Human History Research Articles

12,000-year-old spindle whorls and the innovation of wheeled rotational technologies

‘The wheel and axle’ revolutionized human technological history by transforming linear to rotary motion and causing parts of devices to move. While its ancient origins are commonly associated with the appearance of carts during the Bronze Age, we focus on much earlier wheel-shaped find–an exceptional assemblage of over a hundred perforated pebbles from the 12,000-year-old Natufian village of Nahal Ein-Gev II, Israel. We analyze the assemblage using 3D methodologies, incorporating novel study applications to both the pebbles and their perforations and explore the functional implications. We conclude that these items could have served as spindle whorls to spin fibres. In a cumulative evolutionary trend, they manifest early phases of the development of rotational technologies by laying the mechanical principle of the wheel and axle. All in all, it reflects on the technological innovations that played an important part in the Neolithization processes of the Southern Levant.

AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SECURITY COOPERATION AS A PATHWAY TO PEACE AND RECONCILIATION BETWEEN COUNTRIES

Peace and ways to achieve it have always been among the most important concerns of mankind. The age of war and peace is tied to human history. Food has been a human need since the beginning, and agriculture and food production have been integral throughout human history. There have been many wars over food, food resources, and agriculture. However, the question addressed in this article is how to make food and agriculture a means to achieve peace. This has happened in the past, either after improving relationships between countries from enmity to friendship or, more rarely, during a time of transformation. There is still the possibility that this approach could become a component of peace agreements, making them stronger. Considering that no two cases are ever completely similar in historical events and human sciences, it is possible to propose a new theory or suggestion by examining the most correlations.

Responses to Trisokkas, Torsen and McManus

Trisokkas raises two objections to my defence of Heidegger's claim against Hegel. Heidegger's claim is that Hegel had dogmatically assumed the priority of ‘logic’ in any inquiry into the meaning of being, thus inheriting the metaphysical tradition's dual assumptions that what must be said to matter most of all in our attempt understand our place in the world and a possible reconciliation with the world is the knowability of being. Everything else can only matter if the world is first of all available as knowable. The claim is not that Hegel cannot develop a ‘science of logic’ or, to use Hegelian shorthand, that Being cannot be understood as Concept. The issue is the status of the Logic, what significance it has in our attempt to understand ourselves and the meaning of being in general. Ultimately Hegel counts as the culmination of the metaphysical tradition because he believes, citing Aristotle, that ‘nous rules the world’, that everything is primordially available to us as rationally available, explicable. This means that even the meaning of the being of human history, sociality, religion and art is as expressions of reason, even as modes of rationality. Trisokkas objects that it is question-begging to saddle Hegel with a question that he is not, in the Science of Logic at least, attempting to answer. He puts this by saying that Hegel is simply not addressing the question of the status or significance of the Logic, that he has not ‘chosen’ to raise any question about what matters to human beings or to Hegel himself, but has chosen an inquiry into being. (‘Mattering is irrelevant at the beginning of Hegel's Logic.’ ‘All being is taken to be, is simply being.’) According to Trisokkas the Logic is simply an inquiry into being's possible determinacy. Trisokkas's second objection is a classic Hegelian objection, the one he himself raised against Schelling. He alleges that any philosophical understanding, even of the nondiscursive sources of meaningfulness, must itself be discursive in some way, as in Heidegger's own analysis or as in my book, and he cites this as evidence against the priority, at least for philosophy, of a nondiscursive attunement to significances. Mattering is a concept and our account of its significance must remain conceptual, not itself ‘poetic’.

Measuring Beyond the Standard: Informal Measurement Systems as Cognitive Technologies

AbstractThis paper explores the role of measurement as a cognitive technology across human history, emphasizing the coexistence of formal and informal measurement systems. While standardized systems dominate contemporary culture and are well documented across large‐scale societies of the past, this manuscript highlights the less explored domain of informal measurement practices that have been integral to daily life from the past to the present. Through the examination of body‐based measurement systems and proportional heuristics, we demonstrate how these informal strategies were not merely precursors to formal standards but essential adaptive tools for solving everyday problems. Often, these informal solutions come with practical advantages. This manuscript calls for a broader recognition of their significance in cultural and technological evolution.

