Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Program Mentoring Structure: A Survey of Program Directors

Purpose/Hypothesis: Mentoring is a required component of physical therapy residency and fellowship training, and a primary reason applicants pursue training in these programs. Resources outlining core competencies for effective mentoring, mentor and mentee characteristics, and recommendations for effective mentoring have been described. However, little is known about the timing, structure, and process of how mentoring and feedback is implemented across residency and fellowship programs. The purpose of this study was to better understand the structure, timing, and delivery of mentoring and the role mentors and program directors (PDs) play in orthopaedic physical therapy residency and fellowship programs. A secondary purpose was to identify the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on mentoring delivery. Number of Subjects: A survey was sent to 135 accredited orthopaedic physical therapy residency and fellowship program directors Materials and Methods: A practice committee of the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Orthopaedic Residency and Fellowship Special Interest Group developed survey questions. Forty-eight questions about program background, mentoring logistics, structure, delivery, transitions, training, selection, feedback, communication, mentor roles, and impacts of COVID-19 on mentoring were asked. Questions were entered into a secure Red Cap survey and a recruitment email with survey link was sent to PDs from accredited programs on three separate occasions over two months. Descriptive statistics and survey responses were analyzed. Results: PDs submitted 32 surveys (23.7% response rate), had 15.9 (8.5) years’ experience as a physical therapist and a mean program involvement of 6.3 (3.2) years. Programs most often schedule 1:1 mentoring weekly (63%) or several days/week (25.9%); most often in four hour blocks (44.4%) for a mean of 157.6 (60.3) hours. Mentee feedback was delivered before, during, or after the mentoring session verbally 92.3%, and feedback was shared with the resident in front of the patient often 26.9%, sometimes 61.5% and rarely 11.5%. Mentoring was delivered 100% in-person by programs and virtually by 42.3%. Mentor and mentee paired assignments varied with 65.4% assigning more than one mentor. Most programs (84.6%) do not have a career development ladder for mentors. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced mentoring delivery with 53.8% using increased virtual mentoring, 19.2% using increased asynchronous mentoring, and 42.3% decreasing mentoring hours during the pandemic. Conclusions: Orthopaedic physical therapy residency and fellowship mentoring is delivered using a variety of methods, and mentors and program directors cross-cover multiple positions in residency and fellowship programs. Identifying the structure and delivery of mentoring commonly used in residency and fellowship programs provides baseline data to better understand optimal mentoring approaches and influence of mentoring structure on resident and fellowship outcomes

RXTE Observations of the Anomalous Pulsar 4U 0142+61

We observed the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61 using the Proportional Counter Array (PCA) aboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in March 1996. The pulse frequency was measured as f = 0.11510039(3) Hz with an upper limit of df/dt < 4 * 10^(-13) Hz/s upon the short term change in frequency over the 4.6 day span of the observations. A compilation of all historical measurements showed an overall spin-down trend with slope df/dt = (-3.0 +/- 0.1) * 10^(-14) Hz/s. Searches for orbital modulations in pulse arrival times yielded an upper limit of a_x sin i < 0.26 lt-s (99% confidence) for the period range 70 s to 2.5 days. These limits combined with previous optical limits and evolutionary arguments suggest that 4U 0142+61 is probably not a member of a binary system.Comment: 20 pages (LaTeX) including 7 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

ATCA Study of Small Magellanic Cloud Supernova Remnant 1E 0102.2-7219

We present new and archival Australia Telescope Compact Array and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array data of the Small Magellanic Cloud supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219 at 2100, 5500, 9000, and 108000 MHz; as well as Hi data provided by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. The remnant shows a ring-like morphology with a mean radius of 6.2 pc. The 5500 MHz image reveals a bridge-like structure, seen for the first time in a radio image. This structure is also visible in both optical and X-ray images. In the 9000 MHz image we detect a central feature that has a flux density of 4.3 mJy but rule out a pulsar wind nebula origin, due to the lack of significant polarisation towards the central feature with an upper limit of 4 per cent. The mean fractional polarisation for 1E 0102.2-7219 is 7 +- 1 and 12 +- 2 per cent for 5500 and 9000 MHz, respectively. The spectral index for the entire remnant is -0.61 +- 0.01. We estimate the line-of-sight magnetic field strength in the direction of 1E 0102.2-7219 of ~44 microG with an equipartition field of 65 +- 5 microG. This latter model, uses the minimum energy of the sum of the magnetic field and cosmic ray electrons only. We detect an Hi cloud towards this remnant at the velocity range of ~160-180 km s-1 and a cavity-like structure at the velocity of 163.7-167.6 km s-1. We do not detect CO emission towards 1E 0102.2-7219

