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Abstract We present a multi-proxy investigation of a lower Carnian basinal succession from Polzberg in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Lower Austria). A section comprising a unique Konservat-Lagerstätte was studied based on bio- and chemostratigraphy along with geophysical methods, yielding a detailed and robust stratigraphic calibration of the Polzberg succession. The Polzberg section revealed the paleoceanographic history and helped to identify a global climatic reversal, the Carnian Pluvial Episode. The age of the Upper Triassic Reingraben formation in the Northern Calcareous Alps is refined as the Austrotrachyceras austriacum Zone within the lower Carnian (Julian 2). Ammonoids and conodonts provide a detailed biostratigraphic subdivision that serves as a basis for analyses of the faunal distribution and the paleoenvironmental evolution of the Upper Triassic Reifling Basin. The succession includes lithological and facies changes similar to those of coeval units in the Tethys. The Carnian was characterized by a weak (~ 1‰) positive δ13C trend, punctuated by a negative shift during the lower Carnian corresponding to the initiation of the Carnian Pluvial Episode, a period representing the onset of early/late Carnian transitional global greenhouse conditions. Organic maturity parameters and the conodont alteration index (CAI) show that the thermal overprint of the Polzberg section is low. Biomarker proxies suggest that the organic matter of the uppermost Göstling formation is a mixture of marine and terrestrial material deposited in a dysoxic environment. Within the overlaying Reingraben formation, the amount of marine biomass decreased gradually upwards. Oxygen-depleted conditions, probably due to water-column stratification, continued during deposition of the Reingraben formation. Bacterial sulfate reduction played a major role in organic matter degradation.

Severe disturbances of landscapes entail an ecosystem development with the formation of structures and functions which may reach either a new equilibrium state or a state similar to the original ecosystem. Natural disturbances can result from major events such as volcanoes, glaciers, or denudations from landslides. Major disturbance may also evolve from anthropogenic influences such as from mining operations. They all can be considered starting points for the development of ecosystems from 'point zero', which was one central research interest of Dieter Mueller-Dombois. In this paper results from research in the Lusatian post-mining landscapes (Eastern Germany) are presented. Different methodological approaches are discussed. The well-defined 'point zero' of the ecosystem development allows for research on chronosequence designs as well as real time series studies. Chronosequences have been investigated to gain insight into the medium to long-term direction of the development. Real time series are recorded to obtain a more detailed understanding. The paper is structured into three main parts: First, effects of ecosystem disturbances by mining in Lusatia and the initial conditions for restoration are presented. In the following part practical rehabilitation measures and land use options are discussed. Finally, the third part summarizes results of long-term monitoring in an artificial watershed. In conclusion, post-mining landscapes allow for relevant case studies of ecosystem development after severe disturbances. Particularly, the starting point of the initial phase is very well defined which distinguishes these anthropogenically disturbed landscapes from landscapes after natural disturbances. Keywords: ecosystem disturbance, ecosystem development, post-mining landscapes, reclamation, artificial catchment, AMONG THE MOST SERIOUS disturbances of ecosystems mining activities cause massive changes of ecosystem composition, structure, and processes. Particularly, open-cast mining results in complete destruction of previous ecosystems and the [...]

The extent to which projects are established as an organizational form in society to cope with various challenges has been analyzed extensively in research under the term ‘projectification’. However, it remains unclear how the projectification at the level of society begins and which actors are involved in its institutionalization. Drawing on an explanatory case study in post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, responses are provided to these questions and propositions for further research. The country is undertaking reforms as part of its ongoing transformation, which includes the professional implementation of projects, particularly in the public sector. These activities are, to some extent, based on the developments in project management in neighboring Kazakhstan, where a presidential decree also constituted a first step towards the institutionalization of projectification. It later found its way into relevant sectors and to key actors via the presidential administration, primarily through regulative and normative institutions. Because of increased international cooperation, the number and importance of projects in Kyrgyzstan will continue to increase in the coming years, requiring greater emphasis on projectification. The results are informative for research into projectification and for those involved in countries with comparable situations.

