Heading towards carbon neutrality: how do marine carbon sinks serve as important handle for promoting marine ecological civilization construction?

As an efficient long-term carbon sink, marine carbon sinks and the associated carbon sink effects, technology, accounting and trading market construction warrant investigation across various disciplines. However, information on the interrelationships and their development over time with respect to the research conducted in China is limited, affecting the ability to drive research directions and optimize continued advancement in this field. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to understand the current situation of marine carbon sink research in China to promote a deeper level of scientific development based on the research literature related to marine blue carbon sinks in the core databases of the China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS). We used bibliometric tools in the Citespace software to quantitatively compare and analyse the main characteristics of marine blue carbon sink research including publication volume, time, journals, authors and institutions. We also explored the popular research topics, frontier areas, and theme evolution trends through keyword clustering and emergent and co-occurring knowledge maps. The key recommended research directions for ocean carbon sinks are: (1) to promote the unified carbon sink market research of land and sea integration through multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research; (2) to achieve new breakthroughs in ocean carbon sinks with the support of coastal wetlands and seawater offshore aquaculture environments; (3) to explore the protection provided by ocean carbon sinks with a comprehensive eco-compensation mechanism; (4) to improve the application of marine carbon sinks by taking the theory and technological innovation research related to marine carbon sinks as the guide. Ultimately, our work helps characterise the current situation of marine carbon sink research, promote the research in this field to a deeper level of development and provide reference for subsequent scholars to carry out related research.

An archaeomagnetic study of the Ishtar Gate, Babylon.

Data from the marriage of paleomagnetism and archaeology (archaeomagnetism) are the backbone of attempts to create geomagnetic field models for ancient times. Paleointensity experimental design has been the focus of intensive efforts and the requirements and shortcomings are increasingly well understood. Some archaeological materials have excellent age control from inscriptions, which can be tied to a given decade or even a specific year in some cases. In this study, we analyzed fired mud bricks used for the construction of the Ishtar Gate, the entrance complex to the ancient city of Babylon in Southern Mesopotamia. We were able to extract reliable intensity data from all three phases of the gate, the earliest of which includes bricks inscribed with the name of King Nebuchadnezzar II (605 to 562 BCE). These results (1) add high quality intensity data to a region relatively unexplored so far (Southern Mesopotamia), (2) contribute to a better understanding of paleosecular variation in this region, and the development of an archaeomagnetic dating reference for one of the key regions in the history of human civilizations; (3) demonstrate the potential of inscribed bricks (glazed and unglazed), a common material in ancient Mesopotamia, to archaeomagnetic studies; and (4) suggest that the gate complex was constructed some time after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem, and that there were no substantial chronological gaps in the construction of each consecutive phase. The best fit of our data (averaging 136±2.1 ZAm2) with those of the reference curve (the Levantine Archaeomagnetic Curve) is 569 BCE.

Animal movement on the hoof and on the cart and its implications for understanding exchange within the Indus Civilisation.

Movement of resources was essential to the survival and success of early complex societies. The sources and destinations of goods and the means of transportation - be it by boats, carts and/or foot - can often be inferred, but the logistics of these movements are inherently more difficult to ascertain. Here, we use strontium isotopic analysis to test hypotheses about the role of animal and animal-powered transport in medium and long-distance movement and exchange, using the Indus Civilization as a case study. Across the wide geographical spread of the Indus Civilisation, there is strong evidence for long-distance exchange of raw materials and finished objects and this process is presumed to involve boats and animal-driven transport, although there is little evidence as to the relative importance of each mode of movement. Strontium isotopic analysis of animal remains from four sites analysed for this study combined with results from nine other sites indicates limited long-distance animal movement between different geological zones within the Indus Civilisation. These findings suggest that individual animals primarily moved short- or medium-distances, though there are several significant exceptions seen in some pigs and cattle found at two large urban sites. We infer that long-distance transport of goods, be it raw materials, finished objects, other goods, or the animals themselves, could have occurred through the use of boats and waterways, by traction animals moving over long distances that did not end up in the archaeological record, and/or by different animals participating in many short to medium-distance movements.

Climate change, society, and pandemic disease in Roman Italy between 200 BCE and 600 CE.

