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: Recovery to normal or near normal visual acuity is usual after acute demyelinating optic neuritis, despite the frequent persistence of conduction abnormalities as evidenced by the visual evoked potential (VEP). This raises the possibility that cortical adaptation to a persistently abnormal input contributes to the recovery process. The objective of this study was to investigate the pattern of cerebral response to a simple visual stimulus in recovered patients in comparison to normal subjects.', 'Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to study the brain activation pattern induced by a periodic monocular 8Hz photic stimulus in seven patients who had recovered from a single episode of acute unilateral optic neuritis, and in seven normal controls. VEPs and structural optic nerve MRI were performed on patients.', 'Stimulation of either eye in controls activated only the occipital visual cortex. However, in patients, stimulation of the recovered eye also induced extensive activation in other areas including the insula-claustrum, lateral temporal and posterior parietal cortices, and thalamus; stimulation of the clinically unaffected eye activated visual cortex and right insula-claustrum only. The volume of extraoccipital activation in patients was strongly correlated with VEP latency (r = 0.71, p = 0.005).

SOLUTION: 1

PROBLEM: Hematopoiesis is regulated by proliferation, differentiation, and death. p16(INK4a) has been reported to regulate apoptosis and differentiation of diverse cells, as well as arresting the cell cycle at G1 phase. The aim of this study is to explore the properties of p16 in apoptosis and differentiation of erythroid cells.', 'We transfected the INK4a gene to K562 cells, which defect the INK4a gene, and compared the effect of enforced expression of p16(INK4a) with that of various additives, topoisomerase I inhibitor (SN 38), interferon-alpha, phosphatidyl-inositol-3 kinase inhibitor (LY294002), and serum deprivation, which arrest cell cycle at different phases. We also investigated the role of p16(INK4a) in normal day-6 human erythroid colony-forming cells by transfecting the INK4a gene.', 'p16(INK4a) induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase, and promoted erythroid differentiation in viable K562 cells, but induced apoptosis in K562 cells with incomplete differentiation. The apoptosis induced by p16 was accompanied with downregulation of bcl-x and nuclear NF-kappaB. These findings were not observed in K562 cells treated with various additives. p16(INK4a) decreased the cell viability and promoted apoptosis in day-9 ECFC.

SOLUTION: 1

PROBLEM: An accurate measure of the severity of ischemic insult and the resulting prognosis is needed to assess the effectiveness of new treatments for acute stroke. We studied the reproducibility and accuracy of measurements of infarct volume with MRI and correlated the measurements with outcome.', 'Infarct volume was measured on T2-weighted images with the Analyze image analysis software. This technique was found to be highly accurate and reproducible.', 'Measurements of infarct volume were found to be highly accurate and reproducible. Twenty-one patients (mean age, 66.5 years; range, 28 to 90 years) with cortical middle cerebral artery territory infarcts in whom adequate data could be obtained were studied within 72 hours from onset (mean delay to MRI, 27.5 hours; range, 5 to 72 hours). The Scandinavian Stroke Scale was used to calculate a prognostic score, and clinical outcome was assessed at 3 months. Infarct volume was found to significantly predict outcome. Mean infarct volume in the independent patients was 35.7 +/- 29.7 cm3 compared with 88.3 +/- 71.3 cm3 in dependent patients and 166.5 +/- 65.9 cm3 in dead patients (F = 10.52, P < .001). Patients with an initial infarct volume less than 80 cm3 were found to have a better outcome than those with larger infarct volumes. Secondary hemorrhage visible on MRI also predicted a poor outcome. In contrast, the Scandinavian Stroke Scale did not significantly predict outcome.

SOLUTION:
1