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.

Ex Input:
Context: Heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) regulates thymidine phosphorylase (TP) mRNA stability. The aim of the present study was to analyze hnRNP K and TP expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to evaluate the prognostic and therapeutic potential of these two markers.', "We analyzed hnRNP K and TP expression immunohistochemically in 121 clinically proven NPC cases. Statistical analyses were applied to correlate cytoplasmic hnRNP K with elevated TP expression and determine the prognostic significance of these parameters. The therapeutic implication of elevated TP expression was determined by measuring sensitivity of NPC cells to the TP-targeting drug, 5-fluoro-5'-deoxyuridine (5'-DFUR).", "There was a high correlation between cytoplasmic hnRNP K and high TP (P < 0.001). Both cytoplasmic hnRNP K and high TP were associated with poor overall survival (OS; P = 0.007 and P < 0.001, respectively) and distant metastasis-free survival (P = 0.003 and 0.001, respectively) of NPC patients. A multivariate analysis confirmed that both cytoplasmic hnRNP K and high TP are independent prognostic predictors for OS (P = 0.020 and 0.010, respectively). NPC cells expressing high TP were more sensitive to treatment with the TP-targeting drug, 5'-DFUR.
Answer: Cytoplasmic hnRNP K and high TP are associated with shorter OS and distant metastasis-free survival in NPC patients. In vitro experiments suggest that NPC tumors with high TP expression may be sensitive to 5'-DFUR treatment. Cytoplasmic hnRNP K and high TP may be potential prognostic and therapeutic markers for NPC, but additional validation studies are warranted.

Ex Output:
Are heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein k and thymidine phosphorylase independent prognostic and therapeutic markers for nasopharyngeal carcinoma?


Ex Input:
Context: We compare the effects of postinjury administration of allopregnanolone, a metabolite of progesterone, to progesterone in an animal model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion.', 'Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in age-matched, adult, male, Sprague-Dawley rats by using an intraluminal filament and suture method to occlude the right middle cerebral artery. After 120 minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion, the occluding filament was withdrawn to allow reperfusion. Laser-Doppler flowmetry was used to monitor cerebral blood flow for the entire 2-hour period of occlusion and for 5 minutes after reperfusion. Animals subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion received injections of allopregnanolone (8 mg/kg, n=6), progesterone (8 mg/kg, n=6) and vehicle (2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, n=7) at 2 hours (intraperitoneally 5 minutes before reperfusion) and 6 hours (subcutaneously) postocclusion. Brains were removed at 72 hours post-middle cerebral artery occlusion, sectioned into coronal slices, and stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC). In a blinded analysis, infarct volume was calculated by using computer-aided morphometry to measure brain areas not stained with TTC.', 'After progesterone or allopregnanolone treatment, stained sections revealed a significant reduction in cortical, caudate-putamen, and hemispheric infarct volumes (percentage of contralateral structure) compared with vehicle-injected controls. Cortical infarction (percentage of contralateral cortex) was 37.47%+/-10.57% (vehicle), 25.49%+/-7.38% (progesterone; P<.05 from vehicle), and 11.40%+/-7.09% (allopregnanolone; P<.05 from vehicle; P<.05 from progesterone). Caudate-putamen infarction (percentage of contralateral caudate-putamen) was 78.02%+/-22.81% (vehicle), 48.41%+/-22.44% (progesterone; P<.05 from vehicle), and 50.44%+/-10.90% (allopregnanolone; P<.05 from vehicle). Total hemispheric infarction (percentage of contralateral hemisphere) was 24.37%+/-6.69% (vehicle), 15.95%+/-3.59% (progesterone; P<.05 from vehicle), and 11.54%+/-3.71% (allopregnanolone; P<.05 from vehicle). No significant differences in cerebral blood flow between groups and time points during ischemia and early reperfusion were observed, suggesting that the relative ischemic insult was equivalent among all groups.
Answer: Although progesterone and allopregnanolone are effective in reducing infarct pathology, allopregnanolone is more potent than progesterone in attenuating cortical damage. Our results suggest that both neurosteroids should be examined for safety and efficacy in a clinical trial for ischemic stroke.

Ex Output:
Is allopregnanolone , a progesterone metabolite , more effective than progesterone in reducing cortical infarct volume after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion?


Ex Input:
Context: In previous studies, pyridoxamine (PM) limited the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and development of nephropathy in streptozotocin-diabetic rats without affecting glycemic control. However, the lipid-lowering effects of PM and the correlation of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides with AGEs in skin collagen suggested that lipids might be an important source of AGEs in the diabetic rat. This study addresses the effects of hyperlipidemia on formation of advanced glycation and lipoxidation end products (AGE/ALEs) and the effects of PM on hyperlipidemia, hypertension, AGE/ALE formation, and development of nephropathy in the nondiabetic, Zucker obese rat.', 'Three groups of Zucker rats were studied: lean (Fa/fa), untreated fatty (fa/fa), and fa/fa treated with PM (2 g/L drinking water). Blood pressure, plasma lipids and creatinine, and urinary albumin were measured monthly. AGE/ALEs were measured in skin collagen by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Changes in wall thickness of the aorta and renal arterioles were evaluated by light microscopy.', 'AGE/ALEs formation was increased two- to threefold in skin collagen of obese versus lean rats. PM inhibited the increases in AGE/ALEs in collagen, and significantly decreased the rise in plasma triglycerides, cholesterol, and creatinine, corrected hypertension and thickening of the vascular wall, and nearly normalized urinary protein and albumin excretion in Zucker fa/fa rats.
Answer: Lipids are an important source of chemical modification of tissue proteins, even in the absence of hyperglycemia. PM inhibited AGE/ALE formation and hyperlipidemia and protected against renal and vascular pathology in a nondiabetic model.

Ex Output:

Does the AGE inhibitor pyridoxamine inhibit lipemia and development of renal and vascular disease in Zucker obese rats?