Conventional Course Research Articles

Effects of Blended Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Defibrillation E-learning on Nursing Students' Self-efficacy, Problem Solving, and Psychomotor Skills.

This study was conducted to identify the educational effects of a blended e-learning program for graduating nursing students on self-efficacy, problem solving, and psychomotor skills for core basic nursing skills. A one-group pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design was used with 79 nursing students in Korea. The subjects took a conventional 2-week lecture-based practical course, together with spending an average of 60 minutes at least twice a week during 2 weeks on the self-guided e-learning content for basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation using Mosby's Nursing Skills database. Self- and examiner-reported data were collected between September and November 2014 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t test, and Pearson correlation. The results showed that subjects who received blended e-learning education had improved problem-solving abilities (t = 2.654) and self-efficacy for nursing practice related to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation (t = 3.426). There was also an 80% to 90% rate of excellent postintervention performance for the majority of psychomotor skills, but the location of chest compressions, compression rate per minute, artificial respiration, and verification of patient outcome still showed low levels of performance. In conclusion, blended E-learning, which allows self-directed repetitive learning, may be more effective in enhancing nursing competencies than conventional practice education.

University Students’ Attitudes towards E-Learning: University of Business & Technology (UBT)-Saudi Arabia-Jeddah: A Case Study

<p>Through the World Wide Web, education has become a ubiquitous service delivered anytime anywhere. Campus-based and without distance learners, higher education institutions attempt to fulfill the requirements of e-learning in conventional course transmission, to prepare students, staff, and educational institutions for the future involvements in educational processes. The study was conducted to examine attitudes of UBT students’ in Dahban and Sari campuses towards e-learning by taking (371) students from four colleges and English language center.</p>In sampling techniques, we used the stratified random sampling in choosing the study sample. To gather the primary data from respondents, a well-structured questionnaire, developed by the researchers. The findings indicated that UBT participants’ owns a high standard on attitude towards e-learning and their attitude results are significantly vary with their gender, technology usage and skills.

252 Chemoprevention of basal and squamous cell carcinoma with a single course of 5-flourouracil 5% cream

252 Chemoprevention of basal and squamous cell carcinoma with a single course of 5-flourouracil 5% cream MAWeinstock, K Marcolivio and S Thwin, V Trial Group 1 VA Med Ctr, Providence, RI, 2 Brown Univ, Providence, RI and 3 VA Healthcare Syst, Boston, MA Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC; basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, i.e. BCC and SCC) is the most common cancer in the United States and throughout the world’s lightskinned population, with over 5 million cases per year in the US alone, and its incidence is increasing. Topical 5% 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been used for decades for the treatment of actinic keratosis, a known precursor of SCC. We sought to test whether topical application of 5-FU could be an effective regimen for the prevention of BCC and SCC of the face and ears that require surgery. We recruited a high-risk population of 932 veterans at 12 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers who had a history of at least 2 KCs during the prior 5 years, at least one of which was on the face or ears. They were randomized to apply a standard course of 28 to 56 applications (twice daily for 2 to 4 weeks) of 5-FU 5% cream or vehicle control cream to the face and ears. Investigators were blinded to randomization group and did not examine study participants during the first 6 months after initiating application of the study cream. All lesions biopsied from the face or ears were reviewed by a board-certified study dermatopathologist who was blinded to group assignment. During this 4 year trial (median follow-up 2.6 years), 299 participants developed a BCC on the face or ears requiring surgery and 108 developed an SCC that met the same criteria. Over the 4 year trial period, there was no difference in risk of KC, BCC, or SCC. However, during the first year of follow-up, there was a 74% reduction in SCCs requiring surgery in the 5-FU group compared to vehicle control (HR1⁄40.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.68, p1⁄40.003), whereas there was no difference in BCC or overall KC. These data demonstrate that a conventional course of 5-FU to the face and ears substantially reduces surgery for SCC on the face and ears for at least 1 year without affecting the corresponding risk for BCC. 253 Sirolimus for the treatment of venolymphatic and lymphatic malformations in children: A volumetric analysis JH Tu, HI Cohn, HM Do, K Yeom, A Marqueling, M Sofilos, M Jeng and J Teng 1 Vascular Anomalies Clinic, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 2 Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY and 3 3DQ Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, CA The purpose of this study was to (i) evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of venolymphatic (VLM) and lymphatic malformations (LM) in children treated with systemic sirolimus; (ii) explore the benefit of sirolimus as an adjuvant therapy. Retrospective chart review was performed on 6 children treated with sirolimus for VLM or LM in our institution for the past three years. Volumetric analysis using 3D reconstructive software was completed using preand post-treatment MRI data. All 6 subjects were refractory to previous surgical and medical therapies prior to systemic sirolimus treatment. The subjects’ ages range from 3 to 16. Median duration of treatment was 16 (7-35) months. All six patients had notable clinical response evident by reduced swelling or pain. Average weight-adjusted post-treatment change in volume was -12.8%, with a cumulative decrease of 281.5 cm. The most significant change was a decrease of 57.9%. All patients had a greater than 10% decrease in volume. There is no clear correlation between duration of treatment and extent or response to sirolimus (p1⁄40.9). Sirolimus was well-tolerated by all patients with no significant adverse events; minor side effects included abdominal pain and vomiting at treatment initiation in one patient, and oral ulceration in one other. All six patients are still on treatment. All patients experienced clinical improvement and volume reduction in 3D reconstruction. This study concludes that sirolimus can be beneficial for both the symptomatic and volumetric improvement of VLMs and LMs, especially in children. Further molecular and genetic characterization of these patients may improve our understanding in the management of vascular anomalies using mTOR inhibitors.

