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:
In advanced gastric cancer (tumor stages T2-T4), associations with polymorphisms of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) gene cluster have been made. In early-stage gastric cancer, which we defined as adenocarcinoma confined to the mucosa or submucosa (stage T1), the role of host genetic susceptibility remains to be determined.', "Eighty-eight patients with early-stage gastric cancer (stage T1, 77 positive for Helicobacter pylori) and 145 controls were genotyped for polymorphisms in the IL-1 gene cluster and the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-A) gene. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi2 test and the Fisher's exact test, respectively.", 'The homozygous genotype IL-1RN*2/2 of the IL-RN gene was strongly associated with early-stage gastric cancer (P < .0001), whereas further associations with the IL-1 gene cluster were not observed. A weak association of the TNF-A-308A allele with the diffuse type of early-stage gastric cancer, and an association with a composite of two or three proinflammatory polymorphisms, which predispose to increased production of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and TNF-alpha, could also be demonstrated.
answer:
Is allele 2 of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene associated with early gastric cancer?


question:
Psoriasis profoundly affects patient quality of life (QOL). Amevive (alefacept), a novel and selective biologic agent, was clinically effective and significantly improved QOL in a phase 2 study.', 'The present placebo-controlled, randomized phase 3 study examined the effects of a 12-week course of intramuscular alefacept on QOL in 507 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis using both dermatology-specific questionnaires [Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI); Dermatology Quality of Life Scales (DQOLS)] and the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), a generic, general health questionnaire.', 'All 3 QOL measures (DLQI, DQOLS, SF-36) demonstrated that alefacept 15 mg was significantly more effective than placebo in improving QOL in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. In addition, the improvements in QOL for patients in the alefacept 15 mg group were of similar magnitude for all 3 QOL measures.
answer:
Does intramuscular alefacept improve health-related quality of life in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis?


question:
Decreases in mate and/or pollinator availability would be expected to affect the selective pressure on plant mating systems. An increase in self-fertilization may evolve to compensate for the negative effects of pollination failure. However, the benefit of selfing in variable pollination environments depends on the relative fitnesses of selfed and outcrossed progeny. We investigated the potential for selfing to provide reproductive assurance over the lifetime of a long-lived perennial species and its variation between plant patches of various sizes. Patch size is likely to affect mate and pollinator availabilities, thereby affecting pollination success and the rate of selfing. We estimated fruit and seed set, reproductive assurance, self-compatibility, the multilocus patch selfing rate and lifetime inbreeding depression in natural patches of Rhododendron ferrugineum (Ericaceae), a mass-flowering species characterized by considerable patch size variation (as estimated by the total number of inflorescences).', 'Open seed set declined linearly with increasing patch size, whereas pollinator-mediated seed set (emasculated flowers) was not significantly affected. Progeny array analysis indicated that the selfing rate declined with increasing patch size, consistent with greater reproductive assurance in small sparse patches than in large, dense patches. However, fruit set and adult fitness decreased with decreasing patch size, with an estimated mean lifetime inbreeding depression of 0.9 (obtained by comparing F values in adults and progenies).
answer:

Does high lifetime inbreeding depression counteract the reproductive assurance benefit of selfing in a mass-flowering shrub?