Nasal cytology is an easy, cheap, non-invasive and point-of-care method to assess nasal inflammation and disease-specific cellular features. By means of nasal cytology, it is possible to distinguish between different inflammatory patterns that are typically associated with specific diseases (ie, allergic and non-allergic rhinitis). Its use is particularly relevant when other clinical information, such as signs, symptoms, time-course and allergic sensitizations, is not enough to recognize which of the different rhinitis phenotypes is involved; for example, it is only by means of nasal cytology that it is possible to distinguish, among the non-allergic rhinitis, those characterized by eosinophilic (NARES), mast cellular (NARMA), mixed eosinophilic-mast cellular (NARESMA) or neutrophilic (NARNE) inflammation. Despite its clinical usefulness, cheapness, non-invasiveness and easiness, nasal cytology is still underused and this is at least partially due to the fact that, as far as now, there is not a consensus or an official recommendation on its methodological issues. We here review the scientific literature about nasal cytology, giving recommendations on how to perform and interpret nasal cytology.

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In the upcoming 5G networks and following the emerging Software Defined Network/Network Function Virtualization (SDN/NFV) paradigm, demanded services will be composed of a number of virtual network functions that may be spread across the whole transport infrastructure and allocated in distributed Data Centers (DCs). These services will impose stringent requirements such as bandwidth and end-to-end latency that the transport network will need to fulfill. In this paper, we present an orchestration system devised to select and allocate virtual resources in distributed DCs connected through a multi-layer (Packet over flexi-grid optical) network. Three different on-line orchestration algorithms are conceived to accommodate the incoming requests by satisfying computing, bandwidth and end-to-end latency constraints, setting up multi-layer connections. We addressed end-to-end latency requirements by considering both network (due to propagation delay) and processing delay components. The proposed algorithms have been extensively evaluated and assessed (via a number of figures of merit) through experimental tests carried out in a Packet over Optical Flexi-Grid Network available in the ADRENALINE testbed with emulated DCs connected to it.

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In this paper, we present an experimental set-up reproducing a convergent 5G service scenario spanning over SDN-based Edge network, Cloud and IoT domains. To address reliability and robustness requirements of future 5G networks, the set-up also includes an SDN orchestrator able to adaptively provision data delivery paths connecting service components running in those different domains. In particular, we demonstrate SDN orchestration capabilities in adapting data paths across IoT, Cloud and network domains based on the real-time load state of switches thereby recovering from congestions and assuring reliable data delivery services

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An implemented Cloud/Network Orchestrator to dynamically serve VNFFGs in remote DCs through a Multi-Layer Network (packet/flexi-grid optical) is evaluated. Two network information and path computation approaches are adopted by the Orchestrator being experimentally benchmarked with a number of performance metrics.