How Effective are Energy-Efficiency Incentive Programs? Evidence from Italian Homeowners

We evaluate incentives for residential energy upgrades in Italy using data from an original survey of Italian homeowners. In this paper, attention is restricted to heating system replacements, and to the effect of monetary and non-monetary incentives on the propensity to replace the heating equipment with a more efficient one. To get around adverse selection and free riding issues, we ask stated preference questions to those who werent planning energy efficiency upgrades any time soon. We argue that these persons are not affected by these behaviors. We use their responses to fit an energy-efficiency renovations curve that predicts the share of the population that will undertake these improvements for any given incentive level. This curve is used to estimate the CO2 emissions saved and their cost-effectiveness. Respondents are more likely to agree to a replacement when the savings on the energy bills are larger and experienced over a longer horizon, and when rebates are offered to them. Reminding about CO2 (our non-monetary incentive) had little effect. Even under optimistic assumptions, the cost-effectiveness of incentives of size comparable to that in the Italian tax credit program is generally not favorable

New ASKAP Radio Supernova Remnants and Candidates in the Large Magellanic Cloud

International audienceWe present a new Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) sample of 14 radio Supernova Remnant (SNR) candidates in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). This new sample is a significant increase to the known number of older, larger and low surface brightness LMC SNRs. We employ a multi-frequency search for each object and found possible traces of optical and occasionally X-ray emission in several of these 14 SNR candidates. One of these 14 SNR candidates (MCSNR J0522-6543) has multi-frequency properties that strongly indicate a bona fide SNR.We also investigate a sample of 20 previously suggested LMC SNR candidates and confirm the SNR nature of MCSNR J0506-6815. We detect lower surface brightness SNR candidates which were likely formed by a combination of shock waves and strong stellar winds from massive progenitors (and possibly surrounding OB stars). Some of our new SNR candidates are also found in a lower density environments in which SNe type Ia explode inside a previously excavated interstellar medium (ISM)

Vasomotor symptoms and coronary artery calcium in postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE: We assessed whether vasomotor symptoms (VMS) were associated with coronary artery calcium (CAC) and how hormone therapy may influence this association. METHODS: Subjects were a subset of women aged 50 to 59 and a history of hysterectomy that enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trial of estrogen alone and underwent a computed tomography scan of the chest at the end of the trial to determine CAC. Participants provided information about VMS (hot flashes and/or night sweats), as well as HT use, on self-administered questionnaires at trial baseline. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 918 women with a mean (SD) age of 55.1 (2.8) years at WHI randomization and 64.8 (2.9) years at CAC ascertainment. The prevalence of a CAC score > 0 was 46%, while the prevalence of a CAC score ≥ 10 and > 100 was 39 and 19%, respectively. At randomization, 77% reported a history of any VMS at any time prior to or at enrollment in the WHI while 20% reported any VMS only present at enrollment. Compared to those without a history of any VMS and after adjustment for potential confounders, a history of any VMS at any time up to and including WHI enrollment was associated with a significantly reduced odds for CAC > 0 (Odds Ratio 0.66, 95% CI 0.45 – 0.98). Moreover, as duration of HT increased the inverse association between any VMS and CAC moved toward the null. CONCLUSION: A history of any VMS was significantly associated with a reduced odds for CAC independent of traditional CVD risk factors and other relevant covariates. This association appears to be influenced by duration of hormone therapy

[In Press] New ASKAP radio Supernova Remnants and candidates in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We present a new Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) sample of 14 radio Supernova Remnant (SNR) candidates in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). This new sample is a significant increase to the known number of older, larger and low surface brightness LMC SNRs. We employ a multi-frequency search for each object and found possible traces of optical and occasionally X-ray emission in several of these 14 SNR candidates. One of these 14 SNR candidates (MCSNR J0522-6543) has multi-frequency properties that strongly indicate a bona fide SNR. We also investigate a sample of 20 previously suggested LMC SNR candidates and confirm the SNR nature of MCSNR J0506-6815. We detect lower surface brightness SNR candidates which were likely formed by a combination of shock waves and strong stellar winds from massive progenitors (and possibly surrounding OB stars). Some of our new SNR candidates are also found in a lower density environments in which SNe type Ia explode inside a previously excavated interstellar medium (ISM)