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: The stress electrocardiogram (sECG) is routinely used to screen individuals for underlying cardiac pathology before an exercise programme is prescribed. The underlying assumption is that the cardiac responses elicited during the sECG test are similar to those achieved during participation in sporting activities. However, this premise may be incorrect since the physical demands of different modes of exercise vary substantially.', "Ten veteran league squash players (LSP), 10 social squash players (SSP), 10 league runners (LR), 10 social runners (SR) and 10 sedentary individuals (SED) were recruited for the study. All subjects completed a lifestyle questionnaire, a full medical examination and a routine sECG. Thereafter each subject's heart rate (HR) was monitored on two separate occasions while participating in sporting activity.", 'No sECG exercise-induced abnormalities were observed, although five subjects showed resting abnormalities. Maximal HR during the sECG, and maximal and mean HR during the field tests, were not significantly different between groups. However, maximal HR was significantly higher in all groups during their sporting activities than during stress testing in the laboratory (P < 0.01).

SOLUTION: Do veteran athletes exercise at higher maximum heart rates than are achieved during standard exercise ( stress ) testing?

PROBLEM: The local anesthetic properties of tetrodotoxin, a potent naturally occurring sodium channel blocker, have been recently reexamined. It was found that sciatic nerve block duration could be greatly increased and systemic toxicity greatly decreased if epinephrine was injected with tetrodotoxin. The mechanism that underlies epinephrine-mediated prolongation of tetrodotoxin nerve blocks is not known, but indirect evidence suggests that epinephrine may slow the clearance of tetrodotoxin from the site of injection. The authors hypothesized that tetrodotoxin causes vasodilatation at its injection site, which accelerates its systemic uptake, and that this vasodilatation is attenuated by coinjected epinephrine.', 'The radiolabeled microsphere technique was used to measure tissue blood flow in anesthetized rats before and after perisciatic injection of tetrodotoxin alone and in combination with epinephrine.', 'Tetrodotoxin, in a dose of 0.1 ml of a 60 microM solution, significantly increased blood flow in perisciatic muscle at the injected side compared with simultaneous contralateral control and ipsilateral preinjection baseline. Tetrodotoxin did not increase blood flow in the sciatic nerve. Coinjection of epinephrine with tetrodotoxin prevented tetrodotoxin-induced increases in perisciatic muscle blood flow over time and did not alter sciatic nerve blood flow. Arterial blood pressure was maintained with this dose of tetrodotoxin, although brain blood flow decreased. Coinjection of epinephrine with tetrodotoxin prevented decreases in brain blood flow. Higher doses of tetrodotoxin produced hypotension.

SOLUTION: Does epinephrine prevent muscle blood flow increases after perineural injection of tetrodotoxin?

PROBLEM: Weight-loss is a near societal obsession and many diet programs use significant calorie restriction including fasting/short term starvation to generate rapid effects. Fasting is also a well-recognized cause of immunosuppression especially within the innate immune system. In this study, we sought to determine if the IL-1 arm of the neuroimmune system was down-regulated by a 24\u2009h fast and how fasting might generate this effect.', 'Mice were allowed ad libitum access to food or had food withheld for 24\u2009h. Expression of the endogenous IL-1 antagonists, IL-1 receptor type 2 (IL-1R2), and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) was determined as were sickness behaviors before and after IL-1β administration.', 'Fasting markedly increased gene expression of IL-1R2 (83-fold in adipose tissue, 9.5-fold in liver) and IL-1RA (68-fold in liver). Fasted mice were protected from IL-1β-induced weight-loss, hypoglycemia, loss of locomotor, and social anxiety. These protections were coupled to a large positive interaction of fasting and IL-1β on IL-1R2 gene expression in adipose tissue and liver (2.6- and 1.6-fold, respectively). Fasting not only increased IL-1RA and IL-1R2 protein 2.5- and 3.2-fold, respectively, in liver but also increased IL-1R2 1.8-fold in adipose tissue. Fasting, in turn, triggered a 2.4-fold increase in plasma free-fatty acids (FFAs) and a 2.1-fold increase in plasma corticosterone. Inhibition, of glucocorticoid action with mifepristone did not impact fasting-dependent IL-1R2 or IL-1RA gene expression. Administration of the FFA, palmitate, to mice increased liver IL-1R2 and IL-1RA gene expression by 14- and 11-fold, respectively.

SOLUTION:
Does fasting induce IL-1 Resistance and Free-Fatty Acid-Mediated Up-Regulation of IL-1R2 and IL-1RA?