Studies of human polyomaviruses, with HPyV7, BKPyV, and JCPyV present in urine of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplanted patients with or without hemorrhagic cystitis

BACKGROUND

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) can cause hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) patients and polyomavirus-associated nephritis in renal transplant patients, while JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) can generate progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in immunocompromised individuals. Since 2007, additional human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) have been identified. In this study, we examined the urines of allo-HSCT patients for possible presence of polyomaviruses BKPyV, JCPyV, KIPyV, WUPyV, MCPyV, HPyV6, HPyV7, TSPyV, HPyV9, and HPyV10 (MWPyV).

METHODS

A total of 185 urinary samples obtained 2002-2007 from 105 allo-HSCT patients, 32/105 with HC, were tested for the above-listed HPyVs by a bead-based multiplex assay. Of these, 142 urine samples had previously been tested for BKPyV and JCPyV by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

Aside from BKPyV and JCPyV, which dominated, HPyV7 was detected in 5 BKPyV-positive urinary samples from 1 patient. The multiplex assay was more sensitive and specific than the nested PCR. BKPyV and/or JCPyV were found in all but 1 of the previously BKPyV- or JCPyV-positive samples, although 6 previously BKPyV-positive cases were now JCPyV-positive or the reverse. Furthermore, 18/79 previously negative samples were found to be BKPyV and/or JCPyV positive, and a total of 21 double infections were found. Lastly, in 1/29 HC patients, only JCPyV was detected.

CONCLUSION

HPyV7 was found for the first time in urine of an allo-HSCT patient, and BKPyV and JCPyV were more commonly found in urine samples using the bead-based assay compared to testing by nested PCR. Finally, only JCPyV was detected in the urine of 1 HC patient.

Nonlinear bound-free pair creation in the strong electromagnetic fields of a heavy nucleus and an intense x-ray laser

We study e(-)e(+) pair creation in the collision of a heavy nucleus with an intense x-ray laser, where the produced e(-) is simultaneously captured into the K shell of the projectile nucleus. The parameters of the colliding system are chosen such that the absorption of at least two photons from the laser wave is required in order to surmount the energy threshold of the reaction. Considering this fundamental nonlinear strong-field process for the first time, we estimate the total production rate as well as the angular and energetic distributions of the emitted positrons. According to our results, the process of nonlinear bound-free pair creation could become observable by the aid of the upcoming x-ray laser facilities.

Precise determination of the 2s(1/2)-2p(1/2) splitting in very heavy lithiumlike ions utilizing dielectronic recombination

The 2s(1/2)-2p(1/2) energy splittings DeltaE(L) of the lithiumlike ions 19779Au76+, 20882Pb79+, and 23892U89+ have been measured at the Experimental Storage Ring, utilizing low energy dielectronic recombination. The resonance energies in total 41 different 1s(2) 2p(1/2)nl(j(')) (n > or =20) autoionizing Rydberg states populated in the dielectronic capture process have been determined. The 2s(1/2)-->2p(1/2) excitation energies have been obtained by extrapolation of these resonance energies to the associated series limits n--> infinity. The combined analysis of the experimental data for all three ions yields DeltaE(L)=216.134(96) eV for Au76+, 230.650(81) eV for Pb79+, and 280.516(99) eV for U89+.

High Rydberg resonances in dielectronic recombination of pb(79+)

Dielectronic recombination resonances of Pb (79+) associated with 2s(1/2)-->2p(1/2) excitations were measured at the heavy-ion storage ring ESR at GSI. The fine structure of the energetically lowest resonance manifold Pb (78+)(1s(2)2p(1/2)20l(j)) at around 18 eV could partially be resolved, and rate coefficients on an absolute scale were obtained. A comparison of the experimental data with results of a fully relativistic theoretical approach shows that high-angular-momentum components up to j=31/2 significantly contribute to the total resonance strength demonstrating the necessity to revise the widespread notion of negligible high-angular-momentum contributions at least for very highly charged ions.

Eine Berechnung mehrerer Zustände des Li2-Moleküls nach der Valenzbindungs-Vorstellung

Für einige Terme des Li2-Moleküls werden Zustandsfunktionen und Energiewerte in Abhängig­ keit vom Kernabstand bestimmt. Die Funktionen werden zusammengesetzt aus Slater-Determinanten der Form | s0 s0' □ ·s0 s0' □ | , wobei in □ beliebige Funktionen aus den L-Schalen beider Li-Atome stehen.