Cut a Tree, Cut a Man: Charcoal Production as a Bane to Green Economy in Nigeria

Symbiotically speaking, cutting a tree is akin to cutting a man or any of its counterparts in the animal kingdom. Besides solar energy, heat energy's role in humans’ daily life calls for its taming, artificial ignition, and fuelling of same for its reuse as and when due. Hence, humans’ ability to ignite and fuel fire marked a significant achievement in human evolution. Meanwhile, wood was the most traditional source of fuel in human history, which is, mainly, of two forms: firewood and charcoal. Dried wood was the common source of fuel for domestic cooking and commercial use both in the rural and urban areas in the primitive era. Although, firewood has relatively little burden on nature, charcoal, which has more adverse effects on the environment, is now taking over. Sadly, the discovery of better alternative sources such as LPG and electricity could not bring about a remarkable shift in many developing nations, including Nigeria, despite their efficiency. Taking expository and critical analysis methodologies, this paper argues that wood-fuelling hinders the achievement of the green economy in Africa, and it persists for many reasons; poor state of electricity, unavailability and/or unaffordability of the LPG, poverty, poor environmental awareness, unsophisticated and poor enforcement of environmental laws and lack of compensation for the conservators among others. In addition to the ever-suggested solutions, this paper recommends a ‘carrot and cane' system. By this, the offenders should not only be accordingly penalised but also the conservers be compensated duly. It also recommends the use of briquettes as viable alternatives.

Analysis of the Principle of Jet Engine and State-of-art Application

Abstract. In 1903, the Wright Brother made the dream of flight come true. Contemporarily, as the development of modern technology, aviation has become a major type of daily transportation. The jet engines are the magic that makes the airplanes soar high in the blue sky. As the jet engine is a major invention in human history that brought humans to the sky, it is meaningful to gig into the principle behind the engines. In this article, the principle of 5 jet engines are explained. There are benefits but also impacts due to the human beings. Environmental problems are caused by the exhausted gases, healthy of people who work and live near the airstrips and airports are threatened. Different types of jet engine produced by different companies latest are enumerated and stated with detailed data such as thrust and bypass ratio. According to the analysis, the current limitations and challenges of the development with the future prospect are stated.

Unraveling the genetic and physiological potential of donkeys: insights from genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics approaches.

Donkeys (Equus asinus) have played a vital role in agriculture, transportation, and companionship, particularly in developing regions where they are indispensable working animals. The domestication of donkeys marked a significant turning point in human history, as they became essential for transportation, agriculture, and trade, especially in arid and semi-arid areas where their resilience and endurance were highly valued. In modern society, donkeys are indispensable due to their diversified applications, including meat, dairy, medicine, and functional bioproducts, supporting economic, cultural, and medical industries. Despite their critical importance, research on donkeys has historically been overshadowed with studies on horses. However, recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics have significantly deepened our understanding of the molecular landscape of donkey genome, uncovering their unique adaptations, genetic diversity, and potential therapeutic applications. Microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers have proven effective in assessing the genetic diversity of donkeys across various regions of the world. Additionally, significant strides have been made in characterizing differentially abundant genes, proteins, and metabolic profiles in donkey milk, meat, and skin, and in identifying specific genes/proteins/metabolites associated with sperm quality, motility, and reproduction. Advanced genomic technologies, such as genome-wide association studies and the identification of selection signatures, have also been instrumental in delineating genomic regions associated with phenotypic and adaptive traits. This review integrates data from diverse studies, including those on genetic diversity, transcriptomics, whole genome sequencing, protein analysis, and metabolic profiling, to provide a comprehensive overview of donkey biology. It underscores the unique characteristics of donkeys and emphasizes the importance of continued research to improve their genetic management, conservation, and agricultural use, ensuring their ongoing contribution to human societies.

Sedimentary biomarkers of human presence and taro cultivation reveal early horticulture in Remote Oceania

Remote Oceania was among the last places settled by humans. However, the timing of initial human settlements and the early introduction of horticulture remain debated. We retrieved a sediment core close to Teouma, the oldest cemetery in Remote Oceania that reveals evidence of initial settlement, horticulture practice, and concurrent climatic conditions on the island of Efate, Vanuatu. Sedimentary biomarkers indicating human presence (coprostanol and epicoprostanol), and taro cultivation (palmitone), increase simultaneously, attesting to the early introduction of horticulture by first settlers. The precipitation signal preserved in leaf waxes shows that the initial settlement occurred during a period of increasing wetness—climatic conditions favourable for the establishment of horticulture. The timing of these events is constrained by a high-resolution radiocarbon chronology that places the first unequivocal trace of human activity and horticulture at 2800 years ago. These findings advance our understanding of human history in the Pacific.

A Deep Learning Model to Predict Breast Implant Texture Types Using Ultrasonography Images: Feasibility Development Study.

