359 research outputs found
Magnetoresistance and Magnetic Ordering Fingerprints in Hydrogenated Graphene
Spin-dependent features in the conductivity of graphene, chemically modified
by a random distribution of hydrogen adatoms, are explored theoretically. The
spin effects are taken into account using a mean-field self-consistent Hubbard
model derived from first-principles calculations. A Kubo-Greenwood transport
methodology is used to compute the spin-dependent transport fingerprints of
weakly hydrogenated graphene-based systems with realistic sizes. Conductivity
responses are obtained for paramagnetic, antiferromagnetic, or ferromagnetic
macroscopic states, constructed from the mean-field solutions obtained for
small graphene supercells. Magnetoresistance signals up to are
calculated for hydrogen densities around 0.25%. These theoretical results could
serve as guidance for experimental observation of induced magnetism in
graphene.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Determinants and impact of suboptimal asthma control in Europe : The INTERNATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT ON ASTHMA CONTROL (LIAISON) study
Acknowledgements We are grateful to THERAmetrics for the study management, data collection and analysis. The authors would like to thank the following investigators for their contribution (>30 patients enrolled): F. Fohler, A.G. Haider, J. Hesse-Tonsa, J. Messner, W. Pohl (Austria); G. Joos, J.L. Halloy, R. Peche, H. Simonis, P. Van den Brande (Belgium); B. Bugnas, J.M. Chavaillon, P. Debove, S. Dury, L. Mathieu, O. Lagrange, A. Prudhomme, S. Verdier (France); A. Benedix, O. Kestermann, A. Deimling, G. Eckhardt, M. Gernhold, V. Grimm-Sachs, M. Hoefer, G. Hoheisel, C. Stolpe, C. Schilder, M. John, J. Uerscheln, K.H. Zeisler (Germany); A. Chaniotou, P. Demertzis, V. Filaditaki-Loverdou, A. Gaga, E. Georgatou-Papageorgiou, S. Michailidis, G. Pavkalou, M. Toumpis (Greece); K. Csicsari, K. Hajdu, M. Póczi, M. Kukuly, T. Kecskes, C. Hangonyi, J. Schlezak, E. Takács, M. Szabo,G. Szabó, C. Szabo (Hungary); G.W. Canonica, W. Castellani, A. Cirillo, M.P. Foschino Barbaro, M. Gjomarkaj, G. Guerra, G. Idotta, D. Legnani, M. Lo Schiavo, R. Maselli, F. Mazza, S. Nutini, P. Paggiaro, A. Pietra, O. Resta, S. Salis, N.A. Scichilone, M.C. Zappa, A. Zedda (Italy); M. Goosens, R. Heller, K. Mansour, C. Meek, J. van den Berg (The Netherlands); A. Antczak, M. Faber, D. Madra-Rogacka, G. Mincewicz, M. Michnar, D. Olejniczak, G. Pulka, Z. Sankowski, K. Kowal, I. Krupa-Borek, B. Kubicka Kozik, K. Kuczynska, P. Kuna, A. Kwasniewski, M. Wozniak (Poland); F. Casas Maldonado, C. Cisneros, J. de Miguel Díez, L.M. Entrenas Costa, B. Garcìa-Cosio, M.V. Gonzales, L. Lores, M. Luengo, C. Martinez, C. Melero, I. Mir, X. Munoz, A. Pacheco, V. Plaza, J. Serra, J. Serrano, J.G. Soto Campos (Spain); T. Bekci, R. Demir, N. Dursunoglu, D. Ediger, A. Ekici, O. Goksel, H. Gunen, I.K. Oguzulgen, Z.F. Ozseker, (Turkey); L. Barnes, T. Hall, S. Montgomerie, J. Purohit, J. Ryan (United Kingdom). The authors would also like to thank P. Galletti (THERAMetrics S.p.A., Sesto San Giovanni, Italy) and K. Stockmeyer (THERAMetrics GmbH, Essen, Germany) for providing editorial assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
On the use of rigorous microwave interaction models to support remote sensing of natural surfaces
A study has been undertaken which objective is to contribute to the investigation of the validity of microwave surface scattering models used in remote sensing applications, particularly when applied to realistic representations of natural surfaces. These investigations are based on recent implementations of rigorous methods (MoM and FDTD) and cover a wide range of configurations of observation (mono- and bi-static). Both land (bare soils) and sea surfaces are being investigated
DIG In: Evaluating Disparities in Image Generations with Indicators for Geographic Diversity
The unprecedented photorealistic results achieved by recent text-to-image
generative systems and their increasing use as plug-and-play content creation
solutions make it crucial to understand their potential biases. In this work,
we introduce three indicators to evaluate the realism, diversity and
prompt-generation consistency of text-to-image generative systems when prompted
to generate objects from across the world. Our indicators complement
qualitative analysis of the broader impact of such systems by enabling
automatic and efficient benchmarking of geographic disparities, an important
step towards building responsible visual content creation systems. We use our
proposed indicators to analyze potential geographic biases in state-of-the-art
visual content creation systems and find that: (1) models have less realism and
diversity of generations when prompting for Africa and West Asia than Europe,
