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Background and Purpose Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the standard treatment for large vessel occlusion (LVO) acute ischemic stroke. Patients with active malignancy have an increased risk of stroke but were excluded from MT trials.Methods We searched the National Readmission Database for LVO patients treated with MT between 2016–2018 and compared the characteristics and outcomes of cancer-free patients to those with metastatic cancer (MC). Primary outcomes were all-cause in-hospital mortality and favorable outcome, defined as a routine discharge to home (regardless of whether home services were provided or not). Multivariate regression was used to adjust for confounders.Results Of 40,537 LVO patients treated with MT, 933 (2.3%) had MC diagnosis. Compared to cancer-free patients, MC patients were similar in age and stroke severity but had greater overall disease severity. Hospital complications that occurred more frequently in MC included pneumonia, sepsis, acute coronary syndrome, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism (P

Newly minted pediatric orthopaedic surgeons face a variety of challenges when building a practice. No matter how skilled a surgeon is, he/she will be unsuccessful by any metrics if they lack patients to take care of. This manuscript will review principles and practical techniques that pediatric orthopaedic surgeons can utilize to build a renewable referral base to fuel their practice.

In this study, we sought to develop—and provide preliminary validity evidence for scores derived from—a new Psychological Flow Scale (PFS). We propose a parsimonious model of three core dimensions of flow, reflecting the findings from a recent scoping review that synthesised flow research across scientific disciplines. The validation process for the PFS addressed recent conceptual criticisms of flow science regarding construct validity, theoretical compatibility, relational ambiguity, and definitional inconsistency. An initial review and analysis of the many flow measurements that exist found that these instruments either assess one, some, or none of the three core-dimensions of flow; often measuring similar dimensions that may bear resemblance to one of the three-dimensions but differ in dimensional meaning. PFS item development involved a phase of theoretical scrutiny, review of existing instruments, item generation, and expert review of items. Subsequently, 936 participants were recruited for scale development purposes, which included sample testing, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. This factor analytic process showed evidence for three distinguishable dimensions ‘under’ a single general or higher-order factor (i.e., global flow). With respect to external aspects of validity, flow scores correlated positively with perceptions of competence, self-rated performance, autotelic personality, and negatively with anxiety and stress scores. In conclusion, we present preliminary evidence for the theoretical and operational suitability of the PFS to assess the flow state across scientific disciplines and activity domains that be useful for experimental research and enable comparative flow research in the future.

Everyday stressors—the irritating and disturbing events that happen in the context of everyday life—are common. The present research examined the relationship between everyday stressors and the use of music listening as a coping mechanism. In particular, it examined the use of music listening to cope with different types of everyday stressor and examined the relationship between this usage and listener characteristics, including demographics and music engagement style. Participants in the USA, Australia, and Malaysia ( N =553) completed an online survey. A factor analysis was used to identify five types of everyday stressor: Social, Financial, Performance Responsibilities, Work-related, and Daily Displeasures. Individuals listened to music significantly more often to cope with social and work-related stressors than performance responsibilities and daily displeasures. Moreover, individuals who demonstrated a stronger affective listening style and those who reported listening to music for emotion/problem-orientated and avoidance/disengagement reasons were found to listen to music most often to cope with everyday stressors. These findings have implications, for both listeners and health professionals, when considering how music listening can be used as a self-administered tool for coping with everyday stressors.

The cognitive load imposed by instruction is an important consideration for instructional designers. Theoretical models have traditionally divided total cognitive load into intrinsic, extrinsic, and germane load. The 10-item Cognitive Load Inventory (CLI-10) is designed to measure these three types of cognitive load. It is typically administered immediately following a discrete learning activity (e.g., a lecture). This study assesses the properties of the CLI-10 when used to measure the “long-term” cognitive load experienced in a course, over a semester. To do this, the instrument was given to a group of students enrolled in a veterinary anatomy course (N = 94), toward the end of a 13-week semester. Students were asked to indicate the cognitive load they experienced across this course. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the instrument’s three-factor structure when used in this way. Further, the instrument’s three subscales performed well in terms of internal reliability and convergent and discriminant validity.

