Human Adaptation Research Articles

Impact of climate change on blossom viewing tourism and human adaptation behaviors in Sichuan and Chongqing, China

Impact of climate change on blossom viewing tourism and human adaptation behaviors in Sichuan and Chongqing, China

Psychological culture of formation of personal dignity, safety of life and civic position in students of 5-6 grades

The article presents a theoretical and methodological analysis of the main scientific approaches to the definition of psychological culture in domestic and foreign psychology, focuses on conceptual ideas regarding the substantiation of the psychological content of the formation of personal dignity, life safety and civic position in pupils of 5-6 grades. The content of the concept of psychological culture as an important tool for human adaptation in a constantly changing social environment and a guarantee of self-realization of the individual at different stages of development is revealed. The author's approaches to the phenomenon of psychological culture of the individual in the formation of personal dignity, life safety and civic position are substantiated. The features and recommendations for using the system of educational work through the formation of intrinsic motivational attitudes, important life skills, development of personal and civic competencies in younger adolescents are characterized. It is emphasized that a teacher who has a psychological culture can become a model of a self-sufficient personality for younger adolescents in matters of personal dignity, life safety and civic position.

Human Resource Management, Technology Adaptation, and Environmental Policy: A Multi-Variable Study of MSME Entrepreneurship in Indonesia

This research explores the dynamics of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia, focusing on the interplay between Human Resource Management (HRM), Technology Adaptation, Environmental Policy, and MSME entrepreneurship. Despite government support and encouragement, MSMEs face challenges, particularly in managing human resources effectively and adapting to technological advancements. The study investigates the impact of HRM practices, technology adaptation, and environmental policy on MSME success through the lens of entrepreneurship. Using quantitative research design and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the study analyzes data collected from a diverse sample of Indonesian MSMEs. The findings highlight the positive influence of effective HRM practices, technology adaptation, and environmental policy compliance on MSME entrepreneurship and success. The implications of the study suggest strategic considerations for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and stakeholders to enhance the growth and sustainability of MSMEs in Indonesia.

Hearth Residue Analysis Reveals Human Adaptation to the Younger Dryas on the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

ABSTRACT Human adaptation to the extreme environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) has drawn widespread attention as a case study on how to successfully deal with environmental changes. However, little is known about the human subsistence strategy on the QTP during the Younger Dryas (YD) cold event due to limited findings on bioarcheological remains. In this study, animal exploitation during the YD on the northeastern QTP (NEQTP) was explored through hearth sediment analysis at the Bronze Wire site. The results support the food preparation function of these hearths and indicate the preservation of fuel plant lipids as well as terrestrial non-ruminant animal fat. The absence of ruminant herbivorous fats and freshwater resources implies a hostile surrounding environment during the YD, where small-sized animals with higher tolerance may have dominated and could have thus been the main source of non-ruminant animal fat in the hearths. Although the shift to a broadspectrum pattern was not thought to be the direct result of environmental change, it could have greatly influenced such a process in certain areas. Lipid residue analysis has been applied for the first time for hearth study on the NEQTP, showing great potential in understanding human behaviour regarding subsistence strategies in the Paleolithic Age.

RHYTHMS: Real-time Data-driven Human-machine Synchronization for Proactive Ergonomic Risk Mitigation in the Context of Industry 4.0 and Beyond

Human-machine work system (HMWS) represents a composite system that integrates machine precision and strength with human cognitive abilities, flexibility, and adaptability, aiming to achieve enhanced performance in various tasks aligned with a common goal, which is getting smarter in the era of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and has received extensive attention from academia and industry. However, the lack of real-time information sharing during HMWS implementation and operation, coupled with uncertainties stemming from human instability and the complexities introduced by smart networking environments in the context of I4.0, poses challenges to the synchronous coordination of this distributed human-centric manufacturing system. Failure in synchronization not only compromises overall system integrity, leading to unrealistic decision-making and potential harm to human health but also goes against the principles of Industry 5.0 (I5.0), which proposes placing human well-being at the center of the production process for human-centric smart manufacturing in the future. In this context, this research presents real-time data-driven hyper objects orchestrating for the human-machine synchronization (RHYTHMS) based on a service-oriented human-to-machine architecture (SOH2M) and a model reference adaptive fuzzy control for real-time information sharing and synchronous coordination of the smart HMWS. Based on these, a real-life assembly case is carried out by a full-scale HMWS prototype to quantitatively analyze the benefits of the proposed approach in proactive ergonomic risk mitigation (PERM), contributing to the human-centric value-oriented I5.0 era.

