MaxHadoop: An Efficient Scalable Emulation Tool to Test SDN Protocols in Emulated Hadoop Environments

AbstractThis paper presents MaxHadoop, a flexible and scalable emulation tool, which allows the efficient and accurate emulation of Hadoop environments over Software Defined Networks (SDNs). Hadoop has been designed to manage endless data-streams over networks, making it a tailored candidate to support the new class of network services belonging to Big Data. The development of Hadoop is contemporary with the evolution of networks towards the new architectures "Software Defined." To create our emulation environment, tailored to SDNs, we employ MaxiNet, given its capability of emulating large-scale SDNs. We make it possible to emulate realistic Hadoop scenarios on large-scale SDNs using low-cost commodity hardware, by resolving a few key limitations of MaxiNet through appropriate configuration settings. We validate the MaxHadoop emulator by executing two benchmarks, namely WordCount and TeraSort, to evaluate a set of Key Performance Indicators. The tests' outcomes evidence that MaxHadoop outperforms other existing emulation tools running over commodity hardware. Finally, we show the potentiality of MaxHadoop by utilizing it to perform a comparison of SDN-based network protocols

Static vs. dynamic electrostatic repulsion reversed phase liquid chromatography: solutions for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical basic compounds

Many efforts have been made to separate basic compounds, which are challenging to resolve in reversed phase liquid chromatography. In this process, they are strongly retained and the peak shape undergoes significant distortion. The principal origin of this has been identified with the non-negligible interaction with residual deprotonated silanols. Consequently, all solutions that efficiently shield silanols are being sought. This review is an upgrade on the use of the electrostatic repulsion reversed phase (ERRP) approach: retention of bases, in protonated form, can be achieved by modulating the charge repulsion caused by the presence of positive charges in the chromatographic system. This study successfully (i) introduced fixed positive charges in the structure of stationary phases, (ii) used cationic and hydrophobic additives in the mobile phase, and (iii) used the ERRP-like approach employed at the preparative level for peptide purification

Precocious puberty and microbiota: The role of the sex hormone-gut microbiome axis

Puberty is a critical phase of life associated with physiological changes related to sexual maturation, and represents a complex process regulated by multiple endocrine and genetic controls. Puberty is driven by hormones, and it can impact the gut microbiome (GM). GM differences between sex emerge at puberty onset, confirming a relationship between microbiota and sex hormones. In this narrative review, we present an overview of precocious pubertal development and the changes in the GM in precocious puberty (PP) in order to consider the role of the sex hormone-gut microbiome axis from the perspective of pediatric endocrinology. Bidirectional interactions between the GM and sex hormones have been proposed in different studies. Although the evidence on the interaction between microbiota and sex hormones remains limited in pediatric patients, the evidence that GM alterations may occur in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) represents an interesting finding for the prediction and prevention of PP. Deepening the understanding of the connection between the sex hormones and the role of microbiota changes can lead to the implementation of microbiota-targeted therapies in pubertal disorders by offering a pediatric endocrinology perspective

Has COVID-19 Delayed the Diagnosis and Worsened the Presentation of Type 1 Diabetes in Children?

Objective: To evaluate whether the diagnosis of pediatric type 1 diabetes or its acute complications changed during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italy. Research design and methods: This was a cross-sectional, Web-based survey of all Italian pediatric diabetes centers to collect diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and COVID-19 data in patients presenting with new-onset or established type 1 diabetes between 20 February and 14 April in 2019 and 2020. Results: Fifty-three of 68 centers (77.9%) responded. There was a 23% reduction in new diabetes cases in 2020 compared with 2019. Among those newly diagnosed patient who presented in a state of DKA, the proportion with severe DKA was 44.3% in 2020 vs. 36.1% in 2019 (P = 0.03). There were no differences in acute complications. Eight patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 had laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic might have altered diabetes presentation and DKA severity. Preparing for any "second wave" requires strategies to educate and reassure parents about timely emergency department attendance for non-COVID-19 symptoms

Diabetic ketoacidosis at the onset of disease during a national awareness campaign: a 2-year observational study in children aged 0-18 years

After a previous survey on the incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at onset of type 1 diabetes in children in 2013-2014 in Italy, we aimed to verify a possible decline in the incidence of DKA at onset during a national prevention campaign

Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of pediatric obesity: consensus position statement of the Italian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology and the Italian Society of Pediatrics

The Italian Consensus Position Statement on Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Obesity in Children and Adolescents integrates and updates the previous guidelines to deliver an evidence based approach to the disease. The following areas were reviewed: (1) obesity definition and causes of secondary obesity; (2) physical and psychosocial comorbidities; (3) treatment and care settings; (4) prevention.The main novelties deriving from the Italian experience lie in the definition, screening of the cardiometabolic and hepatic risk factors and the endorsement of a staged approach to treatment. The evidence based efficacy of behavioral intervention versus pharmacological or surgical treatments is reported. Lastly, the prevention by promoting healthful diet, physical activity, sleep pattern, and environment is strongly recommended since the intrauterine phase

The Silent Epidemic of Diabetic Ketoacidosis at Diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents in Italy During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020

To compare the frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with the frequency of DKA during 2017-2019

New insights into the Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome-related haematological disorder: Hyper-activation of mTOR and STAT3 in leukocytes

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is an inherited disease caused by mutations of a gene encoding for SBDS protein. So far little is known about SBDS exact function. SDS patients present several hematological disorders, including neutropenia and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), with increased risk of leukemic evolution. So far, the molecular mechanisms that underlie neutropenia, MDS and AML in SDS patients have been poorly investigated. STAT3 is a key regulator of several cellular processes including survival, differentiation and malignant transformation. Moreover, STAT3 has been reported to regulate neutrophil granulogenesis and to induce several kinds of leukemia and lymphoma. STAT3 activation is known to be regulated by mTOR, which in turn plays an important role in cellular growth and tumorigenesis. Here we show for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that both EBV-immortalized B cells and primary leukocytes obtained from SDS patients present a constitutive hyper-activation of mTOR and STAT3 pathways. Interestingly, loss of SBDS expression is associated with this process. Importantly, rapamycin, a well-known mTOR inhibitor, is able to reduce STAT3 phosphorylation to basal levels in our experimental model. A novel therapeutic hypothesis targeting mTOR/STAT3 should represent a significant step forward into the SDS clinical practice

Separation of Monosaccharide Anomers on Photo-Click Cysteine-Based Stationary Phase: The α/β Interconversion Process Studied by Dynamic Hydrophilic Liquid Chromatography

In High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), the separation of reducing sugars can typically show three possible typologies of chromatographic profiles (i.e., single peak, two resolved peaks and two peaks interconnected by a plateau) due to the rate at which the relevant α/β anomers interconversion (anomerization) can take place in relation to their elution-time. By analyzing these chromatographic profiles, thermodynamic and kinetic properties of anomerization phenomenon can be extrapolated. In this work we studied the anomerization of some monosaccharides by using a recently developed photo-click cysteine-based stationary phase through dynamic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (D-HILIC) conditions. In the 5–25 °C temperature range, the ΔG#α→β and ΔG#β→α barriers were found to achieve values within the interval 21.1/22.2 kcal/mol for glucose, with differences between α→β and β→α reactions of about 0.4 kcal/mol. For xylose, in the same temperature range, the ΔG#α→β and ΔG#β→α barriers are between 20.7 to 21.5 kcal/mol, with differences between α→β and β→α reactions of about 0.2 kcal/mol. The experimental data are in agreement with those reported in literature, confirming the this new stationary phase using HILIC conditions is a robust platform to measure kinetic and thermodynamic properties of the isomerization reaction