Human Life Research Articles

Integrating Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data for Forest Fire Risk Assessment

Forest fires are a frequent and destructive phenomenon in Southwestern China, posing significant threats to ecological systems and human lives and property. In response to the growing need for effective forest fire prevention, this study introduces an innovative method for predicting and assessing forest fire risk. By integrating multi-source data, including optical and microwave remote sensing, meteorological, topographic, and human activity data, the approach enhances the sensitivity of risk models to vegetation water content and other critical factors. The vegetation water content is derived from both Vegetation Optical Depth and optical remote sensing data, allowing for a more accurate assessment of changes in vegetation moisture that influence fire risk. A time series prediction model, incorporating attention mechanisms, is used to assess the probability of fire occurrence. Additionally, the method includes fire spread simulations based on Cellular Automaton and Monte Carlo approaches to evaluate potential burn areas. This combined approach can provide a comprehensive fire risk assessment using the probability of both fire occurrence and potential fire spread. Experimental results show that the integration of microwave data and attention mechanisms improves prediction accuracy by 2.8%. This method offers valuable insights for forest fire management, aiding in targeted prevention strategies and resource allocation.

Signatures of selection with cultural interference

Human evolution is intricately linked with culture, which permeates almost all facets of human life from health and reproduction, to the environments in which we live. Nevertheless, our understanding of the ways in which stably transmitted, evolutionarily relevant human cultural traits might interact with the human genome is incomplete, and methods to detect such interactions are limited. Here, we describe some rules of cultural transmission which could pertain to both humans and cultural nonhuman animals that could lead to the formation and maintenance of stable associations between cultural and genetic traits. Next, we show that, in the presence of such associations, a process analogous to genetic hitchhiking is possible in gene–culture systems. These could leave signatures in the human genome similar to, and perhaps indistinguishable from, those left by selection on genetic traits. Finally, we model selective interference between cultural and genetic traits. We show that selective interference between a cultural trait under selection and a genetic trait under selection can reduce the efficacy of natural selection in the human genome, both in terms of the probability of fixation of beneficial alleles and the dynamics of selective sweeps. We then show that the efficiency of selection at genetic loci can, however, be increased in the presence of strong cultural transmission biases. This implies that the signatures of gene–culture interactions in genetic data may be complex and wide-ranging in gene–culture coevolutionary systems.

PENDAMPINGAN KELOMPOK USIA DINI (PAUD TERPADU FAST STAR) DALAM KEGIATAN PENANAMAN DI PANTAI SULI KABUPATEN MALUKU TENGAH

Early age group assistance (Fast Star Integrated PAUD) aims to motivate and shape children's character from an early age to love nature and preserve the environment. This mentoring and field practice approach while learning was chosen to provide knowledge, understanding and skills to students about the importance of a tree or plant for human life and the natural environment. The stages of implementing this activity include Seed Preparation, Land Preparation, Seedling Transportation, Socialization about the Importance of Trees for Life, and Planting. Students gave a positive response to the importance of trees for life by asking questions and answering questions given during socialization. In addition, the motivation given to the students aroused their enthusiasm to carry out planting at Suli Beach and around their respective homes.

Influence of Advertising on Platform YouTube on Interest in Buying Netflix Services Products

The development towards digital has made many changes that have occurred in various aspects of human life. In this era, many social media applications have sprung up which are certainly a means of entertainment for some people. With the increasing frequency of access to social media, several product or service companies advertise their products or services on social media, one of which is Netflix. One of the social media that they use to advertise their services is Youtube. This is becausee YouTube has become one of the most frequently accessed social media by people. This study uses a quantitative method with a correlational approach. The population contained in this study were 82 students of the Communication Science study program, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, 2019. Sampling in the study using probability sampling method by means of simple random sampling. The number of sample taken was 68 respondents based on calculations using the Slovin formula. From this study, the results obtained are that there iss an influence between ads on Youtube platform on students buying interest. This is evidenced by calculations using t count and t table and significance analysis. In addition, Netflix advertisements on Youtube have a direct relationship with the variable Y with a constant value of 4.228. Therefore, it can be ignored that Ads on Youtube Platform have an influence on the interest in buying Netflix service products.