Genetic polymorphisms and expression of Rhesus blood group RHCE are associated with 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate in humans at high altitude.

Red blood cell (RBC) metabolic reprogramming upon exposure to high altitude contributes to physiological human adaptations to hypoxia, a multifaceted process critical to health and disease. To delve into the molecular underpinnings of this phenomenon, first, we performed a multi-omics analysis of RBCs from six lowlanders after exposure to high-altitude hypoxia, with longitudinal sampling at baseline, upon ascent to 5,100 m and descent to sea level. Results highlighted an association between erythrocyte levels of 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (BPG), an allosteric regulator of hemoglobin that favors oxygen off-loading in the face of hypoxia, and expression levels of the Rhesus blood group RHCE protein. We then expanded on these findings by measuring BPG in RBCs from 13,091 blood donors from the Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study. These data informed a genome-wide association study using BPG levels as a quantitative trait, which identified genetic polymorphisms in the region coding for the Rhesus blood group RHCE as critical determinants of BPG levels in erythrocytes from healthy human volunteers. Mechanistically, we suggest that the Rh group complex, which participates in the exchange of ammonium with the extracellular compartment, may contribute to intracellular alkalinization, thus favoring BPG mutase activity.

Fight, Flight, or Freeze: Stilling the Moving Image in Bruce Nauman’s Contrapposto Studies, i through vii

This article examines the ways in which Bruce Nauman’s art installations provoke audience experiences analogous to those felt during traumatic events. A central assertion of the present study is that the looping mechanisms of Nauman’s video artworks produce a theoretical stilling of the moving image that is reflective of the fight-flight-or-freeze response to a highly charged incident, which often entails a temporal shift as time appears to slow to a halt. Whereas in the past, the human response to acute stress was typically prompted by a physical threat in the natural environment, today an evolutionary misfire occurs when this survival mechanism becomes prompted instead during everyday situations. Throughout human history, the experience of viewing an artwork has developed into an act of aesthetic appreciation involving a search for meaning. However, in this case, the sensory overload triggered by Nauman’s artwork purposefully impedes neuroprocessing, highlighting the adverse effects of mediation saturation in contemporary society; therefore, a stilling of the moving image in essence functions as a biological adaptation strategy in an attempt to come to terms with the puzzling nature of these artworks. By applying French philosopher Roland Barthes’s theories of the image, this article expands Barthes’s thought from the image to the performative as a reflection of human adaptation to technological advancement.

Expedition 5300: limits of human adaptations in the highest city in the world.

Exposure to chronic hypobaric hypoxia imposes a significant physiological burden to more than 80 million humans living above 2500m throughout the world. Among them, 50000 live in the world's highest city, La Rinconada, located at 5000-5300m in southern Peru. Expedition 5300 is the first scientific and medical programme led in La Rinconada to investigate the physiological adaptations and altitude-related health issues in this unique population. Dwellers from La Rinconada have very high haemoglobin concentration (20.3±2.4g/dL; n=57) and those with chronic mountain sickness (CMS) exhibit even higher concentrations (23.1±1.7g/dL; n=150). These values are associated with large total haemoglobin mass and blood volume, without an associated iron deficit. These changes in intravascular volumes lead to a substantial increase in blood viscosity, which is even larger in CMS patients. Despite these large haematological changes, 24h blood pressure monitoring is essentially normal in La Rinconada, but some results suggest impaired vascular reactivity. Echocardiography revealed large right heart dilatation and high pulmonary arterial pressure as well as left ventricle concentric remodelling and grade I diastolic dysfunction. These changes in heart dimension and function tend to be more severe in highlanders with CMS. Polygraphy evaluations revealed a large reduction in nocturnal pulse oxygen saturation (median SpO2 =79%), which is even more severe in CMS patients who also tended to show a higher oxygen desaturation index. The population of La Rinconada offers a unique opportunity to investigate the human responses to chronic severe hypoxia, at an altitude that is probably close to the maximum altitude human beings can permanently tolerate without presenting major health issues.

