A service-oriented approach to modeling and performance analysis of Port Community Systems:

A Port Community System (PCS) is an electronic platform that links the multiple systems operated by private and public organizations. Accordingly, PCSs can be interpreted as complex service system networks that coproduce services. The study proposes a three levels top-down methodology which aims to interpret existing PCS in order to: provide a formal description of this system network based on the enterprise architecture concepts of a PCS; illustrate how each actor of a PCS offers or requires services; and present a new approach to the measurement of services based on the Goal-Question-Metric paradigm

Improving the efficiency of Port Community Systems through integrated information flows of logistic processes

The aim of the paper is to investigate maritime logistic processes, focusing on efficiency and coordination. The topic is timely because, in the European context, the EU Directive no. 2010/65/EU imposes the adoption of digital procedures concerning documents and information, in order to facilitate the relationships between all the actors of a port community system (PCS). From a theoretical viewpoint, we adopt the evolutionary economic approach, since it helps to understand the change processes due to its focus on organizational routines and their institutionalization. From a methodological viewpoint, we adopt a case-study approach, investigating the port of Salerno (south of Italy), which is involved in the “Smart Tunnel Project”, whose aim is to create a platform for intelligent logistic services. As a result, we provide a model that aims to replace the old inter- organizational routines with new more efficient ones, also improving the knowledge of the logistic processes through a facilitation of the exchange of documents and information between all the involved actors

Improving the efficiency of Port Community Systems through integrated information flows of logistic processes

The aim of the paper is to investigate maritime logistic processes, focusing on efficiency and coordination. The topic is timely because, in the European context, the EU Directive no. 2010/65/EU imposes the adoption of digital procedures concerning documents and information, in order to facilitate the relationships between all the actors of a port community system (PCS). From a theoretical viewpoint, we adopt the evolutionary economic approach, since it helps to understand the change processes due to its focus on organizational routines and their institutionalization. From a methodological viewpoint, we adopt a case-study approach, investigating the port of Salerno (south of Italy), which is involved in the “Smart Tunnel Project”, whose aim is to create a platform for intelligent logistic services. As a result, we provide a model that aims to replace the old inter-organizational routines with new more efficient ones, also improving the knowledge of the logistic processes through a facilitation of the exchange of documents and information between all the involved actors

AIM2 Inflammasome Activation Leads to IL-1α and TGF-β Release From Exacerbated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Derived Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is now the fourth-leading cause of death worldwide and its prevalence is increasing. The progressive decline of lung function and airway remodelling are a consequence of chronic inflammatory responses. It was recently postulated the involvement of the inflammasome in COPD, although the underlying mechanism/s still need to be elucidated. Therefore, we isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from exacerbated/unstable COPD patients. The stimulation of PBMCs with an AIM2 inflammasome activator, Poly dA:dT, led to IL-1α, but not IL-1β, release. The release of this cytokine was caspase-1- and caspase-4-dependent and correlated to higher levels of 8-OH-dG in COPD compared to non-smoker and smoker-derived PBMCs. Interestingly, AIM2-depedent IL-1α release was responsible for higher TGF-β levels, crucial mediator during pro-fibrotic processes associated to COPD progression. In conclusion, our data highlight the involvement of AIM2/caspase-1/caspase-4 in IL-1α-induced TGF-β release in unstable COPD-derived PBMCs, opening new therapeutic perspectives for unstable COPD patients

AIM2 Inflammasome Activation Leads to IL-1α and TGF-β Release From Exacerbated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Derived Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is now the fourth-leading cause of death worldwide and its prevalence is increasing. The progressive decline of lung function and airway remodelling are a consequence of chronic inflammatory responses. It was recently postulated the involvement of the inflammasome in COPD, although the underlying mechanism/s still need to be elucidated. Therefore, we isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from exacerbated/unstable COPD patients. The stimulation of PBMCs with an AIM2 inflammasome activator, Poly dA:dT, led to IL-1α, but not IL-1β, release. The release of this cytokine was caspase-1- and caspase-4-dependent and correlated to higher levels of 8-OH-dG in COPD compared to non-smoker and smoker-derived PBMCs. Interestingly, AIM2-depedent IL-1α release was responsible for higher TGF-β levels, crucial mediator during pro-fibrotic processes associated to COPD progression. In conclusion, our data highlight the involvement of AIM2/caspase-1/caspase-4 in IL-1α-induced TGF-β release in unstable COPD-derived PBMCs, opening new therapeutic perspectives for unstable COPD patients

Correction to: Circulating and tumor-associated caspase-4: A novel Diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer [Oncotarget, 9 (2018) (19356-19367)] https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.25049

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.25049.]

Circulating and tumor-associated caspase-4: A novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer.

Late diagnosis limits therapeutic options and survival rate of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Therefore the identification of biomarkers represents an emerging medical need. A highly sensitive and specific test was developed to identify/quantify a novel/selective diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC patients, caspase-4. This test was validated by using i) plasma from 125 NSCLC patients and 79 healthy (non-pathological) subjects, ii) plasma from 139 smokers and iii) from 70 chronic-obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Caspase-4 quantification was also assessed in the lung tumor mass of 98 paired NSCLC patients compared to 10 non-tumor lung tissues (i.e. tuberculosis). Circulating caspase-4 was detected in both healthy and NSCLC patients; however at different range values: 2.603–3.372 ng/ml for NSCLC patients (95% CI) compared to 0.3994-0.6219 ng/ml for healthy subjects (95% CI). The sensitivity of the test ranged from 97.07% to 100%; the specificity was 88.1% with a positive predictive value of 92.54%, accuracy of 95.19% and AUC of 0.971. Smokers (95% CI, 0.3947–0.6197 ng/ml) and COPD patients (95% CI, 1.703–2.995 ng/ml) showed intermediate values of circulating caspase-4. Tissue levels of caspase-4 in the tumor mass showed that 72 (72.7%) out of 99 patients were positive. More importantly, higher levels (cut-off value = 0.307 ng/ml) of caspase-4 in the tumor mass were associated to reduced overall survival (median 0.92 years) compared to NSCLC patients with lower levels (median 3.02 years). We report for the first time caspase-4 as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, opening new therapeutic perspectives for NSCLC patients