Proxy Lady: Mobile Support for Opportunistic Communication

Proxy Lady is a mobile system for informal, opportunistic face-to-face communication, running on a PDA equipped with a radio transceiver, Opportunistic communication is anticipated by one party but it only occurs when the parties happen to meet each other. Proxy Lady supports such communication by providing notifications about possible candidates for interaction in the environment. The user specifies candidates for interaction by associating people with an information item (currently an email or a task). When candidates for interaction enter the proximity ofthe user, ProxyLadynotifies and makes the information item accessible. According to our fieldwork, evaluation sessions, and a literature survey, opportunistic communication is an important type ofcommunication that has not been supported previously. This paper describes the interface and use ofProxy Lady and the results from an evaluation study

Floating row coverage and it's effect on the temperature and air humidity

Målet med försöken har varit att ta reda på om det finns en skillnad mellan olika fibervävar och deras effekt på temperatur, luftfuktighet och klimatet under fibervävarna. Försöken är tänkt att utgå från de förhållanden som finns i kulturodlingar av färskpotatis och jordgubbar för att se vilken effekt fibervävarna har på dessa kulturer. Försöket har varit av stort intresse på de två gårdar där de lagts ut, dels för att det inte finns något material som tar upp fibervävarnas effekt på temperatur och luftfuktighet på det sättet som våra försök har varit tänkta att påvisa. Resultaten har visat på olika effekter från de olika vävarna. Utläggning av fältförsken har gjorts på två gårdar i Skåne. Det ena försöket lades ut på Humlegården i Vadensjö i västra Skåne. Det andra försöket placerades i Öllöv utanför Grevie på Bjärehalvön i Nordvästra Skåne. På humlegården i Vadensjö finns en lätt mullhaltig moränlättlera som håller pH-värdet 7,9 och i Öllöv utanför Grevie är jordtypen en mullfattig lerig sandgrovmo med ett pH-värde på 6,8. Försöken kom att behandla fem försöksled där fibervävar av samma fabrikat lades ut i samma miljö med temperaturloggrar placerade i centrum av varje försök för att göra mätningar en gång i halvtimmen på temperatur och luftfuktighet. Ett av leden var utan fiberväv för att kunna utläsa skillnaderna mellan de olika leden och klimatet samtidigt utan väv. Resultaten i försöken har gett en insikt i att det finns skillnader i temperatur och luftfuktighet mellan de olika försöksleden under dygnet men att det inte är någon större skillnad mellan de olika försöksleden sett över hela försökstiden. Det förekommer skillnader i fibervävarnas sätt att värma upp klimatet under dygnet. Det finns även olika fördelar med dubbla lager av fiberväv som gör att man kan utnyttja temperaturen över dygnet på ett bättre sätt och därmed få ett mer gynnsamt klimat för kulturen sett över hela perioden som kulturen är täckt med fiberväv. En intressant iakttagelse var att de olika försöksleden även har en oönskad effekt på ogräsförekomsten under de olika fibervävarna där det har varit en väldigt fördelaktig miljö för ogräsen som i de flesta försöksled trivdes väldigt bra. Försöken var begränsade till tio loggrar, fem stycken till varje försöksplats, annars finns det stora möjligheter att titta på andra kulturtäckningsmaterial vilket hade varit intressant. En annan parameter förutom temperatur och luftfuktighet som hade varit intressant att undersöka för att få en helhetsbedömning av fibervävarna effekt, kan vara ljusgenomsläpplighet och jordtemperatur vilket är väldigt viktigt beroende på vilken gröda man odlar.The goal of the different trials were to find out if there is a difference between floating row cover combinations and their effect on temperature, air humidity and the climate under the different floating row covers. The trials are supposed to be based on the conditions that exist in culture cultivation of early potatoes and strawberries, to see which effect the floating row covers have on the early potato and strawberry cultures. The trials have been of great interest on the two farms where they were put out, and partly because there is no material that describes the floating row covers effect on the temperature and air humidity in the way that our trials have been intended to demonstrate. The results we have obtained have revealed different effects from the different thicknesses of the floating row covers. The different trials were placed on two farms in Skåne. One trial was placed at Humlegården in Vadensjö in western Skåne. The second trial was placed in Öllöv outside Grevie on Bjärehalvön in Northwest Skåne. On Humlegården in Vadensjö the type of soil is a silty moraine clay loam with a pH of 7.9 and in Öllöv outside Grevie the soil type is a sandy clay loamwith a pH of 6.8. The trials were to place five plots where floating row covers were applied over our manufactured frames. In the center of each plot we placed a temperature logger. The loggers where placed to take measurements every half hour on temperature and air humidity. One of the plots didn’t have any floating row cover to compare the differences in climate between the plots with floating row covers and without. The results of the experiments have provided us with an insight into the differences in temperature and air humidity between the various trails during day but there is a small difference between the various plots over the whole trial period. There are large differences in the floating row covers ability to warm up the climate during a 24 hours period. The results indicated that there are various benefits of double layers of floating row covers which allows one to take advantage of the temperature during the day in a better way and thus get a more favorable environment for the culture over the entire period the culture is covered with a floating row cover. An interesting observation was that the various trails also had an undesirable effect on weeds under the different thicknesses of floating row covers. Where there has been a very favorable environment for weeds in most trial plots. The trials were limited to ten loggers, five at each farm, otherwise there is other opportunities to look at other interesting cultural mulches. Another insight in addition to temperature and air humidity would have been to investigate the soil temperature in order to get an overall assessment of the floating row covers effect on the temperature. And another insight would be to lock at the light transmittance, which is very important depending on what crop to grow

