TASK DEFINITION: Given a passage classify if the passage has a definite objective/aim/goal or not. Output '1' if the passage has a defininte objective/aim/goal and output '0' if the passage does not have a definite objective/aim/goal.
PROBLEM: Anxiety is a common non-motor symptom among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Although the etiology of anxiety in PD is likely to be multifactorial, a dysfunction in the dopaminergic system might be implicated in its pathogenesis. The aim of our study was to investigate a possible dopaminergic mechanism involved in anxiety in newly diagnosed never-medicated PD patients using SPECT and ¹²³I-FP-CIT as the dopamine transporter ligand.", 'Thirty-four newly diagnosed, untreated PD patients with asymmetric motor symptoms were included in the study: 17 patients with right- and 17 with left-motor onset, matched for age, disease duration and motor disability constituted the group. They were all evaluated for anxiety and depression and underwent an SPECT with ¹²³I-FP-CIT. Dopamine transporter (DAT) availability values for right and left caudate and putamen were calculated and compared between patients with and without anxiety. Regression analyses were also performed in order to correlate DAT availability with the severity of the anxiety symptoms.', 'Comparison between PD patients with and those without anxiety revealed significant differences of DAT availability in all the examined regions except the right putamen. In the group of patients considered as a whole, a significant correlation was found between increased anxiety severity and decreased DAT availability in right caudate.

SOLUTION: 0

PROBLEM: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), produced by the activity of cystathionine-gamma-lyase (CSE), is a key mediator of inflammation in sepsis. The liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are important target and mediator of sepsis. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of CSE-derived H2S on inflammation and LSECs fenestrae in caecal-ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis using CSE KO mice.', 'Sepsis was induced by CLP, and mice (C57BL/6J, male) were sacrificed after 8 hours. Liver, lung, and blood were collected and processed to measure CSE expression, H2S synthesis, MPO activity, NF-κB p65, ERK1/2, and cytokines/chemokines levels. Diameter, frequency, porosity and gap area of the liver sieve were calculated from scanning electron micrographs of the LSECs.', 'An increased CSE expression and H2S synthesizing activity in the liver and lung of wild-type mice following CLP-induced sepsis. This was associated with an increased liver and lung MPO activity, and increased liver and lung and plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, and the chemokines MCP-1 and MIP-2α. Conversely, CSE KO mice had less liver and lung injury and reduced inflammation following CLP-induced sepsis as evidenced by decreased levels of H2S synthesizing activity, MPO activity, and pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines production. Extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB) became significantly activated after the CLP in WT mice but not in CSE KO mice. In addition, CLP-induced damage to the LSECs, as indicated by increased defenestration and gaps formation in the LSECs compared to WT sham control. CSE KO mice showed decreased defenestration and gaps formation following sepsis.

SOLUTION: 0

PROBLEM: The differential intestinal metabolism of the soy isoflavones is likely to influence the ability of soy to prevent prostate cancer. While daidzein, genistein, and equol have direct antiproliferative effects on prostatic epithelial cells in vitro, there are no such data for the isoflavone glycitein, or seven metabolites: O-desmethylangolensin (ODMA), 6-hydroxyODMA (6H-ODMA), dihydrodaidzein (DHD), cis-4-hydroxyequol (C4HE), 3'-hydroxydaidzein (3HD), 6-hydroxydaidzein (6HD), and 8-hydroxydaidzein (8HD). In the current study, the in vitro activities of these compounds were elucidated, and the active ranges of concentrations were compared to that found in Caucasian prostatic fluid (PF) and plasma samples.", 'The effects of isoflavonoids on cell growth, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis (active Caspase 3) were examined on benign prostatic epithelial cells (PrEC), and the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP.', 'PF concentrations of genistein, equol, and daidzein (but not ODMA or DHD) were often within the ranges that reduce PrEC growth in vitro. Profound differences in sensitivities were observed with LNCaP. The hydroxydaidzeins, C4HE, and 6H-ODMA had significant inhibitory effects at 10(-5)M on PrEC growth (but not LNCaP). Glycitein had significant effects on both. Reductions in cell growth were typically associated with both changes in cell cycle distribution and Caspase 3 activation. When five isoflavonoids were used in combination at concentrations present in PF samples, synergistic effects were observed.

SOLUTION:
0