Антропология холода: восприятие деградации мерзлоты сельскими жителями Республики Саха (Якутия)

Introduction. The Sakha Republic (Yakutia) — the largest northeastern federal subject of Russia — is distinguished by that it rests on permafrost. The present-day permafrost degradation has significant impacts on rural everyday life characterized by persistent traditional economic practices largely dependent on environmental conditions. Goals. The article seeks to analyze some local experiences of human adaptations to current and potential threats resulting from permafrost thawing and cold deficit. Materials and methods. To facilitate this, the paper shall introduce materials collected during 2019, 2020 and 2022 field surveys, the former to include expert interviews, results of questionnaires filled in by residents of Amga village, and our visual landscape observations. Historical and anthropological approaches prove most instrumental, as is the personal history method that focuses on the respondents’ individual perceptions of the ongoing changes. Results. The study identifies some patterns of individual behavior adopted by rural residents in the face of emerging climate threats. Special attention is paid to separate aspects of how various rural groups tend to perceive permafrost degradation. The paper resumes that the most pressing challenges include agricultural land reduction, deterioration of rural housing stock and social infrastructure. It has been revealed that residents of Amga village strive to adapt to the current changes via the use of new technologies and introduction of modern construction elements that used to be rare or completely absent in rural practices. The work emphasizes there are both direct and indirect threats — including the ‘delayed’ ones — resulting from the changes in permafrost soils. So, certain direct risks for the traditional livestock-breeding and agricultural agendas do increase pressure on social stability and employment.

The domestication of SARS-CoV-2 into a seasonal infection by viral variants.

The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by the zoonotic betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged due to adaptation in humans, shifting SARS-CoV-2 towards an endemic seasonal virus. We have termed this process 'virus domestication'. We analyzed aggregate COVID-19 data from a publicly funded healthcare system in Canada from March 7, 2020 to November 21, 2022. We graphed surrogate calculations of COVID-19 disease severity and SARS-CoV-2 variant plaque sizes in tissue culture. Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 adapt the virus to better infect humans and evade the host immune response, resulting in the emergence of variants with altered pathogenicity. We observed a decrease in COVID-19 disease severity surrogates after the arrival of the Delta variant, coinciding with significantly smaller plaque sizes. Overall, we suggest that SARS-CoV-2 has become more infectious and less virulent through viral domestication. Our findings highlight the importance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and help inform public policy on the highest probability outcomes during viral pandemics.

The resilience–sustainability–quality of life nexus

Social-ecological resilience (SER), sustainability (SUS) and quality of life including wellbeing (QOL) are distinct but highly interconnected goals that are essential for human survival, development, and adaptation to environmental and socioeconomic changes. However, these goals are often addressed in silos or pairs, and a framework explicitly linking all three is currently lacking. In this paper, we present the SER–SUS–QOL nexus framework and discuss how social and ecological changes affect these goals. The main thrust of this nexus is that efforts toward SER and SUS need to be explicitly framed in terms of the ultimate goal, which has to be the QOL of the present and future generations. We contend that critically assessing the dynamic interplay between SER, SUS and QOL, as well as the factors impacting them, can help promote transformative governance and planning in the contemporary era. Understanding the multifaceted interrelationship between these goals is crucial to empower planners and decision-makers to navigate the complexities of our rapidly changing world and address the challenges brought by interrelated social and ecological changes. To deepen our understanding of this nexus, more research is needed on various issues, including, but not limited to, trade-offs and synergies, cascading effects, spatiotemporal dynamics of SER, SUS and QOL outcomes, potential inconsistencies between SER and transformative changes toward SUS, and the role of local/indigenous/traditional ecological knowledge in transformative governance and planning.

