二、綜合測驗 (10%)( i )       A recent inquiry led by scholars at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis hasrevealed that individuals in the nascent phase of Alzheimer's disease, characterized by the commencementof cerebral alterations while cognitive symptoms remain __(11)__, harbor a distinct composition ofintestinal microbiota in contrast to healthy individuals. Published in Science Translational Medicine, thefindings propose that an in-depth examination of the gut microbiome could aid in the identification ofindividuals at an elevated risk of developing dementia, thereby __(12)__ for interventions that modify themicrobiome to prevent or ameliorate cognitive decline.      The team of researchers, including co-corresponding authors Gautam Dantas, PhD, and Beau M.Ances, MD, PhD, conceived the idea of investigating the association between the gut microbiome andAlzheimer's disease during a conversation held at a youth soccer game. While previous investigationshave explored the gut microbiomes of individuals exhibiting symptomatic Alzheimer's, no research hasthus far __(13)__ the gut microbiomes of individuals in the crucial pre-symptomatic phase.       By scrutinizing participants from the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease ResearchCenter, the researchers discovered significant disparities in gut microbiota between healthy individualsand those in the early stage of Alzheimer's, despite their __(14)__ of comparable diets. These disparitiesexhibited a correlation with the levels of amyloid beta and tau proteins, which escalate prior to themanifestation of cognitive symptoms. Notably, the disparities did not align with neurodegeneration,which becomes apparent as cognitive faculties begin to decline. The distinctive profile of gut microbiotaholds the potential to serve as a screening tool for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease.      The researchers intend to embark on a follow-up study spanning five years to ascertain the causalrelationship between the observed disparities in the gut microbiome and the cerebral alterations witnessedin early Alzheimer's disease. __(15)__, it is conjectured that inflammation may play a pivotal role.Bacteria generate metabolites capable of influencing gut inflammation and circulating throughout thebody, thereby exerting an impact on the immune system. Promoting the proliferation of beneficialbacteria or eliminating detrimental counterparts could potentially decelerate or halt the progression ofsymptomatic Alzheimer's disease.
【題組】11.
(A) unyielding
(B) unwarrantable
(C) disconsolate
(D) imperceptible