Syntesrapport av Sekretariatet för selektivt fiske 2014-2017

På uppdrag av Havs- och vattenmyndigheten (HaV), som har ansvarat för regeringsuppdraget selektivt fiske, upprättade SLU Aqua ett Sekretariat för selektivt fiske mellan 2014 och 2017. Sekretariatets huvuduppgift har varit att samla in idéer tillsammans med näringen, för att stimulera utvecklingen av selektiva fiskemetoder i syfte att minska mängden oönskad fångst. Näringens initiativ och engagemang har varit helt avgörande för en framgångsrik utveckling av nya idéer. Under projektperioden har sekretariatet tillsammans med näringen drivit 34 projekt inom selektivt fiske. Samtliga projekt är vetenskapligt utvärderade och redovisade i årliga verksamhetsrapporter. I denna syntesrapport sammanställs resultaten från projekt med liknande problemställningar, målarter och fiskemetoder, till olika fisken. De olika fiskena är uppdelade mellan aktiva och passiva redskap. I sammanställningen har alla projekten bedömts efter en 5-gradig skala som sammanfattar resultatet av den vetenskapliga utvärderingen, redskapets tillämpbarhet i verkligt fiske samt behov av förvaltningsåtgärder och/eller andra incitament för att redskapen verkligen skall komma till bred användning i fisket

Sekretariatet för selektivt fiske

Under hösten/vintern 2015/2016 genomförde sekretariatet för selektivt fiske,vid institutionen för akvatiska resurser (SLU-Aqua) tillsammans med svenskt yrkesfiske, nio projekt inom ramen för regeringsuppdraget selektivt fiske. Den övergripande målsättningen för alla projekt inom selektivt fiske är att underlätta införandet av den landningsskyldighet som beslutats i och med reformen av EU:s gemensamma fiskeripolitik. Projekten syftade därför till att minska oönskad fångst i svenskt fiske antingen genom att utveckla befintliga fiskemetoder (framförallt inom trålfiske) eller genom att utveckla alternativa fiskemetoder (främst passiva redskap såsom fällor och burar). 1. "Kombinationsrist för utsortering av fisk och små räkor" (HaV Dnr 1718-15) 2. ”Selektivitet anpassad för små räktrålare” (HaV Dnr 1488-16) 3. "Räkburar” (HaV Dnr 1892-15) 4. ”Vidareutveckling av storleksselektiv kräftrist Halland” (HaV Dnr 1717-15) 5. ”Trål för fångst av plattfisk och stor torsk-rist/stormaskig trål” (HaV Dnr 1716-15) 6. "Förbättrad selektivitet i torsktrålar i Östersjön" (HaV Dnr 2384-15) 7. "Utsortering av gråsej i pelagiska trålar" (HaV Dnr 1715-15) 8. "Selektiv laxfälla" (HaV Dnr 1713-15) 9. "Multifunktionsburar" (HaV Dnr 1712-15) Projekten genomfördes genom att förslag togs fram gemensamt av SLU-Aqua och näringen utifrån fiskets uttryckliga behov och idéer. Projektförslagen prioriterades och beslutades av en särskild styrgrupp på Havs- och vattenmyndigheten (HaV), varefter SLU-Aqua upphandlade utförare och agerade projektledare. Vinnande part ansvarade sedan för att anskaffa och utveckla respektive projektidé enligt projektplanen med stöd från sekretariatet. Projekten avslutades genom en vetenskaplig utvärdering där personal från SLUAqua deltog i ett experimentellt fiske där det nyutvecklade redskapets fångstegenskaper dokumenterades och analyserades under kommersiella fiskeförhållanden

