Correlation between pathological response of primary tumour and mesorectal lymph node involvement... more Correlation between pathological response of primary tumour and mesorectal lymph node involvement was prospectively evaluated to assess the role of local excision (LE) in rectal cancer after complete response to neoadjuvant treatment. A series of 272 consecutive rectal cancer, submitted to neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT) and surgery with total mesorectal excision (TME) were analysed. Tumour downstaging (pT) and tumour regression grade (TRG) together with sex, age, location of the tumour, pre-treatment clinical stage, type of chemoradiation and operation performed entered in an univariate and multivariate analysis. Pathological complete response on primary tumour was found in 56 patients (20.6%). Lymph node metastases were found in 72 patients (26.5%). The rate of positive nodes was 1.8% for pT0 and TRG1 cases, respectively, to go up to 6.3% for pT1 and 24.1% for TRG 2 cases, respectively. At the univariate analysis, factors with a statistically significant correlation with the r...
Distant spread from breast cancer is commonly found in bones, lungs, liver and central nervous sy... more Distant spread from breast cancer is commonly found in bones, lungs, liver and central nervous system. Metastatic involvement of peritoneum and retroperitoneum is unusual and unexpected. We report the case of a 67 year-old-woman who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms which revealed to be the clinical manifestations of peritoneal and retroperitoneal metastatic spread of an invasive lobular breast cancer diagnosed 15 years before. To the best of our knowledge, the case presented is the third one reported in literature showing a wide peritoneal and extraperitoneal diffusion of an invasive lobular breast cancer. The long and complex diagnostic work up which led us to the diagnosis is illustrated, with particular emphasis on the multidisciplinary approach, which is mandatory to obtain such a result in these cases. Awareness of such a condition by clinicians is mandatory in order to make an early diagnosis and start a prompt and correct therapeutic approach.
The long-term results after stapled hemorrhoidopexy compared with Milligan-Morgan procedure are d... more The long-term results after stapled hemorrhoidopexy compared with Milligan-Morgan procedure are discussed. The clinical data of 100 patients treated by Milligan-Morgan procedure or stapled hemorrhoidopexy for fourth-degree hemorrhoids have been reviewed. All patients were visited and submitted to a questionnaire to evaluate resumption of symptoms, functional results, and recurrence rate. The mean follow-up was 54 months for stapled hemorrhoidopexy and 92 months for the Milligan-Morgan procedure. Postoperative pain and return to normal activity were worse in the Milligan-Morgan procedure (Visual Analog Scale 8.56 vs. 5.46, P < 0.001; and 2.4 vs. 2 weeks, P value = 0.018). Eight percent of patients who had stapled hemorrhoidopexy complained of spontaneous pain or pain during defecation vs. 0 percent of patients who underwent the Milligan-Morgan procedure. We noted that there was bleeding in 14 percent of stapled hemorrhoidopexy vs. 0 percent of Milligan-Morgan procedure (P < 0.0...
The aim of this study was to prospectively define and measure evacuation and continence disorders... more The aim of this study was to prospectively define and measure evacuation and continence disorders after preoperative radiochemotherapy and total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer 1 year after surgery. We submitted 100 patients, who underwent neoadjuvant treatment and anterior resection with TME from 1996 to 2003, to a questionnaire on postoperative continence and evacuation. Anal sphincter function was further assessed by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering score. Factors influencing anorectal function were examined in univariate and multivariate analysis. Median evacuation score was 16.12 +/- 5.12 (range 0-28). Sensation of incomplete evacuation was reported in 58% of cases, necessity to return to the bathroom <15 min in 37% and inability to evacuate completely <15 min in 35%. Median continence score was 13.7 +/- 4.79 (range 0-20). Incontinence to flatus was reported in 46% of cases. Colonic J-pouch allows better evacuation and continence. Continence was also better in abs...