Musculoskeletal Analysis of Upper Limb Rehabilitation Robot Prototype

Stroke is the third largest cause of death in Malaysia. Different approaches including hardware development and simulation were conducted to support the conventional rehabilitation courses. New upper limb rehabilitation robot prototype was developed for this research. The prototype consists of horizontal and vertical movement exercise. The prototype was modeled and simulated using ergonomics optimization software known as AnyBody. This paper presents the analysis of human upper limb muscles during rehabilitation exercise using virtual human model. The result shows that eleven muscle areas were affected during the rehabilitation exercise using new prototype.

Response rate of initial conventional treatments, disease course, and related factors of patients with adult-onset Still's disease: Data from a large multicenter cohort

BackgroundAdult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare condition, and treatment choices are frequently dependent on expert opinions. The objectives of the present study were to assess treatment modalities, disease course, and the factors influencing the outcome of patients with AOSD. MethodsA multicenter study was used to reach sufficient patient numbers. The diagnosis of AOSD was based on the Yamaguchi criteria. The data collected included patient age, gender, age at the time of diagnosis, delay time for the diagnosis, typical AOSD rash, arthralgia, arthritis, myalgia, sore throat, lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, pleuritis, pericarditis, and other rare findings. The laboratory findings of the patients were also recorded. The drugs initiated after the establishment of a diagnosis and the induction of remission with the first treatment was recorded. Disease patterns and related factors were also investigated. A multivariate analysis was performed to assess the factors related to remission. ResultsThe initial data of 356 patients (210 females; 59%) from 19 centers were evaluated. The median age at onset was 32 (16–88) years, and the median follow-up time was 22 months (0–180). Fever (95.8%), arthralgia (94.9%), typical AOSD rash (66.9%), arthritis (64.6%), sore throat (63.5%), and myalgia (52.8%) were the most frequent clinical features. It was found that 254 of the 306 patients (83.0%) displayed remission with the initial treatment, including corticosteroids plus methotrexate with or without other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The multivariate analysis revealed that the male sex, delayed diagnosis of more than 6 months, failure to achieve remission with initial treatment, and arthritis involving wrist/elbow joints were related to the chronic disease course. ConclusionInduction of remission with initial treatment was achieved in the majority of AOSD patients. Failure to achieve remission with initial treatment as well as a delayed diagnosis implicated a chronic disease course in AOSD.