Defective kinase activity of IKKα leads to combined immunodeficiency and disruption of immune tolerance in humans.

IKKα is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase that controls various biological processes, either dependent on or independent of its kinase activity. However, the importance of the kinase function of IKKα in human physiology remains unknown since no biallelic variants disrupting its kinase activity have been reported. In this study, we present a homozygous germline missense variant in the kinase domain of IKKα, which is present in three children from two Turkish families. This variant, referred to as IKKαG167R, is in the activation segment of the kinase domain and affects the conserved (DF/LG) motif responsible for coordinating magnesium atoms for ATP binding. As a result, IKKαG167R abolishes the kinase activity of IKKα, leading to impaired activation of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway. Patients carrying IKKαG167R exhibit a range of immune system abnormalities, including the absence of secondary lymphoid organs, hypogammaglobulinemia and limited diversity of T and B cell receptors with evidence of autoreactivity. Overall, our findings indicate that, unlike a nonsense IKKα variant that results in early embryonic lethality in humans, the deficiency of IKKα's kinase activity is compatible with human life. However, it significantly disrupts the homeostasis of the immune system, underscoring the essential and non-redundant kinase function of IKKα in humans.

A weight-based efficiency measure for energy dissipating devices for flexible rockfall barriers

Flexible barriers are essential passive measures which are able to protect human life, structures and infrastructures from rockfall hazards. When a barrier is impacted, a significant portion of energy dissipation is concentrated in targeted components, named brakes, which can be replaced after the rockfall event. Several technologies exist, differing in both constitutive elements and energy dissipation mechanisms, but experimental data are generally restricted by producers. The present paper compares the various technologies thanks a new efficiency index, that is the ratio between the component potentially dissipated energy and its weight. To analyse the effects of the design parameters, four of the most common brakes are analytically modelled. It is shown that the performance of the devices is variable and depends on the working mechanism and the adopted material. In particular, plastic deformation energy dissipation induced by buckling is generally more efficient than the one caused by bending. Finally, a discussion on the force that activates the brake is proposed. The proposed analyses are of paramount importance for the conceptual design of new energy dissipation devices in rockfall risk mitigation structures.

A rigorously simple quantitative model for free radical behavior in aerobic biological systems

Background Human life is based on oxygen respiration and an enzymatic, free radical-dependent water chemistry, whose billions of parallel reactions take place at pH ∼7.4 and a temperature of 37°C, in accordance with the laws of chemistry. The cellular metabolic processes occur over time periods covered by the half-lives of ROS (reactive oxygen species) for °OH to over 10 s for LOS (lipid oxygen species), indicating that mixtures of free radicals form the basic components for these processes. Summary and Key Messages The main source of radicals is the mitochondrial conversion of 1-5 % oxygen into "primary" ROS and "secondary" LOS. Every endogenous and exogenous radical generation, triggered by "natural background radiation", "natural environment" or "solar radiation" leads to qualitatively similar mixtures of "primary" ROS and "secondary" LOS or RNS (reactive nitrogen species). A Multilevel Antioxidant Regulation, Repair and Protection System (MARRPS) keeps these radical mixtures in a steady state. Depending on the total number of free radicals, different areas of radical action are defined. The Free Radical Ground State (FRGS) with "homeostasis" and "adaptive homeostasis", the Free Radical Threshold Value (FRTV) and Free Radical Pathological Conditions (FRPC). The quantitative ratio ROS > LOS comprehensively characterizes the "homeostasis" and "adaptive homeostasis" area of the FRGS. The total number of free radicals cannot be measured directly in the "homeostasis" area. "Adaptive homeostasis" is achieved when excess radicals are stable produced beyond "homeostasis" of the FRGS. The quantity that remains controllable in this range is a maximum of ∼3.58 10¹² radicals/mg, the value of the body constant FRTV. The sensitized MARRPS provides "semi-stable homeostatic" states characterized by dual stability with ROS > LOS and a stable total ROS/LOS and RNS count beyond the basal FRGS "homeostasis". If the total number of all radicals exceeds the FRTV, where LOS > ROS, this initiates uncontrolled radical chain reactions. The partial failure of the MARRPS in the FRPC area leads to pathological processes which are the starting point for a hundred different diseases. The design principle described by this simple model applies universally to all aerobic life.

