In this task, you are given a passage which has a question and the context. You have to generate an answer to the question based on the information present in the context.
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Question: Context: Psychostimulants are often used in close temporal proximity to nicotine and have been reported to enhance acutely nicotine's desirability in humans.", 'To investigate the acute associations between amphetamine and nicotine, we examined the potentiative interactions between clinically relevant, low doses of these drugs on locomotor activity, and dopamine overflow in the rat.', 'Locomotor activity was measured by telemetry in the home cage environment, and dopamine overflow was evaluated in striatal slice preparations from female Holtzman rats.', 'When administered simultaneously, nicotine and amphetamine produced a predominantly additive effect on locomotor behavior. However amphetamine, when given 2-4 h before nicotine, strongly potentiated nicotine-induced locomotor activity. Correspondingly, nicotine given 1-4 h before amphetamine robustly enhanced amphetamine-stimulated locomotor activity even when the effects of the nicotine pretreatment dissipated. Acute nicotine pretreatment similarly potentiated the effects of dopamine transporter ligands, cocaine, nomifensine, and methamphetamine but not a direct dopamine receptor agonist. Consistent with the behavioral studies, in vivo nicotine pretreatment exaggerated amphetamine-induced dopamine efflux from rat striatal slices. Likewise, in vivo pretreatment of rats with amphetamine potentiated nicotine-induced dopamine efflux from striatal slices. Direct pretreatment of striatal tissue by nicotine also potentiated subsequent amphetamine-stimulated dopamine overflow, further suggesting that the nicotine-amphetamine interaction occurs at the level of the dopamine terminal.\Question: Do nicotine and amphetamine acutely cross-potentiate their behavioral and neurochemical responses in female Holtzman rats?

Answer: Overall, the present data demonstrate that acute interactions of nicotine and other psychomotor stimulants produce potentiative effects and that these transient interactions may play a role in the frequent co-use and abuse of nicotine and other stimulants.


Question: Context: Coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is present in one-third of all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals in the United States and is associated with rapid progression of liver fibrosis and poor response to pegylated interferon (IFN) and ribavirin. In this study we examined gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from different groups of individuals who are monoinfected or coinfected with HIV and HCV. Data showed that HIV and HCV viremia up-regulate genes associated with immune activation and immunoregulatory pathways. HCV viremia is also associated with abnormalities in all peripheral immune cells, suggesting a global effect of HCV on the immune system. Interferon-alpha-induced genes were expressed at a higher level in PBMCs from HIV-infected individuals. HCV and HIV infections leave distinct profiles or gene expression of immune activation in PBMCs. HIV viremia induces an immune activated state; by comparison, HCV infection induces immunoregulatory and proinflammatory pathways that may contribute to progression of liver fibrosis.\Question: Do human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C infections induce distinct immunologic imprints in peripheral mononuclear cells?

Answer: An aberrant type-I IFN response seen exclusively in HIV-infected individuals could be responsible for the poor therapeutic response experienced by HIV/HCV coinfected individuals receiving interferon-alpha-based current standard of care.


Question: Context: Pulmonary dysfunction commonly occurs following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, increasing morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) would improve pulmonary function and would decrease complications in patients undergoing CABG surgery.', 'This prospective, randomized, controlled trial was conducted with Ethics Board approval. Fifty patients, undergoing CABG surgery, were randomized to the epidural group or to the patient-controlled analgesia morphine group. Patients in the epidural group received a high, thoracic epidural, preoperatively. Intraoperatively, 0.75% ropivacaine was infused, followed postoperatively, by 0.2% ropivacaine for 48 hr. Outcome measurements included: visual analogue pain scores; spirometry; atelectasis scores on chest radiographs; and the incidence of atrial fibrillation.', 'Twenty-five patients were enrolled in each group. Patients in the epidural group had significantly less pain on the operative day, and for the subsequent two days. Compared to baseline, the forced expiratory volume in one second was significantly higher in the epidural group, on the first and second postoperative days (43.7 +/- 12.2% vs 36.4 +/- 12.0%, p < 0.002, and 43.3 +/- 12.5% vs 38.4 +/- 11.0%, p <0.05). There was significantly more atelectasis in the control group, four hours postoperatively (p < 0.04); however, on the third, postoperative day, the groups were similar with regards to this outcome. The incidence of atrial fibrillation was similar in both groups, and there were no complications related to the epidural.\Question: Does thoracic epidural analgesia improve pulmonary function in patients undergoing cardiac surgery?

Answer:
High TEA decreases postoperative pain and atelectasis and improves pulmonary function in patients undergoing CABG surgery. Our results support the use of TEA in this group of patients.