatal disorder, involving the occurrence of obstructions in the small and large intestines ultimately leading to organ failure. Surgical interventions are palliative but do not provide long-term survival. Severe immunodeficiency may be associated with the phenotype. A genetic basis for MIA is likely. We had previously ascertained a cohort of patients of French-Canadian origin, most of whom were deceased as infants or in utero. The goal of the study was to identify the molecular basis for the disease in the patients of this cohort.', 'We performed whole exome sequencing on samples from five patients of four families. Validation of mutations and familial segregation was performed using standard Sanger sequencing in these and three additional families with deceased cases. Exon skipping was assessed by reverse transcription-PCR and Sanger sequencing.', 'Five patients from four different families were each homozygous for a four base intronic deletion in the gene TTC7A, immediately adjacent to a consensus GT splice donor site. The deletion was demonstrated to have deleterious effects on splicing causing the skipping of the attendant upstream coding exon, thereby leading to a predicted severe protein truncation. Parents were heterozygous carriers of the deletion in these families and in two additional families segregating affected cases. In a seventh family, an affected case was compound heterozygous for the same 4bp deletion and a second missense mutation p.L823P, also predicted as pathogenic. No other sequenced genes possessed deleterious variants explanatory for all patients in the cohort. Neither mutation was seen in a large set of control chromosomes.'] Does exome sequencing identify mutations in the gene TTC7A in French-Canadian cases with hereditary multiple intestinal atresia?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.2992589473724365, -1.2750215530395508, 2.6403589248657227 ]
["Eating behaviors and obesity are complex phenotypes influenced by genes and the environment, but few studies have investigated the interaction of these two variables. The purpose of this study was to use a gene-environment interaction model to test for differences in children's food acceptance and body weights.", 'Inherited ability to taste 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) was assessed as a marker of oral taste responsiveness. Food environment was classified as "healthy" or "unhealthy" based on proximity to outlets that sell fruits/vegetables and fast foods using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The cohort consisted of 120 children, ages 4-6 years, recruited from New York City over 2005-2010. Home address and other demographic variables were reported by parents and PROP status, food acceptance, and anthropometrics were assessed in the laboratory. Based on a screening test, children were classified as PROP tasters or non-tasters. Hierarchical linear models analysis of variance was performed to examine differences in food acceptance and body mass index (BMI) z-scores as a function of PROP status, the food environment ("healthy" vs. "unhealthy"), and their interaction.'] Does pROP taster status interact with the built environment to influence children 's food acceptance and body weight status?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.498627185821533, -0.38876989483833313, 1.9709172248840332 ]
['Low oxygen concentration (hypoxia) in tumors strongly affects their malignant state and resistance to therapy. These effects may be more deleterious in regions undergoing cycling hypoxia. Electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) has provided a noninvasive, quantitative imaging modality to investigate static pO2 in vivo. However, to image changing hypoxia, EPRI images with better temporal resolution may be required. The tradeoff between temporal resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) results in lower SNR for EPRI images with imaging time short enough to resolve cycling hypoxia.', 'Principal component analysis allows for accelerated image acquisition with acceptable SNR by filtering noise in projection data, from which pO2 images are reconstructed. Principal component analysis is used as a denoising technique by including only low-order components to approximate the EPRI projection data.', 'Simulated and experimental studies show that principal component analysis filtering increases SNR, particularly for small numbers of sub-volumes with changing pO2 , enabling an order of magnitude increase in temporal resolution with minimal deterioration in spatial resolution or image quality.'] Does principal component analysis enhance SNR for dynamic electron paramagnetic resonance oxygen imaging of cycling hypoxia in vivo?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.463881254196167, -0.9537960886955261, 2.5301601886749268 ]
['To present the clinical, genetic, biochemical, and molecular findings in two Chinese siblings with X-linked recessive Kallmann syndrome (KS).', 'Case report.', 'University medical center.', 'Two Chinese siblings.', 'Clinical evaluation, hormone assays, and gene mutation research.', 'Endocrinologic evaluation and genetic analysis.', 'A missense mutation of KAL1, c.1828G>A, led to pVal610Ile substitution in two brothers with KS; their mother is heterozygous for this missense mutation encoded by single-nucleotide polymorphism rs2229013.'] Is the KAL1 pVal610Ile mutation a recessive mutation causing Kallmann syndrome?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.484217405319214, -0.9316517114639282, 2.5435574054718018 ]
['To investigate the potential association of Y chromosome microdeletions with idiopathic recurrent spontaneous abortion (IRSA) in a Slovenian population and compare our results with those of previously published studies in different populations, with the intention of clarifying the potential impact of Y chromosome microdeletions on IRSA.', 'Case-control and association study.', 'Departments of gynecology and obstetrics and university-based research laboratory.', 'Male partners of 148 couples with at least three spontaneous pregnancy losses of unknown etiology, and 148 fertile men.', 'Multiplex polymerase chain reactions.', 'Azoospermia factor (AZF) regions were tested for Y chromosome microdeletions according to European Academy of Andrology/European Molecular Genetics Quality Network guidelines. The PubMed database was searched to retrieve articles linking Y chromosome microdeletions and susceptibility to IRSA.', 'None of the IRSA or control men had microdeletions in the AZFa, AZFb, or AZFc regions. A total of nine previous studies examined the relationship between Y chromosome microdeletions and IRSA, yielding contradictory results, which we discuss in detail.'] Are y chromosome azoospermia factor region microdeletions associated with idiopathic recurrent spontaneous abortion in a Slovenian population : association study and literature review?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.7495429515838623, -0.46452561020851135, 2.309389114379883 ]
