Empowering users to control their privacy in context-aware system through interactive consent

Context-aware systems adapt their behaviour based on the context a user is in. Since context is potentially privacy sensitive information, users should be empowered to control how much of their context they are willing to share, under what conditions and for what purpose. We propose an interactive consent mechanism that allows this. It is interactive in the sense that users are asked for consent when a request for their context information is received. Our interactive consent mechanism complements a more traditional pre-configuration approach. We describe the architecture, the implementation of our interactive consent mechanism and a use case

Cycloalkenopyridines by ring transformations of diazines and triazines

This paper is a short review on the synthesis of 2,3-cycloalkenopyridines and 3,4-cycloalkenopyridines by inter- and intra-molecular cycloadditions

Screening of micro-organisms for Venturia inaequalis control by means of DGGE

Venturia inaequalis causes apple scab. The control of the disease in organic apple production depends on the use of copper which will be restricted in future for environmental reasons. In the search for environmental friendly microbial biocontrol agents and stimulation of antagonistic populations in situ the molecular technique of DGGE fingerprinting can is applied. This fingerprinting technique allows to bypass culturing techniques and even can identify not yet culturable organisms. Comparison of microbial fingerprints and pathogen development in the leaf samples during winter and spring has been performed to identify populations with antagonistic potential. Such potential antagonistic organisms can be further identified by their specific DNA sequence. Preliminary results identify possible antagonists. The identification based on the sequence can help to focus on specific isolation or stimulation of a possible antagonist or a consortium of antagonists

Vukovi i smrt: tanatolosko znacenje vuka u tradicijskoj kulturi zapadnojuznoslavenskog podrucja

Associations of wolves with death and the world of the dead have been of common and frequent across European and Indo-European cultures throughout history. In arguing for similar thanatological symbolism of the wolf in the western part of the South Slavic linguistic and cultural region, mythologists and philologists of the 19th and 20th centuries have cited contemporary ethnographic and folkloristic data among their supporting evidence. However, in the folk beliefs, narrations and customs that were recorded systematically from the end of the 19th century for this region, indications of a direct connection between wolves and thanatological conceptions are exceedingly scarce. The article presents a synthesis of those ethnographic and folkloric elements that unequivocally link wolves with folk conceptions of death and the cult of the dead, and offers a sober assessment of their signi cance in the relative synchrony of 19th- and 20th-century traditional (rural) meanings and practices. Within the referential framework of folk thanatology, it also critically evaluates existing hypotheses on the connection between wolves and vampires

The inflammatory response in surgical oncology: potential sequelae in elderly patients

Due to the ageing of society and increasing cancer incidence with ageing, surgery for elderly patients has, and will, become more and more common. Although elderly patients diagnosed with cancer may benefit from surgical treatment, they are more susceptible for adverse events than the young. During the last decades the role of a physiologic response in the development of postoperative complications (including cognitive impairment) has been suggested. During surgery tissue damage is inflicted, leading to the activation of the immune system. A tightly balanced reaction from the immune system is vital for recovery from trauma and surgery. However, a severe and prolonged inflammatory response might be detrimental and might be associated with postoperative complications. Although substantial progress has been made in recognizing and treating postoperative complications to improve the postoperative care, it remains unclear why and how especially the elderly are prone for the development of adverse outcomes and how the immune system plays a role. Therefore the aim of this thesis was to study the possible negative sequelae of the inflammatory response, and the inflammatory response itself, to surgery in elderly oncological patients with special interest in cognitive functioning. Identification of patients at increased risk of postoperative complications enables tailored treatment, ultimately leading to improved quality of care and improved postoperative outcomes in older oncological patients. Being able to preserve postoperative cognitive functioning for the oncological patients will enable them to lead an independent life after successful cancer treatment

Understanding Access to Menstrual Hygiene Products in the Akron Area

Abstract The purpose of this project is to contribute to the understanding of the nature of access to menstrual hygiene products in the Akron area. Questions being researched are “Do Akron area residents need better access to menstrual hygiene products?”, “What is the nature of current access to products in the Akron area?”, “What influences a lack of access to products, if anything?”, and “What kinds of products are preferred and actually used?” The project consists of a 30-question survey, which was taken online by 51 participants. Completed analyses were cross tabulation analyses using Qualtrics and IBM SPSS programs and Pearson Correlations using IBM SPSS. Results showed no statistically significant correlations between variables. Though no statistical significance was found, evidence suggests that there is a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products in the community, and a large portion of individuals who use products have, at some point in their lives, had no access to any products while menstruating. To adapt, a variety of methods were commonly used, such as rolling toilet paper, socks, rags into undergarments and utilizing support from others. In conclusion, additional research needs to be completed with a larger sample size and more concise questionnaire items in order to determine factors that influence a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products

Effects of large herbivores on grassland arthropod diversity

Both arthropods and large grazing herbivores are important components and drivers of biodiversity in grassland ecosystems, but a synthesis of how arthropod diversity is affected by large herbivores has been largely missing. To fill this gap, we conducted a literature search, which yielded 141 studies on this topic of which 24 simultaneously investigated plant and arthropod diversity. Using the data from these 24 studies, we compared the responses of plant and arthropod diversity to an increase in grazing intensity. This quantitative assessment showed no overall significant effect of increasing grazing intensity on plant diversity, while arthropod diversity was generally negatively affected. To understand these negative effects, we explored the mechanisms by which large herbivores affect arthropod communities: direct effects, changes in vegetation structure, changes in plant community composition, changes in soil conditions, and cascading effects within the arthropod interaction web. We identify three main factors determining the effects of large herbivores on arthropod diversity: (i) unintentional predation and increased disturbance, (ii) decreases in total resource abundance for arthropods (biomass) and (iii) changes in plant diversity, vegetation structure and abiotic conditions. In general, heterogeneity in vegetation structure and abiotic conditions increases at intermediate grazing intensity, but declines at both low and high grazing intensity. We conclude that large herbivores can only increase arthropod diversity if they cause an increase in (a)biotic heterogeneity, and then only if this increase is large enough to compensate for the loss of total resource abundance and the increased mortality rate. This is expected to occur only at low herbivore densities or with spatio-temporal variation in herbivore densities. As we demonstrate that arthropod diversity is often more negatively affected by grazing than plant diversity, we strongly recommend considering the specific requirements of arthropods when applying grazing management and to include arthropods in monitoring schemes. Conservation strategies aiming at maximizing heterogeneity, including regulation of herbivore densities (through human interventions or top-down control), maintenance of different types of management in close proximity and rotational grazing regimes, are the most promising options to conserve arthropod diversity