Intra-channel nonlinearity in differentially phase-modulated transmission

The mechanisms responsible for nonlinear impairments in single-channel phase modulated system employing differential detection are investigated. The role of dispersion precompensation is discussed. It is shown that precompensation may be designed as to minimize the in-phase components of the fluctuations thus reducing nonlinear impairments. In differential-phase-shift-keying the effect of precompensation is stronger than in differential-quadrature-phase-shift-keying. The results of an analytic theory are compared with split-step based computer simulations using realistic system parameters

5G communication and security in connected vehicles

International audienceThe widespread diffusion of Cyber-Physical Systems and their capability to interact with the physical world depend also on the availability of 5G network. The exponential development of intelligent and interconnected IoT and autonomous systems, combined with the development of 5G networks, presents new challenges from a cyber-security perspective. The paper, without claiming to be exhaustive, offers insights and reflections on the very broad topic that integrates innovative devices, 5G and cybersecurity by illustrating the main European directions indicated by both the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for Electronic Component and Systems (ECS-SRIA) and the evolution of 5G network standards. Some of the aforementioned issues will be reanalysed through use cases based on Vehicles to X (V2X) scenario, where connectivity, safety and cybersecurity play a key interworking

Mission Critical Communications Support with 5G and Network Slicing

Mission Critical (MC) communications take a pivotal role to achieve effective Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) actions. Even though 3GPP standards define MC applications and services in an architectural framework compatible with current 5G mobile networks, real-life experiments and applications of these concepts are still at the very beginning. In this paper, we present an architectural study and related experimental activity on network slicing for MC communications. We implemented these services in a fully virtualized environment, and deployed and tested them in a multi-domain network slicing scenario compliant with the ETSI NFV-MANO specifications. Our work aligns with the 5G approach separating control and data planes. The level of automation in service deployment and the slice isolation features are demonstrated, showing the benefits in terms of application performance, management flexibility, scalability, and quality of service differentiation capabilities

The enigmatic role of matrix-metalloproteinases in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Implication and nutraceutical aspects

The most prevalent malignancy in the oral cavity is represented by oral squamous cell carcinoma, an aggressive disease mostly detected in low‐income communities. This neoplasia is mostly diffused in older men particularly exposed to risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, and a diet rich in fatty foods and poor in vegetables. In oral squamous cell carcinoma, a wide range of matrix‐cleaving proteinases are involved in extracellular matrix remodeling of cancer microenvironment. In particular, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) represent the major and most investigated protagonists. Owing to their strong involvement in malignant pathologies, MMPs are considered the most promising new biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The interest in studying MMPs in oral cancer biology is also owing to their prominent role in epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is an intricate process involving different complex pathways. EMT‐related proteins are attractive diagnostic biomarkers that characterize the activation of biological events that promote cancerʼs aggressive expansion. Different antioncogenic natural compounds have been investigated to counteract oral carcinogenesis, with the scope of obtaining better clinical results and lower morbidity. In particular, we describe the role of different nutraceuticals used for the regulation of MMP‐related invasion and proliferation of oral cancer cells

Do axis gut-breast microbiota orchestrate cancer progression?

: Breast cancer, even today, can cause death. Therefore, prevention and early detection are fundamental factors. The mechanisms that favour it are genetic and epigenetic and seems to play a significant role also the microbiota that can change estrogen levels and can induce chronic inflammation in the neoplastic site, alternating the balance between proliferation and cell death. Activated steroid hormone receptors induce transcription of genes that encode for proteins involved in cell proliferation and activate another transduction pathway, inducing cell cycle progression and cell migration. These important studies have allowed to develop therapies with selective modulators of estrogen receptors (SERMs), able to block their proliferative and pro-tumorigenic action. Of fundamental importance is also the role played by the microbiota in regulating the metabolism of estrogens and their levels in the blood. There are microbial populations, able to promote the development of breast cancer, through the production of enzymes responsible for the deconiugation of estrogens, the increase of these in the intestine, subsequent circulation and migration to other locations such as the udder. Other microbial populations are, instead, able to synthesize estrogen compounds similar or that mimic estrogenic action and to interfere with the metabolism of drugs, affecting the outcome of therapies. The microbial composition of the intestine and hormonal metabolism, depend largely on eating habits, the consumption of fats and proteins favours the increase of estrogen free in the blood, unlike a diet rich in fiber. Therefore, an in-depth knowledge of the microbiota present in the intestine-breast axis could, in the future, encourage the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in breast cancers

The Crosstalk between Prostate Cancer and Microbiota Inflammation: Nutraceutical Products Are Useful to Balance This Interplay?

The human microbiota shows pivotal roles in urologic health and disease. Emerging studies indicate that gut and urinary microbiomes can impact several urological diseases, both benignant and malignant, acting particularly on prostate inflammation and prostate cancer. Indeed, the microbiota exerts its influence on prostate cancer initiation and/or progression mechanisms through the regulation of chronic inflammation, apoptotic processes, cytokines, and hormonal production in response to different pathogenic noxae. Additionally, therapies’ and drugs’ responses are influenced in their efficacy and tolerability by microbiota composition. Due to this complex potential interconnection between prostate cancer and microbiota, exploration and understanding of the involved relationships is pivotal to evaluate a potential therapeutic application in clinical practice. Several natural compounds, moreover, seem to have relevant effects, directly or mediated by microbiota, on urologic health, posing the human microbiota at the crossroad between prostatic inflammation and prostate cancer development. Here, we aim to analyze the most recent evidence regarding the possible crosstalk between prostate, microbiome, and inflammation

Sex Hormones and Inflammation Role in Oral Cancer Progression: A Molecular and Biological Point of View

Oral cancers have been proven to arise from precursors lesions and to be related to risk behaviour such as alcohol consumption and smoke. However, the present paper focuses on the role of chronic inflammation, related to chronical oral infections and/or altered immune responses occurring during dysimmune and autoimmune diseases, in the oral cancerogenesis. Particularly, oral candidiasis and periodontal diseases introduce a vicious circle of nonhealing and perpetuation of the inflammatory processes, thus leading toward cancer occurrence via local and systemic inflammatory modulators and via genetic and epigenetic factors