Questões de Inglês - Grammar - Modals - Might
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Because it is locked away inside the skull, the brain is hard to study. Looking at it requires finicky machines which use magnetism or electricity or both to bypass the bone. There is just one tendril of brain tissue that can be seen from outside the body without any mucking about of this sort. That is the retina. Look into someone’s eyes and you are, in some small way, looking at their brain.
This being so, a group of researchers decided to study the structure of the eye for signs of cognitive decline. Changes in the brain, they reasoned, might lead to changes in the nervous tissue connected to it. They focused on a part of the eye called the retinal nerve-fibre layer (RNFL). This is the lowest layer of the retina and serves to link the light-sensitive tissue above to the synapses which lead to the brain. The team’s results show that people with a thin RNFL are more likely to fail cognitive tests than those with a thick one. They are also more likely to suffer cognitive decline as they age.
(www.economist.com, 30.06.2018. Adaptado.)
No trecho do segundo parágrafo “Changes in the brain, they reasoned, might lead to changes in the nervous tissue”, o termo sublinhado expressa ideia de
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Does a C-section affect the baby’s immune system?
The natural birth process can be messy, stressful, and long remembered by both moms and dads. However, there is an unexplained link between decreasing rates of vaginal delivery and increasing rates of chronic inflammatory and metabolic disease in children growing up in today’s world.
Nowadays, 20% of Cesarean sections performed worldwide have no medical justification. Although often preferred by both patients and obstetricians, Cesarean sections are not risk-free and might have a hidden impact on the baby immune system.
During the natural birth process, the baby is exposed to microorganisms from the mother. This normal exposure process has been connected to healthy gut microbiome growth, further affecting baby immune system development. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether disruption of the exposure process occurring during cesarean section affects gut microbiome formation in neonates.
A recent study published in Nature Communications determined whether the mode of delivery does affect the baby immune system. The researchers examined stool samples taken one to five days after the birth of 33 babies born by either vaginal or cesarean deliveries. They performed an analysis of the genetic material from uncultured microorganisms found in these samples. This method allows the detection of numerous bacterial strains and the evaluation of any differences in bacterial classification among samples.
The study found differences in the microbiome of babies born naturally or by a Cesarean section. Stool samples of babies delivered by Cesarean section lacked the bacteria present in samples taken from naturally born babies. In addition, the researchers extracted an immune stimulating factor called lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the samples. This bacteria-derived substance is known to cause chronic inflammatory disease and metabolic disease in children and adults.
They used extracted LPS to stimulate cultured immune cells and quantifies the expression of several inflammationcausing factors. Interestingly, the study discovered that LPS isolated from stool samples of naturally born babies stimulates higher levels of inflammation-related substances secretion. On the other hand, LPS isolated from stool samples of babies delivered by Cesarean section had lower inflammatory effects.
The results suggest that Cesarean section procedures divert the process of gut microbiome development to alternative pathways. This alteration might underlie the increase in the prevalence of chronic inflammatory and metabolic diseases in developed countries.
It seems that the mode of delivery might have lifelong influences on a newborn’s health.
Adaptado de: https://medicalnewsbulletin.com/c-section-babyimmune-system/ Acessado em 02 de março de 2020.
In “It seems that the mode of delivery might have lifelong influences on a newborn’s health.” The modal verb MIGHT indicates a(n)
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New material could replace plastic or glass in construction of energy-efficient homes
Nicola Davis
In an era of glass and steel construction, wood may seem old-school. But now researchers say they have given wood a makeover to produce a material that is not only sturdy, but also transparent and able to store and release heat. The researchers say the material could be used in the construction of energy-efficient homes, and that they hope to develop a biodegradable version soon to increase its eco-friendly credentials as an alternative to plastic, glass or even cement.
“We prepared a material that is multifunctional since it can transmit light very well and also it can store heat. We combined these two functions in a single material,” said Céline Montanari of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Montanari is presenting the work at the spring national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Orlando.
To produce the material, the team built on previous work in which they took balsa wood and removed its lignin – a component of wood that gives it strength and colour. Acrylic, which is non-biodegradable and water-repellent, was introduced into the remaining tissues where it filled both the tiny pores left by the removal of lignin and the hollow vessels that carried water in the tree. That, said Montanari, not only helped maintain the wood’s structure but also restored its strength and improved its optical properties. The upshot was a frosted-looking wood-based material.
In the latest work, the acrylic was mixed with another substance called polyethylene glycol, which permeates wood well. Crucially, polyethylene glycol also has another feature: when it is heated it absorbs energy and melts, but when temperatures fall it hardens, releasing energy in the process. The team say this property means their wood-based material, which goes from semi-transparent to transparent when warmed, could be used to make buildings more energy-efficient, with energy captured from the sun during the day released later into the interior.
However, Montanari said there was plenty of work still to do – including replacing the acrylic with a biodegradable alternative for some applications, scaling up production of the material, and carrying out computer models of buildings to see how transparent wood compares with glass.
(www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/03/scientists-inventtransparent-wood-in-search-for-eco-friendly-building-material. Adaptado)
No trecho do quarto parágrafo – ... could be used to make buildings more energy-efficient... –, o termo destacado em negrito pode ser substituído, sem alteração de sentido, por
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Is alkaline water really better for you?