['Fatty acid synthase (FAS) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are overexpressed in a series of cancers. However, few studies have investigated the potential role of FAS and HER2 in esophageal carcinoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of FAS and HER2 and the possible link between FAS/HER2 expression and the pathological prognostic variables.', 'The frequency of FAS and HER2 expression was determined immunohistochemically. The overall survival rate was analysed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test using SPSS 17.0 software.', 'The majority of the cases were esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (n=142). FAS and HER2 overexpression in the studied cases are 73.2% and 14.1%, respectively. There was a significant difference in FAS expression regarding tumor differentiation and FAS overexpression showed its prognostic value for patients with different tumor differentiation. Meanwhile, HER2 overexpression did not significantly relate to the clinicopathological characteristics of the tumors, with the only exception of the surgical margins.'] Is expression status of fatty acid synthase ( FAS ) but not HER2 correlated with the differentiation grade and prognosis of esophageal carcinoma?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.343395948410034, -1.2556569576263428, 2.644497871398926 ]
['Clonidine is an α2-agonist which is used as a sedative premedication in children. There are conflicting results in the published literature about the effect of clonidine on the incidence of post operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). We therefore decided to evaluate the effect of oral clonidine given preoperatively on the incidence of PONV in children after appendectomy.', 'Sixty children, 5-12 years old, classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II, who were scheduled for appendecectomy were enrolled in this randomized double blinded clinical trial. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups of 30 patients. Patients in clonidine group were given 4 µg.kg -1 clonidine in 20 cc of apple juice and patients in control group were given only 20 cc of apple juice 1 hour before transporting to operating room. The protocol of general anesthesia and postoperative analgesia was the same for two groups. Incidence of PONV and antiemetic usage of patients were assessed during 0-24 hours after anesthesia.', "The patients' characteristics were similar in two groups. Patients who had received clonidine had significantly less episodes of PONV and also less rescue antiemetic usage than patients in control group."] Does oral clonidine premedication reduce nausea and vomiting in children after appendectomy?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.0069377422332764, -1.4152740240097046, 2.4351565837860107 ]
['We have previously shown that the danger signal high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) promotes angiogenesis when administered to ischemic muscle. HMGB1 signals through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) as well as the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE). However, the actions of these receptors in ischemic injury and muscle recovery are not known. We hypothesize that TLR4 mediates tissue recovery and angiogenesis in response to ischemia.', 'Femoral artery ligation was performed in control, TLR4 competent (C3H/HeOuJ) and incompetent (C3H/HeJ) mice, as well as RAGE knockout mice and their C57B6 control counterparts. In other experiments, control mice were pretreated with anti-HMGB1 neutralizing antibody before femoral artery ligation. After 2 weeks, limb perfusion was evaluated using laser Doppler perfusion imaging and reported as the ratio of blood flow in the ischemic to nonischemic limb. Muscle necrosis, fat replacement, and vascular density in the anterior tibialis muscle were quantified histologically. In\xa0vitro, TLR4 and RAGE expression was evaluated in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells in response to hypoxia. Human dermal microvascular endothelial cells treated with HMGB1 alone and in the presence of anti-TLR4 antibody were probed for phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), a signaling molecule critical to endothelial cell (EC) angiogenic behavior.', 'Both anti-HMGB1 antibody as well as defective TLR4 signaling in HeJ mice resulted in prominent muscle necrosis 2 weeks after femoral artery ligation. Control HeOuJ mice had less necrosis than TLR4 incompetent HeJ mice, but a greater amount of fat replacement. In contrast to control C3H mice, control C57B6 mice demonstrated prominent muscle regeneration with very little necrosis. Muscle regeneration was not dependent on RAGE. While vascular density did not differ between strains, mice with intact RAGE and TLR4 signaling had less blood flow in ischemic limbs compared with mutant strains. In\xa0vitro, EC TLR4 expression increased in response to hypoxia while TLR4 antagonism decreased HMGB1-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase.'] Do hMGB1 and TLR4 mediate skeletal muscle recovery in a murine model of hindlimb ischemia?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.3522074222564697, -1.3718960285186768, 2.737976551055908 ]
["Graduated elastic compression (GEC) stockings have been demonstrated to reduce the morbidity associated with post-thrombotic syndrome. The ideal length or compression strength required to achieve this is speculative and related to physician preference and patient compliance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic performance of four different stockings and determine the patient's preference.", 'Thirty-four consecutive patients (40 legs, 34 male) with post-thrombotic syndrome were tested with four different stockings (Mediven plus open toe, Bayreuth, Germany) of their size in random order: class 1 (18-21 mm Hg) and class II (23-32 mm Hg), below-knee (BK) and above-knee thigh-length (AK). The median age, Venous Clinical Severity Score, Venous Segmental Disease Score, and Villalta scale were 62 years (range, 31-81 years), 8 (range, 1-21), 5 (range, 2-10), and 10 (range, 2-22), respectively. The C of C0-6EsAs,d,pPr,o was C0 = 2, C2 = 1, C3 = 3, C4a = 12, C4b = 7, C5 = 12, C6 = 