Relative Homogeneity Research Articles

The utility of MRI histogram and texture analysis for the prediction of histological diagnosis in head and neck malignancies

BackgroundTo assess the utility of histogram and texture analysis of magnetic resonance (MR) fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging (Fs-T2WI) for the prediction of histological diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and malignant lymphoma (ML).MethodsThe cases of 57 patients with SCC (45 well/moderately and 12 poorly differentiated SCC) and 10 patients with ML were retrospectively analyzed. Quantitative parameters with histogram features (relative mean signal, coefficient of variation, kurtosis and skewness) and gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features (contrast, correlation, energy and homogeneity) were calculated using Fs-T2WI data with a manual tumor region of interest (ROI).ResultsThe following significantly different values were obtained for the total SCC versus ML groups: relative mean signal (3.65 ± 0.86 vs. 2.61 ± 0.49), contrast (72.9 ± 16.2 vs. 49.3 ± 8.7) and homogeneity (2.22 ± 0.25 × 10− 1 vs. 2.53 ± 0.12 × 10− 1). In the comparison of the SCC histological grades, the relative mean signal and contrast were significantly lower in the poorly differentiated SCC (2.89 ± 0.63, 56.2 ± 12.9) compared to the well/moderately SCC (3.85 ± 0.81, 77.5 ± 13.9). The homogeneity in poorly differentiated SCC (2.56 ± 0.15 × 10− 1) was higher than that of the well/moderately SCC (2.1 ± 0.18 × 10− 1).ConclusionsParameters obtained by histogram and texture analysis of Fs-T2WI may be useful for noninvasive prediction of histological type and grade in head and neck malignancy.

Advances in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and future prospects: Lessons learned from precision genomics.

In the latest World Health Organization classification of myeloid neoplasms, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) exists as a separate entity under the category of myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative (MDS/MPN) overlap syndromes. Outcomes remain uniformly poor with a median overall survival of ~2 years and an inherent risk of transformation into acute myeloid leukemia (15-20% over 5 years). Due to unique biologic characteristics such as overlapping features of myelodysplasia and myeloproliferation, and clinical diversity despite relative genomic homogeneity, CMML represents a unique model to study chronic myeloid tumor biology. Recent advances have focused on understanding the role of putative genomic abnormalities, in particular, clonal evolution of pathogenic alterations in genes regulating the epigenome (TET2), chromatin architecture (ASXL1), spliceosome complex (SRSF2, SF3B1) and cell signaling (NRAS, KRAS, CBL, JAK2). Disease prognostication has evolved from purely clinical prognostic models to those incorporating pathogenic gene variations. Therapeutic options in this disease remain dismal with only two agents approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, namely 5-azacitidine and decitabine. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the sole curative option in this disease; however is associated with substantial treatment-related morbidity and mortality. Future areas of research include opportunities to further improve disease prognostication by employing novel technologies such as machine learning, incorporation of methylation and cytokine signatures, in addition to gene mutations; insights into clonal origins of this disease, and novel therapeutic strategies.

CONTENTS OF MANGANESE, ZINC, COPPER AND MOLYBDENUM IN THE HAIR OF THE FARM ANIMALS IN THE LOWER DNIESTER VALLEY

Aim. The aim is to identify the differences in the accumulation of manganese, zinc, copper and molybdenum in the hair of farm animals (cows and goats) and their spatial differentiation in the valley of the Lower Dniester. Methods. Sampling and sample preparation were carried out in accordance with generally accepted methods. The determination of metal content in hair samples was carried out in accredited laboratories using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy (ICP-S). Results. For the first time, data are presented on the content of biogenic metals (manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum) in the hair of the tail of black-and-white cows and Russian White and Saanen goats in the valleys of the Lower Dniester. Conclusions. It is shown that the concentration of trace elements in the hair of farm animals reflects the relative homogeneity of the biogeochemical conditions of the Lower Dniester valley. It is established that cows and goats are characterized by a sharply differing elemental status for the studied metals estimated on the basis of an analysis of their concentrations in the hair of the tail. At the same time, the effect of hair color on the content of elements was revealed only for molybdenum in cows, and for goats there were no significant interbreed differences in metal concentrations.

