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.
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Question: Beta blockers and calcium antagonists are widely used in the management of angina pectoris in the belief that the combination is more efficacious than either drug alone.', 'This double blind randomised crossover placebo controlled study compares the effects of nicardipine, atenolol and their combination in 30 patients with chronic stable angina. Each treatment period lasted 6 weeks with dose titration after 3 weeks. Symptom limited treadmill exercise testing and radionuclide ventriculography at rest was carried out at the end of each treatment period.', 'Total exercise duration and time to 1-mm ST-segment depression was significantly prolonged by nicardipine and atenolol when compared to placebo, the combination offered no additional benefit. Time to onset of angina was significantly prolonged by nicardipine and the combination but not by atenolol. Indices of left ventricular function were not significantly affected by any treatment other than an increase in left ventricular end diastolic volume on atenolol and the combination.

Answer: Is atenolol or nicardipine alone as efficacious in stable angina as their combination : a double blind randomised trial?


Question: We determined relationships of the anti-oxidative enzyme, paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), with high density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions, and tested whether these relationships are stronger than those with HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) in subjects with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).', 'Serum PON-1 (arylesterase activity) and HDL subfractions (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) were determined in 67 T2DM patients and in 56 non-diabetic subjects.', 'PON-1 activity, HDL cholesterol and apoA-I were decreased in T2DM (all p<0.05). The HDL particle concentration was unaltered, but large HDL particles, medium HDL particles and HDL particle size were decreased, whereas small HDL particles were increased in T2DM (all p<0.05). PON-1 was more closely related to HDL cholesterol than to apoA-I (p=0.001). In turn, the positive relationship of PON-1 with the HDL particle concentration and with large HDL particles was stronger than that with HDL cholesterol (both p<0.01). The inverse relationship of PON-1 with T2DM was only modestly attenuated by HDL cholesterol or HDL particle characteristics.

Answer: Is serum paraoxonase-1 activity more closely related to HDL particle concentration and large HDL particles than to HDL cholesterol in Type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic subjects?


Question: Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a β-galactoside-binding lectin that interacts with sugar moieties on glycoproteins and glycolipids of cells and pathogens. Gal-9 is known as an immune modulator that induces cell death via interaction with T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (Tim3), a co-inhibitory receptor, and it inhibits production of several pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF, IL-6 and IL-1α) and enhances production of IL-10. To understand the immune pathology of malaria, the Gal-9 in plasma was measured.', 'Plasma samples and clinical parameters were obtained from 50 acute malaria cases (nine severe and 41 uncomplicated cases) from Thailand at three time points: day 0, day 7 and day 28. Gal-9 levels were determined by ELISA. A total of 38 species of cytokines and chemokines were measured using a BioPlex assay.', 'Gal-9 levels were higher at day 0 compared to day 7 and day 28 (P\xa0<\xa00.0001). Gal-9 levels were also higher in severe malaria (SM) cases compared to uncomplicated (UM) cases at day 0 and day 7 (923 vs 617\xa0pg/mL; P\xa0=\xa00.03, and 659 vs 348\xa0pg/mL; P\xa0=\xa00.02 respectively). Median Gal-9 levels were higher in patients with blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio (BUN/creatinine)\xa0≥20 (mg/dL) than in patients with BUN/creatinine\xa0<20 (mg/dL) at day 0 (817.3 vs 576.2\xa0pg/mL, P\xa0=\xa00.007). Gal-9 was inversely significantly correlated with chloride levels in both SM and UM cases (r s\xa0=\xa0-0.73 and r s\xa0=\xa0-0.46, respectively). In both UM and SM cases, Gal-9 was significantly associated with pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as TNF, IL-6, IFN-α2, IFN-γ, IL-1Ra and IL-10. These correlations were observed at day 0 but disappeared at day 28.

Answer:
Do plasma levels of Galectin-9 reflect disease severity in malaria infection?