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The purpose of this research study was to determine the effectiveness of an innovative online COVID-19 educational module among community health nursing students. Mixed-methods study. The sample (N = 86) consisted of prelicensure and postlicensure community health nursing students, who completed a pretest, COVID-19 educational intervention, and posttest. The majority of participants' scores increased from pretest to posttest, and most participants strongly agreed that the COVID-19 educational module was effective. Strategies to address vaccine hesitancy, information learned and found most helpful, and plans for application and utilization of this knowledge were revealed. An online COVID-19 community health nursing educational intervention was effective at improving participants' knowledge, confidence, and attitudes regarding COVID-19. Online COVID-19 community health nursing education was an effective strategy for increasing preparation for this pandemic and the format can be useful to utilize for future public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystallinity and mechanical and thermal properties of polylactide (PLA)-based biodegradable-engineered plastic nanocomposites were determined. The nanocomposites were composed of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)-toughened PLA, Talcum (Talc) and organic modified clay (montmorillonite; OMC). The tensile and flexural tests showed that PLA blended with 10 wt% TPU, 4 wt% Talc powder and 2 wt% OMC had the highest modulus and strength without a loss of elongation. The heat distortion temperature (HDT) tests demonstrated that the thermally treated PLA-based nanocomposites had an HDT of nearly double the HDT for untreated specimens. An analysis of the polymer using scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the incorporation of inorganic fillers altered the heterogeneous morphology of the PLA/TPU blend. This study investigated the feasibility of using PLA-based nanocomposites for practical use, including applications in the automotive and furniture industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable aliphatic polyester, but its brittleness makes it unsuitable for many packaging and appliance applications. The goal of the work reportedwas to create novel poly(ester urethane)s that incorporate biodegradable poly(lactic acid) diols (PLA-OHs) and good mechanical properties of increased molecular weight via crosslinked network formation for engineering plastics applications. Three kinds of polyols (PLA-OHs, PLA-OHs/poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol or PLA-OHs/poly(butylene adipate) glycol (PBA)) and two kinds of diisocyanates (4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) or toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI))were chosen for the soft and hard segments to compare their mechanical properties. In addition, 1,4-butanediol and trimethylolpropane were each used as chain extender agents. Results showed the PLA/PBA-polyurethanes (PLA/PBA-PUs) of the MDI series and the PLA/PBA-PUs of the TDI series had improved thermal stability and enhanced mechanical properties. Degradation behavior showed the PLA-based polyurethanes could be degraded in phosphate-buffered saline solution and enzyme solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PEG is used to reinforce chitosan-based hydrogels through the formation of ester and amide linkages. The reinforced PEG/chitosan (RPC) hydrogels exhibit significant enhancements in tensile modulus and elongation compared with neat chitosan. Other properties are thoroughly investigated and indicate that the physicochemical and in vitro degradation properties of the RPC hydrogels depend on the amount and molecular weight of the PEG. The RPC hydrogels can control evaporative water loss at a suitable rate to maintain a moist environment. In terms of in vitro biological properties, 3T3 fibroblasts show good viability with the RPC hydrogels, which indicates that the RPC hydrogels may be used as wound dressing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]