A ring system detected around the Centaur (10199) Chariklo

Until now, rings have been detected in the Solar System exclusively around the four giant planets. Here we report the discovery of the rst minor-body ring system around the Centaur object (10199) Chariklo, a body with equivalent radius 124±9 km. A multi-chord stellar occultation revealed the presence of two dense rings around Chariklo, with widths of about 7 km and 3 km, optical depths 0.4 and 0.06, and orbital radii 391 and 405 km, respectively. The present orientation of the ring is consistent with an edge-on geometry in 2008, thus providing a simple explanation for the dimming of Chariklo's system between 1997 and 2008, and for the gradual disappearance of ice and other absorption features in its spectrum over the same period. This implies that the rings are partially composed of water ice. These rings may be the remnants of a debris disk, which were possibly con ned by embedded kilometre-sized satellites

Resource implications of patients with multidrug resistant tuberculosis

BACKGROUND—Multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) requires a complex drug regimen and lengthy multidisciplinary care. The financial cost of successful management of each case is potentially large.
METHODS—The costs of managing nine HIV negative patients with pulmonary MDR TB were compared with 18 age group and ethnicity matched controls with fully sensitive disease. Calculations included: cost of outpatient visits and inpatient stays including negative pressure isolation; costs of drug provision and toxicity monitoring; costs of additional procedures and multidisciplinary referrals.
RESULTS—The mean cost of managing a case of pulmonary MDR TB was in excess of £60 000 and for sensitive disease it was £6040.
CONCLUSIONS—Clinicians and healthcare commissioning authorities may both be underestimating the costs of managing MDR TB, and accordingly the consequences for units dealing with such cases may be serious. Funding of care for MDR TB in the UK requires strategic decisions at regional or governmental level.