Catalysts are quantum systems that open up dynamical pathways between quantum states which are otherwise inaccessible under a given set of operational restrictions while, at the same time, they do not change their quantum state. We here consider the restrictions imposed by symmetries and conservation laws, where any quantum channel has to be covariant with respect to the unitary representation of a symmetry group, and present two results. First, for an exact catalyst to be useful, it has to build up correlations to either the system of interest or the degrees of freedom dilating the given process to covariant unitary dynamics. This explains why catalysts in pure states are useless. Second, if a quantum system ("reference frame") is used to simulate to high precision unitary dynamics (which possibly violates the conservation law) on another system via a global, covariant quantum channel, then this channel can be chosen so that the reference frame is approximately catalytic. In other words, a reference frame that simulates unitary dynamics to high precision degrades only very little.

The paper considers geochemical data on the biomarker composition of oils from the fields of the Terek-Caspian oil and gas basin. Samples of oils from the fields of the main oil and gas bearing regions of the Eastern Ciscaucasia – Terek-Sunzha zone, Prikumsky swell, Piedmont Dagestan and the Middle Caspian Sea were studied. To determine the “geochemical” age of oils, the ratios of regular steranes in saturated oil fractions were analyzed. It was found that the value of the biomarker parameter St28/St29, which determines the geological age of the original organic matter for oils, varies widely – 0.36–1.47. The most “ancient” age (Devonian-Carboniferous) was determined for the oils of the Prikumsky swell and the water area of the Middle Caspian; in the Terek-Sunzha zone and Piedmont Dagestan, an increase in the proportion of St28 sterane is recorded in oils, which indicates a younger generation age (up to the Paleogene). The data obtained can be used to clarify the history of the formation of hydrocarbon accumulations in this region.

The public sector in Germany lags behind the economy in terms of projectification, i.e., the prevalence of projects and experience in applying project management. This has significant implications for realizing complex infrastructure projects in which the public sector is involved as one of the main actors. Nowadays, projectification represents a particular way of thinking about how to embrace a series of dynamic and challenging changes, design them, and implement them effectively for the benefit of society. A quantitative study of projectification in society in Germany was the starting point for our research, the results of which we compared with data from earlier studies of projectification in the economy. Using an interpretative case study drawing on insights from the Berlin Airport, we analyzed the impact of lagging projectification in the public sector in Germany on realizing infrastructure projects to propose suitable approaches. The results of this case study reveal significant effects of lagging projectification in the public sector of Germany on realizing infrastructure projects. In the case of the Berlin BER Airport, an inadequate governance system led to a 9-year delay in the completion date and a 250% overrun of costs directly attributable to the project. This could have been avoided by involving the private construction industry more collaboratively, by building on previous experiences gained, and by a more cooperative way of project planning and implementation. To guide future research, hypotheses are derived that can be used to analyze the underlying problem in greater depth and to derive recommendations for action.

We study continuous variable systems, in which quantum and classical degrees of freedom are combined and treated on the same footing. Thus all systems, including the inputs or outputs to a channel, may be quantum-classical hybrids. This allows a unified treatment of a large variety of quantum operations involving measurements or dependence on classical parameters. The basic variables are given by canonical operators with scalar commutators. Some variables may commute with all others and hence generate a classical subsystem. We systematically study the class of "quasifree" operations, which are characterized equivalently either by an intertwining condition for phase-space translations or by the requirement that, in the Heisenberg picture, Weyl operators are mapped to multiples of Weyl operators. This includes the well-known Gaussian operations, evolutions with quadratic Hamiltonians, and "linear Bosonic channels", but allows for much more general kinds of noise. For example, all states are quasifree. We sketch the analysis of quasifree preparation, measurement, repeated observation, cloning, teleportation, dense coding, the setup for the classical limit, and some aspects of irreversible dynamics, together with the precise salient tradeoffs of uncertainty, error, and disturbance. Although the spaces of observables and states are infinite dimensional for every non-trivial system that we consider, we treat the technicalities related to this in a uniform and conclusive way, providing a calculus that is both easy to use and fully rigorous.

