TASK DEFINITION: Given a passage, 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: Some living kidney donors report lost income during recovery from surgery. Little is known about whether concern for living donor's lost income affects the decision to undergo donation evaluation and the willingness of transplant candidates to discuss living kidney donation (LKD) with others.", 'To examine whether transplant patients were told by potential donors about lost income concerns and whether patients chose not to discuss LKD with others due to lost income concerns.', "Kidney transplant patients (185 wait-listed candidates, 171 deceased donor recipients, and 100 live donor recipients) at 2 centers completed a questionnaire to assess whether concern about donor's lost income was a consideration in discussion about LKD with others.", 'One-third (32%) were told by a family member/friend that they were willing to donate but were concerned about potential lost income. The majority of those who expressed financial concern (64%) did not initiate donation evaluation. Many patients (42%) chose not to discuss living donation with a family member/friend due to concern about the impact of lost income on the donor. In the multivariable model, lower annual household income was the only statistically significant predictor of both having a potential donor expressing lost income concern and choosing not to talk to someone because of lost income concern.

SOLUTION: Does concern for Lost Income Following Donation deter Some Patients From Talking to Potential Living Donors?

PROBLEM: Some imidazoline compounds have pleiotropic effects including cell death in vitro. We examined the antiproliferative action of a novel imidazoline compound S43126, and the role of the I1-imidazoline receptor, ROS, MAPKs and caspases in S43126-induced cell death.', 'PC 12 cells were treated with various concentrations of S43126 in the presence or absence of several ligands, and the effects on cell proliferation, ROS levels, and apoptosis were evaluated using Trypan Blue, Alamar Blue, Western blot and microscopy.', 'We showed that S43126 reduced PC12 cell proliferation by greater than 50%, increased cell death by greater than 40% and increased apoptotic body formation. These effects were reversed by I1R-antagonist, efaroxan. S43126 also increased intracellular ROS levels by greater than 2.5-fold relative to vehicle-treated control. These effects were significantly inhibited by N-acetyl-cysteine. In addition, pharmacologic inhibitors of ERK, JNK and p38 MAPK, significantly reduced S43126-induced antiproliferative activity. Caspases 3, 8 and 9 were all activated in a time-dependent manner by S43126. Pan caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk, ameliorated the effects of S43126 on cell death and cell proliferation.

SOLUTION: Is antiproliferative effect induced by novel imidazoline S43126 in PC12 cells mediated by ROS , stress activated MAPKs and caspases?

PROBLEM: Genetic abnormalities of the pituitary specific transcription factor, Pit-1, have been reported in several patients with GH, prolactin (PRL) and TSH deficiencies. The most common is a mutation altering an arginine to a tryptophan in codon 271 (R271W) in one allele of the Pit-1 gene. According to the previous in vitro expression study, R271W acted as a dominant negative inhibitor of the wild type to activate the GH promoter. However, healthy carriers with this mutation, who should be affected by the dominant negative effect of R271W, have also been reported. The aim of this study was to clarify in more detail the function of this mutant form of Pit-1.', "Transcriptional activity of R271W for the expression of Pit-1-associated genes was investigated in COS7 cells with the aid of transient transfection assays. The 1.8 kb rat GH, 0.6 kb rat PRL or 1.9 kb rat PRL 5'-flanking regions were inserted upstream of the luciferase reporter gene and were used for functional analysis of R271W. Another reporter gene containing seven Pit-1 responsive elements was also used. The same experiments were also performed using JEG3 and CHO cells.", 'We could not confirm the dominant negative effect of R271W on wild type Pit-1. Furthermore, our expression study revealed that R271W could activate the promoters of GH and PRL genes to levels similar to the wild type.

SOLUTION:
Does the R271W mutant form of Pit-1 act as a dominant inhibitor of Pit-1 action to activate the promoters of GH and prolactin genes?