Determining crystal structures through crowdsourcing and coursework

We show here that computer game players can build high-quality crystal structures. Introduction of a new feature into the computer game Foldit allows players to build and real-space refine structures into electron density maps. To assess the usefulness of this feature, we held a crystallographic model-building competition between trained crystallographers, undergraduate students, Foldit players and automatic model-building algorithms. After removal of disordered residues, a team of Foldit players achieved the most accurate structure. Analysing the target protein of the competition, YPL067C, uncovered a new family of histidine triad proteins apparently involved in the prevention of amyloid toxicity. From this study, we conclude that crystallographers can utilize crowdsourcing to interpret electron density information and to produce structure solutions of the highest quality

Chronology of Post-Glacial Settlement in the Gobi Desert and the Neolithization of Arid Mongolia and China

Prior to this study, knowledge of Gobi Desert prehistory was mostly limited to early and mid-20th century descriptions of undated stone tool assemblages from unanalyzed museum collections. This research focuses on the use of extensive existing museum collections to establish a baseline chronology of technology, economy, and land-use for prehistoric Gobi Desert groups. Radiocarbon and luminescence dating are used to establish an artefact-based chronology and provide a relative age for 96 archaeological site assemblages. Interpretations of land-use derived from lithic analysis are compared to detailed regional and local palaeoenvironmental records in order to contextualize residential mobility and subsistence. Results indicate that a dramatic shift in land-use after about 8000 years ago was related to a combination of widespread forestation and the increased productivity of lowland habitats during a period of high effective moisture. Hunter-gatherers organized their movements around dune-field/wetland environments, but utilized a range of both high- and low-ranked foods such as large ungulates from adjoining plains and uplands, and seeds and/or tubers from dune-fields and wetlands. New radiocarbon dates indicate that the use of dune-fields and wetlands persisted into the early Bronze Age, overlapping with the rise of nomadic pastoralism across Northeast Asia. These findings illuminate the period just prior to the rise of nomadic pastoralism in Northeast Asia and add considerable depth to our understanding of hunter-gatherer adaptations within arid environments following the Last Glacial Maximum.Release after 26-Apr-201

A Very Remote Storage Box Indeed: The Importance of Doing Archaeology with Old Museum Collections

Although our practice has come to be defined by a focus on excavation as the trademark of archaeological research, research on archaeological collections lies at the scientific heart of the discipline. We demonstrate through two very different case studies how a return to primary sources (in this case, boxes of artifacts) can upend our understanding of the objects themselves and create new narratives of social and technological change. At the same time, access to museum collections is becoming increasingly difficult as institutions struggle with the growing pressure to enhance public outreach and modernize data management, while simultaneously contending with persistent budget cuts. As archaeologists who work closely with museum curators and museum collections, we offer suggestions for how researchers can work with museums to ensure that future generations of researchers and the general public can learn from the ancient materials preserved within their collections