Breast implants, including textured variants, have been widely used in aesthetic and reconstructive mammoplasty. However, the textured type, which is one of the shell texture types of breast implants, has been identified as a possible etiologic factor for lymphoma, specifically breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). Identifying the shell texture type of the implant is critical to diagnosing BIA-ALCL. However, distinguishing the shell texture type can be difficult due to the loss of human memory and medical history. An alternative approach is to use ultrasonography, but this method also has limitations in quantitative assessment. This study aims to determine the feasibility of using a deep learning model to classify the shell texture type of breast implants and make robust predictions from ultrasonography images from heterogeneous sources. A total of 19,502 breast implant images were retrospectively collected from heterogeneous sources, including images captured from both Canon and GE devices, images of ruptured implants, and images without implants, as well as publicly available images. The Canon images were trained using ResNet-50. The model's performance on the Canon dataset was evaluated using stratified 5-fold cross-validation. Additionally, external validation was conducted using the GE and publicly available datasets. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the area under the precision-recall curve (PRAUC) were calculated based on the contribution of the pixels with Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM). To identify the significant pixels for classification, we masked the pixels that contributed less than 10%, up to a maximum of 100%. To assess the model's robustness to uncertainty, Shannon entropy was calculated for 4 image groups: Canon, GE, ruptured implants, and without implants. The deep learning model achieved an average AUROC of 0.98 and a PRAUC of 0.88 in the Canon dataset. The model achieved an AUROC of 0.985 and a PRAUC of 0.748 for images captured with GE devices. Additionally, the model predicted an AUROC of 0.909 and a PRAUC of 0.958 for the publicly available dataset. This model maintained the PRAUC values for quantitative validation when masking up to 90% of the least-contributing pixels and the remnant pixels in breast shell layers. Furthermore, the prediction uncertainty increased in the following order: Canon (0.066), GE (0072), ruptured implants (0.371), and no implants (0.777). We have demonstrated the feasibility of using deep learning to predict the shell texture type of breast implants. This approach quantifies the shell texture types of breast implants, supporting the first step in the diagnosis of BIA-ALCL.

TECHNOLINGUALISM AND MULTILINGUALISM ON THE WEB 3.0: UBEK ET RICA BLOG

The democratisation of the Internet has given rise to a digital society, the most influential, smart, and cumbersome in the history of humanity. English, the most used language on the Internet, accounts for 49.7% of the linguistic content across all digital platforms. The dominance of English has posed a linguistic challenge to Francophone, Hispanophone, Russophone, Lusophone, Sinophone, Arabophone, and many other linguistic communities for several decades. English continuously enriches itself with emerging technological buzzwords thanks to linguistic content disseminated on websites and digital social network applications such as ChatGPT, Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc. This research focuses on the sociolinguistic competition between English and French in the virtual world, analysing code-switching (English and French) on the French weblog Usbek et Rica, which adopts this style to convey information to its Francophone audience. Can it be said that this illustrates the linguistic homogenisation of English as the language of the Internet to the detriment of other languages, such as French? This article aims to answer this question by examining articles published on usbeketrica.com from 2016 to 2020, using these publications as a data corpus. It also critiques the programming languages of the blog in comparison with natural languages in society, applying the Marie-Anne Paveau’s ecological linguistic approach, which stipulates that all linguistic and extra-linguistic signs produce symmetrical meanings in the digital ecosystem. The findings show that the impact of English on French, in terms of technological language, is increasingly evident on the blog.

Natural Antimicrobial Agents from Algae: Current Advances and Future Directions

Infectious diseases have significantly shaped human history, leading to significant advancements in medical science. The discovery and development of antibiotics represented a critical breakthrough, but the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens now presents a serious global health threat. Due to the limitations of current synthetic antimicrobials, such as toxicity and environmental concerns, it is essential to explore alternative solutions. Algae, particularly microalgae and cyanobacteria, have emerged as promising sources of bioactive antimicrobial compounds. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the antimicrobial properties of algal-derived compounds, including polysaccharides, fatty acids, and phenols, which have shown effectiveness against multi-drug-resistant bacteria. A co-occurrence bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer highlighted five key research clusters: antibiotic resistance, algal extracts, biosynthesis, water treatment, and novel pharmacological compounds. Furthermore, the primary mechanisms of action of these bioactive compounds, such as the inhibition of protein synthesis and cell membrane disruption, were identified, demonstrating their potential against both common and multi-resistant pathogens. Future research should prioritize optimizing algal biomass production, utilizing genetic and metabolic engineering, and creating innovative delivery systems to enhance the efficient production of bioactive compounds.