CRIMINAL, CIVIL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE PROTECTION OF UNBORN LIFE IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO

Background: Human life is a natural right, and as a fundamental right, its loss entails the loss of all other rights. Consequently, human life is protected by international and national legal acts. This study will approach the chosen topic from a critical thinking angle. Its purpose is to present the basic notions of life, tackle the protection of life through positive legal norms, examine the legal treatment of the unauthorised termination of pregnancy, and provide an overview of data related to such terminations. Furthermore, we will examine whether current legal provisions in Republic of Kosovo effectively safeguard life or, instead, permit the termination of unborn life. The topic will be approached from the perspectives of civil law and the socioeconomic aspect of this phenomenon. Given that Kosovo was once an Autonomous Region of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, we will draw a comparative parallel in terms of legal reforms. The importance of this study will be evident based on the fact that studies of this interrelated nature of such a topic are lacking. Consequently, such a study will be relevant to legislation and legal practice. Methods: The selected topic will be treated by applying the historical-legal method, the normative method, the comparative method, the method of analysis and the synthesis method. Through the application of these study methods, an effort will be made to achieve the goal and the study objective, always with the aim of providing concrete answers to the research questions and validating the raised hypotheses. Results and Conclusions: While it must be accepted that termination of pregnancy is not murder, it is crucial to recognise that if it occurs at advanced stages of fetal development, it cannot be called anything other than murder. In addition to the legal fragility facing Kosovar society, there is also a notable weakness in the punitive policy. This policy, in its effort to be humane towards the perpetrators of criminal offences, may fail to achieve its intended objectives. Consequently, there is an urgent need for a shift in legislative policy concerning certain antisocial phenomena. Such a change would inherently lead to a reevaluation of punitive measures, especially considering that the criminal offence of unauthorised termination of pregnancy continues to be present in our society.

Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction (DRR) into development: effectiveness of DRR investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

As a low-income country, Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to various natural and human-induced disasters, which have significant consequences for both the environment and human life. A substantial share of the provincial budget is allocated to disaster response and recovery efforts. Prioritizing investment in disaster risk reduction (DRR) is essential to protect lives and assets. Although there is a complex relationship between investments made before and after disasters and their effectiveness in DRR, this dynamic remains insufficiently understood in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. The current study was designed to analyze the developmental budgeting for DRR in the financial years 2000–2022 in KP province. The Sen’s Slope Estimator and modified Mann-Kendall tests were used to determine the significance trend, while the correlation coefficient test was used to find the correlation between investment in DRR and disaster-induced damages such as deaths, injuries and houses damaged. The study findings reveal that the occurrence of disasters influences post-disaster spending in the KP province, with a significant negative correlation between expenditure and disaster-related damages, implying that increased DRR investment has significantly reduced the consequences of disasters. To minimize vulnerability to future disasters, the province should integrate risk-sensitive planning across all sectoral departments at local, district, and provincial levels, guided by a risk-informed development approach. This proactive strategy would embed disaster resilience within developmental activities, ensuring that each sector aligns with principles of risk reduction and sustainable growth.

The Contested Value of Life.

