Prototypical implementation of location-aware services based on a middleware architecture for super-distributed RFID tag infrastructures

We provide evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of a middleware architecture for mobile devices (MoDs), which employs dense distributions of small computerized entities for providing fault-tolerant location-aware services. We do so by describing exemplary implementations based on radio frequency identification as an enabling technology. Firstly, we present prototypical implementations of the hardware abstraction layer and of selected core middleware services. The latter enable a MoD to store and retrieve data and position information in physical places in a fault-tolerant manner, and to identify places based on a location abstraction which is robust against failure of individual tags. Secondly, we investigate the feasibility of some higher-level services and applications by developing and evaluating prototypical systems for tracing and tracking, self-positioning, and collaborative map-makin

LuxTrace: indoor positioning using building illumination

Tracking location is challenging due to the numerous constraints of practical systems including, but not limited to global cost, device volume and weight, scalability and accuracy; these constraints are typically more severe for systems that should be wearable and used indoors. We investigate the use of wearable solar cells to track changing light conditions (a concept that we named LuxTrace) as a source of user displacement and activity data. We evaluate constraints of this approach and present results from an experimental validation of displacement and activity estimation. The results indicate that a distance estimation accuracy of 21cm (80% quantile) can be achieved. A simple method to combine LuxTrace with complementary absolute location estimation methods is also presented. We apply carpet-like distributed RFID tags to demonstrate online learning of new lighting environment

The Interplay of Signaling Dynamics and Cell Cycle Regulation in Single Cells

Signaling pathways that control cellular responses such as proliferation, quiescence, migration and apoptosis are crucial for embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Dysregulation of these signaling processes can result in severe human diseases including cancer. Therefore, to maintain a balance between the above-mentioned cell fates and to prevent pathological events, an interplay between different signaling pathways is indispensable. For instance, mitogenic signaling induced by the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT networks is required for cells to enter the cell cycle and divide. However, to prevent uncontrolled proliferation, anti-mitogenic signals such as those transmitted by mothers against decapentaplegic homologue (SMAD) proteins are essential. To gain a deeper understanding of these pathway interactions, I employed quantitative time-resolved measurements of fluorescent reporters and computer-aided data analysis. In the first part of the present study, I examined how the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways synergize to regulate cell cycle entry and progression. Although these networks have been well characterized in earlier studies, their relative contribution, especially at later cell cycle stages, remains largely unexplored. In order to investigate the response of cells outside of an active cell cycle to acute mitogenic signals, untransformed human breast epithelial cells were first arrested in a quiescent state by growth factor deprivation. Afterwards, epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced signal processing in individual cells was quantified over time, which revealed that both pathways were necessary for initial cell cycle entry, whereas only PI3K/AKT affected the duration of S-phase at later stages of mitogenic signaling. My results provide evidence that the high metabolic demands of replication are unmet in the absence of AKT signaling, which results in a strongly prolonged S-phase of the cell cycle. In the second part, I investigated how the cell cycle and mitogenic signals influence the SMAD signaling pathway. I uncovered that ligands of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFb) superfamily signaled very differently in quiescent versus proliferating cells. While TGFb mediated a stronger SMAD2 response in proliferating cells compared to quiescent cells, the opposite was observed upon growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) stimulation. I was able to show that MAPK activity was responsible for the switch in ligand sensitivity, most likely through regulation of target genes. Therefore, the question arose whether a single key player or a complete pathway-rewiring were accountable. As RNA sequencing revealed considerable changes in the expression of multiple SMAD associated genes and single perturbations of SMAD signaling regulators could not explain the observed phenomenon, I hypothesized that a more wide-ranging rewiring of the network is necessary to shift the sensitivity to different ligands of the TGFb superfamily. However, further studies using genome-scale knockout or activation screenings need to be carried out to validate this idea and recreate the pathway-rewiring in proliferating cells. Besides the switch in ligand sensitivity, I observed different SMAD-mediated cell fates in proliferating and quiescent cells. While apoptosis was only induced in quiescent cells, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cytostasis were found in dividing cells. Interestingly, cellular responses correlated well with the dynamics of SMAD signaling, which suggested that ligands mediate diverse cellular outcomes through different dynamical patterns of SMAD2 nuclear accumulation. This quantitative nature of the pathway was later validated by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and RNA sequencing

