In this task, you are given two sentences in the English language (Sentence 1 and Sentence 2). Your task is to identify the connecting word between the two sentences.
Q: Sentence 1:However , these amounts are not extractable without mining of the host materials ( see Production and availability ) . Sentence 2:Thus , the availability of indium is fundamentally determined by the rate at which these ores are extracted , and not their absolute amount .
A:
thus