Theorists attending to the epistemic condition on responsibility are divided over whether moral ignorance is ever exculpatory. While those who argue that reasonable expectation is required for blam...

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO

This review aims to provide information on the prevalence and frequency of adult males’ pornography use. It appears, the majority (> 80%) of adult men have accessed pornography at some point, and i...

The idea that pornography promotes sexism is a commonly purported one. This study employed an online sample of heterosexual men (N = 323) to investigate the relationship between pornography use (in...

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis represents a complex, three-dimensional deformity of the spine. Posterior spinal fusion is commonly performed in severe cases to avoid the long-term adverse sequelae associated with progressive spinal deformity. The goals of spinal fusion include halting the progression of deformity, optimizing spinal balance, and minimizing complications. Recent advances in short-segment spinal fixation have allowed for improved three-dimensional deformity correction. Preoperative planning and assessment of spinal flexibility is essential for successful deformity correction and optimization of long-term outcomes. Judicious use of releases and/or spinal osteotomies may allow for increased mobility of the spine but are associated with increased surgical time, blood loss, and risk of complications. Appreciation of implant design and material properties is critical for safe application of correction techniques. Although multiple reduction techniques have been described, no single technique is optimal for every patient.

Efficient operation is crucial for the deployment of photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction devices for large-scale artificial photosynthesis. In these devices, undesired transport of CO2 reduction pro...

Respiratory complications are common following neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) spinal fusion. Concern exists regarding the safety to perform complicated procedures in winter months when viral respiratory illness is common. The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes in children with NMS undergoing spinal fusion during peak (November-March) or non-peak (April-October) viral season.The Health Care and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids' inpatient database (KID) from 2006 to 2012 was reviewed. Children 20 years or younger who underwent spinal fusion for NMS were included. Patients were grouped by date of surgery during peak or non-peak viral season. Continuous variables were compared using t tests and categorical variables were compared using the Rao-Scott Chi-square test. Weighted logistic regression models were performed.This study identified 5082 records, including 1711 and 3371 patients who had surgery in peak and non-peak viral seasons, respectively. Patients who had spinal fusion during peak viral season were less likely to experience respiratory failure (p = 0.0008) and did not demonstrate an increased incidence of aspiration pneumonia (p = 0.26), respiratory complication (p = 0.43), or mortality (p = 0.68). Respiratory failure was associated with younger age (p = 0.0031), the presence of a tracheostomy (p 0.0001), and the number of chronic conditions (p 0.0001). Higher number of chronic medical conditions (mean of 5.0) was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (p 0.0001), aspiration pneumonia (p = 0.0009), and respiratory failure (p 0.0001).Spinal fusion for NMS during peak viral season has a lower risk of respiratory failure without an increase in mortality or other complications compared to during non-peak viral season.

The literature on conscientious objection focuses primarily on negative appeals to conscience: cases in which a health care provider (HCP) refuses to provide some legal service on the basis of deep...

Long-train intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) of motor (M1) and posterior parietal cortices (PPC) in primates reveals cortical domains for different ethologically relevant behaviors. How functional domains interact with each other in producing motor behaviors is not known. In this study, we tested our hypothesis that matching domains interact to produce a specific complex movement, whereas connections between nonmatching domains are involved in suppression of conflicting motor outputs to prevent competing movements. In anesthetized galagos, we used 500-ms trains of ICMS to evoke complex movements from a functional domain in M1 or PPC while simultaneously stimulating another mismatched or matched domain. We considered movements of different and similar directions evoked from chosen cortical sites distant or close to each other. Their trajectories and speeds were analyzed and compared with those evoked by simultaneous stimulation. Stimulation of two sites evoking same or complementary movements produced a similar but more pronounced movement or a combined movement, respectively. Stimulation of two sites representing movements of different directions resulted in partial or total suppression of one of these movements. Thus interactions between domains in M1 and PPC were additive when they were functionally matched across fields or antagonistic between functionally conflicting domains, especially in PPC, suggesting that mismatched domains are involved in mutual suppression. Simultaneous stimulation of unrelated domains (forelimb and face) produced both movements independently. Movements produced by the simultaneous stimulation of sites in domains of two cerebral hemispheres were largely independent, but some interactions were observed. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Long trains of electrical pulses applied simultaneously to two sites in motor cortical areas (M1, PPC) have shown that interactions of functionally matched domains (evoking similar movements) within these areas were additive to produce a specific complex movement. Interactions between functionally mismatched domains (evoking different movements) were mostly antagonistic, suggesting their involvement in mutual suppression of conflicting motor outputs to prevent competing movements. Simultaneous stimulation of unrelated domains (forelimb and face) produced both movements independently.