Benefits of BIM : Analysis of the implementation of BIM at construction sites

The past 60 years, many industries have developed exponentially regarding digitalisation and they have adapted to the technology quickly. However, the construction industry has a linear development and has almost remained unchanged over the past years. It is still common to use printed plans at construction sites and raise buildings based on 2D drawings even if there are detailed 3D models accessible. There are great opportunities for development of the construction industry, but not many companies have succeeded in maximizing the outcomes due to limitations of external factors. The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) needs to be standardised in the construction industry, in all phases. The thesis aims to investigate the obtained benefits of implementing BIM at construction sites. The thesis presents the topics of the construction process and BIM, and it accounts the results of the study based on a qualitative analysis. The responses from the interviews have been interpreted and summarised into a result, which are also confirmed by a background research. The study resulted in many benefits from the implementation of BIM at construction sites. To summarise, the benefits are: better information management, clearer communication, more efficient planning, reduced costs and increased quality. The study also shows that each benefit, in turn, results in additional benefits. The conclusion is that, in order to gain from the benefits, companies must invest in competence and resources. It is also necessary to demand more from authorities in order to make digitalisation a standard in the construction industry. There are great opportunities for an automatised construction process in the future. Furthermore, it can be speculated whether this will also lead to robotisation of the industry, 3D printing of buildings and using AI to design buildings. The first step for the construction industry is to catch up with the other industries is to standardise the use of BIM throughout the construction process.De senaste 60 åren har många industrier haft en exponentiell utveckling gällande digitalisering och de har anpassat sig snabbt utifrån teknologins kapacitet. Däremot har byggindustrin haft en linjär, nästan oföränderlig resa genom åren. Det förekommer arkitekter och andra konsulter i branschen som arbetar uteslutande med 2D-ritningar än idag. Det är först under de senaste tio åren som 3D-modeller har börjat användas som metod för att ta fram ritningar, men standarden idag är fortfarande att byggnader produceras utifrån 2D-ritningar. Det finns stora utvecklingsmöjligheter inom byggbranschen, men få har lyckats utnyttja det maximalt eftersom de begränsas av yttre faktorer. Användandet av Building Information Modeling (BIM) behöver standardiseras i byggbranschen. Ett första steg till att ta del av den stora belöning som finns att hämta av digitaliseringen är att implementera BIM i hela byggprocessen. Syftet med examensarbetet är att undersöka vilka mervärden som erhålls när BIM implementeras i byggproduktionen. Examensarbetet redogör för byggprocessen och tillämpningen av BIM, samt redovisar erhållna resultat utifrån en kvalitativ studie där svaren från intervjustudien kan styrkas av litteraturstudien. I intervjustudien har fem respondenter deltagit och deras erfarenheter har tolkats och sammanfattats i ett resultat. Studien visar att det finns många mervärden från implementering av BIM i produktionen. Sammanfattningsvis är dessa: bättre informationshantering, ökad kommunikation, effektivare planering, minskade kostnader och ökad kvalitet. Resultatet av den undersökta frågeställningen visar även att ett erhållet mervärde i sin tur ger upphov till ytterligare mervärden. Slutsatsen är att för att kunna ta del av de mervärden som implementering av BIM i byggproduktionen medför, måste en investering i kompetens och resurser genomföras. Det behöver även ställas högre krav på myndigheter för att en digitalisering i branschen ska bli en standard eftersom det är först då stora förändringar kan börja utföras. Det finns stora möjligheter för byggbranschen att automatiseras i framtiden, och vidare kan det spekuleras i om det även kommer kunna leda till robotisering av branschen, 3D-utskrifter av byggnader och användning av AI för att utforma byggnader. Byggbranschens första steg i den framtida utvecklingen är att standardisera användandet av BIM i hela byggprocessen

