Human Adaptation Research Articles

Efficiency Divide: Comparative Analysis of Human & Neural Network Algorithm Development

The paper delves into a comparative analysis between human and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in algorithm development, with a specific focus on the challenges presented in the "Advent of Code." The research thoroughly investigates the performance of Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs), such as ChatGPT and Bard, in solving intricate algorithmic problems and benchmarks these results against those achieved by human participants. A sizeable portion of the study is dedicated to understanding the nuances of prompt engineering in AI and how it affects the problem-solving process, alongside exploring the choice of programming languages used by both AI and humans. The methodology of the research is extensive, involving the participation of both AI models and human subjects, who vary in their levels of programming expertise. This approach allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the correctness and efficiency of solutions, along with the time taken to resolve the given problems. The results from this study reveal intriguing insights. While AI models like GPTs demonstrate an impressive speed in problem resolution, they often fall short in accuracy when compared to human problem-solvers, particularly in tasks demanding deeper contextual understanding and creative reasoning. Furthermore, the study delves into the impact of time constraints on the effectiveness of problem-solving strategies employed by both AI and humans. It finds that under strict time constraints, AI models can quickly generate solutions, but these solutions may lack the depth and accuracy found in those devised by human participants. This aspect of the research highlights the trade-off between speed and precision in AI-driven problem solving. The research extends its implications beyond mere performance comparison. It suggests the potential for a synergistic approach where the computational efficiency and rapid problem-solving abilities of AI can be effectively combined with the nuanced understanding and creative problem-solving skills inherent in humans. This hybrid approach could redefine the future landscape of programming and algorithm development. The study not only provides a critical analysis of the capabilities of AI in the realm of algorithmic problem-solving but also paves the way for future exploration into the collaborative dynamics of human-AI interaction in programming. It highlights the evolving role of AI in programming and underscores the importance of balancing AI’s computational prowess with human creativity and adaptability in solving complex, real-world problems.

ხელოვნური ინტელექტის როლი სამედიცინო მომსახურების განვითარებაში - ჯანდაცვის სისტემის კონტექსტი

Artificial intelligence can reduce the burden on doctors and improve their analytical skills. Collaboration between physicians and artificial intelligence has the greatest potential to improve clinical decision-making and patient health outcomes. Due to the complexity of the main symptoms of the diseases, it is difficult to develop early diagnostic tools. Therefore, effective and timely diagnosis of the disease remains a challenge in the medical field. Although the integration of artificial intelligence into medical practice is still in its early stages, its full use for medical diagnostics is possible, especially in the direction of cancer prevention. Artificial intelligence can have a significant impact on medical practice, in particular improving the accuracy of diagnosis, saving costs and time compared to traditional diagnostic methods. Also, artificial intelligence has the potential to make clinical laboratory testing more accurate, faster, and more efficient. It is worth noting that in the health sector, errors in the diagnostic process are the biggest problem. Artificial intelligence can minimize diagnostic errors and detect life-threatening diseases in patients at an early stage. In this regard, the decisive role of artificial intelligence in determining the dosage of medicines, as well as in predicting drug contraindications, which is important for improving the treatment results, is crucial. Artificial intelligence has the potential to analyze individual cases and compare them with patient databases, allowing for individualized treatment planning. This indicates the revolutionary potential of artificial intelligence in medicine. However, experts admit that artificial intelligence presents a challenge because the implementation of algorithms is not an independent process and takes place in a dynamic environment where human reaction and adaptation play a crucial role. Medical education about artificial intelligence is essential because future doctors will have to provide medical services to patients in completely different healthcare settings. To fully realize the potential of artificial intelligence, it is necessary to have properly qualified human resources, to collect quality medical data, to take into account the confidentiality and availability of patient data. Continuous evaluation of AI systems is essential to ensure their sustainable performance over time. Arguably, collaboration between computer scientists and healthcare providers is essential for the practical and successful implementation of artificial intelligence.

