Sea-based sources of microplastics to the Norwegian marine environment

This report is an update of data available on primary and secondary discharges of microplastics from sea-based sources to the Norwegian marine environment. Nine broad potential sea-based source categories are relevant to the Norwegian marine environment. These include maritime coatings, maritime traffic, ports marinas and shipyards, decommissioning activities, land-based industry (with discharged into the marine environment), fisheries, aquaculture, petroleum-related activities, and other offshore activities. Sources of primary microplastics can be linked production sites for plastics and paints which have discharges to the sea, or maintenance facilities in coastal areas. Petroleum activities also have discharges of primary microplastics to the ocean. Secondary microplastics can be derived from maintenance, decommissioning and wear and tear across various maritime sectors as well as the breakdown of large plastic items lost or discarded at sea. There is surprisingly little information on the quantities of microplastics released into ocean from coastal or other sea-based sources. Few of the source categories have some information available, and the certainty around the data for all source categories was classed as medium or low. This makes validating emissions values and interpreting the data challenging. As there is little certainty behind the available data, no sea-base source was identified as the biggest contributor. Future research must focus on obtaining comparable empirical data across all potential source categories. This includes calculations of emissions based on actual reported discharge values and comparative environmental investigations. The relative size of the sector may play a role and this should be investigated further

Multi-sensory matters: How to Increase Online Purchase Intention for Experience Goods

The present research study focuses on the effects of textual and visual website attributes on customers’ purchasing intention for experience products that require a smell-sensory experience (i.e., fragrances). Additionally, we evaluated the possible mediating effect that perceived diagnosticity might have on purchase intention, which in turn allowed us to determine whether perceived diagnosticity varies when modifying website attributes. A pretest was conducted to determine the effectiveness of visual (darker vs. brighter background color) and textual (rational vs. emotional) attributes’ manipulation. The main study was aimed at analyzing whether visual and textual attributes resulted in an increase in perceived diagnosticity, and, in turn, an increase in customer purchase intention. The latter study was designed as a 2 (rational vs. emotional textual appeal) x 2 (dark vs. bright background color) x 2 (angular vs. round background shape) factorial experiment including a control group. Results provide evidence about the positive existing relationship between perceived diagnosticity and purchase intention. Findings also indicate that visual attributes do not necessarily have an effect on perceived diagnosticity, whereas textual attributes do. Based on the premise that perceived diagnosticity correlates positively with purchase intention, we can state that textual attributes lead to an increase in purchase intention. Explorative analysis’ results also indicated that certain combinations of website attributes contribute to an increase in perceived diagnosticity, which in turn leads to an increase in purchase intention. More specifically, the combination of emotional appeal, bright background color and angular background shape led to the greatest perceived diagnosticity. The findings have important implications for the management of E-commerce and online retailers. Thus, the current paper is of interest as it suggests an optimal combination of website attributes that results in an increase in purchase intention. Keywords: Purchase intention, perceived diagnosticity, perceived odor intensity, website attributes, visual website attributes, textual website attributes, experience product

I hvilken grad kan trenden rundt bærekraftig utvikling legge til rette for et større marked for plantebaserte produkter, basert på design og posisjonering?

Oppgaven dreier seg i hovedsak om plantebaserte produkter, med fokus på merkevaren Oatly. Det skal legges til grunn hvordan bærekraft, dagens forbrukere, design og plantebasert kosthold henger sammen. Innledningsvis vil FNs definisjon av bærekraftig utvikling, bærekraftsmål og bærekraft som en forbrukertrend tilrettelegges. Stadig flere bedrifter posisjonerer seg som bærekraftig. Det er interessant å se om dette påvirker forbruker til å ta miljøbevisste valg. Det antas ytterligere at generasjon Z er mer engasjerte rundt begrepet bærekraftig utvikling, og innehaver større fokus rundt dette. Omfanget av det plantebaserte markedet vinkles inn i temaene, hvor økningen vurderes opp mot bedrifters posisjonering og bruk av design. Oppgavens tema formuleres til følgende problemstilling: I hvilken grad kan trenden rundt bærekraftig utvikling legge til rette for et større marked for plantebaserte produkter, basert på design og posisjonering? Den kvalitative delen består av fire dybdeintervjuer med generasjonene “babyboomere” og “den stille generasjonen”. Hensikten var å få innsikt i en aldersgruppe som ikke ble observert i den kvantitative metoden som ble utført til å begynne med. For å kunne samle inn relevant data i henhold til problemstillingen og undersøkselsesspørsmålene ble det utformet et spørreskjema. De 252 respondentene fra spørrreskjemaet ble videre delt inn i tre clustere som skulle definere i hvilken grad de var miljøbevisste: ”De mindre miljøbevisste”, ”De nøytrale” og ”De miljøbevisste”. Det fremlegges 3 hypoteser som skal forkastes eller beholdes alt etter resultatene fra tester gjennomført i JMP: H1: Det er en sammenheng mellom miljøbevisste forbrukere og viktighet av et miljøvennlig design H2: Det er ikke signifikante forskjeller mellom alder og grad av miljøbevissthet H3: Oatly’s design oppfattes ikke som bærekraftigHypotese 1 beholdes, imidlertid forkastes Hypotese 2 og Hypotese 3. 4 undersøkelsesspørsmål besvares basert på teori, kvalitative og kvantitative analyser. I tråd med besvarelsen av undersøkelsesspørsmålene og hypotesetestingen kan vi konkludere med at trenden rundt bærekraftig utvikling legger til rette for et større marked for plantebaserte produkter, basert på design som en vesentlig og virkningsfull faktor når det kommer til posisjoneringen