Woody Species Richness and Diversity at Ades Dry Afromontane Forest of South Eastern Ethiopia

The study was conducted at Ades Dry Afromontane Forest at 407 km Southeast of Addis Ababa to assess the diversity and composition of woody plant species. The sampling design was based on a US Forest Service model for the indigenous forests. A total of 60 circular plots each with an area of 0.017 ha were arranged in groups of four where a central plot is surrounded by three plots that are each at 36.6m from the central plot. In each plot, all woody plants that were ≥10cm in DBH were sampled for floristic diversity. Biodiversity analyses were accomplished using the Shannon-Weaver’s Index (H’) to assess the tree species diversity and Shannon Equitability (H’E) was calculated to assess the evenness values of species while the Importance Value Index (IVI) of each woody species was analyzed to see the Importance of individual tree and shrub species at the site. A total of 65 trees and shrub species belonging to 38 families had been recorded in this study. Rosaceae was a family with the highest number of species comprising about 9.23 % of the total number of species. The <i>H’</i> ranged between 0.004 to 0. 362 with the overall <i>H’</i> of 2.82. The H’E values ranged between 0.001 to 0.087 with a mean value of 0.01. A mean H’E value of 0.01 indicates that the relative homogeneity of woody plant species of the sampled plots was 1% of the maximum possible even population. The evenness values are not enough to justify uniformity in composition of tree species. The mean IVI value ranged between 0.36 to 49.06 with mean IVI value of 6.0. In this study only 15% of the recorded species were found with IVI values > 10 and the rest of 85% have IVI values < 10. The variation in survival mechanisms of species made some species to be dominant and most species to be lower in number in a given ecosystem. Tree species with high IVI were also found to have higher <i>H’</i> of diversity. The spatial distribution and dominance of species can be affected both by the properties of the species themselves and the environmental factors. The diversity of woody species observed in the Ades dry afromontane is encouraging since, among other reasons, it is useful for conservation strategy.

Woody Species Richness and Diversity Following Successional Stages at Jello-Muktar Dry Afromontane Forest, South-eastern Ethiopia

The study was carried out at 8⁰55’N-9⁰05’N latitude and 40⁰50’E-40⁰51’E longitude, at Jello-Muktar dry Afromontane forest South eastern Ethiopia to analyze changes in species composition, diversity and species richness under three successional stages. Three sites were selected each with 10 sample plots from each succssional stage. The average distance between the plots was 200 m and the radius was 30m. In each plot, identification, counting and measurement of diameter at breast height (DBH) of all trees and shrubs (DBH≥10cm) was conducted. Comparison of richness (S) between sites and successional stages was analyzed by Chao2 estimator and Rarefaction was performed to compare species richness among sites and successional stages, for unequal number of individuals in sites. The Shannon-Wiener (H’) and the Pielou indices (E) were used to assess the species diversity and evenness indices. A total of 114 species corresponding to 76 tree and 38 shrub species were recorded in the three successional stages. The MS forest was found to have the highest species richness followed by IS and ES successional stages. Analysis of Chao 2 estimator revealed that an average of 89.6% of the total species expected had been found for each successional stage. The MS sites were also found to have the highest mean H’ and H’E indices. The Overall mean measure of evenness was about 0.86 which indicates that the relative homogeneity of the species in the samples was 86% of the maximum possible even population. Different conservation priorities should be implemented to maintain plant species at different successional stages.

Magnesium stable isotopes support the lunar magma ocean cumulate remelting model for mare basalts

We report high-precision Mg isotopic analyses of different types of lunar samples including two pristine Mg-suite rocks (72415 and 76535), basalts, anorthosites, breccias, mineral separates, and lunar meteorites. The Mg isotopic composition of the dunite 72415 (δ25Mg = -0.140 ± 0.010‰, δ26Mg = -0.291 ± 0.018‰), the most Mg-rich and possibly the oldest lunar sample, may provide the best estimate of the Mg isotopic composition of the bulk silicate Moon (BSM). This δ26Mg value of the Moon is similar to those of the Earth and chondrites and reflects both the relative homogeneity of Mg isotopes in the solar system and the lack of Mg isotope fractionation by the Moon-forming giant impact. In contrast to the behavior of Mg isotopes in terrestrial basalts and mantle rocks, Mg isotopic data on lunar samples show isotopic variations among the basalts and pristine anorthositic rocks reflecting isotopic fractionation during the early lunar magma ocean (LMO) differentiation. Calculated evolutions of δ26Mg values during the LMO differentiation are consistent with the observed δ26Mg variations in lunar samples, implying that Mg isotope variations in lunar basalts are consistent with their origin by remelting of distinct LMO cumulates.