Agricultural practices during the middle and late Yangshao periods (6000-4500 BP) in the Guanzhong Basin, North China

The middle and late Yangshao (6000–4500 BP) were important periods for the emergence of early social complexity in prehistoric China. While the way ancient people came over the challenges from both environmental changes and human society was unclear. Here, we use flotation and plant stable isotope analysis of the Chakou site in Guanzhong Basin, located in the southern margin of the Loess Plateau, to determine human adaptation strategies in the early times. The results demonstrated that early agriculture was dominated by common millet during 5700–4900 BP. Meanwhile, manuring was applied to meet the challenge of increasing population pressure. In the late Yangshao period (4900–4500 BP), the proportion of foxtail millet increased and became the main crop in the area. Although the archaeological centre moved northwards, the same intensity of manuring was maintained. The stable nitrogen isotope value (δ15N) of charred millet indicated that manuring was widely used during 6000–4500 BP in northern China, among which the manuring level in the Guanzhong Basin was the highest. Synthesized with 37 site studies, the millet weight percentage from archaeological sites in northern China showed that the proportion of foxtail millet in northern China was higher than that of common millet after 5000 BP, whereas the reverse was true before that. These adjustments in agricultural strategies implied an attempt by these middle-late Yangshao people to ensure the sustainable development of agriculture and provide the basis for the emergence of early civilizations and social complexity in northern China. The results of this study may also aid present-day efforts to address unprecedented climatic and social changes.

The prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and the emergence of livestock-associated MRSA CC398 in pig production in eastern China.

Livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) has been of increasing concern due to its potential risk to humans. This study investigated the prevalence of MRSA in pig production in Eastern China and determined the genomic characteristics of pig-associated MRSA isolates by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). A total of 1,318 samples were collected from pig farms and pig slaughterhouses, and 150 S. aureus were identified, including 63 MRSA isolates and 87 MSSA isolates. MRSA was detected in all pig farms and pig slaughterhouses. The antimicrobial susceptibility test revealed that all MRSA isolates were multidrug-resistant. The WGS and MLST analysis demonstrated that 56 MRSA isolates belonged to clonal complex (CC) 398, and seven MRSA isolates belonged to CC9. All LA-MRSA isolates were absent of phiSa3 phage containing immune evasion cluster (IEC) and possessed an intact hlb gene. In addition, genes associated with Panton-Valentine leukocidin, typically indicative of human adaptation, were not detected. The analysis of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) demonstrated that all MRSA isolates contained multiple ARGs. All MRSA isolates had Plthe mecA gene and at least one tetracycline resistance gene. Both tetM and tetK were detected in all MRSA CC398 isolates, while tetL was detected in all MRSA CC9 isolates. The phenicol resistance gene fexA was detected in 51 MRSA isolates, while the linezolid resistance gene cfr was detected in 60 MRSA isolates. The emergence of LA-MRSA CC398 in four pig farms and one slaughterhouse in this study indicates the spread of this clonal complex in the pig production sector in Eastern China. Further investigations are required to understand the potential transmission routes of LA-MRSA CC398 within the pork production chain in China and to assess the potential risks to humans.

