The Sticta fuliginosa group in Norway and Sweden

A recent investigation demonstrated that Sticta fuliginosa (Hoffm.) Ach., as currently treated, includes four distinct species in Europe: Sticta fuliginosa s. str., S. fuliginoides Magain & Sérus., S. ciliata Tayl., and S. atlantica Magain & Sérus. This finding prompted us to revise material named S. fuliginosa from Norway and Sweden. It is demonstrated here that three species occur in Norway: S. fuliginosa s. str., S. fuliginoides, and S. ciliata. S. fuliginoides is the most widespread species, whereas S. fuliginosa occurs mostly along the coast and S. ciliata is very rare in the most oceanic parts of the western coast. In Sweden, only a single species of the group occurs, viz. S. fuliginoides. It was formerly found in scattered sites across the southern half of Sweden but has now disappeared from most of them. The basionym Sticta fuliginosa var. propagulifera Vain. ex H. Magn. is lectotypified and synonymized under S. fuliginoides.publishedVersio

Three overlooked species of Bacidia from insular Laurimacaronesia

We discuss the taxonomy of three species of Bacidia occurring in insular Laurimacaronesia. Two of them, B. amylothelia (Vain.) Vain. and B. endoleucoides (Nyl.) Zahlbr., which were previously described from Angola and Madeira, respectively, are found here to belong in Bacidia s. str. (Ramalinaceae). Modern descriptions and illustrations are provided for the first time. Bacidia amylothelia is similar to B. areolata Gerasimova & A. Beck, B. campalea (Tuck.) S. Ekman & Kalb, B. fusconigrescens (Nyl.) Zahlbr., B. heteroloma (Vain.) Zahlbr., B. millegrana (Taylor) Zahlbr. and B. suffusa (Fr.) A. Schneid. and is reported here from the Canary Islands. Bacidia endoleucoides is most likely to be confused with B. absistens (Nyl.) Arnold, B. friesiana (Hepp) Körb., B. salazarensis B. de Lesd. and B. caesiovirens S. Ekman & Holien and was found to be widely distributed in the Canary Islands and Azores in addition to Madeira. The third species, Bacidia deludens S. Ekman, Tønsberg & van den Boom, is described here as new to science. Bacidia deludens is characterised by a greyish, crustose thallus with whitish soralia, pale apothecia with crystals in the hymenium and proper exciple, acicular ascospores with 3–19 septa, and the production of fumarprotocetraric acid as the consistently present major substance. It is described here from the Canary Islands and Madeira. Although conservatively treated here in Bacidia, we argue that it is likely to belong in the Malmideaceae. An identification key to all known species of Bacidia s. str. in insular Macaronesia is provided.publishedVersio

Biatora alnetorum (Ramalinaceae, Lecanorales), a new lichen species from western North America

Biatora alnetorum S. Ekman & Tønsberg, a lichenised ascomycete in the family Ramalinaceae (Lecanorales, Lecanoromycetes), is described as new to science. It is distinct from other species of Biatora in the combination of mainly three-septate ascospores, a crustose thallus forming distinctly delimited soralia that develop by disintegration of convex pustules and the production of atranorin in the thallus and apothecia. The species is known from the Pacific Northwest of North America, where it inhabits the smooth bark of Alnus alnobetula subsp. sinuata and A. rubra. Biatora alnetorum is also a new host for the lichenicolous ascomycete Sclerococcum toensbergii Diederich

Biatora alnetorum (Ramalinaceae, Lecanorales), a new lichen species from western North America

Biatora alnetorum S. Ekman & Tonsberg, a lichenised ascomycete in the family Ramalinaceae (Lecanorales, Lecanoromycetes), is described as new to science. It is distinct from other species of Biatora in the combination of mainly three-septate ascospores, a crustose thallus forming distinctly delimited soral is that develop by disintegration of convex pustules and the production of atranorin in the thallus and apothecia. The species is known from the Pacific Northwest of North America, where it inhabits the smooth bark of Alnua alnobetula subsp. sinuata and A. rubra. Biatora alnetorum is also a new host for the lichenicolous ascomycete Sclerococcum toensbagii Diederich

