When Tuberculosis Comes Back: Who Develops Recurrent Tuberculosis in California?

Recurrent tuberculosis suggests potentially modifiable gaps in tuberculosis treatment and control activities. The frequency of late recurrences following treatment completion has not been well-studied. We determined the frequency of, and risk factors associated with, tuberculosis that recurs at least one year after completion of anti-tuberculosis therapy in California.The study population included culture-positive, pulmonary tuberculosis patients reported to the California tuberculosis case registry from 1993 to 2007 who completed anti-tuberculosis therapy. A person with late recurrent tuberculosis was defined as an individual that appeared in the registry more than once, determined by match on name and date-of-birth, with at least one year between treatment completion of the first episode and treatment initiation of the second episode.Among 23,517 tuberculosis patients, 148 (0.63%) had a late recurrence. Independent risk factors for recurrence included: infection with a pyrazinamide mono-resistant isolate (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.93; p = 0.019); initiation of an isoniazid- and rifampin-only treatment regimen (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.55; p = 0.0412); sputum smear-positive disease (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.96; p = 0.0003); human immunodeficiency virus infection (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.81; p = 0.0149); and birth in the United States (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.88; p = 0.0002). Infection with an isoniazid mono-resistant isolate was protective (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.25; p = 0.0171).The low frequency of late recurrent tuberculosis in California suggests that local TB control programs are largely successful at preventing this adverse outcome. Nonetheless, we identified subpopulations at increased risk of late tuberculosis recurrence that may benefit from additional medical or public health interventions

On the Origins of Starburst and Post-Starburst Galaxies in Nearby Clusters

HST WFPC2 images in B (F450W) and I (F814W) have been obtained for three starburst (SB) and two post-starburst (PSB) galaxies in the Coma cluster, and for three such galaxies in the cluster DC2048-52. V (F555W) and I images for an additional PSB galaxy in Coma have been extracted from the archive. Seven of these galaxies were previously classified as E/S0 on the basis of ground-based images, one as Sa, and the other as an irregular. The HST images reveal these SB/PSB galaxies to be heterogeneous in morphology. Nevertheless a common theme is that many of them, especially the SB galaxies, tend to have centralized spiral structure that appears simply as a bright ``bulge''on ground-based images. In addition, while some PSB galaxies exhibit distinct spiral structure, on the whole they have smoother morphologies than the SB galaxies. The morphologies and luminosity profiles are generally consistent with substantial starbursts in the form of centralized spiral structure (the SB galaxies) which fade into smoother morphologies (the PSB galaxies), with lingering spectroscopic evidence for past central starbursts. An important point is that the PSB galaxies retain disks, i.e, they have not evolved into spheroidal systems.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figures including 3 jpg images. To appear in the January 1999 Astronomical Journa

The Globular Cluster Systems in the Coma Ellipticals. II: Metallicity Distribution and Radial Structure in NGC 4874, and Implications for Galaxy Formation

Deep HST/WFPC2 (V,I) photometry is used to investigate the globular cluster system (GCS) in NGC 4874, the central cD galaxy of the Coma cluster. The luminosity function of the clusters displays its normal Gaussian-like shape and turnover level. Other features of the system are surprising: the GCS is (a) spatially extended, with core radius r_c = 22 kpc, (b) entirely metal-poor (a narrow, unimodal metallicity distribution with mean [Fe/H] = -1.5), and (c) modestly populated, with specific frequency S_N = 3.7 +- 0.5. We suggest on the basis of some simple models that as much as half of this galaxy might have accreted from low-mass satellites, but no single one of the three classic modes of galaxy formation (accretion, disk mergers, in situ formation) can supply a fully satisfactory formation picture. Even when they are used in combination, strong challenges to these models remain. The principal anomaly in this GCS is essentially the complete lack of metal-rich clusters. If these were present in normal (M87-like) numbers in addition to the metal-poor ones that are already there, then the GCS in total would more closely resemble what we see in many other giant E galaxies.Comment: 27 pp. with 9 Figures. Astrophys.J. 533, in press (April 10, 2000

Multicenter randomized trial of carpal tunnel release with ultrasound guidance versus mini-open technique

BACKGROUND: Comparative studies of carpal tunnel release with ultrasound guidance (CTR-US) vs. mini-open CTR (mOCTR) are limited, prompting development of this randomized trial to compare efficacy and safety of these techniques. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients were randomized (2:1) to CTR-US or mOCTR, treated by experienced hand surgeons (median previous cases: 12 CTR-US; 1000 mOCTR), and followed for 3 months. RESULTS: Among 149 randomized patients, 122 received CTR-US ( CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy and safety of CTR-US were comparable to mOCTR despite less previous surgical experience with CTR-US. The choice of CTR technique should be determined by shared decision-making between patient and physician. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.clinicaltrials.gov identifier is NCT05405218

