Achieving Health Equity Through Eradicating Structural Racism in the United States: A Call to Action for Nursing Leadership.

PURPOSE: To advocate for strategic actions by U.S. nursing leadership that denote the presence, customs, and implications of racism that has been institutionalized within the structures of U.S. nursing leadership and the profession. ORGANIZING CONSTRUCTS: A racial equity framework is used to examine the barriers to quality health care and equitable health outcomes and to present evidence-based actions to dismantle structural inequities embedded in the nursing profession. METHODS: This article was developed through a comprehensive literature review and synthesis of relevant research, data, peer-reviewed literature, government reports, and organizational guidelines. FINDINGS: A commitment by U.S. nursing leadership to eradicate structural racism in nursing must be made in order to effect sustainable transformative change toward more equitable systems of health care. CONCLUSIONS: This article presents recommendations for nursing leadership in the United States to renew its commitment to quality health care through dismantling structural racism at all levels of direct and systems nursing practice and education, at the bedside, and in the boardrooms. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Structural racism in nursing and health care also persists globally as a key social determinant of health. Its elimination aligns with international health care and nursing's policy priorities, yet change can only occur when senior leaders clearly understand it as a key barrier to health, and commit to transformative change in how their "systems" work. These recommendations can also be culturally adapted by global nursing for use in antiracism work.

Evaluating PowerPoint Presentations: A Retrospective Study Examining Educational Barriers and Strategies.

UNLABELLED: AIM To assess faculty adherence to best practices for PowerPoint presentations in nursing school curricula. BACKGROUND: It is important to examine current educational methods and identify best educational practices that contribute to a high quality nursing curriculum. METHOD: A retrospective study approach was used. Data were collected from 1,735 slide presentations from five universities. PowerPoint presentations were compared to a nine-point standardized scoring criterion for quality. RESULTS: Findings provide evidence that indicated classroom presentations often fall short of providing best educational practices. CONCLUSION: These findings can lead to greater faculty understanding of best practices and provide strategies to reinvent educational methods that engage students.

SbI3·3S8: A Novel Promising Inorganic Adducts Crystal for Second Harmonic Generation.

In the past twenty years, the basic investigation of innovative Non-Linear Optical (NLO) crystals has received significant attention, which has built the crucial heritage for the use of NLO materials. Fundamental research is essential given the scarcity of materials for NLO compounds, especially in the deep ultraviolet (DUV) and middle- and far-infrared (MFIR) regions. In the present work, we synthesized high-quality MFIR SbI3·3S8 NLO crystals having a length in the range of 1-5 mm through rapid facile liquid phase ultrasonic reaction followed by the assistance of instantaneous natural evaporation phenomenon of the solvent at room temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results ratify the hexagonal R3m structure of SbI3·3S8 crystal, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) demonstrates that the elemental composition of SbI3·3S8 crystal is similar to that of its theoretical composition. The direct and indirect forbidden energy gaps of SbI3·3S8 were measured from the optical transmittance spectra and they were shown to be 2.893 eV and 1.986 eV, respectively. The green sparkling signal has been observed from the crystal during the second harmonic generation (SHG) experiment. Therefore, as inorganic adducts are often explored as NLO crystals, this work on the MFIR SbI3·3S8 NLO crystal can bring about additional investigations on this hot topic in the near future.

Electrical Property Analysis of Textured Ferroelectric Polycrystalline Antimony Sulfoiodide Using Complex Impedance Spectroscopy.

Antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) is a ferroelectric semiconductor with many interesting physical properties (optical, photoconductive, ferroelectric, piezoelectric, etc.). The electrical properties of textured polycrystalline SbSI obtained by the rapid cooling of a melted mass in liquid nitrogen are presented in this work using ac impedance spectroscopy over a wide temperature range (275-500 K) in the frequency range of 1 Hz to 100 kHz. Detailed studies of the impedance Z*(ω), conductivity σ*(ω), electric modulus M*(ω), and dielectric permittivity ε*(ω) of this material were performed using complex impedance spectroscopy for the first time. This study showed that the impedance and related parameters are strongly dependent on temperature. The internal domain structure and the presence of grain boundaries in textured polycrystalline SbSI explain the obtained results.

Fast and Efficient Piezo/Photocatalytic Removal of Methyl Orange Using SbSI Nanowires.