3. Obstruction and reflux was observed on duplex in 47.5% legs, with deep venous reflux alone in 45%. Air plethysmography was used to measure the venous filling index (VFI), venous volume, and time to fill 90% of the venous volume. Direct pressure measurements were obtained while lying and standing using the PicoPress device (Microlab Elettronica, Nicolò, Italy). The pressure sensor was placed underneath the test stocking 5 cm above and 2 cm posterior to the medial malleolus. At the end of the study session, patients stated their preferred stocking based on comfort.', 'The VFI, venous volume, and time to fill 90% of the venous volume improved significantly with all types of stocking versus no compression. In class I, the VFI (mL/s) improved from a median of 4.9 (range, 1.7-16.3) without compression to 3.7 (range, 0-14) BK (24.5%) and 3.6 (range, 0.6-14.5) AK (26.5%). With class II, the corresponding improvement was to 4.0 (range, 0.3-16.2) BK (18.8%) and 3.7 (range, 0.5-14.2) AK (24.5%). Median stocking pressure (mm Hg) as measured with the PicoPress in class I was 23 (range, 12-33) lying and 27 (range, 19-39) standing (P < .0005) and in class II was 28 (range, 21-40) lying and 32 (range, 23-46) standing (P < .0005). There was a significant but weak correlation (Spearman) between stocking interface pressure measured directly with the PicoPress and the VFI improvement (baseline VFI-compression VFI) at r = .237; P = .005. Twenty-one patients (legs) changed their preference of compression and 38% of these (8/21 patients, 9/21 legs) preferred an AK-GEC stocking.'] Do compression stockings significantly improve hemodynamic performance in post-thrombotic syndrome irrespective of class or length?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.9839895963668823, -1.5114325284957886, 2.5350728034973145 ]
['Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening remains largely underutilized in the U.S., and it is likely that the proportion of patients with aneurysms requiring prompt treatment is much higher compared with well-screened populations. The goals of this study were to determine the proportion of AAAs that required prompt repair after diagnostic abdominal imaging for U.S. Medicare beneficiaries and to identify patient and hospital factors contributing to early vs late diagnosis of AAA.', 'Data were extracted from Medicare claims records for patients at least 65 years old with complete coverage for 2 years who underwent intact AAA repair from 2006 to 2009. Preoperative ultrasound and computed tomography was tabulated from 2002 to repair. We defined early diagnosis of AAA as a patient with a time interval of greater than 6 months between the first imaging examination and the index procedure, and late diagnosis as patients who underwent the index procedure within 6 months of the first imaging examination.', 'Of 17,626 patients who underwent AAA repair, 14,948 met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 77.5\xa0± 6.1 years. Early diagnosis was identified for 60.6% of patients receiving AAA repair, whereas 39.4% were repaired after a late diagnosis. Early diagnosis rates increased from 2006 to 2009 (59.8% to 63.4%; P\xa0< .0001) and were more common for intact repair compared with repair after rupture (62.9% vs 35.1%; P\xa0< .0001) and for women compared with men (66.3% vs 59.0%; P\xa0< .0001). On multivariate analysis, repair of intact vs ruptured AAAs (odds ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 2.7-3.6) and female sex (odds ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-1.5) remained the strongest predictors of surveillance. Although intact repairs were more likely to be diagnosed early, over one-third of patients undergoing repair for ruptured AAAs received diagnostic abdominal imaging greater than 6 months prior to surgery.'] Does late diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysms substantiate underutilization of abdominal aortic aneurysm screening for Medicare beneficiaries?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -0.8805438280105591, -1.6105406284332275, 1.4870043992996216 ]
['Myocardial necrosis occurs frequently in elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and is associated with subsequent major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). This study assessed the protective effect of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) in patients undergoing successful drug-eluting stent implantation with normal baseline troponin values.', 'We analyzed 205 participants with normal baseline troponin values undergoing successful coronary stent implantation. Subjects were randomized to 2 groups: The RIPC group (n = 101), whose members received RIPC (created by three 5-minute inflations of a pneumatic medical tourniquet cuff to 200 mm Hg around the upper arm, interspersed with 5-minute intervals of reperfusion) < 2 hours before the PCI procedure, and the control group (n = 104).', 'The primary outcomes were high sensitive cardiac troponin I (hscTnI) levels and incidence of myocardial infarction (MI 4a, defined as hscTnI > 0.20 ng/mL) at 16 hours after the PCI procedure. The median hscTnI at 16 hours after PCI was lower in the RIPC group compared with the unpreconditioned, control group (0.11 vs 0.21 ng/mL; P < 0.01). The incidence of MI 4a was lower in the RIPC group compared with the control group (39% vs 54%, P < 0.05). Index of renal function showed no difference between the 2 groups at 16 hours after PCI (P > 0.05).'] Does remote ischemic preconditioning reduce myocardial injury in patients undergoing coronary stent implantation?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.6347965002059937, -1.6609231233596802, 2.250173330307007 ]
