Major Zones Research Articles

Analysis on Innovation Efficiency of High-tech Industries in the Three Coastal Economic Zones in Eastern China

The high-tech industry is an important force in promoting the upgrading of traditional industries and the transformation of economic growth mode. Its technological innovation directly affects the innovation efficiency and economic development level of the region. The three major economic zones of Bohai Rim, Yangtze River Delta, and Pan Pearl River Delta are the most active areas for China's economic development and independent innovation, with a level of technological development far exceeding the average level of China, becoming the three growth poles driving China's economic growth. This article first uses the three-stage DEA Windows method to measure the innovation efficiency of high-tech industries in China's Yangtze River Delta, Pan Pearl River Delta, and Bohai Rim economic zones from 2016 to 2022, and considers the dynamic evolution characteristics of innovation efficiency in each region over time. Secondly, the impact of environmental variables on the redundancy of input variables in high-tech industries in the three major economic zones was studied. Finally, the differences of innovation efficiency values among the three major economic zones were examined. Research has found that after controlling for environmental factors and random errors, the overall innovation efficiency values of the three major regions have not reached the forefront of production, and have shown an increasing trend year by year. Low scale efficiency is the main factor affecting the R&D efficiency of the three regions, and further coordinated planning is urgently needed.

Molecular Diversity and Distribution of Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) in Cassava Fields Across South West and North Central, Nigeria.

Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadium, Hemiptera) causes severe damage to cassava plants through excessive feeding on leaves and transmitting viruses, such as African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV), East African cassava mosaic virus (EACMV), and ipomoviruses that cause cassava brown streak disease. Currently, little is known about the molecular diversity and distribution of whitefly species in the major cassava-growing zones of Nigeria. This study aimed to address the knowledge gap by assessing the genetic diversity, distribution, and associated cassava mosaic begomoviruses (CMBs) in whiteflies across South West and North Central, Nigeria. Whitefly samples were systematically collected from cassava plants during georeferenced epidemiological surveys in 2017, 2020, and 2022. The samples were genotyped using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) marker, and CMBs were detected by PCR with virus-specific primers. Phylogenetic analyses revealed four distinct genetic groups of B. tabaci: Sub-Saharan Africa 1 (SSA1; 84.8%), SSA2 (1.4%), SSA3 (13.1%), and Mediterranean (MED) (0.7%). The SSA1 group was the predominant and most widely distributed genotype across the surveyed zones, with three subgroups identified: SSA1-SG1, SSA1-SG3, and SSA1-SG5. The second most frequently identified genotype, SSA3, was restricted to the North Central zone, along with the SSA2 group, which was only identified in two North Central states (Niger and Plateau). African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) was detected in SSA1-SG1, SSA1-SG5, and SSA3, whereas EACMV was found in only the SSA1-SG3. The findings of this study will aid in developing better whitefly management strategies to reduce the impact of CMD on cassava production in Nigeria.

The geology of the Greenstone orogenic gold deposit, Geraldton, Ontario, Canada: Structural controls, mineralogy, geochemistry, and geochronology