Energy assessments of onboard CO2 capture from ship engines by MEA-based post combustion capture system with flue gas heat integration

An early phase feasibility study was carried out for offshore CO2 capture from ship engines of a CO2 transport ship. A flexible in-house process simulator was applied in the assessments. Parametric studies of the overall onboard process were enabled by a fast data-driven capture plant model derived from supervised machine learning by PLS regression of a large dataset of rigorous simulations. The results show, based on the given models and assumptions, that the thermal energy coming from the ship engine exhaust gas is not sufficient alone to cover the thermal energy demand of an absorption-based CO2 capture unit operating above 50% capture rate using 30 wt% MEA (mono-ethanolamine) as solvent. The thermal energy demand can be met using a fuel afterburner as heat source. The added fuel consumption is estimated to increase the fuel consumption by 6–9% when operating with liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel source, while an increase of 8–12% is expected with diesel as fuel source. The effect of absorber height on energy consumption at a given CO2 capture rate is limited, especially for lower capture rates, and may be an important degree of freedom for optimizing the CAPEX/OPEX trade-offs. Use of state-of-the art solvents with lower specific energy consumptions will shift the results towards higher capture rates before a fuel afterburner is required to meet the thermal energy demands.publishedVersio

Pigmentation and Spectral Absorbance Signatures in Deep-Water Corals from the Trondheimsfjord, Norway

The pigmentation and corresponding in vivo and in vitro absorption characteristics in three different deep-water coral species: white and orange Lophelia pertusa, Paragorgia arborea and Primnoa resedaeformis, collected from the Trondheimsfjord are described. Pigments were isolated and characterized by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (LC-TOF MS). The main carotenoids identified for all three coral species were astaxanthin and a canthaxanthin-like carotenoid. Soft tissue and skeleton of orange L. pertusa contained 2 times more astaxanthin g−1 wet weight compared to white L. pertusa. White and orange L. pertusa were characterized with in vivo absorbance peaks at 409 and 473 nm, respectively. In vivo absorbance maxima for P. arborea and P. resedaeformis was typically at 475 nm. The shapes of the absorbance spectra (400–700 nm) were species-specific, indicated by in vivo, in vitro and the corresponding difference spectra. The results may provide important chemotaxonomic information for pigment when bonded to their proteins in vivo, bio-prospecting, and for in situ identification, mapping and monitoring of corals

Exploring trends of severe postpartum haemorrhage: a hospital-based study

Abstract Background Over the past two decades several high-income countries have reported increased rates of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). Many of the studies are registry studies with limited access to detailed information. We aimed to explore trends of severe PPH in the largest labour ward in Norway during a 10-year period with a hospital based study. Our population constituted all women who gave birth after week 22 at Oslo University Hospital between 2008 and 2017. The main outcome measure was severe PPH, defined as registered blood loss greater than 1500 ml, or transfusion of blood products due to PPH. Methods We estimated the incidence of severe PPH and blood transfusions, and performed temporal trend analysis. We performed Poisson regression analysis to investigate associations between pregnancy characteristics and severe PPH, presented using crude incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI)s. We also estimated annual percentage change of the linear trends. Results Among 96 313 deliveries during the 10-year study period, 2621 (2.7%) were diagnosed with severe PPH. The incidence rate doubled from 17.1/1000 to 2008 to 34.2/1000 in 2017. We also observed an increased rate of women receiving blood transfusion due to PPH, from 12.2/1000 to 2008 to 27.5/1000 in 2017. The rates of invasive procedures to manage severe PPH did not increase, and we did not observe a significant increase in the number of women defined with maternal near miss or massive transfusions. No women died due to PPH during the study period. Conclusion We found a significant increasing trend of severe PPH and related blood transfusions during the 10-year study period. We did not find an increase in massive PPH, or in invasive management, and we suspect that the rise can be at least partly explained by increased awareness and early intervention contributing to improved registration of severe PPH

Intensiv lipidsenkende behandling som sekundærprofylakse etter kardiovaskulær hendelse i allmennpraksis

