Bovine tuberculosis in Northern Ireland : risk factors associated with time from post-outbreak test to subsequent herd breakdown

Compulsory bovine tuberculosis testing has been implemented since 1959 in NorthernIreland. Initial rapid progress in the eradication of the disease was followed by a situationwhere disease levels tended to fluctuate around a low level. This study explores recru-descence of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Northern Ireland herds by assessing risk factorsassociated with time from the six-month post-outbreak skin test until a further herd break-down. Bovine herds (n = 3377) were recruited in 2002 and 2003 and their survival analysedusing Kaplan–Meier survival estimates and a Cox proportional hazards model, with follow-up extending to August 2008. Exclusion criteria applied for study entry were bTB infection ina contiguous herd, changing of post restriction test to one of a higher risk status or chronicinfection. Chronic infection was defined as any situation where disclosure preceded thepost-outbreak test by two years or more. The application of these exclusion criteria meantthat herds recruited to the study were largely cleared of infection and not directly con-tiguous to other infected herds. Of the 3377 herds, 1402 (41.5%) suffered a further herdbreakdown before the end of follow-up. Median survival time was 582 days (interquartilerange = 336–1002 days). Breakdown severity (defined as the number of Single Intrader-mal Comparative Tuberculin Test (SICTT) reactors at disclosure test), local bTB prevalence,herd size and type were identified as significant risk factors (p 27.38 per year) of cattle. Consistent with other studies this workshows bTB confirmation to not be predictive of a future herd breakdown. This work showsbTB history as not being a risk factor for a future breakdown. This result could be reflectiveof the exclusion criteria used in the study, which may have selected for incidents wherehistorical status was of less importance.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/prevetmedhb201

Unusual morphologies and the occurrence of pseudomorphs after ikaite (CaCO3•6H2O) in fast growing, hyperalkaline speleothem

Unusual speleothem, associated with hyperalkaline (pH>12) groundwaters have formed within a shallow, abandoned railway tunnel at Peak Dale, Derbyshire, UK. The hyperalkaline groundwaters are produced by the leaching of a thin layer (<2 m) of old lime kiln waste above the soil-bedrock surface above the tunnel by rainwater. This results in a different reaction and chemical process to that more commonly associated with the formation of calcium carbonate speleothems from Ca-HCO3-type groundwaters and degassing of CO2. Stalagmites within the Peak Dale tunnel have grown rapidly (averaging 33 mm y-1), following the closure of the tunnel 70 years ago. They have an unusual morphology comprising a central sub-horizontally-laminated column of micro- to nano-crystalline calcium carbonate encompassed by an outer sub-vertical assymetric ripple laminated layer. The stalagmites are largely composed of secondary calcite forming pseudomorphs (<1 mm) which we believe to be predominantly after the ‘cold climate’ calcium carbonate polymorph, ikaite (calcium carbonate hexahydrate: CaCO3•6H2O), with minor volumes of small (<5 μm) pseudomorphs after vaterite. The tunnel has a near constant temperature of 8-9°C which is slightly above the previously published crystallisation temperatures for ikaite (<6°C). Analysis of a stalagmite actively growing at the time of sampling, and preserved immediately within a dry nitrogen cryogenic vessel, indicates that following crystallisation of ikaite, decomposition to calcite occurs rapidly, if not instantaneously. We believe this is the first occurrence of this calcium carbonate polymorph observed within speleothem

Simulating Cosmic Microwave Background maps in multi-connected spaces

This article describes the computation of cosmic microwave background anisotropies in a universe with multi-connected spatial sections and focuses on the implementation of the topology in standard CMB computer codes. The key ingredient is the computation of the eigenmodes of the Laplacian with boundary conditions compatible with multi-connected space topology. The correlators of the coefficients of the decomposition of the temperature fluctuation in spherical harmonics are computed and examples are given for spatially flat spaces and one family of spherical spaces, namely the lens spaces. Under the hypothesis of Gaussian initial conditions, these correlators encode all the topological information of the CMB and suffice to simulate CMB maps.Comment: 33 pages, 55 figures, submitted to PRD. Higher resolution figures available on deman

Chylous mesenteric cyst: A diagnostic dilemma

A mesenteric cyst is defined as a cyst that is located in the mesentery of the gastrointestinal tract and may extend from the base of the mesentery into the retroperito- neum. A case report of a patient with mesenteric cyst is presented. In addition, a systematic review was performed of English language literature on chylous mesenteric cysts in adult hu- mans. Of the 18 articles included in the review, there were 19 cases of chylous mesenteric cysts reported. Male to female ratio was 1.4:1 with a median age of 46 years. A preoperative diagnosis of mesenteric cyst was made in four patients based on computed to- mography. All patients underwent surgery and there were no reports of recurrence on follow up. Chylous mesenteric cyst is a rare entity that needs to be recognized whenever a prelimi- nary diagnosis of intra-abdominal cystic mass is made

Tomato: a crop species amenable to improvement by cellular and molecular methods

Tomato is a crop plant with a relatively small DNA content per haploid genome and a well developed genetics. Plant regeneration from explants and protoplasts is feasable which led to the development of efficient transformation procedures. In view of the current data, the isolation of useful mutants at the cellular level probably will be of limited value in the genetic improvement of tomato. Protoplast fusion may lead to novel combinations of organelle and nuclear DNA (cybrids), whereas this technique also provides a means of introducing genetic information from alien species into tomato. Important developments have come from molecular approaches. Following the construction of an RFLP map, these RFLP markers can be used in tomato to tag quantitative traits bred in from related species. Both RFLP's and transposons are in the process of being used to clone desired genes for which no gene products are known. Cloned genes can be introduced and potentially improve specific properties of tomato especially those controlled by single genes. Recent results suggest that, in principle, phenotypic mutants can be created for cloned and characterized genes and will prove their value in further improving the cultivated tomato.

Transitions of cardio-metabolic risk factors in the Americas between 1980 and 2014

Describing the prevalence and trends of cardiometabolic risk factors that are associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is crucial for monitoring progress, planning prevention, and providing evidence to support policy efforts. We aimed to analyse the transition in body-mass index (BMI), obesity, blood pressure, raised blood pressure, and diabetes in the Americas, between 1980 and 2014