The Unappreciated Significance and Source of Meaning in Wild Landscapes: An Arctic Case

Wild places are rich with meaning. This runs contrary to accounts of vast undeveloped regions like the Arctic as being devoid of meaning (and thus open for—or even in need of—resource exploitation) and to accounts that dismiss conceptualizations of the Arctic as containing substantial wilderness landscapes as an invalid colonial concept. There is rather an unappreciated commonality between Indigenous conceptions of place and conceptualizations of wilderness: both recognize undeveloped landscapes as substantial founts of meaning that are not the product of their own projections. Their senses of these meanings are not equivalent but overlap in important respects and are shared by many cultures across the globe, thus challenging premises of relativism and of meaning as merely locally produced. Furthermore, meaning is a topic often overlooked or marginalized in the context of climate change adaptation and nature preservation. The Arctic is considered as a specific case study to illustrate these points as it is one of the world's largest undeveloped areas and is particularly affected by climate change. The Arctic is rich with meaning for the Inuit and other residents who depend on it for sustenance. It also contains some of the most extensive and least developed or otherwise impacted and manipulated landscapes on the planet—a relatively small portion of which is protected as parks and wilderness, though substantial in comparison to temperate or tropical regions. Climate change threatens not only the traditional subsistence livelihoods of Arctic residents, but also the emergent meanings that inhere in these landscapes. Simultaneously, the meaning and value of protected Arctic landscapes, particularly those designated as wilderness, is also under duress. Climate change is impacting the Arctic more than many other areas, posing a threat to its meanings as a home and as a wilderness. Acknowledging the centrality of meaning, while rejecting the “received idea” inherited from constructivist thought that meaning is overlaid on a passive landscape open for—or even in need of—human created meanings, can lead to new approaches to nature preservation and to human adaptation in the era of climate change.

Human Rotaviruses of Multiple Genotypes Acquire Conserved VP4 Mutations during Serial Passage.

Human rotaviruses exhibit limited tropism and replicate poorly in most cell lines. Attachment protein VP4 is a key rotavirus tropism determinant. Previous studies in which human rotaviruses were adapted to cultured cells identified mutations in VP4. However, most such studies were conducted using only a single human rotavirus genotype. In the current study, we serially passaged 50 human rotavirus clinical specimens representing five of the genotypes most frequently associated with severe human disease, each in triplicate, three to five times in primary monkey kidney cells then ten times in the MA104 monkey kidney cell line. From 13 of the 50 specimens, we obtained 25 rotavirus antigen-positive lineages representing all five genotypes, which tended to replicate more efficiently in MA104 cells at late versus early passage. We used Illumina next-generation sequencing and analysis to identify variants that arose during passage. In VP4, variants encoded 28 mutations that were conserved for all P[8] rotaviruses and 12 mutations that were conserved for all five genotypes. These findings suggest there may be a conserved mechanism of human rotavirus adaptation to MA104 cells. In the future, such a conserved adaptation mechanism could be exploited to study human rotavirus biology or efficiently manufacture vaccines.

Self-compassion as a resource in the parenting role

The aim of the article is to present self-compassion as a resource in the context of performing a parental role and its importance for interactions with a child. The study included an analysis of existing data. A meta-analysis of concepts related to the main variable described in the article and their relationships with parenting was performed. Self-compassion, as a variable conducive to a person’s mental well-being and coping with difficulties, is an important factor that helps in fulfilling parental roles, supporting the child’s development and building a healthy relationship with the child. Source analyzes allowed to show self-compassion as an important resource and a factor supporting coping with negative affect, difficulties, as well as supporting the parent’s psychological functioning. It is an important area of human development and adaptability–also in the role of a parent. Theoretical analyzes presented in this study lead to recommendations for research on the development of self-compassion among parents as a variable supporting their functioning.

