A framework for abstraction and virtualization of sensors in mobile context-aware computing

110 p.[EN] The latest mobile devices available nowadays are leading to the development of a new generation of mobile applications that are able to react to context. Context- awareness requires data from the environment, usually collected by means of sensors embedded in mobile devices or connected to them through wireless networks. Developers of mobile applications are faced with several challenges when it comes to the creation of context-aware applications. Sensor and device heterogeneity stand out among these challenges. In order to assist designers, we propose a layered conceptual framework for sensor abstraction and virtualization, called Igerri. Its main objective is to facilitate the development of context-aware applications independently of the specific sensors available in the user environment. To avoid the need to directly manage physical sensors, a layered structure of virtual and abstract sensors is conceived. Two software components, based on the proposed framework, have been designed in order to test Igerris robustness. The first one processes the information from the successive sensor layers and generates high-level context information. The second is responsible for managing network aspects and real time settings. This implementation has been tested using a representative context-aware application in different scenarios. The results obtained show that the implementation, and therefore the conceptual framework, is suitable for dealing with context information and hiding sensor programming.[EU] Gaur egungo gailu mugikor puntakoenek inguruneari erantzuteko gai diren aplikazio mugikorren garapenean oinarritzen dira. Testuingurua nabaritzeko ingurunearen informazioa behar da, zeina gailu mugikorretan txertatutako sentsoreen edo haririk gabeko sareen bitartez biltzen den. Aplikazio mugikorren garatzaileek erronka askori aurre egin behar izaten diete testuingurua kontuan hartzen duten aplikazioak garatzerakoan. Erronka na- gusien artean, sentsoreen eta gailuen heterogeneotasuna izaten dira. Garatzaileei laguntzeko asmoz, Igerri izeneko sentsoreen abstrakzio eta birtualizaziorako marko kontzeptual bat proposatzen dugu. Bere helburu nagusia, testuinguruaren aplikazio hautemangarrien garapena erraztea da, erabiltzailearen ingurunean dauden sentsore espezifikoak edozein direla ere. Sentsore fisikoak zuzenean ma- nipulatu behar izatea saihesteko, sentsore birtual eta abstraktuen egitura bat asmatu da. Igerri-ren sendotasuna egiaztatzeko, proposatutako markoan oinarritutako bi software osagai diseinatu dira. Lehenak, sentsore geruzen informazio geruzak prozesatu eta maila altuko testuinguru informazioa ematen du. Bigarrenak, sare aukerak kudeatu eta sentsoreen konfigurazioa denbora errealean burutzen ditu. Inplementazio hau testuingurua hautemateko gai eta adierazgarria den aplikazio batekin egoera desberdinetan frogatu da. Lortutako emaitzek erakusten dute inplementazioa, eta ondorioz marko kontzeptuala ere, aproposa dela testuinguruaren informazioa erabiltzeko eta sentsoreen programazioa ezkutatzeko.[ES] Los dispositivos móviles disponibles en la actualidad facilitan el desarrollo de una nueva generación de aplicaciones móviles que son capaces de reaccionar al contexto. La computación sensible al contexto requiere datos del entorno que normalmente se obtienen por medio de sensores embebidos en dispositivos móviles o conectados a ellos a través de redes inalámbricas. Los desarrolladores de aplicaciones móviles se enfrentan a varios retos para crear aplicaciones sensibles al contexto. Entre estos retos destaca la necesidad de tratar la heterogeneidad de los sensores y de los dispositivos móviles. Con el fin de ayudar a los desarrolladores, esta tesis propone un marco conceptual para la abstracción multinivel y la virtualización de sensores, llamado Igerri. Su principal objetivo es facilitar el desarrollo de aplicaciones sensibles al contexto independientemente de los sensores específicos que se encuentren en el entorno. Para evitar la necesidad de manipular directamente los sensores físicos, se ha concebido una estructura multinivel de sensores virtuales y abstractos. Se han diseñado dos componentes software basados en el marco propuesto para comprobar la robustez de Igerri. El primero procesa la información de la estructura multinivel de sensores y genera información de contexto de alto nivel. El segundo es responsable de administrar, en tiempo real, las opciones de red y la configuración de los sensores. Esta implementación ha sido probada en diferentes escenarios usando una aplicación representativa y sensible al contexto. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la implementación, y por tanto el marco conceptual que le da soporte, es adecuada para tratar la información de contexto y ocultar los problemas de programación de los sensores.Borja Gamecho held a PhD scholarship from the Research Staff Training Programme of the Basque Government from 2011 to 2014. This work also has been supported by the Department of Education, Universities and Research of the Basque Government under Grant IT395-10, by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Spanish Government and by the European Regional Development Fund (project TIN2014-52665-C2-1)