The Greenstone orogenic gold deposit is located in the Beardmore-Geraldton belt (BGB) along the boundary between the granite-greenstone Wabigoon subprovince and the metasedimentary Quetico subprovince of the Archean Superior craton, Canada. The deposit is hosted by ca. 2700–2694 Ma turbiditic sandstone, banded iron formation, and ca. 2694 Ma feldspar-quartz porphyry, which underwent strong deformation within the 1 km-wide Bankfield-Tombill deformation zone along the southern margin of the BGB. The deformation zone includes folds and cleavage that formed during early D1 thrust imbrication of the BGB, S-shaped folds and fabrics that formed during D2 sinistral transpression, and Z-shaped folds, fabrics, and localized shear zones that formed during D3 dextral reactivation of the deformation zone. Gold mineralization is associated with folded, early-D1, quartz-carbonate veins (V1) and with NE- to E-striking, syn-D2, tourmaline-quartz veins (V2) as well as quartz-carbonate veins (V3). The V1 and V3 veins are surrounded by sericite-carbonate-pyrite ± albite–rutile alteration halos, and the V2 veins are surrounded by carbonate-tourmaline-pyrite ± pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite alteration halos. Gold was deposited during fluid-rock sulfidation reactions that resulted in the formation of inclusion-poor pyrite with Ni-Co-As primary crystallographic zoning and inclusion-rich pyrite enriched in Au and other metals (Ag-As-Bi-Co-Ni-Pb-Sb-Te). Hydrothermal alteration associated with the deposition of the veins produced a broad, up to 250 m wide, sericite-carbonate alteration envelope, with S, Te, As, W, and Bi as the best pathfinder indicators to gold mineralization. Contrary to previous studies, which attributed the formation of gold deposits in the BGB to late-D3, our results suggest that gold was emplaced during early-D1 and D2 and involved multiple hydrothermal fluid pulses during several deformation events, as suggested for other major Archean orogenic gold camps associated with major fault zones such as the Timmins and Kirkland Lake camps in the Abitibi subprovince of the Superior craton.

Trade-offs and synergies of food-water-land benefits for crop rotation optimization in Northeast China

In agricultural management, selecting the appropriate crop rotation type (CRT) is crucial for sustainable development. Despite the focus on food production, water conservation, and farmland protection, systematic and quantitative analyses of the interrelationships and benefits among food, water, and land under different CRT scenarios are lacking. This gap hinders the achievement of goals and limits effective support for agricultural planning. This study utilized yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and farmland degradation and restoration (FDR) conditions to measure benefits related to food production, water resource conservation, and farmland protection. Taking the Northeast China (NEC) region as an example, nine major CRT zones were identified, and their integrated "food-water-land" benefits were quantitatively assessed. The findings revealed that there are significant differences in the annual average yield and WUE under different CRTs. Specifically, the average yield of the Maize-continuous-cropping or Rice-continuous-cropping zone is much higher than that of the Soybean-continuous-cropping zone; the WUE was highest in the Soybean-continuous-cropping zone, with a multi-year mean of 1.105 kg·C·m−3. The NPP-WUE framework for FDR detection indicated that crop rotation is more conducive to farmland protection than continuous-cropping, as a higher proportion of restoration area was detected. By assessing the trade-offs between CRT and "food-water-land" benefits, the results show that when prioritizing a single goal of food production, water resource conservation, or farmland protection, the best CRT for farmland is Maize-continuous-cropping, Soybean-continuous-cropping, or Soybean-Other crops rotation, respectively. When multiple goals are considered, Maize-continuous-cropping or Soybean-continuous-cropping is the most ideal. Therefore, maintaining a large area of maize while expanding soybean planting in the NEC is reasonable. In the NEC, we recommend adjusting Maize-Soybean and Rice-continuous-cropping; the former prioritize shifting to Maize or Soybean continuous-cropping, and the latter prioritizes shifting to Maize-Rice rotation. This study offers valuable insights into the trade-offs and optimization of CRTs, thereby contributing to sustainable agricultural development.

Dynamically Triggered Tectonic Tremors and Earthquakes in the Caucasian Region Following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, Earthquake Sequence

AbstractDeep tectonic tremor has been observed along major subduction zones and several continental strike‐slip faults around the Pacific Rim and the Caribbean. However, it has not be widely identified in other tectonically active regions such as the Alpine‐Himalayan orogenic belt yet. Here we present dynamically triggered tremors and microearthquakes in the Caucasian Region following the 2023 Mw 7.8 and Mw 7.5 mainshocks in the 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, earthquake sequence. We observe triggered deep tectonic tremors within Azerbaijan, where seismological evidences suggest pre‐existing subduction slabs. Meanwhile, we document cases of triggered earthquakes in Azerbaijan and Georgia, and Javakheti highland near the border of Georgia and Armenia. These triggered earthquakes are either associated with mud volcanism or volcanic formations. Our results highlight a variety of responses to dynamic stress perturbations, suggesting high susceptibility to dynamic stress perturbations and a broad spectrum of slip behaviors for critically stressed faults in the Caucasian region.

