Amplification of the North American "Dust Bowl" drought through human-induced land degradation.

The "Dust Bowl" drought of the 1930s was highly unusual for North America, deviating from the typical pattern forced by "La Nina" with the maximum drying in the central and northern Plains, warm temperature anomalies across almost the entire continent, and widespread dust storms. General circulation models (GCMs), forced by sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from the 1930s, produce a drought, but one that is centered in southwestern North America and without the warming centered in the middle of the continent. Here, we show that the inclusion of forcing from human land degradation during the period, in addition to the anomalous SSTs, is necessary to reproduce the anomalous features of the Dust Bowl drought.

Theory for particle settling and shear-induced migration in thin-film liquid flow.

Particles suspended in a film flow can either settle out of the flow, remain well mixed, or even advance faster than the fluid, accumulating at the moving contact line. Recent experiments by Zhou et al. [Phys.

Measuring trends in racial/ ethnic health care disparities.

Monitoring disparities over time is complicated by the varying disparity definitions applied in the literature. This study used data from the 1996-2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to compare trends in disparities by three definitions of racial/ethnic disparities and to assess the influence of changes in socioeconomic status (SES) among racial/ethnic minorities on disparity trends. This study prefers the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) definition, which adjusts for health status but allows for mediation of racial/ethnic disparities through SES factors.

Massive internal injury in the absence of significant external injury after collisions of passenger vehicles with much larger vehicles.

We have encountered cases of motor vehicle collisions in which there was relatively little external trauma, but there were massive internal injuries that were much more extensive than might be expected from the external examination. Two cases were collisions between trains and pickup trucks, the third a collision between a semi trailer and a van. In all three cases, the external examination showed minor abrasions and lacerations.

Molecular evidence for sequential colonization and taxon cycling in freshwater decapod shrimps on a Caribbean island.

Taxon cycling, i.e. sequential phases of expansions and contractions in species' distributions associated with ecological or morphological shifts, are postulated to characterize dynamic biogeographic histories in various island faunas.

Phylogeography of an Island endemic, the Puerto Rican Freshwater Crab (Epilobocera sinuatifrons).

The endemic Puerto Rican crab, Epilobocera sinuatifrons (Pseudothelphusidae), has a freshwater-dependant life-history strategy, although the species has some capabilities for terrestrial movement as adults. In contrast to all other freshwater decapods on the island (e.g.

Receiving advice about child mental health from a primary care provider: African American and Hispanic parent attitudes.

Background: Primary care providers (PCPs) play a critical role in the identification and treatment of child and adolescent mental health problems but few studies have examined parents' attitudes on receiving advice about child mental health from a PCP and whether attitudes are associated with race or ethnicity.

Objective: To determine if race and ethnicity were associated with parents' attitudes on receiving advice about child mental health from a PCP.

Subjects: Data were collected during 773 visits to 54 PCPs in 13 diverse clinics.

Measuring trends in mental health care disparities, 2000 2004.

Objective: This study measured trends in disparities in mental health care by use of an improved method that applies the Institute of Medicine (IOM) definition of racial-ethnic disparities.

Methods: Data from the 2000-2001 and 2003-2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys were used to estimate trends in two global measures of racial-ethnic disparities in mental health care: having any mental health visit and total mental health care expenditure in the past year. Disparities between African Americans, Hispanics, and white Americans were examined by applying a new methodology based on the IOM definition of racial disparity that adjusts for health status and allows for mediation of racial-ethnic disparities through socioeconomic factors.

Effect of Medicaid Managed Care on racial disparities in health care access.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of Medicaid Managed Care (MMC) on racial disparities in access to care consistent with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) definition of racial disparity, which excludes differences stemming from health status but includes socioeconomic status (SES)-mediated differences.

Data Sources: Secondary data from the Adult Samples of the 1997-2001 National Health Interview Survey, metropolitan statistical area (MSA)-level Medicaid Health Maintenance Organization (MHMO) market share from the 1997 to 2001 InterStudy MSA Trend Dataset, and MSA characteristics from the 1997 to 2001 Area Resource File.

Study Design: I estimate multivariate regression models to compare racial disparities in doctor visits, emergency room (ER) use, and having a usual source of care between enrollees in MMC and Medicaid Fee-for-Service (FFS) plans.

Implementing the Institute of Medicine definition of disparities: an application to mental health care.

Objective: In a recent report, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines a health service disparity between population groups to be the difference in treatment or access not justified by the differences in health status or preferences of the groups. This paper proposes an implementation of this definition, and applies it to disparities in outpatient mental health care.

Data Sources: Health Care for Communities (HCC) reinterviewed 9,585 respondents from the Community Tracking Study in 1997-1998, oversampling individuals with psychological distress, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, or mental health treatment.

Radionuclear transit to assess sites of delay in large bowel transit in children with chronic idiopathic constipation.

Purpose: Chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) with soiling in children may result from slow colonic transit (SCT) or anorectal dysfunction and/or psychological problems known as functional fecal retention (FFR). Evidence is accumulating that SCT and FFR need different treatments, but they are poorly distinguished by solid marker studies. The authors used radionuclear transit scintigraphy to categorize children with CIC as having either FFR or SCT.

Tracheostomy in children with nemaline core myopathy.

Two children with nemaline core myopathy (NM) who required tracheostomy are reported. One had a severe neonatal form requiring tracheostomy in the neonatal period for continuous mechanical ventilation. The other had a milder form with obstructive sleep apnoea, who underwent tracheostomy at age 22 months after adenoidectomy and a trial of nocturnal nasal continuous positive airway pressure ventilation.

One size does not fit all: how the tobacco industry has altered cigarette design to target consumer groups with specific psychological and psychosocial needs.

Aims: To identify whether the tobacco industry has targeted cigarette product design towards individuals with varying psychological/psychosocial needs.

Design: Internal industry documents were identified through searches of an online archival document research tool database using relevancy criteria of consumer segmentation and needs assessment.

Findings: The industry segmented consumer markets based on psychological needs (stress relief, behavioral arousal, performance enhancement, obesity reduction) and psychosocial needs (social acceptance, personal image).