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:
Yes-associated protein (YAP), a downstream target of the Hippo signaling pathway, was recently linked to hepatocarcinogenesis in a mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model. The objective of the current study was to investigate the clinical significance of YAP in HCC and its prognostic values in predicting survival and tumor recurrence.', 'The authors collected 177 pairs of tumor and adjacent nontumor tissue from HCC patients with definitive clinicopathologic and follow-up data. YAP expression was determined by immunohistochemistry, Western blot analysis, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Association of YAP with each clinicopathologic feature was analyzed by Pearson chi-square test, and HCC-specific disease-free survival and overall survival by Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test. Multivariate Cox regression analyses of YAP in HCC were also performed.', 'YAP was expressed in the majority of HCC cases (approximately 62%) and mainly accumulated in the tumor nucleus. Overexpression of YAP in HCC was significantly associated with poorer tumor differentiation (Edmonson grade; P = .021) and high serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level (P < .001). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression data indicated that YAP was an independent predictor for HCC-specific disease-free survival (hazards ratio [HR], 1.653; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.081-2.528 [P = .02]) and overall survival (HR, 2.148; 95% CI, 1.255-3.677 [P = .005]).
answer:
Is yes-associated protein an independent prognostic marker in hepatocellular carcinoma?

question:
Previous studies have shown that Fructus Ligustri Lucide (FLL) can be used to anti-cancer. However, the mechanism by which FLL mediate this effect is unclear. In the present study, aqueous extracts of FLL induced cell apoptosis in human gastric carcinoma cell was investigated.', 'The cell viability was detected by the CCK8 assay. The cell apoptosis was assessed by annexin V-PI double-labeling staining and hoechst 33342 staining. The protein expression of cell cycle regulators and tumor suppressors were analyzed by western blotting.', 'Treatment of human gastric carcinoma cells with FLL induced cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner by using CCK8 assay. Consistent with the CCK8 assay, the flow cytometry results showed that the proportion of the early and terminal phase of apoptosis cells had gained after FLL treatment as compared to untreated group. Moreover, human gastric carcinoma cells were exposed to the aqueous extracts of FLL for 48 h, which resulted in an accumulation of cells in G2/M phase. Apoptotic bodies were clearly observed in human gastric carcinoma that had been treated with FLL for 48 h and then stained with Hochest 33342. Treatment of gastric carcinoma cells with increasing doses of FLL and increasing durations significantly increased the protein expression of Bax and Caspase3, decreased the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 level. The expression of CDC2 and cdc25C were downregulated upon FLL treatment in human gastric carcinoma. In contrast, p53 and p21 were obviously upregulated by FLL treatment in a concentration-dependent manner.
answer:
Do aqueous extracts of Fructus Ligustri Lucide induce gastric carcinoma cell apoptosis and G2/M cycle arrest?

question:
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationships between blood pressure (BP), insulin resistance as determined by a homeostasis model (HOMA-IR), and body fat distribution.', 'Anthropometric indices of adiposity, metabolic variables (fasting serum insulin and a homeostasis model assessment [HOMA] index of insulin sensitivity), BP and several cardiovascular risk factors were measured during a cross sectional survey of 53477 apparently healthy Korean subjects who requested a health status check. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP > or = 140 mmHg or a diastolic BP > or = 90 mmHg and we excluded the subjects taking BP-lowering medication.', 'Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) were positively and significantly associated with age, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist/hip ratio. In addition, SBP and DBP were positively associated with fasting serum insulin levels and the HOMA index. By multiple regression analysis age, waist circumference, body mass index, HOMA index and female sex were independently associated with either increased SBP or DBP. When the population is divided into quintiles according to insulin resistance (measured by HOMA analysis) prevalence of hypertension in the second, third, fourth and fifth quintiles compared to subjects in the first quintile are 1.004(95% CI 0.875-1.152, p = 0.957), 1.200(95% CI 1.052-1.369, p = 0.007), 1.312(95% CI 1.151-1.494 p < 0.001 ), and 1.603(95% CI 1.408-1.825 p < 0.001). In addition age, sex, body mass index and waist circumference were found to be significantly associated with hypertension.
answer:
Are insulin resistance , body mass index , waist circumference independent risk factor for high blood pressure?