Threshold effects of vegetation cover on production-living-ecological functions coordination in Xiangyang City, China.

Clarifying the nonlinear impacts of vegetation cover on production-living-ecological function (PLEF) coordination is essential to ecological restoration regulation and sustainable land use. However, the threshold effect of vegetation cover on PLEF coordination, particularly in major function-oriented zones (MFZs), has yet to receive attention. This study selected Xiangyang City, China, as the case area to identify the impact threshold of vegetation cover on PLEF coordination from the perspectives of the region as a whole and MFZ, respectively. The results showed that the PLEF coordination was high in the center and east while low in the west. For production-ecological function, 51.46% of the area was primarily coordinated and above, while for production-living function, 61.35% of the city area was severely uncoordinated. Vegetation cover was high in the west and low in the east. A negative correlation existed between vegetation cover and PLEF coordination. Urban built-up areas with lower vegetation cover showed higher levels of PLEF coordination, whereas western mountainous regions with higher vegetation cover demonstrated lower levels of PLEF coordination. Furthermore, vegetation cover exhibited a pronounced threshold effect on PLEF coordination, featuring conspicuous regional variations. The identified thresholds of vegetation cover for PLEF coordination in key development, agricultural production, and key ecological function zones were 0.3896, 0.2272, and 0.8161, respectively. Our study provides scientific references for the impact assessment of ecological restoration and the synergistic enhancement of land functions.

YOLO-APDM: Improved YOLOv8 for Road Target Detection in Infrared Images.

A new algorithm called YOLO-APDM is proposed to address low quality and multi-scale target detection issues in infrared road scenes. The method reconstructs the neck section of the algorithm using the multi-scale attentional feature fusion idea. Based on this reconstruction, the P2 detection layer is established, which optimizes network structure, enhances multi-scale feature fusion performance, and expands the detection network's capacity for multi-scale complicated targets. Replacing YOLOv8's C2f module with C2f-DCNv3 increases the network's ability to focus on the target region while lowering the amount of model parameters. The MSCA mechanism is added after the backbone's SPPF module to improve the model's detection performance by directing the network's detection resources to the major road target detection zone. Experimental results show that on the FLIR_ADAS_v2 dataset retaining eight main categories, using YOLO-APDM compared to YOLOv8n, mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95 increased by 6.6% and 5.0%, respectively. On the M3FD dataset, mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5 increased by 8.1% and 5.9%, respectively. The number of model parameters and model size were reduced by 8.6% and 4.8%, respectively. The design requirements of the high-precision detection of infrared road targets were achieved while considering the requirements of model complexity control.

Identification and Categorization of Technical Errors and Hazard-zones of Robotic versus Laparoscopic total Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: A Single Center Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