An umbilical nodule may be an early or late sign of metastatic spread from an internal malignancy... more An umbilical nodule may be an early or late sign of metastatic spread from an internal malignancy. Usually it appears when the internal malignancy is widely disseminated and has been previously diagnosed. More rarely, such a nodule is the first sign of disease and eventually results in the diagnosis of the primary tumor. We present two cases which document examples of both events, in order to focus on the most relevant aspects of this condition.
European review for medical and pharmacological sciences, 2010
Small intestinal neoplasms are uncommon cancers. Benign small intestinal tumors (e.g., leiomyoma,... more Small intestinal neoplasms are uncommon cancers. Benign small intestinal tumors (e.g., leiomyoma, lipoma, hamartoma, or desmoid tumor) usually are asymptomatic but may present with complications. Primary malignancies of the small intestine, including adenocarcinoma, leiomyosarcoma, carcinoid, and lymphoma, are often symptomatic and may present with intestinal obstruction, jaundice, bleeding, or pain. Metastatic neoplasms may involve the small intestine via contiguous spread, peritoneal metastases or hematogenous metastases. Because the small intestine is relatively inaccessible to routine endoscopy, diagnosis of small intestinal neoplasms is often delayed for months after onset of symptoms. During last years the increase of small bowel endoscopy and other diagnostic tools allow earlier non-operative diagnosis. Even though radical resection of small bowel cancer plays an important role, the 5 yr overall survival remains low.
Distant spread from breast cancer is commonly found in bones, lungs, liver and central nervous sy... more Distant spread from breast cancer is commonly found in bones, lungs, liver and central nervous system. Metastatic involvement of peritoneum and retroperitoneum is unusual and unexpected. We report the case of a 67 year-old-woman who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms which revealed to be the clinical manifestations of peritoneal and retroperitoneal metastatic spread of an invasive lobular breast cancer diagnosed 15 years before. To the best of our knowledge, the case presented is the third one reported in literature showing a wide peritoneal and extraperitoneal diffusion of an invasive lobular breast cancer. The long and complex diagnostic work up which led us to the diagnosis is illustrated, with particular emphasis on the multidisciplinary approach, which is mandatory to obtain such a result in these cases. Awareness of such a condition by clinicians is mandatory in order to make an early diagnosis and start a prompt and correct therapeutic approach.
World journal of gastroenterology : WJG, Jan 7, 2014
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease affecting large bowel with variable clin... more Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease affecting large bowel with variable clinical course. The history of disease has been modified by the introduction of biologic therapy, in particular Infliximab (IFX), that has demonstrated efficacy in inducing fast symptoms remission, promoting mucosal healing and maintaining long-term remission. However, surgery is still needed for UC patients: in case of failure of medical therapy and if acute complications or a malignancy occurred. Surgical treatment is associated with a short-term post-operative mortality and morbidity respectively of 0%-4% and 30%. In this study we systematically analyzed: the role of IFX in reducing the colectomy rate, the risk of post-operative morbidity in pre-operatively IFX-treated patients and the cost-effectiveness of IFX therapy. Four of 5 analyzed randomized controlled trials demonstrated that therapy with IFX significantly reduces the colectomy rate. Moreover, pre-operative treatment with IFX do...
Traditionally, energy efficiency aspects have been included in the wireless access network design... more Traditionally, energy efficiency aspects have been included in the wireless access network design space only in the context of power control aimed at interference mitigation, and for the increase of the terminal battery lifetime. Energy consumption of network components has also, for a long time, not been considered an issue, neither in equipment design, nor in network planning and management. However, in recent years, with the user demand increasing at nearly exponential pace, and margins rapidly shrinking, concerns about energy efficiency have been raised, with the objective to reduce network operational costs (not to mention the environmental issues). Installing more energyefficient hardware does not seem to fully solve the problem, since wireless access networks are almost invariably (over)provisioned with respect to the peak user demand. This means that efficient resource management schemes, capable of controlling how much of the network infrastructure is actually needed and which parts can be temporarily powered off to save energy, can be extremely effective and provide quite large cost reductions.
