Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Animals for Tools: The Origin and Development of Bone Technologies in China

The origin and development of bone technologies in China are reviewed in the light of recent discoveries and compared to trends emerging from the European and African archaeological records. Three categories of osseous tools are targeted: 1) unmodified bone fragments bearing traces of use in technological activities; 2) bone fragments modified to a variable extent with techniques generally used in stone technologies; 3) osseous fragments entirely shaped with techniques fit for the manufacture of formal bone tools. Early evidence of bone technologies in China are sporadically found in contexts dated between 1.8 and 1.0 Ma. By the late MIS6–early MIS5, bone tools are well-integrated in the technological systems of Pleistocene populations and the rules guiding their use appear increasingly standardized. In addition, the first evidence for the use of osseous material in symbolic activities emerges in the archaeological record during this period. Finally, between 40 and 35 ka, new manufacturing techniques and products are introduced in Late Palaeolithic technological systems. It is first apparent in the manufacture of personal ornaments, and followed by the production and diversification of formal bone tools. By that time, population dynamics seem to become materialized in these items of material culture. Despite regional specificities, the cultural trajectories identified for the evolution of bone technologies in China seem entirely comparable to those observed in other regions of the world.
Effects of Herbal Adaptogen Feed-Additive on Growth Performance, Carcass Parameters, and Muscle Amino Acid Profile in Heat-Stressed Modern Broilers

Heat stress has strong adverse effects on poultry production and, thereby, threats its sustainability, which energized scientists to search for innovative and effective solutions. Here, we undertook this study to evaluate the effects of in-feed herbal adaptogen (stress response modifier) supplementation on growth performances, meat quality, and breast amino acid profile in chronic cyclic heat-stressed broilers. Day-old male Cobb 500 chicks (n = 720) were randomly assigned, in environmental chambers (n = 12, 24 pens), to three diet-treatments: a three-phase corn-soybean based diet fed as such (Control, C), or supplemented with the herbal adaptogen at 500 g/1000 kg control diet (NR-PHY-500) or at 1 kg/1000 kg control diet (NR-PHY-1000). From d29 to d42, birds from 9 chambers were exposed to cyclic heat stress (HS, 35°C from 9:30 am-5:30 pm), however, the rest of the chamber were maintained at thermoneutral conditions (24°C, TN), which creates 4 experimental groups: C-TN, C-HS, NR-PHY-500HS, and NR-PHY-1000HS (6 pens/group, 168 birds/group). HS altered growth performance via depression of feed intake and body weight. Adaptogen supplementation stimulated feed intake and averaged 65.95 and 83.25 g better body weight and 5 and 10 points better FCR at low and high dose, respectively, compared to heat-stressed birds. This increase in body weight was mirrored in enhanced weights of body parts (breast, tender, wings, and legs). Adaptogen supplementation modulated also breast amino acid profile, pH, color, and quality. Together, these data suggested that adaptogen supplementation could be a promising solution to alleviate heat stress, however further in-depth investigation for its mode of action and its underlying mechanisms are warranted.
P-Δ Effects on Single-Degree-of-Freedom Structures in Earthquakes

A vertical force, P, moving through a lateral displacement, Δ, causes extra “P-Δ” forces on a structure that are not accounted for in analyses based on the undeformed structural geometry. If the effect of these P-Δ forces are large, then displacements during an earthquake may be greater than those when the P-Δ effect is not considered and the likelihood of overturning increases. This paper discusses previous studies to understand the problem of P-Δ. The likely change in response of bilinear oscillators is found from knowledge of the behaviour of simple single degree of freedom bilinear oscillators and the effect of P-Δ on a hysteresis loop. Using the “hysteresis centre curve” (HCC) concept, recommendations are made for the design of single degree of freedom structures with general shape hysteresis curves considering the P-Δ effect.
α4/α9 Integrins Coordinate Epithelial Cell Migration Through Local Suppression of MAP Kinase Signaling Pathways

Adhesion of basal keratinocytes to the underlying extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a key role in the control of skin homeostasis and response to injury. Integrin receptors indirectly link the ECM to the cell cytoskeleton through large protein complexes called focal adhesions (FA). FA also function as intracellular biochemical signaling platforms to enable cells to respond to changing extracellular cues. The α4β1 and α9β1 integrins are both expressed in basal keratinocytes, share some common ECM ligands, and have been shown to promote wound healing in vitro and in vivo. However, their roles in maintaining epidermal homeostasis and relative contributions to pathological processes in the skin remain unclear. We found that α4β1 and α9β1 occupied distinct regions in monolayers of a basal keratinocyte cell line (NEB-1). During collective cell migration (CCM), α4 and α9 integrins co-localized along the leading edge. Pharmacological inhibition of α4β1 and α9β1 integrins increased keratinocyte proliferation and induced a dramatic change in cytoskeletal remodeling and FA rearrangement, detrimentally affecting CCM. Further analysis revealed that α4β1/α9β1 integrins suppress extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) activity to control migration through the regulation of downstream kinases including Mitogen and Stress Activated Kinase 1 (MSK1). This work demonstrates the roles of α4β1 and α9β1 in regulating migration in response to damage cues.
Identifying the Subtypes and Characteristics of Mental Workload Among Chinese Physicians in Outpatient Practice: A Latent Profile Analysis