First and Second Language Acquisition in German Children Attending a Kindergarten Immersion Program: A Combined Longitudinal and Cross‐Sectional Study

This study investigated first (L1) and second (L2) language acquisition in two age‐matched groups of 2‐ to 6‐year‐old kindergarten children over the course of 2.5 years. The immersion group participated in a partial English immersion program whereas the conventional instruction group received a conventional L2 course (30 minutes per week); the groups were comparable with respect to control variables (e.g., socioeconomic status). L1 and L2 competencies were assessed at four time points (pretest and three posttests). No detrimental effects of immersion on L1 development were found. Concerning L2 receptive skills, the immersion group outperformed the conventional instruction group in each posttest. Contact quality and quantity were found to relate to L2 acquisition through immersion. Immersion appears to be a successful method for early L2 learning; it fosters L2 receptive skills without any cost for the L1.

Combined positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for imaging of orbital tumours and tumours extending into the orbit.

To assess clinical and radiological performance of combined positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with secondary and primary intraorbital tumours. 14 adults with secondary and 1 child with primary orbital masses underwent combined whole-body PET/CT. Radiopharmaceutical tracers applied were (18F)-fluorodeoxyglucose, (18F)-fluoroethylcholine (FEC) and (68Ga)-DOTATATE. Histopathology and/or all conventional radiographic work-up and clinical course served as standard of reference. Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test were used for analysis. PET/CT detected all orbital masses. All 15 patients had malignant disease. Local osseous infiltration was correctly identified in 11 patients. Lymph node metastases were present in two of eight patients (25%) with haematogenous orbital metastases and in five of six patients (83%) with infiltrative carcinoma (p=0.05). Further distant metastases were present in all eight patients suffering from orbital metastases, but only one patient with infiltrative carcinoma (17%) presented with disseminated disease (p=0.003). In one metastasis, PET/CT excluded vital orbital tumour tissue after radiation therapy. Local recurrence was detected in another patient suffering from prostate cancer. PET/CT is a sensitive tool for the detection and localisation of orbital masses, enabling assessment of both morphology and cell metabolism. Detailed imaging of the head and neck region with a small field-of-view should be performed when suspecting lymphatic metastases. As metastatic disease to the orbit is associated with advanced disease, focus should be laid on whole-body imaging for staging of these patients. Different radiopharmaceutical tracers can be applied to distinguish the origin of orbital metastases.

How HR practitioners must keep on learning

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – In business management, no one emerges fully formed from their professional training. A serious issue in human resource might sometimes be a tendency for future development to be erratic. Traditionally, continuing professional development is all about formal experiences, the sort of things that practitioners meet up with over the years by turning up to do their job. There is, however, a growing view that non-formal learning mechanisms have a part to play. At the same time, continuing professional development has to be broader than conventional courses – a combination of both formal and non-formal learning experiences are surely required. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Applying cognitive load theory to the redesign of a conventional database systems course

Cognitive load theory (CLT) was used to redesign a Database Systems course for Information Technology students. The redesign was intended to address poor student performance and low satisfaction, and to provide a more relevant foundation in database design and use for subsequent studies and industry. The original course followed the conventional structure for a database course, covering database design first, then database development. Analysis showed the conventional course content was appropriate but the instructional materials used were too complex, especially for novice students. The redesign of instructional materials applied CLT to remove split attention and redundancy effects, to provide suitable worked examples and sub-goals, and included an extensive re-sequencing of content. The approach was primarily directed towards mid- to lower performing students and results showed a significant improvement for this cohort with the exam failure rate reducing by 34% after the redesign on identical final exams. Student satisfaction also increased and feedback from subsequent study was very positive. The application of CLT to the design of instructional materials is discussed for delivery of technical courses.

Student Entrepreneurship in Hungary: Selected Results Based on GUESSS Survey

Objective : This study investigates students’ entrepreneurial activities and aims to answer questions regarding to what extent do students utilize the knowledge gained during their studies and the personal connections acquired at universities, as well as what role a family business background plays in the development of students’ business start-ups. Research Design & Methods : This paper is based on the database of the GUESSS project investigates 658 student entrepreneurs (so-called ‘active entrepreneurs’) who have already established businesses of their own. Findings: The rate of self-employment among Hungarian students who study in tertiary education and consider themselves to be entrepreneurs is high. Motivations and entrepreneurial efforts differ from those who owns a larger company, they do not necessarily intend to make an entrepreneurial path a career option in the long run. A family business background and family support play a determining role in entrepreneurship and business start-ups, while entrepreneurial training and courses offered at higher institutions are not reflected in students’ entrepreneurial activities. Implications & Recommendations: Universities should offer not only conventional business courses (for example, business planning), but also new forms of education so that students meet various entrepreneurial tasks and problems, make decisions in different situations, explore and acquaint themselves with entrepreneurship. Contribution & Value Added: The study provides literature overview of youth entrepreneurship, describes the main characteristics of students’ enterprises and contributes to understanding the factors of youth entrepreneurship.