The Iowa Homemaker vol.23, no.1

For Wartime Beauty, Virginia Bates, page 4 Keeping Up With Today, Margaret Ralston, page 5 Women in Service Dress for Duty, Norma Dale, page 6 New Navy Kitchen Serves, Helen Hudson, page 7 Women as Food Inspectors, Dorothy Watt, page 8 Pioneering Textile Fibers, Ruth Herzig, page 9 Egg-Drying Increases Production, Helen James, page 10 Letter from a WAAC, Marjorie P. Hinkle, page 11 What’s New in Home Economics, Lily Houseman, page 12 Vicky Heralds Spring, Pat Hayes, page 14 Women Choose Engineering Careers, Frances Madigan, page 15 Campus Notions Dept., Joan Miller, page 16 For Today’s Bride, Grace Brown, page 18 Herbs Inspire Variety, Margaret Ralston, page 20 Across Alumnae Desks, Virginia Carter, page 22 Alums in the News, Rachel Ann Lusher, page 2

Modelling chemistry in the nocturnal boundary layer above tropical rainforest and a generalised effective nocturnal ozone deposition velocity for sub-ppbv NOx conditions

Measurements of atmospheric composition have been made over a remote rainforest landscape. A box model has previously been demonstrated to model the observed daytime chemistry well. However the box model is unable to explain the nocturnal measurements of relatively high [NO] and [O3], but relatively low observed [NO2]. It is shown that a one-dimensional (1-D) column model with simple O3 -NOx chemistry and a simple representation of vertical transport is able to explain the observed nocturnal concentrations and predict the likely vertical profiles of these species in the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL). Concentrations of tracers carried over from the end of the night can affect the atmospheric chemistry of the following day. To ascertain the anomaly introduced by using the box model to represent the NBL, vertically-averaged NBL concentrations at the end of the night are compared between the 1-D model and the box model. It is found that, under low to medium [NOx] conditions (NOx <1 ppbv), a simple parametrisation can be used to modify the box model deposition velocity of ozone, in order to achieve good agreement between the box and 1-D models for these end-of-night concentrations of NOx and O3. This parametrisation would could also be used in global climate-chemistry models with limited vertical resolution near the surface. Box-model results for the following day differ significantly if this effective nocturnal deposition velocity for ozone is implemented; for instance, there is a 9% increase in the following day’s peak ozone concentration. However under medium to high [NOx] conditions (NOx > 1 ppbv), the effect on the chemistry due to the vertical distribution of the species means no box model can adequately represent chemistry in the NBL without modifying reaction rate constants

Improving the science-policy dialogue to meet the challenges of biodiversity conservation: having conversations rather than talking at one-another

A better, more effective dialogue is needed between biodiversity science and policy to underpin the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. Many initiatives exist to improve communication, but these largely conform to a ‘linear’ or technocratic model of communication in which scientific “facts” are transmitted directly to policy advisers to “solve problems”. While this model can help start a dialogue, it is, on its own, insufficient, as decision taking is complex, iterative and often selective in the information used. Here, we draw on the literature, interviews and a workshop with individuals working at the interface between biodiversity science and government policy development to present practical recommendations aimed at individuals, teams, organisations and funders. Building on these recommendations, we stress the need to: (a) frame research and policy jointly; (b) promote inter- and trans-disciplinary research and “multi-domain” working groups that include both scientists and policy makers from various fields and sectors; (c) put in place structures and incentive schemes that support interactive dialogue in the long-term. These are changes that are needed in light of continuing loss of biodiversity and its consequences for societal dependence on and benefits from nature

Systematic Errors in the Hubble Constant Based on Measurement of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect

Values of the Hubble constant reported to date which are based on measurement of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect in clusters of galaxies are systematically lower than those derived by other methods (e.g., Cepheid variable stars, or the Tully-Fisher relation). We investigate the possibility that systematic errors may be introduced into the analysis by the generally adopted assumptions that observed clusters are in hydrostatic equilibrium, are spherically symmetric, and are isothermal. We construct self-consistent theoretical models of merging clusters of galaxies using hydrodynamical/N-body simulations. We then compute the magnitude of Ho derived from the SZ effect at different times and at different projection angles both from first principles, and by applying each of the standard assumptions used in the interpretation of observations. Our results indicate that the assumption of isothermality in the evolving clusters can result in Ho being underestimated by 10-30% depending on both epoch and projection angle. Moreover, use of the projected, emission-weighted temperature profile under the assumption of spherical symmetry does not significantly improve the situation except in the case of more extreme mergers (i.e., those involving relatively gas-rich subclusters).Comment: 31 pages, Latex, 2 tables, 10 postscript figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ, scheduled for June 20, 199