Records of past societies confronted with natural climate change can illuminate social responses to environmental stress and environment-disease connections, especially when locally constrained high-temporal resolution paleoclimate reconstructions are available. We present a temperature and precipitation reconstruction for ~200 BCE to ~600 CE, from a southern Italian marine sedimentary archive-the first high-resolution (~3 years) climate record from the heartland of the Roman Empire, stretching from the so-called Roman Climate Optimum to the Late Antique Little Ice Age. We document phases of instability and cooling from ~100 CE onward but more notably after ~130 CE. Pronounced cold phases between ~160 to 180 CE, ~245 to 275 CE, and after ~530 CE associate with pandemic disease, suggesting that climate stress interacted with social and biological variables. The importance of environment-disease dynamics in past civilizations underscores the need to incorporate health in risk assessments of climate change.

Unraveling the research trend of ecological civilization and sustainable development: A bibliometric analysis.

Ecological civilization has emerged as an innovative form of civilization in China, and sustainable development has been widely recognized as a globally leading development model. These two concepts are closely related. The international English literature focuses on hot topics in the field of sustainable development such as climate change, urbanization, government management, and ecosystems, while the Chinese literature emphasizes ecological civilization concepts with Chinese characteristics, such as green development, beautiful China, and scientific development concepts. Ecological civilization and sustainable development are both responses to resource, environmental, and ecological crises and have emerged from the same historical background. The two concepts complement each other, with ecological civilization providing an ideological foundation for sustainable development, and sustainable development serving as the implementation path and concrete manifestation of ecological civilization. To deepen research on ecological civilization and sustainable development, it is necessary to build a global community with a shared future, address the major strategic needs of different countries or regions, innovate and develop interdisciplinary theories, methods, and technologies, strengthen international cooperation, provide disciplinary support for ecological civilization and sustainable development research, and provide country-specific research solutions for global and regional sustainable development.

GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH ENLIGTENMENT2.0 IN ACTIONFOR GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY, PEACE AND EMPATHIC CIVILIZATION.

Mental health as a crucial global public good requires action of all scientific, political, social and cultural disciplines and sectors in our VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world. Empathy based on love as life philosophy and a way of being in the world is the most essential and basic core element in human communications which leads to healthy, creative, flourishing, and well-functioning families, communities, nations, societies, and civilizations. Culture of empathy is an essential part of the new 2.0 Enlightenment which is a mental, social, spiritual and political movement that inspires aspiration towards global human spirit, collective mind and humanistic self, public and global mental health, cosmopolitism and empathic civilization.

The development of ecological civilization in China based on the economic-social-natural complex system.

China is making great efforts to build an ecological civilization. To reveal the effectiveness and spatial characteristics of the ecological civilization development in China, we constructed an Ecological Civilization Evaluation Index (ECI) based on the economic-social-natural complex system. We evaluated the development level of the ecological civilization in China from 2004 to 2020 and discussed the coupling and coordination relationship between subsystems. We found that the ecological civilization of China has achieved remarkable results. The relationship among the three subsystems has been improved to some extent, but the high-quality development of the economic system still requires effort. The development level of the ecological civilization in China presents spatial heterogeneity. From east to west, 30 provinces can be classified into four different types of development. On the whole, the development of China's ecological civilization has provided experiences for the world.

Technology of genomic balancing of chromatin of autologous hematopoietic stem cells for gene therapy of fatal immune-mediated diseases of civilization, extended life expectancy and sudden human death prevention.