Antibodies against Porphyromonas gingivalis in serum and saliva and their association with rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis. Data from two rheumatoid arthritis cohorts in Sweden

BackgroundPeriodontitis and oral pathogenic bacteria can contribute to the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A connection between serum antibodies to Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and RA has been established, but data on saliva antibodies to P. gingivalis in RA are lacking. We evaluated antibodies to P. gingivalis in serum and saliva in two Swedish RA studies as well as their association with RA, periodontitis, antibodies to citrullinated proteins (ACPA), and RA disease activity.MethodsThe SARA (secretory antibodies in RA) study includes 196 patients with RA and 101 healthy controls. The Karlskrona RA study includes 132 patients with RA ≥ 61 years of age, who underwent dental examination. Serum Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies and saliva IgA antibodies to the P. gingivalis–specific Arg-specific gingipain B (RgpB) were measured in patients with RA and controls.ResultsThe level of saliva IgA anti-RgpB antibodies was significantly higher among patients with RA than among healthy controls in multivariate analysis adjusted for age, gender, smoking, and IgG ACPA (p = 0.022). Saliva IgA anti-RgpB antibodies were associated with RA disease activity in multivariate analysis (p = 0.036). Anti-RgpB antibodies were not associated with periodontitis or serum IgG ACPA.ConclusionPatients with RA had higher levels of saliva IgA anti-RgpB antibodies than healthy controls. Saliva IgA anti-RgpB antibodies may be associated with RA disease activity but were not associated with periodontitis or serum IgG ACPA. Our results indicate a local production of IgA anti-RgpB in the salivary glands that is not accompanied by systemic antibody production

Association of FADS1/2 Locus Variants and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids With Aortic Stenosis.

IMPORTANCE: Aortic stenosis (AS) has no approved medical treatment. Identifying etiological pathways for AS could identify pharmacological targets. OBJECTIVE: To identify novel genetic loci and pathways associated with AS. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This genome-wide association study used a case-control design to evaluate 44 703 participants (3469 cases of AS) of self-reported European ancestry from the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) cohort (from January 1, 1996, to December 31, 2015). Replication was performed in 7 other cohorts totaling 256 926 participants (5926 cases of AS), with additional analyses performed in 6942 participants from the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium. Follow-up biomarker analyses with aortic valve calcium (AVC) were also performed. Data were analyzed from May 1, 2017, to December 5, 2019. EXPOSURES: Genetic variants (615 643 variants) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-6 and ω-3) measured in blood samples. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Aortic stenosis and aortic valve replacement defined by electronic health records, surgical records, or echocardiography and the presence of AVC measured by computed tomography. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of the 44 703 GERA participants was 69.7 (8.4) years, and 22 019 (49.3%) were men. The rs174547 variant at the FADS1/2 locus was associated with AS (odds ratio [OR] per C allele, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.83-0.93; P = 3.0 × 10-6), with genome-wide significance after meta-analysis with 7 replication cohorts totaling 312 118 individuals (9395 cases of AS) (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.88-0.94; P = 2.5 × 10-8). A consistent association with AVC was also observed (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-0.99; P = .03). A higher ratio of arachidonic acid to linoleic acid was associated with AVC (OR per SD of the natural logarithm, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.09-1.30; P = 6.6 × 10-5). In mendelian randomization, increased FADS1 liver expression and arachidonic acid were associated with AS (OR per unit of normalized expression, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.17-1.48; P = 7.4 × 10-6]; OR per 5-percentage point increase in arachidonic acid for AVC, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.01-1.49; P = .04]; OR per 5-percentage point increase in arachidonic acid for AS, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.04-1.13; P = 4.1 × 10-4]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Variation at the FADS1/2 locus was associated with AS and AVC. Findings from biomarker measurements and mendelian randomization appear to link ω-6 fatty acid biosynthesis to AS, which may represent a therapeutic target

