An XRI naming system for dynamic and federated clouds: a performance analysis

Abstract Cloud platforms are dynamic, self-optimizing, continuously changing environments where resources can be composed with other ones in order to provide many types of services to their users, e.g., companies, governments, organizations, and desktop/mobile clients. In order to enable cloud platforms to manage and control their assets, they need to name, identify, and resolve their virtual resources in different operating contexts. In such a scenario, naming, resource location, and information retrieval raise several issues regarding name space management. This paper aims to propose a standard practice for the implementation of a cloud naming system based on the eXtensible Resource Identifier (XRI) technology. More specifically, by means of the development of a Cloud Name Space Management (CNSM) front-end interacting with the OpenXRI architecture, we investigate its performance simulating typical cloud name space management tasks

How to develop IoT cloud e-health systems based on fiware: A lesson learnt

Nowadays, the penetration of sensors and actuators in different application fields is revolutionizing all aspects of our daily life. One of the major sectors that is taking advantage of such cutting-edge cheap smart devices is healthcare. In this context, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) at home represents a tempting opportunity for hospitals to reduce clinical costs and to improve the quality of life of both patients and their families. It allows patients to be monitored remotely by means networks of Internet of Things (IoT) medical devices equipped with sensors and actuators that collect healthcare data from patients and send them to a Cloud-based Hospital Information System (HIS) for processing. Up to now, many different proprietary software systems have been developed as stand-along expensive solutions, presenting interoperability, extensibility, and scalability issues. In recent years, the European Commission (EC) has promoted the wide adoption of FIWARE technology, launching 16 Industrial Accelerators focusing on different application fields. One of these, i.e., FICHe, is specialized in healthcare, providing the guidelines on how to develop eHealth systems. This paper focuses on how to compose new cutting-edge IoT and Cloud-based Cyber Physical Health Sytem (CPHS) services and applications interconnected with remote medical sensors and actuators using FIWARE technology in the context envisioned by FICHe. In particular, we discuss the design and development of an RPM system implemented through the collaboration between the Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) “Bonino Pulejo” (i.e., a clinical and research healthcare centre specialized in the treatment of neuro lesions), University of Messina, IBM Research, Telefónica, and the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. The description of our best practice provides a model and guidelines for the development of lightweight and low cost RPM services for rural and isolated areas, with the expectation of expanding healthcare to the developing world and in general allows us to outline how to deal with the real adoption of the FIWARE technology in an e-health project

Artificial Intelligence for Mobile Health Data Analysis and Processing

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A Cloud-Based System for Improving Retention Marketing Loyalty Programs in Industry 4.0: A Study on Big Data Storage Implications

Nowadays, the growing global economy and demand for customized products are bringing the manufacturing industry from a sellers' market toward a buyers' market. In this context, the smart manufacturing enabled by Industry 4.0 is changing the whole production cycle of companies specialized on different kinds of products. On one hand, the advent of cloud computing and social media makes the customers' experience more and more inclusive, whereas on the other hand cyber-physical system technologies help industries to change in real time the cycle of production according to customers' needs. In this context, "retention" marketing strategies aimed not only at the acquisition of new customers but also at the profitability of existing ones allow industries to apply specific production strategies so as to maximize their revenues. This is possible by means of the analysis of various kinds of information coming from customers, products, purchases, and so on. In this paper, we focus on customer loyalty programs. In particular, we propose cloud-based software as a service architecture that store and analyses big data related to purchases and products' ranks in order to provide customers a list of recommended products. Experiments focus on a prototype of human to machine workflow for the pre-selection of customers deployed on both private and hybrid cloud scenarios

The p50 NF-\u3baB subunit is a prognostic regulator of colorectal cancer-associated inflammation

