TASK DEFINITION: Given a passage with a context and an answer, construct a question on the basis of the information present in the passage. Construct the question in such a way that (i) it is unambiguous, (ii) it is answerable from the passage, (iii) its answer is unique (iv) it answer uses text phrases from the passage. Avoid creating questions that (i) can't be answered correctly without actually understanding the passage and (ii) uses the same words or phrases given in the passage.
PROBLEM: Context: Preconditioning neurons with noninjurious hypoxia (hypoxic preconditioning, HPC) or the anesthetic isoflurane (APC) induces tolerance of severe ischemic stress. The mechanisms of both types of preconditioning in the hippocampus require moderate increases in intracellular Ca and activation of protein kinase signaling. The authors hypothesized that the expression of signal transduction genes would be similar after APC and HPC.', 'Hippocampal slice cultures prepared from 9-day-old rats were preconditioned with hypoxia (5 min of 95% nitrogen/5% carbon dioxide) or 1% isoflurane in air/5% carbon dioxide for 1 h. A day later, cultures were subjected to 10 min oxygen and glucose deprivation (simulated ischemia). Intracellular Ca, measured in CA1 neurons at the completion of preconditioning, and cell death in CA1, CA3, and dentate regions was assessed 48 h after simulated ischemia. Message RNA encoding 119 signal transduction genes was quantified with rat complimentary DNA microarrays from pre-oxygen-glucose deprivation samples.', 'Both APC and HPC increased intracellular Ca approximately 50 nm and decreased CA1, CA3, and dentate neuron death by about 50% after simulated ischemia. Many signaling genes were increased after preconditioning, with hypoxia increasing more apoptosis/survival genes (8 of 10) than isoflurane (0 of 10). In contrast, isoflurane increased more cell cycle/development/growth genes than did hypoxia (8 of 14 genes, vs. 1 of 14).
Answer: Despite sharing similar upstream signaling and neuroprotective outcomes, the genomic response to APC and HPC is different. Increased expression of antiapoptosis genes after HPC and cell development genes after APC has implications both for neuroprotection and long-term effects of anesthetics.

SOLUTION: Does expression of signal transduction genes differ after hypoxic or isoflurane preconditioning of rat hippocampal slice cultures?

PROBLEM: Context: Respiratory failure is a major complication after cardiac surgery. The purpose was to evaluate the impact of minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (mini AVR) on the occurrence of left lower lobe atelectasis (LLLA) in the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU).', '98 patients were scheduled to undergo mini AVR. 14 of these patients were converted to a full sternotomy due to technical problems. These patients were compared to a group of 50 patients having planned AVR through a full sternotomy. The incidence of LLLA was evaluated on the first postoperative chest X-ray in the cardiac ICU.', 'In the group having completed mini AVR 20/84 (24%) had a partial LLLA while in the group having extension to a full sternotomy 9/14 (64%) had LLLA lobe (P<0.005). In the group of 50 patients who had AVR through a full sternotomy, 27 patients (54%) had LLLA in the ICU which is also significantly higher (P<0.008) than the percentage of atelectasis in the mini AVR group.
Answer: Patients who had mini AVR had a significantly lower incidence of LLLA in the cardiac ICU than patients who had AVR through a full sternotomy.

SOLUTION: Does minimally invasive aortic valve replacement reduce atelectasis in cardiac intensive care?

PROBLEM: Context: Oxygen free radicals and apoptosis play important roles in liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. We sought to investigate the protective effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) to attenuate liver I/R injury due to oxygen free radicals and apoptosis.', 'Harvested rat livers were perfused via the portal vein with 60 mL of 4 degrees C histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solution alone in the control group, or with the same solution containing CGRP (3 microg/10 g body weight) in the experimental group. After 24 hours of cold storage, hepatic enzyme leakage, portal venous pressure, oxygen consumption, total adenine nucleotides (TAN), bile production, lipoperoxide (LPO) release, apoptosis, and histochemical changes were evaluated upon 45 minutes of isolated reperfusion.', "Compared with control livers, CGRP-treated organs showed significantly decreased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and glutamate-lactate dehydrogenase (GLDH) leakage and portal venous pressure (2.0 +/- 0.3 vs 4.0 +/- 0.4 mmHg; P < .01), with significantly increased bile production (8.56 +/- 0.76 vs 3.34 +/- 0.68 microL/g/45 min; P < .01), oxygen consumption (5.14 +/- 0.4 vs 2.57 +/- 0.2 microL/g/min; P < .01), and total adenine nucleotides (TAN) (11.1 +/- 0.71 vs 7.02 +/- 0.53 micromol/g; P < .01) upon reperfusion as signs of recovered viability. We observed infrequent positive terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, especially in sinusoidal lining cells (SLC). The percentage of TUNEL-positive cells in the CGRP group was significantly decreased compared with the control group: (4.1 +/- 0.67 vs 8.0 +/- 1.27; P < .05). Perfusate levels of low molecular weight (LMW) histone-associated DNA fragments (0.36 +/- 0.04 vs 0.53 +/- 0.06 AU; P < .05) were also decreased, coupled with strong 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT) and LDH activity staining concentrated on the endothelial cells. LPO release in the perfusate was largely decreased: (0.12 +/- 0.02 vs 0.36 +/- 0.04 nmoL/g, P < .01).
Answer: CGRP ameliorated liver I/R injury due to reactive oxygen species and apoptosis.

SOLUTION:
Does pretreatment with calcitonin gene-related peptide attenuate hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats?