Microservizi per il progetto di sistemi distribuiti

La tesi esplora stato e prospettive dei microservizi come approccio emergente per il progetto e implementazione dei sistemi distribuiti. Allo scopo, vengono esaminate l'architettura monolitica e le architetture SOA, quindi l'architettura a microservizi, che viene prima definita e poi descritta nei suoi aspetti tecnologici. Dopo un esempio implementativo di applicazione a microservizi, la tesi si conclude con le prospettive e i potenziali sviluppi futuri dei microservizi

Fattori prognostici nel melanoma cutaneo e nel tumore mammario associati a caratteristiche molecolari simil-staminali

Nestin (a neuronal stem cell/progenitor cell marker of central nervous system development), vimentin (which is ubiquitously expressed in mesenchymal cells), and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR, which is involved in the immune response, cell proliferation, and apoptosis) have been shown to interact in embryonic and undifferentiated tissues in modulating cell proliferation. In recent years, expression of nestin has shown to be associated with general proliferation of progenitor cell populations within neoplasms. The aim of this study was to analyse nestin, vimentin and GR expression in tumour tissue (melanoma), and their association with clinicopathological variables, to evaluate any effect on tumour progression. There is no reported study addressing nestin expression in T4 breast cancer patients. Thus, the aim of the present study was also to investigate, through immunohistochemistry, the expression and distribution of nestin in T4 breast cancer, in order to determine its association with clinical and pathological parameters as well as with patients’ outcome. Immunohistochemistry, double label immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy were performed on biopsy specimens of cutaneous melanoma from 81 patients and in breast carcinomas from 53 patients. In melanoma, Fisher’s and Pearson’s tests showed a correlation between nestin, vimentin and subcellular GR location (P = 0.008). Their concomitant expression also correlated with Clark level and thickness (P = 0.02 and P = 0.029, respectively). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed a poorer outcome for stage III and IV patients with associated expression of nestin, vimentin and cytoplasmic GR in tumour tissue (P = 0.02). Nestin was detectable in tumoral cells and in endothelial cells of blood microvessels, and it is significantly expressed in triple-negative and in inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) subgroups of T4 breast tumours. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the presence of nestin in tumoral cells significantly predicted poor prognosis at 5 years survival (P=0.02) and with borderline significance at 10-years of survival (P=0.05) in T4 breast cancer patients. These results suggest the presence in melanoma of growth mechanisms involving nestin, vimentin, and GR, similarly to that occurring in embryonic and undifferentiated cells, and may help in understanding tumour biology to provide a molecular basis for clinical therapies. In breast cancer the presence of nestin in tumoral cells and vessels suggest that this protein may be considered an important factor that leads to a poor prognosis. On the basis of these observations, we speculate that the stem cell marker nestin may characterize tumours with an aggressive clinical behavior

Tidal torque induced by orbital decay in compact object binaries

As we observe in the moon-earth system, tidal interactions in binary systems can lead to angular momentum exchange. The presence of viscosity is generally regarded as the condition for such transfer to happen. In this paper, we show how the orbital evolution can cause a persistent torque between the binary components, even for inviscid bodies. This preferentially occurs at the final stage of coalescence of compact binaries, when the orbit shrinks successively by gravitational waves and plunging on a timescale shorter than the viscous timescale. The total orbital energy transferred to the secondary by this torque is ~0.01 of its binding energy. We further show that this persistent torque induces a differentially rotating quadrupole perturbation. Specializing to the case of a secondary neutron star, we find that this non equilibrium state has an associated free energy of 10^47-10^48 erg, just prior to coalescence. This energy is likely stored in internal fluid motions, with a sizable amount of differential rotation. By tapping this free energy reservoir, a preexisting weak magnetic field could be amplified up to a strength of ~10^15 Gauss. Such a dynamically driven tidal torque can thus recycle an old neutron star into a highly magnetized neutron star, with possible observational consequences at merger.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, new sections added, accepted on Sept.19, published on MNRA

Dataset on the use of 3D speckle tracking echocardiography in light-chain amyloidosis

The dataset presented in this article is related to the research article entitled “Biventricular assessment of light-chain amyloidosis using 3D speckle tracking echocardiography: Differentiation from other forms of myocardial hypertrophy” (Vitarelli et al.,2018) [1], which examined the potential utility of left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) deformation and rotational parameters derived from three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) to diagnose cardiac amyloidosis(CA) and differentiate this disease from other forms of myocardial hypertrophy. The combined assessment of LV basal longitudinal strain, LV basal rotation and RV basal longitudinal strain had a high discriminative power for detecting CA. The data of this study provides more understanding on the value of LV 3DSTE deformation parameters as well as RV parameters in this particular cardiomyopathy

