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: Platelets promote liver regeneration through site-specific serotonin release from dense granules, triggering proliferative signaling in hepatocytes. However, the effects of factors derived from platelet -granules on liver regeneration are unclear, because -granules contain bioactive molecules with opposing functions. Because -granule molecules are stored in separate compartments, it has been suggested that platelets selectively release their -granule content dependent on the environmental stimulus. Therefore, we investigated the pattern of circulating -granule molecules during liver regeneration in 157 patients undergoing partial hepatectomy. We measured plasma levels of -granule-derived factors in the liver vein at the end of liver resection, as well as on the first postoperative day. We observed a rapid accumulation of platelets within the liver after induction of liver regeneration. Platelet count and P-selectin (a ubiquitous cargo of -granules) were not associated with postoperative liver dysfunction. However, low plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), but high levels of thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1), predicted liver dysfunction after resection. Patients with an unfavorable postoperative -granule release profile (high TSP-1/low VEGF) showed substantially worse postoperative clinical outcomes. The unfavorable postoperative -granule release profile was associated with increased postoperative portal venous pressure and von Willebrand factor antigen levels as a marker for intrahepatic endothelial dysfunction.

SOLUTION: 0

PROBLEM: Previous research has demonstrated that chronic cigarette smoking and major depressive disorder (MDD) are each associated with cognitive decrements. Further, these conditions co-occur commonly, though mechanisms in the comorbid condition are poorly understood. There may be distinct, additive, or overlapping factors underlying comorbid cigarette smoking and MDD. The present study investigated the impact of smoking and MDD on executive function and emotion processing.', 'Participants (N=198) were grouped by diagnostic category (MDD and healthy controls, HC) and smoking status (ever-smokers, ES and never-smokers, NS). Participants completed the Facial Emotion Perception Test (FEPT), a measure of emotional processing, and the parametric Go/No-go task (PGNG), a measure of executive function.', 'FEPT performance was analyzed using ANCOVA with accuracy and reaction time as separate dependent variables. Repeated measures MANCOVA was conducted for PGNG with performance measure and task level as dependent variables. Analyses for each task included diagnostic and smoking group as independent variables, and gender was controlled for. Results for FEPT reveal that lower overall accuracy was found for ES relative to NS, though MDD did not differ from HC. Post-hoc analyses revealed that ES were poorer at identifying happy and sad, but not fearful or angry, faces. For PGNG, poorer performance was observed in MDD relative to HC in response time to Go targets, but there were no differences for ES and NS. Interaction of diagnosis and smoking group was not observed for performance on either task.

SOLUTION: 0

PROBLEM: Performance status [Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)] is a physician-assigned score indicating a patient's fitness for treatment. Functional assessment of cancer therapy-esophagus (FACT-E) is a patient-reported, health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) instrument containing an oesophageal cancer subscale (ECS). Our objective was to assess the discriminative ability of pretreatment FACT-E and ECS when compared with performance status in predicting survival in patients with Stage II-III oesophageal cancer.", 'Patient data from four prospective studies were pooled together. These four studies included oesophageal patients who received chemoradiation either as neoadjuvant therapy or as definitive therapy. Three separate Cox regressions were performed considering FACT-E, ECS and ECOG as the main predictors, respectively. Receiver-operating characteristics analyses were performed.', 'Of the 120 curative intent patients, 39.8% (n = 51), 58.6% (n = 75) and 1.6% (n = 2) had ECOG 0, 1 and 2, respectively. On Cox regression analysis, pretreatment FACT-E (P = 0.04) and ECS (P = 0.004) but not ECOG (P = 0.27) were independently associated with overall survival. ECOG could not discriminate between survivors and non-survivors (P = 0.28) with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.56 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.45-0.66], whereas FACT-E (P = 0.02) and ECS (P < 0.001) were discriminative with AUC = 0.63 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and AUC = 0.69 (95% CI: 0.60-0.79), respectively.

SOLUTION:
1