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: The objective of this study was to investigate the long-term effect of intraoperative application of steroid suspension and coating of the electrode contacts with a thin film of iridium oxide on the intracochlear impedance development after cochlear implantation and on the impedance difference before and after stimulation.', 'Time-dependent development of intracochlear impedances was investigated in 4 different groups of adult patients up to 4 years after implantation. Additionally, during rehabilitation period just after first fitting, impedances before and after stimulation were measured as to investigate the influence of electrical stimulation on the impedances. Results from standard Nucleus 24 Contour (control), standard Nucleus 24 Contour with intraoperative application of steroids, iridium-coated Nucleus 24 Contour, and iridium-coated Nucleus 24 Contour with intraoperative application of steroids were compared.', 'Steroid application reduced impedances significantly throughout the observation period of up to 4 years after implantation. Iridium oxide coating had no effect. Differences between the groups were mainly found on the basal and middle parts of the cochlea, but not close to the tip of the array, also indicating that postoperative fibrous tissue growth is stronger in the basal region of the cochlea. Group mean values of the stimulation effect were not influenced by the different treatments. Nevertheless, only in both steroid-treated groups a correlation between the impedance before stimulation and the stimulation effect was found.
Answer: Although the differences between control and steroid-treated groups decrease with time, single intraoperative intracochlear steroid deposition was proven to lower postoperative impedances during first 3 to 4 years after implantation probably because of reduction of fibrous tissue growth.

SOLUTION: Do the long-term effects of modified electrode surfaces and intracochlear corticosteroids on postoperative impedances in cochlear implant patients?

PROBLEM: Context: It is well established that African Americans (AA) experience greater pain associated with a variety of clinical conditions, and greater pain sensitivity to experimental pain tasks relative to non-Hispanic Whites (W). Notably, African Americans do not show the same relationships involving endogenous pain regulatory mechanisms and pain sensitivity documented in Caucasians, including positive associations between blood pressure, norepinephrine, cortisol and greater pain tolerance.', 'The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between plasma oxytocin (OT) and pain sensitivity and to explore the relation of OT to other factors known to influence pain perception.', 'OT concentration and sensitivity to ischemic, cold pressor, and thermal pain tasks were assessed in African American (n=25) and non-Hispanic White (n=23) pre-menopausal women.', 'African American women demonstrated significantly lower pain tolerance across tasks compared with Whites (F(1,46)=6.31, p=0.0156) and also exhibited lower plasma OT levels (AA: 3.90, W: 7.05 pg/mL; p=0.0014). Greater OT levels were correlated with greater tolerance to ischemic pain (r=0.36, p=0.013) and accounted for a marginally significant portion of the ethnic difference in ischemic pain tolerance (B=+0.29, p=0.06). Greater OT was also correlated with greater tolerance of cold pressor pain (r=0.31, p=0.03); however, this association was no longer seen after the variance due to ethnicity was accounted for.
Answer: These data suggest that reduced oxytocinergic function may be one of multiple biological factors contributing to the greater sensitivity to experimental ischemic pain, and to the greater burden of some types of clinical pain experienced by African Americans compared with Whites.

SOLUTION: Is ethnicity associated with alterations in oxytocin relationships to pain sensitivity in women?

PROBLEM: Context: The purpose of this study was to compare prenatal versus postnatal markers of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) severity at a single fetal-care center.', 'A retrospective study was performed of patients having a complete prenatal evaluation and surgical repair (n\u2009=\u200955). Observed-to-expected lung-to-head ratio (o/eLHR), observed-to-expected total lung volume (o/eTLV), liver position (LP), a predictive dependent variable from logistic regression of o/eLHR and liver position (o/eLHR\u2009+\u2009LP), and diaphragmatic defect size per the CDH Study Group A-D classification were plotted into receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Survival and need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were primary outcomes.', 'Survival was 69%, and ECMO utilization was 56%. Distribution was 80% left-sided defects. In the survival ROC curve, the area under the curve (AUC) for o/eLHR was 0.73, o/eTLV 0.74, LP 0.73, o/eLHR\u2009+\u2009LP 0.78, and defect size 0.84 (p\u2009=\u20090.23). The ROC curve for ECMO support showed o/eLHR had an AUC of 0.82, o/eTLV 0.89, LP 0.79, o/eLHR\u2009+\u2009LP 0.87, and defect size 0.90 (p\u2009=\u20090.19). The AUCs were similar when only left-sided CDH was analyzed.
Answer: These data suggest that prenatal evaluation was equivalent to the postnatal diaphragmatic defect classification for predicting survival and need for ECMO in CDH patients.

SOLUTION:
Do prenatal and postnatal markers of severity in congenital diaphragmatic hernia have similar prognostic ability?