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: A scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) was developed for evaluation of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias (ADCA) and was also recommended for clinical trials of Friedreich's ataxia patients (FRDA). FRDA, unlike ADCA, is characterized as being a sensory type of ataxia for which the disease-specific Friedreich ataxia rating scale (FARS) was developed. The objective of this study was to determine whether SARA and FARS scores are associated with posturographic parameters in FRDA patients.", 'Adult patients with genetically confirmed FRDA (n=11) and ADCA (n=13) were evaluated by SARA, FARS and posturography.', "FRDA patients' postural stability parameters, in stance with visual control, correlated with balance impairment in FARS (r=0.622; p<0.05) and SARA (r=0.735; p<0.05). Without visual control, only FARS correlated with balance impairment (r=0.732; p<0.05).
Answer: The SARA, in FRDA patients, correlates with stance with visual control but not without visual control which emphasizes sensory ataxia. This suggests that application of the SARA in Friedreich's ataxia patients according to posturography is possible but presumably limited and FARS, although being a more time consuming scale, may have advantages over SARA in FRDA patients.

SOLUTION: Is application of a Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia ( SARA ) in Friedreich 's ataxia patients according to posturography limited?

PROBLEM: Context: Women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are at increased risk of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and preeclampsia. Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) directly alter trophoblast function. Treatment with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) reduces the risk of RPL but not preeclampsia. Moreover, LMWH stimulates trophoblast sFlt-1 release, an anti-angiogenic factor associated with preeclampsia. Since vitamin D deficiency is associated with APS and preeclampsia, this study sought to determine the effect of vitamin D on trophoblast function in the setting of aPL and LMWH.', 'A human first trimester trophoblast cell line (HTR8) and primary trophoblast cultures were treated with or without aPL in the presence and absence of vitamin D, LMWH or both. Trophoblast secretion of inflammatory cytokines and angiogenic factors were measured by ELISA.', 'Vitamin D alone or in combination with LMWH attenuated the aPL-induced trophoblast inflammatory response in the HTR8 cells and primary cultures. While vitamin D did not have any impact on aPL-mediated modulation of angiogenic factors in the primary trophoblast, it significantly inhibited LMWH-induced sFlt-1 release.
Answer: LMWH in combination with vitamin D may be more beneficial than single-agent therapy by preventing aPL-induced trophoblast inflammation and reversing LMWH-induced sFlt-1 secretion.

SOLUTION: Does vitamin D reverse aPL-induced inflammation and LMWH-induced sFlt-1 release by human trophoblast?

PROBLEM: Context: We previously reported that the intimal endothelium of the rat aorta switches to a microvascular phenotype during angiogenesis in vitro. The microvessels formed by the rat aortic endothelium are coated with pericytes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation of the pericytes to the angiogenic process and to identify the site of origin of these cells in the aortic wall.', 'Rings of rat aorta were cultured in collagen gel under serum-free conditions. The formation of a pericyte coating around aorta-derived microvessels was evaluated by counting pericytes and microvessels in the living cultures. Pericytes and endothelial cells were studied by immunohistochemistry, lectin labeling, electron microscopy, 3H-thymidine labeling followed by autoradiography, and time-lapse video microscopy. The capacity of aortic smooth muscle cells to differentiate into pericytes was studied by coculturing intimal- or medial-derived smooth muscle cells with endothelial cells in a collagen gel overlay assay that induced reorganization of endothelial cells into microvessels.', 'Microvessels during the early stages of angiogenesis were composed primarily of endothelial cells. As vascular proliferation decreased, the microvessels became coated with pericytes. The pericytes migrated from the root to the tip of the microvessels using the endothelium as a surface for attachment, proliferation, and contact guidance. The pericytes were continuous with the myointimal endothelial cells of the cultured aorta. Pericytes and myointimal cells were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin and vimentin and were actively engaged in DNA synthesis. Treatment of the cultures with heparin caused a marked reduction in the number of pericytes. Smooth muscle cells isolated from the intimal aspect of the rat aorta migrated toward the endothelium and differentiated into pericytes when cocultured with microvessels formed by isolated endothelial cells in a collagen gel overlay assay. Conversely, smooth muscle cells isolated from the deep layers of the media had no significant endothelial tropism and failed to differentiate into pericytes.
Answer: This study demonstrates that the rat aorta contains a subpopulation of intimal/subintimal smooth muscle cells that differentiate into pericytes during angiogenesis in vitro. These cells have a distinct endothelial tropism and respond to endothelial cues by contributing to the differentiation and maturation of microvessels. Smooth muscle cells of rat aortic intimal/subintimal origin can be used as a source of pericytes for the in vitro assembly of histotypic microvessels.

SOLUTION:
Do rat aortic smooth muscle cells become pericytes during angiogenesis in vitro?