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The long‐term absorption by the oceans of atmospheric carbon dioxide is leading to the slow decline of ocean pH, a process termed ocean acidification (OA). The Arctic is a challenging region to gather enough data to examine the changes in carbonate chemistry over sufficient scales. However, algorithms that calculate carbonate chemistry parameters from more frequently measured parameters, such as temperature and salinity, can be used to fill in data gaps. Here, these published algorithms were evaluated against in situ measurements using different data input types (data from satellites or in situ re‐analysis climatologies) across the Arctic Ocean. With the lowest uncertainties in the Atlantic influenced Seas (AiS), where re‐analysis inputs achieved total alkalinity estimates with Root Mean Squared Deviation (RMSD) of 21 μmol kg−1 and a bias of 2 μmol kg−1 (n = 162) and dissolved inorganic carbon RMSD of 24 μmol kg−1 and bias of −14 μmol kg−1 (n = 262). AiS results using satellite observation inputs show similar bias but larger RMSD, although due to the shorter time span of available satellite observations, more contemporary in situ data would provide further assessment and improvement. Synoptic‐scale observations of surface water carbonate conditions in the Arctic are now possible to monitor OA, but targeted in situ data collection is needed to enable the full exploitation of satellite observation‐based approaches. Plain Language Summary: The long‐term absorption by the oceans of atmospheric carbon dioxide is leading to the slow decline of ocean pH, a process termed ocean acidification (OA). Sea surface salinity and temperature measurements from satellites or in situ re‐analysis products can be used as input to empirical algorithms to calculate OA parameters. This paper provides a first analysis of published Arctic Ocean empirical algorithms to estimate surface water OA parameters using observation‐based data sets. Results show promise in the Atlantic influenced Seas using both in situ re‐analysis and satellite products, but satellite salinity is relatively recent, and a paucity of in situ data in the satellite salinity era precludes a robust assessment. To fully exploit satellite‐based approaches, efforts need to focus on collecting in situ data while these satellites are overhead and operating in orbit. Key Points: Observation‐based data sets enable synoptic spatio‐temporal assessments of Arctic Ocean carbonate system parametersRe‐analysis and satellite products predict total alkalinity with accuracies of ∼21 μmol kg−1Targeted in situ data collection is needed to fully exploit satellite observations in the Arctic to enable carbonate system monitoring [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the potential roles of various patient and provider factors in the underuse of pneumococcal vaccination in Medicare-eligible older African Americans. The Cardiovascular Health Study. Four U.S. states. Seven hundred ninety-five pairs of community-dwelling Medicare-eligible African-American and white adults aged 65 and older, balanced according to age and sex. Data on self-reported race, receipt of pneumococcal vaccination, and other important sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected at baseline. Participants had a mean age ± standard deviation of 73 ± 6; 63% were female. Pneumococcal vaccination rates were 22% for African Americans and 28% for whites (unadjusted odds ratios (OR) for African Americans=0.75; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.60-0.94; P=.01). This association remained significant despite adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical confounders, including education, income, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and prior pneumonia (OR=0.74, 95% CI=0.56-0.97; P=.03), but the association was no longer significant after additional adjustment for the receipt of influenza vaccination (OR=0.79, 95% CI=0.59-1.06; P=.12). Receipt of influenza vaccination was associated with higher odds of receiving pneumococcal vaccination (unadjusted OR=6.43, 95% CI=5.00-8.28; P<.001), and the association between race and pneumococcal vaccination lost significance when adjusted for influenza vaccination alone (OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.63-1.03; P=.09). The strong association between receipt of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations suggests that patient and provider attitudes toward vaccination, rather than traditional confounders such as education and income, may help explain the underuse of pneumococcal vaccination in older African Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor therapy and survival of older heart failure patients with conditions perceived by physicians as contraindications to ACE inhibitors. SETTING: Hospital. DESIGN: Retrospective follow-up study. PARTICIPANTS: Hospitalized older heart failure patients with systolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or less, serum creatinine of 2.5 mg/dL or more, serum potassium of 5.5 mmol/L or more, or severe aortic stenosis. MEASUREMENTS: One-year postdischarge mortality (with and without adjustment for various patient and care characteristics). Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the effect of the perceived contraindications on subsequent use of ACE inhibitors. Using Cox proportional hazards models, crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of 1-year mortality with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for patients discharged on ACE inhibitors and compared with those without. HRs were estimated for all patients and were repeated after stratifying patients based on the presence of perceived contraindications to ACE inhibitor use. RESULTS: Of the 295 subjects, 52 (18%) had conditions perceived as contraindications, 186 (63%) received ACE inhibitors, and 107 (40%) died within 1 year of discharge. Presence of a perceived contraindication was independently associated with underutilization of ACE inhibitors on discharge (adjusted OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.17–0.71). ACE inhibitor prescription at discharge was associated with lower 1-year mortality overall (HR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.40–0.85) and for the groups of patients with (HR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.14–0.81) and without (HR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.42–1.02) perceived contraindications. CONCLUSIONS: ACE inhibitor use was associated with a significant survival benefit in this cohort of hospitalized older heart failure patients with perceived contraindications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent do legislative policy research agencies use college and university personnel? What legislative/academic institutional arrangements are used to facilitate cooperation in policy research? What barriers limit further utilization of academics? What perception do legislative staff members have regarding the value of university based personnel? These questions are addressed in this article in an analysis based on survey data gathered in conjunction with the Research and Committee Staff section of the National Conference of State Legislatures. The authors found that, for the most part, legislative research agencies do not rely much on college and university personnel, and when they do, the majority of their reliance is grounded on informal, direct contacts with individual faculty and staff members. Based on the findings of the survey and on direct contact with legislative staff members, the authors discuss some of the crucial factors that will influence the further development of legislative/college and university relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of Arkansas for measuring revenue capacity and effort of county governments. When looking for ways to raise additional revenues, local governments first need to identify which revenue sources are underutilized and which are over utilized. Underutilized sources indicate potential additional funds. Overutilized sources, on the other hand, signify potential revenue losses. In the process of the study of Arkansas, revenue capacity and effort were computed for selected own-source revenues. Property taxes were defined as money generated by the county from taxes on ownership of property measured by its assessed value. Other own-source revenues for counties are generally various fees and commissions. When examined individually, none of these sources were a significant source of revenue. However, the combined effect of these sources was important. For the purpose of this search, the major sources were combined under the heading Combined Lesser Discretionary Revenues (CLDR). INSET: Methodology..