Pedagogical reflective practice of nursing undergraduates: the portfolio as an instrument

Objective Analyzing the narratives related to the pedagogical practice experienced during the Supervised Curricular Internship reported in the portfolios of Nursing undergraduate students, regarding the levels of reflection. Method This is a documentary descriptive exploratory study that examined two of the activities proposed for the portfolio preparation. Results Among the 28 analyzed portfolios, all showed the three levels of reflection (technical, critical and metacritical). Conclusion The students had the opportunity to experience the pedagogical practice and presented reflections at metacritical level, reflecting on their performance, the construction of their teaching identity, and about the importance of reflecting on the practice with the objective of transforming it and transforming themselves.

Patient versus general practitioner perception of problems with treatment adherence in type 2 diabetes: from adherence to concordance.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of problems with treatment adherence among type-2 diabetic patients with regards to medication, dietary advice, and physical activity; to identify the associated clinical and psychosocial factors; and to investigate the degree of agreement between patient-perceived and GP-perceived adherence. METHODS: Consecutive patients were solicited during visits to 39 GPs. In total, 521 patients self-reported on treatment adherence, anxiety and depression, and disease perception. The GPs reported clinical and laboratory data and patients' adherence. A multivariate analysis identified the factors associated with adherence problems. RESULTS: Problems of adherence to medication, dietary advice, and physical activity recommendations were reported by 17%, 62%, and 47% of the patients, respectively. Six independent factors were found associated with adherence problems: young age, body-mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m(2), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) > 8%, single life, depression, and perception of medication as a constraint. Agreement between patients' and GPs' assessments of treatment problems reached 70%. CONCLUSION: In type 2 diabetes, problems with dietary advice or physical activity are far more frequent than problems with medication, and not all physicians are fully aware of patients' problems. More active listening and shared decision-making should enhance adherence and improve outcomes.

Wet-Reflective Pavement Marking Demonstration Project, November 2011

One of the leading complaints from drivers is the inability to see pavement markings under wet night conditions. This issue is a major source of dissatisfaction in state department of transportation (DOT) customer satisfaction surveys. Driving under wet night conditions is stressful and fatiguing for all drivers, but particularly so for the more vulnerable young and older driver age groups. This project focused on the development of a two-year, long-line test deck to allow for the evaluation and demonstration of a variety of wet-reflective pavement marking materials and treatments under wet night conditions. Having the opportunity to document the performance of these various products and treatments will assist the Iowa DOT and local agencies in determining when and where the use of these products might be most effective. Performance parameters included durability, presence, retroreflectivity, and wet night visibility. The test sections were located within Story County so that Iowa DOT management and staff, as well as local agencies, could drive these areas and provide input on the products and treatments.

Retardation of Reflective Cracking using Additive 5990, February, 1987

Research was conducted in 1980 using Additive 5990 to prevent reflective cracking in asphalt cement concrete when placed over portland cement concrete. Test sections were placed with 08, 3%, 6 8 , and 9% Additive 5990 by weight of asphalt cement at mix temperatures between 375OF and 415°F with AC-5 and AC-10 grade asphalt cement. Also, sections using AC-5 and AC-10 were constructed with the normal mix temperature (not to exceed 330°F). One section was placed using AC-20 mixed at the normal mix temperature. It was concluded that the Additive 5990 did not prevent reflective cracking on this project.

Cracking and Seating to Retard Reflective Cracking - Fremont County, HR-279, 1993

The concept of cracking and seating a portland cement concrete (pcc) pavement prior to laying an asphalt cement concrete (acc) surface in order to reduce reflection cracking has been around since the 1950s. With the advent of improved cracking equipment, this method gained renewed interest in the 1970s and 1980s. This project incorporated six test sections of which four were cracked and seated prior to being overlaid. Fremont County decided to utilize only a 0.9 m (3 ft) cracking pattern based on a 30 m (100 ft) trial test section. Pavement cracking appeared to be effective in reducing primarily longitudinal reflectance cracking, but only marginally successful in the reduction of transverse reflective cracking.

L'arrêt cardiaque: quelle réalité et quelle formation pour le praticien [Heart arrest: which reality and which training for the practitioner?]

