Social-Aware Stateless Forwarding in Pocket Switched Networks

Several social-aware routing protocols for pocket switched networks have been recently introduced in the literature. The main idea underlying these protocols is to exploit state information (e.g., history of past encounters) to deduce information on the social structure of the network, and to optimize routing based on this information. While social-aware routing protocols have been shown to have superior performance to social-oblivious, stateless routing protocols such as, e.g., BinarySW, the improvement comes at the cost of considerable storage overhead required on the nodes, which is instead not required for stateless approaches. So, whether the benefits of social-aware routing protocols would still be present when storage capacity at the nodes is constrained is not clear. In this paper we present SANE, the first forwarding mechanism that combines the advantages of both social-aware and stateless approaches. SANE is based on the observation-that we validate on real-world traces-that individuals with similar interests tend to meet more often. In our approach, individuals (network members) are characterized by their interest profile, a compact representation of their interests. By implementing a simple interest profile similarity based forwarding rule, SANE is free of network state information, thus overcoming the storage capacity problem with existing social-aware approaches. Through extensive experiments, we show the superiority of social-aware, stateless forwarding over existing stateful, social-aware and stateless, social-oblivious routing approaches. An important byproduct of our interest-based approach is that it easily enables innovative routing primitives, such as interest-casting. An interest-casting protocol is also introduced in this paper, and extensively evaluated through experiments based on both real-world and synthetic mobility traces

Residents’ views on cruise tourism in Naples Profiles and insights from a Mediterranean home-port destination

Abstract: This study aims at profiling a quota sample of 600 residents in Naples, a home port in the Campania Region (Southern Italy), based on their perceptions and attitudes toward the development of cruise tourism, and their willingness to support different tourism types. To achieve this aim, a factor-cluster analysis was applied and five clusters were identified, namely ‘indifferent’, ‘moderate lovers’, ‘moderate critics’, and ‘cautious’. Significant differences emerged between the identified groups based on their prior experience with cruise vacation and their relatives’ economic reliance on cruise activity. On the contrary, no significant differences exist based on gender, age, employment status, economic reliance on cruise tourism, education level, length of residence, geographical proximity to cruise port area. Furthermore, no significant differences between clusters were found based on residents’ attitude towards cruise tourism and their support to its further development. Hence, theoretical contributions and managerial implications are addressed, including recommendations for future research

Black alder forests (type 91E0* Natura 2000 type E.2.1.9. NHC) in the Plitvice Lakes National Park

U članku su prikazani prvi rezultati monitoringa stanišnoga tipa 91E0* Natura 2000 u Nacionalnom parku Plitvička jezera. Taj se stanišni tip prostire u šumama crne johe (Alnus glutinosa /L./ Gaertn.) u kojima je postavljeno i snimljeno dvadeset ploha, dok pet snimaka potječe iz prijašnjih istraživanja. Istraživane sastojine imaju intenzivan sukcesijski razvoj, bogat florni sastav, veliku pokrovnost vrsta, prevlast higrofita uz slabiji udjel mezofita. Sintaksonomski pripadaju razredu Alnetea glutinosae i njegovim nižim jedinicama.The paper presents the first results of monitoring Natura 2000 habitat type 91E0*in the Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia). This type is represented in black alder forests (Alnus glutinosa /L./ Gaertn.) on an area of 44 ha. There, following the Braun-Blanquet method (1964), 25 plots were set up and relevés made, with 175 species of higher plant species recorded. Their environmental and sociological features suggest wetland and periodically flooded habitats with high ground water levels throughout the year, hence hygrophytes are decisive for the community structure. In addition, there is a moderate share of mesophilic species that are not present in the wetland black alder forests along the Sava and Drava rivers in the lowland part of northern Croatia.A comparison of black alder forests of the Plitvice Lakes NP with other black alder syntaxa in Croatia (Figure 2, Table 3) demonstrates that, together with other alder stands in the Dinaric region of Croatia, they belong to the group of wetland forests of the alliance Alnion glutinosae. Their differentiating species with regard to other syntaxa of the alliances Alnion glutinosae and Alnion incanae in Croatia are Fraxinus excelsior, Daphne mezereum, Viburnum lantana, Cirsium oleraceum, Crepis paludosa, Equisetum arvense, Paris quadrifolia, Thalictrum aquilegifolium, Valeriana dioica, Veratrum album, Acer pseudoplatanus, Chaerophyllum hirsutum, Lonicera xylosteum, Filipendula ulmaria, Knautia drymeia, Cruciata glabra. In addition, the researched stands in the Plitvice Lakes NP demonstrate individuality with regard to other stands of the Croatian Dinarides through the differentiating species of Phalaris arundinacea, Dactylorhiza maculata, Cirsium arvense, Primula vulgaris, Listera ovata, Carex acutiformis, C. paniculata, Succisa pratensis, Gentiana asclepiadea.Black alder forests in the Plitvice Lakes NP were created by successive processes in non-forest areas after their fall out of use (Figure 1). They grow by watercourses in karst depressions with occasionally stagnant surface water. Here the river courses are slowed down and distanced from the slopes and surrounding massifs, hence zonal forests do not have a dominant influence on the floral composition.The researched forests are classified in the class Alnetea glutinosae Br.-Bl. et Tx. 1943, order Alnetalia glutinosae Tx. 1937, and alliance Alnion glutinosae Malcuit 1929. They exhibit greatest similarity to the Central European association Carici acutiformis-Alnetum glutinosae. However, these results should not be generalized for the entire Dinaric region of Croatia. Detailed studies of black alder forests in the Dinarides are pending and their results will determine their nomenclature and syntaxonomic character