The current research aimed to conduct a detailed analysis of intraoperative surgical performance, short-term outcomes, identify and categorize technical errors, and hazard-zones enacted during total gastrectomy performed robotically and laparoscopically by surgeons. Prospective research is needed to determine whether the technical advantages of robotic surgery translate to patient outcomes. Identify and process risk areas in robot-assisted total gastrectomy (RTG) and laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) to get the best patient results. Patients undergoing RTG and LTG were recruited and randomized into the study. Six consultant/attending surgeons participated in this study and all surgical procedures were recorded. The unedited surgical video-recordings were handed over to third-party experts for granular analysis of the procedures using objective clinical human reliability analysis (OC-HRA) for the quality of intraoperative performance, technical errors, intraoperative complications. This study is a single center prospective randomized controlled trial. 82 patients were recruited and participated in this study with 40 cases undergoing RTG and 42 cases for LTG. RTG vs LTG. Determine whether RTG or LTG can provide the better intraoperative technical performance and identify the most hazardous zone (area) during total gastrectomy (TG). The technical errors enacted and identified in the RTG and the LTG were (46.11±5.63 VS 58.79±8.45, P＜0.001) respectively. The highest number of technical errors was identified during the dissection of the supra-pancreatic lymph nodes (Task Zones3, TZ3), including No.5, 7, 8a, 9, 11p, and 12a to complete the nodal clearance around the celiac artery and its trifurcation (7.29±1.88 VS 9.43±2.24, P <0.001) in both RTG and LTG. The number of lymph nodes harvested with RTG was higher than LTG (35.36±7.51 VS 30.54±6.95, P=0.016), especially in the upper margin of the pancreas (13.32±4.17 VS 9.36±3.81, P＜0.001). The total cost of hospitalization in the RTG group cost 3% more than LTG group ($15953.41±3533.91 VS $12198.26±2761.27, P＜0.001). This study offers compelling OC-HRA evidence demonstrating that RTG facilitates significantly superior technical performance compared to LTG. Whether examining short-term clinical outcomes or intraoperative operations, the robotic surgery system consistently outperforms laparoscopic surgery. Lymph node dissection in the supra-pancreatic region emerged as a major hazard zone in both procedures. chictr.org.cn: ChiCTR2000039193.

China's newest design of apartment buildings with modernized façade: A comparative evaluation of its energy performance in five major climate zones

Many studies have indicated that the energy efficiency of residential buildings can greatly mitigate energy shortages and environmental problems. High window-to-wall ratio, flat geometric shape, and open space layout are the key characteristics of apartment buildings with modernized façade (ABMF), and the major design trend dominating China's housing market. This study aims to understand the isolated effects of these three design factors on the energy performance of ABMF in five major climate zones using a parametric performance design method. Three important findings were concluded: 1) the energy use intensity (EUI) of ABMF showed a positive relationship to the window-to-wall ratio in five climate zones. Qingdao in Cold Region (2.12 kWh/m2) and Kunming in Temperate Region (1.04 kWh/m2) exhibited lowest average increase in EUI; 2) the reduction of EUI was twice as much in Kunming than in the other four cities, when the aspect ratio of ABMF changed from 1.75 to 0.95; 3) the ‘exterior-side hall’ was the most energy-efficient layout in the five cities. This study is the first to investigate the energy performance of the newest apartment design and hopefully can attract more studies to explore the suitability of ABMF for the sustainable development of China's housing market.

Strain Partitioning in a Flattening Shear Zone: Re-Evaluation of a Cycladic Style Detachment.

The Almyropotamos tectonic window on southern Evia island in the NW Aegean Sea divides two high pressure-low temperature metamorphic units, representing distinct Hellenic thrust sheets. Ductile thinning along the major low-angle Evia Shear Zone has closely juxtaposed the lower (Basal Unit) marble-flysch sequence structurally below Styra marbles (Cycladic Blueschist Unit). The partially attenuated flysch comprises a matrix dominated by pelitic schist, with dispersed cm- to hm-scale blocks of marble, carbonate schist, quartzite, and metabasite. Structural investigation of the different lithotypes in the flysch reveals tectonic fabrics related to general flattening strain are developed most strongly in the pelitic matrix, whereas the compositionally diverse blocks exhibit differential preservation of older structures. Quartz c-axis distributions from quartz veins in the schists reflect an early, moderate temperature plane strain deformation. Colder deformation is evident in some pelitic schists, capturing Z-centered girdles consistent with the oblate finite strain ellipsoid inferred from macroscopic structures. New in situ 40Ar/39Ar and 87Rb/87Sr geochronology delineate the timing of the two deformation events. Geochronological data reaffirm the first-order observations of strain partitioning behavior at the scale of the shear zone, and confirm that the structure records two resolvable tectonometamorphic events: an early Oligocene HP-LT event, and a late Oligocene-early Miocene greenschist facies overprint coinciding with ductile thinning. The diffuse and discontinuous style of deformation recorded within the shear zone is unusual for major structures facilitating exhumation in the Aegean Sea, and may represent an analogue to mélange-hosted shear zones that accommodate progressive strain during subduction.