A biotechnology for personalized ex vivo gene therapy based on molecular genomic balancing of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) chromatin with nucleosome monomers of human genomic DNA (hDNAnmr) has been developed and implemented in the clinic to change (to "correct") mutant chromosome loci genomes of dominant HSC clones that form mono- and oligoclonal hematopoiesis during aging and major (oncological, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and autoimmune) fatal immune-mediated diseases of civilization. A fundamentally new biotechnological approach has been applied to the delivery of genetic material into eukaryotic stem and progenitor cells by establishing an artificial "recombinogenic situation" in them to induce homologous recombination (equivalent replacement) of mutant DNA regions with healthy hDNAnmr. In experimental preclinical trials, the effectiveness of genomic balancing technology has been proven to reduce the risk of sudden death in old animals and to increase the lifespan of outbred mice by 30% and Wistar rats by 57%. The improvement in their quality of life, compared with the control, is explained by an increase in the telomeric regions of the HSCs and HPCs chromosomes by 1.5-2 times. The potential of the technology to slow down the hereditary neurodegenerative diseases on the model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is shown. The effectiveness of this technology in clinical practice is presented on the example of a terminal patient with stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer. This technology used in the treatment of a number of oncological, neurodegenerative, autoimmune and hereditary diseases with clonal hematopoiesis is able to arrest the progression of the disease, prevent its recurrence, prolong the active life of a person, increase the average life expectancy and prevent sudden death.

Transportation infrastructure and eco-environmental quality: Evidence from China's high-speed rail.

Ecological civilization construction is China's national development strategy, and improving the urban eco-environmental quality is the key to accelerating this strategy, while the high-speed rail (HSR) opening is an important factor affecting the urban eco-environmental quality. Using panel data of 290 cities in China from 2004 to 2020, this study explores the impact of HSR opening on urban eco-environmental quality and its heterogeneity from the perspective of direct impact and interaction between HSR connected cities. Compared with cities without HSR service, the eco-environmental quality of cities with HSR service has significantly increased by 0.023 standard deviations, which is about 4.11% of the total change in urban eco-environmental quality in the same period. Second, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between eco-environmental quality and urban space expansion. Third, the impact of HSR on eco-environmental quality is heterogeneous, mainly manifested in different cities and urban agglomerations. It means that the government should focus on the differences in the economic foundation and development characteristics of various regions, steadily push forward the construction and operation of the HSR, and speed up the renovation of existing lines to help the green development of cities. The research results provide a policy basis for the government to handle the relationship between infrastructure construction and eco-environmental quality, and effectively promote green sustainable development.

Eco-civilization: A complementary pathway rooted in theory and practice for global sustainable development.

Eco-civilization, as a civilizational discourse led by China, implies the next stage of civilization after industrial civilization, the essence of which is to respect, conform to, and protect nature. Although the international community is paying more attention to eco-civilization, the existing literature still lacks a systematic discussion of which theories and practices underpin the construction of eco-civilization. Due to the ambiguity of eco-civilization, some even criticize it as being a form of purely partisan politics in China. By systematically reviewing its theoretical pillars, practical actions, and major achievements, this perspective paper argues that China's eco-civilization is not a partisan politics, but rather a legitimate, imperative pathway to global sustainable development rooted in complementary theory and practice, i.e., theories guide practices, and practices enrich theories. We highlight that the theoretical basis and practical actions of eco-civilization constitute a continual improvement process that permits diverse viewpoints and understanding, and any action exploring how to achieve a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature is consistent with the values of eco-civilization.

Understanding ecological civilization in China: From political context to science.

China's concept of "ecological civilization" can be understood as a new system of development and governance based on the perspective of political decision-making. Environmental management, ecological restoration, and green development are its primary principles-distinctly different from industrial and agricultural-oriented civilizations. In this paper, we evaluate the evolution of political connotations of the ecological civilization concept in China over the past 15 years through a textual analysis approach. Additionally, we systematically outline an ecological civilization indicator system and analyze its evolutionary process, applicable scales, and role in guiding the implementation of the ecological civilization concept. Eco-civilization demonstration sites and experiences are also discussed, followed by a review of academic research and policy-making responses. Finally, we propose different perspectives on the outlook for the future of ecological civilization development in China.

Corporate environmental investment and sustainable development: based on the perspective of Marxist ecological civilization.