Structural variants involved in high-altitude adaptation detected using single-molecule long-read sequencing

Structural variants (SVs), accounting for a larger fraction of the genome than SNPs/InDels, are an important pool of genetic variation, enabling environmental adaptations. Here, we perform long-read sequencing data of 320 Tibetan and Han samples and show that SVs are highly involved in high-altitude adaptation. We expand the landscape of global SVs, apply robust models of selection and population differentiation combining SVs, SNPs and InDels, and use epigenomic analyses to predict enhancers, target genes and biological functions. We reveal diverse Tibetan-specific SVs affecting the regulatory circuitry of biological functions, including the hypoxia response, energy metabolism and pulmonary function. We find a Tibetan-specific deletion disrupts a super-enhancer and downregulates EPAS1 using enhancer reporter, cellular knock-out and DNA pull-down assays. Our study expands the global SV landscape, reveals the role of gene-regulatory circuitry rewiring in human adaptation, and illustrates the diverse functional roles of SVs in human biology.

Agricultural adaptation and resilience through climatic shifts in semi-arid India: 2000 years of archaeobotanical evidence from Vadnagar, Gujarat

The relationship between historical climate change and past agricultural production contributes to a better understanding of the impacts of projected climate change by providing empirical data for resilient human responses. This study explores the periods of dynastic transitions and crop production at the urban site of Vadnagar, in semi-arid northwest India through several climate events, generally characterised by weakening summer monsoon precipitation during the Late Holocene. Artefacts from the site present an unbroken sequence of seven successive cultures from the first century BCE to the nineteenth century CE. Archaeobotanical data indicate the sufficient water availability during the Historic and Medieval periods, allowing crop production dominated large-grained cereals (C3 plants). However, during the Post-Medieval period (ca.1300−1850 CE) a resilient crop economy based on small-grained cereals (C4 plants) dominated, representing a human adaptation to prolonged weakening of monsoonal precipitation. Isotopic and phytolith data at the site present a clear signal of changing local environmental conditions over two millennia, consistent with regional palaeoclimate records, providing and interpretive context for agricultural evidence at Vadnagar. Despite long-term reduction in summer humidity, we argue that an adaptable agricultural package coupled with suitable water management systems allowed for the resilience of the urban settlement at Vadnagar.

Multiproxy bioarchaeological data reveals interplay between growth, diet and population dynamics across the transition to farming in the central Mediterranean

The transition to farming brought on a series of important changes in human society, lifestyle, diet and health. The human bioarchaeology of the agricultural transition has received much attention, however, relatively few studies have directly tested the interrelationship between individual lifestyle factors and their implications for understanding life history changes among the first farmers. We investigate the interplay between skeletal growth, diet, physical activity and population size across 30,000 years in the central Mediterranean through a ‘big data’ cross-analysis of osteological data related to stature (n = 361), body mass (n = 334) and long bone biomechanics (n = 481), carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes (n = 1986 human, n = 475 animal) and radiocarbon dates (n = 5263). We present the observed trends on a continuous timescale in order to avoid grouping our data into assigned ‘time periods’, thus achieving greater resolution and chronological control over our analysis. The results identify important changes in human life history strategies associated with the first farmers, but also highlight the long-term nature of these trends in the millennia either side of the agricultural transition. The integration of these different data is an important step towards disentangling the complex relationship between demography, diet and health, and reconstruct life history changes within a southern European context. We believe the methodological approach adopted here has broader global implications for bioarchaeological studies of human adaptation more generally.

Mountains of research: Where and whom high-altitude physiology has overlooked.

High altitude is a natural setting in which to study human acclimatization and adaptation. Here, I identify where and in whom high-altitude physiology research has occurred. There has been a mismatch between countries with large high-altitude populations vs. where high-altitude research has been conducted. From 1970 to 2020, 83% of high-altitude physiology research took place in just seven countries: Nepal, China, USA, Peru, India, Bolivia and Italy. Collectively, these countries account for only 35% of the global population living above 2500m. Furthermore, high-altitude physiology research has predominantly studied low-altitude residents visiting high altitude and female participants are under-represented. Accordingly, the included populations are not necessarily a proportional representation of high-altitude residents. Here, I discuss how this influences our understanding of high-altitude adaptation. Finally, I highlight past initiatives to increase diversity in high-altitude research. By identifying the broad gaps in high-altitude physiology research, I propose exciting, inclusive opportunities to study human high-altitude physiology.

