Large and stable: actin aster networks formed via entropic forces

Biopolymer networks play a major role as part of the cytoskeleton. They provide stable structures and act as a medium for signal transport. These features encourage the application of such networks as organic computation devices. While research on this topic is not advanced yet, previous results are very promising. The protein actin in particular appears advantageous. It can be arranged to various stable structures and transmit several signals. In this study aster shaped networks were self-assembled via entropic forces by the crowding agent methyl cellulose. These networks are characterised by a regular and uniquely thick bundle structure, but have so far only been accounted in droplets of 100 μm diameter. We report now regular asters in an area of a few mm2 that could be observed even after months. Such stability outside of an organism is striking and underlines the great potential actin aster networks display

A multivariate extension of the Lorenz curve based on copulas and a related multivariate Gini coefficient

We propose an extension of the univariate Lorenz curve and of the Gini coefficient to the multivariate case, i.e., to simultaneously measure inequality in more than one variable. Our extensions are based on copulas and measure inequality stemming from inequality in each single variable as well as inequality stemming from the dependence structure of the variables. We derive simple nonparametric estimators for both instruments and exemplary apply them to data of individual income and wealth for various countries

A multivariate extension of the Lorenz curve based on copulas and a related multivariate Gini coefficient

We propose an extension of the univariate Lorenz curve and of the Gini coefficient to the multivariate case, i.e., to simultaneously measure inequality in more than one variable. Our extensions are based on copulas and measure inequality stemming from inequality in every single variable as well as inequality stemming from the dependence structure of the variables. We derive simple nonparametric estimators for both instruments and apply them exemplary to data of individual income and wealth for various countries

A multivariate extension of the Lorenz curve based on copulas and a related multivariate Gini coefficient

We propose an extension of the univariate Lorenz curve and of the Gini coefficient to the multivariate case, i.e., to simultaneously measure inequality in more than one variable. Our extensions are based on copulas and measure inequality stemming from inequality in every single variable as well as inequality stemming from the dependence structure of the variables. We derive simple nonparametric estimators for both instruments and apply them exemplary to data of individual income and wealth for various countries.Comment: 17 pages,5 figure

Landscape fragmentation of the Natura 2000 network and its surrounding areas

Habitat loss from anthropogenic development has led to an unprecedented decline in global biodiversity. Protected areas (PAs) exist to counteract this degradation of ecosystems. In the European Union, the Natura 2000 (N2k) network is the basis for continent-wide conservation efforts. N2k is the world’s largest coordinated network of protected areas. However, threats to ecosystems do not stop at the borders of PAs. As measured by a landscape fragmentation metric, anthropogenic development can affect the interiors of PAs. To ensure the long-term viability of the N2k network of PAs, this paper attempts to quantify the degree to which N2k sites are insulated from development pressures. We use a comprehensive dataset of effective mesh density (seff) to measure aggregate fragmentation inside and within a 5 km buffer surrounding N2k sites. Our results show a strong correlation (R² = 0.78) between fragmentation (seff) within and around N2k sites. This result applies to all biogeographical regions in Europe. Only a narrow majority (58.5%) of N2k sites are less fragmented than their surroundings. Remote and mountainous regions in northern Europe, the Alps, parts of Spain, and parts of eastern Europe show the lowest levels of fragmentation. These regions tend to hold the largest N2k sites as measured by area. In contrast, central and western Europe show the highest fragmentation levels within and around N2k sites. 24.5% of all N2k sites are classified as highly to very-highly fragmented. N2k PA age since initial protection does not correlate with the difference in exterior and interior fragmentation of N2k PAs. These results indicate that PAs in Europe are not sheltered from anthropogenic pressures leading to fragmentation. Hence, we argue that there is a high potential for improving PA efficacy by taking pre-emptive action against encroaching anthropogenic fragmentation and by targeting scarce financial resources where fragmentation pressures can be mitigated through enforced construction bans inside PAs

SOCIAL PHOBIA: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND HEALTH CARE EPIDEMIOLOGIE UND VERSORGUNG DER SOZIALPHOBIE

This paper gives an overview on the epidemiology of social phobia. About 4.5% of the adult general populations suffer from social phobia, i.e. it is the most frequent of all anxiety disorders. Social phobia is clearly more frequent among women than among men. About the half of all individuals with social phobia suffer from any comorbid mental disorders. Reviews show a large variability between single studies, probably due to methodological differences. Several population surveys indicate that a marked proportion of those with social phobia do not receive adequate treatment

The Role of Corporate Cultural Similarity for Outsourcing Relationship Quality and Outsourcing Success

What is the impact of corporate cultural similarity (CCS) on outsourcing success? In this paper, we use data from a survey with the largest 1,000 banks in Germany to show that CCS has a substantial effect on outsourcing success which is mainly mediated by different dimensions of outsourcing relationship quality. The more comparable the corporate cultures of the vendor firm and the client firm, the higher is the outsourcing success from the client’s perspective. Finally, we highlight our future steps of research in investigating the impact of particular types of corporate culture in an IT outsourcing context

Guided sparse camera pose estimation

In this paper, we present an idea for a sparse approach to calculate camera poses from RGB images and laser distance measurements to perform subsequent facade reconstruction. The core idea is to guide the image recording process by choosing distinctive features with the laser range finder, e.g. building or window corners. From these distinctive features, we can establish correspondences between views to compute metrically accurate camera poses from just a few precise measurements. In our experiments, we achieve reasonable results in building facade reconstruction with only a fraction of features compared to standard structure from motion