TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given a passage which has a question and the context. You have to generate an answer to the question based on the information present in the context.
PROBLEM: Context: Allergic asthma is characterized by inflammation and airway remodeling. Bronchial epithelium is considered a key player in coordinating airway wall remodeling. In mild asthma, the epithelium is damaged and fails to proliferate and to repair, whereas in severe asthma, the epithelium is highly proliferative and thicker. This may be due to different regulatory mechanisms. The purpose of our study was to determine the role of miRNAs in regulating proliferation of bronchial epithelial cells obtained from severe asthmatic subjects in comparison with cells obtained from mild asthmatics and healthy controls.', 'Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEC) were isolated by bronchoscopy from bronchial biopsies of healthy donors and patients with mild and severe asthma. MiRNA expression was evaluated using the TaqMan low-density arrays and qRT-PCR. Transfection studies of bronchial epithelial cells were performed to determine the target genes. Cell proliferation was evaluated by BrdU incorporation test.', 'MiR-19a was upregulated in epithelia of severe asthmatic subjects compared with cells from mild asthmatics and healthy controls. Functional studies based on luciferase reporter and Western blot assays suggest that miR-19a enhances cell proliferation of BEC in severe asthma through targeting TGF-β receptor 2 mRNA. Moreover, repressed expression of miR-19a increased SMAD3 phosphorylation through TGF-β receptor 2 signaling and abrogated BEC proliferation.\Question: Does microRNA-19a enhance proliferation of bronchial epithelial cells by targeting TGFβR2 gene in severe asthma?

SOLUTION: Our study uncovers a new regulatory pathway involving miR-19a that is critical to the severe phenotype of asthma and indicates that downregulating miR-19a expression could be explored as a potential new therapy to modulate epithelium repair in asthma.

PROBLEM: Context: The greater omentum has been found to be immunologically competent in protecting abdominal organs from inflammation. Anastomotic omentoplasty has been used and proven effective in preventing anastomotic leaks after an esophagectomy. However, pulmonary complications are still a substantial problem after an esophagectomy. This study investigated the benefits of mediastinal transposition of the omentum, a modification of the conventional omental wrapping technique, in controlling overall postoperative intrathoracic complications.', "From January 2010 to March 2015, 208 consecutive patients receiving an open Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. One hundred twenty-one patients with omentum mediastinal transposition were assigned to the transposition group and 87 patients without omental transposition were placed in the non-transposition group. The patients' demographics, postoperative short-term outcomes, and in-hospital cost were documented and analyzed.", 'Mediastinal transposition of the omentum led to a shorter postoperative hospital stay (14 vs. 16 d, P=0.038) and a lower intrathoracic infection rate (30.6% vs. 48.3%, P=0.009). Intrathoracic infection was milder in the transposition group (P=0.005), though a non-significant was found in overall complications (P=0.071). The multivariate logistic regression analyses identified omentum mediastinal transposition (P=0.007, OR=0.415) as an independent protective factor for postoperative intrathoracic infection. The total in-hospital cost was comparable in both groups (P>0.05), whereas the pharmacy cost was lower in the transposition group than in the non-transposition group (¥21,668 vs. ¥27,012, P=0.010).\Question: Does mediastinal transposition of the omentum reduce infection severity and pharmacy cost for patients undergoing esophagectomy?

SOLUTION: Mediastinal transposition of the omentum decreases the rate and severity of postoperative intrathoracic infection following an open Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. This result in decreased pharmacy costs, rather than resulting in an increased economic burden sustained by surgical patients.

PROBLEM: Context: Prenatal alcohol exposure via maternal liquid diet consumption by C57BL/6 (B6) mice causes conspicuous midline neural tube deficit (dysraphia) and disruption of genesis and development of serotonin (5-HT) neurons in the raphe nuclei, together with brain growth retardation. The current study tested the hypothesis that concurrent treatment with either an activity-dependent neurotrophic factor (ADNF) agonist peptide [SALLRSIPA, (SAL)] or an activity-dependent neurotrophic protein (ADNP) agonist peptide [NAPVSIPQ, (NAP)] would protect against these alcohol-induced deficits in brain development.', 'Timed-pregnant B6 dams consumed alcohol from embryonic day 7 (E7, before the onset of neurulation) until E15. Fetuses were obtained on E15 and brain sections processed for 5-HT immunocytochemistry, for evaluation of morphologic development of the brainstem raphe and its 5-HT neurons. Additional groups were treated either with SAL or NAP daily from E7 to E15 to assess the potential protective effects of these peptides. Measures of incomplete occlusion of the ventral canal and the frequency and extent of the openings in the rhombencephalon were obtained to assess fetal dysraphia. Counts of 5-HT-immunostained neurons were also obtained in the rostral and caudal raphe.', 'Prenatal alcohol exposure resulted in abnormal openings along the midline and delayed closure of ventral canal in the brainstem. This dysraphia was associated with reductions in the number of 5-HT neurons both in the rostral raphe nuclei (that gives rise to ascending 5-HT projections) and in the caudal raphe (that gives rise to the descending 5-HT projections). Concurrent treatment of the alcohol-consuming dams with SAL prevented dysraphia and protected against the alcohol-induced reductions in 5-HT neurons in both the rostral and caudal raphe. NAP was less effective in protecting against dysraphia and did not protect against 5-HT loss in the rostral raphe, but did protect against loss in the caudal raphe.\Question: Do peptidergic agonists of activity-dependent neurotrophic factor protect against prenatal alcohol-induced neural tube defects and serotonin neuron loss?

SOLUTION:
These findings further support the potential usefulness of these peptides for therapeutic interventions in pregnancies at risk for alcohol-induced developmental deficits. Notably, the ascending 5-HT projections of the rostral raphe have profound effects in regulating forebrain development and function, and the descending 5-HT projections of the caudal raphe are critical for regulating respiration. Protection of the rostral 5-HT-system may help prevent structural and functional deficits linked to abnormal forebrain development, and protection of the caudal systems may also reduce the increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.