['We had previously reported that chronic hypoxia induces androgen-independent growth in the human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP. In this study, we have identified a key molecule, the Vav3 oncogene, and investigated the effects of Vav3 overexpression on cancer cell growth and malignant behavior and the possible apoptosis-inducing effect of Vav3 expression knockdown by small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) in LNCaP cells under chronic hypoxia (LNCaP/CH).', 'Hypoxia-inducible oncogenes were identified by complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) microarray and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis in order to investigate gene ontology and functional pathways and networks. siRNA was used to knockdown the Vav3 target gene and analyze the effects on proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis of LNCaP/CH cells. Vav3 cDNA was transfected into LNCaP cells under normoxia (LNCaP/N) to establish Vav3-overexpressing clonal cell lines, whose proliferation, invasion, and migration was then examined. Immunoblot analysis was used to investigate the activation of Akt, a Vav3 downstream target molecule.', 'cDNA microarray analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified Vav3 as a hypoxia-inducible oncogene that was highly associated with malignant behavior. Vav3 messenger RNA and protein expression in LNCaP/CH cells were higher than in LNCaP/N and LNCaP cells cultured under acute hypoxia (LNCaP/AH). The growth rate of LNCaP/CH cells was lower than that of LNCaP/N cells but higher than that of LNCaP/AH cells. LNCaP/CH cells showed higher invasion and migration than LNCaP/N and LNCaP/AH cells. Interrupting Vav3 expression strongly suppressed the proliferation, invasion, and migration of LNCaP/CH cells. Furthermore, siRNA led to apoptosis with increased caspase-3 and cleaved poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase activation in LNCaP/CH cells. Stable Vav3 overexpression in LNCaP cells promoted cell proliferation, invasion, and migration with Akt activation.'] Does the Vav3 oncogene enhance the malignant potential of prostate cancer cells under chronic hypoxia?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.283559799194336, -1.3715248107910156, 2.69073486328125 ]
['Urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder is the second most common cancer of the genitourinary system. Clinical UC treatment usually involves transurethral resection of the bladder tumor followed by adjuvant intravesical immunotherapy or chemotherapy to prevent recurrence. Intravesical chemotherapy induces fewer side effects than immunotherapy but is less effective at preventing tumor recurrence. Improvement to intravesical chemotherapy is, therefore, needed.', 'Cellular effects of mitomycin C (MMC) and hydrostatic pressure on UC BFTC905 cells were assessed. The viability of the UC cells was determined using cellular proliferation assay. Changes in apoptotic function were evaluated by caspase 3/7 activities, expression of FasL, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential.', 'Reduced cell viability was associated with increasing hydrostatic pressure. Caspase 3/7 activities were increased following treatment of the UC cells with MMC or hydrostatic pressure. In combination with 10 kPa hydrostatic pressure, MMC treatment induced increasing FasL expression. The mitochondria of UC cells displayed increasingly impaired membrane potentials following a combined treatment with 10 μg/ml MMC and 10 kPa hydrostatic pressure.'] Does hydrostatic pressure enhance mitomycin C induced apoptosis in urothelial carcinoma cells?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.4565322399139404, -1.3588252067565918, 2.8492584228515625 ]
['Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of colorectal neoplasia. However, association between prediabetes and colorectal adenoma has not been reported.', 'The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between prediabetes and the presence of colorectal adenomas.', 'Consecutive prediabetic subjects who underwent screening colonoscopy were enrolled at Kyung Hee University Hospital in Gangdong, Seoul, Korea, between June 2006 and May 2012. Non-prediabetic subjects were separately pooled from the database of the Center for Health Promotion between January 2012 and May 2012. Prediabetes was defined according to the recommendations of the American Diabetes Association. The prevalence of colorectal adenomas and their characteristics were compared between prediabetic and non-prediabetic groups.', 'The prevalence of colorectal adenoma was higher in prediabetic subjects than in non-prediabetic subjects (39.6 vs. 30.6 %, respectively, p = 0.019). Prediabetic subjects had more multiple and high-risk adenomas than the control group in non-matched analysis (p = 0.000, respectively). In age-matched analysis, the prevalence of multiple and high-risk adenomas were significantly higher in a prediabetic group than those in a control group (44.4 vs. 28.4 %, p = 0.034; 51.9 vs. 34.6 %, p = 0.026, respectively). Furthermore, prediabetes (odds ratio = 2.198; 95 % confidence interval = 1.042-4.637; p = 0.039) was found to be an independent risk factor for a high-risk adenoma by multivariate analysis.'] Is prediabetes associated with a high-risk colorectal adenoma?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -0.7208626866340637, -1.3272132873535156, 1.0201542377471924 ]
['Primary sclerosing cholangitis confers risk of cholangiocarcinoma. Here, we assessed the primary sclerosing cholangitis-associated variant rs3197999 in the MST1 gene, coding for RON receptor tyrosine kinase ligand macrophage stimulating protein, in a large European cholangiocarcinoma cohort.', '223 cholangiocarcinoma patients including three primary sclerosing cholangitis individuals and 355 cancer- and primary sclerosing cholangitis-free controls were genotyped for MST1 rs3197999.', 'The cancer group departed from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p = 0.022) and exhibited a trend for rs3197999 [A] overrepresentation (31% vs. 26%: p = 0.10). Homozygous rs3197999 [AA] carrier status significantly increased overall (OR = 1.97; p = 0.023) and primary sclerosing cholangitis-unrelated biliary tract cancer risk (OR = 1.84; p = 0.044), relative to homozygous common allele carriers. The association was most pronounced in patients with extrahepatic tumours. This finding was robust to multivariate analysis (p < 0.05), validating the [AA] genotype as an independent cholangiocarcinoma risk factor.'] Does macrophage stimulating protein variation enhance the risk of sporadic extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.248377561569214, -1.4407923221588135, 2.7228732109069824 ]
['Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) are a major cell population of the pannus that invades adjacent cartilage and bone in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study was undertaken to determine the effect of interleukin-17 (IL-17) on the survival and/or proliferation of FLSs from RA patients and to investigate whether signal tranducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is implicated in this process.', 'Bcl-2 and Bax expression in FLSs was determined using the real-time PCR and western blot analysis. The expression of Bcl-2 and phosphoSTAT3 in synovial tissues was investigated by confocal microscope. Apoptosis of FLSs was detected by Annexin V/propidium iodide staining and/or phase contrast microscopy. The proliferation of FLSs was determined by CCK-8 ELISA assay.', 'The pro-apoptotic Bax is decreased and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 is increased in FLSs from RA patients compared with those from patients with osteoarthritis (OA). IL-17 upregulated the expression of Bcl-2 in FLSs from RA patients, but not in FLSs from OA patients. STAT3 was found to mediate IL-17-induced Bcl-2 upregulation in FLSs from RA patients. Additionally, IL-17 promoted the survival and proliferation of FLSs from RA patients. Most importantly, treatment with STAT3 inhibitor reversed the protective effect of IL-17 on FLSs apoptosis induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP).'] Does iL-17-mediated Bcl-2 expression regulate survival of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis through STAT3 activation?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.3909294605255127, -1.36582612991333, 2.7534542083740234 ]
['The olfactory epithelium is a self-renewing tissue, able to produce new neurons as needed from stem and progenitor cells in its basal layers. In addition, there exists a mesenchymal-like stem cell (MSC) located within the underlying lamina propria. Little is known about the function of this nasal MSC, or its relationship to the olfactory lineage, but there is considerable interest in using the nasal MSC for cell-based therapies. We sought to further explore the biology of the nasal MSC by establishing neurosphere cultures from adult human nasal biopsies, and to examine the anatomic distribution of nasal MSCs.', 'Nasal biopsies from human patients (n = 5) were obtained from superior, middle, and inferior turbinates or septum. Tissue was cultured to obtain nasal MSCs. Cultures were analyzed by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry, as well as for differentiation capacity.', 'Although olfactory sensory neuroepithelium is restricted to superior regions in the nasal cavity, neurosphere-forming MSC cultures were, surprisingly, obtained from olfactory as well as non-olfactory regions. These MSC cultures exhibit characteristic robust neurosphere formation and express CD90, CD105, STRO-1, and nestin. Nasal MSCs were found to give rise to neuronal-like cells under differentiation conditions.'] Do adult human nasal mesenchymal stem cells have an unexpected broad anatomic distribution?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.660982608795166, -0.9153878092765808, 2.663022041320801 ]
['Statins are neuroprotective in a variety of experimental models of cerebral injury. We sought to determine whether patients taking statins before asymptomatic carotid endarterectomy exhibit a lower incidence of neurological injury (clinical stroke and cognitive dysfunction).', 'A total of 328 patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis scheduled for elective carotid endarterectomy consented to participate in this observational study of perioperative neurological injury.', 'Patients taking statins had a lower incidence of clinical stroke (0.0% vs 3.1%; P=0.02) and cognitive dysfunction (11.0% vs 20.2%; P=0.03). In a multivariate regression model, statin use was significantly associated with decreased odds of cognitive dysfunction (odds ratio, 0.51 [95% CI, 0.27-0.96]; P=0.04).'] Do statins reduce neurologic injury in asymptomatic carotid endarterectomy patients?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.9225890636444092, -1.194223165512085, 2.15232515335083 ]
['The prognosis of elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is poor, and information on specific risk factors remains scarce. The aim of our study was to assess the influence of platelet count on cardiovascular mortality in very elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction (≥ 85 years of age).', 'We identified 208 elderly AMI patients and compared the platelet count with 208 matched young AMI patients (≤ 65 years) and 208 matched intermediate age AMI patients (66-84 years) who derived from the same cohort.', 'During a median follow-up of 4·7 years, 25% of patients (n = 156) died of cardiovascular causes (97 very elderly, 46 intermediate age and 13 young age patients). We detected a mean platelet count of 227G/l (SD ± 83) in very elderly AMI patients, of 236G/l (SD ± 78) in the intermediate AMI group and of 254G/l (SD ± 79) in 208 young AMI patients (ANOVA P = 0·002). We revealed a significant interaction between age and platelet count with regard to cardiovascular mortality (p for interaction = 0·014). Platelet count displayed a significant risk transformation from an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in very elderly AMI patients (adj. hazard ratio (HR) per 1-SD increase 1·25;95%CI 1·02-1·54;P = 0·028), via displaying no association with mortality in the intermediate age group (P = 0·10), to a strong inverse association in young patients (adj. HR 0·36;95%CI 0·18-0·68;P = 0·002).'] Does platelet count predict cardiovascular mortality in very elderly patients with myocardial infarction?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -0.5346686244010925, -1.6627060174942017, 1.2547565698623657 ]
['Metabolic disturbances are common features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which possibly enhance the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is an emerging cardiovascular risk factor. The aim of this study was to explore the ability of LAP to identify metabolic syndrome (MS) in PCOS women.', 'In a cross-sectional study, anthropometric, biochemical and clinical parameters were measured in 105 PCOS women. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to find out the cut-off points of LAP to predict MS. MS was categorized according to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria.', 'The prevalence of MS was 43.8% in this study. PCOS women with MS had significantly higher LAP levels compared to those without MS. LAP was highly correlated with components of MS. ROC analysis showed that LAP was a significant discriminator for MS in PCOS women, and the optimal cutoff point of LAP to predict MS was 54.2 (93.3% sensitivity, 96.7% specificity).'] Is lipid accumulation product related to metabolic syndrome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.1360394954681396, -1.1876730918884277, 2.45306658744812 ]
