Otolaryngology Resident Well-Being and Perceptions of the Clinical Learning Environment

Objective: To measure the current state of organizational and well-being factors in otolaryngology residency programs and associate these perceptions with demographics, pursuit of subspecialty fellowships, and performance on the Otolaryngology Training Examination (OTE). Materials and Methods: Anonymous mail and online survey study of otolaryngology residents from the Southern, Mid-Atlantic, and East South-Central Regions of the United States. Summary of Results: A total of 46 otolaryngology residents across 14 residency training programs (22% resident response rate) completed our survey. Residents who scored above the 80th percentile on the OTE perceived greater organizational support (median = 3.84) than residents who scored below the 40th percentile (median = 3.31), U = 48.00, P = .047, η2 = 0.14. Residents interested in fellowship reported less burnout (median = 2.44) compared to those who did not plan to pursue fellowship (median = 3.56), U = 105.00, P = .010, η2 = 0.05. Residents pursuing fellowship also reported less work–life strain (median = 2.56) than those forgoing fellowship (median = 2.89), U = 126.00, P = .044, η2 = 0.10. Residents with children reported greater work–life strain (median = 3.11) compared to those without (median = 2.56), U = 60.50, P = .008, η2 = 0.15. Conclusion: For otolaryngology residents in this survey sample, the perception of organizational support and well-being may influence resident performance (on OTE examinations) and ultimate career goals (fellowship applications). Program directors and coordinators can use this information to strengthen the perceptions of organizational support as well as improve the clinical learning environment to optimize training conditions for their residents. Residency program directors can also use the identified study measures to assess resident perceptions of the clinical learning environment and well-being for annual evaluation and improvement purposes.

Strain Energy Cumulation at Increased Temperatures

This paper presents results of strain energy ΔWpl cumulation tests on cast steel specimens under constant-amplitude isothermal stress conditions and programed block stress conditions at three different temperatures (20, 400, 600°C). Programed loads (blocks) were composed of five stages of different sequences which included the same strain as during the constant-amplitude isothermal tests. Through the constant-amplitude tests the author demonstrated effect of temperature and the strain level on the fatigue life, strain energy value ΔWpl and accumulated energy ΣΔWpl. While no influence of the load program form on the value of the energy accumulated in the specimen was found.

Fatigue-Fracture Solution of Iron Wire under Pseudo-Periodic Strain

Under pseudo-periodic strain, the thermo-effect plays an important role in the fatigue fracture of material. How to construct the related mechanics model is a practical issue. For simple bending of iron wire under pseudo-periodic, based on local rotation concept, the deformation is described by the local rotation angle. Then, the related motion equations are used to obtain the theoretical form of life-strain rate relation. The results show that: (1) The local rotation angle rate can represent thermo-effects well; (2) The fatigue fracture is nucleated at the position of maximum local rotation angle; (3) The intrinsic mechanism of fatigue fracture of the material is the local rotation.

Methods to Determine the Critical Damage Criterion of the Kachanov-Rabotnov Law

Considerable effort has gone towards the implementation of continuum damage mechanics (CDM) laws for the creep damage assessment of high temperature components. Often critical damage is considered to be reached when damage is equal to unity. Analytical methods have demonstrated that for various alloys critical damage is much less than unity and is dependent on stress and temperature. Few studies have been conducted to evaluate and correct this problem. In this paper, an examination of the theory of critical damage is conducted. Based on theory, a new critical damage criterion is introduced. A comparison between Penny and the new critical damage criterion will be conducted to determine the most viable criterion. Damage is introduced into life, strain, and mixed life fraction rules to demonstrate the influence damage has on rupture under thermo-mechanical loading.