Morphological discrimination of human lice (Anoplura: Pediculidae) by eggs’ cap-like operculum

Human lice have long been parasites of humans and are responsible for several epidemics in human medical history. However, their morphology, particularly head and body lice, remains very similar. In this study, we discriminate human louse species based on the number, shape and size of aeropyles (respiratory pores) of the egg operculum as well as the size of the respiratory orifice in the aeropyles. For this purpose, lice and eggs were collected from infested patients referring to Parasitology Department of Avicenne Hospital (Bobigny, France) and analyzed morphologically. The microscopic examination of the aeropyles revealed a large variation in the number ranging from 5 to 12 for head lice, 10 to 16 for body lice and 13 to 18 for pubic lice with a statistically distinct average of 8.3, 12.9 and 15.7, respectively. Although the length of the head and body louse eggs were almost similar, the width of body louse eggs were bigger than those of head louse (412.9 μm and 363.5 μm, respectively), while pubic louse eggs had the smallest length (692.9 μm) and width (286.1 μm). In addition, pubic louse eggs had a greater operculum length and width (253.7 μm length and 220.7 μm width) than head (230.6 μm length and 210.2 μm width) and body lice (227.9 μm length and 199.9 μm width). Moreover, pubic lice had the smallest average aeropyle size (41.2 μm) compared to head (51.1 μm) and body lice (49.1 μm). The respiratory orifice on the aeropyles of head and body lice (9.9 μm) were almost twice as big as those of pubic lice (4.9 μm). There was an inverse correlation between the number of aeropyles and their size in head, body and pubic lice. These findings are helpful in accurate identification of human louse species using their eggs, which could be useful for control management strategies against these ectoparasites.

Allomilk: An Anthropogeny-Based Framework for Human Milk as a Climate Solution.

Climate change is an urgent threat to perinatal and infant health, with the greatest effects of climate change exposures being felt disproportionately by global majority communities who have been most harmed by systems of oppression. Human milk feeding is one recognized solution to bolster climate resilience. Yet, policies and practices to support human milk as a climate solution are inconsistent and under-prioritized, which is unsurprising given the lack of alignment between human history and current cultural context with regard to lactation and human milk access. This paper presents a new framework on lactation as a climate solution, which is unique in its incorporation of the critical history of cooperative breastfeeding in our species. Rooted in anthropogeny, or the study of human origins, and antiracist principles of lactation, the Allomilk Framework highlights five concepts of the ideal application of human milk as a climate solution, bridging ancient allonursing with present-day lactation and human milk access. These ideal applications-and the proposed development of measures to operationalize them-will advance the field through a shared understanding of the qualities that should be prioritized in the assessment of policies and practices at the intersection of climate resilience and human milk access. Application of the Allomilk Framework to assess and design future policies and practices will advance the field by increasing the potential for climate resilience and climate mitigation while working with-rather than against-the importance of cooperative breastfeeding in human history.

Acculturation

The hypothesis of the history of humanity as a succession of acculturations was more appropriate to linguistic, social and cultural facts and to the continuity of history itself. One of the most assiduously upheld principles in historical linguistics was acculturation. There was no linguistic change without languages in contact, and both the history of languages in contact and linguistic change were part of acculturation, based on social and cultural diffusion, which implied the intrinsic relationship between linguistics, sociology and anthropology. From approximately 1970, the panorama of concern for space in the historiography relating to the Crown of Castile began to change. The entry of anthropology into history was one of the most significant historiographical data. The central idea of ecosystem and the key concept of acculturation were used by some Spanish historians, in order to offer a new interpretation of the behavior of Hispanic-Christian society. Our current working hypothesis has been an application of languages in contact, within a new project of anthropological history on the long process of formation of Hispanic Romance languages. In the history of humanity, the primary principle in the history of languages in contact and linguistic change was the acculturation of human groups.

Mid to late Holocene Indian monsoon variability, aridification and civilization changes in the Deccan Plateau, India

Climate change has been a key driver throughout human history and has frequently been associated with the rise and fall of civilizations. Holocene settlement changes or population displacements were almost always preceded by changes in climate. A high-resolution sedimentary record from the western Bay of Bengal offers insights to centennial-scale mid- to late-Holocene Indian summer monsoon (ISM) variability and its role in the decline of chalcolithic human settlements on India's Deccan Plateau. Increased erosion in the Indian peninsula during the mid to late Holocene, due to aridification and agricultural expansion, is evidenced by higher sedimentation, more magnetic mineral content, coarser magnetic grain size, and increased sand content. The results from mineral magnetic and textural analyses reveal centennial-scale abrupt weak ISM during the Bond events in the core monsoon zone of India. The Deccan Chalcolithic civilizations flourished between ~4.0–3.0 ka BP owing to the favorable climatic conditions, but most of the settlements were deserted after ~3.0 ka BP. We argue that the abrupt weakening of ISM during Bond event 2 (~3.1–2.8 ka BP) caused this collapse of Deccan Chalcolithic. The results from this study together with the published records of number of settlements and summed radiocarbon dates suggest a climate-culture link in the Deccan Plateau. The weak ISM periods in this study are coherent with the records of total solar irradiance record and the percentage of hematite-stained grains from the North Atlantic and suggest solar control on these abrupt climatic events.

