A single experiment required 26 younger and older adults to discriminate global shape as defined only by differences in the speed of stimulus element rotation. Detection of the target shape required successful perceptual grouping by common fate. A considerable adverse effect of age was found: In order to perceive the target and discriminate its shape with a d’ value of 1.5, the older observers needed target element rotational speeds that were 23.4% faster than those required for younger adults. In addition, as the difference between the rotation speeds of the background and target stimulus elements increased, the performance of the older observers improved at a rate that was only about half of that exhibited by the younger observers. The results indicate that while older adults can perceive global shape defined by similarity (and differences) in rotational speed, their abilities are nevertheless significantly compromised.

Microplastics are ubiquitous in our environment and are found in rivers, streams, oceans, and even tap water. Riverine microplastics are relatively understudied compared with those in marine ecosystems. In Oregon (USA), we sampled 8 sites along 4 freshwater rivers spanning rural to urban areas to quantify microplastics. Plankton tow samples from sites along the Columbia, Willamette, Deschutes, and Rogue Rivers were analyzed using traditional light microscopy for initial microplastic counts. Application of Nile Red dye to validate microplastics improved microplastic identification, particularly for particles (Wilcox test; p = 0.001). Nile Red–corrected microfiber abundance was correlated with human population within 5 km of the sample site (R² = 0.554), although no such relationship was observed between microparticles and population (R² = 0.183). We found that plastics were present in all samples from all sites, despite the range from undeveloped, remote stretches of river in rural areas to metropolitan sites within Portland (OR, USA), demonstrating the pervasive presence of plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1590–1598. © 2020 SETAC

The ability of 32 younger (ages ranged from 19 to 32 years) and older adults (ages ranged from 65 to 83 years) to visually perceive outdoor distances was evaluated; we used the method of equal-appearing intervals. On any given trial, the observers adjusted five distance intervals in depth so that they all appeared equivalent in magnitude (and equal to a standard initial egocentric distance of 6 m). The judgments of approximately two thirds of the younger and older observers exhibited varying degrees of perceptual compression, while those of the remaining one third were essentially accurate. Unlike a number of previous studies that evaluated the perception of shorter distances, no significant effects of age were obtained in the current experiment. In particular, there were no significant effects of age upon either accuracy or precision. The ability of human observers to evaluate large-scale distances outdoors is well maintained with increasing age.

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INTRODUCTION: Adverse drug events are injuries resulting from medication use and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality and higher costs. More than 40% of medication errors are believed to result from inadequate medication reconciliation (MR) during admissions and discharges. Historically, MR completion on patient admission to L&D at our institution is estimated to be 50%. Our aim was to evaluate Ob/Gyn resident understanding and compliance with the MR process prior to and following a resident didactics session. METHODS: During a didactics session, residents took a multiple choice quiz to evaluate their understanding of MR and then listened to a presentation detailing the process and its significance. MR completion rates for all resident admissions to L&D during the 14 days prior to and the 40 days following the session were calculated. Residents were then emailed individualized report cards detailing their progress. Finally, completion rates for the 26 days following the personalized feedback were calculated. RESULTS: Prior to the session, only 41% of residents could correctly identify an adverse drug event and their frequency of occurrence (85% response rate). Prior to the session, 64% of MRs were completed while 99% were completed in the following 40 days (p=0.02). Following personalized feedback, 100% of MRs were completed (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Significant improvements in resident participation in quality measures can be achieved with focused peer interventions. Given that the Institute of Medicine estimates that the average hospitalized patient is subject to one medication error a day, such improvements in MR are likely to substantially improve patient care.