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.

[EX Q]: Enhanced activation of the mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) in cardiovascular tissues increases oxidative stress, maladaptive immune responses, and inflammation with associated functional vascular abnormalities. We previously demonstrated that consumption of a Western diet (WD) for 16 weeks results in aortic stiffening, and that these abnormalities were prevented by systemic MR blockade in female mice. However, the cell-specific role of endothelial cell MR (ECMR) in these maladaptive vascular effects has not been explored.', 'We hypothesized that specific deletion of the ECMR would prevent WD-induced increases in endothelial sodium channel activation, reductions in bioavailable nitric oxide, increased vascular remodeling, and associated increases in vascular stiffness in females.', 'Four-week-old female ECMR knockout and wild-type mice were fed either mouse chow or WD for 16 weeks. WD feeding resulted in aortic stiffness and endothelial dysfunction as determined in vivo by pulse wave velocity and ex vivo by atomic force microscopy, and wire and pressure myography. The WD-induced aortic stiffness was associated with enhanced endothelial sodium channel activation, attenuated endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation, increased oxidative stress, a proinflammatory immune response and fibrosis. Conversely, cell-specific ECMR deficiency prevented WD-induced aortic fibrosis and stiffness in conjunction with reductions in endothelial sodium channel activation, oxidative stress and macrophage proinflammatory polarization, restoration of endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation.
[EX A]: Does endothelial Mineralocorticoid Receptor mediate Diet-Induced Aortic Stiffness in Females?

[EX Q]: Smoking is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Sympathetic responses to cigarette smoking may be implicated in the link between smoking and cardiovascular disease. We tested the hypothesis that the sympathetic neural responses to smoking are age dependent.', 'We examined the effects of cigarette smoking and sham smoking on muscle sympathetic nerve activity, blood pressure and heart rate in 14 normotensive middle-aged (49 +/- 4 years) and 12 young (29 +/- 4 years) habitual smokers matched for body mass index (25 +/- 2 kg/m2 in both groups).', 'Sham smoking had no significant effect on sympathetic drive, blood pressure or heart rate in either group. Cigarette smoking increased heart rate in both middle-aged subjects and young subjects. In comparison to younger subjects, middle-aged smokers showed similar smoking-related increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP) [10 +/- 3 versus 12 +/- 2 mmHg, respectively, not significant (NS)]. Smoking decreased sympathetic nerve activity by 28 +/- 12% of baseline values (P < 0.01) in young subjects. However, muscle sympathetic nerve activity did not change significantly after smoking in middle-aged subjects (5 +/- 8%, NS), despite the increased blood pressures, which would be expected to inhibit sympathetic activity. By contrast, in young subjects, the heart rate increase (22 +/- 2 bpm) was greater than that seen in middle-aged subjects (13 +/- 2 bpm, P < 0.01).
[EX A]: Are sympathetic neural responses to smoking age dependent?

[EX Q]: Clinical predictors associated with acute paraquat (PQ) poisoning have not been systematically studied.', 'To identify independent predictors of death in patients with acute PQ poisoning.', 'This is a retrospective study executed in the emergency department of a university hospital. One hundred three consecutive patients poisoned with PQ between January 1999 and December 2004 were enrolled. Urine PQ concentration, electrolyte and renal function, detailed history, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II were extracted from medical records. The outcome measure was 30-day mortality. Multivariate analysis was done by Cox-proportional hazard regression model. Receiver operating characteristics area under the curve was calculated for selected predictors.', 'The crude 30-day mortality was 67.9% (70 of 103). Independent predictors of death were acute renal failure (hazard ratio, 3.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.97-6.32), hypokalemia (2.07, 1.21-3.51), hypothermia (2.91, 1.67-5.07), suicide (2.11, 1.04-4.29), and self-reported ingested dose (2.06, 1.38-3.06). The receiver operating characteristics area under the curve of serum potassium concentrations, maximal urine PQ concentrations, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores were 0.75 (95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.81), 0.71 (0.66-0.84), and 0.80 (0.71-0.88), respectively. Under the cutoff value of 3.6 mEq/L, hypokalemia had a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 54% in predicting mortality.
[EX A]:
Are hypokalemia and hypothermia associated with 30-day mortality in patients with acute paraquat poisoning?