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 membrane protein CD46, a ubiquitous cell surface pathogen receptor, can bind Streptococcus to trigger cell autophagy, which is a critical step in the control of infection.', 'In this study, we found a new splice variant designated CD46 transcript variant (CD46-TV). The splice variant is characterized by the retention of a 48\xa0bp sequence from intron 8 of the bovine CD46 gene, which encodes a putative protein enlarged by 16 amino acids. CD46-TV mRNA was found to be over expressed in mastitis-infected mammary gland tissues relative to healthy tissues. A single nucleotide polymorphism (c. 1033\u2009+\u20092184 C\u2009>\u2009T) in the exonic splicing enhancer (ESE) motif region was shown to result in the CD46-TV aberrant splice variant through constructing alternative alleles using the pSPL3 exon capturing vector and transfecting these into 293\xa0T cells. Allelic frequency in 56,682 individuals belonging to 112 Bos taurus, Bos indicus, Bos javanicus, Bos grunniens and Bos mutus, etc. suggests that the C allele (80.09%) is the ancestral allele. Association analysis found that the mean genomic estimated breeding values (gEBV) for milk somatic cell score and the occurrence of clinical mastitis, as well as the milk somatic cell score of Chinese Holsteins with the CT genotype was lower than those of individuals with either the CC or TT genotypes. The mean gEBV for udder health synthesis for the TT genotype was greater than those for the CC or CT genotypes.
Answer: Our findings suggest that the CD46 gene likely plays a critical role in the risk of mastitis caused by Streptococcus in dairy cows via an alternative splicing mechanism caused by a functional mutation in intron 8. Our data also underline the importance of variation within ESEs in regulating transcript processing.

SOLUTION: Does a SNP in intron 8 of CD46 cause a novel transcript associated with mastitis in Holsteins?

PROBLEM: Context: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating muscle disease caused by a mutation in DMD encoding dystrophin. Oxidative stress accounts for dystrophic muscle pathologies in DMD. We examined the effects of molecular hydrogen in mdx mice, a model animal for DMD.', 'The pregnant mother started to take supersaturated hydrogen water (>5\u2005ppm) ad libitum from E15.5 up to weaning of the offspring. The mdx mice took supersaturated hydrogen water from weaning until age 10 or 24 weeks when they were sacrificed.', 'Hydrogen water prevented abnormal body mass gain that is commonly observed in mdx mice. Hydrogen improved the spontaneous running distance that was estimated by a counter-equipped running-wheel, and extended the duration on the rota-rod. Plasma creatine kinase activities were decreased by hydrogen at ages 10 and 24 weeks. Hydrogen also decreased the number of central nuclei of muscle fibers at ages 10 and 24 weeks, and immunostaining for nitrotyrosine in gastrocnemius muscle at age 24 weeks. Additionally, hydrogen tended to increase protein expressions of antioxidant glutathione peroxidase 1, as well as anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, in skeletal muscle at age 10 weeks.
Answer: Although molecular mechanisms of the diverse effects of hydrogen remain to be elucidated, hydrogen potentially improves muscular dystrophy in DMD patients.

SOLUTION: Does molecular hydrogen alleviate motor deficits and muscle degeneration in mdx mice?

PROBLEM: Context: Approximately 50% of subjects with essential hypertension (EH) are insulin resistant, and this defect in insulin action could contribute to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in these patients. To test this hypothesis, we attempted to see if there was a link between insulin resistance (IR) and carotid intimal medial thickness (IMT), an early index of CVD, in patients with essential hypertension.', 'Ultrasound quantification of carotid IMT was performed in 79 hypertensive patients, and 63 patients (31 m and 32 f), defined as being free of plaque (IMT < 1.3 mm), were further subdivided into normal (<1.0 mm) and thickened (1-1.3 mm) IMT groups. Subjects in the thickened IMT group were older and had significantly (p < 0.05) higher plasma concentrations of fasting insulin, nitric oxide (NO(x)) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). However, the two groups were not significantly different in terms of blood pressure, overall or regional obesity, fasting lipid levels, uric acid, concentrations of other cellular adhesion molecules or levels of C-reactive protein. There were significant (p < 0.05) correlations in the whole population between IMT and age, fasting insulin and NO(x), and multiple regression analysis identified fasting insulin as an independent predictor of IMT.
Answer: The presence of increased IMT is significantly related to several metabolic and endothelial abnormalities associated with IR/hyperinsulinemia, and fasting insulin independently predicts the thickness of the intima-media layer. These results support the view that CVD risk is greatest in those patients with essential hypertension who are also IR/hyperinsulinemic.

SOLUTION:
Do insulin resistance/compensatory hyperinsulinemia predict carotid intimal medial thickness in patients with essential hypertension?