Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma in kidney allograft recipients-A case series and review of the literature.

Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis are common inhabitants of the human genital tract. Increasingly, serious and sometimes fatal infections in immunocompromised hosts have been reported, highlighting their pathogenic potential. We reviewed the clinical impact of positive Ureaplasma spp.

A prospective observational study comparing a non-operator dependent automatic PWV analyser to pulse pressure, in assessing arterial stiffness in hemodialysis.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) accelerates vascular stiffening related to age. Arterial stiffness may be evaluated measuring the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) or more simply, as recommended by KDOQI, monitoring pulse pressure (PP). Both correlate to survival and incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Frequency and severity of pain and symptom distress among patients with chronic kidney disease receiving dialysis.

Question Under Study: Data on pain management in haemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease are scanty. Our study aimed to collect information on the frequency and severity of pain and symptom distress among long-term dialysis patients in southern Switzerland.

Methods: Patients with chronic kidney disease stage 5, on dialysis, treated in five nephrology units in southern Switzerland, who had given informed consent and were able to complete the survey, were interviewed to assess pain and correlated symptoms using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Brief Pain Inventory and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System.

Z = 50 shell gap near 100Sn from intermediate-energy Coulomb excitations in even-mass 106-112Sn isotopes.

Rare isotope beams of neutron-deficient 106,108,110Sn from the fragmentation of 124Xe were employed in an intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation experiment. The measured B(E2,0(1)(+)-->2(1)(+)) values for 108Sn and 110Sn and the results obtained for the 106Sn show that the transition strengths for these nuclei are larger than predicted by current state-of-the-art shell-model calculations. This discrepancy might be explained by contributions of the protons from within the Z = 50 shell to the structure of low-energy excited states in this region.

Measurement of excited states in (40)Si and evidence for weakening of the N=28 shell gap.

Excited states in (40)Si have been established by detecting gamma rays coincident with inelastic scattering and nucleon removal reactions on a liquid hydrogen target. The low excitation energy, 986(5) keV, of the 2(1)(+) state provides evidence of a weakening in the N=28 shell closure in a neutron-rich nucleus devoid of deformation-driving proton collectivity.