Human Behavior Adaptability in Responsive Buildings: An Exploratory Study in Workplace Settings

The increased uptake of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is fostering the development of responsive buildings that are aware of and respond to human needs. Current approaches mainly focus on adapting building systems to enhance people’s comfort and energy performance. Little is known about how responsive buildings can inform human behavior adaptability to meet the diverse needs of individuals and organizations within built environments. This study recorded the outcomes of six multi-agent simulation projects exploring human behavior adaptability in different workplace settings. The results have been analyzed through the lenses of ‘place’ theory to extrapolate a framework for human behavior adaptability, jointly considering the characteristics of the spaces, the people that inhabit them, and their activities. This framework provides analytical insights on the design and development of adaptability strategies that consider non-linear interactions and dependencies between the characteristics of the built environment, the needs of the inhabitants, and the goals of organizations.

Seasonal prediction of midsummer compound heat-humidity events over Southeast China

In recent years, there has been an increasing occurrence of compound heat-humidity (HH) events worldwide, leading to excessive morbidity and mortality. Southeast China has been particularly affected by HH events over the past decade. However, the seasonal prediction of HH events in Southeast China remains a considerable challenge. Based on the year-to-year increment (DY) approach and the empirical orthogonal function analysis, a robust prediction model is developed in this study for the midsummer HH events in Southeast China during 1981–2022. Three prediction models are individually constructed for the first three principal components (PCs) of the DY for HH events (hereafter referred to as HH_DY). The correlation coefficients (CCs) between the predicted and observed PCs exceed 0.75 in the cross-validation test for 1981–2022 and 0.80 in independent hindcasts for 2013–2022. The predicted graphical maps of HH_DY are reconstructed by the projecting the fitted three PCs onto the observed first three empirical orthogonal function modes, and the geographical patterns of HH events are obtained by adding the simulated HH_DY to the observed HH events for the preceding year. In the cross-validation test, the spatial features of the predicted HH events are highly accordant with those of the observations in nine extreme compound HH years, with area CC values ranging from 0.89 to 0.95. In the independent hindcasts for the past decade, the area CC values exceed 0.76 in all years and are >0.80 in eight years. Moreover, the predicted high-incidence areas of HH events are highly consistent with the observations in both the cross-validation test and independent hindcasts. The reliable prediction for geographical distributions of HH events in Southeast China is of great significance for human adaptation to future climate warming.

Spike N354 glycosylation augments SARS-CoV-2 fitness for human adaptation through structural plasticity.

Selective pressures have given rise to a number of SARS-CoV-2 variants during the prolonged course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently evolved variants differ from ancestors in additional glycosylation within the spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD). Details of how the acquisition of glycosylation impacts viral fitness and human adaptation are not clearly understood. Here, we dissected the role of N354-linked glycosylation, acquired by BA.2.86 sub-lineages, as a RBD conformational control element in attenuating viral infectivity. The reduced infectivity is recovered in the presence of heparin sulfate, which targets the 'N354 pocket' to ease restrictions of conformational transition resulting in a 'RBD-up' state, thereby conferring an adjustable infectivity. Furthermore, N354 glycosylation improved spike cleavage and cell-cell fusion, and in particular escaped one subset of ADCC antibodies. Together with reduced immunogenicity in hybrid immunity background, these indicate a single spike amino acid glycosylation event provides selective advantage in humans through multiple mechanisms.

Receptors Implicated in Microgravity-Induced Bone Loss

For humans to explore and colonize the universe, both engineering and physiological obstacles must be successfully addressed. A major physiological problem is that humans lose bone rapidly in microgravity. Understanding the underlying mechanisms for this bone loss is crucial for designing strategies to ameliorate these effects. Because bone physiology is entangled with other organ systems, and bone loss is a component of human adaptation to microgravity, strategies to reduce bone loss must also account for potential effects on other systems. Here, we consider the receptors involved in normal bone remodeling and how this regulation is altered in low-gravity environments. We examine how single cells, tissues and organs, and humans as a whole are affected by low gravity, and the role of receptors that have been implicated in responses leading to bone loss. These include receptors linking cells to the extracellular matrix and to each other, alterations in the extracellular matrix associated with changes in gravity, and changes in fluid distribution and fluid behavior due to lack of gravity that may have effects on receptor-based signaling shared by bone and other regulatory systems. Inflammatory responses associated with the environment in space, which include microgravity and radiation, can also potentially trigger bone loss.