Proceedings 27th European Conference on Optical Communication (Cat. No.01TH8551), 2001
We developed a closed-form analysis describing the statistical characteristics of the multi-path ... more We developed a closed-form analysis describing the statistical characteristics of the multi-path interference (MPI) induced by the effect of Rayleigh backscatter on a modulated signal in distributed Raman amplifiers. A generalized definition of noise figure is proposed in order to include MPI effects.
Infliximab (IFX) has demonstrated effectiveness for inducing 12-month steroid-free clinical remis... more Infliximab (IFX) has demonstrated effectiveness for inducing 12-month steroid-free clinical remission in patients with steroid-dependent ulcerative colitis (UC), but long-term data are lacking. The aim of the study was to describe the long-term outcome of IFX treatment in steroid-dependent UC and investigate if predictors of sustained clinical response and colectomy could be identified. Consecutive patients with steroid-dependent UC treated with IFX were studied. The coprimary prespecified outcomes were sustained clinical response in patients who achieved clinical remission or response after IFX induction and colectomy-free survival. Secondary analyses were addressed to look for predictors of sustained clinical response and colectomy. After induction, 76% (96/126) of patients achieved clinical benefit. The median duration of follow-up on IFX maintenance therapy was 41.5 months (interquartile range, 26-45). Sixty-four percent (46/96) of patients had sustained clinical response at median follow-up. Colectomy-free survival was 77% at median follow-up. Combination therapy of IFX with thiopurines was an independent predictor of sustained clinical response (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.0001; hazard ratio [HR], 3.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.73-9.14). Independent predictors of colectomy were Mayo endoscopic subscore of 3 at baseline (P = 0.04; HR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.09-7.05) and high C-reactive protein after induction (P = 0.001; HR, 5.65; 95% CI, 2.03-15.7). Thiopurine naive status (P = 0.025; HR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.13-0.87) was protective from colectomy. Long-term IFX treatment is effective in inducing sustained clinical response in patients with steroid-dependent UC. Combination therapy is predictive of sustained clinical response in the long-term. Patients with more severe endoscopic lesions at baseline and high C-reactive protein after induction are at higher risk of colectomy. Conversely, thiopurine naive status is protective from colectomy.
ABSTRACT The growing ubiquity and pervasiveness of sensors and smart devices, with the consequent... more ABSTRACT The growing ubiquity and pervasiveness of sensors and smart devices, with the consequent availability of a large amount of &quot;local&quot; and contextualized information, are giving rise to a wealth of &quot;context-aware&quot; applications and services. In this work we consider an opportunistic communication scheme called Floating Content (FC), which was specifically designed for serverless distributed context-aware applications. So far, the performance analysis of FC, and in particular of content lifetime and availability, was based on simplified system models and fluid system analysis. The resulting performance estimates did not account for the effects of propagation characteristics, mobility patterns, and communication protocols, all factors known to significantly affect the performance of opportunistic communication schemes. This article studies the main issues related to the performance of FC service in a realistic office setting through a first experimental evaluation of a mobile app for Android devices. Our experimental results confirm the feasibility of FC service for supporting practical context-aware mobile applications in office settings.
ABSTRACT Context-awareness is a peculiar characteristic of an ever expanding set of applications ... more ABSTRACT Context-awareness is a peculiar characteristic of an ever expanding set of applications that make use of a combination of restricted spatio-temporal locality and mobile communications, to deliver a variety of services to the end user. It is expected that by 2014 more than 1.5 billion people would be using applications based on local search (search restricted on the basis of spatio-temporal locality), and that mobile location based services will drive revenues of more than $15 billion worldwide. A common feature of such context-aware applications is the fact that their communication requirements significantly differ from ordinary applications. For most of them, the scope of generated content itself is local. This locally relevant content may be of little concern to the rest of the world, therefore moving this content from the user device to store it in a well-accessible centralized location and/or making this information available beyond its scope represents a clear waste of resources (connectivity, storage). Due to these specific requirements, opportunistic communication can play a special role when coupled with context-awareness. The benefit of opportunistic communications is that it naturally incorporates context as spatial proximity is closely associated with connectivity.
