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| 2. |
- Accordini, Simone, et al.
(författare)
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Incidence trends of airflow obstruction among European adults without asthma : a 20-year cohort study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Investigating COPD trends may help healthcare providers to forecast future disease burden. We estimated sex- and smoking-specific incidence trends of pre-bronchodilator airflow obstruction (AO) among adults without asthma from 11 European countries within a 20-year follow-up (ECRHS and SAPALDIA cohorts). We also quantified the extent of misclassification in the definition based on pre-bronchodilator spirometry (using post-bronchodilator measurements from a subsample of subjects) and we used this information to estimate the incidence of post-bronchodilator AO (AO(post-BD)), which is the primary characteristic of COPD. AO incidence was 4.4 (95% CI: 3.5-5.3) male and 3.8 (3.1-4.6) female cases/1,000/year. Among ever smokers (median pack-years: 20, males; 12, females), AO incidence significantly increased with ageing in men only [incidence rate ratio (IRR), 1-year increase: 1.05 (1.03-1.07)]. A strong exposure-response relationship with smoking was found both in males [IRR, 1-pack-year increase: 1.03 (1.02-1.04)] and females [1.03 (1.02-1.05)]. The positive predictive value of AO for AO(post-BD) was 59.1% (52.0-66.2%) in men and 42.6% (35.1-50.1%) in women. AO(post-BD) incidence was 2.6 (1.7-3.4) male and 1.6 (1.0-2.2) female cases/1,000/year. AO incidence was considerable in Europe and the sex-specific ageing-related increase among ever smokers was strongly related to cumulative tobacco exposure. AO(post-BD) incidence is expected to be half of AO incidence.
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| 3. |
- Balducci, Marco, et al.
(författare)
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SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and risk of infectious diseases in hospitalized older patients
- 2024
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Ingår i: European Geriatric Medicine. - 1878-7649 .- 1878-7657. ; 15:2, s. 509-517
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose Vaccinations, for example flu vaccine, may be a cause of cross-reactive immunostimulation that prevents a larger spectrum of infections. However, whether SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations may also determine this effect is unclear. This study aims, first, to assess the incidence of infections at hospital admission and during the hospitalization in older inpatients vaccinated and unvaccinated against SARS-CoV-2; second, to compare length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.Methods This retrospective study included 754 older inpatients admitted to the Geriatrics and Orthogeriatrics Units of the University Hospital of Ferrara (Italy) between March 2021 and November 2021. Sociodemographic and health-related data, and the diagnosis of infections at hospital admission and during hospitalization were collected from medical records.Results The sample’s mean age was 87.2 years, 59.2% were females, and 75.5% were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccinated individuals had 36% lower odds of intra-hospital infections (OR = 0.64, 95%CI 0.44–0.94) and 39% lower in-hospital death (HR = 0.61, 95%CI 0.39–0.95), also after adjusting for potential confounders, while no significant results emerged about infections at hospital admission. Considering the hospitalization’s endpoints, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was associated with a lower probability of being transferred to long-term care or other hospital departments than returning home (OR = 0.63, 95%CI 0.40–0.99).Conclusions In older inpatients, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination seems to be associated with a lower likelihood of intra-hospital infectious diseases not caused by SARS-CoV-2 and all-cause in-hospital mortality. The vaccination coverage in the older population could limit not only the onset and severity of COVID-19 but also the occurrence of other infectious diseases.
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| 4. |
- Brondin, Carlo Alberto, et al.
(författare)
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Tailoring Magnetic Anisotropy in Ultrathin Cobalt by Surface Carbon Chemistry
- 2024
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Ingår i: Advanced Electronic Materials. - 2199-160X. ; 10:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ability to manipulate magnetic anisotropy is essential for magnetic sensing and storage tools. Surface carbon species offer cost-effective alternatives to metal-oxide and noble metal capping layers, inducing perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in ultrathin ferromagnetic films. Here, the different mechanisms by which the magnetism in a few-layer-thick Co thin film is modified upon adsorption of carbon monoxide (CO), dispersed carbon, and graphene are elucidated. Using X-ray microscopy with chemical and magnetic sensitivity, the in-plane to out-of-plane spin reorientation transition in cobalt is monitored during the accumulation of surface carbon up to the formation of graphene. Complementary magneto-optical measurements show weak perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) at room temperature for dispersed carbon on Co, while graphene-covered cobalt exhibits a significant out-of-plane coercive field. Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations show that going from CO/Co to C/Co and to graphene/Co, the magnetocrystalline and magnetostatic anisotropies combined promote out-of-plane magnetization. Anisotropy energies weakly depend on carbidic species coverage. Instead, the evolution of the carbon chemical state from carbidic to graphitic is accompanied by an exponential increase in the characteristic domain size, controlled by the magnetic anisotropy energy. Beyond providing a basic understanding of the carbon-ferromagnet interfaces, this study presents a sustainable approach to tailor magnetic anisotropy in ultrathin ferromagnetic films. Magnetic properties of Co ultrathin films are shown to undergo dramatic changes upon surface carbon accumulation. Chemical transformation from molecular carbon monoxide to surface carbide and to a graphene layer progressively enhances the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of Co. Calculations reveal that magnetocrystalline and magnetostatic contributions play distinctly different roles for the different carbon species.image
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| 5. |
- Coppo, Rosanna, et al.
