Pathways for the oxidation of sarin in urban atmospheres.

The nerve agent sarin has recently been deployed by terrorists in a major city. The molecule is volatile and made its way to many victims by passing as vapor through a highly reactive medium. Here we estimate rates and pathways for the removal of gas phase sarin from a generalized urban atmosphere.

Herpes zoster in patients taking TNFalpha antagonists for chronic inflammatory joint disease.

Objective: To assess the rate of occurrence and outcomes of herpes zoster in patients taking TNFalpha antagonists.

Methods: Retrospective review of the medical records of 300 patients who received TNFalpha antagonists to treat chronic inflammatory joint disease.

Results: We identified 9 (9/300, 3%) patients who experienced herpes zoster, 6 women and 3 men, with rheumatoid arthritis (n=7) or ankylosing spondylitis (n=2).