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: Our previous in-vivo and in-vitro studies demonstrated that inflammation accelerated the progression of atherosclerosis via the dysregulation of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) pathway. The current study aimed to investigate the effects and their underlying mechanisms of inflammation on lipid accumulation in the radial arteries of endstage renal disease (ESRD) patients with arteriovenostomy.', '30 ESRD patients with arteriovenostomy were included. The patients were divided into two groups based on their plasma levels of C-reactive protein: a control (n = 16) and an inflamed group (n = 14). The expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 of the radial arteries were increased in the inflamed group. Foam cell formation and lipid droplet accumulation were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) and Oil Red O staining. Intracellular cholesterol trafficking-related proteins were examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent staining.', 'There was significant lipid accumulation in the radial arteries of the inflamed group compared with the control. Further analysis demonstrated that this accumulation was correlated with the increased protein expression of LDLr, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 (SREBP-2), and SREBP cleavageactivating protein (SCAP). Confocal microscopy showed that inflammation enhanced the translocation of SCAP escorting SREBP-2 from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi, thereby activating LDLr gene transcription. Interestingly, upregulated LDLr expression was positively associated with the increased protein expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which had enhanced coexpression with SREBP-2. This finding suggests that the activation of mTOR may be involved in LDLr pathway disruption through the upregulation of SREBP-2 expression.

SOLUTION: 0

PROBLEM: Recent research suggests that preintervention functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data may predict weight loss outcomes among patients who participate in a behavioral weight loss plan. No study has examined whether presurgical brain activation can predict outcomes following bariatric surgery.', 'The aim of the present study was to determine if brain activations during a presurgical fMRI food-motivation paradigm are associated with weight loss 3 and 6 months following laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). Nineteen participants viewed food and nonfood pictures from a well-established food motivation paradigm during an fMRI scanning session before LAGB surgery. Weight was assessed presurgery and 3 and 6 months postsurgery; data for all participants was available at each time point. fMRI data were analyzed using the BrainVoyager QX statistical package. Whole brain voxelwise correlations of presurgery (food-nonfood) brain activation and weight, corrected for multiple comparisons, were performed to analyze the relationship between presurgical brain activation and subsequent weight loss. The settings were a medical university brain imaging center and 2 surgical weight loss centers in a major metropolitan area.', 'Increased activity in frontal regions associated with cognitive control (medial, middle, superior frontal gyrus) and posterior cingulate cortex was associated with weight loss following LAGB.

SOLUTION: 0

PROBLEM: Interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) are widely used to detect pathogen specific cellular immunity. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the foremost problematic viral infection in immunocompromised patients such as transplant or HIV infected patients. CMV antibody ELISAs are not able to predict CMV specific cellular immunity during immunosuppression. We developed a CMV specific IGRA comparing synthetic CMV peptides, native lysate and recombinant antigen. In addition, TLR agonists were tested to enhance CMV antigen immunogenicity.', '397 healthy controls (HC) were stratified according to CMV IgM and IgG serostatus and subsequently tested for IFNγ- and IL2-secretion in whole blood after challenge with synthetic, native or recombinant CMV antigens and TLR agonists by ELISA. The selected TLR agonists were lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), peptidoglycan (PGN), zymosan (Zym), polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly(I:C)), flagellin (Fla), R848, loxoribine (Lox) and bropirimine (Bro).', 'Synthetic pp65 peptides elicited strong IFNγ responses in CMV seropositive, but not seronegative HC (6418 vs. 13 pg/ml). Native lysates and recombinant pp65 induced equally high IFNγ responses in seropositive (35,877 and 26,428 pg/ml) and increased background IFNγ expression in seronegative HC (43 and 1148 pg/ml). Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity with regard to anti-CMV serology reached 100% for synthetic pp65 and native CMV lysate, but 57% and 100% for recombinant pp65, respectively. TLR agonists LTA and Poly(I:C) augmented IFNγ responses after challenge with synthetic pp65 peptide, native lysate or recombinant pp65 in seropositive HC. Seronegative HC remained unaffected. IL2 production was negligible compared to IFNγ.

SOLUTION:
0