Search

Dual port, aperture coupled and tapered fed patch antenna with high isolation is proposed for full‐duplex 2.4 GHz ISM applications. This antenna can achieve a measured isolation of around 60 dB at 2.4 GHz and isolation band of 2.3‐2.6 GHz for more than 59.5 dB. Such a high isolation surpasses the isolation performance of dual‐port antennas available in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold-water coral (CWC) reefs are numerous and widespread along the Norwegian continental shelf where oil and gas industry operate. Uncertainties exist regarding their impacts from operational discharges to drilling. Effect thresholds obtained from near-realistic exposure of suspended particle concentrations for use in coral risk modeling are particularly needed. Here, nubbins of Desmophyllum pertusum (Lophelia pertusa) were exposed shortly (5 days, 4h repeated pulses) to suspended particles (bentonite BE; barite BA, and drill cuttings DC) in the range of ~ 4 to ~ 60 mg.l-1 (actual concentration). Physiological responses (respiration rate, growth rate, mucus-related particulate organic carbon OC and particulate organic nitrogen ON) and polyp mortality were then measured 2 and 6 weeks post-exposure to assess long-term effects. Respiration and growth rates were not significantly different in any of the treatments tested compared to control. OC production was not affected in any treatment, but a significant increase of OC:ON in mucus produced by BE-exposed (23 and 48 mg.l-1) corals was revealed 2 weeks after exposure. Polyp mortality increased significantly at the two highest DC doses (19 and 49 mg.l-1) 2 and 6 weeks post-exposure but no significant difference was observed in any of the other treatments compared to the control. These findings are adding new knowledge on coral resilience to short realistic exposure of suspended drill particles and indicate overall a risk for long-term effects at a threshold of ~20 mg.l-1., Competing Interests: This study and the writing of the manuscript was financed by Equinor AS. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products associated with this research to declare. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Knowledge of key species sensitivity for oil spill response (OSR) options is needed to support decision-making and mitigate impact on sensitive life stages of keystone species. Here, Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) larvae were exposed for 24 h to a gradient (H-High, M-Medium: 10 times dilution and L-Low: 100 times dilution) of mechanically- (MDO) (H < 6 mg/L total hydrocarbon content) and chemically- (CDO) dispersed oil (Slickgone NS, H < 20 mg/L total hydrocarbon content), followed by a recovery period. Larval mortality, feeding rate and development were evaluated. Overall, the results show that 24 h exposure to field-realistic concentrations of CDO lead to lower survival, reduced feeding rate and slower larval development in P. borealis larvae compared to MDO. These effects persisted during recovery, indicating a higher vulnerability with dispersant use and the need for longer observation periods post-exposure to fully evaluate the consequences for sensitive life-stages from OSR., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed at providing confidence in the predictability of the impacts of drill cuttings (DC) discharge on the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa. L. pertusa was exposed to DC from offshore exploration in the lab with the goal to assess precautionary thresholds of effects. Two exposure scenarios with DC were tested: a long-term (LT) pulsed exposure (12 weeks, peak concentrations: 2-50 mg/L, mean concentrations: 1-25 mg/L) and a short-term (ST) continuous exposure (2.5 weeks, mean concentrations: 4-42 mg/L). After exposure, a recovery period of 16 and 4 weeks was maintained in LT and ST, respectively. While there was an assumption that DC might result in an increase in respiration, decrease in growth, enhanced mucus production, reduced fatty acid content, only a significant rise was noted in skeleton growth at DC 4 mg/L and a significant increase of mucus particulate organic carbon at 25 mg/L at end of the exposure. DC did not markedly reduce prey capture rate consecutive to DC exposure. However, the effect of DC produced an increase of coral polyp activity during exposure and a return to pre-exposure conditions after cessation of DC, and coenosarc was smothered from DC even after a long recovery period (4 weeks). Overall, a DC concentration of 10 mg/L seems to represent a threshold above which changes in coral conditions were observed however with no apparent physiological consequences for the coral within the experimental time scale.

