What Motivates Health Communication's Peer Reviewers to Review? A Survey of Our Scholarly Community.

The peer review process is a necessary, labor-intensive, and imperfect element of scientific research. Among the many issues identified by its critics, finding willing reviewers can be an arduous task for journal editors and is acknowledged as one of the primary factors holding up the publication process. In an attempt to better understand and serve Health Communication reviewers, we surveyed them and inquired about their motivations for reviewing a manuscript, including why they agree, decline, or disregard invitations to review submissions. According to responses from 380 reviewers, the most compelling reasons for agreeing to review reflected a dedication to performing scholarly service and loyalty to the journal. The primary reasons selected for declining to review included lack of time and insufficient expertise to evaluate the submission. The main reasons for failing to respond to requests to review were e-mail overload and indecision about whether to take on the review. Recognition for service was the most recommended suggestion offered to motivate reviewers to agree to take on more manuscripts. On the whole, reviewers feel a strong sense of duty to review manuscripts. However, time constraints, poor fit, and lack of recognition are roadblocks to agreeing.

Changing patterns of care for occult breast lesions in a community teaching hospital.

We performed a retrospective analysis of 384 consecutive stereotactic breast biopsies (SBBs) from March 1995 through January 1999 and compared it with our historical breast biopsy experience. Two hundred forty-four patients underwent biopsies for microcalcifications and 135 patients for abnormal mammographic densities. Pathology diagnoses included 302 patients with benign disease, 35 patients with atypical ductal hyperplasia, 4 patients with lobular carcinoma in situ, 29 patients with ductal carcinoma in situ, and 9 patients with invasive breast cancer. These diagnostic rates were compared with our prior needle-localized pathology findings. For the study period, the number of mammograms, open biopsies, and needle-localized biopsies remained stable. The number of SBBs, however, increased progressively in every year. Medicare reimbursement for SBB was $921.19, and for breast biopsy after needle localization, $1566.22. Our study strongly suggests that the availability of SBB has significantly lowered the threshold for recommending biopsy of abnormal mammograms. The increased utilization of SBB almost certainly indicates an increase in the overall cost of breast care. This cost must be balanced against substantial potential benefits of this minimally invasive technique: possible earlier diagnosis of atypical and precancerous lesions, patient reassurance in cases of uncertain mammographic interpretation, and a reduced need for follow-up of indeterminate mammograms.

Scaphoid fractures: assessment and treatment.

The scaphoid is the most commonly fractured carpal bone. The fracture pattern and its relationship to the blood supply have significant implications regarding treatment and prognosis. Prompt recognition and treatment are fundamental to successful management.

The incidence of Hill-Sachs lesions in initial anterior shoulder dislocations.

We undertook a prospective study using arthroscopy to determine the intraarticular derangement caused by initial anterior shoulder dislocations. Of our 32 patients, 15 (47%) had a grade I, grade II, or grade III Hill-Sachs lesion. The patients were 29 men and 3 women whose ages ranged from 15 to 28 years (mean 22 years). All of the patients studied were United States military personnel or members of their families. None of the patients had had prior injuries of the affected shoulder, and all underwent arthroscopy within 72 h of injury. Few reports describe a Hill-Sachs lesion in a patient following a single anterior dislocation. Early reports of this lesion were based on indirect (radiographic) evidence. Our arthroscopic findings indicate that the incidence of this lesion after one anterior dislocation is higher than previously thought.

Radiation-induced chondrosarcoma of the clavicle complicating Hodgkin's disease. A case report.

Review of the literature reveals that postradiation chondrosarcoma is a rare secondary malignant bone tumor. This case report demonstrates a Grade 1 chondrosarcoma of the proximal right clavicle in a 17-year-old boy, eight years after extensive chemotherapy and radiation therapy for a Stage IIB Hodgkin's disease.

Typhlitis presenting as toxic cecitis.

Typhlitis and enterotyphlitis are complications of chemotherapy and are occurring more frequently due to the increased and successful use of cytotoxic agents. The usual finding on radiographs is a lack of bowel gas in the right lower quadrant. A case of typhlitis presenting as toxic cecitis is presented.

Response of pulmonary macrophages to lead.