(författare)
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Is there long-term value of pathology scoring in immunoglobulin A nephropathy? : A validation study of the Oxford Classification for IgA Nephropathy (VALIGA) update
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0931-0509 .- 1460-2385. ; 35:6, s. 1002-1009
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: It is unknown whether renal pathology lesions in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) correlate with renal outcomes over decades of follow-up.Methods: In 1130 patients of the original Validation Study of the Oxford Classification for IgA Nephropathy (VALIGA) cohort, we studied the relationship between the MEST score (mesangial hypercellularity, M; endocapillary hypercellularity, E; segmental glomerulosclerosis, S; tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis, T), crescents (C) and other histological lesions with both a combined renal endpoint [50% estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) loss or kidney failure] and the rate of eGFR decline over a follow-up period extending to 35 years [median 7 years (interquartile range 4.1-10.8)].Results: In this extended analysis, M1, S1 and T1-T2 lesions as well as the whole MEST score were independently related with the combined endpoint (P < 0.01), and there was no effect modification by age for these associations, suggesting that they may be valid in children and in adults as well. Only T lesions were associated with the rate of eGFR loss in the whole cohort, whereas C showed this association only in patients not treated with immunosuppression. In separate prognostic analyses, the whole set of pathology lesions provided a gain in discrimination power over the clinical variables alone, which was similar at 5 years (+2.0%) and for the whole follow-up (+1.8%). A similar benefit was observed for risk reclassification analyses (+2.7% and +2.4%).Conclusion: Long-term follow-up analyses of the VALIGA cohort showed that the independent relationship between kidney biopsy findings and the risk of progression towards kidney failure in IgAN remains unchanged across all age groups and decades after the renal biopsy.
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| 6. |
- Genuzio, Francesca, et al.
(författare)
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A UHV MOKE magnetometer complementing XMCD-PEEM at the Elettra Synchrotron
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Synchrotron Radiation. - 0909-0495 .- 1600-5775. ; 28, s. 995-1005
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on a custom-built UHV-compatible Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect (MOKE) magnetometer for applications in surface and materials sciences, operating in tandem with the PhotoEmission Electron Microscope (PEEM) endstation at the Nanospectroscopy beamline of the Elettra synchrotron. The magnetometer features a liquid-nitrogen-cooled electromagnet that is fully compatible with UHV operation and produces magnetic fields up to about 140 mT at the sample. Longitudinal and polar MOKE measurement geometries are realized. The magneto-optical detection is based on polarization analysis using a photoelastic modulator. The sample manipulation system is fully compatible with that of the PEEM, making it possible to exchange samples with the beamline endstation, where complementary X-ray imaging and spectroscopy techniques are available. The magnetometer performance is illustrated by experiments on cobalt ultra-thin films, demonstrating close to monolayer sensitivity. The advantages of combining in situ growth, X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism imaging (XMCD-PEEM) and MOKE magnetometry into a versatile multitechnique facility are highlighted.
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| 7. |
- Iacomussi, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Governance of Access in Biobanking: The Case of Telethon Network of Genetic Biobanks
- 2021
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Ingår i: Biopreservation and Biobanking. - : Mary Ann Liebert. - 1947-5535 .- 1947-5543. ; 19:6, s. 483-492
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The discussion concerning the measure of the quality of a biobank should focus not only on the number of stored samples and their quality but also on the assessment of their access arrangements and governance. This article aims at contributing to the ongoing debate on samples and data access governance in biobanking by presenting the case of the Telethon Network of Genetic Biobanks (TNGB). We attempt to contribute to the need for clear and available access criteria and harmonization in access arrangements to maximize the influence of biobanks in the progress of biomedical research. We reviewed all the sample requests submitted to the TNGB from 2008 to 2020, focusing on those rejected by the Access Committee and the reasons behind the rejections. The analysis of the reasons behind the rejected requests allowed us to analyze how those relate to the issues of scientific misconduct, prioritization, and noncompliance with the biobank's mission. We discuss those issues in light of the actions and motivations used by TNGB in the access decision-making process. Based on this analysis, we suggest that a cross-implementation of a checklist for access assessment would improve the whole access process, ensuring a more transparent and smoother governance. Finally, we conclude that the TNGB's Charter and approach toward access governance could contribute as an important reference point to deal with the issues that have emerged in the international discussion on the topic.
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| 8. |
- Marcon, Alessandro, et al.
(författare)
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Airway responsiveness to methacholine and incidence of COPD : an international prospective cohort study
- 2018
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Ingår i: Thorax. - : BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP. - 0040-6376 .- 1468-3296. ; 73:9, s. 825-832
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: It has been debated, but not yet established, whether increased airway responsiveness can predict COPD. Recognising this link may help in identifying subjects at risk.Objective: We studied prospectively whether airway responsiveness is associated with the risk of developing COPD.Methods: We pooled data from two multicentre cohort studies that collected data from three time points using similar methods (European Community Respiratory Health Survey and Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults). We classified subjects (median age 37 years, 1st–3rd quartiles: 29–44) by their level of airway responsiveness using quintiles of methacholine dose–response slope at the first examination (1991–1994). Then, we excluded subjects with airflow obstruction at the second examination (1999–2003) and analysed incidence of COPD (postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC below the lower limit of normal) at the third examination (2010–2014) as a function of responsiveness, adjusting for sex, age, education, body mass index, history of asthma, smoking, occupational exposures and indicators of airway calibre.Results: We observed 108 new cases of COPD among 4205 subjects during a median time of 9 years. Compared with the least responsive group (incidence rate 0.6 per 1000/year), adjusted incidence rate ratios for COPD ranged from 1.79 (95% CI 0.52 to 6.13) to 8.91 (95% CI 3.67 to 21.66) for increasing airway responsiveness. Similar dose–response associations were observed between smokers and non-smokers, and stronger associations were found among subjects without a history of asthma or asthma-like symptoms.Conclusions: Our study suggests that increased airway responsiveness is an independent risk factor for COPD. Further research should clarify whether early treatment in patients with high responsiveness can slow down disease progression.
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