This paper uses the sample of all A-share listed companies in China's securities market except insurance and financial enterprises from 2009 to 2021 to construct a long panel data, and explores whether the environmental investment of enterprises will promote their long-term sustainable development in China's unique and superior institutional and cultural environment from the perspective of Marxist ecological civilization. On the basis of controlling measurement errors, omitted variables, and endogenous problems of mutual causality to ensure the robustness of the research results, and further distinguishing the heterogeneous effects of environmental investment and sustainable development of enterprises in different degrees of market-oriented environment, the empirical study shows that (1) there is a significant positive relationship between environmental investment and sustainable development of enterprises. That is to say, environmental investment can help enterprises obtain social capital, alleviate resource constraints, enhance their market performance, and thus help their sustainable development in the future; (2) environmental protection investment has a significant positive impact on the sustainable development of enterprises in the mature market environment, while in the relatively backward market environment, environmental protection investment has no significant role in promoting the sustainable development of enterprises. This paper enriches the literature on corporate environmental investment, makes a preliminary test of the implementation effect of sustainable development in China, and provides more detailed empirical evidence for the government to further guide the implementation and implementation of corporate environmental responsibility.

Forecasting the progression of human civilization on the Kardashev Scale through 2060 with a machine learning approach.

Energy has been propelling the development of human civilization for millennia. Humanity presently stands at Type 0.7276 on the Kardashev Scale, which was proposed to quantify the relationship between energy consumption and the development of civilizations. However, current predictions of human civilization remain underdeveloped and energy consumption models are oversimplified. In order to improve the precision of the prediction, we use machine learning models random forest and autoregressive integrated moving average to simulate and predict energy consumption on a global scale and the position of humanity on the Kardashev Scale through 2060. The result suggests that global energy consumption is expected to reach ~ 887 EJ in 2060, and humanity will become a Type 0.7449 civilization. Additionally, the potential energy segmentation changes before 2060 and the influence of the advent of nuclear fusion are discussed. We conclude that if energy strategies and technologies remain in the present course, it may take human civilization millennia to become a Type 1 civilization. The machine learning tool we develop significantly improves the previous projection of the Kardashev Scale, which is critical in the context of civilization development.

Early contact between late farming and pastoralist societies in southeastern Europe.

Archaeogenetic studies have described two main genetic turnover events in prehistoric western Eurasia: one associated with the spread of farming and a sedentary lifestyle starting around 7000-6000 BC (refs. 1-3) and a second with the expansion of pastoralist groups from the Eurasian steppes starting around 3300 BC (refs. 4,5). The period between these events saw new economies emerging on the basis of key innovations, including metallurgy, wheel and wagon and horse domestication6-9. However, what happened between the demise of the Copper Age settlements around 4250 BC and the expansion of pastoralists remains poorly understood. To address this question, we analysed genome-wide data from 135 ancient individuals from the contact zone between southeastern Europe and the northwestern Black Sea region spanning this critical time period. While we observe genetic continuity between Neolithic and Copper Age groups from major sites in the same region, from around 4500 BC on, groups from the northwestern Black Sea region carried varying amounts of mixed ancestries derived from Copper Age groups and those from the forest/steppe zones, indicating genetic and cultural contact over a period of around 1,000 years earlier than anticipated. We propose that the transfer of critical innovations between farmers and transitional foragers/herders from different ecogeographic zones during this early contact was integral to the formation, rise and expansion of pastoralist groups around 3300 BC.

The impact of Water Ecological Civilization City Pilot on urban green innovation: the case of China.

As an essential part of ecological civilization, water ecological civilization has significant influence on the green and sustainable development of cities. Under the background of China's Water Ecological Civilization City Pilot (WECCP), based on data from 275 cities in China from 2007 to 2019 by using the difference-in-differences (DID) model, we empirically analyzed the influence of the WECCP establishment on urban green innovation and explored the impact mechanism in depth using a mediating effect model, which aimed to verify whether the "Porter hypothesis" holds true in China. The result indicated that the WECCP had made a remarkable contribution to enhancing urban green innovation in the pilot cities. Further research found that the input mechanism played an important mediating role. In addition, the heterogeneity test indicated that cities in the central region, at low administrative levels, and in the first batch of pilots gained more from the policy establishment. This paper has theoretical implications for understanding the derived innovation benefits of the environmental policy, practical implications for identifying new drivers of urban innovation, and provides related experience for the country to further promote and expand water ecological civilization construction and useful policy inspiration for other developing countries to formulate ecological and environmental policies.

The ancient roots of dentistry in the Mediterranean civilizations: between Etruscan and Greek traditions up to the time of imperial Rome.