In the minimal scenario of quantum correlations, two parties can choose from two observables with two possible outcomes each. Probabilities are specified by four marginals and four correlations. The resulting four-dimensional convex body of correlations, denoted $\mathcal{Q}$, is fundamental for quantum information theory. We review and systematize what is known about $\mathcal{Q}$, and add many details, visualizations, and complete proofs. In particular, we provide a detailed description of the boundary, which consists of three-dimensional faces isomorphic to elliptopes and sextic algebraic manifolds of exposed extreme points. These patches are separated by cubic surfaces of non-exposed extreme points. We provide a trigonometric parametrization of all extreme points, along with their exposing Tsirelson inequalities and quantum models. All non-classical extreme points (exposed or not) are self-testing, i.e., realized by an essentially unique quantum model. Two principles, which are specific to the minimal scenario, allow a quick and complete overview: The first is the pushout transformation, i.e., the application of the sine function to each coordinate. This transforms the classical correlation polytope exactly into the correlation body $\mathcal{Q}$, also identifying the boundary structures. The second principle, self-duality, is an isomorphism between $\mathcal{Q}$ and its polar dual, i.e., the set of affine inequalities satisfied by all quantum correlations (“Tsirelson inequalities''). The same isomorphism links the polytope of classical correlations contained in $\mathcal{Q}$ to the polytope of no-signalling correlations, which contains $\mathcal{Q}$. We also discuss the sets of correlations achieved with fixed Hilbert space dimension, fixed state or fixed observables, and establish a new non-linear inequality for $\mathcal{Q}$ involving the determinant of the correlation matrix.

In the case of a quantum-classical hybrid system with a finite number of degrees of freedom, the problem of characterizing the most general dynamical semigroup is solved, under the restriction of being quasi-free. This is a generalization of a Gaussian dynamics, and it is defined by the property of sending (hybrid) Weyl operators into Weyl operators in the Heisenberg description. The result is a quantum generalization of the Lévy–Khintchine formula; Gaussian and jump contributions are included. As a byproduct, the most general quasi-free quantum-dynamical semigroup is obtained; on the classical side the Liouville equation and the Kolmogorov–Fokker–Planck equation are included. As a classical subsystem can be observed, in principle, without perturbing it, information can be extracted from the quantum system, even in continuous time; indeed, the whole construction is related to the theory of quantum measurements in continuous time. While the dynamics is formulated to give the hybrid state at a generic time t, we show how to extract multi-time probabilities and how to connect them to the quantum notions of positive operator-valued measure and instrument. The structure of the generator of the dynamical semigroup is analyzed, in order to understand how to go on to non-quasi-free cases and to understand the possible classical-quantum interactions; in particular, all the interaction terms which allow to extract information from the quantum system necessarily vanish if no dissipation is present in the dynamics of the quantum component. A concrete example is given, showing how a classical component can input noise into a quantum one and how the classical system can extract information on the behavior of the quantum one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which projects are established as an organizational form in society to cope with various challenges has been analyzed extensively in research under the term 'projectification'. However, it remains unclear how the projectification at the level of society begins and which actors are involved in its institutionalization. Drawing on an explanatory case study in post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, responses are provided to these questions and propositions for further research. The country is undertaking reforms as part of its ongoing transformation, which includes the professional implementation of projects, particularly in the public sector. These activities are, to some extent, based on the developments in project management in neighboring Kazakhstan, where a presidential decree also constituted a first step towards the institutionalization of projectification. It later found its way into relevant sectors and to key actors via the presidential administration, primarily through regulative and normative institutions. Because of increased international cooperation, the number and importance of projects in Kyrgyzstan will continue to increase in the coming years, requiring greater emphasis on projectification. The results are informative for research into projectification and for those involved in countries with comparable situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) business in Europa is increasingly under pressure. Lack of productivity, low or negative profit margins for investors, and the lack of adopting necessary innovations and digitalization—from engineering activities through operations and maintenance to decommissioning—have caused significant deprivation of business and competitiveness compared to emerging providers in Asia. The quest for reducing capital expenditures (CAPEX) in EPC projects is intensifying. In May 2018, a research project was started to analyze the situation and key trends through desk research, to research how the challenges of the business could be tackled and to derive practical guidance for EPC contractors as well as for investors, owners, and operators (O/O). The project aimed to propose innovative ways of improving the EPC business model to reach the next level (“EPC 4.0”). In doing so, lessons learned from the automotive and aviation industry were considered. A key objective of the research project was to challenge statements of international EPC experts to cut CAPEX by 40–50% in EPC projects. With this statement in mind, the research focused on identifying measures with potential in six areas: (1) digitalization, (2) partnering, (3) flat supply chains, (4) flexible organizations, (5) core competences, and (6) the human factor. Summarizing the findings in these areas, the EPC 4.0 project came to a savings potential of up to 50% of the total budgeted project costs.