Putting a specific value on human life is important in many contexts and forms part of the basis for many political, administrative, commercial, and personal decisions. Sometimes, the value is set explicitly, sometimes even in monetary terms, but much more often, it is set implicitly through a decision that allows us to calculate the valuation of a life implicit in a certain rule or a certain resource allocation. We also value lives in what looks like a completely different way when we evaluate whether a particular life is being or has been lived well. Both of these ways of valuing are done from an outside or third-person perspective, but there is also a third way of valuing a life which is from the first-person perspective, and which essentially asks how much my life is worth to me. Is there any connection between these different ways of valuing life, and if so what is the connection between them? This paper provides an account of John Harris' analysis of the value of life and discusses whether it can bridge the gap between first-person and third-person evaluations of the value of life, and whether it can do so in a way that still allows for resource allocation decisions to be made in health care and other sectors.

Cognitive Benefits of Reducing Indoor Particulate Matter Exposure During Sleep: New Evidence from a Randomized, Double-blind Crossover Trial.

There is increasing evidence that particulate matter (PM) pollution may adversely impact cognition. Considering that sleep is critical for cognitive health and occupies about one-third of human life, understanding the cognitive effects of indoor PM exposure during sleep and the potential cognitive benefits of reducing such exposure is crucial, yet currently unknown. This randomized, double-blind crossover intervention trial was conducted among 80 college students with real and sham PM filtration in their dormitories. Real-time indoor PM levels and nocturnal sleep parameters were monitored, followed by quantification of serum neurotransmitter metabolites and cognitive assessments in the mornings. We found that PM exposure during sleep, particularly PM1 and PM2.5, affected immediate and delayed memory, executive function, and global cognition. Reducing PM exposure during sleep resulted in improvements in multiple cognitive domains, with a 0.21 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.36) increase in global cognitive z-score, in which increased sleep oxygen saturation (SpO2) and alterations in dopamine metabolism and histidine metabolism played important roles. Notably, even when indoor PM2.5 levels were below the WHO air quality guidelines, further reducing PM exposure could still improve sleep SpO2 and neurotransmitter metabolism. This study provides a promising strategy to mitigate indoor PM-induced cognitive impairment.

Confessional Religious Education at School in the Face of Contemporary Challenges Based on the Polish Experience

Religious education is a standard in European schools, but it is implemented according to different models. Against this background, Poland, with its confessional religious education for which churches and religious associations are responsible, appears as a certain model. However, is this kind of religious education able to meet the needs of today’s children and young people? This article begins with a brief description of religious education in Poland and then focuses on the characteristics of contemporary changes that affect all areas of human life, including religiousness. The hypothesis of the authors, which has found its justification in the proposed text, is the conviction that confessional religious education is able to respond to the needs of its contemporary addressees, but it must also have the ability to change and adapt, especially from the perspective of didactics. It is also important to be able to function in the reality of pluralism and complexity, as well as in the increasingly widespread computerization.

Research on National Short-Term Precipitation Forecast Method Based on Machine Learning

Abstract. Climate change is closely related to human lives. With the development of information technology, meteorological data gradually show the characteristics of big data. The purpose of this study is to compare the application effects of different machine learning models in short-term precipitation prediction, to improve the accuracy and efficiency of prediction. Based on the annual average precipitation data of prefecture-level cities in China from 1990 to 2022, this paper uses Random Forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting and Neural Networks to construct prediction models, and comprehensively evaluate them. In this study, the data is preprocessed to ensure the data quality of the input model. Next, the data is fed into three machine learning algorithm models, Random Forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting and Neural Networks. Finally, the prediction performance of each model is evaluated by various indexes. In this paper, it is found that the Random Forest model has the best performance, and its prediction accuracy is higher than the other two models, which has great application potential in the field of short-term precipitation prediction. This study shows that a reasonable selection of machine learning methods and optimization of model parameters can effectively improve the accuracy of short-term precipitation prediction. This paper provides some empirical evidence for precipitation prediction, which will help to make more effective decisions in dealing with extreme weather events and climate change challenges in the future.

