Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for detection of atypical enterovirus D68 strain VR-1197.

A method that has rapidly evolved for detection of viral pathogens are loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays. The available LAMP assays usually target the most common viral strains, including enteroviruses, but for the atypical enterovirus D68 strain VR-1197 this method has not yet been developed. Enterovirus D68 are known for severe respiratory distress in children, and atypical strains are less likely to be detected by traditional methods.

cultivation of adherent cells on microscope slides for downstream applications.

In vitro studies with cultured cells are often conducted as an important part of basic research. Adherent cells are typically cultivated in flasks or trays, for which cell staining and subsequent visualization become impractical. We here present a simple step-by-step method for growing adherent cells directly on glass microscope slides, using low-cost equipment readily available in most laboratories.

Development of RT-qPCR for quantification of human enterovirus D68 .

The common cold is the most frequent viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract with different intensities based on the serotype and the characteristics of the virus. Numerous human rhinoviruses have been identified and classified. Human rhinovirus 87 (HRV87), also known as enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), is one of the common viruses causing respiratory infections.

Losing the 'arms race': multiresistant salmon lice are dispersed throughout the North Atlantic Ocean.

Nothing lasts forever, including the effect of chemicals aimed to control pests in food production. As old pesticides have been compromised by emerging resistance, new ones have been introduced and turned the odds back in our favour. With time, however, some pests have developed multi-pesticide resistance, challenging our ability to control them.

A salty start: Brackish water start-up as a microbial management strategy for nitrifying bioreactors with variable salinity.

Nitrifying biofilms developed in brackish water are reported to be more robust to salinity changes than freshwater biofilms. This makes them a promising strategy for water treatment systems with variable salinity, such as recirculating aquaculture systems for Atlantic salmon. However, little is known about the time required for nitrification start-up in brackish water or the microbial community dynamics.

e 1.0: An open source electronic structure program with emphasis on coupled cluster and multilevel methods.

The e program is an open source electronic structure package with emphasis on coupled cluster and multilevel methods. It includes efficient spin adapted implementations of ground and excited singlet states, as well as equation of motion oscillator strengths, for CCS, CC2, CCSD, and CC3. Furthermore, e provides unique capabilities such as multilevel Hartree-Fock and multilevel CC2, real-time propagation for CCS and CCSD, and efficient CC3 oscillator strengths.

Biofilms remember: Osmotic stress priming as a microbial management strategy for improving salinity acclimation in nitrifying biofilms.

With increasing freshwater scarcity and greater use of seawater, fluctuating salinities are becoming common in water treatment systems. This can be challenging for salinity-sensitive processes like nitrification, especially in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), where maintaining nitrification efficiency is crucial for fish health. This study was undertaken to determine if prior exposure to seawater (priming) could improve nitrification in moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR) under salinity increase from freshwater to seawater.

A Medical Support in Offshore Racing - Workshop on Medical Support for Offshore Yacht Races, Telemedical Advice Service (TMAS), 1-2 December 2018, London, United Kingdom.

The safety and health of sailors offshore is of major concern. World Sailing (WS) and International Maritime Health Association (IMHA) are taking seriously the potential dangers to the safety and health at sea. By the nature of their sport, the sailors racing in offshore racing environment can be exposed to injuries and other health problems that can endanger their lives.

The Phe362Tyr mutation conveying resistance to organophosphates occurs in high frequencies in salmon lice collected from wild salmon and trout.

The parasitic salmon louse, and its resistance to chemical delousing agents, represents one of the largest challenges to the salmon aquaculture industry. We genotyped lice sampled from wild salmon and sea trout throughout Norway with the recently identified Phe362Tyr mutation that conveys resistance to organophosphates. These results were compared to data from lice sampled on farmed salmon in the same regions.

Medical emergencies on large passenger ships without doctors: the Oslo-Kiel-Oslo ferry experience.

Background: The Oslo-Kiel-Oslo route is currently the only direct ferry crossing between Norway and Germany, covered by 2 cruise-and-cars ferries carrying about 2,600 passengers each and sailing every day (20 h at sea, 4 h in port). Unlike most ocean going cruise vessels, they are not required to carry a physician but an on-board paramedic handles medical emergencies. The aim of the study was to provide data on medical emergencies leading to helicopter evacuations (helivacs) or other urgent transfers to facilities ashore from the two ferries during a 3-year period.

Establishment of a non-invasive method for stress evaluation in farmed salmon based on direct fecal corticoid metabolites measurement.

Fish welfare is an important issue for growth of the aquaculture industry. Stress responses represent animal's natural reactions to challenging conditions and could be used as a welfare indicator. Cortisol level is relevant to fish welfare condition, and is a readily measured component of the primary stress response system.

Exploring Diversity among Norwegian Borrelia Strains Originating from Ixodes ricinus Ticks.

Characterisation of Borrelia strains from Ixodes ricinus ticks is important in the epidemiological surveillance of vector-borne pathogens. Multilocus sequences analysis (MLSA) is a molecular genotyping tool with high discriminatory power that has been applied in evolutionary studies and for the characterisation of Borrelia genospecies. MLSA was used to study genetic variations in Borrelia strains isolated from I.

Prevalence and Diversity among Anaplasma phagocytophilum Strains Originating from Ixodes ricinus Ticks from Northwest Norway.

The tick-borne pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes great concern for livestock farmers. Tick-borne fever is a widespread disease in Norway, and antibodies have been produced amongst sheep, roe deer, red deer, and moose. The main vector Ixodes ricinus is found along the Norwegian coastline as far north as the Arctic Circle.

DGGE Identification of Microorganisms Associated with Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato- or Anaplasma phagocytophilum-Infected Ixodes ricinus Ticks from Northwest Norway.

Ticks acquire a wide range of microorganisms as a natural part of their lifecycle. Bacteria, viruses, and protozoa can be transmitted to ticks during feeding and free-living phases. DGGE profiling is a molecular method to describe the microbial population associated with ticks and demonstrate some of the complexity and variety of tick-borne microorganisms.

Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia valaisiana in Ixodes ricinus ticks from the northwest of Norway.

Objectives: Over a 3-y period, Ixodes ricinus ticks were randomly collected to study the prevalence of 4 Borrelia species: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii, B.

Identification of bacteria infecting Ixodes ricinus ticks by 16S rDNA amplification and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.

Ticks harbor a complex microbial population, which they acquire while feeding on a variety of mammalians and birds. Zoonotic diseases transferred by ticks are an increasing problem and have become a burden to the community. 16S rDNA amplification and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) enables detection of the broad spectrum of bacteria that settles in the ticks.

High-sensitivity fiber-optic ultrasound sensors for medical imaging applications.

This paper presents several designs of high-sensitivity, compact fiber-optic ultrasound sensors that may be used for medical imaging applications. These sensors translate ultrasonic pulses into strains in single-mode optical fibers, which are measured with fiber-based laser interferometers at high precision. The sensors are simpler and less expensive to make than piezoelectric sensors, and are not susceptible to electromagnetic interference.

Planar flexible fiber-optic interferometric acoustic sensor.

A planar flexible fiber-optic interferometric acoustic sensor has been developed by wrapping optimized single-mode fibers in a planar spiral form and then embedding the fiber in a thin polyurethane layer. Both the acoustic and the acceleration responses have been found to compare favorably with those of a planar polyvinylidene fluoride sensor of similar geometry.

Dependence of visibility on input polarization in interferometric fiber-optic sensors.

We present an analysis of the effects of input polarization on the output fringe visibility of two-beam interferometric fiber-optic sensors, which predicts the existence of interferometer input-polarization eigenmodes for which optimum visibility is obtained. Experimental results that verify this are also presented.

Time-division multiplexing of interferometric fiber sensors using passive phase-generated carrier interrogation.

The multiplexing and demodulation of interferometric sensors using a time-division/phase-generated carrier approach is described. The scheme uses slightly unbalanced interferometers and laser frequency modulation to effect the interrogation of the sensors, while the time-division multiplexing allows individual sensors to be addressed. Phase sensitivities of ~20 microrad/ radicalHz and cross-talk levels of <-47 dB are demonstrated for a three-sensor network.

Properties of diode lasers with intensity noise control.

The effect of the reduction of intensity noise by electronic feedback on the frequency stability of a GaAlAs laser is investigated. Only a small increase (approximately 30%) in stability was observed because the intensity and frequency noise were found to be not completely correlated. The technique described can also be used to estimate the coherence function gamma2 between the various noise properties of the laser's emission without using a correlator.

Simplified time-integrating acousto-optical processor for Fourier transformation.

Novel concepts for simplification of the optical design of a time-integrating acousto-optical signal processor for real-time Fourier transformation are described. Fourier transforms of both pulsed and continuous signals, obtained from the triangular common-path interferometric setup, are demonstrated. Because of their simplicity, these concepts are suitable for designing ultracompact devices.

Phase compensation in interferometric fiber-optic sensors.

A new method of keeping interferometric fiber-optic sensor systems in quadrature by tuning the emission frequency of the laser-diode source is described. The compensation scheme has a better than 10(-5)-rad sensitivity and a usable tracking range.

Elimination of drift in a single-mode optical fiber interferometer using a piezoelectrically stretched coiled fiber.

The feasibility of maintaining a single-mode optical fiber interferometer in quadrature is demonstrated using a servo driven piezoelectrically stretched coiled fiber. The controller has a range of ~10(-5)-1000 rad with a stress voltage coefficient of ~27pi rad/V.