The claim that measures of global biodiversity dynamics are meaningless is based upon several methodological problems, including underrepresentation of tropical regions in ‘‘global’’ Phanerozoic data sets, inaccuracies in taxonomic data, non-equivalence of higher taxa among groups of organisms, and uneven sampling intensity across groups, environments, and time intervals. Some of these problems...

where A ( < ) is analytic in the small parameter e . Our basic result is a uniform asymptotic approximation to exp A ( e ) r that we obtain under a certain multiple semistability condition. This asymptotic approximation gives a complete multiple time scale decomposition of the above system and specifies a set of reduced order models valid at each time scale. Our contribution is threefold. 1...

Outlier detection targets those exceptional data whose pattern is rare and lie in low density regions. In this paper, under the assumption of complete spatial randomness inside clusters, we propose an MDV (Multi-scale Deviation of the Volume) approach to identifying outliers. In addition to assigning an outlier score for each object, it directly outputs a crisp outlier set. It also offers a plo...

In the study of complex systems a fundamental issue is the mapping of the networks of interaction between constituent subsystems of a complex system or between multiple complex systems. Such networks define the web of dependencies and patterns of continuous and dynamic coupling between the system's elements characterized by directed flow of information spanning multiple spatial and temporal sca...

There is also a growing consensus that evidence of teachers’ contributions to student learning should be a component of teacher evaluation systems, along with evidence about the quality of teachers’ practice. “Value Added Models” (VAMs) for looking at gains in student test scores from one year to the next are promoted as tools to accomplish this goal. Policy makers can benefit from research abo...

This paper considers the problem of a beam with a small bending stiffness, within the framework of a non-linear beam model that includes both the classical cable and the linear beam as limiting cases. This problem, treated as a perturbation of the catenary solution, is solved with the multiple scales method. The resulting expressions of the beam deflection and of the internal forces, as well as...