In most tumors, tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) express an M2-skewed phenotype and are therefore associated with unfavorable prognosis. However, the impact of TAMs in colorectal cancer (CRC) development and outcome is still controversial. We first demonstrate, by parallel studies in colitis-associated cancer (CAC) and in genetically driven ApcMin mouse models, that p50 NF-\u3baB is essential for CRC development by restraining M1-dependent antitumor response. In absence of p50 mice developed fewer and smaller CRC lesions which express enhanced levels of M1/Th1 cytokines/chemokines including IL-12 and CXCL10, whose administration restrained CAC development in vivo. Moreover colons from p50-/- tumor bearers showed a reduced number of TAMs, as opposed to increased NK, NKT, CD8+ T cells and apoptotic cancer cells. Consistently, in CRC patients, high burden of p50+ TAMs was associated with decreased M1/Th1 inflammation and worse outcome indicating p50 as a new candidate for prognostic and target therapeutic intervention

Engineering of chitosan-hydroxyapatite-magnetite hierarchical scaffolds for guided bone growth

Bioabsorbable materials have received increasing attention as innovative systems for the development of osteoconductive biomaterials for bone tissue engineering. In this paper, chitosan-based composites were synthesized adding hydroxyapatite and/or magnetite in a chitosan matrix by in situ precipitation technique. Composites were characterized by optical and electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and in vitro cell culture studies. Hydroxyapatite and magnetite were found to be homogeneously dispersed in the chitosan matrix and the composites showed superior biocompatibility and the ability to support cell attachment and proliferation; in particular, the chitosan/hydroxyapatite/magnetite composite (CS/HA/MGN) demonstrated superior bioactivity with respect to pure chitosan (CS) and to the chitosan/hydroxyapatite (CS/HA) scaffolds

BEACON: A Cloud Network Federation Framework

This paper presents the BEACON Framework, which will enable the provision and management of cross-site virtual networks for federated cloud infrastructures in order to support the automated deployment of applications and services across different clouds and datacenters. The proposed framework will support different federation architectures, going from tightly coupled (datacenter federation) to loosely coupled (cloud federation and multi-cloud orchestration) architectures, and will enable the creation of Layer 2 and Layer 3 overlay networks to interconnect remote resources located at different cloud sites. A high level description of the main components of the BEACON framework is also introduced

Preliminary Findings of the Role of FAPi in Prostate Cancer Theranostics

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among men. Progress in molecular imaging has magnified its clinical management; however, an unmet clinical need involves the identification of new imaging biomarkers that complement the gold standard of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) in cases of clinically significant PCa that do not express PSMA. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a type II transmembrane serine overexpressed in many solid cancers that can be imaged through quinoline-based PET tracers derived from an FAP inhibitor (FAPi). Preliminary results of FAPi application in PCa (in PSMA-negative lesions, and in comparison with fluorodeoxyglucose-FDG) are now available in the literature. FAP-targeting ligands for PCa are not limited to detection, but could also include therapeutic applications. In this preliminary review, we provide an overview of the clinical applications of FAPi ligands in PCa, summarising the main results and highlighting contemporary strengths and limitations

Stakeholders' views on the global guidelines for the sustainable use of non‐native trees

A large number of non‐native trees (NNTs) have been introduced globally and widely planted, contributing significantly to the world's economy. Although some of these species present a limited risk of spreading beyond their planting sites, a growing number of NNTs are spreading and becoming invasive leading to diverse negative impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem functions and human well‐being. To help minimize the negative impacts and maximize the economic benefits of NNTs, Brundu et al. developed eight guidelines for the sustainable use of NNTs globally—the Global Guidelines for the Use of NNTs (GG‐NNTs). Here, we used an online survey to assess perceptions of key stakeholders towards NNTs, and explore their knowledge of and compliance with the GG‐NNTs. Our results show that stakeholders are generally aware that NNTs can provide benefits and cause negative impacts, often simultaneously and they consider that their organization complies with existing regulations and voluntary agreements concerning NNTs. However, they are not aware of or do not apply most of the eight recommendations included in the GG‐NNTs. We conclude that effectively managing invasions linked to NNTs requires both more communication efforts using an array of channels for improving stakeholder awareness and implementation of simple measures to reduce NNT impacts (e.g. via GG‐NNTs), and a deeper understanding of the barriers and reluctance of stakeholders to manage NNT invasions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 14

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as Suppl. materia