Polyketide Synthase 13 (Pks13) Inhibition: A Potential Target for New Class of Anti-tubercular Agents.

Tuberculosis is one of the deadly infectious diseases that has resurfaced in multiple/ extensively resistant variants (MDR/XDR), threatening humankind. Today's world has a higher prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) than it has ever had throughout human history. Due to severe adverse effects, the marketed medications are not entirely effective in these forms. So, developing new drugs with a promising target is an immense necessity. Pks13 has emerged as a promising target for the mycobacterium. The concluding step of mycolic acid production involved Pks13, a crucial enzyme that helps form the precursor of mycolic acid via the Claisen-condensation reaction. It has five domains at the active site for targeting the enzyme and is used to test chemical entities for their antitubercular activity. Benzofurans, thiophenes, coumestans, N-phenyl indoles, and β lactones are the ligands that inhibit the Pks13 enzyme, showing potential antitubercular properties.

My Pleasing Progeny: At the Circulating Library: A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837–1901

Abstract This article gives a history of the digital humanities project At the Circulating Library: A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837–1901, from its beginnings in 2007 to the present. In particular, it recounts the mistakes and successes, joys, and frustrations of creating and maintaining the project, as well as some observations about working on digital humanities projects.

Cervical cancer screening in high-risk patients: Clinical challenges in primary care.

The risk of developing cervical cancer is not equal across populations-individual health history, economic, political, and societal factors influence cervical cancer risk. Certain health conditions, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, immunosuppression, and history of high-grade cervical dysplasia, are associated with higher cervical cancer risk and warrant distinct screening, surveillance, and management guidelines. It is imperative for clinicians to recognize high-risk groups and apply appropriate corresponding guidelines. However, this can be difficult in practice, as recommendations regularly evolve. This review offers up-to-date guidance in a case-based format on cervical cancer screening, surveillance, and management for high-risk patients.

Göç Olgusunun Göçmen Bireyler Üzerindeki Ruh Sağlığına Etkisi

Migration is a complex structure that has existed throughout human history of individuals and units. There are different types of migration. Internal migration means displacement within the borders of the country. Emigration means leaving the regions they belong to for certain reasons. Brain drain, on the other hand, occurs when people who have developed their own personality are academically educated elsewhere due to the country's conditions. As a result of this move, immigrant individuals are affected by spiritual and emotional changes. The psychological effects of immigration on immigrants are known. Immigrant individuals may experience difficulties in three different categories: before migration, during migration and after migration. As a result of research on common pathologies seen in immigrants, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, self-alienation, schizophrenia, somatization disorder, and increased psychotic features have been expressed. It is known that the life disruption of immigrants has also been reduced. There are definitions of these immigrant types, as well as the psychological transitions of immigrant individuals and the common problem seen in immigrants. Literature research is included in their content. It can be stated that the results of the research showing that migration disrupts the daily life of the students and that psychological problems arise in their lives in a negative way can be expressed. Keywords: Types of migration, migrants, psychology, mental health, trauma.

Enhancing high school human evolution education: Harnessing “sapiens: a brief history of humankind” as an effective learning resource

Understanding human evolution can be challenging for students and may lead to misconceptions, often stemming from the learning materials employed. Current learning resources commonly include textbooks, images, and the internet. The popular science book "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" offers potential as an educational tool for teaching human evolution. This study aims to assess the suitability of "Sapiens" for high school Biology education and its potential as a resource for teaching human evolution in senior high school. Employing a qualitative descriptive method with a content analysis approach, data is gathered through documentation techniques. Primary data is derived from the documentation and content analysis of "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind." Data analysis follows the model proposed by Miles and Huberman (1983), encompassing data reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that the book effectively addresses 7 out of 9 (77.78%) sub-topics of human evolution commonly taught in high school Biology. Importantly, the book replaces outdated terms like Pithecantropus and Megantropus paleojavanicus, found in traditional textbooks. Moreover, the book fulfills the five criteria for selecting learning resources as outlined by Djohar (1987). Consequently, "Sapiens" can serve as a valuable learning resource for high school Biology, particularly regarding the study of human evolution.