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the mental workload level of physicians in outpatient practice since the normalization of prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic in China and explore the subtypes of physicians regarding their mental workload. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 1,934 physicians primarily in 24 hospitals in 6 provinces in Eastern, Central, and Western China was conducted from November 2020 to February 2021. A latent profile analysis was performed to identify clusters based on the six subscales of the Chinese version of physician mental workload scale developed by our research team. Chi-square tests were performed to explore the differences in demographic characteristics of the subtypes among the subgroups, and multinomial logistic regression analysis was further conducted to identify the determinants of the subtypes of physicians. Results: Overall, the participating physicians reported high levels of task load but with high self-assessed performance (68.01 ± 14.25) while performing communication work tasks characterized by direct patient interaction in outpatient clinics. About 33.8% of the participating physicians were identified as “high workload and high self-assessment” subtype, compared to 49.7% “medium workload and medium self-assessment” subtype and 16.4% “low workload and low self-assessment” subtype. Physicians in “high workload and high self-assessment” subtype had the highest mean mental workload score. Physicians who were female, younger, married, worse health status, those who had lower educational level and an average monthly income of 5,001–10,000 RMB, those who worked in tertiary A hospitals, more hours per week and more than 40 h per week in outpatient clinics, and those who saw more outpatients per day, and spent more time per patient but with higher outpatient satisfaction were more likely to belong to “high workload and high self-assessment” subtype. Conclusion: Our findings can help provide a solid foundation for developing targeted interventions for individual differences across physicians regarding their mental workload. We suggest the hospital managers should pay more attention to those physicians with characteristics of the “high workload and high self-assessment” subtype and strengthen the management of the workload of this subtype of physicians to reduce the risks of their mental health, and to maintain their high work performance in outpatient clinics.
Creative AI and Musicking Robots

This article discusses the creative and technical approaches in a performative robot project called “Embodied Musicking Robots” (2018–present). The core approach of this project is human-centered AI (HC-AI) which focuses on the design, development, and deployment of intelligent systems that cooperate with humans in real time in a “deep and meaningful way. ” 1 This project applies this goal as a central philosophy from which the concepts of creative AI and experiential learning are developed. At the center of this discussion is the articulation of a shift in thinking of what constitutes creative AI and new HC-AI forms of computational learning from inside the flow of the shared experience between robots and humans. The central case study (EMRv1) investigates the technical solutions and artistic potential of AI-driven robots co-creating with an improvising human musician (the author) in real time. This project is ongoing, currently at v4, with limited conclusions; other than this, the approach can be felt to be cooperative but requires further investigation.
The Cellular Functions and Molecular Mechanisms of G-Quadruplex Unwinding Helicases in Humans

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are stable non-canonical secondary structures formed by G-rich DNA or RNA sequences. They play various regulatory roles in many biological processes. It is commonly agreed that G4 unwinding helicases play key roles in G4 metabolism and function, and these processes are closely related to physiological and pathological processes. In recent years, more and more functional and mechanistic details of G4 helicases have been discovered; therefore, it is necessary to carefully sort out the current research efforts. Here, we provide a systematic summary of G4 unwinding helicases from the perspective of functions and molecular mechanisms. First, we provide a general introduction about helicases and G4s. Next, we comprehensively summarize G4 unfolding helicases in humans and their proposed cellular functions. Then, we review their study methods and molecular mechanisms. Finally, we share our perspective on further prospects. We believe this review will provide opportunities for researchers to reach the frontiers in the functions and molecular mechanisms of human G4 unwinding helicases.
Comparison of Pharmacological Treatment Effects on Long-Time Outcomes in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Beneficial effects of therapeutic drugs are controversial for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate and compare the interactive effects of different therapeutic drugs and placebo in patients with HFpEF. A comprehensive search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central Register to identify related articles published before March 2021. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were cardiovascular mortality, heart failure (HF) hospitalization, and worsening HF events. A total of 14 randomized controlled trials, comprising 19,573 patients (intervention group, n = 9,954; control group, n = 9,619) were included in this network meta-analysis. All-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and worsening HF events among therapeutic drugs and placebo with follow-up of 0.5–4 years were not found to be significantly correlated. The angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) significantly reduced the HF hospitalizations compared with placebo (hazard ratio [HR] 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60–0.87 and HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.43–0.96, respectively), without heterogeneity among studies. The ARNI was superior to angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) in reducing HF hospitalizations (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.71–0.91), and vericiguat 10 mg ranked worse than beta-blockers for reducing all-cause mortality in patients with HFpEF (HR 3.76, 95% CI 1.06–13.32). No therapeutic drugs can significantly reduce mortality, but the ARNI or ACEI is associated with the low risk of HF hospitalizations for patients with HFpEF. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd. york.ac. uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42021247034
AP-1 Recruits SMAP-1/SMAPs to the trans-Golgi Network to Promote Sorting in Polarized Epithelia