Piezocatalysis is a novel method that can be applied for degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater. In this paper, ferroelectric nanowires of antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) have been fabricated using a sonochemical method. Methyl orange (MO) was chosen as a typical pollutant, as it is widely used as a dye in industry. An aqueous solution of MO at a concentration of 30 mg/L containing SbSI nanowires (6 g/L) was subjected to ultrasonic vibration. High degradation efficiency of 99.5% was achieved after an extremely short period of ultrasonic irradiation (40 s). The large reaction rate constant of 0.126(8) s-1 was determined for piezocatalytic MO decomposition. This rate constant is two orders of magnitude larger than values of reaction rate constants reported in the literature for the most efficient piezocatalysts. These promising experimental results have proved a great potential of SbSI nanowires for their application in environmental purification and renewable energy conversion.

Ferroelectric properties of ultrasonochemically prepared SbSI ethanogel.

This article presents for the first time the electrical properties of sonochemically synthesised, high-surface-area SbSI ethanogel made up of large quantity nanowires with lateral dimensions of about 10-50 nm and lengths reaching up to several micrometers. The composition, morphology, dimensions, microstructures, and optical energy gap of the new form of SbSI were characterized. This material is a semiconducting ferroelectric as in the case of bulk SbSI crystals. The maximum of dielectric constant epsilon=1.6x10(4) is observed at Tc=292(1) K. The activation energies in temperature dependences of electric conductivity of SbSI ethanogel are different for ferroelectric and paraelectric phases during heating and cooling of the sample.

A Ferroelectric-Photovoltaic Effect in SbSI Nanowires.

A ferroelectric-photovoltaic effect in nanowires of antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) is presented for the first time. Sonochemically prepared SbSI nanowires have been characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and optical diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS). The temperature dependences of electrical properties of the fabricated SbSI nanowires have been investigated too. The indirect forbidden energy gap EgIf = 1.862 (1) eV and Curie temperature TC = 291 (2) K of SbSI nanowires have been determined. Aligned SbSI nanowires have been deposited in an electric field between Pt electrodes on alumina substrate. The photoelectrical response of such a prepared ferroelectric-photovoltaic (FE-PV) device can be switched using a poling electric field and depends on light intensity. The photovoltage, generated under λ = 488 nm illumination of Popt = 127 mW/cm² optical power density, has reached UOC = 0.119 (2) V. The presented SbSI FE-PV device is promising for solar energy harvesting as well as for application in non-volatile memories based on the photovoltaic effect.

Ferroelectric SbSI nanowires for ammonia detection at a low temperature.

For the first-time, an ammonia (NH3) gas sensor has been fabricated using antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI). A few aligned SbSI nanowires have been bonded to Au microelectrodes on a glass substrate. The fabricated sensor has been tested for various concentrations of NH3 in N2 at operating temperatures below (T = 280 K) and above (T = 304 K) Curie point of SbSI. A significantly higher response and sensitivity of the sensor is observed, when the operating temperature is lower than Curie temperature. However, comparable values of the low detection limits (6.0 ±â€¯2.4) ppm and (6.3 ±â€¯3.9) ppm have been determined at operating temperatures of 280 K and 304 K, respectively. The current response, as well as the sensitivity versus ammonia concentration, follow the power laws known for conductometric gas sensors. SbSI nanosensor exhibits good stability, short term response reversibility, and does not require a heating system for recovery. This device also demonstrates a high selectivity to NH3 against other interfering gases. The ammonia sensing mechanism has been explained by considering the formation of NH4+ ions on the nanowire surface and the occurrence of proton transfer according to Grotthuss's chain reaction.

Contactless photomagnetoelectric investigations of 2D semiconductors.

Background: Applications of two-dimensional (2D) materials in electronic devices require the development of appropriate measuring methods for determining their typical semiconductor parameters, i.e., mobility and carrier lifetime. Among these methods, contactless techniques and mobility extraction methods based on field-effect measurements are of great importance. Results: Here we show a contactless method for determining these parameters in 2D semiconductors that is based on the photomagnetoelectric (PME) effect (also known as the photoelectromagnetic effect). We present calculated dependences of the PME magnetic moment, evoked in 2D Corbino configuration, on the magnetic field as well as on the intensity and spatial distribution of illumination. The theoretical predictions agree with the results of the contactless investigations performed on non-suspended single-layer graphene. We use the contactless PME method for determining the dependence of carrier mobility on the concentration of electrons and holes induced by a back-gate voltage. Conclusion: The presented contactless PME method, used in Corbino geometry, is complementary to the mobility extraction methods based on field-effect measurements. It can be used for determining the mobility and diffusion length of carriers in different 2D materials.

SbSI Nanosensors: from Gel to Single Nanowire Devices.