Author(s): Cole, WTS; Wei, H; Nguyen, SC; Harris, CB; Miller, DJ; Saykally, RJ | Abstract: Angle-resolved second harmonic scattering is used to probe the adsorption dynamics of aqueous cationic and anionic dye molecules onto polystyrene surfaces. The adsorptions of malachite green to negatively charged polystyrene and naphthol yellow S to positively charged polystyrene are both highly favorable, with I"GAds values of -10.9 ± 0.2 and -10.27 ± 0.09 kcal/mol, respectively. A competitive displacement methodology was employed to obtain values for the adsorption free energies of various smaller neutral organic molecules, including the important micropollutant ascorbic acid, caffeine, and pentoxifylline. For charged adsorbers, electrostatic interactions appear to significantly contribute to adsorption behavior. However, electrostatic repulsion does not necessarily deter the adsorption of molecules with large uncharged moieties (e.g., surfactants). In these cases, the mechanism of adsorption is dominated by van der Waals interactions, with the surface charge playing a relatively minor role.

Pornography use, preference for “porn‐like” sex, masturbation, and sexual and relationship satisfaction were assessed among two samples of men (NStudy 1 = 326, NStudy 2 = 335). Frequent pornography use was associated with sexual dissatisfaction, greater preference for porn‐like sex, and more frequent masturbation in both studies. Pornography use was associated with relationship dissatisfaction in Study 2 only. The data did not support the notion that pornography negatively impacts sexual or relationship satisfaction via preference for porn‐like sex. In fact, it may bolster sexual satisfaction by promoting sexual variety. The data were consistent with a model in which pornography negatively, indirectly affects sexual and relationship satisfaction via masturbation frequency. Pornography use may have multiple opposing influences on sexual satisfaction.

COVID-19 has created significant concern surrounding the impact of pandemic lockdown on mental health. While the pandemic lockdown can be distressing, times of crisis can also provide people with the opportunity to think divergently and explore different activities. Novelty seeking, where individuals explore novel and unfamiliarly stimuli and environments, may enhance the creativity of individuals to solve problems in a way that allows them to adjust their emotional responses to stressful situations. This study employs a longitudinal design to investigate changes in novelty seeking and mental health outcomes (namely, stress, anxiety, and depression) before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, among a group of students (final N = 173; Mage = 19.81; SDage = 0.98; 135 females and 38 males) from a university in southeast China. Participants were surveyed at three points: November, 2019 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic); between February and March, 2020 (during the peak of the pandemic and intense lockdown in China); and between May and June, 2020 (after lockdown had been lifted in China). Cross-sectionally, correlation analysis indicated that greater novelty seeking was associated with lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression at all three time points. Univariate latent curve modeling (LCM) indicated a growth trajectory in which novelty seeking increased over time and then remained high during the post-lockdown period. Stress, anxiety, and depression all showed V-shaped growth trajectories in which these variables decreased during lockdown, before increasing in the post-lockdown period. Multivariate LCM indicated the growth trajectory for novelty seeking was associated with the growth trajectories for stress, anxiety, and depression. This suggests that the observed decreases in stress, anxiety, and depression during the lockdown period may be attributable to the sample’s observed increase in novelty seeking. These findings are valuable in that they challenge the notion that lockdown measures are inherently detrimental to mental health. The findings indicate the important role of novelty seeking in responding to crises. It may be possible for future public health measures to incorporate the promotion of novelty seeking to help individuals’ respond to stressful situations and maintain good mental health in the face of crises.