Etruscans, people living in Etruria (Umbria and Tuscany, Italy), were the first to make dentures and false teeth, from 700 BCE onwards. The aim of this study was to investigate, through archaeological and anthropological records, the Etruscans ability in dental practice to understand better Greek's influence on their medical knowledge and, subsequently, the transmission of their medical expertise to Romans. We extensively searched literature to find out references in previous studies on Etruscan medical and dental practice by using keywords such as "Etruscan medicine" and "Etruscan dentistry." We selected various historical papers, from the ancient age texts of 5th century to 2020, which best focused on the review's purpose. Etruscan civilization was influenced by Greek's culture throughout Italian colonies and later "merge" into Greek-Roman culture. Their medical practice based on a mixture of mythology, religion, and technical abilities, especially regarding metalworking. Archaeological remains show a great competence in creating dental prosthesis and in treatment of oral diseases. The results of this paper provide an evident contribution to the knowledge of Etruscan culture, still largely unknown by an anthropological point of view, and their strong relationship with the Greeks colonies, in a profitable cultural exchange.

Trephinations, Trephines, and Craniectomies: Contrast Between Global Ancient Civilizations and Pre-Hispanic Mexican Cultures.

Mesoamerica is culturally rich in diverse aspects, such as nature, sociology, and archeology. Several neurosurgical techniques were described during the Pre-Hispanic era. In Mexico, various cultures, such as the Aztec, Mixtec, Zapotec, Mayan, Tlatilcan, and Tarahumara, developed surgical procedures using different tools to perform cranial and probably brain interventions. Trepanations, trephines, and craniectomies are different concepts utilized to describe skull operations, which were conducted to treat traumatic, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric diseases, and as a prominent form of ritual practice. More than 40 skulls have been rescued and studied in this region. In addition to written medical sources, archeological vestiges allow a more profound comprehension of Pre-Columbian brain surgery. The purpose of this study is to present the existing evidence of cranial surgery in Pre-Hispanic Mexican civilizations and their worldwide counterparts, procedures that have contributed to the global neurosurgical armamentarium, and have significantly impacted the medical practice's evolution.

Specular Reflections from Artificial Surfaces as Technosignature.

Direct imaging of exoplanets will allow for observation of a planet in reflected light. Such a scenario may eventually allow for the possibility to scan a planetary surface for the presence of artificial structures made by alien civilizations. Detectability of planetary-scale structures, called megastructures, has been previously explored. In this work, we show that it is possible to detect structures of much smaller scale on exoplanetary surfaces by searching for the specular reflection of host starlight from the corresponding structures. As the planet rotates, these reflections can manifest as an optical transient riding atop the rotational light curve of the planet. Due to the directional nature of specular reflection, the reflected signal is very strong, and it is comparable to the planetary flux for surfaces that cover only a few parts per million of the total planetary surface area. By tracking the planet around its orbit, it should be possible to scan the planetary surface for any such structures that cover a size larger than a few parts per million of planetary surface. The proposed method will aid in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence in the era of direct imaging of exoplanets.

The construction efficiency study of China National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone with network SBM model: a city-based analysis.

The Chinese government proposed the establishment of China National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone in 2016 to further explore the coordinated development of economy and environment. Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guizhou provinces were selected as the first batch of pilot zones. After years of exploration, it is necessary to discuss and summarize the construction progress of the three pilot zones from the perspective of the city. In this study, first, the ecological civilization pilot zone construction system was decomposed into an economic construction subsystem (ECS) and an environmental optimization subsystem (EOS). Then, a two-stage network SBM model was adopted to calculate the efficiencies of the subsystems, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to measure the efficiency difference. Finally, a panel data regression model was applied to explore the influencing factors of both subsystems. The results show that the ECS efficiency is higher than that of the EOS, and the ECS efficiency in Fujian is significantly better than that in Jiangxi and Guizhou. However, there is no significant difference in EOS efficiency in the three provinces. Furthermore, industrial structure and population agglomeration have a significant effect on ECS efficiency, environmental regulation has a significant impact on EOS, and the technology level has a significant impact on both subsystems. Based on the results, policy implications for improving the efficiency of the two subsystems were given respectively.