The South African War as humanitarian crisis

AbstractAlthough the South African War was a colonial war, it aroused great interest abroad as a test of international morality. Both the Boer republics were signatories to the Geneva Convention of 1864, as was Britain, but the resources of these small countries were limited, for their populations were small and, before the discovery of gold in 1884, government revenues were trifling. It was some time before they could put even the most rudimentary organization in place. In Europe, public support from pro-Boers enabled National Red Cross Societies from such countries as the Netherlands, France, Germany, Russia and Belgium to send ambulances and medical aid to the Boers. The British military spurned such aid, but the tide of public opinion and the hospitals that the aid provided laid the foundations for similar voluntary aid in the First World War. Until the fall of Pretoria in June 1900, the war had taken the conventional course of pitched battles and sieges. Although the capitals of both the Boer republics had fallen to the British by June 1900, the Boer leaders decided to continue the conflict. The Boer military system, based on locally recruited, compulsory commando service, was ideally suited to guerrilla warfare, and it was another two years before the Boers finally surrendered. During this period of conflict, about 30,000 farms were burnt and the country was reduced to a wasteland. Women and children, black and white, were installed in camps which were initially ill-conceived and badly managed, giving rise to high mortality, especially of the children. As the scandal of the camps became known, European humanitarian aid shifted to the provision of comforts for women and children. While the more formal aid organizations, initiated by men, preferred to raise funds for post-war reconstruction, charitable relief for the camps was often provided by informal women's organizations. These ranged from church groups to personal friends of the Boers, to women who wished to be associated with the work of their menfolk.

Building Innovative Online Korean and Japanese Courses

Our pilot project created blended/online courses to accommodate the growing needs of precollegiate and collegiate students interested in learning Korean and Japanese. In the initial phase, we conducted a survey of students’ experiences with and perceptions about blended/online Asian language learning. We found a general lack of familiarity with, and moderate resistance toward, online language learning modes. With learner attitudes in mind, we developed online modules for beginning Korean and Japanese courses. In this article, we report the survey results and the process of developing these innovative blended and online modalities of content delivery, focusing on the strengths of the modules and the unforeseen development challenges. The impacts that these technology-enhanced environments may have on student perceptions of transactional distance and tele-/copresence are explored. We suggest that transforming conventional East Asian language courses into blended/online modes is not only feasible but also beneficial for foreign language teaching and learning.

Entrepreneurship Is a General Education Course! The Why, How and Transferability of the Concept

We describe the development and implementation of an innovative university undergraduate course entitled Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I). Our purpose is to explain and justify how the new E&I course adds a fresh dimension to undergraduate general education by emphasizing student integrative learning of opportunity recognition and creativity knowledge and skills within a classroom of students from many academic disciplines and majors. We describe the lengthy and ultimately successful university approval process that we traversed to create the first entrepreneurship course in the United States to be granted university general education (usually consisting of liberal arts and sciences courses) degree graduation requirement status. The E&I course was included as an approved general education social and behavioral science course in 2004. We view the designation of an introductory entrepreneurship course as a general education course as a significant milestone for college and university entrepreneurship education. The core general education curricula of most U.S. colleges and universities have been limited to conventional liberal arts courses and thus exclude professional school courses. We propose that the core concepts of entrepreneurial thinking are consistent with the purpose of university general education and therefore belong in the core undergraduate curriculum model. Our proposals in this article are supported by recent studies undertaken by the American Association of University Professors, the Association of American Colleges and Universities and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. These studies address significant gaps in U.S. undergraduate general education and liberal arts core curriculum. Traditional general education courses typically are designed as introductory courses for liberal arts and sciences majors and as such are understandably less likely to assimilate ideas across disciplines and integrate multidisciplinary learning. Our E&I course, by contrast, is inherently multidisciplinary and designed to present and integrate ideas and concepts from divergent academic disciplines and sources as its subject focus. The E&I course adds new capacity to university general education by emphasizing opportunity recognition, creativity knowledge and skills, and integrative learning and thus fills an educational gap defined by educational leaders who seek to reinvigorate general and liberal education and thereby prepare university students for leadership in the 21st Century. We conclude the article with recommendations suggesting faculty at other colleges and universities can utilize our concepts and experience to create their own variation of an E&I course to improve their undergraduate curriculum initiatives.