Reverse osmosis using aromatic polyamide membranes is currently the most important technology for seawater desalination. The performance of reverse osmosis membranes is highly dependent on the interplay of their surface chemical groups with water and water contaminants. In order to better understand the underlying mechanisms of these membranes, we study ultrathin polyamide films that chemically resemble reverse osmosis membranes, using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This technique can identify the functional groups at the membrane-water interface and allows monitoring of small shifts in the electron binding energy that indicate interaction with water. We observe deprotonation of free acid groups and formation of a 'water complex' with nitrogen groups in the polymer upon exposure of the membrane to water vapour. The chemical changes are reversed when water is removed from the membrane. While the correlation between functional groups and water uptake is an established one, this experiment serves to understand the nature of their chemical interaction, and opens up possibilities for tailoring future materials to specific requirements.

The Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) is an airborne along-track scanner measuring the polarized and total reflectances with high angular resolution. It allows for accurate characterization of liquid water cloud droplet sizes using the rainbow structure in the polarized reflectance. RSP’s observations also provide constraints on the cumulus cloud’s 2D cross section, yielding estimates of its geometric shape. In this study for the first time we evaluate the possibility to retrieve vertical profiles of microphysical characteristics along the cloud side by combining these micro- and macrophysical retrieval methods. First we constrain cloud’s geometric shape, then for each point on the bright side of its surface we collect data from different scans to obtain the multi-angle polarized reflectance at that point. The rainbow structures of the reflectances from multiple points yield the corresponding droplet size distributions (DSDs), which are then combined into vertical profiles. We present the results of testing the proposed profiling algorithm on simulated data obtained using large eddy simulations and 3D radiative transfer computations. The virtual RSP measurements were used for retrieval of DSD profiles, which then were compared to the actual data from the LES-model output. A cumulus congestus cloud was selected for these tests in preparation for analysis of real measurements made during the Cloud, Aerosol and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP(2)Ex). We demonstrate that the use of the non-parametric Rainbow Fourier Transform (RFT) allows for adequate retrieval of the complex altitude-dependent bimodal structure of cloud DSDs.

The interrelated nature of material properties in ion exchange membranes, such as ion exchange capacity and water uptake, frustrates the systematic study of how membrane chemistry and structure affect the transport of water, ions, and uncharged solutes in the membrane. Herein, we describe the preparation of a series of crosslinked poly(vinylimidazolium) anion exchange membranes by UV-photopolymerization of difunctional (i.e., crosslinking) and monofunctional (i.e., non-crosslinking) monomers, in which the ion exchange capacity and crosslink density may be independently controlled. Ion exchange membranes used in artificial photosynthesis (solar-driven CO2 reduction) devices must permit the transport of electrolyte ions and minimize the crossover of CO2 reduction products (e.g., alcohols) between electrodes. The water content, methanol (CO2 reduction product) permeability, and ionic conductivity of the membranes were evaluated. Ionic conductivity and methanol permeability were increased by reducing crosslink density or increasing solvent content in the prepolymerization solvent mixture. For all prepared membranes, methanol permeability was directly correlated with water volume fraction in the membrane. Minimizing the water volume fraction is critical to the design of membranes with low permeability to CO2 reduction products.

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play an essential role in artificial photosynthesis devices, which photoelectrochemically convert CO2 and water into useful products. AEMs allow the transport of charge carriers between electrodes while minimizing the transport of CO2 reduction products (e.g., ethanol). Fundamental transport studies in AEMs relevant to artificial photosynthesis are uncommon. Herein, we describe the preparation of an imidazolium-functionalized poly(phenylene oxide) membrane. Membrane transport properties were controlled by systematic variation of the degree of imidazolium functionalization, which induced changes in the membrane water volume fraction. Ethanol permeability and ionic conductivity increased with the membrane water volume fraction. Consequently, the membranes with a relatively high ionic conductivity exhibited a relatively high ethanol permeability, presenting a trade-off in the transport properties desirable for artificial photosynthesis applications. This work seeks to enable the optimization of AEMs for artificial photosynthesis through the systematic study of membrane structure (water volume fraction) and its relevance to alcohol transport and electrolyte ion conductivity.