Benefits of BIM : Analysis of the implementation of BIM at construction sites

The past 60 years, many industries have developed exponentially regarding digitalisation and they have adapted to the technology quickly. However, the construction industry has a linear development and has almost remained unchanged over the past years. It is still common to use printed plans at construction sites and raise buildings based on 2D drawings even if there are detailed 3D models accessible. There are great opportunities for development of the construction industry, but not many companies have succeeded in maximizing the outcomes due to limitations of external factors. The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) needs to be standardised in the construction industry, in all phases. The thesis aims to investigate the obtained benefits of implementing BIM at construction sites. The thesis presents the topics of the construction process and BIM, and it accounts the results of the study based on a qualitative analysis. The responses from the interviews have been interpreted and summarised into a result, which are also confirmed by a background research. The study resulted in many benefits from the implementation of BIM at construction sites. To summarise, the benefits are: better information management, clearer communication, more efficient planning, reduced costs and increased quality. The study also shows that each benefit, in turn, results in additional benefits. The conclusion is that, in order to gain from the benefits, companies must invest in competence and resources. It is also necessary to demand more from authorities in order to make digitalisation a standard in the construction industry. There are great opportunities for an automatised construction process in the future. Furthermore, it can be speculated whether this will also lead to robotisation of the industry, 3D printing of buildings and using AI to design buildings. The first step for the construction industry is to catch up with the other industries is to standardise the use of BIM throughout the construction process.De senaste 60 åren har många industrier haft en exponentiell utveckling gällande digitalisering och de har anpassat sig snabbt utifrån teknologins kapacitet. Däremot har byggindustrin haft en linjär, nästan oföränderlig resa genom åren. Det förekommer arkitekter och andra konsulter i branschen som arbetar uteslutande med 2D-ritningar än idag. Det är först under de senaste tio åren som 3D-modeller har börjat användas som metod för att ta fram ritningar, men standarden idag är fortfarande att byggnader produceras utifrån 2D-ritningar. Det finns stora utvecklingsmöjligheter inom byggbranschen, men få har lyckats utnyttja det maximalt eftersom de begränsas av yttre faktorer. Användandet av Building Information Modeling (BIM) behöver standardiseras i byggbranschen. Ett första steg till att ta del av den stora belöning som finns att hämta av digitaliseringen är att implementera BIM i hela byggprocessen. Syftet med examensarbetet är att undersöka vilka mervärden som erhålls när BIM implementeras i byggproduktionen. Examensarbetet redogör för byggprocessen och tillämpningen av BIM, samt redovisar erhållna resultat utifrån en kvalitativ studie där svaren från intervjustudien kan styrkas av litteraturstudien. I intervjustudien har fem respondenter deltagit och deras erfarenheter har tolkats och sammanfattats i ett resultat. Studien visar att det finns många mervärden från implementering av BIM i produktionen. Sammanfattningsvis är dessa: bättre informationshantering, ökad kommunikation, effektivare planering, minskade kostnader och ökad kvalitet. Resultatet av den undersökta frågeställningen visar även att ett erhållet mervärde i sin tur ger upphov till ytterligare mervärden. Slutsatsen är att för att kunna ta del av de mervärden som implementering av BIM i byggproduktionen medför, måste en investering i kompetens och resurser genomföras. Det behöver även ställas högre krav på myndigheter för att en digitalisering i branschen ska bli en standard eftersom det är först då stora förändringar kan börja utföras. Det finns stora möjligheter för byggbranschen att automatiseras i framtiden, och vidare kan det spekuleras i om det även kommer kunna leda till robotisering av branschen, 3D-utskrifter av byggnader och användning av AI för att utforma byggnader. Byggbranschens första steg i den framtida utvecklingen är att standardisera användandet av BIM i hela byggprocessen

Neolithic pathways in East Asia: early sedentism on the Mongolian Plateau

The shift to sedentary lifeways represents a significant change in human adaptation. Despite the broadly contemporaneous timing of this transition across East Asia during the Holocene Climatic Optimum, such changes varied regionally. This article synthesises new and existing data from Neolithic sites on the Mongolian Plateau to reveal a simultaneous shift towards investment in site architecture, with distinct variation in the organisation of settlement and subsistence across biogeographic zones. The development of sedentary communities here emphasises the importance of climatic amelioration for incipient sedentism, and demonstrates how differences in ecological and cultural contexts can encourage various responses to the same environmental stimuli. Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications Ltd.Open access articleThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

A table summarizing the Federal public access policies resulting from the US Office of Science and Technology Policy memorandum of February 2013.

<p>This is a crowd-sourced table (tab-delimited) that attempts to collect and consolidate guidelines from federal agencies related to their plans for facilitating public access to results from the research funded within each agency. These "Public Access Plans" are the result of a US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) memorandum that was published in February 2013. To view or contribute to the evolving, current version of the Google spreadsheet, please visit the first link listed below (at bit.ly). A data dictionary is also included here (PDF), which explains the headers and agency acronyms. Note: the Google spreadsheet is formatted for better viewing; the tab-delimited spreadsheet facilitates accessibility.</p> <p>The spreadsheet is largely maintained by academic library-based data specialists, but all are welcome to use it, contribute to it, and share it. We will periodically update this fileset (most recent version: 18 April 2016), but the current version of the table will always be found in the Google spreadsheet.</p><p>**An "official" collection of responses is finally available, and is being managed and updated by SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). See: http://datasharing.sparcopen.org/ <br></p