Uncovering the hidden architecture of the Rengali Province, eastern Indian shield using high-resolution aero-geophysics, ground-gravity, structure: Insights towards geology and tectonics

The Rengali Province is a shear zone bounded discrete domain of amalgamation among two Archean Cratons viz. the Singhbhum and Bastar cratons and a mobile belt namely Eastern Ghat Mobile belt. Based on geological evidences, it also displays an India-Antarctica connection in the past geological time-slice and supports supercontinental reconstruction. Although, the tectonothermal evolution of this province has been largely probed based on lithological, structural and metamorphic accounts, however, correlative geophysical-geology integration is absent. Hence, we analyze and interpret newly acquired high-resolution aero-geophysical data for the first time. The interpretations of high-resolution aero-geophysics, ground gravity and radiometric anomaly have been connected with geology to provide insights into tectonic evolution. Multi-scale geological-geophysical-structuralanalysis has been employed for understanding the subsurface architecture and contact relationship with the nearby cratons-mobile belt. Based on the aero-magnetic signature, three different zones have been delineated viz. northern, central and southern zones within the Rengali Province. The three zones are characterized by their distinct geophysical fabric and further are correlated with the geology. The gravity anomaly and modeling suggest the presence of a high-density body at mid-upper crustal depth (∼5–10 km). Three major shear zones, viz. the Barakot, Riamal and Kerajang delineate the bounding surfaces of the Rengali Province. However, the current geophysical signature indicate that the western part of the Kerajang Fault zone (KFZ) shares an inter-domain status between the Rengali Province and the Bastar Craton while the eastern part showcases an intra-domain character. Based on the complex series of magnetic fabric and anastomosing geophysical (particularly, magnetic) signature, the Rengali Province (RP) displays a classical signature of multiple accretionary histories supported by various episodic tectono-thermal activities at different time-slices.

Neogene Hydrothermal Fe‐ and Mn‐Oxide Mineralization of Paleozoic Continental Rocks, Amerasia Basin, Arctic Ocean

AbstractRocks dredged from water depths of 1,605, 2,500, 3,300, and 3,400 m in the Arctic Ocean included Paleozoic continental rocks pervasively mineralized during the Neogene by hydrothermal Fe and Mn oxides. Samples were recovered in three dredge hauls from the Chukchi Borderland and one from Mendeleev Ridge north of Alaska and eastern Siberia, respectively. Many of the rocks were so pervasively altered that the protolith could not be identified, while others had volcanic, plutonic, and metamorphic protoliths. The mineralized rocks were cemented and partly to wholly replaced by the hydrothermal oxides. The Amerasia Basin, where the Chukchi Borderland and Mendeleev Ridge occur, supports a series of faults and fractures that serve as major zones of crustal weakness. We propose that the stratabound hydrothermal deposits formed through the flux of hydrothermal fluids along Paleozoic and Mesozoic faults related to block faulting along a rifted margin during minor episodes of Neogene tectonism and were later exposed at the seafloor through slumping or other gravity processes. Tectonically driven hydrothermal circulation most likely facilitated the pervasive mineralization along fault surfaces via frictional heating, hydrofracturing brecciation, and low‐ to moderate temperature Fe‐ and Mn‐rich hydrothermal fluids, which mineralized the crushed, altered, and brecciated rocks.

The geometry of fault reactivation and uplift along the central part of the Maacama Fault Zone, Northern California Coast Ranges (USA)

