Questões sobre Interpretação de texto | Reading comprehension

        For the first time, 2025 will see quantum computers leave labs and research institutions and actually deploy into the networks and data centers of real-world customers. For quantum computing companies, this will be a real test of steel.

        It’s one thing to have a groundbreaking, powerful quantum computer that only works on its very best day — when the lab conditions are perfect and when the team of PhDs operating it are at the top of their game. But the reality is that quantum computers need to work on their worst days too — in the real world, in real organizations. The quantum computing companies that land on top will be the ones that have built for this challenge since day one.

         People tend to hear the words “quantum computing” and jump straight to science fiction or the multiverse. And while it seems daunting, we’ve actually reached a point where the “quantum” part of quantum computing is the easiest bit — it’s the “computing” that is inherently complex. For those on the front lines of building powerful quantum computers, this means it’s no longer a physics challenge — it’s an engineering one.

         Companies won’t need to know the ins and outs of quantum computers in order to leverage its unprecedented power — they’ll simply benefit from its ability to solve the problems that could never be solved on classical computers.

Internet:<thequantuminsider.com>  (adapted). 

        Grain poisoning, also known as grain overload or lactic acidosis, is usually the result of stock consuming large quantities of grain or pellets to which they are unaccustomed. Pasture-fed cows or feedlot cattle not yet adapted to grain may become acutely ill or die after eating only moderate amounts of grain, whereas stock accustomed to diets high in grain content may consume large amounts of grain with little or no effect. Some circumstances under which grain poisoning can occur include: accidental access to grain stores; stock access to stubble paddocks containing excess grain after harvest; stock access to standing crops; cattle and sheep on feedlot rations without proper introduction; and grain feeding during drought without proper introduction.

         How is it caused? Grain and finely ground carbohydrate (such as found in pellets) is rapidly fermented by bacteria in the rumen, producing large quantities of lactic acid, which lowers the pH in the rumen. The build-up of acid has effects on the animal such as: there is a decrease in the numbers of useful bacteria in the rumen and an increase in the amount of acid-producing bacteria (causing further build-up of acid in the rumen), rumen contractions cease, lactic acid draws fluid into the rumen from the tissues and blood, resulting in dehydration, and, in severe cases, the blood may become more acid, resulting in heart failure, kidney failure and or even death.

         Grains with a higher fibre content, such as oats and sorghum, are safer to feed than, for example, wheat and barley, since the fibre slows the rate of digestion. Cracking grain increases the rate of digestion of the starch and consequently may increase the risk of grain poisoning. Any factor that causes variation in the intake of grain, or variation in the availability of carbohydrate, may lead to grain poisoning problems. For example, an unpalatable additive or inclement weather may put cattle off their feed on one day, but then they gorge the next day. The effects of grain poisoning may be worsened if the animal is also suffering from cold stress. It is a wise precaution to increase the proportion of roughage fed during particularly cold weather. Other sources of carbohydrates, such as apples, grapes, bread, baker’s dough and incompletely fermented brewer’s grain, can also cause poisoning if eaten in excess.

Internet:<dpi.nsw.gov.au> (adapted).

        The Moodbeam wristband, resembling a fitness tracker, is designed to help employers monitor the emotional well-being of remote workers. The device features two buttons: yellow for happy and blue for sad, allowing employees to log their feelings throughout the workweek. Managers can then access this data via an online dashboard, gaining insights into their team’s emotional state. Originally created by co-founder Christina Colmer McHugh to help her daughter communicate feelings, Moodbeam aims to bridge the gap left by in-person interactions, giving employers a way to “check in” with staff working from home.

        One user of the Moodbeam wristband, the UK charity Brave Mind, has found it helpful. Trustee Paddy Burtt noted that an employee’s struggle with workload and disillusionment only came to light through the data, underscoring the device’s potential to surface unseen issues. With mental health issues like anxiety and depression costing the global economy approximately $ 1 trillion annually in lost productivity, tools like Moodbeam are gaining traction. Studies indicate a growing need for mental health support, especially as remote work and blurred work-life boundaries exacerbate stress.

         Other companies are also exploring solutions. In San Francisco, Modern Health connects employees to mental health resources, including therapy and meditation, based on a brief questionnaire. Similarly, Microsoft has developed a “virtual commute” feature within Teams, prompting users to reflect on their day and their schedule tasks, and to meditate to help distinguish between work and personal time. As more people work remotely, these innovations aim to provide accessible support for mental resilience and emotional well-being.

Internet:<bbc.com>  (adapted).

        Grain poisoning, also known as grain overload or lactic acidosis, is usually the result of stock consuming large quantities of grain or pellets to which they are unaccustomed. Pasture-fed cows or feedlot cattle not yet adapted to grain may become acutely ill or die after eating only moderate amounts of grain, whereas stock accustomed to diets high in grain content may consume large amounts of grain with little or no effect. Some circumstances under which grain poisoning can occur include: accidental access to grain stores; stock access to stubble paddocks containing excess grain after harvest; stock access to standing crops; cattle and sheep on feedlot rations without proper introduction; and grain feeding during drought without proper introduction.

        How is it caused? Grain and finely ground carbohydrate (such as found in pellets) is rapidly fermented by bacteria in the rumen, producing large quantities of lactic acid, which lowers the pH in the rumen. The build-up of acid has effects on the animal such as: there is a decrease in the numbers of useful bacteria in the rumen and an increase in the amount of acid-producing bacteria (causing further build-up of acid in the rumen), rumen contractions cease, lactic acid draws fluid into the rumen from the tissues and blood, resulting in dehydration, and, in severe cases, the blood may become more acid, resulting in heart failure, kidney failure and or even death.

         Grains with a higher fibre content, such as oats and sorghum, are safer to feed than, for example, wheat and barley, since the fibre slows the rate of digestion. Cracking grain increases the rate of digestion of the starch and consequently may increase the risk of grain poisoning. Any factor that causes variation in the intake of grain, or variation in the availability of carbohydrate, may lead to grain poisoning problems. For example, an unpalatable additive or inclement weather may put cattle off their feed on one day, but then they gorge the next day. The effects of grain poisoning may be worsened if the animal is also suffering from cold stress. It is a wise precaution to increase the proportion of roughage fed during particularly cold weather. Other sources of carbohydrates, such as apples, grapes, bread, baker’s dough and incompletely fermented brewer’s grain, can also cause poisoning if eaten in excess.

Internet:<dpi.nsw.gov.au> (adapted).

    Spending time in space and having an unrivalled view of planet Earth is an experience many of us dream of, but the human body evolved to function in the gravity of Earth. So fully recovering from spending time in the weightlessness of space can take years.  

    “It’s a fact that space is by far the most extreme environment that humans have ever encountered and we’ve just not evolved to handle the extreme conditions,” Professor Damian Bailey, who studies human physiology, says. To begin with, the heart and blood vessels have an easier time as they no longer have to pump blood against gravity — and they start to weaken. And the bones become weaker and more brittle. There should be a balance between the cells breaking down old bone and those making new, but that balance is disrupted without the feedback and resistance of working against gravity. “Every month, about 1% of bones and muscles are going to wither away — it’s accelerated ageing,” Professor Bailey says. 

    Microgravity also distorts the vestibular system, which is how you balance and sense which way is up. In space, there is no up, down or sideways. It can be disorientating when you go up — and again when you return to Earth.