['The mechanisms that differentiate rabies infections into furious and paralytic forms remain undetermined. There are no neuropathological features in human brains that distinguish furious and paralytic rabies. This could be due to methodology and/or examination of specimens late in the disease course.In this study, postmortem examination of brain (5 furious and 5 paralytic) and spinal cord (3 furious and 3 paralytic) specimens was performed in 10 rabies-infected dogs, sacrificed shortly after developing the illness. Rabies virus (RABV) antigen (percentage of positive neurons, average antigen area in positive neurons and average antigen area per neuron) and RNA were quantified at 15 different central nervous system (CNS) regions. The distribution and degree of inflammation were also studied.', 'More RABV antigen was detected in furious rabies than paralytic in many of the CNS regions studied. Caudal-rostral polarity of viral antigen distribution was found in both clinical forms in order from greatest to least: spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, midline structures (caudate, thalamus), hippocampus, and cerebrum. In contrast, RABV RNA was most abundant in the cerebral midline structures. Viral RNA was found at significantly higher levels in the cerebral cortex, thalamus, midbrain and medulla of dogs with the furious subtype. The RNA levels in the spinal cord were comparable in both clinical forms. A striking inflammatory response was found in paralytic rabies in the brainstem.'] Is reduced viral burden in paralytic compared to furious canine rabies associated with prominent inflammation at the brainstem level?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.26832914352417, -1.177168607711792, 2.6091902256011963 ]
['Ectopic fat accumulation in liver and skeletal muscle may be an essential link between abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and increased risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause. We hypothesized that a diet containing a relatively high content of protein and unsaturated fat [mainly monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs)] but limited carbohydrates and saturated fat would reduce lipid content in liver and muscle and increase insulin sensitivity in postmenopausal women.', 'Ten healthy, nonsmoking postmenopausal women with a body mass index (BMI) >27 (28-35) kg m(-2) were included in the study.', 'Participants were instructed to consume an ad libitum Palaeolithic-type diet intended to provide approximately 30 energy percentage (E%) protein, 40 E% fat (mainly MUFAs) and 30 E% carbohydrate. Intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) levels in calf muscles and liver triglyceride levels were quantified using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1) H-MRS) before and 5 weeks after dietary intervention. Insulin sensitivity was estimated by homoeostasis model assessment (HOMA) indices and the euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp technique.', 'Mean energy intake decreased by 25% with a weight loss of 4.5 kg. BMI, waist and hip circumference, waist/hip ratio and abdominal sagittal diameter also decreased significantly, as did diastolic blood pressure (mean -7 mmHg), levels of fasting serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL/HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), urinary C-peptide and HOMA indices. Whole-body insulin sensitivity did not change. Liver triglyceride levels decreased by 49%, whereas IMCL levels in skeletal muscle were not significantly altered.'] Does a Palaeolithic-type diet cause strong tissue-specific effects on ectopic fat deposition in obese postmenopausal women?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.390228509902954, -1.2312612533569336, 2.706605911254883 ]
['The purpose of this study was to investigate whether combined administration of celecoxib and sevoflurane after ischaemia produces additive neuroprotection against transient global cerebral ischaemia in rats.', 'Cerebral ischaemia was induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion with haemorrhagic hypotension for 8 min. After ischaemia, no drugs were administered in the sham (n=4) and control (n=10) groups. In the celecoxib group (n=10), celecoxib 2 mg kg(-1) was administered after reperfusion. In the sevoflurane group (n=10), after reperfusion, sevoflurane 2.4% was inhaled two times for 5 min each at an interval of 10 min to achieve postconditioning. In the celecoxib+sevoflurane group (n=10), administration of celecoxib 2 mg kg(-1) and the sevoflurane postconditioning were performed simultaneously. Necrotic or apoptotic cells were examined in the hippocampus 7 days after ischaemia. Serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines including tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β were measured 2 h, and 3 and 7 days after ischaemia.', 'Necrotic or apoptotic cells were observed more frequently in the control group than in the celecoxib or sevoflurane groups 7 days after ischaemia (P<0.05). Cytokine levels were higher in the control group when compared with the celecoxib or sevoflurane groups 2 h after ischaemia (P<0.05). However, the histological outcomes and cytokine levels were similar in all three groups treated with celecoxib or sevoflurane.'] Does combined treatment with celecoxib and sevoflurane after global cerebral ischaemia have no additive neuroprotective effects in rats?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.177610397338867, -1.495103359222412, 2.655244827270508 ]
['Functional role of Annexin A1 in tumorigenesis is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Annexin A1 protein expression and pathological differentiation grade in biopsy samples from a large cohort of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); and to evaluate the potential role of Annexin A1 on cell proliferation and tumorigenesis of OSCC.', 'We investigated the relationship between Annexin A1 expression by immunohistochemical staining and pathological differentiation grade of biopsy samples from 232 OSCC patients, and the relationship between Annexin A1 expression and cell proliferation as well as tumor formation using both in vitro and in vivo OSCC models.', 'Annexin A1 expression correlated significantly with pathological differentiation grade in OSCC patients, a lower Annexin A1 expression correlating with a poorer differentiation grade. Forced Annexin A1 overexpression in OSCC cell lines, CAL27 and Tca8113, significantly reduced the cell proliferation whereas down-regulation of Annexin A1 expression in OSCC cell line, HB96, significantly increased proliferation of HB96 cells. Tumors formed from CAL27 cells overexpressing Annexin A1 grown significantly slower compared to the parental CAL27 cells in nude mice and showed a significantly reduced nuclear Ki-67 labeling index. Interestingly, these tumors also showed a well differentiated histology pattern whereas the tumors formed from the parental cells were consistently moderately differentiated.'] Does annexin A1 down-regulation in oral squamous cell carcinoma correlate to pathological differentiation grade?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.4782729148864746, -1.0037248134613037, 2.5210399627685547 ]