A Region Merging Segmentation with Local Scale Parameters: Applications to Spectral and Elevation Data

Region merging is the most effective method for the segmentation of remote sensing data. The quality and the size of the resulted image objects is controlled by a global heterogeneity threshold, termed as the scale parameter. However, the multidimensional nature of the visible features in a scene defies the use of an even optimum single global scale parameter. In this study, a novel region merging segmentation method is proposed, where a local scale parameter is defined for each image object by its internal and external heterogeneity measures (i.e., local variance and Moran’s I). This method allows image objects with low internal and external heterogeneity to be further merged with higher scale parameter values, since they are more likely to be a part of an adjacent object, than objects with high internal and external heterogeneity. The proposed method was applied in spectral and elevation data and its results were evaluated visually and with supervised and unsupervised evaluation methods. The comparison with multi-resolution segmentation (MRS) showed that the proposed region merging method can produce improved segmentation results in terms of maximizing intra-object homogeneity and inter-object heterogeneity as well as in the delimitation of specific target objects, present in spectral and elevation data. The unsupervised evaluation results of the (1) Côte d’Azur, (2) Manchester, and (3) Szada images from the SZTAKI-INRIA building detection dataset showed that the proposed method (overall goodness, OGf (1): 0.7375, (2): 0.7923, (3): 0.7967) performs better than MRS (OGf (1): 0.7224, (2): 0.7648, (3): 0.7823). The higher values of OGf indicate their ability to produce segmentation results with reduced over-segmentation effects and without the need of presegmented input data, in contrast to the objective heterogeneity and relative homogeneity (OHRH) hybrid segmentation method (OGf (1): 0.5864, (2): 0.5151, (3): 0.6983).

Regulation of online gambling

In most jurisdictions gambling is considered a demerit good that causes negative externalities and requires market interventions. Such interventions are based on (1) consumer protection and public health, (2) crime prevention and public order, and (3) fiscal motives. Despite a relative homogeneity among Western cultures in normative values, a broad variety of regulatory systems for online gambling can be observed, ranging from free markets to licensing systems, state monopolies and prohibitions—even within the same nation state. It is hypothesized that these differences stem from insufficient knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of online gambling rather than from different regulatory goals. A comparative study is thus needed to explore the socioeconomic effects of different regulatory regimes and to educate regulators.

Beyond WEIRD Psychology: Measuring and Mapping Scales of Cultural and Psychological Distance

We present a tool and method for measuring the psychological and cultural distance between societies and creating a distance scale with any population as the point of comparison. Since psychological data is dominated by samples drawn from WEIRD nations, and overwhelmingly, the United States, we focus on distance from the US. We also present distance from China, the largest population, second largest economy, and common cultural comparison. We apply the fixation index (F_ST), a meaningful statistic in evolutionary theory, to the World Values Survey of cultural beliefs and behaviors. As the extreme WEIRDness of the literature begins to dissolve, the tool will become more useful for designing, planning, and justifying a wide range of comparative psychological projects. Our code and accompanying online application allow for comparisons between any two countries. Analyses of regional diversity reveal the relative homogeneity of the United States. Cultural distance predicts various psychological outcomes.

Effect of polyethyleneimine-fatty acid complex type dispersant structure on the overall processing chain of Si3N4 ceramics using multicomponent non-aqueous slurries

The effect of fatty acid structure of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-fatty acid complex, which was designed as a polymer dispersant for multi-component non-aqueous slurries, on the overall processing chain of Si3N4 ceramics involving slurry stabilization, spray drying, compaction, and liquid sintering was investigated using PEI-oleic acid (PEI-OA) and PEI-isostearic (PEI-ISA) complexes. Si3N4-Y2O3-Al2O3-AlN-TiO2/toluene slurries were selected as a real model for Si3N4-based multicomponent slurries. It was observed that both PEI-OA and PEI-ISA can stabilize Si3N4-Y2O3-Al2O3-AlN-TiO2/toluene slurries; however, the PEI-ISA system tended to have slightly higher slurry viscosity, which was suspected to be due to the interactions between protruded PEI segments among short ISA chains. The spray-dried granules from PEI-ISA-stabilized slurry were observed to have filled structures with higher surface roughness whereas those prepared from PEI-OA-stabilized slurry were observed to have hollow-structured granules. The granules prepared from PEI-OA slurry had improved flow and compaction properties with higher relative density of green compacts compared with those prepared from PEI-ISA-stabilized slurry, whereas the relative density and microstructural homogeneity of S3N4 ceramics sintered at 1600 °C for 2 h were observed to be higher for the PEI-ISA system. It is suspected that PEI-OA effectively improved the dispersion stability of multicomponent slurries and flow/compaction properties of granules; however, the inhomogeneous microstructures of green compacts induced by the hollow-structured granules had an adverse effect on the sintering of Si3N4 ceramics.