Portal de creació i publicació de guies. Model de dades

A moltes persones els hi agrada realitzar excursions habitualment, quasi sempre necessiten veure guies per plantejar la jornada i anar de forma segura. Per aquest motiu, va sorgir una empresa anomenada GuideMeUp dedicada a l'àmbit turístic amb la missió principal d'aportar al sector turístic, cultural i oci un producte i servei. Fa uns anys, va desenvolupar un portal web que hi havia un conjunt de guies, rutes i llocs amb molta informació al respecte. En un moment donat, es va produir un problema de compatibilitat del llenguatge de programació amb el sistema operatiu. GuideMeUp ha demanat realitzar un projecte que consti en desenvolupar un nou portal web. Aquest utilitza la mateixa base que portal web que ja tenia en producció, i s'inclourà l'opció de crear guies personals per guardar l'experiència de l'usuari. A més a més, es desenvolupa amb noves versions de llenguatge de programació per no tenir els problemes de compatibilitat que es van produir. La UAB ha dividit el projecte en dos TFG diferents. Un s'encarrega de desenvolupar la part del Front-End i un altre la part del Back-End. En aquest informe s'explicarà el TFG orientat al desenvolupament del Back-End. El Back-End consisteix en crear una nova estructura de dades però guardar-hi tota la informació de guies, rutes, llocs, etc. Per enllaçar la Base de Dades amb el Front-End, es desenvoluparà una API (Interfície de Programació per Aplicacions). Un cop acabat el projecte, el Front-End utilitzarà la API per consultar o guardar informació que l'usuari desitja.Many people like to on excursions regularly, they almost always need to see guides to plan the day and go safely. For this reason, a company called GuideMeUp dedicated to the field of tourism emerged with the main mission of providing a product and service to the tourism, worship and leisure sector. A few years ago, he developed a web portal that had a set of guides, routes and places with a lot of information about it. At one point, there was a problem with the compatibility of the pro-gramming language with the operating system. GuideMeUp has asked to carry out a project that consists of developing a new web portal. It uses the same database as the web portal it already had in production, and will include the option to create personal guides to save the user experience. In addition, it is developed with new versions of programming language so as not to have the compatibility issues that occurred. The UAB has divided the project into two different TFGs. One is in charge of developing the Front-End part and the other is the Back-End part. This report will explain the TFG aimed at the development of the Back-End. The Back-End consists of creating a new data structure but storing all the information of guides, routes, places, etc. To link the Database to the Front-End, an API (Application Programming Interface) will be developed. Once the project is complete, the Front-End will use the API to query or save information that the user wants.A muchas personas les gusta realizar excursiones habitualmente, casi siempre necessitan ver guías para plantear la jornada e ir de forma segura. Per este motivo, surgió una empresa llamada GuideMeUp dedicada al ámbito turístico con la misión principal de aportar al sector turístico, cultual y ocio un producto y servicio. Hace unos años, desarrolló un portal web que había un conjunto de guías, rutas y lugares con mucha información al respecto. En un momento dado, se produjo un problema de compatibilidad del lenguaje de programación con el sistema operativo. GuideMeUp ha pedido realizar un proyecto que conste en desarrollar un nuevo portal web. Este utiliza la misma base que portal web que ya tenía en producción, y se incluirá la opción de crear guías personales para guardar la experiencia del usuario. Además, se desarrolla con nuevas versiones de lenguaje de programación para no tener los problemas de compatibilidad que se produjeron. La UAB ha dividido el proyecto en dos TFG diferentes. Un encarga de desarrollar la parte del Front-End y otro la parte del Back-End. En este informe se explicará el TFG orientado al desarrollo del Back-End. El Back-End consiste en crear una nueva estructura de datos pero guardar toda la información de guías, rutas, lugares, etc. Para enlazar la Base de Datos con el Front-End, se desarrollará una API (Interfaz de Programación para Aplicaciones). Una vez terminado el proyecto, el Front-End utilizará la API para consultar o guardar información que el usuario desea

