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Ultrasonic technology, which has been receiving increasing attention from the petroleum industry, has emerged as a promising environmentally-friendly technology due to its high adaptability, simple operation, low cost, and lack of pollution; the mechanisms of this technology are clarified herein. At the same time, this paper presents a comprehensive review of the impact of ultrasound on enhanced oil recovery (EOR) by removing plugs, reducing oil viscosity, and demulsifying crude oil, while highlighting the latest advancements in this field. Lastly, this paper delves into the challenges and prospects associated with the industrial implementation of power ultrasound. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of recent advancements, serving as a valuable reference for future investigations on ultrasound-assisted EOR. Oil field results demonstrate that oil production increased by 26.5% to 100%, water cut decreased by 5% to 96%, the success rate ranged from 75% to 90%, and the effect can last for a duration of 4 h to 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to overcome the impact of vibration generated by agricultural machinery on the monitoring accuracy and performance of vehicle-mounted crop growth monitoring systems during field operation. This paper developed a vehicle-mounted crop growth monitoring system with vibration damping capability to achieve this goal. The system consists of a multispectral crop growth sensor, signal conditioning module, and truss-type sensor bracket with self-vibration damping capability. The commercial finite element analysis software ABAQUS 6.10 was used to conduct modal and dynamic simulation analyses of the sensor bracket, which indicate that the truss-type sensor bracket can damp vibrations effectively. The p-values (least significant differences) of crop canopy DNRE (red edge normalized difference vegetation index) under different operating speeds (1.5, 3, and 4.5 km/h) are 0.454, 0.703, 0.81, and 0.838, respectively, for four different crop growth stages. In a comparative experiment between the proposed monitoring system and two similar vehicle-mounted sensors (CropSpec and GreenSeeker RT 200) for measuring agronomic parameters at different stages of crop growth, the proposed monitoring system yielded R2 values of 0.8757, 0.7194, and 0.795, respectively, and RMSE values of 0.7157, 2.2341, and 2.0952, respectively, in the tillering stage, jointing stage, and tillering and jointing stage, outperforming the other two sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past, comprehensive information was imperative for image processing, prompting a preference for high-depth cameras. However, in our research, we discovered that the abundance of image details may impede phase retrieval. Consequently, this paper presents an iterative phase retrieval method based on a low bit depth. Through simulations and experiments, this approach has proven effective in evidently enhancing phase retrieval outcomes. Furthermore, the concept of low bit depth holds promise for broader application across diverse domains within the field of image retrieval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinized lacustrine shale (SLS) represents a frontier in the global quest for unconventional hydrocarbon resources. The impact of terrigenous input, which includes terrigenous organic matter (OM) and detrital matter, on the deposition and hydrocarbon potential of SLS is still controversial. Here, we examine this issue using the newly discovered SLS within the Paleogene Biyang Depression, employing a combination of organic petrographic and geochemical analyses. A high influx of terrigenous input (terrigenous OM and detrital matter) promotes the formation of SLS. On the one hand, terrigenous higher plants emerge as the primary source of OM in the SLS, as indicated by the dominance of terrigenous macerals (e.g., terrigenous liptinite) and the abundance of plant-derived biomarkers (e.g., tricyclic terpanes). Additionally, a portion of the OM may originate from bacteria. On the other hand, the rapid input of detrital matter improves the preservation of OM, resulting in the deposition of SLS with high total organic carbon (TOC) contents and low hydrogen index (HI) values. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of SLS deposition and provide guidance for regional hydrocarbon exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We focus on the Chinese new energy stock market and explore the impacts of structural fossil energy price shocks and economic policy uncertainty (EPU). To this end, we synthesize the prices of three fossil energy sources, decompose the dynamics of fossil energy prices into energy supply shocks (SS), demand shocks (DS) and risk shocks (RS), and run a TVP-SVAR-SV model. Our findings show that SS significantly influence the new energy stock prices (NE) in that DS have a positive short-term impact for most of the sample periods while the mid- and long-term impacts of RS on NE are negative and larger than those of both SS and DS. We also find that in all three categories of shocks, EPU is the most important predictor negatively related to NE, indicating that a stable policy environment is essential to equity financing in the new energy market. Besides, different categories of EPU have varied impacts on NE in that exchange rate policy uncertainty (ERPU) has the most detrimental effect while the impact of trade policy uncertainty (TPU) shows a positive influence. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for both market regulators and investors participating in transactions of new energy stock portfolios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The strawberry genus, Fragaria, exhibits a wide range of sexual systems and natural ploidy variation. Nearly, all polyploid strawberry species exhibit separate sexes (dioecy). Research has identified the sex‐determining sequences as roughly conserved but with repeatedly changed genomic locations across octoploid strawberries. However, it remains unclear whether tetraploid wild strawberries evolved dioecy independently or shared a common origin with octoploid strawberries. In this study, we investigated the sex determinants of F. moupinensis, a dioecious plant with heterogametic females (ZW). Utilizing a combination of haplotype‐resolved genome sequencing of the female F. moupinensis, k‐mer‐based and coverage‐based genome‐wide association studies (GWAS), and transcriptomic analysis, we discovered a non‐recombining, approximately 33.6 kb W‐specific region on chromosome 2a. Within this region, only one candidate sex‐determining gene (FmoAFT) was identified. Furthermore, an extensive resequencing of the entire Fragaria genus indicated that the W‐specific region displays conservative female specificity across all tetraploid species. This observation suggests that dioecy evolved independently in tetraploid and octoploid strawberries. Moreover, employing virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS), we knocked down the expression of the FmoAFT homologue transcript in cultivated strawberries, revealing its potential role in promoting female functions during early carpel development. We also applied DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP‐seq) and yeast one‐hybrid assays to identify potential direct targets of FmoAFT. These insights shed new light on the genetic basis and evolutionary history of sex determination in strawberries, thereby facilitating the formulation of strategies to manipulate sex determination in breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe complication that can lead to fatalities in multiple trauma patients. Nevertheless, the incidence rate and early prediction of ARDS among multiple trauma patients residing in high-altitude areas remain unknown. Methods: This study included a total of 168 multiple trauma patients who received treatment at Shigatse People's Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2021. The clinical characteristics of the patients and the incidence rate of ARDS were assessed. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were employed to identify potential risk factors for ARDS, and the predictive effects of these risk factors were analyzed. Results: In the high-altitude area, the incidence of ARDS among multiple trauma patients was 37.5% (63/168), with a hospital mortality rate of 16.1% (27/168). Injury Severity Score (ISS) and thoracic injuries were identified as significant predictors for ARDS using the logistic regression model, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.75 and 0.75, respectively. Furthermore, a novel predictive risk score combining ISS and thoracic injuries demonstrated improved predictive ability, achieving an AUC of 0.82. Conclusions: This study presents the incidence of ARDS in multiple trauma patients residing in the Tibetan region, and identifies two critical predictive factors along with a risk score for early prediction of ARDS. These findings have the potential to enhance clinicians' ability to accurately assess the risk of ARDS and proactively prevent its onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High quality single-crystal fcc-Co(x)(Mg(y)Zn(1-y))(1-x)O(1-v) epitaxial thin films with high Co concentration up to x = 0.5 have been fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy. Systematic magnetic property characterization and soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis indicate that the coexistence of ferromagnetic regions, superparamagnetic clusters, and non-magnetic boundaries in the as-prepared Co(x)(Mg(y)Zn(1-y))(1-x)O(1-v) films is a consequence of the intrinsic inhomogeneous distribution of oxygen vacancies. Furthermore, the relative strength of multiple phases could be modulated by controlling the oxygen partial pressure during sample preparation. Armed with both controllable magnetic properties and tunable band-gap, Co(x)(Mg(y)Zn(1-y))(1-x)O(1-v) films may have promising applications in future spintronics.