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Background: Patient adherence to drug treatment is crucial to the success of any prescribed therapy, especially in chronic conditions. The present phenomenological qualitative study aims to explore the elderly experience in managing their medication therapy and their perception of medication adherence. Methods: Based on Husserl's perspective, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted utilizing the phenomenological approach, specifically Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The data analysis followed Giorgi's phenomenological approach and the inductive content analysis method. Approval for the study was obtained from the relevant Ethics Committee. Results: Themes emerged when participants described experiences about their own adherence to therapy. The following general theme emerged from the interviews and the phenomenological analysis: Generating awareness: taking therapy saves your life. It was followed by three other themes: (1) Drug therapy awareness; (2) Drug therapy in daily life; and (3) Drug therapy as a life partner. Conclusions: Elderly patients undergoing polypharmacological treatment emphasize the key factors for improving medication adherence, highlighting the influence of individual, motivational, and relational aspects. They express a strong desire for information and value the support of family doctors and nurses in managing therapy. Patient interviews indicate general support among elderly patients for using mobile health in pharmacological treatment, recognizing its potential and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Sleep quality significantly impacts individuals' overall health, especially in older adults. Older adults often face comorbid conditions, polypharmacy (the intake of five or more medications per day), and medication non-adherence, which are common among those with sleep disorders. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the relationship between sleep quality and medication adherence in older adults and to describe the measuring instruments used. A systematic review was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. The PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases were screened from January 2024 to March 2024. Nine articles were included in the final synthesis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The review found that poor sleep quality is significantly associated with reduced medication adherence in older adults. The key sleep determinants linked to medication non-adherence include sleep disorders, sleep efficiency, sleep duration, and daytime dysfunctions. Inappropriate medication prescriptions have been associated with reduced sleep efficiency. The tools for assessing sleep quality and medication adherence are predominantly subjective and varied. To address these challenges, a comprehensive geriatric assessment should include investigations into sleep disorders and comorbidity factors. Additionally, nursing educational interventions could be pivotal in improving medication adherence among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For active volcanoes, knowledge of the architecture of the plumbing system and the conditions of magma storage prior to an eruption are highly important, given their influence on the eruptive style and, thus, the management of future volcanic crises. Here, chlorine is used as a geobarometer for potassic alkaline magmas at the Campi Flegrei volcanic complex, revealing the shallowest depth of fluid-melt equilibration with respect to Cl. The results for representative fallout deposits of selected explosive eruptions show the existence of a multi-depth equilibration zone through time, including shallow magma storage. We describe evidence for the shallowest zone located at a depth equivalent to 65 MPa for the Agnano Monte Spina eruption (4482–4625 cal. yrs BP), at ~100 MPa for the Pomici Principali (11 915–12 158 cal. yrs BP), and the Astroni 6 (4098–4297 cal. yrs BP) eruptions, and close to 115 MPa for the last explosive eruption of Monte Nuovo (AD 1538). For comparison, the pressure estimated for a possible reservoir feeding the Cretaio eruption of Ischia island (AD 430), the only studied eruption on Ischia, is ~140 MPa. The pressure estimates for the two largest magnitude eruptions, the Campanian Ignimbrite (40 ka) and the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (14.9 ka), are also discussed with respect to available magma withdrawal models. The pressures estimated using the Cl geobarometer for the magma leading to the fallout phases of these two eruptions provide evidence for a low-volume, shallow domain (~40 MPa) for the Plinian phase of the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption and a main, deeper reservoir (~130–165 MPa) for the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff eruption. The inferred shallowest equilibration pressures are interpreted here as corresponding to transitory, short-lived magma apophyses, whose eruption may have been facilitated by optimum tectonic stresses, rheological behavior of the crust, and efficiency of volatile exsolution. Alternatively, these magma apophyses may represent an evolved, crystal-rich ponded magma into which a volatile-rich magma ascending from depth was injected. The transient nature of such very shallow reservoirs is suggested by the short timescales inferred from diffusion modeling on crystals available in the literature for the studied Campi Flegrei eruptions. The influence of sulfur (S) on Cl solubility is assessed through Cl solubility modeling and applied to different eruptions. In addition, the pressure at which magmatic fluids and melts equilibrated with respect to Cl is shallower for the Campi Flegrei volcanic complex than the Somma-Vesuvio volcanic complex, erupting more homogeneous differentiated magma, of trachytic or phonolitic composition. This approach of using Cl to investigate the architecture of the plumbing system can be extended to all alkali-rich magma systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: On 9th January 2020, China CDC reported a novel coronavirus (later named SARS-CoV-2) as the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Identifying the first appearance of virus is of epidemiological importance to tracking and mapping the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a country. We therefore conducted a retrospective observational study to detect SARS-CoV-2 in oropharyngeal samples collected from hospitalized patients with a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) enrolled in the DRIVE (Development of Robust and Innovative Vaccine Effectiveness) study in five Italian hospitals (CIRI-IT BIVE hospitals network) (1st November 2019 – 29th February 2020). Objectives: To acquire new information on the real trend in SARS-CoV-2 infection during pandemic phase I and to determine the possible early appearance of the virus in Italy. Materials and methods: Samples were tested for influenza [RT-PCR assay (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B/Yam, B/Vic)] in accordance with the DRIVE study protocol. Subsequently, swabs underwent molecular testing for SARS-COV-2. [one-step real-time multiplex retro-transcription (RT) PCR]. Results: In the 1683 samples collected, no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 was found. Moreover, 28.3% (477/1683) of swabs were positive for influenza viruses, the majority being type A (358 vs 119 type B). A/H3N2 was predominant among influenza A viruses (55%); among influenza B viruses, B/Victoria was prevalent. The highest influenza incidence rate was reported in patients aged 0–17 years (40.3%) followed by those aged 18–64 years (24.4%) and ≥65 years (14.8%). Conclusions: In Italy, some studies have shown the early circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in northern regions, those most severely affected during phase I of the pandemic. In central and southern regions, by contrast no early circulation of the virus was registered. These results are in line with ours. These findings highlight the need to continue to carry out retrospective studies, in order to understand the epidemiology of the novel coronavirus, to better identify the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in comparison with other acute respiratory illnesses (ARI), and to evaluate the real burden of COVID-19 on the healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, the technology world has significantly shaped society. This study aims to survey the views of registered nurses with hospital working experience regarding the personal communication devices use impact in hospital units. The secondary outcome of this study was to identify differences in mobile device use based on demographic and organizational factors., Study Design: Cross-sectional study by survey., Methods: The questionnaire comprises 22 items divided into four sections. Overall 778 questionnaires were included in the study, 329 questionnaires were collected on pen-and-paper, whereas 449 by an online survey., Results: Findings showed that smartphones have a different impact on performance, utilization and impact scale according to gender, age and educational attainment. Generally males using more frequently personal communication devices for non-work-related activities affected negatively their working performance by respect to females. Moreover, younger nurses report being more distracted by using smartphones for non-work-related activities than older nurses. At the same time, younger nurses believe that smartphones may lead to an improvement in patient care skills. Nurses with fewer years of service (1 month - 10 years) report being more distracted by non-work-related activities on their smartphones than nurses with more years of service (>20 years)., Conclusions: The smartphone is a potential distraction source. The most exposed groups are the younger nurses' and those with little work experience, and both groups (young age, less experience) can be considered factors for potential distraction.