A shale lithofacies scheme is commonly used to characterize source rock reservoirs of the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation. However, this classification ignores that individual components such as quartz may have different origins, potentially affecting reservoir quality. The main objective of this article is, therefore, to present a refined scheme for lithofacies and an image processing workflow for the detection of quartz types in the Niutitang Formation shales from the Jiumen outcrop in the Guizhou Province (Upper Yangtze Basin, SW China). In order to do so, a combination of bulk density, optical and scanning electron microscopy and image analysis was used. The shale lithology was macroscopically classified into seven major categories and nineteen subcategories. Subsequently, the shales were investigated at the microscopic level, mainly focusing on quartz types and microstructural variations. Afterwards, the workflow to calculate the weight per unit volume (1 cm3) of the quartz types was presented, i.e., firstly, by calculating the weight of mineral matter by subtraction of the measured weight of organic matter from the bulk shale; secondly, by calculating the weight of total quartz in bulk shale from the weight of mineral matter and its proportion calculated from X-ray diffraction data; thirdly, by calculating the weight of detrital quartz and non-detrital quartz with energy dispersive X-ray mapping, image processing and quartz density; finally, by calculating the weight of clay-sized quartz by subtracting of the weight of detrital and non-detrital quartz from the weight of the total quartz. The bulk quartz content was found to be dominated by clay-sized quartz, which may mainly control the mesopore volume available for gas storage and, hence, the shale gas reservoir development.

Fold and thrust belt architecture may be influenced by basement geometry of the downgoing plate. This influence is notoriously difficult to assess due to a common lack of subsurface constraints and low resolution of exhumation estimates in space and time. The Bohemian Spur is a basement high at the transition from the Alps to the Carpathians. It coincides with narrowing of the foreland basin and an orogen‐scale change of strike. Its location in one of the best‐studied orogens in the world makes it an ideal case for understanding how basement topography influences fold and thrust belt tectonics. However, since thermochronological studies were mainly focused on the core of the Alps, timing and amount of exhumation remain poorly constrained in these peripheral parts of the orogen. We present new apatite (U‐Th)/He and fission track data from the wedge above the Bohemian Spur. Thermally reset ages monitor a so far un(der)appreciated phase of prominent Late Oligocene to Miocene cooling, associated with crustal thickening, uplift and erosion during wedge propagation. Pronounced exhumation on the order of 3–4.5 km can be related to basement steps beneath the advancing wedge. The spur acted as a buttress for foreland‐propagating thrusting, pinning deformation and nucleating antiformal stacking and duplexing and thus exhumation above it. We illustrate how along‐ and across‐strike changes of sub‐detachment topography impact wedge propagation and control fold and thrust belt geometries. The buttressing effect accounts for most of the exhumation, while deep‐seated slab dynamics are of subordinate importance for wedge uplift. Key Points: New thermochronology data from the easternmost Eastern Alps capture a Late Oligocene to Miocene cooling and exhumation pulseThe cooling and exhumation pattern is influenced by the downgoing basement buttress of the Bohemian SpurThe buttressing effect more strongly impacts the exhumation pattern of the wedge than the recently proposed Eastern Alpine slab break‐off [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]