Fault reactivation of bedrock structures in active fault zones influences stress state and earthquake rupture phenomena through the introduction of weak slip surfaces that impact fault zone geometry and width. Yet, geometric relationships between modern faults and older reactivated faults are difficult to quantify in rocks that have experienced multiple deformation episodes. We used new geologic mapping, geomorphic tools, and structural modeling to quantify rock uplift and subsurface fault geometry of the central part of the Maacama Fault Zone near Ukiah, California, USA, and the surrounding area. Results suggest that the northern Mayacamas Mountains are in a tectonically driven disequilibrium, with differential rock uplift focused on the western side of the range. Steeply east-dipping fault surfaces and splays characterize the geometry of the Maacama Fault Zone. We mapped two newly identified faults to the east of the main Maacama Fault, the Cow Mountain–Mill Creek Fault, and Willow Creek Fault, which align with a moderately east-dipping cluster of microseismicity between 4–10 km depth beneath the Mayacamas Mountains. Static stress modeling on the Maacama Fault Zone and newly identified faults to the east quantify slip tendency values of 0.5–0.4, which suggests that the faults are moderately to poorly suited for slip in the modern stress field and may be weak. We infer that modern uplift is driven by oblique reverse, up-to-the-east, dip-slip motion on the reactivated Cenozoic Cow Mountain–Mill Creek and Willow Creek Faults as material is advected through a restraining bend on the Maacama Fault. This study shows that reactivated bedrock faults increase the fault zone width and introduce fault surfaces that contribute a component of vertical deformation and uplift in major strike-slip fault zones. Deformation is accommodated on an interconnected network of new and reactivated faults that delineate a complex seismic hazard.

The impact of residential winter HVAC usage behavior on arthritis in older adults: A PLS-SEM analysis

Environmental factors like temperature and humidity have been shown to influence arthritis symptoms in older adults, and HVAC equipment can regulate indoor environmental parameters. This study aimed to explore the pathways and effectiveness of residential HVAC usage behavior during winter on arthritis conditions. Conducted across four major climate zones in China, this cross-sectional study involved 3579 older adults aged 60–74 years and collected data on demographics, residential environments, lifestyles, and health outcomes. Utilizing Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), a complex structural equation model (SEM) and an HVAC-Health mediation model was developed to analyze the relationships among influencing factors and health outcomes. Results revealed that socio-economic status, building characteristics, lifestyles, HVAC usage behavior, and indoor environmental exposure significantly affect the frequency of arthritis flare-ups (p < 0.05). Specifically, lifestyles, indoor wet and cold exposures have strong direct effects on health outcomes, with path coefficients of 0.178, 0.155 and 0.143, respectively. Moreover, HVAC usage indirectly influences health through mediators, with cold exposure (β = 0.045, p < 0.001), air pollution (β = 0.025, p < 0.001), and wet exposure (β = 0.012, p = 0.001) ranked in terms of their mediating effects. This research underscores the crucial role of HVAC systems in mitigating arthritis symptoms in older adults, advocating for enhanced implementation of HVAC technologies in senior housing to promote health and well-being. The originality of this study lies in employing the PLS-SEM method to elucidate how the indoor environment—particularly under the premise of HVAC usage—affect arthritis symptoms in older adults.

Late Miocene high-angle faulting in the Cyclades: offshore-onshore tectonic studies and U-Pb calcite dating.

Aegean extension began during Eocene-Oligocene times and led to the thinning of the upper plate into a retreating slab system. The style of extension during the Miocene remains controversial, with a majority of studies arguing for extension accommodated by low-angle extensional brittle-ductile faults, called detachments. In other hands, the present-day active seismic faults in the Aegean Sea are only high-angle normal faults and dextral strike-slips. We aim to constrain and date the style of faulting in central Greece by combining analysis of 19 offshore seismic lines with onshore structural observations on Syros Island and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of calcite sampled in two major fault zones of Syros (Palos and Fabrika faults). Three main sets of faults have been identified in the Central Cyclades: NW-SE trending normal faults, NNW-SSE oblique (sinistral)-normal faults, and NNE-SSW trending dextral strike-slip faults. High-angle normal faults define regularly spaced horsts and grabens, suggesting a wide rifting-type of extension. Dextral strike-slip faults occur at Syros, mainly offshore, and are kinematically compatible with normal faults. U-Pb dating of calcite crystallizing in normal fault planes at Syros yields ages at c.a. 10 Ma for high-angle normal faults activity. On these bases, we propose that wide rifting with high-angle normal faults accommodated Aegean extension when trench retreat accelerated in the middle to late Miocene. At this time, dextral strike-slip faults formed as a response of the onset of Anatolia lateral extrusion.

