Search Results (75)

Properly determining reservoir wettability is crucial for enhancing oil recovery and optimizing production strategies; this is particularly the case for tight oil reservoirs. The lower-fourth member of the Shahejie Formation (Es4x) in the Bonan Sag of the Bohai Bay Basin is a typical tight sandstone play, which is characterized by a low permeability and poor fluid mobility and quite variable daily production. Despite efforts in reservoir stimulation, the incremental production remains negligible. A detailed investigation of the reservoir wettability was carried out using four representative tight sandstone samples from Es4x to better understand the production behavior of the tight oil reservoir. We employed a suite of analytical methods, including Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy, contact angle measurement, spontaneous imbibition, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, to comprehensively evaluate the wettability characteristics of the reservoir at different scales. Two samples, C1 and C2, exhibit oil-wet characteristics at both pore and macro scales, with Sample C1 showing weak oil-wet behavior and Sample C2 demonstrating strong oil-wet behavior. In contrast, the other samples, C3 and C4, display strong water-wet characteristics across different scales. The pore size threshold between water-wet and oil-wet conditions for samples C1 and C2 is 0.1 μm, while that for samples C3 and C4 is 1 μm. Grain-coating chlorite and grain-coating illite are the primary clay minerals contributing to the oil-wet pore walls of the reservoir, whereas dispersed sheet-like chlorite and rosette chlorite predominantly exhibit water-wet characteristics. The tight oil reservoir in Es4x exhibits pronounced wettability heterogeneities, with distinct regions displaying either oil-wet or water-wet characteristics, significantly impacting the mobility and producibility of the tight oil in this reservoir interval. Full article

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) require efficient monitoring tools to assess habitats and biodiversity, particularly in remote or understudied regions. This study demonstrates the utility of the towed video-diver technique combined with high-resolution video for rapidly surveying benthic habitats and associated taxa. Applied in Arredondo, a shallow bay within an MPA in Atlantic Patagonia, the method covered 14,000 m² through eight transects, utilizing just 180 min of dive time and ~300 min of video analysis. Substrate types and their associated taxa were classified using the CATAMI framework, yielding a list of 28 taxa and density estimates of mobile organisms. Additionally, the percentage cover of Gracilaria sp.—a commercially valuable macroalga historically overexploited in the region—was estimated for the bay. The invasive crab Carcinus maenas was found across all substrate types on the bay, underscoring its ecological tolerance and the need for ongoing monitoring. This cost-effective, rapid methodology is highly effective for detecting and describing areas of ecological or conservation interest, providing critical baseline data for targeted, detailed studies. Its simplicity and efficiency make it ideal for initial surveys in remote regions, supporting the conservation and management of MPAs. Full article

Quinolone antibiotics (QNs) contamination in the aquatic environment is a global public health issue considering their resistance and mobility. In this study, a simple, efficient, and sensitive method was developed for the accurate quantification of fifteen QNs in water using automated disk-based solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS). By utilizing a 3M SDB-XC disk to enrich QNs from a 1000 mL water sample, the detection limits were improved to 0.008–0.055 ng/L due to the satisfactory enrichment factors of 897−1136, but only requiring about 60 min per six samples. The linearity of the method ranged from 0.05 to 100 μg/L for the 15 QNs, with correlation coefficients of 0.9992–0.9999, and the recoveries were in the range of 81–114%, with relative standard deviations of 0.2–13.3% (n = 6). The developed method was applicable for the quantification of trace QNs at low ng/L levels in drinking and environmental waters. The results showed that no QNs were detected in tap water, while three and four QNs were detected in the river water of Zhoushan and the seawater of Daiquyang and Yueqing Bay, East China, respectively, with a total concentration of 1.600–8.511 ng/L and 1.651–16.421 ng/L, respectively. Among the detected QNs, ofloxacin (OFL) was the predominant compound in river water, while enrofloxacin (ENR) was predominant in seawater. The risk quotient (RQ) results revealed that QNs posed a low risk to crustaceans and fish, but a low-to-medium risk to algae, and OFL presented the main ecological risk factor in river water, while ENR and CIP in seawater. Overall, the proposed automated disk-based SPE–UPLC–MS/MS method is highly efficient and sensitive, making it suitable for routine analysis of QNs in drinking and environmental waters. Full article

