In contrast to the prevailing view that the Chinese Paleolithic has been dominated by the Mode 1 technology-with a slow and conservative development from the Early to the Late Pleistocene-recent discoveries indicate that the lithic technology might have developed into an 'advanced' phase in some parts of China, at least since the early Late Pleistocene. The Xinmiaozhuang Locality 1 (XMZ1), located on the southern edge of the Nihewan Basin in northern China, is one of the examples belonging to such an 'advanced' phase. Although the stone artifacts at this site still belong to the long-existing 'small-tool' industry (core-and-flake) in this basin, some 'advanced' traits, including discoidal cores, elongated flakes, and 'Mousterian-like' triangular points and scrapers, are present. We provide a dating of the XMZ1 using the multiple elevated temperatures (MET) post infrared (pIR) infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) procedure (MET-pIRIR) on both multigrained single aliquots and 'individual' grains of potassium-rich feldspars (K-feldspars). The consistency between the single-aliquot and single-grain K-feldspar equivalent dose results mutually confirmed the reliability of the obtained ages. Our chronology indicates that the cultural layer falls within the period of ca. 63-75 ka, corresponding to the early stage of the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4. Based on the correlation of the cultural age to the environmental proxies of loess and stalagmites from China, we suggest that the site might have witnessed dramatic fluctuations of paleoclimate during the site formation. Additionally, based on the discoidal cores distribution, a potential corridor along the Xuefeng-Wu-Tainhang-Great Khingan Mountains for ancient humans migrating between South and North China is suggested. However, more archaeological and chronological studies are required to figure out the origin and the dispersal patterns of the discoidal core associated with lithic assemblage and the tool-makers in East Asia.Facial orientation (projection and degree of prognathism) and form in hominins is highly variable, likely related to evolutionary modifications of the microscopic process of bone modeling (the simultaneous cellular activities of bone formation and resorption) during ontogeny. However, in anteriorly projected faces such as those of early hominins, little is known about the link between bone modeling and facial developmental patterns. Similarly, these aspects have been infrequently investigated in extant great apes. In this study, quantitative methods were applied to a cross-sectional ontogenetic sample of 33 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and 59 modern humans (Homo sapiens) to compare the development of maxillary prognathism to orthognathism at both microscopic and macroscopic (or morphological) scales using surface histology and geometric morphometric techniques. selleckchem Chimpanzees express on average lower amounts of bone resorption than humans on the maxillary periosteum throughout ontogeny; however, the premaxilla is consistently resorbed from early stages on. The presence of bone resorption in the chimpanzee premaxilla, such as that seen in some early hominins, suggests a more ape-like pattern of maxillary bone modeling in these specimens. However, this shows that similarities in bone modeling patterns can lead to variations in shape, suggesting that other aspects of facial growth (such as modifications of rates and timings of development, as well as sutural growth) also played a crucial role in facial evolution. Soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) are heterogeneous with variable response to radiation therapy (RT). Utilizing the radiosensitivity index (RSI) we estimated the radiobiologic ratio of lethal to sublethal damage (α/β), genomic-adjusted radiation dose(GARD), and in-turn a biological effective radiation dose (BED). Two independent cohorts of patients with soft-tissue sarcoma were identified. The first cohort included 217 genomically-profiled samples from our institutional prospective tissue collection protocol; RSI was calculated for these samples, which were then used to dichotomize the population as either highly radioresistant (HRR) or conventionally radioresistant (CRR). In addition, RSI was used to calculate α/β ratio and GARD, providing ideal dosing based on sarcoma genomic radiosensitivity. A second cohort comprising 399 non-metastatic-STS patients treated with neoadjuvant RT and surgery was used to validate our findings. Based on the RSI of the sample cohort, 84% would historically be considered radioresistant. We identified a HRR subset that had a significant difference in the RSI, and clinically a lower tumor response to radiation (2.4% vs. 19.4%), 5-year locoregional-control (76.5% vs. 90.8%), and lower estimated α/β (3.29 vs. 5.98), when compared to CRR sarcoma. Using GARD, the dose required to optimize outcome in the HRR subset is a BED of 97 Gy. We demonstrate that on a genomic scale, that although STS is radioresistant overall, they are heterogeneous in terms of radiosensitivity. We validated this clinically and estimated an α/β ratio and dosing that would optimize outcome, personalizing dose.We demonstrate that on a genomic scale, that although STS is radioresistant overall, they are heterogeneous in terms of radiosensitivity. We validated this clinically and estimated an α/β ratio and dosing that would optimize outcome, personalizing dose.Monitoring technologies for Process Analytical Technology (PAT) in mammalian cell cultures are often focusing on the same hand full parameters although a deeper knowledge and control of a larger panel of culture components would highly benefit process optimization, control and robustness. This short review highlights key advances in microfluidic affinity assays and microchip capillary electrophoresis (MCE). Aiming at the miniaturization and integration of PAT, these can detect at-line a variety of metabolites, proteins and Critical Quality Attributes (CQA's) in a bioprocess. Furthermore, discrete analytical components, which can potentially support the translation of increasingly mature microfluidic technologies towards this novel application, are also presented as a comprehensive toolbox ranging from sample preparation to signal acquisition.