Taking Alberta Back: Faith, Fuel, and Freedom on the Canadian Far Right

Alberta, Canada is both a major extractive zone—home to the world’s third largest proven oil reserves, mostly in the form of oil sands located in the north of the province—and a place whose political culture has been profoundly influenced by evangelical Christianity. It is both “petro province” and “God’s province”. Despite these distinct political economic and socio-cultural features, relatively little scholarly attention has been given to the contemporary relationships among them. To explore this, we profile the populist far-right social movement organization Take Back Alberta (TBA), which, by channeling the interlocking “freedom” and separatist movements into the governing United Conservative Party (UCP), played a pivotal role in Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s rise to power. We ask the following question: what role do religion and a populist defense of the fossil fuel industry (or “extractive populism”) play, both ideologically and organizationally, within TBA? Drawing from TBA-related documents, including websites, podcasts, social media, and speeches, our analysis produces two key findings: first, that TBA deploys a radical, far-right version of extractive populism, which “anchors” the Danielle Smith government, and, second, that evangelical Christianity contributes to this extractive populism organizationally—by impacting TBA’s membership and resource infrastructure—and discursively, by influencing the collective action frames utilized by TBA leaders in advocating for the interests of the fossil fuel industry.

3D distribution of biomineral and chitin matrix in the stomatopod dactyl club by high energy XRD-CT

Stomatopods are ferocious hunters that use weaponized appendages to strike down their pray. The clubs of species such as Odontodactylus scyllarus undergo tremendous forces, and in consequence they have intricate structures, consisting of hydroxyapatite, chitin, amorphous calcium phosphate and carbonate, and occasionally calcite. These materials are distributed differently across the four major zones of the dactyl club: the impact, periodic lateral and medial, and striated regions. While stomatopod clubs and their structure have been studied for a long time, studies have thus far been constrained to 2D mapping experiments with moderate resolution due to difficulties in preparing whole club thin sections, and absorption tomography that gives information on densities but not molecular length scales. To address this problem, and shed light on the structure of entire clubs, we herein used X-ray powder diffraction computed tomography (XRD-CT) using high energy X-rays at the P07 beamline of PETRA-III to allow penetrating the large samples whilst still obtaining high resolution information. This allowed mapping the 3D distribution of diffraction phases including the biomineral apatite and the semi-crystal chitin matrix. This showed that hydroxyapatite forms an envelope around the club, and that chitin forms 2D sheets in the periodic region of the club.

Creating a comprehensive framework for design, construction and management of healthy buildings

While healthy buildings are investigated in academic research, practice, and policy, they often fail to address the needs and gaps due to insufficient knowledge transfer between them. Moreover, there is no general definition of healthy buildings that could act as a reference for different stakeholders of the building sector. Therefore, this paper presents a novel framework for healthy buildings and a definition for compiling existing knowledge and addressing the needs and gaps. The holistic approach of the framework was developed through an extensive literature review and tested with 12 building case studies in the major European climate zones. The framework outlines five different dimensions (improving mental and physical health, designed for human needs, sustainably built and managed, resilient and adaptive, empowering people), including 24 indicators and sub-indicators. The validation of the framework revealed that it is possible to assess different building projects against different indicators under each dimension. However, challenges remain due to issues such as lack of time, cost of data collection, or lack of documentation. The developed framework provides a balanced approach that promotes both individual well-being and broader sustainability goals. It provides necessary guidance to inform practitioners and policy makers as well as other building sector stakeholders to integrate healthy buildings thinking into their project development, assessment, and decision making.

