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: To investigate the significance of respiratory muscle weakness in chronic heart failure and its relation both to maximum oxygen consumption during cardiopulmonary exercise testing and to skeletal muscle (quadriceps) strength.', 'Seven healthy men aged 54.9 (SEM 4.3) years and 20 men with chronic heart failure aged 61.4 (1.6) years (P = 0.20) with radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction of 25.4 (3.0)%.', 'Mouth pressures during maximum static inspiratory effort (PImax) at functional residual capacity (FRC) and residual volume (RV) were measured in all subjects and taken as indices of inspiratory muscle strength. Similarly, mouth pressures during maximum static expiratory effort (PEmax) at FRC and total lung capacity (TLC) were taken as indices of expiratory muscle strength. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed in all subjects. All controls and 15 heart failure patients also had their right quadriceps muscle strength measured.', 'There was respiratory muscle weakness in heart failure patients, with reduction of PImax at FRC (59.7) (6.3) v 85.6 (9.6) cm H2O, P = 0.045), PEmax at FRC (94.8 (6.2) v 134.6 (9.1) cm H2O, P = 0.004), and PEmax at TLC (121.7 (8.5) v 160.7 (13) cm H2O, P = 0.028). PImax at RV was also reduced but this did not reach statistical significance (77.3 (6.6) v 89.3 (13) cm H2O, P = 0.44). There was also significant weakness of the right quadriceps muscle (308.5 (22) v 446.2 (28) N, P = 0.001). PImax at both FRC and RV correlated with maximum oxygen consumption (r = 0.59, P = 0.006, and r = 0.45, P = 0.048 respectively) but not PEmax. There was, however, no significant correlation between PImax and right quadriceps strength.

SOLUTION: Is inspiratory muscle strength a determinant of maximum oxygen consumption in chronic heart failure?

PROBLEM: The major immuno-modulating effects of Ganoderma lucidum include mitogenicity and activation of immune effector cells such as T cells, macrophages and natural killer cells resulting in the production of cytokines.', 'The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of CD40 and CD80 by G. lucidum-treated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.', 'Monocytes were isolated and incubated at 37 C and 5% CO2 for 24 h and 48 h in the presence or absence of different concentrations of G. lucidum. Cells were then incubated with labelled monoclonal antibodies against CD14, CD40 and B7-1(CD80) molecules utilizing standard protocols, and analyzed by flow cytometry.', 'The results showed that incubation of monocytes with G. lucidum led to marked enhancement of CD40 and B7-1 expression in a dose- and time- dependent manner (p<0.001). G. lucidum was more effective in enhancing the expression of CD80 and CD40 molecules of cells obtained from females than male donors (p<0.001).

SOLUTION: Does ganoderma lucidum induce the expression of CD40/CD86 on peripheral blood monocytes?

PROBLEM: Liver injury is an important prognostic indicator in acute pancreatitis. We previously demonstrated that Kupffer cell-derived cytokines mediate liver injury. In this work, we sought to characterize the role of Fas Ligand (FasL) in liver injury during acute pancreatitis.', 'Acute pancreatitis was induced in mice using cerulein; serum FasL, AST, ALT, liver FasL, p38-MAPK, and caspase-3 were measured. FasL mRNA and protein and its receptor (Fas) were determined in rat Kupffer cells treated with elastase (1 U/ml) to mimic acute pancreatitis. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry.', 'Cerulein-induced pancreatitis increased serum AST, ALT, and FasL and up-regulated liver FasL (1315 +/- 111 versus 310 +/- 164 pg/ml, P = 0.002 versus sham), while inducing p38-MAPK phosphorylation (P < 0.01 versus sham) and cleavage of caspase-3 (P < 0.04 versus sham); all were attenuated by pretreatment with the Kupffer cell inhibitor, gadolinium (all P < 0.003). In vitro, elastase induced a time-dependent increase in Kupffer cell FasL protein (FasL = 404 +/- 94 versus 170 +/- 40, P = 0.02, versus control), a 100-fold increase in FasL mRNA, and up-regulated Fas (FasL receptor). Gadolinium significantly attenuated the elastase-induced increase in FasL and FasL mRNA (FasL = 230 +/- 20 versus 404 +/- 94, P = 0.01, versus elastase) but had little effect on Fas. Additionally, elastase-primed Kupffer cell media induced apoptosis in hepatocytes (29 +/- 1 versus 16% +/- 1%; versus control, P < 0.001).

SOLUTION:
Does acute pancreatitis induce FasL gene expression and apoptosis in the liver?