Use of Elderly Donors in Liver Transplantation: A Paired-match Analysis at a Single Center

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of elderly donors in liver transplantation (LT) and identify risk factors associated with a worse outcome. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Use of livers from very old donors could expand the donor pool but is not universally implemented. METHODS: This is a retrospective, single-center medical record review. From January 2001 to December 2014, 1354 LTs were performed. After exclusion of donors <18 years, ABO-incompatible LT, re-LT and UNOS 1 status patients, LT recipients were stratified into 2 groups based on donor age: 18-69 (n=692) vs. ≥70 years (n=515) then matched using a propensity score approach. Two groups were finally matched (young group = 448 cases; old group = 515 cases). RESULTS: The median (interquartile range [IQR]) follow-up was 5.0 (2.0-8.4) years. Comparing the 2 identified groups, no differences were observed regarding early retransplants (1.8 vs. 2.9; P = 0.3), HCV-related death (7.6 vs. 8.7%; P = 0.6), vascular (5.8 vs. 5.0%; P = 0.7), and biliary complications (16.5 vs. 18.6%; P = 0.4). On multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for graft loss were: HCV-positive recipient (HR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.6-2.7; P < 0.001), donor age (HR = 1.0; 95% CI = 1.0-1.0; P < 0.001), cold ischemia time (HR = 1.0; 95% CI = 1.0-1.0; P = 0.042), and donor history of diabetes mellitus (HR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.03-2.13; P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Use of elderly donors is not associated per se with an increased risk of vascular and biliary complications. In the presence of cold ischemia time and diabetes mellitus, appropriate donor-to-recipient matching is warranted

Using IoT for Accessible Tourism in Smart Cities

In the past few years, the Smart City concept became one of the main driving forces for the transition towards sustainable economy and improved mobility. Tourism, as one of the fastest growing economies worldwide, is an integrated part of the Smart City paradigm. Taking into consideration recent studies performed by the United Nations, stating that almost one third of the population is directly affected by disability, the concept of Accessible Tourism needs also to be integrated in the future vision for tourism, especially in the context of Smart Cities, environments fully benefiting from the recent technological advances. Within the combined framework of Smart Cities and Accessible Tourism, the Internet-of-Things (IoT) concept is the key technological point for the development of smart urban environments. IoT and big data are both technology-driven developments, leading to scenarios such as the Smart Cities one that has the potential to make citizen live smarter, more sustainable and more accessible. This chapter analyses the key requirements for IoT applications in a Smart City context, the state-of-the-art for the use of IoT for Accessible Tourism applications and proposes an architecture together with its practical implementation, tailored for the use-case of accessible tourism for physically impaired persons

Improvement of health-related quality of life and psychological well-being after HCV eradication with direct-acting antiviral agents. Real life setting data of an Italian cohort valued by Hepatitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (HQLQv2)

HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) decreases Health-Related Quality of Life with detriments to physical, mental and social health domains. Interferon and Ribavirin treatment is associated with depression and anxiety that further impairs HRQoL (Health- Related Quality of Life). IFN-free (interferon-free) regimes (Direct Acting Antivirals, DAAs) are safe and highly effective drugs, with improvement also of HRQoL and related Psychological Well-Being. Our aim is to describe how the latest generation IFN-free treatment can change quality of life and related Psychological Well-Being in Italian Chronic Hepatitis C/Cirrhosis affected patients. SF-36v2 (Short Form Health Survey is a 36-item, patient-reported survey of patient health) – HQLQv2 (Hepatitis Quality of Life Questionnaire) was administered at two time points: baseline (n=72) and 12 weeks after the end of therapy [n=72, SVR=72 - Sustained Virologic Response (SVR)]. Patients with chronic HCV undergoing DAAs treatment from two Italian centers were enrolled. The overall average of the answers is configured for most of the domains that make up the questionnaire, with scores above 50. The quality of life of this sample is very close to the average of the US population, with a minimum average score of 45.9 for the Role Emotional scale and an average maximum score of 56.4 for the Vitality scale. Both are significant results from statistical analysis. It seems that DAAs treatment therapy does not affect but improves the general quality and psychological state of adult patients with Chronic HCV infection