Owning towards death: The asset condition as existential conundrum

Abstract Moral and pragmatist sociology has studied capitalism as a set of institutions that require justification, which has historically been offered through forms of rewarding and meaningful work, anchoring the human life course in a narrative of individual and collective progress. However, emerging with neoliberalism, then becoming explicit after 2008, contemporary capitalism has become organised around the logic of assets and wealth as opposed to labour and production. This provokes a vacuum of justification. Once all actors are (as Minsky argued) balance sheet actors and profit becomes a function of sheer temporality, the economy ceases to function as a moral order and instead becomes imbued with existential concerns of temporality, durability, survival, and finitude. Possessed only of certain contingently acquired assets and liabilities, the self becomes wholly contingent in the sense described by Heidegger; that is, as ‘thrown’ into having had a past and into a relationship of ‘care’ towards the future. The article identifies symptoms of this existential condition in empirical studies of wealth elites, for whom (in the absence of conventional liberal and production-based measures of worth) problems of meaning, purpose, and finitude are endemic.

Perspectives of Generative AI in the Context of Digital Transformation of Society, Audio-Visual Media and Mass Communication: Instrumentalism, Ethics and Freedom

2022 is called the year of “generative AI,” and the increased interest in ChatGPT in 2023 proves not just a sign of the popularity of neural networks among the mass audience but rather a trend. The number and quality of neural network models are growing, accelerating the digital transformation of society and its subsystems towards a new paradigm – Society 5.0. In this study, the authors analyze the functional potential of generative AI in the fields of social development, mass communication, and audiovisual media and identify several serious ethical challenges and dilemmas directly related to the operationalization of this digital technology. Along with the techno-optimistic concepts of “digital happiness” and “super smart society” and the excitement of fast and efficient operation of technologies using FM and LLM, even the most progressive adherents of Society 5.0 do not deny the existence of a number of risks to society and humans generated by AI, among other things. It goes about the threat of rapid and convincing multiplication of fake news and narratives, excessive dependence, the risk of copyright infringement and related ethical dilemmas, challenges to freedom of creativity, the instrumentalization of intellectual and artistic (including audiovisual) practices, digital manipulation of consciousness, and social exclusion associated with the deformation of the existential foundations of human life and communication.

Human Resource Planning Strategy to Improve the Quality of Online Library Management Information Systems (E-Libraries) of Higher Education in the Industrial Era 5.0

Library management information systems in universities are essential for managing e-libraries in universities. The world of education will face one of the challenges after 2030: the use of information technology or robotics in various sectors of human life, one of which is university libraries. This research was conducted using a literature approach by collecting data from various relevant theoretical sources about human resource management and higher education management information systems in the context of university library human resource planning strategies. This article delves into the practical application of library human resource planning strategies in universities. It discusses the formulation of university library human resource planning and the development of human resources in the era of Society 5.0. Furthermore, it explores the challenges and opportunities in implementing these strategies, such as change management, adaptive higher education management information system policies, and the development of librarians' professionalism in the era of society 5.0. This study uses a literature approach by collecting data from relevant theoretical sources about library human resource management and higher education management information systems in the educational context of university library human resource planning strategies. Data is analyzed through systematic literature synthesis to identify university library human resource planning strategies that can improve the quality of management e-library in the era of Society 5.0. In this era, adaptive and technology-oriented human resource management strategies are the key to improving the quality of university e-library management.

Religion as a Social Determinant of Health: Perceived Role of Religiosity in Risky Behavior and Social Problems