Correlation between pathological response of primary tumour and mesorectal lymph node involvement... more Correlation between pathological response of primary tumour and mesorectal lymph node involvement was prospectively evaluated to assess the role of local excision (LE) in rectal cancer after complete response to neoadjuvant treatment. A series of 272 consecutive rectal cancer, submitted to neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT) and surgery with total mesorectal excision (TME) were analysed. Tumour downstaging (pT) and tumour regression grade (TRG) together with sex, age, location of the tumour, pre-treatment clinical stage, type of chemoradiation and operation performed entered in an univariate and multivariate analysis. Pathological complete response on primary tumour was found in 56 patients (20.6%). Lymph node metastases were found in 72 patients (26.5%). The rate of positive nodes was 1.8% for pT0 and TRG1 cases, respectively, to go up to 6.3% for pT1 and 24.1% for TRG 2 cases, respectively. At the univariate analysis, factors with a statistically significant correlation with the r...
Distant spread from breast cancer is commonly found in bones, lungs, liver and central nervous sy... more Distant spread from breast cancer is commonly found in bones, lungs, liver and central nervous system. Metastatic involvement of peritoneum and retroperitoneum is unusual and unexpected. We report the case of a 67 year-old-woman who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms which revealed to be the clinical manifestations of peritoneal and retroperitoneal metastatic spread of an invasive lobular breast cancer diagnosed 15 years before. To the best of our knowledge, the case presented is the third one reported in literature showing a wide peritoneal and extraperitoneal diffusion of an invasive lobular breast cancer. The long and complex diagnostic work up which led us to the diagnosis is illustrated, with particular emphasis on the multidisciplinary approach, which is mandatory to obtain such a result in these cases. Awareness of such a condition by clinicians is mandatory in order to make an early diagnosis and start a prompt and correct therapeutic approach.
The long-term results after stapled hemorrhoidopexy compared with Milligan-Morgan procedure are d... more The long-term results after stapled hemorrhoidopexy compared with Milligan-Morgan procedure are discussed. The clinical data of 100 patients treated by Milligan-Morgan procedure or stapled hemorrhoidopexy for fourth-degree hemorrhoids have been reviewed. All patients were visited and submitted to a questionnaire to evaluate resumption of symptoms, functional results, and recurrence rate. The mean follow-up was 54 months for stapled hemorrhoidopexy and 92 months for the Milligan-Morgan procedure. Postoperative pain and return to normal activity were worse in the Milligan-Morgan procedure (Visual Analog Scale 8.56 vs. 5.46, P < 0.001; and 2.4 vs. 2 weeks, P value = 0.018). Eight percent of patients who had stapled hemorrhoidopexy complained of spontaneous pain or pain during defecation vs. 0 percent of patients who underwent the Milligan-Morgan procedure. We noted that there was bleeding in 14 percent of stapled hemorrhoidopexy vs. 0 percent of Milligan-Morgan procedure (P < 0.0...
The aim of this study was to prospectively define and measure evacuation and continence disorders... more The aim of this study was to prospectively define and measure evacuation and continence disorders after preoperative radiochemotherapy and total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer 1 year after surgery. We submitted 100 patients, who underwent neoadjuvant treatment and anterior resection with TME from 1996 to 2003, to a questionnaire on postoperative continence and evacuation. Anal sphincter function was further assessed by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering score. Factors influencing anorectal function were examined in univariate and multivariate analysis. Median evacuation score was 16.12 +/- 5.12 (range 0-28). Sensation of incomplete evacuation was reported in 58% of cases, necessity to return to the bathroom <15 min in 37% and inability to evacuate completely <15 min in 35%. Median continence score was 13.7 +/- 4.79 (range 0-20). Incontinence to flatus was reported in 46% of cases. Colonic J-pouch allows better evacuation and continence. Continence was also better in abs...