FromEl Gran MeaulnestoMeaulnes el Grande

AbstractThe present contribution aims at a comparative study of the Spanish retranslations of the French classicLe Grand Meaulnes. With the objective of identifying macro and micro-structural variations among the various retranslations, a parallel corpus is compiled, the source-text and the various translations are aligned and imported into a translation memory which allows for a targeted analysis of specific linguistic elements. The results obtained from the corpus analysis show that, despite their differences the retranslations display a relative homogeneity, in so far as they are largely source-text oriented and foreignizing. Relative homogeneity notwithstanding, differences can be observed between twentieth century-translations and those carried out in the twenty-first-century. The translators of the latter take a specific approach to translating the novel, either as a literary critic or by taking a critical stance towards a more assimilative approach adopted in an earlier translation.

Decomposing Leftovers: Event, Path, and Site Residuals for a Small‐Magnitude Anza Region GMPE

Research Article| July 24, 2018 Decomposing Leftovers: Event, Path, and Site Residuals for a Small‐Magnitude Anza Region GMPE Valerie Sahakian; Valerie Sahakian aEarthquake Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 977, Menlo Park, California 94025, vjs@uoregon.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Annemarie Baltay; Annemarie Baltay aEarthquake Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 977, Menlo Park, California 94025, vjs@uoregon.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Tom Hanks; Tom Hanks aEarthquake Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 977, Menlo Park, California 94025, vjs@uoregon.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Janine Buehler; Janine Buehler bScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92039 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Frank Vernon; Frank Vernon bScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92039 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Debi Kilb; Debi Kilb bScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92039 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Norman Abrahamson Norman Abrahamson cCivil and Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley, 447 Davis Hall, Berkeley, California 94720 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Valerie Sahakian aEarthquake Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 977, Menlo Park, California 94025, vjs@uoregon.edu Annemarie Baltay aEarthquake Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 977, Menlo Park, California 94025, vjs@uoregon.edu Tom Hanks aEarthquake Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 977, Menlo Park, California 94025, vjs@uoregon.edu Janine Buehler bScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92039 Frank Vernon bScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92039 Debi Kilb bScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92039 Norman Abrahamson cCivil and Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley, 447 Davis Hall, Berkeley, California 94720 Publisher: Seismological Society of America First Online: 24 Jul 2018 Online Issn: 1943-3573 Print Issn: 0037-1106 © Seismological Society of America Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (2018) 108 (5A): 2478–2492. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120170376 Article history First Online: 24 Jul 2018 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Valerie Sahakian, Annemarie Baltay, Tom Hanks, Janine Buehler, Frank Vernon, Debi Kilb, Norman Abrahamson; Decomposing Leftovers: Event, Path, and Site Residuals for a Small‐Magnitude Anza Region GMPE. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 2018;; 108 (5A): 2478–2492. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0120170376 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyBulletin of the Seismological Society of America Search Advanced Search Abstract Ground‐motion prediction equations (GMPEs) are critical elements of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), as well as for other applications of ground motions. To isolate the path component for the purpose of building nonergodic GMPEs, we compute a regional GMPE using a large dataset of peak ground accelerations (PGAs) from small‐magnitude earthquakes (⁠0.5≤M≤4.5 with >10,000 events, yielding ∼120,000 recordings) that occurred in 2013 centered around the ANZA seismic network (hypocentral distances ≤180 km⁠) in southern California. We examine two separate methods of obtaining residuals from the observed and predicted ground motions: a pooled ordinary least‐squares model and a mixed‐effects maximum‐likelihood model. Whereas the former is often used by the broader seismological community, the latter is widely used by the ground‐motion and engineering seismology community. We confirm that mixed‐effects models are the preferred and most statistically robust method to obtain event, path, and site residuals and discuss the reasoning behind this. Our results show that these methods yield different consequences for the uncertainty of the residuals, particularly for the event residuals. Finally, our results show no correlation (correlation coefficient [CC] <0.03⁠) between site residuals and the classic site‐characterization term VS30⁠, the time‐averaged shear‐wave velocity in the top 30 m at a site. We propose that this is due to the relative homogeneity of the site response in the region and perhaps due to shortcomings in the formulation of VS30 and suggest applying the provided PGA site correction terms to future ground‐motion studies for increased accuracy. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Pressure filtration assisted gel casting in translucent alumina ceramics fabrication

