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: Recent randomized trials suggest that intensive glycaemic control fails to reduce heart failure-related events in patients with diabetes. The molecular cues underlying persistent myocardial damage despite normoglycaemia restoration remain elusive. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, orchestrate transcriptional programs implicated in adverse cardiac remodelling. The present study investigates whether miRNAs participate to hyperglycaemic memory in the diabetic heart.', 'miRNA landscape was assessed by Mouse miRNome miRNA PCR Arrays in left ventricular specimens collected from 4-month-old streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, with or without intensive glycaemic control by slow-release insulin implants. A dysregulation of 316 out of 1008 total miRNAs was observed in the diabetic hearts when compared with controls. Of these, 209 were up-regulated and 107 were down-regulated by >2.0-fold. Interestingly enough, the expression of 268 of those miRNAs remained significantly altered in diabetic mice even after subsequent normoglycaemia. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed that dysregulated miRNAs were implicated in myocardial signalling networks triggering apoptosis (miR-320b, miR-378, miR-34a), fibrosis (miR-125b, miR-150, miR-199a, miR-29b, miR30a), hypertrophic growth (miR-1, miR-150, miR-199a, miR-133a, miR-214, miR-29a, miR-125b, miR-221, miR-212), autophagy (miR-133a, miR-221, miR-212, miR30a), oxidative stress (miR-221, miR-146a, miR-34a, miR-210, miR-19b, miR-125b, miR27a, miR-155), and heart failure (miR-423, miR-499, miR-199a), respectively.

SOLUTION: 1

PROBLEM: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a key component of innate immunity. The expression of cortical MBL is up-regulated after clinical and experimental head trauma. This study aimed to assess the association of serum MBL levels with injury severity and long-term clinical outcomes after severe traumatic brain injury (STBI).', 'Serum MBL levels were measured in 122 patients and 100 healthy controls. Multivariate analyses were used to analyze the relationship between serum MBL levels and trauma severity reflected by Glasgow Coma Scale scores as well as between serum MBL levels and 6-month mortality and unfavorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score: 1-3). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was structured to evaluate the prognostic predictive performance of serum MBL levels.', 'Compared with healthy controls, serum MBL levels of patients were markedly elevated. Using multivariate analyses, serum MBL levels were found to be associated closely with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores and MBL emerged as an independent predictor for 6-month mortality and unfavorable outcome. Under ROC curve, serum MBL levels and GCS scores possessed similar prognostic predictive values.

SOLUTION: 0

PROBLEM: Many patients require temporary inotropic support after cardiac surgery, and dobutamine is one of the commonly used drugs for this purpose. However, dobutamine infusion is frequently associated with unwanted sinus tachycardia. Selective sinus node electrical vagal stimulation through a discrete epicardial ganglionic plexus (fat pad) approach can achieve sinus rate slowing. Because sinus node fat pad vagal stimulation (SNFP-VS) can easily be applied during or after cardiac surgery, we hypothesized that combining selective SNFP-VS with dobutamine could produce desired hemodynamic improvement while avoiding sinus tachycardia in patients when inotropic drug support is needed.', 'This exploratory experimental study was performed in 7 open-chest dogs. Dobutamine (2.5 to 10 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1)) was infused at a rate producing at least 30% increase in sinus rate and cardiac output. Then electrical SNFP-VS was applied in the epicardial ganglionic plexus located at the right pulmonary vein-atrial junction, to slow the sinus rate back to control level. Hemodynamic data during control, with steady-state dobutamine infusion, and with dobutamine plus SNFP-VS were collected and compared.', 'Dobutamine significantly increased heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, peak left ventricular systolic pressure, positive and negative maximal derivatives of left ventricular pressure, and cardiac output. Combining SNFP-VS with dobutamine eliminated sinus rate increase while preserving all major hemodynamic benefits. Selective SNFP-VS itself had no direct effect on cardiac contractility during atrial pacing.

SOLUTION:
0