Aragon workers’ health study – design and cohort description

BACKGROUND: Spain, a Mediterranean country with relatively low rates of coronary heart disease, has a high prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and is experiencing a severe epidemic of overweight/obesity. We designed the Aragon Workers’ Health Study (AWHS) to characterize the factors associated with metabolic abnormalities and subclinical atherosclerosis in a middle aged population in Spain free of clinical cardiovascular disease. The objective of this paper is to describe the study design, aims and baseline characteristics of participants in the AWHS. METHODS/DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study based on the annual health exams of 5,400 workers of a car assembly plant in Figueruelas (Zaragoza, Spain). Study participants were recruited during a standardized clinical exam in 2009–2010 (participation rate 95.6%). Study participants will undergo annual clinical exams and laboratory assays, and baseline and triennial collection of biological materials for biobanking and cardiovascular imaging exams (carotid, femoral and abdominal ultrasonography, coronary calcium score, and ankle-arm blood pressure index). Participants will be followed-up for 10 years. RESULTS: The average (SD) age, body mass index, and waist circumference were 49.3 (8.7) years, 27.7 (3.6) kg/m(2) and 97.2 (9.9) cm, respectively, among males (N = 5,048), and 40.8 (11.6) years, 24.4 (3.8) kg/m(2), and 81.9 (9.9) cm, among females (N = 351). The prevalence of overweight, obesity, current smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes were 55.0, 23.1, 37.1, 40.3, 75.0, and 7.4%, respectively, among males, and 23.7, 8.3, 45.0, 12.1, 59.5, and 0.6%, respectively, among females. In the initial 587 study participants who completed all imaging exams (94.5% male), the prevalence of carotid plaque, femoral plaque, coronary calcium score >1 to 100, and coronary calcium score >100 was 30.3, 56.9, 27.0, and 8.8%, respectively. 67.7% of study participants had at least one plaque in the carotid or femoral arteries. DISCUSSION: Baseline data from the AWHS show a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and of sublinical atherosclerosis. Follow-up of this cohort will allow the assessment of subclinical atherosclerosis progression and the link of disease progression to traditional and emergent risk factors

Reliability, Reproducibility, and Advantages of Measuring Carotid Total Plaque Area

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A clinical method for mapping and quantifying blood stasis in the left ventricle

In patients at risk of intraventrcular thrombosis, the benefits of chronic anticoagulation therapy need to be balanced with the pro-hemorrhagic effects of therapy. Blood stasis in the cardiac chambers is a recognized risk factor for intracardiac thrombosis and potential cardiogenic embolic events. In this work, we present a novel flow image-based method to assess the location and extent of intraventricular stasis regions inside the left ventricle (LV) by digital processing flow-velocity images obtained either by phase-contrast magnetic resonance (PCMR) or 2D color-Doppler velocimetry (echo-CDV). This approach is based on quantifying the distribution of the blood Residence Time (TR) from time-resolved blood velocity fields in the LV. We tested the new method in illustrative examples of normal hearts, patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and one patient before and after the implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The method allowed us to assess in-vivo the location and extent of the stasis regions in the LV. Original metrics were developed to integrate flow properties into simple scalars suitable for a robust and personalized assessment of the risk of thrombosis. From a clinical perspective, this work introduces the new paradigm that quantitative flow dynamics can provide the basis to obtain subclinical markers of intraventricular thrombosis risk. The early prediction of LV blood stasis may result in decrease strokes by appropriate use of anticoagulant therapy for the purpose of primary and secondary prevention. It may also have a significant impact on LVAD device design and operation set-up