Efficient operation is crucial for the deployment of photoelectrochemical CO

An ongoing debate in the philosophy of action concerns the prevalence of moral luck: instances in which an agent’s moral responsibility is due, at least in part, to factors beyond his control. Cons...

We present a neural network (NN) based algorithm for the retrieval of liquid low-level marine stratocumulus cloud microphysical property parameters (cloud optical depth, cloud droplet size effective radius and variance) from airborne multi-angle polarimetric measurements. We establish our retrieval method for the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) airborne instrument, which measures both polarized and total reflectance in the spectral range of 410–2260 nm, scanning along the flight track at ∼150 viewing zenith angles spanning the angular range between −60° and 60°. In this study, we present the development of the algorithm, including the optimization and selection of input parameters and the network architecture. We perform a sensitivity study to test the effect of random and correlated instrument noise on the retrieval performance, and to assess which of the measured radiometric quantities (i.e., total reflectance, polarized reflectance, degree of linear polarization and combinations thereof) are best suited for marine stratocumulus liquid cloud property retrievals using simulated RSP data. Finally, we show the application of this method to airborne observations from the ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS (ORACLES) 2016 field campaign, which primarily encountered low altitude marine clouds. Retrieved cloud optical depth compares favorably (r2 = 0.96) to standard algorithms, but cloud droplet size effective radius less so (r2= 0.45), providing an assessment of the NN approach strengths and limitations. Specifically, the latter seemed to be affected by the cloud macro-structure and the liquid cloud droplet vertical distribution.

It is intuitive that circumstantial ignorance, even when culpable, can mitigate blameworthiness for morally wrong behavior. In this paper I suggest an explanation of why this is so. The explanation offered is that an agent’s degree of blameworthiness for some action (or omission) depends at least in part upon the quality of will expressed in that action, and that an agent’s level of awareness when performing a morally wrong action can make a difference to the quality of will that is expressed in it. This explanation makes use of Holly Smith’s (1983. “Culpable Ignorance.” Philosophical Review 92 (4): 543–571) distinction between benighting and benighted actions as well as a notion developed here called “capture.”

Pornography has been identified as playing an increasingly important role in the sexual socialization of men. However, relatively little attention has been paid to men's perceptions of their own pornography consumption. This study investigated self-perceived effects of pornography consumption among an online sample of heterosexual men (N = 312). The study used a short form version of the Pornography Consumption Effects Scale (PCES–SF). The PCES–SF measures both self-perceived positive and negative effects of pornography consumption across the domains of sex life, attitudes toward sex, life in general, perceptions, and attitudes toward the opposite gender, and sexual knowledge. Level of pornography use (measured in terms of frequency of use and average length of use) was positively predictive of both self-perceived positive and negative effects of pornography consumption. Those who indicated that they had never been regular users of pornography reported more negative effects than regular users. Older participants reported fewer negative effects than younger participants, even after controlling for level of pornography use. However, the relationship between age and perceived positive effects was nonsignificant. Religiosity was positively predictive of perceived negative effects, but unrelated to actual level of use. Overall, the sample perceived pornography to have a significantly greater positive than negative effect on their lives. This research is part of a growing body of literature that suggests that most men consider pornography to have a positive impact on their sexual self-schema and lives more generally.

Membranes are a critical component of many energy generation and storage technologies, including artificial photosynthesis systems that reduce atmospheric CO2 to high-value products. In this study, we used in situ ATR FTIR spectroscopy to monitor the crossover of three commonly-reported CO2 reduction products—methanol, sodium formate, and sodium acetate—through Nafion® 117, a common cation exchange membrane. Measurement errors for the permeation of mixtures of solutes are discussed. Permeabilities from one-, two-, and three-solute mixed aqueous solutions were measured using a standard diffusion cell, and ATR FTIR spectra were used to obtain time-resolved concentration data that were fit to a model describing transport of ions and small molecules through hydrated polymer films. The permeability of Nafion® 117 to methanol measured using this methodology was in agreement with literature reports. The sorption of methanol, sodium formate, and sodium acetate, and mixtures thereof, were measured using a desorption technique. From the measured permeabilities and solubilities, diffusivities of each solute were calculated. Differences in permeability among the solutes were found to be primarily due to differences in their solubility in Nafion® 117.