High density and homogeneous green body is important for fabricating transparent ceramics. Inspired by the improved samples’ homogeneity in slip casting, we introduced low pressure filtration to gel casting to further increase the relative density and homogeneity of the green body and to shorten the drying time. The effect of pressure filtration on drying characteristics, bulk density and porosity of the pre-sintered bodies, and the microstructure and optical transmittance of the resultant ceramics were intensively investigated. The results showed that pressure filtration can reduce the drying time by 27.3%, improve the density of the pre-sintered bodies and reduce the residual pores of the sintered ceramics. The in-line transmittance of the translucent alumina prepared by the pressure filtration assisted gel casting was 32.7% at 600 nm with a thickness of 1 mm, which is about 6% higher than that without pressure filtration. In principle, this process can be applied to fabricate any other high-performance ceramic.

Modeling the transfer Effect of Exchange Rate on Prices in Russia

The article examines the relationship between the dynamics of the exchange rate and prices in Russia in a volatile environment of foreign markets and the change of the monetary and credit policy of the Bank of Russia. The purpose of this work is to assess the transfer effect of the nominal exchange rate of the ruble on the prices for consumers and producers in 2002–2017 in general and in the periods of relative homogeneity of the monetary policy regime in Russia. The analysis was based on statistical data on the Russian economy for the period 2002–2017. The method of econometric modelling is used to quantify the observed effects. The study is based on the apparatus of structural vector autoregressions, evaluated using Bayesian methods. The structural identifcation of the model is carried out by the recursive ranking of variables and decomposition of structural shocks elaborated by André-Louis Cholesky. Bayesian regularization is based on the application of a combination of independent normal and inverse Wishart’s a priori distributions. Qualitative interpretation of the results is based on the analysis of the impulse response functions. The results of the study confrm the existence of a statistically and economically signifcant relationship between the dynamics of the exchange rate and prices in Russia during the last two decades. The effect of exchange rate shocks is immediate. We showed that the impact of the exchange rate on consumer prices has remained signifcant for several years. The reaction of producer prices is greater than the effect observed for consumer prices. A sample of data for 2014–2017 indicates a decrease in the effect transfer of exchange rate and proved the effectiveness of inflation targeting. The transition to the policy of inflation targeting has reduced the dependence of inflation processes in Russia on the external market conditions and global risks.

Universal Health Coverage in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa: Assessment of Global Health Experts' Confidence in Policy Options.

Many countries rely on standard recipes for accelerating progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). With limited generalizable empirical evidence, expert confidence and consensus plays a major role in shaping country policy choices. This article presents an exploratory attempt conducted between April and September 2016 to measure confidence and consensus among a panel of global health experts in terms of the effectiveness and feasibility of a number of policy options commonly proposed for achieving UHC in low- and middle-income countries, such as fee exemptions for certain groups of people, ring-fenced domestic health budgets, and public-private partnerships. To ensure a relative homogeneity of contexts, we focused on French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. We initially used the Delphi method to arrive at expert consensus, but since no consensus emerged after 2 rounds, we adjusted our approach to a statistical analysis of the results from our questionnaire by measuring the degree of consensus on each policy option through 100 (signifying total consensus) minus the size of the interquartile range of the individual scores. Seventeen global health experts from various backgrounds, but with at least 20 years' experience in the broad region, participated in the 2 rounds of the study. The results provide an initial "mapping" of the opinions of a group of experts and suggest interesting lessons. For the 18 policy options proposed, consensus emerged only on strengthening the supply of quality primary health care services (judged as being effective with a confidence score of 79 and consensus score of 90), and on fee exemptions for the poorest (judged as being fairly easy to implement with a confidence score of 66 and consensus score of 85). For none of the 18 common policy options was there consensus on both potential effectiveness and feasibility, with very diverging opinions concerning 5 policy options. The lack of confidence and consensus within the panel seems to reflect the lack of consistent evidence on the proposed policy options. This suggests that experts' opinions should be framed within strengthened inclusive and "evidence-informed deliberative processes" where the trade-offs along the 3 dimensions of UHC-extending the population covered against health hazards, expanding the range of services and benefits covered, and reducing out-of-pocket expenditures-can be discussed in a transparent and contextualized setting.