Anbauwürdigkeit und Vorfruchtwert verschiedener Körnerleguminosen-Anbausysteme im Praxisversuch in Luxemburg

Due to the protein deficit in Europe and the many negative impacts related to soy imports from overseas, it is important to increase the cultivation of grain legumes for regional fodder production. Therefore, as part of the COBRA project, two on-farm trial of different grain legume cropping systems were set up at two Luxembourgish organic farms, with the aim to demonstrate the practicality of growing grain legumes and to study their fodder and pre-crop value, as well as their suitability for cultivation under organic growing conditions in Luxembourg. Overall, all the tested grain legumes, with the exception of winter faba bean in Colmar-Berg, showed good suitability for regional high-protein fodder production. Both lupin species showed a good previous crop value at both locations, as well as good suitability for cultivation. However, due to the high anthracnose susceptibility of white lupin, this crop cannot be recommended for cultivation on a larger scale

Eignung verschiedener Körnerleguminosen als Vorfrucht für Winterweizen in ökologischen Fruchtfolgen

The Aim of this study has been to evaluate in two two-year field trials the pre-crop effect of different grain legumes (e.g. soy bean, peas or lupines) in the same environment and to detect possible effects of grain legumes on the N-supply, the yield potential and the yield structure of the subsequent crop winter wheat. According to different pre-crop yields, a higher but different nitrogen supply for subsequent winter wheat was observed in all N2-fixing pre-crop treatments. In contrast to non-fixings control higher NO3-N contents in soil and higher yields in subsequent winter wheat (up to 24 dt*ha- 1 surplus) were observed

Nutritive und antinutritive Inhaltsstoffe in Körnerleguminosen: Einfluss von Jahr und Standort auf den Futterwert

Die meisten Körnerleguminosen enthalten antinutritive Substanzen, abhängig von den Sorten und den Wachstumsbedingungen. Ziel der Studie war es, verschiedene Körnerleguminosenarten zu vergleichen, um ihren Futterwert unter Berücksichtigung ihrer nutritiven und antinutritiven Inhaltsstoffe zu ermitteln. Die Feldversuche wurden 2012 und 2013 in Karelshaff, Colmar-Berg, in Luxemburg und 2014 und 2015 an der Hessischen Staatsdomäne Frankenhausen in Grebenstein durchgeführt. Erste Ergebnisse für antinutritive Inhaltsstoffe zeigen, dass die Standorte und die jährlichen Schwankungen einen Einfluss auf den Gehalt haben und stark von den in der Literatur angegebenen Werten abweichen können

Evaluation of grain legume cropping systems for animal fodder potential and impacts on subsequent wheat yield under less favourable soil conditions in organic agriculture in Luxembourg