Background: Religion as a social determinants of health(SDOH) has long been a topic of fascination and debate, affecting various aspects of human life, including behavior. Some behaviors cause social problems due to harmful consequences they have when they become popular. Risky health behaviors are part of these social issues Method: This study employs Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore individuals' perceptions of the role of religiosity in social problems in Shiraz in 2022 . To gain deeper insights into this relationship, we conducted semi- structured in-depth interviews with 14 participants, who engaged in various forms of risky behavior. Results: The study revealed four distinct themes: a constructive viewpoint, where religion was seen as integral to addressing social issues, guiding individuals towards positive behavior; a destructive viewpoint, where religion was perceived as a source of harm and risky behavior; a separation between social issues and religion, indicating that certain social problems and behavior transcend religious definitions; and the interaction of religion with some factors which underscores the interplay between religion and other determinants, such as economic status, in shaping perceptions of social problems. Economic status emerged as a significant factor influencing participants' perspectives on social issues and risky behavior. Conclusion: This study showed that understanding of people involved in high-risk behaviors about the role of religion in the occurrence of these behaviors and social damages are very different. Some consider religion to be very effective in preventing these behaviors, and some consider religion to be the cause of social damage, emphasizing the importance of considering these diverse perspectives in addressing social issues in contemporary society.

Cost‐efficiency and effectiveness of coral restoration pathways

Coral reefs play a crucial role in supporting over half a billion human livelihoods through their contributions to fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection. In light of substantial global declines in coral cover and the deterioration of reef habitats due to climate change and other human‐driven influences, the urgency of coral reef restoration has escalated to help preserve their vital ecosystem services. Comprehending the economic costs associated with existing and potential future coral restoration approaches has become time‐sensitive. The median cost of coral reef restoration is estimated to be 400,000 USD/ha (at base year 2010). This estimate comes with limitations due to its reliance on reported project costs associated with various techniques. Here we look to standardize expenses through uniform costing of reported efforts based on the time invested to estimate specific per‐unit costs for restoration methods. We complement literature‐extracted values with independent estimates based on real‐world operations. Using this approach, we decipher comparative costs of different nursery and outplanting approaches and identify incorporated dependencies. To gain insights into the impact of labor costs on global coral reef restoration expenditures, we examine variations in the costs of labor in two coral reef regions. Overall, our data‐based approach identifies limitations within the most commonly practiced restoration pathways, opportunities to reduce operational costs, and points toward priorities for future research and development.

Inhibition of protein kinase D and its substrate phosphatidylinositol-4 kinase III beta blocks common human coronavirus replication.

Human coronaviruses can lead to a range of clinical symptoms, from asymptomatic infection to severe illness and death, with a limited array of antiviral drugs available. Protein kinase D (PKD) is involved in various cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and membrane fission of the Golgi apparatus. However, the specific role of PKD in the human coronavirus life cycle remains unclear. In this study, we found that PKD inhibitors effectively attenuated human coronavirus replication at the trans-Golgi network (TGN) stage in the viral life cycle. Furthermore, inhibiting PKD reduced PI4KIIIβ activation, thereby blocking viral replication in the host cells. Importantly, PI4KIIIβ inhibitors also blocked human coronavirus replication. Thus, PKD may represent a promising therapeutic target against both current circulating and future emerging coronaviruses.

Pro-environmental behavior to improve the quality of life withsocial value orientation as moderator: findings from Indonesia

ABSTRACT Environmental degradation endangers human life. Future generations will be at risk if the necessary impact is not immediately addressed. Addressing environmental issues and enhancing quality-of-life (QoL) require pro-environmental behavior. This study aimed to examine the moderating role of social-value-orientation (SVO) in the association between pro-environmental behavior and QoL. Conducting in Indonesia and involving 402 students i.e., 303 female-students (Mages = 20.48 years, SD = 1.42) and 99 male-students (Mages = 20.49 years, SD = 1.42), this study used General Ecological Behavior Scale (α = 0.83), the WHOQOL-BREF (α = 0.87), and the triple-dominance of SVO. JASP 0.17.2.1 was performed to analyse data namely descriptive statistics and testing the moderating effect. The results showed that pro-environmental behavior and SVO predicted QoL (R2 = 0.247, F(3.398) = 45.533, p = 0.001), SVO moderated the association between pro-environmental behavior and QoL significantly (β = 0.141, p = 0.002). These findings have important implications for the sustainable behavior’s promotion and the QoL’s improvement.