An umbilical nodule may be an early or late sign of metastatic spread from an internal malignancy... more An umbilical nodule may be an early or late sign of metastatic spread from an internal malignancy. Usually it appears when the internal malignancy is widely disseminated and has been previously diagnosed. More rarely, such a nodule is the first sign of disease and eventually results in the diagnosis of the primary tumor. We present two cases which document examples of both events, in order to focus on the most relevant aspects of this condition.
European review for medical and pharmacological sciences, 2010
Small intestinal neoplasms are uncommon cancers. Benign small intestinal tumors (e.g., leiomyoma,... more Small intestinal neoplasms are uncommon cancers. Benign small intestinal tumors (e.g., leiomyoma, lipoma, hamartoma, or desmoid tumor) usually are asymptomatic but may present with complications. Primary malignancies of the small intestine, including adenocarcinoma, leiomyosarcoma, carcinoid, and lymphoma, are often symptomatic and may present with intestinal obstruction, jaundice, bleeding, or pain. Metastatic neoplasms may involve the small intestine via contiguous spread, peritoneal metastases or hematogenous metastases. Because the small intestine is relatively inaccessible to routine endoscopy, diagnosis of small intestinal neoplasms is often delayed for months after onset of symptoms. During last years the increase of small bowel endoscopy and other diagnostic tools allow earlier non-operative diagnosis. Even though radical resection of small bowel cancer plays an important role, the 5 yr overall survival remains low.
Distant spread from breast cancer is commonly found in bones, lungs, liver and central nervous sy... more Distant spread from breast cancer is commonly found in bones, lungs, liver and central nervous system. Metastatic involvement of peritoneum and retroperitoneum is unusual and unexpected. We report the case of a 67 year-old-woman who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms which revealed to be the clinical manifestations of peritoneal and retroperitoneal metastatic spread of an invasive lobular breast cancer diagnosed 15 years before. To the best of our knowledge, the case presented is the third one reported in literature showing a wide peritoneal and extraperitoneal diffusion of an invasive lobular breast cancer. The long and complex diagnostic work up which led us to the diagnosis is illustrated, with particular emphasis on the multidisciplinary approach, which is mandatory to obtain such a result in these cases. Awareness of such a condition by clinicians is mandatory in order to make an early diagnosis and start a prompt and correct therapeutic approach.
World journal of gastroenterology : WJG, Jan 7, 2014
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease affecting large bowel with variable clin... more Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease affecting large bowel with variable clinical course. The history of disease has been modified by the introduction of biologic therapy, in particular Infliximab (IFX), that has demonstrated efficacy in inducing fast symptoms remission, promoting mucosal healing and maintaining long-term remission. However, surgery is still needed for UC patients: in case of failure of medical therapy and if acute complications or a malignancy occurred. Surgical treatment is associated with a short-term post-operative mortality and morbidity respectively of 0%-4% and 30%. In this study we systematically analyzed: the role of IFX in reducing the colectomy rate, the risk of post-operative morbidity in pre-operatively IFX-treated patients and the cost-effectiveness of IFX therapy. Four of 5 analyzed randomized controlled trials demonstrated that therapy with IFX significantly reduces the colectomy rate. Moreover, pre-operative treatment with IFX do...
Traditionally, energy efficiency aspects have been included in the wireless access network design... more Traditionally, energy efficiency aspects have been included in the wireless access network design space only in the context of power control aimed at interference mitigation, and for the increase of the terminal battery lifetime. Energy consumption of network components has also, for a long time, not been considered an issue, neither in equipment design, nor in network planning and management. However, in recent years, with the user demand increasing at nearly exponential pace, and margins rapidly shrinking, concerns about energy efficiency have been raised, with the objective to reduce network operational costs (not to mention the environmental issues). Installing more energyefficient hardware does not seem to fully solve the problem, since wireless access networks are almost invariably (over)provisioned with respect to the peak user demand. This means that efficient resource management schemes, capable of controlling how much of the network infrastructure is actually needed and which parts can be temporarily powered off to save energy, can be extremely effective and provide quite large cost reductions.