(2) prompting with geographic information comes at a cost to prompt-consistency
and diversity of generated images, and (3) models exhibit more region-level
disparities for some objects than others. Perhaps most interestingly, our
indicators suggest that progress in image generation quality has come at the
cost of real-world geographic representation. Our comprehensive evaluation
constitutes a crucial step towards ensuring a positive experience of visual
content creation for everyone
Patient Preferences of Low-Dose Aspirin for Cardiovascular Disease and Colorectal Cancer Prevention in Italy:A Latent Class Analysis
BACKGROUND: Patients taking low-dose aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) may also benefit from a reduced risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine the preferences of people eligible for preventive treatment with low-dose aspirin and the trade-offs they are willing to make between CVD prevention, CRC prevention, and treatment risks. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey was conducted in Italy in 2019 to elicit preferences for three benefit attributes (prevention of ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and CRC) and four risk attributes (intracranial and gastrointestinal bleeding, peptic ulcer, and severe allergic reaction) associated with use of low-dose aspirin. Latent class logit models were used to evaluate variation in treatment preferences. RESULTS: The DCE survey was completed by 1005 participants eligible for use of low-dose aspirin. A four-class model had the best fit for the primary CVD prevention group (n = 491), and a three-class model had the best fit for the secondary CVD prevention group (n = 514). For the primary CVD prevention group, where classes differed on age, education level, type 2 diabetes, exercise, and low-dose aspirin use, the most important attributes were intracranial bleeding (two classes), myocardial infarction (one class), and CRC (one class). For the secondary CVD prevention group, where classes differed on various comorbidities, self-reported health, exercise, and CVD medication use, the most important attributes were intracranial bleeding (two classes), myocardial infarction (one class), and gastrointestinal bleeding (one class). CONCLUSION: Patient preferences for the benefits and risks of low-dose aspirin differ significantly among people eligible for treatment as primary or secondary CVD prevention. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40271-021-00506-2
InternationaL cross-sectIonAl and longItudinal assessment on aSthma cONtrol in European adult patients : the LIAISON study protocol
The study is funded by Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., Parma, ItalyPeer reviewedPublisher PD
Determinants and impact of suboptimal anthma control in Europe: the international cross-sectional and longitudinal assessment on asthma control (Liaison study)
Background: according to the Global Initiative of Asthma, the aim of asthma treatment is to gain and maintain control. In the INTERNATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT ON ASTHMA CONTROL (LIAISON) study, we evaluated the level of asthma control and quality of life (QoL), as well as their determinants and impact in a population consulting specialist settings. Methods: LIAISON is a prospective, multicentre, observational study with a cross-sectional and a 12-month longitudinal phase. Adults with an asthma diagnosis since at least 6 months, receiving the same asthma treatment in the 4 weeks before enrolment were included. Asthma control was assessed with the 6-item Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and QoL with the MiniAsthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniAQLQ). Results: overall, 8111 asthmatic patients were enrolled in 12 European countries. Asthma control was suboptimal in 56.5 % of patients and it was associated with poorer asthma-related QoL, higher risk of exacerbations and greater consumption of healthcare resources. Variables associated with suboptimal control were age, gender, obesity, smoking and comorbidities. Major determinants of poor asthma control were seasonal worsening and persisting exposure to allergens/irritants/triggers, followed by treatment-related issues. Conclusions: the cross-sectional phase results confirm that suboptimal control is frequent and has a high individual and economic impact. Trial registration: The clinicaltrials.gov identifier is NCT01567280
Cohort Analysis of Exacerbation Rates in Adolescent and Adult Patients Initiating Inhaled Corticosteroids for Asthma : Different Dose–Response Profile by Particle Size
Data Availability. The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Funding. Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe B.V.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
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