Early oral switch therapy in low-risk Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (SABATO): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundCurrent guidelines recommend that patients with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (SAB) are treated with long courses of intravenous antimicrobial therapy. This serves to avoid SAB-related complications such as relapses, local extension and distant metastatic foci. However, in certain clinical scenarios, the incidence of SAB-related complications is low. Patients with a low-risk for complications may thus benefit from an early switch to oral medication through earlier discharge and fewer complications of intravenous therapy.The major objective for the SABATO trial is to demonstrate that in patients with low-risk SAB a switch from intravenous to oral antimicrobial therapy (oral switch therapy, OST) is non-inferior to a conventional course of intravenous therapy (intravenous standard therapy, IST).Methods/DesignThe trial is designed as randomized, parallel-group, observer-blinded, clinical non-inferiority trial. The primary endpoint is the occurrence of a SAB-related complication (relapsing SAB, deep-seated infection, and attributable mortality) within 90 days. Secondary endpoints are the length of hospital stay; 14-day, 30-day, and 90-day mortality; and complications of intravenous therapy. Patients with SAB who have received 5 to 7 full days of adequate intravenous antimicrobial therapy are eligible. Main exclusion criteria are polymicrobial bloodstream infection, signs and symptoms of complicated SAB (deep-seated infection, hematogenous dissemination, septic shock, and prolonged bacteremia), the presence of a non-removable foreign body, and severe comorbidity. Patients will receive either OST or IST with a protocol-approved antimicrobial and are followed up for 90 days. Four hundred thirty patients will be randomized 1:1 in two study arms. Efficacy regarding incidence of SAB-related complications is tested sequentially with a non-inferiority margin of 10 and 5 percentage points.DiscussionThe SABATO trial assesses whether early oral switch therapy is safe and effective for patients with low-risk SAB. Regardless of the result, this pragmatic trial will strongly influence the standard of care in SAB.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01792804 registered 13 February 2013; German Clinical trials register DRKS00004741 registered 4 October 2013, EudraCT 2013-000577-77. First patient randomized on 20 December 2013.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0973-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A point of view on Otto cycle approach specific for an undergraduate thermodynamics course in CMU

This paper refers to the description of the way in which can be presented to future marine engineers the analyzis of the performance of an Otto cycle, in a manner which is beyond the classic approach of the course of thermodynamics in Constanta Maritime University. The conventional course of thermodynamics is dealing with the topic of performance analysis of the cycle of the internal combustion engine with isochoric combustion for the situation in which the working medium is treated as such a perfect gas. This type of approach is viable only when are considered relatively small temperature differences. But this is the situation when specific heats are seen as constant. Instead, the practical experience has shown that small temperature differences are not viable, resulting the need for variable specific heat evaluation. The presentation bellow is available for the adiabatic exponent written as a liniar function depending on temperature. In the section of this paper dedicated to methods and materials, the situation in which the specific heat is taken as constant is not neglected, additionaly being given the algorithm for variable specific heat.For the both cases it is given the way in which it is assessed the work output. The calculus is based on the cycle shown in temperature- entropy diagram, in which are also indicated the irreversible adiabatic compression and expansion. The experience achieved after understanding this theory will allow to future professionals to deal successfully with the design practice of internal combustion engines.

Training of neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructors.