Dynamic evolution of competing same-dip double subduction: New perspectives of the Neo-Tethyan plate tectonics

Same-dip double-subduction (SDDS) systems are widely reported from present as well as past complex convergent plate tectonic configurations. However, the dynamics of their evolution is poorly understood, which is crucial to conceptualize anomalous subducting slab kinematics and associated observed geological phenomena, such as irregular trench migration rates, high convergence velocities, and slab break-off. To bridge this gap, we develop dynamic thermo-mechanical subduction models and investigate the initiation and evolution of SDDS systems, considering three different initial plate configurations: oceanic, oceanic-continental and multiple continental settings, based on Neo-Tethyan paleo-reconstructions. Each model offers new insights into the complex tectonic history of the major Neo-Tethyan subduction zones, particularly the Indo–Eurasian and Andaman convergent systems. We evaluate the slab-slab interactions, trench and subduction kinematics, inter-plate reorganization, and temporally varying mantle flow patterns involved in the dynamic evolution of these SDDS systems. The oceanic SDDS model simulations reveal that a sizable oceanic plate can initiate two subduction zones synchronously, and they evolve unequally in a competing mode, leading to exceptionally high convergence rates (∼16–17 cm/year) for a prolonged duration (∼7–8 Myr). This finding explains the coeval activity of coupled subduction zones in the Indo-Eurasia convergence during the Cretaceous evolution of the Neo-Tethys. We further implement a corresponding single subduction model to assess the additional effects of competing slab kinematics in an oceanic SDDS setting. The ocean-continent SDDS model, on the other hand, localizes subduction preferentially at passive margins between the oceanic plate and the continental block, forming double subduction zones that grow almost equally to form a spreading centre between the two trenches. These model results allow to reconstruct the Cenozoic evolution of the eastern Neo-Tethyan region, which ultimately led to the development of the Andaman subduction zone. We also show the post-Cretaceous evolution of the Indo–Eurasian collision zone as a consequence of the SDDS dynamics in presence of multiple continental blocks. These dynamics facilitated slab break-off, transforming the SDDS into a single subduction system in a relatively short time frame (∼3 Myr). We finish with a synthesis of the paleo-reconstructions of the Neo-Tethys in the perspective of these SDDS models.

Magnetotelluric evidence for the formation of the layered Sask Craton by flat slab subduction

Long-period magnetotelluric (MT) data were collected at 56 locations over the Sask Craton in 2021 and 2022. The data were combined with existing broadband data and inverted to produce a 3-D resistivity model of the Sask Craton and Trans-Hudson Orogen (THO). The model reveals a number of northeast striking electrically conductive crustal structures that extend into the mantle lithosphere. In the mantle lithosphere, these conductors coalesce into a single large low resistivity anomaly in the depth range 70–85 km termed the Northern Sask Craton (NSC) conductor. The resistivity of the NSC conductor is attributed to sulfides deposited along an interface between a flat slab that was accreted to the base of the pre-THO Sask Craton lithosphere during closure of the Manikewan Ocean. Kimberlites have erupted along the margin of the NSC conductor. The boundary of the conductor likely represents deep-seated faults and mantle terrane boundaries formed during flat slab subduction that allowed the ascent of kimberlite melts. The resistivity of the northeast-trending conductors can be interpreted as due to graphite and sulfides precipitated by past fluid or melt flow during ocean closure and orogensis. A number of these conductors are located beneath known mineral districts and trends and may represent source pathways for regional base and precious metal deposits. Other conductors may represent possible, previously unknown, regions hosting mineralization. Many of these conductors are associated with major regional faults and shear zones, which may be deep-seated features that helped to guide both kimberlites and mineralizing fluids. Of the prominent northeast-trending conductors west of the Sask Craton, one corresponds to the previously reported North American Central Plains (NACP) conductor. The new model shows that this conductor abruptly terminates at 54 °N and is not observed farther south in the model. This shows that the NACP is not as spatially continuous as previously suggested, suggesting that the tectonic processes that formed the THO were not as uniform along-strike as shown in existing tectonic models. The connection of one of the northeast-trending anomalies to the NSC conductor suggests that a previously unrecognized phase of east-dipping subduction may have occurred beneath the Sask Craton as the THO was formed.