Examining the distance-decay effect on obsidian lithic technological organization and its implications for raw material transportation: A case study from the Upper Paleolithic of Northeast Asia

This study conducts a comprehensive quantitative comparative analysis of the Upper Paleolithic obsidian industry in Northeast China and South Korea, examining the human adaptation, exploitation, and distribution of obsidian, juxtaposed with migration and interaction dynamics across the Mount Paektu (Paektusan) and Korean Peninsula. Integrating distance-decay theory with the hunter-gatherer social network model, and informed by new archaeological findings, our research addresses three vital domains: the supply zone of Paektusan obsidian, dispersal patterns, and lithic technological strategies correlated to obsidian availability.An obsidian raw material supply zone hypothesized to extend 100 km from Paektusan is established based on artifact frequency and size variations. Through a novel statistical approach, coupled with extensive database analysis of artifacts from three recent Northeast China excavations and existing Sino-Korean literature, our findings indicate a higher exploitation intensity of limited obsidian resources in South Korea, manifesting in specialized microlith use. The comparative analysis across five distance groups and Least Cost Path (LCP) models suggests the possibility of more geographically restricted southward material transport to South Korea. This research advances our understanding of the regional prehistoric exchange networks and offers fresh insights into the technological organization within the Upper Paleolithic obsidian industries of Northeast Asia. It underscores potential variations in raw material conveyance loss and foreshadows the investigative opportunities that may emerge from future data accessibility in North Korea.

Uncovering Alternative Ways of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Bessie Head’s “The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses”

This study explores the process of achieving self-actualization in Brille, a character in Bessie Head's short story 'The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses,' who manages to fulfill higher-order needs (e.g., esteem, belonging) despite being deprived of basic necessities e.g., physical security during his imprisonment. We utilize Maslow's hierarchy of needs as a framework, employing a qualitative descriptive method to analyze the short story and elucidate Brille's need fulfillment. By examining how Brille adapts and finds meaning in extreme circumstances, this research proposes an alternative perspective on self-actualization, potentially demonstrating that even without fulfilling basic needs entirely, individuals can achieve higher-level needs. This contributes to the understanding of human adaptability in psychology and literature, suggesting that extreme situations may not always hinder personal growth.

On the issue of adaptive fitness of chronotypes in high latitudes

ABSTRACT Human adaptation to environment is complex trait. Given close connection of circadian rhythms with environment, it is quite evident to suppose that adaptation played a significant role in its evolution. Mechanisms implied in diversity of human clock genes are still unclear. Limited works lead to inconsistent outcomes, supporting either a role of spatial variable positive selection or effects of gene flow or both combined phenomena. Our paper represents arguments for the second hypothesis.

Formation of the Baby Economy as a Prerequisite for the Development of the Human Economy and Adaptation of the National Economy of Ukraine to the Principles of Sustainable Development

Abstract The processes of kinship, gender and age stratification, early learning opportunities, socialization, and the ability to engage in creativity and optimize craft are crucial for developing the education economy. All these factors in the development of the education economy should turn a young person into an economic person with the ability to make effective production, technological, and managerial decisions regarding the development of his or her personality, society, and economic element. It is worth noting that Ukraine is only forming a baby economy system. There are separate parts of it that the will of the state policy should unite. However, the private production and research sector should also be aimed at cooperating with educational institutions both in terms of production practices and highly specialized career guidance. Also, the education economy should be integrated into global educational processes, especially at the bachelor’s and master’s levels of university education. Ukraine is joining global university networks to optimize higher education. Joining exemplary examples of global education should influence the development of Ukraine’s national economy in the context of globalization. The processes of kinship, gender and age stratification, early learning opportunities, socialization, and the ability to engage in creativity and optimize craft are crucial for developing the education economy. All these factors in the development of the economy of education and upbringing should turn a young person into an economic person with the ability to make effective production, technological, and managerial decisions regarding the development of his or her personality, society, and economic element.