Polymermembranen sind ein energieeffizientes Mittel zur Aufbereitung von Wasser, ein Problem ist jedoch das Auftreten von Fouling wahrend der Filtration. Ein Weg, Membran-Fouling zu umgehen, ist die Modifizierung der Membranoberflache, um eine hohere Wasserproduktivitat aufrechtzuerhalten. Wir diskutieren hier eine Reihe gangiger Membranoberflachenmodifizierungstechniken, darunter Oberflachenbeschichtungen und Pfropfen, sowie verschiedene Behandlungsmethoden wie etwa chemische Behandlungen, UV-Bestrahlung und Plasma-Behandlungen. Die Diskussion wird in den historischen Hintergrund der Membranentwicklung und Oberflachenmodifizierung eingebunden. Wir stellen auserdem Polydopamin als ein neu entwickeltes Material fur die Membranmodifizierung vor, das sich in einfacher Weise auf einer Vielzahl von Substraten aufbringen lasst.

Despite recent research and improvements in spinal implants, complications remain frequent in patients who undergo pediatric spinal deformity surgery. Although the rate of neurologic injury after pediatric spinal deformity surgery is low, the rate of surgical site infection after pediatric spinal deformity surgery is high, particularly in patients who have neuromuscular scoliosis. Although symptomatic implant complications that require revision surgery are rare with the use of modern spinal fusion constructs, they are common in patients who have early-onset scoliosis. Patients who have perioperative respiratory or gastrointestinal complications benefit from early recognition and supportive treatment. The cause of perioperative complications in patients who undergo pediatric spinal deformity surgery often is multifactorial; therefore, surgeons should understand the numerous risk factors for and strategies for the prevention of pediatric spinal deformity surgery complications.

Membrane surface modification with polydopamine (PDA) coatings can reduce fouling in oily water filtration due, at least in part, to enhanced surface hydrophilicity. In this study, polysulfone (PSf) UF membranes were coated with PDA. PDA coating conditions (solution concentration and deposition time) were varied, and the effect of coating conditions on membrane molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) and hydraulic permeability was measured. Membrane MWCO decreased and PDA film thickness increased as initial dopamine coating solution concentration or deposition time increased. The MWCO decrease confirmed that PDA restricted the membrane pores. While the PDA coating thickness on membrane surfaces grew progressively with increasing initial dopamine concentration or coating time, coating inside the membrane pores was limited by the finite membrane pore size. A tradeoff between selectivity and hydraulic permeability of unmodified and PDA-modified membranes was noted. This tradeoff is reminiscent of that observed in other separation membranes. Zydney’s hindered solute transport model of flow through porous membranes was used to estimate changes in membrane mean pore size and pore size distribution. Based on the modelling results, membrane mean pore radius increased at low initial dopamine concentrations or short deposition times and decreased at high initial dopamine concentrations or long deposition times with increasing initial dopamine concentration or increasing PDA coating time. The pore size distribution narrowed as the membranes were modified with PDA. The porosity to thickness ratio of PDA-modified membranes remained unchanged or was only slightly higher than that of unmodified membranes.

The treatment of early-onset scoliosis (EOS) has evolved substantially over the years. Traditional growing-rod constructs rely on spine-based fixation for proximal and distal anchor sites. Hybrid growing-rod constructs pair rib-based proximal anchors with spinal or pelvic anchors distally. Both traditional and hybrid growing-rod constructs can control spinal deformity in young patients with early-onset scoliosis while preserving spinal and thoracic growth. Proximal rib fixation has many theoretical and practical advantages over spine-based proximal anchors. This article discusses the indications, technique, and outcomes of proximal rib fixation in hybrid growing-rod constructs for early-onset scoliosis.