Rising oil and gas activities in northern high latitudes have led to an increased risk of petroleum pollution in these ecosystems. Further, seasonal high UV radiation at high latitudes may elevate photo-enhanced toxicity of petroleum pollution to marine organisms. Zooplanktons are a key ecological component of northern ecosystems; therefore, it is important to assess their sensitivity to potential pollutants of oil and gas activity. As ontogenetic development may be particularly sensitive, the aim of this study was to examine the impact of chronic exposure to oil water dispersion (OWD) on development and feeding of early life stages of the Northern krill, Meganyctiphanes norvegica. In a range of experiments, embryonic, nonfeeding, and feeding larval stages were exposed to concentrations of between 0.01 and 0.1 mg/L of oil or photo-modified oil for 19 and 21 d. No significant effects on egg respiration, hatching success, development, length and larval survival were observed from these treatments. Similarly, evolution of fatty acid composition patterns during ontogenetic development was unaffected. The results indicates a high degree of resilience of these early developmental stages to such types and concentrations of pollutants. However, feeding and motility in later calyptopis-stage larvae were significantly impaired at exposure of 0.1 mg/L oil. Data indicate that feeding larval stage of krill was more sensitive to OWD than early nonfeeding life stages. This might be attributed to the narcotic effects of oil pollutants, their direct ingestion, or accumulated adverse effects over early development.

Despite the importance of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa to deep-sea reef ecosystem functioning, current knowledge of key physiological responses to available food resources is scarce. Scenarios with varying food density may help to understand how corals deal with seasonal variations in the dark ocean and might be used to study consequences of anthropogenic activities potentially affecting food availability. Thus, the physiological responses of L. pertusa to varying food (Artemia salina nauplii) concentration, ranging from 20% to 300% of carbon equivalent turned over by basal coral respiration, were investigated. A starvation group was also included. Measurements of respiration, growth, mucus production, and energy reserves (storage fatty acids) were performed at several time intervals over 26 weeks. In general, data showed a stronger effect of experimental time on measured responses, but no significant influence of food density treatment. In starved corals, respiration rate declined to 52% of initial respiration, while skeleton growth rate was maintained at the same rate as Artemia-fed corals throughout the investigation. Mucus production measured as the sum of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) was also similar across food treatments, but POC production exceeded that of DOC at the highest food density. No marked effect was observed on storage fatty acids. These results confirm that L. pertusa is highly resilient to environmental conditions with suboptimal food densities over a time scale of months. Regulation of several physiological processes, including respiration and mucus production, possibly in combination with an opportunistic feeding strategy, contributed to this tolerance to maintain viable corals. Thus, it appears that L. pertusa is well adapted to life in the deep sea.

Thyroid hormone (TH) is known to have many beneficial effects on vital organs, but its extrapolation to be used therapeutically has been restricted by the fact that it does have concurrent adverse effects. Recent finding of various thyroid hormone receptors (TR) isoforms and their differential pattern of tissue distribution has regained interest in possible use of TH analogues in therapeutics. These findings were followed by search of compounds with isoform-specific or tissue-specific action on TR. Studying the structure-activity relationship of TR led to the development of compounds like GC1 and KB141, which preferentially act on the β1 isoform of TR. More recently, eprotirome was developed and has been studied in humans. It has shown to be effective in dyslipidemia by the lipid-lowering action of TH in the liver and also in obesity. Another compound, 3,5-diiodothyropropionic acid (DITPA), binds to both α- and β-type TRs with relatively low affinity and has been shown to be effective in heart failure (HF). In postinfarction models of HF and in a pilot clinical study, DITPA increased cardiac performance without affecting the heart rate. TR antagonists like NH3 can be used in thyrotoxicosis and cardiac arrhythmias. However, further larger clinical trials on some of these promising compounds and development of newer compounds with increased selectivity is required to achieve higher precision of action and avoid adverse effects seen with TH.