Electron spin relaxation of P1 centers in synthetic diamonds with potential as B standards for DNP enhanced NMR.

The microwave magnetic field, B, in the non-resonant structures typically used for DNP-enhanced NMR is relatively small, so calibration via continuous wave (CW) power saturation requires a sample with longer spin lattice relaxation times than the samples used as CW standards in X-band cavities. HPHT diamonds have strong, easily observed EPR signals from P1 centers (nitrogen defects), and are indefinitely stable. This makes HPHT diamonds attractive as secondary standards for calibration of electron B field strength in a variety of experimental arrangements.

Evaluation of molecular and culture methods to determine the optimum testing strategy for verotoxigenic Escherichia coli in faecal specimens.

We evaluated 5 methods for the detection of verotoxogenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) from faecal specimens to determine the most sensitive and specific method(s) and to advise an optimum testing strategy. A total of 681 stool specimens were examined using up to 5 diagnostic molecular and phenotypic methods that are used routinely in the VTEC Reference laboratory, Dublin. A testing strategy incorporating a 2-step approach that included a single Real Time-PCR and 1 culture-based method yielded the highest sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 98.

Extending high-finesse cavity techniques to the far-infrared.

Sensitive spectroscopic techniques involving high-finesse Fabry-Perot resonators are widely used in the microwave and near-infrared spectral regimes, but hardware limitations have hindered their extension to far-infrared wavelengths. While there is no theoretical limit to the frequency region where cavity-enhanced techniques are practical, the sensitivity of these methods does depend explicitly on the availability of highly reflective optics and, in the case of cavity ringdown spectroscopy, sufficiently fast detectors. Here, we describe a novel high-finesse cavity that uses wire-grid polarizers as the reflective surfaces.

Characterization of farm, food, and clinical Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O113.

Thirty-nine Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O113 Irish farm, abattoir, and clinical isolates were analyzed in conjunction with eight Australian, New Zealand, and Norwegian strains for H (flagellar) antigens, virulence gene profile (eaeA, hlyA, tir, espA, espB katP, espP, etpD, saa, sab, toxB, iha, lpfA(O157/OI-141,) lpfA(O113,) and lpfA(O157/OI-154)), Shiga toxin gene variants (stx(1c), stx(1d), stx(2), stx(2c), stx(2dact), stx(2e), stx(2f,) and stx(2g)) and were genotyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). All of the Irish strains were O113:H4, regardless of source, while all non-Irish isolates carried the H21 flagellar antigen. The stx(1) gene was present in 30 O113:H4 strains only, whereas the stx(2d) gene was common to all isolates regardless of source.

Multilocus sequence typing methods for the emerging Campylobacter Species C. hyointestinalis, C. lanienae, C. sputorum, C. concisus, and C. curvus.

Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) systems have been reported previously for multiple food- and food animal-associated Campylobacter species (e.g., C.

Laboratory-based surveillance of human verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection in the Republic of Ireland, 2002-2004.

The aim of this study was to examine the frequency and distribution of human verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) O157 and non-O157 in the Republic of Ireland, and also to examine the presence of virulence genes in these isolates. This genetic information combined with phenotypic tests was used to produce a complete laboratory-based surveillance of human clinical VTEC infection in the Republic of Ireland between 2002 and 2004. Between January 2002 and December 2004 a total of 207 VTEC isolates were studied (one isolate per patient), 185 (89 %) of these were E.