Coordinated AP-1 and clathrin coat assembly mediate secretory sorting on the trans-Golgi network (TGN) during conventional secretion. Here we found that SMAP-1/SMAPs deficiency caused the apical protein ERM-1 to accumulate on the basolateral side of the TGN. In contrast, the basolateral protein SLCF-1 appeared abnormally on the apical membrane. SMAP-1 colocalized with AP-1 on the TGN. The integrity of AP-1 is required for the subcellular presence of SMAP-1. Moreover, we found that the loss of SMAP-1 reduced clathrin-positive structures in the cytosol, suggesting that SMAP-1 has a regulatory role in clathrin assembly on the TGN. Functional experiments showed that overexpressing clathrin effectively alleviated exocytic defects due to the lack of SMAP-1, corroborating the role of SMAP-1 in promoting the assembly of clathrin on the TGN. Together, our results suggested that the AP-1 complex regulates the TGN localization of SMAP-1, promoting clathrin assembly to ensure polarized conventional secretion in C. elegans intestinal epithelia.
The Role of Project Management Maturity and Organizational Culture in Perceived Performance

This study investigates whether project management maturity (PMM) relates to perceived organizational performance and how an organization's cultural orientation is a contributing factor. Perceived organizational performance is defined as project effectiveness and efficiency followed by resulting business performance. A survey-based research was conducted with 86 project professionals from various U.S. service and manufacturing organizations. The study revealed that PMM is significantly related to business performance but not to project performance. Furthermore, while clan organizational culture is a sole contributing factor for project and business performances, PMM interacts with market culture in improving business performance. This study shows that in order to deal with project time, budget, and expectations issues, an organizational culture change toward sharing, collaboration, and empowerment is a must. Furthermore, an increasing project management maturity along with a results-oriented organizational culture improves an organization's competitiveness, resulting in cost savings and increased sales. PMM efforts are therefore crucial. PMM accompanied by an understanding of cultural orientation is a best strategy for today's project-based organizations.
Nanosized Contrast Agents in Ultrasound Molecular Imaging

Applying nanosized ultrasound contrast agents (nUCAs) in molecular imaging has received considerable attention. nUCAs have been instrumental in ultrasound molecular imaging to enhance sensitivity, identification, and quantification. nUCAs can achieve high performance in molecular imaging, which was influenced by synthetic formulations and size. This review presents an overview of nUCAs from different synthetic formulations with a discussion on imaging and detection technology. Then we also review the progress of nUCAs in preclinical application and highlight the recent challenges of nUCAs.
Freehand ultrasound calibration using the unscented Kalman filter

Three-dimensional freehand ultrasound has found several clinical applications, such as image-guided surgery and radiotherapy, since the last decade. A key step of all the freehand ultrasound imaging systems is calibration. Calibration is the procedure to estimate a two to three-dimensional transformation matrix which precisely maps two-dimensional ultrasound images to the physical coordinate. This paper presents a novel freehand ultrasound calibration algorithm which is based on a sequential least squares method, known as the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) algorithm. This method has significant advantages over the prior approaches, where the block least squares techniques have been employed to perform the ultrasound probe calibration. One of the advantages is that it computes the calibration parameters as well as their variances sequentially by processing the sample points, collected from ultrasound images of a designed phantom, one by one. Variance evaluation can be used to generate a confidence measure for the estimated calibration matrix. It also enables us to stop the calibration procedure once the desired confidence measure is met or informs us to collect more sample points to improve the calibration accuracy. The proposed calibration method is evaluated by using a custom designed N-wire phantom. The simulation results confirm that the proposed calibration algorithm converges to the same solution as the block least squares algorithms, while having the above mentioned practical advantages.
Dietary Phosphorus and Calcium Utilization in Growing Pigs: Requirements and Improvements