A Novel Immunodominant CD8+ T Cell Response Restricted by a Common HLA-C Allele Targets a Conserved Region of Gag HIV-1 Clade CRF01_AE Infected Thais

Background: CD8+ T cell responses play an important role in the control of HIV-1. The extensive sequence diversity of HIV-1 represents a critical hurdle to developing an effective HIV-1 vaccine, and it is likely that regional-specific vaccine strains will be required to overcome the diversity of the different HIV-1 clades distributed world-wide. Unfortunately, little is known about the CD8+ T cell responses against CRF01_AE, which is responsible for the majority of infections in Southeast Asia. Methodology/Principal Findings: To identify dominant CD8+ T cell responses recognized in HIV-1 clade CRF01_AE infected subjects we drew upon data from an immunological screen of 100 HIV-1 clade CRF01_AE infected subjects using IFN-gamma ELISpot to characterize a novel immunodominant CD8+ T cell response in HIV-1 Gag restricted by HLA-Cw*0102 (p24, 277YSPVSILDI 285, YI9). Over 75% of Cw*0102+ve subjects targeted this epitope, representing the strongest response in more than a third of these individuals. This novel CD8 epitope was located in a highly conserved region of HIV-1 Gag known to contain immunodominant CD8 epitopes, which are restricted by HLA-B*57 and -B*27 in clade B infection. Nonetheless, viral escape in this epitope was frequently observed in Cw*0102+ve subjects, suggestive of strong selection pressure being exerted by this common CD8+ T cell response. Conclusions/Significance: As HLA-Cw*0102 is frequently expressed in the Thai population (allelic frequency of 16.8%), this immunodominant Cw*0102-restricted Gag epitope may represent an attractive candidate for vaccines specific to CRF01_AE and may help facilitate further studies of immunopathogenesis in this understudied HIV-1 clade. © 2011 Buranapraditkun et al

Mild-to-Moderate Kidney Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Disease: Observational and Mendelian Randomization Analyses

BACKGROUND: End-stage renal disease is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular events. It is unknown, however, whether mild-to-moderate kidney dysfunction is causally related to coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. METHODS: Observational analyses were conducted using individual-level data from 4 population data sources (Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration, EPIC-CVD [European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Cardiovascular Disease Study], Million Veteran Program, and UK Biobank), comprising 648 135 participants with no history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes at baseline, yielding 42 858 and 15 693 incident CHD and stroke events, respectively, during 6.8 million person-years of follow-up. Using a genetic risk score of 218 variants for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), we conducted Mendelian randomization analyses involving 413 718 participants (25 917 CHD and 8622 strokes) in EPIC-CVD, Million Veteran Program, and UK Biobank. RESULTS: There were U-shaped observational associations of creatinine-based eGFR with CHD and stroke, with higher risk in participants with eGFR values 105 mL·min-1·1.73 m-2, compared with those with eGFR between 60 and 105 mL·min-1·1.73 m-2. Mendelian randomization analyses for CHD showed an association among participants with eGFR 105 mL·min-1·1.73 m-2. Results were not materially different after adjustment for factors associated with the eGFR genetic risk score, such as lipoprotein(a), triglycerides, hemoglobin A1c, and blood pressure. Mendelian randomization results for stroke were nonsignificant but broadly similar to those for CHD. CONCLUSIONS: In people without manifest cardiovascular disease or diabetes, mild-to-moderate kidney dysfunction is causally related to risk of CHD, highlighting the potential value of preventive approaches that preserve and modulate kidney function