['A multi-turn transmit surface coil design was presented to improve B1 efficiency when used with current source amplification.', 'Three different coil designs driven by an on-coil current-mode class-D amplifier with current envelope feedback were tested on the benchtop and through imaging in a 1.5 T scanner. Case temperature of the power field-effect transistor at the amplifier output stage was measured to evaluate heat dissipation for the different current levels and coil configurations. In addition, a lower power rated device was tested to exploit the potential gain in B1 obtained with the multi-turn coil.', "As shown both on the benchtop and in a 1.5 T scanner, B1 was increased by almost 3-fold without increasing heat dissipation on the power device at the amplifier's output using a multi-turn surface coil. Similar gain was obtained when connecting a lower power rated field-effect transistor to the multi-turn coil."] Do multi-turn transmit coil to increase b1 efficiency in current source amplification?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
1
[ -0.6338459849357605, -0.07814456522464752, -0.10879272222518921 ]
['The incidence of Alzheimer disease may increase after surgical interventions. Amyloid β-protein (Aβ) fibrillogenesis, which is closely related to Alzheimer disease, is reportedly accelerated by exposure to anesthetics. However, the effects of GM1 ganglioside (GM1) on Αβ fibrillogenesis have not yet been reported. The current study was designed to examine whether the anesthetics propofol and thiopental are associated with Αβ assembly and GM1 expression on the neuronal cell surface.', 'PC12N cells and cultured neuronal cells were treated with propofol or thiopental, and GM1 expression in treated and untreated cells was determined by the specific binding of horseradish peroxidase-conjugated cholera toxin subunit B (n = 5). The effects of an inhibitor of the γ-aminobutyric acid A receptor was also examined (n= 5). In addition, the effects of the anesthetics on GM1 liposome-induced Αβ assembly were investigated (n = 5). Finally, the neurotoxicity of the assembled Αβ fibrils was studied by the lactate dehydrogenase release assay (n = 6).', 'Propofol (31.2 ± 4.7%) and thiopental (34.6 ± 10.5%) decreased GM1 expression on the cell surface through the γ-aminobutyric acid A receptor. The anesthetics inhibited Αβ fibril formation from soluble Αβ in cultured neurons. Moreover, propofol and thiopental suppressed GM1-induced fibril formation in a cell-free system (propofol, 75.8 ± 1.9%; thiopental, 83.6 ± 1.9%) and reduced the neurotoxicity of a mixture containing Aβ and GM1 liposomes (propofol, 35.3 ± 16.4%; thiopental, 21.3 ± 11.6%).'] Do propofol and thiopental suppress amyloid fibril formation and GM1 ganglioside expression through the γ-aminobutyric acid A receptor?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.287560224533081, -1.379804015159607, 2.694765090942383 ]
['The management of hemodynamically unstable patients with severe pelvic fractures remains a challenge. Various treatment strategies have been advocated. This study analyzed the value of transcatheter angiographic embolization (TAE) for persistent haemodynamic instability after initial fracture stabilization.', 'From January 2002 to July 2011, 803 patients were identified with pelvic fractures, 295 of them (37%) were presenting with unstable pelvic fractures. Fifteen patients, all with unstable fractures (2%), remained hypotensive (systolic blood pressure<90 mmHg) despite adequate fluid resuscitation and emergent surgical fracture stabilization, subsequently underwent TAE.', 'The median age in the TAE-group was 57.9 years±20.12 (min 22; max 82) and the median ISS (injury severity score) was 35.8±11.7 (min 22; max 66). 13 out of 15 patients (87%) received initial external fixation and 2 patients (13%) where treated with a C-Clamp before TAE. Radiological success, defined as absence of contrast extravasation on completion angiography, was observed in all 15 patients. In total 3 (20%) patients died during the period of hospitalization, none of them owing to persistent or recurrent pelvic haemorrhage. In the remaining 12 patients, no early or late complications of TAE were identified. Preperitoneal pelvic packing was performed in two patients, both had open pelvic fractures.'] Is transcatheter embolotherapy after external surgical stabilization a valuable treatment algorithm for patients with persistent haemorrhage from unstable pelvic fractures : outcomes of a single centre experience?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.3261711597442627, -1.3044650554656982, 2.7204954624176025 ]
['Hyponatremia is a common complication occurring in one third of patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). One mechanism that likely mediates the development of hyponatremia in SAH is cerebral salt wasting syndrome (CSWS), which induces natriuresis and reduces total blood volume, resulting in a risk of symptomatic vasospasm (SVS). The mineral corticoid fludrocortisone acetate enhances sodium reabsorption in the renal distal tubules and may help prevent post-SAH hyponatremia. However, management with fludrocortisone acetate is ineffective if hyponatremia is advanced, because CSWS and subsequent SVS develop rapidly. Therefore, an additional earlier marker is required to predict the development of hyponatremia for the initiation of immediate treatment in select patients. However, no conclusive evidence exists showing that hyponatremia influences the risk of SVS, and no standard treatment protocol exists for treating hyponatremia in patients with SAH. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether selective early treatment of hyponatremia prevents SVS in patients with increased urinary sodium excretion in the early phase following SAH.', 'A total of 103 patients with aneurysmal SAH were managed for a postoperative electrolyte disorder after aneurysmal clipping or coil embolization. Between 2004 and 2007 (period 1), 54 patients started treatment to correct the electrolyte disorder after hyponatremia had occurred. Between 2007 and 2011 (period 2), 49 patients were prospectively subjected to sodium replacement treatment according to their daily sodium balance, and inhibition of natriuresis with fludrocortisone acetate was initiated just after an increase in urinary sodium excretion >300 mEq/day. The occurrence of hyponatremia, SVS, and outcomes were compared between the two periods.', 'Hyponatremia was observed in 14 patients (26%) in period 1 and 7 patients (14%) in period 2. The incidence of fludrocortisone acetate administration was significantly higher, and initiation of electrolyte correction was significantly earlier, in period 2 patients. We observed a significant difference in the frequency of SVS, which occurred in 10 patients (18.5%) in period 1 and 3 patients (6.1%) in period 2. Both urinary sodium excretion and urine volume at day 7 were significantly different between the two periods. However, no significant difference was observed in overall outcome between the two periods.'] Does early inhibition of natriuresis suppress symptomatic cerebral vasospasm in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.23038911819458, -1.4256086349487305, 2.647970199584961 ]
