Bone and tissue fractions, obtained in 2017 following hip replacement surgery on a healthy Caucasian male, born in 1944, reflect in their 14C concentrations the integrated effect of the lifetime metabolic uptake and replacement of atmospheric bomb 14C at different tissue-specific turnover rates. The 14C content of hair and nails reflects recent carbon uptake. The 14C values in healthy cartilage and bone collagen/apatite correspond to those of the “local” atmosphere during the 2005–2009 Northern Hemisphere growing seasons, while those from damaged areas of the femur head correspond to the atmosphere in 2013–2014. A simple bone growth and regeneration model used in combination with the NH atmospheric 14C concentrations indicates remodelling rates around 9% per year in the healthy bone and a doubling to tripling in the damaged area depending on the model chosen. The differences in 14C concentration observed in the fractions provide both a caveat for sample selection for the 14C dating of archaeological bones and an indication of its potential in forensics and as a diagnostic tool for turnover rates in medical studies.

Deep-sea trawl samples collected from the west coast of India have revealed several previously undetected species inhabiting the deep waters. This study reports the first record of Bathycongrus nasicus from the western Indian waters and the second record from the entire western Indian Ocean. A single specimen of B. nasicus was collected from the Neendakara fishery harbour in southern Kerala. The species identity was confirmed morphometrically by comparing it with previous records, and the study provides the first molecular identification of this rare congrid eel. The presence of B. nasicus in the western Indian waters suggests its potential distribution throughout the northern Indian Ocean, with prior records from the Bay of Bengal and the western Arabian Sea. This new record indicates that there might be occurrences of several previously unknown fish species in the non-commercial fishery of this region, underscoring the importance of survey collections of non-commercial fishes, which play a crucial role in marine ecosystems.

We conduct an ensemble of simulations of the englacial temperature field of the Antarctic ice sheet to gauge the sensitivity to uncertainties in geothermal heat flow, surface climatic conditions, ice thermodynamics and dynamics. We compare the modeled temperature fields with observational constraints, including deep-borehole temperature measurements, englacial temperatures retrieved from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite observations, and the distribution of subglacial lakes to determine the most likely boundary conditions. Results show that temperate basal conditions prevail over 60% of the Antarctic ice sheet, with a mean basal melt rate of 6.9 mm a−1. The ensemble mean subglacial meltwater production over the grounded ice sheet is 69 Gt a−1, with a contribution of 51% from geothermal heat and 49% from frictional heat. While geothermal heat flow remains the largest source of uncertainty, heat flow datasets leading to colder conditions tend to fit englacial temperature measurements better. However, ice thermomechanical approximations influence the shape of temperature profiles and may, in some cases, be more important than the geothermal heat flow. Furthermore, since frictional heat contributes significantly to basal melt in regions hosting fast-flowing glaciers, uncertainties in basal slipperiness affect the basal melt estimates as much as the geothermal heat flow.

Pygoscelis penguins are valuable indicators of the effects of rapid warming in the Antarctic Peninsula. In the western Antarctic Peninsula, Adélie penguins show a declining population trend, whereas gentoo penguins are expanding. The notably low reproductive success of Adélie but not gentoo penguins at Ardley Island during the 2023/2024 breeding season provided an opportunity to explore the potential effects of weather conditions and food availability as possible determinants of reproductive output. We explore associations between reproductive output, air temperature, wind speed, wind chill temperature and accumulated rain and snow. As a proxy for food availability, we used data of penguins’ foraging trips, which reflect krill abundance. A late-winter storm at the end of October 2023 led to a record-low wind chill temperature and sustained snow cover, negatively affecting the number of eggs that hatched successfully and/or the number of chicks that survived the first days after hatching. The effects were similar for both species, yet for gentoo penguins chick survival in the late stage of the chick-rearing phase was remarkably higher, possibly due to high food availability and a longer nestling period. As previously suggested, the greater plasticity of gentoo penguins may allow them to mitigate the negative effects of environmental variability, potentially explaining this divergent breeding success despite unusually harsh meteorological conditions.