Association of Sleep Duration and Quality With Subclinical Atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND Sleep duration and quality have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk. However, large studies linking objectively measured sleep and subclinical atherosclerosis assessed in multiple vascular sites are lacking. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of actigraphy-measured sleep parameters with subclinical atherosclerosis in an asymptomatic middle-aged population, and investigate interactions among sleep, conventional risk factors, psychosocial factors, dietary habits, and inflammation. METHODS Seven-day actigraphic recording was performed in 3,974 participants (age 45.8 4.3 years; 62.6% men) from the PESA (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) study. Four groups were defined: very short sleep duration 8 h. Sleep fragmentation index was defined as the sum of the movement index and fragmentation index. Carotid and femoral 3-dimensional vascular ultrasound and cardiac computed tomography were performed to quantify noncoronary atherosclerosis and coronary calcification. RESULTS When adjusted for conventional risk factors, very short sleep duration was independently associated with a higher atherosclerotic burden with 3-dimensional vascular ultrasound compared to the reference group (odds ratio: 1.27; 95% confidence interval: 1.06 to 1.52; p ¼ 0.008). Participants within the highest quintile of sleep fragmentation presented a higher prevalence of multiple affected noncoronary territories (odds ratio: 1.34; 95% confidence interval: 1.09 to 1.64; p ¼ 0.006). No differences were observed regarding coronary artery calcification score in the different sleep groups. CONCLUSIONS Lower sleeping times and fragmented sleep are independently associated with an increased risk of subclinical multiterritory atherosclerosis. These results highlight the importance of healthy sleep habits for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. (J Am Coll Cardiol 2019;73:134–44) © 2019 Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation.post-print454 K

Prevalence and correlates of cardiovascular health among early adolescents enrolled in the SI! Program in Spain: a cross-sectional analysis.

The Instituto de Salud Carlos III-Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria (PI19/01704) and the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund ("A way to make Europe"/"Investing in your future"), the Fundació la Marató de TV3 (369/C/2016), the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation (LCF/PR/CE16/10700001 and LCF/PR/MS19/12220001), the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (AGL2016–75329-R), the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the SHE Foundation. The CNIC is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, and the Pro CNIC Foundation and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505).S

T cells with dysfunctional mitochondria induce multimorbidity and premature senescence

The effect of immunometabolism on age-associated diseases remains uncertain. In this work, we show that T cells with dysfunctional mitochondria owing to mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) deficiency act as accelerators of senescence. In mice, these cells instigate multiple aging-related features, including metabolic, cognitive, physical, and cardiovascular alterations, which together result in premature death. T cell metabolic failure induces the accumulation of circulating cytokines, which resembles the chronic inflammation that is characteristic of aging (“inflammaging”). This cytokine storm itself acts as a systemic inducer of senescence. Blocking tumor necrosis factor-a signaling or preventing senescence with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide precursors partially rescues premature aging in mice with Tfam-deficient T cells. Thus, T cells can regulate organismal fitness and life span, which highlights the importance of tight immunometabolic control in both aging and the onset of age-associated diseases.This study was supported by the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI16/02188 and PI19/00855; and PI16/02110 to B.I.), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and the European Commission through H2020-EU.1.1 and European Research Council grant ERC-2016-StG 715322-EndoMitTalk. This work was partially supported by Comunidad de Madrid (S2017/BMD-3867 RENIM-CM). M.M. is supported by the Miguel Servet Program (CPII 19/00014). G.S.-H. is supported by FPI-UAM, J.O. (FJCI-2017-33855) and E.G.-R. (IJC2018-036850) by Juan de la Cierva, and E.C. by Atracción de Talento Investigador 2017-T2/BMD-5766 (Comunidad de Madrid and UAM). B.I. was supported by ERC research grant ERC-2018-CoG 819775-MATRIX