Region Merging Considering Within- and Between-Segment Heterogeneity: An Improved Hybrid Remote-Sensing Image Segmentation Method

Image segmentation is an important process and a prerequisite for object-based image analysis, but segmenting an image into meaningful geo-objects is a challenging problem. Recently, some scholars have focused on hybrid methods that employ initial segmentation and subsequent region merging since hybrid methods consider both boundary and spatial information. However, the existing merging criteria (MC) only consider the heterogeneity between adjacent segments to calculate the merging cost of adjacent segments, thus limiting the goodness-of-fit between segments and geo-objects because the homogeneity within segments and the heterogeneity between segments should be treated equally. To overcome this limitation, in this paper a hybrid remote-sensing image segmentation method is employed that considers the objective heterogeneity and relative homogeneity (OHRH) for MC during region merging. In this paper, the OHRH method is implemented in five different study areas and then compared to our region merging method using the objective heterogeneity (OH) method, as well as the full lambda-schedule algorithm (FLSA). The unsupervised evaluation indicated that the OHRH method was more accurate than the OH and FLSA methods, and the visual results showed that the OHRH method could distinguish both small and large geo-objects. The segments showed greater size changes than those of the other methods, demonstrating the superiority of considering within- and between-segment heterogeneity in the OHRH method.

The European Model of Transnational Democracy: A Tribute to Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde

Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde is one of the most eminent German constitutional theorists of the twentieth century. The following article connects with two themes that reappear in Böckenförde's writings. The first theme, which Böckenförde actually borrowed from Hermann Heller, is that democracy presupposes “relative homogeneity.” The second theme is that there would not be any principal objection against Europe growing into a nation state.

Statism, Secularism, Liberalism - Böckenförde's Contributions to German Staatsrechtslehre in the Light of Contemporary Challenges within and beyond the State

This introduction lays out the rationale behind the special issue examining Böckenförde's concepts and arguments in light of contemporary crises of democracy. Considering the enormous challenges facing democracies today, how should one judge Böckenförde's optimistic view of the regulatory capabilities of the state? Is it irrelevant, given the de facto power of both supra- and non-state actors? Or does Böckenförde's view still possess explanatory value, as the state remains the most important political unit? The article consists of two parts. First, Böckenförde will be introduced as a thinker whose work centred on questions of statism, liberalism and secularism. He paid special attention to the relation between politics and religion in contexts of democratic statehood. In addition to his interest in these themes, his understanding of the constitution and constitutional interpretation will be sketched. Second, we will introduce the three topoi on which the articles of this special issue focus: Böckenförde's insistence that the state of exception ought to be constitutionalised by exploring the relevance of this proposition in four different jurisdictions; whether his model of democratic secularism as open encompassing neutrality can serve as a useful starting point to manage religious and social diversity; the future of Europe. Against this backdrop, the conclusion then aims to connect Böckenförde's ideas on relative homogeneity with the contemporary crises of democracy.

Parametric computational analysis of indentation-induced shear band formation in metal-ceramic multilayer coatings

Shear band formation in multilayer thin-films subject to nanoindentation is studied numerically. The material system analyzed here is composed of alternating aluminum (Al) and silicon carbide (SiC) nanolayers, above a silicon (Si) substrate. Finite element models are developed to investigate system parameters that influence behavior of the shear band phenomenon. By introducing strain softening into the material model for the relatively hard ceramic layers, shear bands can be seen to emerge from the indentation site in the computational analyses. Effects of post-yield material parameter variations on the initiation of plastic instability are examined. Several geometric variations are also investigated, including the effect of relative layer thicknesses, homogeneity, layer order, and number of layers. The chain events that lead to shear band nucleation are postulated. Broad implications are noted, along with possible directions for future work.

Direct electrochemical observation of glucosidase activity in isolated single lysosomes from a living cell

The protein activity in individual intracellular compartments in single living cells must be analyzed to obtain an understanding of protein function at subcellular locations. The current methodology for probing activity is often not resolved to the level of an individual compartment, and the results provide an extent of reaction that is averaged from a group of compartments. To address this technological limitation, a single lysosome is sorted from a living cell via electrophoresis into a nanocapillary designed to electrochemically analyze internal solution. The activity of a protein specific to lysosomes, β-glucosidase, is determined by the electrochemical quantification of hydrogen peroxide generated from the reaction with its substrate and the associated enzymes preloaded in the nanocapillary. Sorting and assaying multiple lysosomes from the same cell shows the relative homogeneity of protein activity between different lysosomes, whereas the protein activity in single lysosomes from different cells of the same type is heterogeneous. Thus, this study for the analysis of protein activity within targeted cellular compartments allows direct study of protein function at subcellular resolution and provides unprecedented information about the homogeneity within the lysosomal population of a single cell.