The Consensus on Science and Treatment Recommendations 2010 supported simulation-based training for education in resuscitation. This approach has been introduced into neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (NCPR) courses in Japan, but no method for teaching instructors has been established. We developed a course for training instructors of NCPR, with inclusion of an instruction practice program. The goal of the study was to evaluate the performance of instructors who completed the course. Based on problems in the conventional instructor training course (old course 1), we developed and implemented a new course. Persons who had completed an NCPR course took the new course after developing two resuscitation scenarios. The new course included lectures and instruction practice, in which participants provided instruction using these scenarios. Instruction by participants was evaluated, and knowledge, opinions and satisfaction were examined by questionnaire after the course. Activity of the participants as instructors for 6 months after certification was also evaluated. The performance of trained instructors was compared between the old and new courses. Of 143 participants in the new course, > 90% had confidence to teach NCPR, while only 50-60% of the 89 participants in the old course indicated that they could instruct on resuscitation procedures and practice (P < 0.001). All participants in the new course recognized the value of scenario practice and all were glad they had taken the course. For 6 months after certification, significantly more participants who had done the new course worked as instructors compared with those who had done the old course (60% vs 34%, P < 0.001). This is the first trial of a resuscitation training course using scenarios that participants developed themselves. A new course including instruction practice for training NCPR instructors was effective for improving instructor performance.

Influence du parcours de soins sur le délai d’initiation du traitement antituberculeux

Untreated positive pulmonary TB smear has both individual implications, increasing morbidity and mortality, and collective implications, increasing the contagiousness of the disease. The present study aims to identify the course of patient care and the influence of care pathway on the time of initiation of TB treatment in Abidjan. We conducted a prospective and comparative study between two groups with pulmonary smear-positive: 38 with a conventional course (use of only the health facilities) and 198 with mixed driving (combining health facilities, self-medication and traditional medicine). The average time between onset of symptoms and initiation of treatment for patients with conventional path was significantly different from that observed in patients with mixed course (4.28 weeks versus 8.57 weeks, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis mixed route was related to level of education (OR=2.728 [1.165-6.386]; P=0.02), the district of residence (OR=2.690 [1.168-6.195]; P=0.02), the mode of onset of symptoms (OR=0.33 [0.101-0.6607]; P=0.013) and weight loss (OR=0.259 [0.139-0.798]; P=0.004). The course of patients are multiple and can induce delays in starting treatment for tuberculosis. The sensitization of the population and the involvement of traditional healers in TB screening may contribute to the early therapeutic management.

Dynamic Modulus Measurements of Bound Cement-Treated Base Materials

AbstractOne of the most common methods used in road-pavement construction is the stabilizing of the conventional pavement base course layer. This is achieved by adding cement or lime to gain better material performance. However, obtaining modulus input parameters from a cement-stabilized base course layer for pavement-response analysis under real traffic conditions has proven difficult in that, to date, only ambiguous results have been produced. Using the flexural modulus or elastic modulus in the response analysis has certain limitations in embracing real pavement behavior under traffic and temperature conditions. Accordingly, a more reliable modulus input parameter for pavement analysis under traffic (cyclic) loads is required to obtain more precise and reliable outputs. Moreover, there is, at present, no test protocol to determine a suitable modulus for a cement-stabilized base material under the cyclic loading regime. This study aims to examine the real dynamic responses of cement-stabilized base course materials with a view to adapting the asphalt mixture performance tester (AMPT), a specifically designed dynamic modulus test machine used on asphalt concrete material. The AMPT dynamic modulus test has as an advantage in that loading and temperature regimes based on real pavement conditions can be rationally simulated and directly applied to the test samples. As such, the dynamic moduli of a cement-stabilized base course material can be obtained under different temperature and loading rates. Moreover, the effects of the dynamic strain range, cement content, and curing duration on the dynamic responses of a cement-stabilized base course material may also be examined. Cement-stabilized base course materials of 4 %, 5 %, and 6 % cement contents (by mass) were used as the study materials. The findings of this study indicate that curing durations and cement contents significantly influence the dynamic modulus values of cement-stabilized base course materials. However, the dynamic modulus is insignificantly affected by the changes in temperature and loading rates within a specific range of testing conditions in this study. The test results also reveal that cement-stabilized base course materials under examination behave in the manner of an elastic material when subjected to an axial compressive deformation of 45–105 μstrains. This is because of the dynamic modulus having no impact upon changes in the dynamic strain ranges or on the magnitudes of cyclic loads. Moreover, the dynamic moduli from this study were found to be much higher than the elastic moduli suggested by previous studies. However, the flexural moduli, which are derived from standard flexural tests, demonstrated close values to those of the dynamic moduli obtained in this study. In the study, the dynamic modulus of cement-stabilized base course materials, derived from the dynamic modulus using AMPT, could more reasonably embrace the dynamic responses of a material under traffic-loading conditions. This leads to a somewhat more reliable modulus input for the cement-stabilized base course materials used in a rational pavement design and analysis method.