The Impact of Gesture Navigation on Mobile Usage

The modern attention economy incentivizes the use of persuasive designs in software development. Scrolling is an interaction technique commonly associated with persuasive designs because of its lack of natural stopping cues and potential for habit promotion. A scroll-like interaction is used in gesture navigation, which is a method of navigating mobile operating systems. This paper investigates gesture navigation in mobile operating systems in the context of persuasive designs. The aim of this paper is to answer whether gesture navigation affects mobile usage and if there is a systematic preference for gesture navigation over traditional button navigation. In order to answer these questions a pre-post study was conducted. The participants were instructed to change system navigation controls for ten days; whereafter data regarding their mobile usage was collected. The collected data was analyzed in order to determine if there was a difference in mobile usage after changing system navigation controls and whether there was a systematic preference for gesture navigation. The results did not suggest that gesture navigation has an effect on mobile usage. The results did however point towards a systematic preference for gesture navigation over button navigation. The idéa of a systematic preference for gesture navigation motivates further research about the mechanisms behind it. Den moderna uppmärksamhets-ekonomin motiverar implementering av persuasive design-tekniker inom mjukvaruutveckling. Scrolling är en interaktionsteknik som ofta förknippas med persuasive design på grund av dess brist på naturliga stoppsignaler och förmåga att forma användarvanor. En scrolling-liknande interaktion används i gestnavigering, vilket är en navigeringsmetod i mobila operativsystem. Denna uppsats undersöker gestnavigering i mobila operativsystem i anknytning till persuasive design. Syftet med uppsatsen är att besvara om gestnavigering påverkar mobilanvändning och om det finns en systematisk preferens för gestnavigering framför traditionell knappnavigering. För att besvara dessa frågor genomfördes en inventionsstudie. Deltagarna instruerades att ändra systemnavigering i tio dagar; varefter data om deras mobilanvändning samlades in. De insamlade uppgifterna analyserades för att avgöra om det förekom någon skillnad på mobilanvändandet efter bytet av systemnavigering och om det fanns en systematisk preferens för gestnavigering. Resultaten tydde inte på att gestnavigering påverkar mobilanvändning. Resultaten pekade däremot på en systematisk preferens för gestnavigering framför knappnavigering. Idén om en systematisk preferens för gestnavigering motiverar vidare forskning om preferensens bakomliggande mekanismer

Population Impact of Heart Failure and the Most Common Forms of Cancer

BACKGROUND: The contemporary impact of heart failure (HF) versus the most common forms of cancer as reflected by related first-ever hospitalizations and subsequent case-fatality rates is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a national registry in Sweden, we compared the rate of first-ever hospitalization and associated short- and long-term survival for HF, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and the most common forms of cancer on an age and sex-specific basis during 1988 to 2004 in 949 733 Swedish patients (1 162 309 hospital admissions in total). Annual incidence of first-ever hospitalization for HF, AMI, and cancer in Sweden were 484, 424, and 373 (lung, colorectal, prostate, and bladder cancer combined) per 100 000 men and 470, 280, and 350 (lung, colorectal, bladder, breast, and ovarian cancer combined) per 100 000 women age >20 years. The ratio of individual cases of HF to cancer was 1.37:1 (465 998 versus 340 738). Despite improvements in 30-day and 5-year survival (adjusted 7% and 6% increase per calendar year for men and women, respectively), HF was associated with unadjusted case-fatality rate of 59% within 5 years and 196 400 deaths versus 58% and 131 000 deaths in patients with cancer. During 10-year follow-up, HF was associated with 66 318 versus 55 364 premature life-years lost than all common forms of cancer in men. In women, the equivalent figures were 59 535 versus 64 533 premature life-years lost. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that, like most common forms of cancer combined, HF exerts a major health burden in respect to age-adjusted rates of first hospitalization, poor overall survival, and premature life-years lost

Population impact of heart failure and the most common forms of cancer: a study of 1 162 309 hospital cases in Sweden (1988 to 2004)

BACKGROUND: The contemporary impact of heart failure (HF) versus the most common forms of cancer as reflected by related first-ever hospitalizations and subsequent case-fatality rates is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a national registry in Sweden, we compared the rate of first-ever hospitalization and associated short- and long-term survival for HF, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and the most common forms of cancer on an age and sex-specific basis during 1988 to 2004 in 949 733 Swedish patients (1 162 309 hospital admissions in total). Annual incidence of first-ever hospitalization for HF, AMI, and cancer in Sweden were 484, 424, and 373 (lung, colorectal, prostate, and bladder cancer combined) per 100 000 men and 470, 280, and 350 (lung, colorectal, bladder, breast, and ovarian cancer combined) per 100 000 women age >20 years. The ratio of individual cases of HF to cancer was 1.37:1 (465 998 versus 340 738). Despite improvements in 30-day and 5-year survival (adjusted 7% and 6% increase per calendar year for men and women, respectively), HF was associated with unadjusted case-fatality rate of 59% within 5 years and 196 400 deaths versus 58% and 131 000 deaths in patients with cancer. During 10-year follow-up, HF was associated with 66 318 versus 55 364 premature life-years lost than all common forms of cancer in men. In women, the equivalent figures were 59 535 versus 64 533 premature life-years lost. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that, like most common forms of cancer combined, HF exerts a major health burden in respect to age-adjusted rates of first hospitalization, poor overall survival, and premature life-years lost