['Elderly patients with pneumonia have a high mortality rate. Since Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is involved in the inflammatory response, we conducted a prospective observational case-control study to assess the relationships of TLR2 and TLR4 mortality with elderly patients with pneumonia.', 'Clinical and laboratory data were collected from these elderly patients with pneumonia (patient group; n = 40) and healthy age-matched subjects (control 1; n = 20). TLR2 and TLR4 expression levels on blood monocytes were examined, and inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) plasma concentrations were analyzed.', 'Increased TLR2 and TLR4 expression levels were detected in elderly patients with severe pneumonia compared with healthy subjects. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between TLR2 and TLR4 expression levels and IL-1 and IL-6 levels, and TLR2- and TLR4-positive cell percent expressions correlated with TNF-α levels. By day 28 of observation, the mortality rate of the patient group was 30%. Decreased TLR2 and TLR4 expression was observed in deceased patients compared with survivors. APACHE (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation) II scores and CURB-65 scores (Confusion, blood Urea nitrogen, Respiratory rate and low Blood pressure scores) were lower in survivors.'] Is severe pneumonia mortality in elderly patients associated with downregulation of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 on monocytes?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.33282208442688, -1.1810739040374756, 2.5888075828552246 ]
['We aimed to evaluate the predictability of short-term (5 days) changes in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) gene expression for long-term (12 weeks) changes induced by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding.', 'Mice were fed semisynthetic diets containing 10 (low-fat diet) or 40 (HFD) energy% of fat. Global gene expression in eWAT was analyzed using microarrays and confirmed by quantitative PCR. As expected, HFD feeding resulted in increased body fat accumulation and reduced glucose tolerance after 12 weeks. A total of 4678 transcripts were significantly changed by HFD after 12 weeks and 973 after 5 days, with an overlap of 764 transcripts encoding 549 genes. Of these, 79% were downregulated and 21% were upregulated by HFD, all in the same direction and highly correlated (r(2) = 0.90) between the time points. Pathway analysis showed downregulation of the main identified processes: lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation. Mest (mesoderm-specific transcript) was highly upregulated, confirming its role as an early marker of fat cell expansion.'] Are short-term , high fat feeding-induced changes in white adipose tissue gene expression highly predictive for long-term changes?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -2.2016515731811523, -1.1838411092758179, 2.412370204925537 ]
['The study aimed to determine whether nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an independent risk factor of adenoma after negative baseline colonoscopy.', 'A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 1522 health-check individuals who underwent two consecutive colonoscopies at Taipei Veterans General Hospital between 2003 and 2010. Those developing an adenoma after an initial negative baseline colonoscopy (adenoma group) were compared with those in whom the second colonoscopy was negative (nonadenoma group). Anthropometric measurements, biochemical tests and the presence of NAFLD were compared between the two groups.', 'The adenoma group had a higher prevalence of NAFLD than the nonadenoma group (55.6% vs 38.8%; P\xa0<\xa00.05). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, NAFLD was an independent risk factor (OR\xa0=\xa01.45, 95% CI: 1.07-1.98) for adenoma formation after a negative baseline colonoscopy. The risk of colorectal adenoma increased when NAFLD patients had other morbidities including metabolic syndrome, hypertension or smoking (OR\xa0=\xa02.85, 4.03 and 4.17).'] Do patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have higher risk of colorectal adenoma after negative baseline colonoscopy?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.77357017993927, -1.3609412908554077, 2.039369583129883 ]
["To evaluate relationships between clients' self-reported 'stage of change' and outcomes after treatment for alcohol problems.", "Using data from the 'United Kingdom Alcohol Treatment Trial', clients who had received at least one session of treatment and who had complete data (n = 392) entered the analysis. Two continuous measures of drinking behaviour (% days abstinent (PDA) and drinks per drinking day (DDD)) and categorical outcomes at the 12-month follow-up were compared between clients in Pre-action and Action stages of change at either pre- or post-treatment assessment. Multiple and logistic regression analyses examined the relationships between stage of change and treatment outcomes, evaluating the strength of these relationships by controlling for likely confounders.", 'Pre-treatment stage of change did not predict outcome but post-treatment stage of change predicted PDA and DDD at the 12-month follow-up. In unadjusted and adjusted analyses, clients in Action at post-treatment were two to three times more likely to show a favourable categorical outcome, variously defined, than those in Pre-action. There were no differences between clients who had received Motivational Enhancement Therapy and those who had received Social Behaviour and Network Therapy in proportions maintaining or moving towards Action from before to after treatment.'] Does post-treatment stage of change predict 12-month outcome of treatment for alcohol problems?
qiaojin/PubMedQA
2
[ -1.9054170846939087, -0.17065566778182983, 1.1238739490509033 ]