Narrative as active inference: an integrative account of cognitive and social functions in adaptation.

While the ubiquity and importance of narratives for human adaptation is widely recognized, there is no integrative framework for understanding the roles of narrative in human adaptation. Research has identified several cognitive and social functions of narratives that are conducive to well-being and adaptation as well as to coordinated social practices and enculturation. In this paper, we characterize the cognitive and social functions of narratives in terms of active inference, to support the claim that one of the main adaptive functions of narrative is to generate more useful (i.e., accurate, parsimonious) predictions for the individual, as well as to coordinate group action (over multiple timescales) through shared predictions about collective behavior. Active inference is a theory that depicts the fundamental tendency of living organisms to adapt by proactively inferring the causes of their sensations (including their own actions). We review narrative research on identity, event segmentation, episodic memory, future projections, storytelling practices, enculturation, and master narratives. We show how this research dovetails with the active inference framework and propose an account of the cognitive and social functions of narrative that emphasizes that narratives are for the future-even when they are focused on recollecting or recounting the past. Understanding narratives as cognitive and cultural tools for mutual prediction in social contexts can guide research on narrative in adaptive behavior and psychopathology, based on a parsimonious mechanistic model of some of the basic adaptive functions of narrative.

The Impact of Induced Acceleration Perturbations in Selected Phases of the Gait Cycle on Kinematic and Kinetic Parameters

Background: The prevalence of falls among the older population underscores the imperative of comprehending human adaptations to gait perturbations. Dual-belt treadmills offer a controlled setting for such investigations. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the acceleration of one belt of the treadmill during three different phases of the gait cycle on kinematic and kinetic parameters and relate these changes to unperturbed gait. Methods: Twenty-one healthy young females walked on a treadmill in a virtual environment, in which five unexpected perturbations were applied to the left belt at the Initial Contact (IC), Mid Stance (MS), and Pre-Swing (PS) phase of the gait cycle. Data from the undisturbed gait and the first disturbance of each trial were extracted for analysis. Results: All perturbations significantly affected the gait pattern, mainly by decreasing the knee extension angle. The perturbation in the IC phase had the most significant effect, resulting in a 248.48% increase in knee flexion torque. The perturbation in the MS phase mainly affected plantar flexion torque, increasing it by 118.18%, while perturbation in the PS phase primarily increased the hip extension torque by 73.02%. Conclusions: The presence of perturbations in the IC and PS phases caused the most aggressive and significant changes in gait parameters.

A Reexamination of Peto's Paradox: Insights Gained from Human Adaptation to Varied Levels of Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation.

Humans have generally evolved some adaptations to protect against UV and different levels of background ionizing radiation. Similarly, elephants and whales have evolved adaptations to protect against cancer, such as multiple copies of the tumor suppressor gene p53, due to their large size and long lifespan. The difference in cancer protection strategies between humans and elephants/whales depends on genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and evolutionary pressures. In this paper, we discuss how the differences in evolutionary adaptations between humans and elephants could explain why elephants have evolved a protective mechanism against cancer, whereas humans have not. Humans living in regions with high levels of background radiation, e.g. in Ramsar, Iran where exposure rates exceed those on the surface of Mars, seem to have developed some kind of protection against the ionizing radiation. However, humans in general have not developed cancer-fighting adaptations, so they instead rely on medical technologies and interventions. The difference in cancer protection strategies between humans and elephants/whales depends on genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and evolutionary pressures. In this paper, we discuss how the differences in evolutionary adaptations between humans and elephants could explain why elephants have evolved a protective mechanism against cancer, whereas humans have not. Studying elephant adaptations may provide insights into new cancer prevention and treatment strategies for humans, but further research is required to fully understand the evolutionary disparities.