Over the last two decades, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced significant urban growth, prompting the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to advocate for sustainable transport solutions. This led to the implementation of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) to address urban mobility, environmental sustainability, and energy efficiency. Dubai has strategically prioritized infrastructure and transportation network expansion to support its rapid development. This paper aims to examine the critical role of the LRT system, particularly the metro and tramway, in steering Dubai towards sustainability. Metro and tramway systems offer crucial high-capacity public transport, enhance connectivity, stimulate economic growth, and contribute to a sustainable environment. The study assesses the transformative impact of the Dubai Metro on urban development, focusing on key stations like Jabal Ali, Al-Barsha First, and Business Bay. Using qualitative research methods, including GIS, spatial maps, interviews, case studies, and land use investigations, the research analyzes population density, connectivity, accessibility, and urban land use patterns around these stations. Results indicate a positive impact of the Dubai Metro on both commercial and residential land use, improved connectivity, and enhanced accessibility, reinforcing its role in cultivating a sustainable urban environment. Full article

Coastal environments, such as bays, are essential to the development of fishery resources due to their economic and ecological importance. This paper presents an updated checklist of coastal marine fishes as part of a long-term monitoring program in Aratu Bay (2014–2024), Bahia state, eastern Brazil. A total of 109 species belonging to 58 families and 24 orders were cataloged. Five endemic species and ten species listed as at risk according to the IUCN criteria (from Vulnerable onwards) were identified. The Carangidae was the most representative family in terms of species number, followed by Gobiidae and Sciaenidae. The ichthyofauna was dominated by mobile invertebrate feeders and macrocarnivores. Two non-native species were observed in the region: the Muzzled blenny, Omobranchus sewalli and the mud sleeper Butis koilomatodon. Aratu Bay supports a diverse ichthyofauna with diverse trophic guilds and habitats, rendering it an important area for the feeding and development of economically valuable species, including those facing threats. Full article

The use of mobile phones while driving is restricted to hands-free mode. But even in the hands-free mode, the use of mobile phones while driving causes cognitive distraction due to the diverted attention of the driver. By employing innovative machine-learning approaches to drivers’ physiological signals, namely electroencephalogram (EEG), heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP), the impact of talking on hands-free mobile phones in real time has been investigated in this study. The cognitive impact was measured using EEG, HR, and BP data. The authors developed an intelligent model that classified the cognitive performance of drivers using physiological signals that were measured while drivers were driving and reverse bay parking in real time and talking on hands-free mobile phones, considering all driver ages as a complete cohort. Participants completed two numerical tasks varying in difficulty while driving and reverse bay parking. The results show that when participants did the hard tasks, their theta and lower alpha EEG frequency bands increased and exceeded those when they did the easy tasks. The results also show that the BP and HR under phone condition were higher than the BP and HR under no-phone condition. Participants’ cognitive performance was classified using a feedforward neural network, and 97% accuracy was achieved. According to qualitative results, participants experienced significant cognitive impacts during the task completion. Full article

Oil content and the movability of shale oil are important indicators for the evaluation of continental shale oil. In recent years, the sandwiched shale oil in the fourth member of the Shahejie Formation in the Liaohe Western Depression area of the Bohai Bay Basin has shown great exploration potential, while the understanding of shale oil content and the movability of shale oil is weak. In this study, through a combination of core observations and experiments, we clarified the shale lithofacies types in the fourth member of the Shahejie Formation in the Liaohe Western Depression and explored the influencing factors of the characteristics in the oil-bearing and movability of shales in different lithofacies. The results of the study show that the organic matter content of the shale is high (TOC = 2.2–4.3%), but the maturity of thermal evolution is low (R_o = 0.38–0.55%), and the mineral component is dominated by clay minerals (30.3–72.7%), with quartz, feldspar, and other feldspar minerals developing secondarily. According to the content of organic matter, the mineral component, and the sedimentary structure, five types of lithofacies can be classified: organic-rich laminated clay-bearing felsic shale lithofacies (LS1), organic-rich laminated clay felsic mixed shale lithofacies (LS2), organic-rich layered clay felsic mixed shale lithofacies (LS3), organic-containing massive felsic-bearing clay shale lithofacies (LS4), and organic-containing massive clay felsic mixed shale lithofacies (LS5). The oil content of shale is mainly affected by the organic matter. The rate of increase in oil content of shale is fastest when the organic matter content is between 2 and 4%. The movability of shale oil is mainly controlled by the sedimentary structure, mineral component, and microscopic pore structure; the more the shale laminae is developed, the lower the clay content is, and the more the pore space is developed, the better the movability of shale oil is. Combined with the results of the shale oil content and mobility analysis in the study area, LS2 and LS3 are the dominant lithofacies in the fourth member of the Shahejie Formation in the study area, followed by LS1 >LS5 >LS4, so shale oil exploration should focus on the development of LS2 and LS3. Full article

