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We have investigated the charge ordering (CO) in magnetite below the Verwey transition. A new set of half-integer and mixed-integer superlattice reflections of the low-temperature phase have been studied by x-ray resonant scattering. None of these reflections show features characteristic of CO. We demonstrate the absence of CO along the c axis with the periodicity of either the cubic lattice q=(001) or the doubled cubic lattice q=(001/2). This result suggests that the Verwey transition is caused by strong electron-phonon interaction instead of an electronic ordering on the octahedral Fe atoms.

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Stoma patients and their caregivers need to be autonomous in stoma care, but there are few instruments for measuring the level of self‐care. This study aims to develop and test the psychometric properties of the Ostomy Self‐Care Index (OSCI) and the Caregiver Contribution to Self‐Care in Ostomy Patient Index (CC‐OSCI), from a clinical, operative and psychosocial perspective. A multicentre validation study was conducted on a convenience sample of 468 ostomy patients and 227 caregivers. The signed informed consent forms were obtained before data collection. Tool validation was performed by testing content validity, construct validity, criterion and internal consistency. Two indexes were developed, building on the self‐care theory of chronic illness. For the OSCI, 32 items were developed and grouped into four 5‐point Likert scales: maintenance, monitoring, management and confidence. For the CC‐OSCI, 22 items were developed and grouped into three 5‐point Likert scales: maintenance, monitoring and management. The content validity indexes for the OSCI and CC‐OSCI were 95% and 93%, respectively. Exploratory factor analysis showed appropriate factor loadings (OSCI: min 0.395 to max 0.852; CC‐OSCI: min 0.442 to max 0.841). Criterion validity was established through significant correlation between levels of quality of life, complications, readmissions and self‐care in patients and caregivers. Strong internal consistency was found for the overall index, and within the scales (OSCI: α = 0.975; CC‐OSCI: α = 0.972). The OSCI and CC‐OSCI are valid and reliable indexes. Further studies specifically aimed at predicting the level of self‐care are especially recommended.

BackgroundLowering mortality and hospitalization of older adults is one of the main goals of public health to improve both health systems’ sustainability and older adults’ quality of life. The aim of this study is to identify the determinants associated with mortality and the use of hospital services in the population older than 64 years of age.MethodsA randomized sample from the population of the Lazio region (Italy) above the age of 64 was enrolled in 2014 by the administration of a questionnaire to assess frailty; the rates of use of hospital services and mortality in the year following the enrolment have been retrieved by the regional database. Univariable and multivariable analyses addressed the association of health status, social and economic variables with health outcomes.ResultsOne thousand two hundred and eighty persons were recruited; 52 deaths were reported at 1 year of follow-up (robust 1.8%, frail 10.1% and very frail 19.1%, P < 0.001). The mean rate of use of hospital services was 692.2 per 1000 observation/year (robust 589.5, frail 1191.1 and very frail 848.4, P < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the higher rate of use of hospital services was independently associated with functional status, social support, psychological/psychiatric discomfort, availability of home care services and physical health.ConclusionsFrailty, as a multidimensional issue, is also a strong predictor of survival in the short term. The use of the hospital services by older adults is associated mainly with functional status, social resources, psycho-physical status and health service organization factors.

In this study, we describe smartphone-related activities for nurses' work and nonwork purposes; analyzed the differences between smartphone use and nurses' age, gender, and working environment; and observed the influences that personal digital devices have on nurses' performance. We conducted a cross-sectional and correlational study. A convenience sample of nurses was recruited, composed of 256 nurses, mostly women (74.6%) younger than 30 years of age (59%). This study showed that the most frequent work-related smartphone activity was searching for work-related drug references. Smartphones also helped nurses reduce work-related stress and improve unit cohesion and teamwork. Younger nurses and male nurses were more likely than female nurses to use their digital devices during healthcare activities. In addition, 42% of nurses reported that they were distracted by the use of smartphones. If smartphones are used properly, they are certainly helpful tools for improving patient safety and enabling communication among healthcare staff. Otherwise, smartphones can constitute an important source of distraction and endanger patient safety.

A patient-nurse communication programme could help to analyse the individual patient circumstances that might become barriers to adherence and to apply nursing interventions that promote better patient adherence.