Background The Orthopedic In-Training Examination is an annual standardized examination with multiple-choice questions focused on application of orthopedic surgery core knowledge and principles. The outcome of this test can be used to both predict how residents are progressing in their orthopedic knowledge as well as assess their likelihood to pass the Orthopedic Board Examinations, that is the American Boards of Orthopedic Surgery Part 1, following completion of residency. Preparation for the examination can be difficult, as residents commonly have limited study time to review the vast amounts of available published literature. The objective of our study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Orthopaedic In Training Examination (OITE) scores and the participants' perceived utility of the curriculum for OITE preparation. Methods Residents from 5 US Orthopedic residencies (4 M.D. and 1 D.O.) were included in a pilot program of the Orthobullets PASS curriculum in the academic year 2013 to 2014. Only residents enrolled in the PASS curriculum who completed both the 2013 and 2014 OITEs were included in the final analysis ( n = 71). We used the OITE 2013 and 2014 rank postgraduate year (RPGY) reported scores to assess for efficacy of the PASS curriculum, as the RPGY score provides postgraduate year-of-training matched analysis to control for expected increased levels of knowledge with subsequent retesting. Results While OITE scores incrementally increased for the group as a whole ( n = 71, RPGY mean improvement=+2.5%, p=0.406), the junior resident subgroup (postgraduate year 1-2) produced a statistically significant increase in scores ( n = 28, RPGY mean increase=10.1%, p=0.0260). Nearly 90% (38/42) of curriculum participants surveyed reported a preference to complete a similar review curriculum for future OITE preparation. The participants completing greater than 150 PASS questions ( n = 57) were analyzed for OITE predictive capacity of the PASS curriculum. Pearson analysis with PASS questions percent answered correctly and 2014 OITE raw score (independent and dependent variables, respectively) suggests moderate correlation of the variables ( R = 0.682, p Conclusion We propose that the Orthobullets PASS curriculum is a useful tool for OITE preparation, especially for junior residents, with a focus on achieving competency for a broad fund of orthopedic knowledge, whereas mastery of these topics would be better suited through using complementary sources.

This paper draws attention to a fundamental problem for a version of the tracing strategy defended by a number of theorists in the current literature (Rosen in Philos Perspect 18(1):295–313, 2004; Fischer and Tognazzini in Nous, 43(3):531–556, 2009). I argue that versions of the tracing strategy that require reasonable foreseeability (rather than actual foresight) are in tension with the view that blameless ignorance excuses. A stronger version of the tracing strategy (i.e., one that requires actual foresight) is consistent with the view that blameless ignorance excuses and is therefore preferable for those tracing theorists who wish to continue maintaining that it does.

Laboratory membrane fouling studies are often performed with a single foulant. However, studies comparing the behavior of different foulants using a single membrane are rarely reported. In this study, a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) microfiltration membrane was challenged with a series of aqueous-based model fouling media, including a suspension of latex beads, as well as soybean, motor and crude oil emulsions, in constant permeate flux fouling experiments. The critical and threshold fluxes were determined for each membrane-foulant pair. Constant permeate flux crossflow fouling experiments were performed at both low and high fluxes. A direct comparison of the fouling propensity of the PVDF membrane to the four fouling media was made. The fouling propensity was evaluated based on threshold flux values and the extent of transmembrane pressure (TMP) increase during constant permeate flux fouling experiments. In this study, the zeta potential of various fouling media correlated with their fouling propensities. The higher the zeta potential, the lower the fouling propensity. The fouling propensity followed the order of: latex beads

Teaching and education have been intimately linked to the practice of medicine since its inception. Teaching allows practicing surgeons a change to solidify and improve their own skills while developing relationships with students and giving back to the profession as a whole. Historically, little attention has been paid to methods of teaching. Recent research has emphasized learning models and new techniques of feedback for improving learner acquisition in surgical practice. These techniques are simple, quick, and easy to incorporate in daily life. Surgical simulation has been proposed as a way to increase trainee experience and competence while minimizing potential harm to patients. Simulation has great potential for improving surgical education in the future, but is not widely available or refined at this time.