Proceedings 27th European Conference on Optical Communication (Cat. No.01TH8551), 2001
We developed a closed-form analysis describing the statistical characteristics of the multi-path ... more We developed a closed-form analysis describing the statistical characteristics of the multi-path interference (MPI) induced by the effect of Rayleigh backscatter on a modulated signal in distributed Raman amplifiers. A generalized definition of noise figure is proposed in order to include MPI effects.
Infliximab (IFX) has demonstrated effectiveness for inducing 12-month steroid-free clinical remis... more Infliximab (IFX) has demonstrated effectiveness for inducing 12-month steroid-free clinical remission in patients with steroid-dependent ulcerative colitis (UC), but long-term data are lacking. The aim of the study was to describe the long-term outcome of IFX treatment in steroid-dependent UC and investigate if predictors of sustained clinical response and colectomy could be identified. Consecutive patients with steroid-dependent UC treated with IFX were studied. The coprimary prespecified outcomes were sustained clinical response in patients who achieved clinical remission or response after IFX induction and colectomy-free survival. Secondary analyses were addressed to look for predictors of sustained clinical response and colectomy. After induction, 76% (96/126) of patients achieved clinical benefit. The median duration of follow-up on IFX maintenance therapy was 41.5 months (interquartile range, 26-45). Sixty-four percent (46/96) of patients had sustained clinical response at median follow-up. Colectomy-free survival was 77% at median follow-up. Combination therapy of IFX with thiopurines was an independent predictor of sustained clinical response (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.0001; hazard ratio [HR], 3.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.73-9.14). Independent predictors of colectomy were Mayo endoscopic subscore of 3 at baseline (P = 0.04; HR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.09-7.05) and high C-reactive protein after induction (P = 0.001; HR, 5.65; 95% CI, 2.03-15.7). Thiopurine naive status (P = 0.025; HR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.13-0.87) was protective from colectomy. Long-term IFX treatment is effective in inducing sustained clinical response in patients with steroid-dependent UC. Combination therapy is predictive of sustained clinical response in the long-term. Patients with more severe endoscopic lesions at baseline and high C-reactive protein after induction are at higher risk of colectomy. Conversely, thiopurine naive status is protective from colectomy.
ABSTRACT The growing ubiquity and pervasiveness of sensors and smart devices, with the consequent... more ABSTRACT The growing ubiquity and pervasiveness of sensors and smart devices, with the consequent availability of a large amount of &quot;local&quot; and contextualized information, are giving rise to a wealth of &quot;context-aware&quot; applications and services. In this work we consider an opportunistic communication scheme called Floating Content (FC), which was specifically designed for serverless distributed context-aware applications. So far, the performance analysis of FC, and in particular of content lifetime and availability, was based on simplified system models and fluid system analysis. The resulting performance estimates did not account for the effects of propagation characteristics, mobility patterns, and communication protocols, all factors known to significantly affect the performance of opportunistic communication schemes. This article studies the main issues related to the performance of FC service in a realistic office setting through a first experimental evaluation of a mobile app for Android devices. Our experimental results confirm the feasibility of FC service for supporting practical context-aware mobile applications in office settings.
ABSTRACT Context-awareness is a peculiar characteristic of an ever expanding set of applications ... more ABSTRACT Context-awareness is a peculiar characteristic of an ever expanding set of applications that make use of a combination of restricted spatio-temporal locality and mobile communications, to deliver a variety of services to the end user. It is expected that by 2014 more than 1.5 billion people would be using applications based on local search (search restricted on the basis of spatio-temporal locality), and that mobile location based services will drive revenues of more than $15 billion worldwide. A common feature of such context-aware applications is the fact that their communication requirements significantly differ from ordinary applications. For most of them, the scope of generated content itself is local. This locally relevant content may be of little concern to the rest of the world, therefore moving this content from the user device to store it in a well-accessible centralized location and/or making this information available beyond its scope represents a clear waste of resources (connectivity, storage). Due to these specific requirements, opportunistic communication can play a special role when coupled with context-awareness. The benefit of opportunistic communications is that it naturally incorporates context as spatial proximity is closely associated with connectivity.
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Papers by Gianluca Rizzo