I read this background article the other day: 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... I am facing a new situation today: 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. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Who is more likely to experience eye irritation?
Ans: Bobby

I read this background article the other day: During May, June, and July, the Northern Hemisphere is exposed to more direct sunlight because the hemisphere faces the Sun. The same is true of the Southern Hemisphere in November, December, and January. It is Earth's axial tilt that causes the Sun to be higher in the sky during the summer months, which increases the solar flux. However, due to seasonal lag, June, July, and August are the warmest months in the Northern Hemisphere while December, January, and February are the warmest months in the Southern Hemisphere. I am facing a new situation today: Two twin brothers live far away from each other. Dan lives in the Norther Hemisphere, in North America, and Bill lives in Tasmania, in the Southern Hemisphere.They often talk about the weather, the seasons, and how it affects them. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which brother experiences more sunlight in August?
Ans: Dan

I read this background article the other day: The frequency of sound waves is measured in hertz (Hz), or the number of waves that pass a fixed point in a second. Human beings can normally hear sounds with a frequency between about 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. Sounds with frequencies below 20 hertz are called infrasound . Sounds with frequencies above 20,000 hertz are called ultrasound . Some other animals can hear sounds in the ultrasound range. For example, dogs can hear sounds with frequencies as high as 50,000 Hz. You may have seen special whistles that dogs but not people can hear. The whistles produce a sound with a frequency too high for the human ear to detect. Other animals can hear even higher-frequency sounds. Bats, for example, can hear sounds with frequencies higher than 100,000 Hz. I am facing a new situation today: David wants to categorize animals according to the sound waves they can hear. Eventually, he was able to categorize them in three different groups, group A, group B, and group C. He placed the animals that can only hear ifrasound in group A. Then he placed the animals that are only able to hear the same frequency of sound waves as humans do in group B. The last group of animals were able to hear only ultrasound. He placed them in group C. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Would group B be able to hear higher or lower frequency than group C?
Ans: lower

I read this background article the other day: Hepatitis viruses can develop into a chronic viral infection that leads to liver cancer. Infection by human T-lymphotropic virus can lead to tropical spastic paraparesis and adult T-cell leukaemia. Human papillomaviruses are an established cause of cancers of cervix, skin, anus, and penis. Within the Herpesviridae, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus causes Kaposi's sarcoma and body-cavity lymphoma, and EpsteinBarr virus causes Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, B lymphoproliferative disorder, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Merkel cell polyomavirus closely related to SV40 and mouse polyomaviruses that have been used as animal models for cancer viruses for over 50 years. I am facing a new situation today: Two patients were hospitalized for different diseases. Barry was diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, while Daniel was diagnosed with EpsteinBarr virus infection. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which patient was not at risk of developing Burkitt's lymphoma?
Ans: Barry