Question: Given the background: Wildfire smoke contains particulate matter that may have adverse effects upon the human respiratory system. Evidence of the health effects of wildfire smoke should be relayed to the public so that exposure may be limited. Evidence of health effects can also be used to influence policy to promote positive health outcomes.Inhalation of smoke from a wildfire can be a health hazard. Wildfire smoke is composed of combustion products i.e. carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapor, particulate matter, organic chemicals, nitrogen oxides and other compounds. The principal health concern is the inhalation of particulate matter and carbon monoxide.Particulate matter (PM) is a type of air pollution made up of particles of dust and liquid droplets. They are characterized into three categories based on the diameter of the particle: coarse PM, fine PM, and ultrafine PM. Coarse particles are between 2.5 micrometers and 10 micrometers, fine particles measure 0.1 to 2.5 micrometers, and ultrafine particle are less than 0.1 micrometer. Each size can enter the body through inhalation, but the PM impact on the body varies by size. Coarse particles are filtered by the upper airways and these particles can accumulate and cause pulmonary inflammation. This can result in eye and sinus irritation as well as sore throat and coughing. Coarse PM is often composed of materials that are heavier and more toxic that lead to short-term effects with stronger impact.Smaller particulate moves further into the respiratory system creating issues deep into the lungs and the bloodstream. In asthma patients, PM2.5 causes inflammation but also increases oxidative stress in the epithelial cells. These particulates also cause apoptosis and autophagy in lung epithelial cells. Both processes cause the cells to be damaged and impacts the cell function. This damage impacts those with respiratory conditions such as asthma where the lung tissues and function are already compromised. The third PM type is ultra-fine PM (UFP). UFP can enter the bloodstream... and the situation: Bobby and Sally are siblings that currently live in different cities. Bobby lives in a city that has wildfires on a regular basis. The local government is effective at combating these fires, but there are still quite a few over the course of a year. Sally lives somewhere that has never had a wildfire before, and she wasn't even aware they existed until her brother started talking about them. Answer the following question: Would Sally's chance of getting bronchitis increase or decrease if she moved to Bobby's town?
Answer: increase

Question: Given the background: There is growing concern regarding the use of pesticides in agriculture. Therefore, many of the current commercial applications of modern biotechnology in agriculture are focused on reducing the dependence of farmers on these chemicals. For example, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a soil bacterium that produces a protein that can act as an insecticide, known as the Bt toxin . But it is a naturally occurring protein, not a foreign chemical. Could this protein be used in crops instead of pesticides? Traditionally, an insecticidal spray has been produced from these bacteria. As a spray, the Bt toxin is in an inactive state and requires digestion by an insect to become active and have any effect. Crop plants have now been engineered to contain and express the genes for the Bt toxin, which they produce in its active form. When an insect ingests the transgenic crop, it stops feeding and soon thereafter dies as a result of the Bt toxin binding to its gut wall. Bt corn is now commercially available in a number of countries to control corn borer (an insect like a moth or butterfly), which is otherwise controlled by insecticidal spraying. and the situation: Environmental scientists are trying to find a solution to reducing the harmful effects of chemicals on the environment. To that end, they developed a transgenic crop with the help of Bt toxin - they referred to it as case A. To test the effectiveness of this new crop they also studied Bt toxin spray - they referred to it as case B. They need to figure out which case is safer for the environment. Answer the following question: In which case the Bt toxin does not need to be digested by the insects, case A or case B?
Answer: case A

Question: Given the background: Gasoline-powered vehicles emit a lot of harmful materials. Nitrogen oxides are formed when atmospheric nitrogen reacts with oxygen at the high temperatures found in a car engine. Carbon monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. Evaporated and unused fuel releases volatile hydrocarbons into the atmosphere to help form smog. The presence of a catalytic converter in the exhaust system of the car causes these materials to react and be changed into less harmful products. and the situation: Due to economic sanctions and trade embargoes, Cuban citizens primarily use cars designed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. These cars contain engines that were designed before the introduction of the catalytic converter. Meanwhile trade relations between nearby Panama and Japan have enabled the citizens of Panama to drive cars with the most up to date catalytic converter technology possible. Answer the following question: Which country's cars, Cuba's or Panama's, will emit more nitrogen oxides?
Answer:
Cuba's