The intratracheal instillation of moderate doses of PbO to Long-Evans strain rats resulted in a significant increase in the number of recoverable pulmonary alveolar macrophages. The viability of recovered cells was remarkably constant throughout the experimental period of 40 days. The results obtained indicate a low order of toxicity of PbO to alveolar macrophages and show that the mucociliary escalator is a significant route of excretion of PbO from the respiratory tract. The in vitro survival of macrophages from PbO-treated rats was significantly reduced. Survival of cells from both treated and control animals was somewhat enhanced by the addition of formalinized lymphocytes to the culture medium. Morphological changes and evidence of phagocytosis are discussed.

Reproductive and teratologic studies with isoflurane.

The volatile anesthetic, Isoflurane (1-chloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl difluoromethyl ether), was investigated at anesthetic concentrations to determine its effects on reproduction in rats treated prior to mating, on fetal development in rats and rabbits when administered during various stages of gestation, and on fetal survival in rats treated during late pregnancy. No adverse reproductive effects were observed, and no evidence of teratogenic activity was obtained. Fetal survival was low in rats exposed during late pregnancy but whether or not this finding is related to Isoflurane exposure requires confirmation.

Dominant lethal studies with technical chlordane, HCS-3260, and heptachlor: heptachlor epoxide.

Male albino mice in groups of eight were each given single doses, either by gavage or by intraperitoneal injection, of either technical chlordane (50 or 100 mg/kg), HCS-3260 (50 or 100 mg/kg), or heptachlor:heptachlor epoxide (25:75) (7.5 or 15 mg/kg). The males were subsequently mated with three untreated females for six consecutive weeks. No dominant lethal changes among females that had mated with the treated males were produced.

Reproductive and peri- and postnatal studies with hexachlorophene.

PIP: Hexachlorophene (HCP) in dosages of 0, 5, or 10 mg/kg/day was administered by gavage to 30 male and 60 female rats for 63 and 14 days, respectively, prior to mating. Dosing was continued until Day 14 of gestation for 1/2 the females and until after weaning for the other 1/2. Mating and fertility were not affected, and progeny were delivered in normal numbers, were free of structural abnormalities, and developed normally throughout lactation. A slight reduction in pup survival was observed at the 10 mg/kg dose level. Treatment of females with either 15 or 30 mg HCP/kg/day during the last third of gestation and until weaning caused reductions in the body weights and survival of the progeny. Reduced body-weight gain and some deaths were found among the maternal animals treated with 30 mg HCP/kg/day. At this level, an increase in stillbirths was seen, although all progeny, viable and stillborn, were structurally normal.^ieng

Subacute toxicity studies with sodium saccharin and two hydrolytic derivatives.

The subacute toxicity of sodium saccharin and 2 hydrolytic derivatives, o-sulfamoylbenzoic acid (Compound I) and ammonium o-carboxybenzene sulfonate (Compound II) was evaluated by feeding each of the compounds alone at a dietary level of 20 000 ppm to both beagle dogs and albino rats. Additionally, groups of dogs and rats were fed combinations of the 3 materials at levels up to 20 000 ppm (2000 ppm sodium saccharin, 9000 ppm of both Compound I and II). Dogs were maintained on the test diets for 16 weeks, rats for 13 weeks. No signs of a pharmacotoxic response to the test materials were observed. Parameters determined for treated animals, including growth, food consumption, hematologic profiles, clinical blood chemistry studies, urinalyses, organ weight and ratio data, and both gross and microscopic pathologic evaluation, were not significantly different from control values. From these findings, it is suggested that there is little toxicologic hazard associated with ingestion of the 2 hydrolytic derivatives of sodium saccharin.

Reproductive, teratologic, and mutagenic studies with some polydimethylsiloxanes.

The purpose of these studies was to evaluate the effects of selected polydimethylsiloxanes on reproduction and fetal development in rats and rabbits and to determine the mutagenic potential of one such material in mice. In two separate three-phase studies in rats and rabbits with a 350 centistoke medical grade fluid, the only significant effect noted was an apparent dose-related incidence of in utero mortality at dose levels of 200 and 1,000 mg/kg sc in rats in one study. No evidence of fetotoxicity was obtained in the second study at the same dose levels. The incidence of talipes varus at a sc dose level of 200 mg/kg in rabbits (8.8%) is at or above that expected for control populations. The nonoccurrence of talipes varus at the higher level of 1,000 mg/kg and the absence of this defect in the companion study casts doubt on the significance of this finding. A 7-cs pump fluid was nonteratogenic in rats at oral doses as high as 1,000 mg/kg and was nonmutagenic in ma1e mice at ip doses of 5 and 10 g/kg. A 10-cs fluid was nonteratogenic in rabbits at a dermal dose level of 200 mg/kg.