The sustainability of animal production relies on the judicious use of phosphorus (P). Phosphate, the mined source of agricultural phosphorus supplements, is a non-renewable resource, but phosphorus is essential for animal growth, health, and well-being. P must be provided by efficient and sustainable means that minimize the phosphorus footprint of livestock production by developing precise assessment of the bioavailability of dietary P using robust models. About 60% of the phosphorus in an animal's body occurs in bone at a fixed ratio with calcium (Ca) and the rest is found in muscle. The P and Ca requirements must be estimated together; they cannot be dissociated. While precise assessment of P and Ca requirements is important for animal well-being, it can also help to mitigate the environmental effects of pig farming. These strategies refer to multicriteria approaches of modeling, efficient use of the new generations of phytase, depletion and repletion strategies to prime the animal to be more efficient, and finally combining these strategies into a precision feeding model that provides daily tailored diets for individuals. The industry will need to use strategies such as these to ensure a sustainable plant–animal–soil system and an efficient P cycle.
Desalination in Morocco: status and prospects

Morocco, like other the Middle East and North Africa countries, is a water-scarce country confronted with dwindling groundwater reserves, due to climate change impact, and a strong dependence on rain-fed agriculture. Thus, sustainable water resources management is a top priority in the national strategy. Seawater desalination was considered as one of the possible responses to satisfy the water demand of overcrowded coastal towns. The greatest constraints of seawater desalination remain its energy consumption per cubic meter of produced water and the environmental impacts due to the discharge of brines into the natural environment. Despite the many advantages of desalination, its environmental impact, therefore, remains a major concern. Its advantages and drawbacks must be assessed in terms of costs and benefits, societal and environmental aspects, and compared to other freshwater production processes. The objective of this work is twofold. Firstly, the objective is to present thoroughly a bibliographic study on water desalination by highlighting the problems related to energy consumption, fouling and brine management. With an aim to provide an insight on the cost of desalination, this review collates different research studies which evaluate and compare the economic cost of the produced water by three based-membranes processes, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and electrodialysis, for seawater and brackish water desalination. The second objective meant to review the Moroccan experiences on seawater and brackish water desalination with the technologies used and their operating status. This part of the study is done through synthesis and analysis of expert reports established in the desalination field, which are consulted in the context of the bibliographic research. Finally, this review also focuses on the Moroccan experience in the use of unconventional water for irrigation, with a particular emphasis on the Agadir desalination plant.
Teacher Preparation Programs and Graduates’ Growth in Instructional Effectiveness

Many prior studies have explored average differences in initial levels of teaching effectiveness among graduates from different teacher preparation programs (TPPs) and the features of preparation that predict these differences. We focus on another important dimension of effectiveness—how graduates from different TPPs improve over time. Examining all graduates from Tennessee TPPs from 2010 to 2018, we find meaningful differences between TPPs in both initial level and early-career growth in teaching effectiveness. We also find that different TPP features explain part of these differences. Yet the features that correlate with initial teaching effectiveness are not the same features that correlate with growth. This article informs policy decisions around TPP evaluation and identifies new directions for future research in TPP effectiveness.
A place for Murono or how art can help to revitalize a community

In order to create enduring quality environments for citizens, recent urban design practice has been characterized by the inclusion of creative programs as a means of community and urban revitalization. These programs that can be defined as sets of activities organized, supported, and managed by small-scale partnerships, aim to reuse existing physical and human resources, create through participation meaningful places and when possible, generate economical benefits for the inhabitants. To better understand the impact of these programs on the life of the inhabitants of small urban settlements and reveal their processes’ outline, this paper examines the art initiative “Connector Nature-Culture” undertaken in the Town of Murono, Nigata as part of the Echio-Tsumari Art Triennial 2003. The analysis includes a general description of Triennial, emphasizing its main purpose as a means for refreshing and empowering the development of the region. Later it summarizes the ideas and general process followed by the artist, the Murono’s community and the organizers for creating a “collaborative artwork” through workshops with the children and elders of the community, that helped to transform the local park into a meaningful and lively community place. Finally it point outs the principles that helped to revitalize the community.
Rationality and the Brain

Vinod Goel Summary We are widely considered the “rational animal. ” Coherence relations are essential for rationality. They allow for inferences that can identify actions consistent (or inconsistent) with achieving our goals, in the context of our beliefs. Consistent inferences can be further differentiated into those that are certain, plausible, and indeterminate. Twentyplus years of research on the neural basis of reasoning reveals no single unitary mechanism of inference. Rather, our system of reasoning can be understood in terms of multiple systems for generating inferences and a common system for detecting and/or resolving conflict or inconsistency. The systems for inference generation vary as a function of conceptual and logical relations. Within logical relations, they further vary as a function of argument form, presence or absence of belief-laden content, argument presentation modality, and determinacy of the conclusion. In this chapter, we organize and present the research on the neuroscience of reasoning along these lines.