Tidal freshwater forested wetlands (TFFWs) typically occur at the interface between upriver non-tidal forests and downstream tidal marshes. Due to their location, these forests are susceptible to estuarine and riverine influences, notably periodic saltwater intrusion events. The Mobile-Tensaw (MT) River Delta, one of the largest river deltas in the United States, features TFFWs that are understudied but threatened by sea level rise and human impacts. We surveyed 47 TFFW stands across a tidal gradient previously determined using nine stations to collect continuous water level and salinity data. Forest data were collected from 400 m² circular plots of canopy and midstory species composition, canopy tree diameter and basal area, stem density, and tree condition. Multivariate hierarchical clustering identified five distinct canopy communities (p = 0.001): Mixed Forest, Swamp Tupelo, Water Tupelo, Bald Cypress, and Bald Cypress and Mixed Tupelo. Environmental factors, such as river distance (p = 0.001) and plot elevation (p = 0.06), were related to community composition. Similar to other TFFWs along the northern Gulf of Mexico, forests closest to Mobile Bay exhibited lower basal areas, species density, diversity, and a higher proportion of visually stressed individual canopy trees compared to those in the upper tidal reach. Results indicate a strong tidal influence on forest composition, structure, and community-level responses. Full article

Antimicrobial resistance has been stated to be a global health problem. In Chile, the use of antibiotics should be declared by medical prescription, but it is unknown what happens to the drugs once the treatment ends. Among the possibilities for their disposal are the trash or the drain; regardless of which scenario arises, antibiotics could accumulate in the environment, stimulating the emergence of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and their transfer between microorganisms. Unfortunately, sometimes wastewater ends up in bodies of water, due to the dragging of elements by rain, or by the presence of illegal water discharges. In this work, shotgun metagenomics was used to elucidate the functional and microbial composition of biohazard elements in the bay of Puerto Varas City, Chile. As expected, a high diversity of microorganisms was found, including bacterial elements described as human or animal pathogens. Also, a diverse repertory of antimicrobial resistant genes (ARGs) was detected, which confers mainly resistance to macrolides, beta-lactams, and tetracyclines, consistent with the families of antibiotics most used in Chile. Similar ARGs were identified in DNA mobile elements. In addition, we tested the antimicrobial susceptibility in 14 bacterial strains isolated from Llanquihue Lake. This is the first report of the presence of genomic elements that could constitute a health problem, considering the importance of the interconnection between environmental, animal, and human health, a concept known as One Health. Full article

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) are energetic compounds that can be accumulated in tissues and mobilized during periods of unfavorable conditions to maintain the biological functions of plants. The balance of these biochemical compounds is controlled by environmental factors such as temperature and irradiance. Zostera noltei and Zostera marina find one of their southern distribution limits in southern Spain, where relatively high seawater temperatures are reached during summer (23–24 °C). To better understand the effects of elevated temperatures on the concentration of NSCs, we conducted a seasonal study at Cadiz Bay, representing warm-adapted populations of these species. Our results showed a bimodal pattern in both species, with the highest NSC content observed in December and June, followed by a depletion in March and August. In addition, the NSC content observed in the leaves of Z. noltei (71.26 ± 30.77 mg g⁻¹ dry weight) was higher than in the rhizomes and roots (52.14 ± 38.86 mg g⁻¹ DW). The observed patterns suggest that these species accumulated NSCs to cope with periods of unfavorable environmental conditions. We also suggest that the limited concentration of NSCs in Z. noltei rhizomes and roots indicates that this population may be suffering physiological stress. Full article

Comparison of the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr signatures of archaeological osteological material with features of geological provinces can be applied to determine the places of birth and living of individuals. Such reconstructions were conducted for both humans and domestic animals at the Late Bronze–Early Iron Age sites of the Crimea. The Crimean Peninsula is an interesting testing polygon for such research because it is characterized by a diverse geological situation within a relatively small area. The initial data allowed us to distinguish between three groups of mobility at the Bai-Kiyat I settlement and two groups at the Dolgii Bugor site. The Bai-Kiyat I site is located on the seacoast, so the proxy line for this area will correspond to the value of the ratio of strontium isotopes in seawater (0.7092). The inhabitants of this settlement, including a child from a burial on the settlement, are characterized by this value of strontium isotopes. Other groups include nonlocal people. The data obtained indicate that the steppe zone of the Northern Black Sea region was an ecumene, within which active mobility of groups of people was registered. This mobility is associated primarily with the pastoral type of economy in the period from the Chalcolithic to the Early Iron Age. Full article

