instruction:
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.
question:
The potential for a compound to cause hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity is a matter of extreme interest for human health risk assessment. To assess liver and kidney toxicity, repeated-dose toxicity (RDT) studies are conducted mainly on rodents. However, these tests are expensive, time-consuming and require large numbers of animals. For early toxicity screening, in silico models can be applied, reducing the costs, time and animals used. Among in silico approaches, structure-activity relationship (SAR) methods, based on the identification of chemical substructures (structural alerts, SAs) related to a particular activity (toxicity), are widely employed.', 'We identified and evaluated some SAs related to liver and kidney toxicity, using RDT data on rats taken from the hazard evaluation support system (HESS) database. We considered only SAs that gave the best percentages of true positives (TP).
answer:
Does identification of structural alert for liver and kidney toxicity using repeated dose toxicity data?


question:
To compare the safety and success of a retrograde approach using a microcatheter vs. a sheath in the treatment of superficial femoral artery (SFA) chronic total occlusions (CTOs).', 'From April 2007 to December 2012, 188 consecutive patients underwent EVT for 229 de novo SFA CTOs using the retrograde approach in 68 patients (35 men; mean age 72 years). This cohort was divided into cases performed with a 4-F or 6-F sheath (n=28, 36 limbs) and those with a 2.1-F microcatheter (n=35, 49 limbs). The primary outcomes were mean time to hemostasis and number of intra- and postoperative puncture site complications, as well as the success of popliteal artery puncture, lesion crossing, and reperfusion.', 'There were no significant differences between two groups in baseline characteristics. PA puncture was successful in all limbs, and the success in crossing the lesion with the wire was not significantly different (91.9% in the sheath group vs. 89.8% in the microcatheter group). Mean time to hemostasis was 8.9±8.8 minutes in the microcatheter group vs. 47.7±13 minutes in the sheath group (p<0.0001). There was a significant difference in intraoperative and postoperative complications (22.2% in the sheath group vs. 2.0% in the microcatheter group, p=0.002).
answer:
Is a sheathless retrograde approach via the popliteal artery useful and safe for treating chronic total occlusions in the superficial femoral artery?


question:
Primary: to evaluate predictivity of liver stiffness (LS), spleen stiffness (SS), and their ratio assessed by real-time 2D shear wave elastography (RT-2D-SWE) for adverse outcomes (hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma or death; "event") in compensated liver cirrhosis (LC) patients. Secondary: to evaluate ability of these measures to discriminate between cirrhotic patients with/without esophageal varices (EV).', 'Predictivity of LS, SS, and LS/SS was assessed in a retrospectively analyzed cohort of compensated LC patients (follow-up cohort) and through comparison with incident patients with decompensated cirrhosis (DC) (cross-sectional cohort). Both cohorts were used to evaluate diagnostic properties regarding EV.', 'In the follow-up cohort (n=44) 18 patients (40.9%) experienced an "event" over a median period of 28 months. LS≥21.5 kPa at baseline was independently associated with 3.4-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-10.4, P=0.026) higher risk of event. Association between SS and outcomes was weaker (P=0.056), while there was no association between LS/SS ratio and outcomes. Patients with DC (n=43) had higher LS (35.3 vs 18.3 kPa, adjusted difference 65%, 95% CI 43%-90%; P<0.001) than compensated patients at baseline. Adjusted odds of EV increased by 13% (95% CI 7.0%-20.0%; Plt;0.001) with 1 kPa increase in LS. At cut-offs of 19.7 and 30.3 kPa, LS and SS had 90% and 86.6% negative predictive value, respectively, to exclude EV in compensated patients.
answer:

Is real-time two-dimensional shear wave ultrasound elastography of the liver a reliable predictor of clinical outcomes and the presence of esophageal varices in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis?