INTRODUCTION Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are one of the primary contaminants of concern at the Champion International Superfund Site in Libby, Montana. Contaminated soil at the Libby site is currently being treated by bioremediation that results in contaminant loss mechanisms including mineralization and formation of bound residues (Nieman et al., 1999). Our current work involves the...

Analysis of fingerprints has predominantly focused on matching the pattern of ridges to a specific person as a form of identification. The present work focuses on identifying extrinsic materials that are left within a person's fingerprint after recent handling of such materials. Specifically, we employed infrared spectromicroscopy to locate and positively identify microscopic particles from a m...

Background: ESBLs are enzymes which are capable of hydrolysing penicillins, broad-spectrum cephalosporins and monobactams. They are generally derived from TEM and SHV-type enzymes. Materials and methods: We investigated the presence of TEM, SHV, CTX-M, OXA and IBC beta-lactamase genes by PCR in 300 E. coli, 130 Klebsiella spp., 100 P. aeruginosa ve 23 Enterobacter spp. isolated from various cli...

Calcified coccolithophores generate calcium carbonate scales around their cell surface. In light of predicted climate change and the global carbon cycle, the biomineralization ability of coccoliths has received growing interest. However, the underlying biomineralization mechanism is not yet well understood; the lack of non-invasive characterizing tools to obtain molecular level information invo...

The advanced characteristics of synchrotron light has led in recent years to the development of a series of new experimental techniques to investigate chemical and physical properties on a microscopic scale. Although originally developed for materials science and biomedical research, such techniques find increasing applications in other domains - and could be quite useful for the study and cons...

The implementation of imaging techniques with low-energy electrons at synchrotron laboratories allowed for significant advancement in the field of spectromicroscopy. The spectroscopic photoemission and low energy electron microscope, SPELEEM, is a notable example. We summarize the multitechnique capabilities of the SPELEEM instrument, reporting on the instrumental aspects and the latest develop...

Lawrence Berkeley Lab scientists have discovered a bacteria that thrives on toxic waste. A Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectromicroscopy beamline (Beamline 1.4.3) was implemented to identify the toxin-devouring microbes. The bacteria detected converts hexavalent chromium (Cr 6+) a widespread industrial contaminant, into a safer, stable compound (Cr 3+). " Basically, the bugs eat the waste...

An online automatic feedback system has been successfully installed and commissioned at the BL08U1A Soft X-ray Spectromicroscopy Beamline of Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, which can monitor incident beam in real time by measuring blade-edge signals exit slit automatically adjust elliptical cylindrical mirror parameters to achieve calibration maintain optimal flux sample. This work pro...