Foreword

This volume presents the proceedings of the 6th Kurt Schwabe Symposium that was a continuation of successful meetings in Tata (Hungary, 1993), Dresden (Germany, 1997), Zakopane (Poland, 2000), Helsinki (2004) and Erlangen (Germany, 2009). The symposium was devoted to Prof. Dr. Kurt Schwabe (1905–1983) outstanding electrochemists working in the field of corrosion science and engineering, sensors techniques and fuel cells. The conference held in Cracow, Poland, on September 2–6, 2013, and organized by AGHUniversity of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Warsaw. The subject of the symposium was the surface analysis and material engineering in corrosion science and electrochemical technologies, with a particular focus on the following: preparation and degradation of new materials for electrochemical science and technology (metal oxides, conducting polymers, hybrid materials systems, functional composites including catalysts for fuel and photocells), development of materials for electrochemical sensors, surface modifications of metals and semiconductors, electrochemistry of metals and semiconductors in organic solvents, ionic liquids and supercritical fluids, mechanisms of corrosion, passivity and breakdown processes, environmentally assisted failure, corrosion modelling, monitoring and protection, microbiological corrosion and biofouling. Both fundamental and applied aspects of research were discussed. The symposia provided an overview of the state of the art in this field, showed the latest achievements and perspectives in the area of functional materials. All sessions were well attended. The scientific program consisted of six plenary lectures, nine invited lectures delivered by internationally renowned experts and 38 oral contributions as well as 22 poster presentations covering some of the most important and exciting topics in corrosion, interfaces and nanostructures research. The conference was attended by 74 participants from the following 11 countries: Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, United Kingdom and United States of America. This present special issue of Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry contains a selection of 22 papers presented during the meeting. The organizers and guest editors would like kindly to thank all those who attended the conference and helped to continue the tradition of Kurt Schwabe Symposium as well as to all the authors who submitted high-quality articles and the reviewers for their contributions to assess and improve the submitted manuscripts in order to keep the high publication standards of the journal.


Foreword
This issue of the journal is a compilation of manuscripts worthy of publication but ones that did not fit squarely into our topical format observed by Critical Care Nursing Quarterly. However, the manuscripts that have been selected are certain to stimulate discussion about ongoing clinical decisions and evolving practices encountered in today's intensive care unit (ICU).
Zhang and Melander consider a novel procedure for a select group of patients with aortic stenosis who are at risk for typical surgical intervention. In their article, "Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Severe Aortic Stenosis," they review the procedure and its potential complications and outline essential nursing care to ensure optimum outcomes.
Acute heart failure accounts for more than 1 million hospitalizations each year in the United States. Paul and Hice's article, "Role of the Acute Care Nurse in Managing Patients With Heart Failure Using Evidence-Based Care," emphasizes elements of care during acute decompensation and outlines strategies required to ensure successful rehabilitation and prevent recurrence of decompensation.
Dixon and Keasling present a report of one hospital's quality improvement initiative related to using therapeutic hypothermia to reduce neurologic injury and mortality among patients who had experienced cardiac arrest in association with an acute ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI). In the article, "Development of a Therapeutic Hypothermia Protocol: Implementation for Postcardiac Arrest STEMI Patients," they describe their hospital's multidisciplinary team protocol for therapeutic hypothermia and explain its impact on postarrest survival and morbidity.
The author has disclosed that she has no significant relationships with, or financial interest in, any commercial companies pertaining to this article. DOI: 10.1097/CNQ.0000000000000042 "Preventing Ventilator-Associated Events: Complying With Evidence-Based Practice" by Munaco and colleagues compels us to reexamine our clinical approaches and oversight of patients dependent upon mechanical ventilatory support. These authors emphasize that the effectiveness of care bundles is often curtailed by limitations within the electronic medical record systems. Initiatives to improve bundle compliance should include new documentation methods and strategies to permit straightforward data collection.
Nolen and Warren tackle an age-old and ongoing issue in their article "Meeting the Needs of Family Members of ICU Patients." One area of concern is the provision of more comfortable and relaxing waiting areas where visitors can cope with the emotional burdens and physical exhaustion that often accompany a health care crisis. Health care personnel must be vigilant in ensuring that visitors are accommodated and supported since they are an integral factor in the patient's healing and recovery.
Finally, Davidson and her coauthors present a thought-provoking article "Using Evidence to Overcome Obstacles to Family Presence." They discuss the myths and realities surrounding common beliefs that non-health care personnel at the at the bedside may contribute to infections, have adverse effects on the physiological status of patients, interfere with bedside teaching, and serve as a deterrent to open communication during exchange reports and clinical rounds. A case study serves as a basis for strategies to overcome obstacles to family presence in the hospital.
This issue of Critical Care Nursing Quarterly should spark discussions and new thinking among ICU nurses. It is hoped that the information and advancements that authors share in their work will ignite passions for changing practices and streamlining clinical decision making. A. Hoyt, MSN, RN