Sammendrag For pasienter som har gjennomgått en kardiovaskulær hendelse eller har fått påvist aterosklerotisk sykdom ved invasiv eller non-invasive prosedyrer er det indikasjon for sekundærprofylakse. Disse pasientene skal i følge nye retningslinjer (1) settes på intensiv lipidsenkende behandling, slik at LDL- nivået senkes. En stor metaanalyse har bekreftet at å senke LDL-kolesterol <1,8 mmol/L er forbundet med lavest risiko for å få tilbakevendende kardiovaskulær hendelser. (2) Det omtalte målivået er en sterk anbefaling (GRADE 1A). Vi vil ved å referere til studier, og ved å presentere en kartlegging av en utvalgt allmennpraksis i Norge, vise at det i varierende grad er rutinemessig oppfølging av kolesterolverdier hos disse pasientene som sikrer at de når målnivå for LDL ved statinbruk. Vi hevder at svært få av allmennlegene i Norge, av ulike grunner, kommer til behandlingsmålet her. Derfor vil vi presentere et forbedringsprosjekt for den utvalgte allmennpraksisen som har som mål å endre fastlegenes oppfølging og behandling av de overnevnte pasientene, slik at målet om LDL-verdi < 1.8 mmol/L i større grad nås. Etter å ha rådført oss med fastlegene , foreslår vi en tettere oppfølging og en mer intensiv statinbehandling av pasientene. Kvalitetsindikatoren vår måles ved å sammenligne LDL-verdi hos de aktuelle pasientene ved start av prosjektet med verdien etter 6 mnd og ett år. For å selge inn prosjektet til fastlegene presenterer vi overbevisende dokumentasjon på hvorfor praksisendring er nødvendig. Dette kommuniseres ved hjelp av foredrag, brosjyrer og sjekklister. Siden fastlegene har en flat struktur i sin organisering mener vi det blir helt avgjørende at en ekstern gruppe tar ansvar for at prosessen gjennomføres. Vår KLoK-gruppe er denne eksterne aktøren. Det blir også avgjørende for et vellykket resultat at dialogen med legene blir tett og kontinuerlig, slik at motstand mot gjennomføringen av prosjektet blir minst mulig. Gjentatte evalueringer av prosessen og eventuelle justeringer blir viktig her

Peripartum hysterectomy due to severe postpartum hemorrhage: A hospital-based study

Introduction A peripartum hysterectomy is typically performed as a lifesaving procedure in obstetrics to manage severe postpartum hemorrhage. Severe hemorrhages that lead to peripartum hysterectomies are mainly caused by uterine atony and placenta accreta spectrum disorders. In this study, we aimed to estimate the incidence, risk factors, causes and management of severe postpartum hemorrhage resulting in peripartum hysterectomies, and to describe the complications of the hysterectomies. Material and methods Eligible women had given birth at gestational week 23+0 or later and had a postpartum hemorrhage ≥1500 mL or a blood transfusion, due to postpartum hemorrhage, at Oslo University Hospital, Norway, between 2008 and 2017. Among the eligible women, this study included those who underwent a hysterectomy within the first 42 days after delivery. The Norwegian Medical Birth Registry provided the reference group. We used Poisson regression to estimate adjusted incidence rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals to identify clinical factors associated with peripartum hysterectomy. Results The incidence of hysterectomies with severe postpartum hemorrhage was 0.44/1000 deliveries (42/96313). Among the women with severe postpartum hemorrhage, 1.6% ended up with a hysterectomy (42/2621). Maternal age ≥40, previous cesarean section, multiple pregnancy and placenta previa were associated with a significantly higher risk of hysterectomy. Placenta accreta spectrum disorders were the most frequent cause of hemorrhage that resulted in a hysterectomy (52%, 22/42) and contributed to most of the complications following the hysterectomy (11/15 women with complications). Conclusions The rate of peripartum hysterectomies at Oslo University Hospital was low, but was higher than previously reported from Norway. Risk factors included high maternal age, previous cesarean section, multiple pregnancy and placenta previa, well known risk factors for placenta accreta spectrum disorders and severe postpartum hemorrhage. Placenta accreta spectrum disorders were the largest contributor to hysterectomies and complications

Energy assessments of onboard CO2 capture from ship engines by MEA-based post combustion capture system with flue gas heat integration

An early phase feasibility study was carried out for offshore CO2 capture from ship engines of a CO2 transport ship. A flexible in-house process simulator was applied in the assessments. Parametric studies of the overall onboard process were enabled by a fast data-driven capture plant model derived from supervised machine learning by PLS regression of a large dataset of rigorous simulations. The results show, based on the given models and assumptions, that the thermal energy coming from the ship engine exhaust gas is not sufficient alone to cover the thermal energy demand of an absorption-based CO2 capture unit operating above 50% capture rate using 30 wt% MEA (mono-ethanolamine) as solvent. The thermal energy demand can be met using a fuel afterburner as heat source. The added fuel consumption is estimated to increase the fuel consumption by 6–9% when operating with liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel source, while an increase of 8–12% is expected with diesel as fuel source. The effect of absorber height on energy consumption at a given CO2 capture rate is limited, especially for lower capture rates, and may be an important degree of freedom for optimizing the CAPEX/OPEX trade-offs. Use of state-of-the art solvents with lower specific energy consumptions will shift the results towards higher capture rates before a fuel afterburner is required to meet the thermal energy demands