Soil, humipedon, forest life and management

In recent years, three sections (Humipedon, Copedon and Lithopedon) were recognized in the soil profile. It was then possible to link the first and most biologically active section to the characteristics of the environment and soil genesis. In particular, it is now possible to distinguish organic horizons, mainly produced by arthropods and enchytraeids in cold and acidic or dry and arid environments, from organo-mineral horizons produced by earthworms in more temperate and mesotrophic environments. Each set of horizons can be associated with a humus system or form, with important implications for forestry. Anecic/endogeic earthworms and Mull or Amphi systems are more abundant in the early and late stages of sylvogenesis; by completely recycling litter, earthworms accelerate the availability of organic and inorganic soil nutrients to roots and pedofauna. On the other hand, arthropods and Moder or Tangel systems characterize the intermediate stages of sylvogenesis, where thickening in the organic horizons and the parallel impoverishment/reduction in the underlying organo-mineral horizons are observed. Recognizing the humus system at the right spatial and temporal scale is crucial for the biological management of a forest. This article includes a data review, new data from a doctoral thesis, and recent comparisons of Italian and French investigation

Extracorporeal liver assist device to exchange albumin and remove endotoxin in acute liver failure: Results of a pivotal pre-clinical study

Background & AimsIn acute liver failure, severity of liver injury and clinical progression of disease are in part consequent upon activation of the innate immune system. Endotoxaemia contributes to innate immune system activation and the detoxifying function of albumin, critical to recovery from liver injury, is irreversibly destroyed in acute liver failure. University College London-Liver Dialysis Device is a novel artificial extracorporeal liver assist device, which is used with albumin infusion, to achieve removal and replacement of dysfunctional albumin and reduction in endotoxaemia. We aimed to test the effect of this device on survival in a pig model of acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure.MethodsPigs were randomised to three groups: Acetaminophen plus University College London-Liver Dialysis Device (n=9); Acetaminophen plus Control Device (n=7); and Control plus Control Device (n=4). Device treatment was initiated two h after onset of irreversible acute liver failure.ResultsThe Liver Dialysis Device resulted in 67% reduced risk of death in acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure compared to Control Device (hazard ratio=0.33, p=0.0439). This was associated with 27% decrease in circulating irreversibly oxidised human non-mercaptalbumin-2 throughout treatment (p=0.046); 54% reduction in overall severity of endotoxaemia (p=0.024); delay in development of vasoplegia and acute lung injury; and delay in systemic activation of the TLR4 signalling pathway. Liver Dialysis Device-associated adverse clinical effects were not seen.ConclusionsThe survival benefit and lack of adverse effects would support clinical trials of University College London-Liver Dialysis Device in acute liver failure patients

CDKL5 deficiency disorder: progressive brain atrophy may be part of the syndrome

The clinical phenotype of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-Like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder (CDD) has been delineated but neuroimaging features have not been systematically analyzed. We studied brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in a cohort of CDD patients and reviewed age at seizure onset, seizure semiology, head circumference. Thirty-five brain MRI from 22 unrelated patients were included. The median age at study entry was 13.4 years. In 14/22 patients (85.7%), MRI in the first year of life was unremarkable in all but two. In 11/22, we performed MRI after 24 months of age (range 2.5-23 years). In 8 out of 11 (72.7%), MRI showed supratentorial atrophy and in six cerebellar atrophy. Quantitative analysis detected volumetric reduction of the whole brain (-17.7%, P-value = 0.014), including both white matter (-25.7%, P-value = 0.005) and cortical gray matter (-9.1%, P-value = 0.098), with a reduction of surface area (-18.0%, P-value = 0.032), mainly involving the temporal regions, correlated with the head circumference (& rho; = 0.79, P-value = 0.109). Both the qualitative structural assessment and the quantitative analysis detected brain volume reduction involving the gray and white matter. These neuroimaging findings may be related to either progressive changes due to CDD pathogenesis, or to the extreme severity of epilepsy, or both. Larger prospective studies are needed to clarify the bases for the structural changes we observed

Notulae to the Italian native vascular flora: 5.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented. It includes new records and confirmations to the Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Allium, Arabis, Campanula, Centaurea, Chaerophyllum, Crocus, Dactylis, Dianthus, Festuca, Galanthus, Helianthemum, Lysimachia, Milium, Pteris, and Quercus. Nomenclature and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as supplementary material

Italian Vascular Flora: New Findings, Updates and Exploration of Floristic Similarities between Regions

The tradition of floristic studies in Italy has made it possible to obtain a good knowledge of plant diversity both on a national and regional scale. However, the lack of knowledge for some areas, advances in plant systematics and human activities related to globalization, highlight the need for further studies aimed at improving floristic knowledge. In this paper, based on fieldwork and herbaria and literature surveys, we update the knowledge on the Italian vascular flora and analyze the floristic similarities between the administrative regions. Four taxa, all exotic, were recorded for the first time in Italy and Europe. In detail, Elaeodendron croceum, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, and Sedum spathulifolium var. spathulifolium were found as casual aliens, while Oxalis brasiliensis was reported as historical record based on some herbarium specimens. Furthermore, Kalanchoe laxiflora was confirmed as a casual alien species for Italy and Europe. Status changes for some taxa were proposed at both national and regional levels, as well as many taxa were reported as new or confirmed at the regional level. Currently the Italian vascular flora comprises 9150 taxa of which 7547 are native (of which 1598 are Italian endemics) and 1603 are exotic at the national level. The multivariate analysis of updated floristic data on a regional scale showed a clear distribution along the latitudinal gradient, in accordance with the natural geographical location of the regions in Italy. This pattern of plants distribution was not affected by the introduction of alien species. Despite some taxonomic and methodological issues which are still open, the data obtained confirm the important role of floristic investigations in the field and in herbaria, as well as the collaborative approach among botanists, in order to improve the knowledge of the Italian and European vascular flora