Sudden death related to out-of hospital cardiac arrest is an important cause of mortality, which is mainly caused by ventricular fibrillation, a potentially reversible condition. The prognosis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remains dismal despite well developed emergency medical services. Witnessed arrest, ventricular fibrillation as the initial arrhythmia, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and early defibrillation are systematically associated with better survival. Key interventions must therefore be enforced to improve survival from out-of-hospital cardiac, introducing the concept of a "chain of survivals". The aim of the present article, which is illustrated by local results, is to review this important public health issue, to emphasize the role of the general practitioner in the chain of survival, and to promote education and training of basic and advanced life support.

Glasgrid Fabric to Control Reflective Cracking, HR-535, 1990

The major problem with durability of asphalt cement concrete (ACC) overlays to rehabilitate jointed portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement comes from reflective cracking. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of Glasgrid in regard to preventing reflection cracking. Glasgrid is a glass fiber mesh with 1/2 inch by 1 inch openings (Figure 1). Each strand is composed of many small glass fibers. After the grid is formed, it is coated with a polymer modified asphalt cement. In 1986, four experimental Glasgrid test sections were incorporated into Polk County project IR-35-2(191)67--12-77 on Interstate 35 from IA 5 to the west 1-80 interchange on the west edge of Des Moines, Single and double layers of Glasgrid were placed over transverse cracks and joints of the existing PCC pavement. The Glasgrid was placed on the PCC pavement for one section and between lifts of the ACC resurfacing on the other three sections. The four Glasgrid sections were compared to two sections without Glasgrid for four years. The sections were reviewed annually to determine how many cracks or joints had reflected through the resurfacing. Glasgrid placed on the PCC pavement was more effective at preventing reflection cracking than Glasgrid between lifts of AC resurfacing. In general, Glasgrid yielded a small reduction or retardation in the amount of reflection cracking, but not sufficient to justify additional expense for the use of Glasgrid.

A Study on the Use of Fabric to Retard Reflective Cracking Over Widened Joints, MLR-88-4, 1992

Reflective cracking of asphalt resurfacing has been a concern for a long time. Years ago wire mesh was used to control widening cracks. More recently it has been fabrics or fiberglass. In 1986, part of the proposed fabric was deleted from projects in different parts of Iowa with various histories and designs. These projects were monitored in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1992 with only the thin (3 inch) overlays on newly widened pavements showing a significantly greater percentage of cracks in the areas where the fabric was deleted.

Tests diagnostiques rapides (TDR): la panacée pour le praticien [Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT): the cure-all for the practitioner?].

Many rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for the diagnosis of infectious diseases have been developed over the last 20 years. These allow (1) administering a treatment immediately in case of a potentially fatal disease, (2) prescribing a specific rather than presumptive treatment, (3) quickly introducing measures aimed at interrupting the transmission of the disease, (4) avoiding useless antibiotic treatments and (5) implementing a sequential diagnostic strategy to avoid extensive investigations. Using the example of malaria, a new strategy that includes a RDT as first-line emergency diagnostic tool and, when negative, delayed microscopy at the laboratory opening time is implemented in Lausanne since 1999. This strategy has been shown to be safe. Each TDR has its own characteristics that imperatively need to be known by the practitioner if he/she wants to use it in a rational way.

Cracking and Seating to Retard Reflective Cracking - Hamilton County, HR-277, 1993

The crack and seat (C & S) method of rehabilitating concrete pavements has been proposed to reduce the incidence of reflective cracking in asphalt overlays. These cracked pieces help reduce the thermal effects on lateral joint movement while the seating of slab pieces reduces vertical movement. This 1986 project demonstrated that a 0.6 m x 0.9 m (2 ft x 3 ft) cracking pattern was optimal to retard reflective cracking in an asphalt overlay. The best performance among three C & S test sections was section 4 with a 0.6 m x 0.9 m (2 ft x 3 ft) cracking pattern and 7.6 cm (3 in) overlay. Structural ratings determined from the Road Rater™ indicated little difference between each C & S section with varying AC thicknesses and crack spacings. Although reflection cracking is reduced in the early years after construction, the effectiveness of the C & S method diminishes over time.