Pick the Right Co-Worker: Online Assessment of Cognitive Ergonomics in Human–Robot Collaborative Assembly

Human-robot collaborative assembly systems enhance the efficiency and productivity of the workplace but may increase the workers’ cognitive demand. This paper proposes an online and quantitative framework to assess the cognitive workload induced by the interaction with a co-worker, either a human operator or an industrial collaborative robot with different control strategies. The approach monitors the operator’s attention distribution and upper-body kinematics benefiting from the input images of a low-cost stereo camera and cutting-edge artificial intelligence algorithms (i.e. head pose estimation and skeleton tracking). Three experimental scenarios with variations in workstation features and interaction modalities were designed to test the performance of our online method against state-of-the-art offline measurements. Results proved that our vision-based cognitive load assessment has the potential to be integrated into the new generation of collaborative robotic technologies. The latter would enable human cognitive state monitoring and robot control strategy adaptation for improving human comfort, ergonomics, and trust in automation.

Difficulty and complexity definitions for assembly task allocation and assignment in human–robot collaborations: A review

This paper presents a literature review on the different aspects of task allocation and assignment problems in human–robot collaboration (HRC) tasks in industrial assembly environments. In future advanced industrial environments, robots and humans are expected to share the same workspace and collaborate to efficiently achieve shared goals. Difficulty- and complexity-aware HRC assembly is necessary for human-centric manufacturing, which is a goal of Industry 5.0. Therefore, the objective of this study is to clarify the definitions of difficulty and complexity used to encourage effective collaboration between humans and robots to leverage the adaptability of humans and the autonomy of robots. To achieve this goal, a systematic review of the following relevant databases for computer science was performed: IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, ACM Digital Library, and ASME Digital Collection. The results extracted from 74 peer-reviewed research articles published until July 2022 were summarized and categorized into four taxonomies for 145 difficulty and complexity definitions from the perspectives of (1) definition-use objectives, (2) evaluation objectives, (3) evaluation factors, and (4) evaluation variables. Next, existing definitions were primarily classified according to the following two criteria to identify potential future studies on the formulation of new definitions for human-centric manufacturing: (1) agent specificity and (2) common aspects in manual and robotic assemblies.

Features of adaptation of the population in difficult climate and natural environment conditions (on the example of research in the Altai Republic)

The authors discuss approaches to the definition of the concept of "adaptation", the interdisciplinary nature of this term is noted. Biological, sociological and psychological approaches to understanding the essence of the phenomenon of "adaptation" are distinguished. At the biological level, a violation of personality adaptation due to difficult climatic conditions can lead to the emergence of physiological diseases, exacerbation of existing chronic diseases; at the psychological level of adaptation – to depressive states, apathy, anxiety, mental disorders; at the social level – to disruption of professional activity, difficulties in communicating with other people, the formation of negative ways of organizing leisure. It is noted that observations of local residents are a valuable source of information about climate change, especially at the local level. The article presents the data of an empirical qualitative study, the purpose of which is to identify and analyze trends in climate change and the natural environment in the Altai Republic in the perception of the local population. A number of in-depth interviews were conducted with experts, local residents living in permafrost areas of the Altai Republic: in the villages of Kosh-Agach and Ulagan districts. The obtained results of a qualitative study indicate problematic aspects of adaptation of residents of the Altai Republic at the biological level: in the presence of chronic diseases (especially high blood pressure is common), the population rarely seeks medical help. Risks are also noted at the social level of adaptation: the life activity of the population of the Republic takes place in difficult working and everyday conditions, due to difficult climatic conditions, residents have to abandon animal husbandry, a traditional source of personal food and income, there is difficult access to the social infrastructure of settlements, including for constructive leisure. The psychological component of adaptation, on the contrary, works quite effectively: despite the difficult living conditions, respondents assess their life as good and for the most part do not want to change their place of residence. It is noted that successful human adaptation is an integrated approach that includes biological, psychological and social components of adaptation.