This study is the first report on the monotypic Codonaria cistellula (Fol, 1883) Kofoid & Campbell, 1939 from the North-Eastern Arabian Sea (NEAS), Indian Ocean. The species was recorded at a water temperature of 25–26 °C and a salinity of 36‰, from a depth of 75–100 m in the NEAS. Two morphotypes were encountered from the region, yet the lorica opening diameter (LOD) remained within a narrow range of 46–50 µm. Moreover, as the original description lacks information on LOD, the circumscription of the species is difficult due to the lorica polymorphism, warranting further genetic analyses.

Folds within layered rock systems are critical for comprehending the historical processes of deformation and the rheological behaviour of rocks. The current study employs finite element modelling to investigate the development of folds in a layered rock system, with a particular focus on the impact of thinner layers on the folding of adjacent thicker layers and their subsequent interactions. The analysis indicates that harmonic folds can evolve into polyharmonic or disharmonic configurations because of the intricate interactions occurring within the contact strain zone of the thinner layer. Our numerical findings demonstrate that the geometry of folds is significantly affected by the reciprocal interactions between thinner and thicker layers, initiated by the folding of the thinner units and their consequent influence on the thicker layers, and vice versa. This dynamic interplay, however, may frequently diverge from predictions made by more simplistic models, as suggested by earlier studies. Furthermore, this research highlights the potential of utilizing higher-order fold geometries to estimate the relative viscosity between the layers and the embedded medium.

A reassessment of radiocarbon counting statistics in accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at the Andre E. Lalonde National Facility revealed that the traditionally assumed Poisson distribution may not always apply. An extensive analysis of 2.5 years of 14C and 12C data was conducted on a MICADAS™ AMS. This study found that only 63% of results adhered to Poisson statistics, while 34.2% showed slight deviations, and 2.8% exhibited strong non-Poisson behavior. This finding challenges the classic assumption that radiocarbon AMS is inherently a Poisson process. This study recommends considering non-Poisson models, specifically quasi-Poisson and negative binomial models, to better account for internal error and improve the accuracy of the reported error. Integrating 12C current noise into error calculations is also suggested as it plays a significant role in measurement variability. We would like to ignite curiosity on other AMS laboratories to test the non-Poisson error framework with the broader aim of assessing its applicability in improving conventional statistical models, error expansion methods, and in ensuring more accurate and reliable 14C results.

This study examines the implementation challenges of the carbon tax and related mechanisms and governmental initiatives (such as the border carbon tax) within the framework of the World Trade Organization. As these issues are relevant to Kazakhstan as well, the mentioned problems are considered from the perspective of potential complexities for the country. The research suggests that accusations of protectionist policies by the European Union (EU) may escalate, although there is currently no compelling evidence that the decision to introduce them was a deliberate protectionist measure. Based on the research findings, it is evident that the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will increase costs for EU importers, which are likely to be passed on to consumers, especially due to the gradual phasing out of free emissions trading quotas.

We report the introduction of Juxtacribrilina mutabilis, a nonindigenous marine encrusting bryozoan, to eastern Canada. Previously reported as a nonindigenous species (NIS) in Europe and Maine, USA, this species is of potential ecological concern due to its propensity to foul eelgrass (Zostera marina), an ecologically important habitat-forming coastal species. By compiling prior unpublished records, re-evaluating existing specimens, and collecting new records of J. mutabilis, we discovered that the species has a widespread distribution in eastern Canada. Specimen reclassification efforts in our study indicate that J. mutabilis has been present in eastern Canada since at least 2013, but the species largely escaped notice until 2024, likely due to its similarity to other encrusting bryozoan species and other factors inhibiting its detection. In light of the distributional and genetic data collected in this study, we reconstruct the possible invasion history of J. mutabilis in eastern Canada, including potential introduction mechanisms, timing, and source regions. We also discuss the ecology of J. mutabilis in eastern Canada, evaluating the factors influencing the morphology of the bryozoan, assessing its potential to detrimentally impact its eelgrass substrate, and estimating its environmental niche. Further research into the distribution, ecology, and potential impacts of J. mutabilis in eastern Canada is recommended. This case study highlights the importance of diversity in the habitats surveyed and methods used when monitoring for marine NIS, the need for horizon scanning to raise awareness of potential NIS, and the advantages of multi-party collaboration and citizen science for early detection of such species.