Despite the claims, there’s no evidence that water marketed as alkaline is better for your health than tap water. “It’s all about marketing,” said Tanis Fenton, a registered dietitian and epidemiologist at Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. “There is no science to back it up.”
The pH scale indicates whether a liquid is more acidic (lower pH) or alkaline (higher pH). Pure water has a neutral pH of 7, while tap water has some natural variation depending on its mineral content. Most bottled waters are slightly acidic, and sodas and juices are even more so. Bottled waters marketed as being alkaline typically claim to have a pH between 8 and 10. Some are from springs or artesian wells and are naturally alkaline because of dissolved minerals. Others are made with an ionizing process, and water ionizing machines are also marketed for home use.
Alkaline water companies make vague claims that it will “energize” and “detoxify” the body and lead to “superior hydration.” And some claim that ionized water can prevent everything from headaches to cancer. Nevertheless, there’s no evidence that drinking water with a higher pH can change the pH of your body, or even that this outcome would provide benefits. Blood is tightly regulated at around pH 7.4, while the stomach, which secretes hydrochloric acid to digest proteins and kill food-borne pathogens, is very acidic, with a pH of 1.5 to 3.5. If you drink water that is slightly alkaline, Dr. Fenton said, the hydrochloric acid in the stomach quickly neutralizes it before it’s absorbed into the blood.
Several small studies funded by companies that sell alkaline water suggest that it could improve hydration in athletes, but any potential benefits were modest, and an easier way to improve hydration is just to drink more water. And a 2016 review of research by Dr. Fenton and a colleague found no evidence that alkaline water or an alkaline diet could treat or prevent cancer.
A study published last year found that adopting a plantbased diet and drinking alkaline water worked as well as medications to alleviate the symptoms of laryngopharyngeal reflux, a severe form of acid reflux in which stomach acid travels all the way up to the throat. “I think that it can be a helpful tool for patients to help with their symptoms while they’re transitioning to a more plant-based diet,” said Dr. Craig Zalvan, the study’s lead author and a laryngologist at Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. But he believes that most of the improvement in his patients comes from dietary changes rather than alkaline water. Once symptoms improve, he says there’s no need to keep drinking alkaline water.
(Alice Callahan. www.nytimes.com, 27.04.2018. Adaptado.)
No trecho do quarto parágrafo “suggest that it could improve hydration in athletes”, o termo sublinhado pode ser substituído, sem alteração de sentido, por
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Is owning a dog good for your health?
Dogs really are our best friends, according to a Swedish study that says canine ownership could reduce heart disease. A study of 3.4 million people between the ages of 40 and 80 found that having a dog was associated with a 23% reduction in death from heart disease and a 20% lower risk of dying from any cause over the 12 years of the study.
Previous studies have suggested dogs relieve social isolation and depression – both linked to an increased risk of heart disease and early death. Dog owners show better responses to stress, their blood pressure and pulse rates don’t soar, have higher levels of physical activity and slightly lower cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association was sufficiently swayed by a review of dozens of studies to release a statement in 2013 saying that owning a dog “was probably” associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Their reluctance to more strongly endorse dog ownership is because most studies are what is called observational – researchers note an association, but can’t prove causation. This means that other factors might explain why dog owners are healthier than, say, goldfish owners – for example, perhaps only people who are fit in the first place buy pets that need daily walks.
Tove Fall, an epidemiologist and the lead author of this latest study, says they tried their best to allow for any differences in education, existing ill-health and lifestyles between those with and without dogs. The study found the biggest positive impact of having a dog was on people living alone. “It seems that a dog can be a substitute for living with other people in terms of reducing the risk of dying,” says Fall. “Dogs encourage you to walk, they provide social support and they make life more meaningful. If you have a dog, you interact more with other people. If you do get ill and go into hospital and you have a dog, there’s a huge motivation to try to get back home.” Of course, getting a dog and watching it from your sofa while you eat fatty food is not going to reduce your risk of heart disease.
(Luisa Dillner. www.theguardian.com, 04.12.2017. Adaptado.)
In the excerpt from the second paragraph “other factors might explain”, the underlined word expresses
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Air Traffic Controllers
Air traffic controllers coordinate the movement of air
traffic, to ensure that aircraft stay safe distances apart.
Duties
Air traffic controllers typically do the following:
[5] - Issue landing and takeoff instructions to pilots;
- Monitor and direct the movement of aircraft on the
ground and in the air, using radar, computers, or visual
references;
- Control all ground traffic at airports, including baggage
[10] vehicles and airport workers;
- Manage communications by transferring control of
departing flights to traffic control centers and accepting
control of arriving flights;
- Provide information to pilots, such as weather updates,
[15] runway closures, and other critical information; and
- Alert airport response staff, in the event of an aircraft
emergency.
Air traffic controllers' primary concern is safety, but they
also must direct aircraft efficiently to minimize delays. They
[20] manage the flow of aircraft into and out of the airport
airspace, guide pilots during takeoff and landing, and monitor
aircraft, as they travel through the skies.
Controllers usually manage multiple aircraft at the same
time and must make quick decisions to ensure the safety of
[25] the aircraft. For example, a controller might direct one
aircraft on its landing approach, while providing another
aircraft with weather information.
Adapted from: ttps://collegegrad.com/careers/air-traffic-controllers
The words underlined in the text (lines 19 and 25) express, respectively