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.

Several viruses have been recently isolated from Mediterranean phlebotomine sand flies; some are known to cause human disease while some are new to science. To monitor the Phlebotomus-borne viruses spreading, field studies are in progress using different sand fly collection and storage methods. Two main sampling techniques consist of CDC light traps, an attraction method allowing collection of live insects in which the virus is presumed to be fairly preserved, and sticky traps, an interception method suitable to collect dead specimens in high numbers, with a risk for virus viability or integrity. Sand flies storage requires a "deep cold chain" or specimen preservation in ethanol. In the present study the influence of sand fly collection and storage methods on viral isolation and RNA detection performances was evaluated experimentally.', 'Specimens of laboratory-reared Phlebotomus perniciosus were artificially fed with blood containing Toscana virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Phlebovirus). Various collection and storage conditions of blood-fed females were evaluated to mimic field procedures using single and pool samples. Isolation on VERO cell cultures, quantitative Real time-Retro-transcriptase (RT)-PCR and Nested-RT-PCR were performed according to techniques commonly used in surveillance studies.', 'Live engorged sand flies stored immediately at -80 °C were the most suitable sample for phlebovirus identification by both virus isolation and RNA detection. The viral isolation rate remained very high (26/28) for single dead engorged females frozen after 1 day, while it was moderate (10/30) for specimens collected by sticky traps maintained up to 3 days at room temperature and then stored frozen without ethanol. Opposed to viral isolation, molecular RNA detection kept very high on dead sand flies collected by sticky traps when left at room temperature up to 6 days post blood meal and then stored frozen in presence (88/95) or absence (87/88) of ethanol. Data were confirmed using sand fly pools.
0

Protein and energy malnutrition is a severe problem for patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and fasting often induces starvation which is a vitally important outcome. Dietary restriction is essential for endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) in patients with risky esophageal varices, thereby creating the possible exacerbation of nutritional state and inducing liver dysfunction. Whether EIS induces nutritional deficiency in LC patients and the effects of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)-enriched nutrient are prospectively investigated.', 'A total of 61 LC patients were randomly divided into an EIS monotherapy group (non-BCAA group, n\u2009=\u200931) and an EIS combined with BCAA therapy group (n\u2009=\u200930). Platelet count, blood chemistry and somatometry values were prospectively measured at five time points.', 'The platelet counts before treatment were at the same level in both groups (P\u2009=\u20090.72). Three months after treatment, the counts decreased in the non-BCAA group; however, they increased in the BCAA group (P\u2009=\u20090.019). Body mass index, triceps skin fold thickness and arm muscle circumference significantly decreased in both groups. The BCAA and tyrosine ratio value increased only in the BCAA group (P\u2009<\xa00.01). The skeletal muscle volume measured by InBody720 significantly decreased in the non-BCAA group (P\u2009<\xa00.001).
1

This study used dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) knockout (KO) mice to investigate the role of D2R activity in the development of form-deprivation myopia (FDM). Sulpiride, a D2R antagonist, was administered systemically into wild-type (WT) mice to validate the involvement of D2R in FDM development.', 'The D2R KO and WT C57BL/6 mice were subjected to FDM. Wild-type mice received daily intraperitoneal injections of sulpiride, 8 μg/g body weight, for a period of 4 weeks. The body weight, refraction, corneal radius of curvature, and ocular axial components were measured at week 4 of the experiment. Differences in all ocular parameters between the experimental and control groups were compared statistically.', 'Form-deprivation myopia in D2R KO mice (FD-KO) was significantly reduced compared with their WT littermates (interocular difference, -2.12 ± 0.91 diopter [D] in FD-KO versus -5.35 ± 0.83 D in FD-WT, P = 0.014), with a smaller vitreous chamber depth (0.008 ± 0.006 vs. 0.026 ± 0.006 mm, P = 0.044) and axial length (-0.001 ± 0.007 vs. 0.027 ± 0.008 mm, P = 0.007). Furthermore, FDM was attenuated in animals treated with sulpiride (-2.01 ± 0.31 D in FD-sulpiride versus -4.06 ± 0.30 D in FD-DMSO, P < 0.001) compared with those treated with vehicle, with a retardation in growth of vitreous chamber depth (-0.001 ± 0.006 vs. 0.022 ± 0.004 mm, P = 0.003) and axial length (-0.004 ± 0.007 vs. 0.027 ± 0.005 mm, P = 0.001).

1