Assessment of the accuracy of the Medical Response to Major Incidents (MRMI) course for interactive training of the response to major incidents and disasters.

The benefit of simulation models for interactive training of the response to major incidents and disasters has been increasingly recognized during recent years and a variety of such models have been reported. However, reviews of this literature show that the majority of these reports have been characterized by significant limitations regarding validation of the accuracy of the training related to given objectives. In this study, precourse and postcourse self-assessment surveys related to the specific training objectives, as an established method for curriculum validation, were used to validate the accuracy of a course in Medical Response to Major Incidents (MRMI) developed and organized by an international group of experts under the auspices of the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery. The studied course was an interactive course, where all trainees acted in their normal roles during two full-day simulation exercises with real time and with simultaneous training of the whole chain of response: scene, transport, the different functions in the hospital, communication, coordination, and command. The key component of the system was a bank of magnetized casualty cards, giving all information normally available as a base for decisions on triage and primary management. All treatments were indicated with attachments on the cards and consumed time and resources as in reality. The trainees' performance was recorded according to prepared protocols and a measurable result of the response could be registered. This study was based on five MRMI courses in four different countries with altogether 235 participants from 23 different countries. In addition to conventional course evaluations and recording of the performance during the 2 exercise days, the trainees' perceived competencies related to the specific objectives of the training for different categories of staff were registered on a floating scale 1-10 in self-assessment protocols immediately before and after the course. The results were compared as an indicator of to which extent the training fulfilled the given objectives. These objectives were set by an experienced international faculty and based on experiences from recent major incident and disasters. Comparison of precourse and postcourse self-assessments of the trainees' perceived knowledge and skills related to the given objectives for the training showed a significant increase in all the registered parameters for all categories of participating staff. The average increase was for prehospital staff 74 percent (p<0.001), hospital staff 65 percent (p<0.001), and staff in coordinating/administrative functions 81 percent (p<0.001). The significant differences in the trainees' self-assessment of perceived competencies between the precourse and postcourse surveys indicated that the methodology in the studied course model accurately responded to the specific objectives for the different categories of staff.

Integrative teaching in radiology - a survey.

To survey integrative teaching in radiology at German universities. A questionnaire about radiological education was sent electronically to all 37 chairpersons of university radiology departments in Germany. The questions included the course type, teaching methods, concept, perception, and advantages and disadvantages of integrative teaching. Statistical analysis was performed with nonparametric statistics and chi-square test. The survey was considered representative with a return rate of 68 %. Integrative teaching is established at 4/5 of all departments. Integrative teaching is well accepted with an acceptance rate that is significantly higher in so-called "Modellstudiengängen" [model courses of study] (100 %) compared to conventional courses of study (72 %). The advantages of integrative teaching include linking of content (92 %) and preparation for interdisciplinary work (76 %). The disadvantages include high effort (75 %) and time (67 %) for organization. Furthermore, there is a risk that basic radiological facts and knowledge cannot be conveyed and that the visibility of radiology as an independent discipline is lost. Conventional radiological teaching has a similarly high acceptance (84 %) compared to integrative courses (76 %). Integrative teaching has a high acceptance among chairpersons in radiology in Germany despite the greater effort. A good interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for integrative teaching and at the same time this can be conveyed to the students. However, the visibility of radiology as a discipline and the possibility to cover basic radiological content must be ensured. Therefore, both conventional courses and integrative teaching seems reasonable, especially in cross-disciplinary subjects such as radiology. Both integrative teaching and conventional radiological teaching are highly accepted. The advantages include the linking of multidisciplinary content and the preparation for interdisciplinary cooperation. The disadvantages include more time and effort for organization and reduced visibility of cross-disciplinary subjects.