Körnerleguminosen sind wichtige Kulturen für die Bereit­stellung von Protein in der Tierernährung. Ziel dieser Studie war es: (i) die Eignung verschiedener Körnerleguminosen-Anbausysteme für den Anbau als proteinreiches Futtermittel zu prüfen, (ii) der Vergleich von Sommer- und Winterform von Ackerbohnen und Erbsen, sowie der Erbse in Reinsaat und im Gemenge mit Getreide, und (iii) der Vergleich des Einflusses der Leguminosen als Vorfrüchte auf den nachfolgenden Weizen unter ungünstigen Bodenbedingungen im ökologischen Landbau. In einem Feldversuch auf einem kommerziellen landwirtschaftlichen Betrieb in Luxemburg, wurden acht Körnerleguminosen-Anbausysteme (wie in ii beschrieben plus Sojabohne und Blaue Lupine) und eine nicht Stickstoff fixierende Kontroll-Kultur (Triticale) in zwei aufeinanderfolgenden Jahren, in einem vollständig randomisierten Blockdesign mit vier Wiederholungen, angebaut. Als Folgekultur wurde Weizen angebaut. Alle Anbausysteme, mit Ausnahme der Winter-Erbse in Reinsaat, waren für den Anbau als proteinreiches Futtermittel geeignet. Bei ausreichender Bodenfeuchte stellte die Ackerbohne die beste Wahl dar (Proteinertrag: 961–1193 kg ha–1). Halbblattlose Erbsen erzielten einen signifikant höheren Ertrag in Reinsaat (p ≤ 0.05; 3539–4154 kg ha–1) als im Gemenge mit Getreide (2920–3852 kg ha–1), wobei Voll­blatt-Typen im Gemenge mit Getreide angebaut werden sollten. Es wurden keine signifikante Unterschiede festgestellt zwischen Winter- und Sommer-Ackerbohnen, dage­gen schnitt die Sommerung bei den Erbsen besser ab, dies war wahrscheinlich eher abhängig vom Blatt-Typ als vom Saatzeitpunkt. Der niedrigere Vorfruchtwert von Getreide-Monokultur (Ertrag Jahr 1: 2056 kg ha–1) im Vergleich zu Getreide mit Körnerleguminosen in der Fruchtfolge wurde bestätigt, wobei der Weizen am besten nach Sommer-Erbse in Reinsaat abschnitt (Ertrag Jahr 1: 3661 kg ha–1). Körnerleguminosen-Reinsaaten erzielten einen höheren Vorfruchtwert, als Winter-Triticale oder Körnerleguminosen im Gemenge mit Getreide. Körner­leguminosen sind demnach vielversprechende Kulturen für die Bereitstellung proteinreicher Futtermittel auch unter ungünstigen Bodenbedingungen im ökologischen Landbau in Luxemburg. DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2016.06.02, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2016.06.02Grain legumes are important crops required for protein-rich animal fodder. The aim of this study was to (i) examine the suitability of grain legume cropping systems for cultivation as protein-rich fodder, (ii) compare the performance of winter and spring types of faba beans and peas, as well as to compare the performance of peas sown in pure stand and in mixture with cereals, and (iii) determine the impact of previous legume crop on succeeding wheat under less favorable soil conditions in organic agriculture. In a field trial on a commercial farm in Luxembourg, eight grain legume cropping systems (as given under ii plus soybean and blue lupin) and a non-nitrogen fixing control crop (triticale) were cultivated followed by wheat in two consecutive seasons, employing a randomized complete block design with four replicates. All cropping systems except for winter pea in pure stand, were suitable for cultivation as protein-rich fodder even under less favourable soil conditions. Given sufficient soil moisture, faba beans constituted the best choice (protein yield: 961–1193 kg ha–1). Semi-leafless peas reached a significantly better yield when sown in pure stand (p ≤ 0.05; 3539–4154 kg ha–1) compared with the mixture (2920–3852 kg ha–1), whereas full-leaf types should be cultivated with a cereal partner. Winter vs. spring faba beans did not perform significantly different while for peas, the spring form performed best, likely again depending on leaf type rather than sowing time. The lower previous crop value of mono-cropped cereals (yield first experimental sequence: 2056 kg ha–1) compared with cereals in mixture with grain legumes was confirmed, with best performance of wheat succeeding spring pea in pure stand (first experimental sequence, yield: 3661 kg ha–1). Grain legumes in pure stand exhibited a higher previous crop value than winter triticale or grain legumes grown in mixture. In conclusion, grain legumes were promising candidates for generating protein-rich feedingstuffs, even under less favorable soil conditions in organic agriculture in Luxembourg. DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2016.06.02, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2016.06.0