Deception Island is an active volcano with a submerged caldera open to the sea called Port Foster. Several post-caldera-collapsed volcanic events, as well as hydrodynamics, have changed its inner coastline, shaping new volcanic deposits. A hydrodynamic model is presented to predict accretion and erosion trends in this bay, which could have an impact on the mobility of researchers and tourists. New historical orthophotos and spatio-temporal differences between digital elevation and bathymetric models were used for validation purposes. The model reveals that the south-facing coast is more susceptible to erosion, while the east- or west-facing coast experiences sedimentation. A visual study for the periods 1970–2003 and 2003–2020 in Port Foster obtained similar annual erosion/accretion lineal rates (0.3–2 m/year) in the areas not affected by the last eruptive period, as well as increases of 0.023 km²/year and 0.028 km²/year of the inner bay and coastal sedimentation rates of 0.007 km²/year and 0.002 km²/year, respectively. Only part of the significant total volume loss is received within the bay, including its own erosion, and accumulates on the bay bottom. This is largely because the volume input is composed of snow, and it is also due to the transfer of material outside to balance the figures. Full article

Prydz Bay is an important part of the Pan-African high-grade tectonic mobile belt. The focus of this investigation, by applying zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology, zircon Lu-Hf isotope systematics, and whole-rock geochemistry, is on Pan-African pegmatites in the Larsemann Hills of Prydz Bay, East Antarctica, their association with country rocks, and the formation conditions. Based on the obtained results, it is concluded that the pegmatites exhibit elevated levels of silica and alkali and possess peraluminous features. These pegmatites originated during the late Neoproterozoic–Early Cambrian (Pan-African) event, specifically in the D₂–D₄ stages. The D₂ stage occurred between 546 and 562 Ma, followed by D₃-stage pegmatites around 534 Ma. The pegmatites from the D₂–D₃ stages are considered to originate from Paleoproterozoic crustal materials, while there are at least two phases of pegmatites in the D₄ stage (~517 Ma and ~521 Ma). The D_4-1 pegmatite (~521 Ma) suggested both Paleo–Mesoproterozoic crustal origin, perhaps connected to extension. The D_4-2 pegmatite (~517 Ma) originated from the crust layers. In the Larsemann Hills, Pan-African pegmatites formed in a recurring regime of tension. Therefore, the obtained data elucidate that a Pan-African stretching process might have occurred in Prydz Bay. Full article

Walleye is an important sportfish across eastern North America, is commercially fished in the Laurentian Great Lakes region, and has been introduced outside its native range. Thirty-eight Walleye populations within six watersheds across the Eastern Highlands and other portions of the native range were screened at eight microsatellite DNA loci to better understand evolutionary history and to inform fishery management and conservation efforts. Population genetic variation showed divergent assemblages of populations, respectively, living in the Mobile Bay, Mississippi River, Eastern Highlands (Tennessee, New, and Ohio Rivers), and Great Lakes drainages today. All estimates of effective numbers of breeding individuals were under 25, and all populations within all watersheds had ~15–20% inter-individual relatedness, likely attributable to the effects of both natural demographic processes and stocking. The extent of Eastern Highlands Walleye includes both the Ohio and Tennessee River basins. Full article

The species composition of epibiotic communities on red king crab was investigated in Sayda Bay, Russia, during November of 2015 and 2016. The community consisted of 12 species in total. Among epibionts, the barnacle Balanus crenatus was most prevalent (67.0%), while the amphipod Ischyrocerus commensalis was the most frequent symbiont (77.3%). Infestation levels in May–June 2005 and September 2004 were higher, as a larger proportion of small crabs without fouling species were present during those seasons. The lower infestation intensities recorded for other common associated organisms during winter can be attributed to their increased mortality due to unfavorable temperature conditions. The localization of epibionts and symbionts were related to larval settlement patterns of attached species and feeding behavior of mobile species. Monthly growth increments for I. commensalis and B. crenatus were estimated at 2 mm in body length and 1.35 mm in basal diameter, respectively. Size-at-age data for epibionts can aid in the age determination of large male crabs that may skip an annual molt. Full article