The gas-sensing properties of antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) nanosensors have been tested for humidity and carbon dioxide in nitrogen. The presented low-power SbSI nanosensors have operated at relatively low temperature and have not required heating system for recovery. Functionality of sonochemically prepared SbSI nanosensors made of xerogel as well as single nanowires has been compared. In the latter case, small amount of SbSI nanowires has been aligned in electric field and bonded ultrasonically to Au microelectrodes. The current and photocurrent responses of SbSI nanosensors have been investigated as function of relative humidity. Mechanism of light-induced desorption of H2O from SbSI nanowires' surface has been discussed. SbSI nanosensors have been tested for concentrations from 51 to 106 ppm of CO2 in N2, exhibiting a low detection limit of 40(31) ppm. The current response sensitivity has shown a tendency to decrease with increasing CO2 concentration. The experimental results have been explained taking into account proton-transfer process and Grotthuss' chain reaction, as well as electronic theory of adsorption and catalysis on semiconductors.

A novel class of DNA analogs bearing 5'-C-phosphonothymidine units: synthesis and physicochemical and biochemical properties.

S(C) and R(C) diastereomers of 5'-C-(O,O-diethyl)-phosphonylthymidine ((R)T and (S)T) were used for the synthesis of the dimers T(R)T and T(S)T, respectively. These dimers were incorporated at selected sites in oligonucleotide constructs. Melting temperature (Tm) experiments demonstrated that relative to the unmodified oligodeoxyribonucleotide, the presence of the (R)T moiety reduced the thermal stability of the duplexes by approximately 5.0 degrees C per modification, whereas their (S)T counterparts only slightly destabilized the duplex structure (deltaTm < or = 1 degree C/modification). The stability of the triple-helical complexes containing one, two, or three modified thymidines is slightly higher than that of the parent complex. Nuclease resistance studies performed with snake venom phosphodiesterase, calf spleen phosphodiesterase, and 3'-exonuclease from human plasma showed that cleavage of the oligonucleotides at the site of the modification was completely suppressed regardless of the stereochemistry of the 5'-C-chiral center. The influence of the (R)T and (S)T modification in the recognition sequence of HindIII, EcoRI, and HpaI restriction endonucleases was also investigated. Although the catalytic activity of HindIII was not affected by the presence of the 5'-C-ethoxyphosphonyl modification, the activities of the two remaining restriction enzymes were partially suppressed depending on the site of modification or the stereochemistry of the modification or both ((R)T vs. (S)T).

Measurement of the thermal diffusivity of dental filling materials using modified Angström's method.

OBJECTIVES: A new measuring technique for the determination of thermal diffusivity is proposed. Using this technique, the thermal properties of a few different dental filling materials were measured. METHODS: The proposed method for measurement of thermal diffusivity is based on the classical Angström's method. The method exploits the propagation of a plane thermal wave generated by a Peltier's device in a cylindrical sample along its axis. The thermal diffusivity of the sample is calculated from the phase difference between harmonic components of temperatures measured at sample surfaces, perpendicular to the direction of thermal wave propagation. The estimated accuracy of measurement is typically about 10% for samples with low thermal diffusivity. The proposed method was used for the determination of thermal diffusivities of Achatit Bichromatic, Charisma and Dentimet dental filling materials. RESULTS: The measured thermal diffusivities were: 0.295(0.020)x10(-6)m(2)s(-1) for Achatit Bichromatic, 0.321(0.015)x10(-6)m(2)s(-1) for Charisma and 1.70(0.12)x10(-6)m(2)s(-1) for Dentimet. The thermal conductivities of these materials were also estimated. The results were compared with values obtained from independent constant flux measurements with marble as a reference material. SIGNIFICANCE: There are no standard techniques for the determination of the thermal properties of dental filling materials. Moreover, it is difficult to find the thermal diffusivity and the thermal conductivity of many of them. The method proposed in this paper allows the simple and accurate measurement of thermal diffusivity. Thermal parameters of dental filling materials should be compatible with the parameters of human teeth. Lack of thermal compatibility can cause not only patient discomfort but also mechanical stresses leading to microcracks.

A school nurse's guide to PowerPoint presentations.

In today's educational environment, school nurses are often called upon to provide presentations utilizing electronic slides. A tool frequently utilized for presentations is PowerPoint. However, as with any instructional method, it is only as effective as the presenter who has designed the slides. A study conducted to evaluate professional PowerPoint slides is the focus of this article. After reviewing 1,732 slides and comparing them to best practices criteria, the researchers call attention to common errors in slide presentations. Additionally, the article provides guidance to school nurses in reinventing the art of providing powerful, interactive, and interesting presentations.