TASK DEFINITION: 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.
PROBLEM: The disturbance of mitochondrial functions has been considered as one of the mechanisms of pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP) followed by kidney failure. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of methylene blue (MB) on pancreas and kidney mitochondrial respiratory functions during experimental acute pancreatitis in rats.', 'AP was induced by administrating sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct of male Wistar rats. The rats were divided into three groups: the MB group, MB (5\u2009mg/kg) was injected intravenously 10\u2009min prior to AP induction; the AP group, saline solution was injected intravenously 10\u2009min prior to AP induction; and the sham operation group, isotonic sodium chlorine was used instead of sodium taurocholate. The animals were sacrificed after 24\u2009h. The pancreas and kidney were removed for mitochondrial assay by oxygraphic and spectrophotometric methods.', 'Intravenous injection of MB did not prevent AP-induced inhibition of pancreatic mitochondrial respiration; however, MB significantly improved kidney mitochondrial respiratory functions with complex I-dependent substrates glutamate and malate. The activity of complex I of mitochondria isolated from AP-damaged kidney was increased after pretreatment with MB. However, MB did not affect AP-inhibited kidney mitochondrial respiration with succinate. MB had no protective effects on amylase activity or on urea content in serum in AP.

SOLUTION: Does methylene blue attenuate mitochondrial dysfunction of rat kidney during experimental acute pancreatitis?

PROBLEM: Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) is a benign disorder with a variable clinical course that often leads to hospitalization. The aim of this study was to assess and validate the relationship between the serum cystatin C level and symptom duration in infants with TTN.', 'Forty newborns presenting with TTN and who had undergone serum cystatin C (Cys C) tests on the first day of admission to the Kyung Hee University Hospital (Seoul, Korea) from 2009 to 2013 were included. The serum Cys C level, creatinine (Cr) level, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and tachypnea duration were correlated retrospectively.', 'The median gestation period was 37.8\xa0±\xa03.8 weeks and the mean birth weight was 3.2\xa0±\xa00.4\xa0kg. Tachypnea duration was 3.3\xa0±\xa02.0 days. Serum Cys C and Cr levels were 1.7\xa0±\xa00.2\xa0mg/L and 0.8\xa0±\xa01.2\xa0mg/dL, respectively. Tachypnea duration was significantly positively correlated with the serum levels of Cys C and significantly negatively correlated with Cys C-based eGFR (p\xa0=\xa00.016), but was not significantly correlated with the serum Cr level or Cr-based eGFR. When tachypnea duration was compared between infants with Cys C level <1.6\xa0mg/L (n\xa0=\xa015; Group A) and infants with Cys C level\xa0≥\xa01.6\xa0mg/L (n\xa0=\xa025; Group B), the symptom duration was significantly shorter in Group A infants (p\xa0=\xa00.011).

SOLUTION: Does decreased Cystatin C-Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate be Correlated with Prolonged Hospital Stay in Transient Tachypnea of Newborn Infants?

PROBLEM: To quantify the prevalence and effect on visual acuity of macular cysts in a large cohort of patients with retinitis pigmentosa.', 'In 316 patients with typical forms of retinitis pigmentosa, visual acuity was measured with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) charts, macular cysts were detected with optical coherence tomography (OCT), and retinal thicknesses was quantified by OCT. The FREQ, LOGISTIC, and GENMOD procedures of SAS (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) were used to evaluate possible risk factors for cyst prevalence, and the MIXED procedure was used to quantify the relationships of visual acuity to retinal thickness measured at different locations within the macula.', 'Macular cysts were found in 28% of the patients, 40% of whom had cysts in only one eye. Macular cysts were seen most often in patients with dominant disease and not at all in patients with X-linked disease (P = 0.006). In eyes with macular cysts, multiple regression analysis revealed that visual acuity was inversely and independently related to retinal thickness at the foveal center (P = 0.038) and within a parafoveal ring spanning an eccentricity of 5 degrees to 10 degrees from the foveal center (P = 0.004).

SOLUTION:
Is visual acuity related to parafoveal retinal thickness in patients with retinitis pigmentosa and macular cysts?