The heterogeneity of human flood adaptation characteristics in Central Asia based on human-flood distance

The Central Asian region is subject to frequent seasonal floods, resulting in substantial losses. These recurrent floods have induced certain changes in human flood adaptation characteristics in Central Asia, an area that is currently under-researched. This study, grounded in meticulously simulated flood inundation outcomes, multisource population distribution data, and flood protection infrastructure data, introduces an improved approach to calculating the distance between human and flood (HFD) and investigates human flood adaptation characteristics in Central Asia. Our findings indicate that residents in Central Asia get close to flood-prone areas from 1970 to 2007, with the exceptions of Turkmenistan (TKM) and Kyrgyzstan (KGZ). Notably, this trend is particularly pronounced in regions such as Xinjiang, China, and Tajikistan (TJK). An intricate exponential increase is observed in the population exposed to floods as the HFD decreases. Under future scenarios, KGZ exhibits the most significant trend of staying away from flood-prone areas, while TJK presents the opposite trend, and TKM experiences minimal changes. Additionally, compared with urban areas, rural areas of Central Asia exhibit a trend towards approaching floods. This study underscores the optimum nature of human flood adaptation when the HFD reaches 4.23 km, showing the potential for substantial benefits by implementing population evacuation within this threshold buffer zone. These insights highlight the complex interplay between human behaviours and floods and can inform the formulation of effective flood risk mitigation strategies.

Recent Advances of Soft Actuators in Smart Wearable Electronic‐Textile

AbstractSmart wearable electronic textiles integrate sensing, perception, and control modules, which enhance human adaptability to environmental stimuli and concurrently serve as extensions for limb capabilities. The flexible and programmable nature of soft actuators makes them an indispensable part of smart wearable electronic textiles. These textiles seamlessly combine various components, such as sensors and actuators, through a comprehensive integration of materials manufacturing, circuit control, and transmission design. Exciting applications in various fields such as healthcare, sports, the Internet of Things, and human‐machine interaction have been demonstrated globally. However, there is still a persistent challenge in enhancing the actuation capabilities of soft actuators while maintaining their wearability. A timely and comprehensive review of the progress of this field is provided. Several main aspects are covered: functional materials, stimulus mechanisms, performance improvement strategies, and wearable applications in human‐related areas. Furthermore, the major approaches and challenges for improving the performance of actuators are systematically summarized.

Visual-Motor Coordination While Drifting Through the Corner of an Ice-Racing Track: A Case Study of an Expert and a Novice Driver

This case study investigated the visual-motor coordination of an expert and a novice driver during high-speed cornering on an ice-racing track. The frozen track imposes unique task constraints on drivers due to the loss of traction. We Examined the coordination structure employed by the drivers to stabilize task goals in such an uncertain environment. The eye tracker system collected data on eye movements, head rotation, and steering wheel rotation. Coherent patterns of eye-head-steering were evaluated through Mutual Information with a time delay. The results showed that both drivers were forced to deal with unstable, shaky steering under the task constraints of losing traction. The novice driver employed a control strategy that suppressed both head and steering wheel movements. The expert driver exhibited rhythmic head rotation, which may have a functional role in dealing with disturbances by generating stable movement patterns. This study highlights human flexibility and adaptability in response to challenging and uncertain environments. The perception-action system of the expert driver actively generated movements, forming a functional and complementary coordination.

Higher surface folding of the human premotor cortex is associated with better long-term learning capability

The capacity to learn enabled the human species to adapt to various challenging environmental conditions and pass important achievements on to the next generation. A growing body of research suggests links between neocortical folding properties and numerous aspects of human behavior, but their impact on enhanced human learning capacity remains unexplored. Here we leverage three training cohorts to demonstrate that higher levels of premotor cortical folding reliably predict individual long-term learning gains in a challenging new motor task, above and beyond initial performance differences. Individual folding-related predisposition to motor learning was found to be independent of cortical thickness and intracortical microstructure, but dependent on larger cortical surface area in premotor regions. We further show that learning-relevant features of cortical folding occurred in close spatial proximity to practice-induced structural brain plasticity. Our results suggest a link between neocortical surface folding and human behavioral adaptability.