Rationale and design of the school-based SI! Program to face obesity and promote health among Spanish adolescents: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

Unhealthy habits in adolescents are increasing at an alarming rate. The school offers a promising environment in which to implement effective preventive strategies to improve adolescents' lifestyle behaviors. The SI! Program is a multilevel multicomponent school-based health-promotion intervention aimed at all stages of compulsory education in Spain. We present the study design of the SI! Program for Secondary Schools, targeting adolescents aged 12 to 16 years. Aim: The main goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of the SI! Program educational intervention on adolescent lifestyle behaviors and health parameters. Methods: The study was designed as a cluster-randomized controlled intervention trial and enrolled 1326 adolescents from 24 public secondary schools in Spain, together with their parents/caregivers. Schools and their students were randomly assigned to the intervention group (the SI! curriculum-based educational program over 2 or 4 academic years) or to the control group (usual curriculum). The primary endpoint will be the change from baseline at 2-year and 4-year follow-up in the composite Ideal Cardiovascular Health (ICH) score, consisting of four health behaviors (body mass index, dietary habits, physical activity, and smoking) and three health factors (blood pressure, total cholesterol, and glucose). Secondary endpoints will include 2-year and 4-year changes from baseline in ICH score subcomponents, the Fuster-BEWAT health scale, adiposity markers (waist circumference and body composition), polyphenol and carotenoid intake, and emotion management. Discussion: The overarching goal of the SI! Program is to instill healthy behaviors in children and adolescents that can be sustained into adulthood. The SI! Program for Secondary School is a comprehensive health-promotion intervention targeting 12-16-year-old adolescents and their immediate environment. The present study addresses the optimal timing and impact of the educational intervention on health in adolescence

Noninvasive monitoring of serial changes in pulmonary vascular resistance and acute vasodilator testing using cardiac magnetic resonance

Objectives The study sought to evaluate the ability of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to monitor acute and long-term changes in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) noninvasively. Background PVR monitoring during the follow-up of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and the response to vasodilator testing require invasive right heart catheterization. Methods An experimental study in pigs was designed to evaluate the ability of CMR to monitor: 1) an acute increase in PVR generated by acute pulmonary embolization (n = 10); 2) serial changes in PVR in chronic PH (n = 22); and 3) changes in PVR during vasodilator testing in chronic PH (n = 10). CMR studies were performed with simultaneous hemodynamic assessment using a CMR-compatible Swan-Ganz catheter. Average flow velocity in the main pulmonary artery (PA) was quantified with phase contrast imaging. Pearson correlation and mixed model analysis were used to correlate changes in PVR with changes in CMR-quantified PA velocity. Additionally, PVR was estimated from CMR data (PA velocity and right ventricular ejection fraction) using a formula previously validated. Results Changes in PA velocity strongly and inversely correlated with acute increases in PVR induced by pulmonary embolization (r = –0.92), serial PVR fluctuations in chronic PH (r = –0.89), and acute reductions during vasodilator testing (r = –0.89, p ≤ 0.01 for all). CMR-estimated PVR showed adequate agreement with invasive PVR (mean bias –1.1 Wood units,; 95% confidence interval: –5.9 to 3.7) and changes in both indices correlated strongly (r = 0.86, p < 0.01). Conclusions CMR allows for noninvasive monitoring of acute and chronic changes in PVR in PH. This capability may be valuable in the evaluation and follow-up of patients with PH