Occurrence cubes : a new paradigm for aggregating species occurrence data

In this paper we describe a method of aggregating species occurrence data into what we coined “occurrence cubes”. The aggregated data can be perceived as a cube with three dimensions - taxonomic, temporal and geographic - and takes into account the spatial uncertainty of each occurrence. The aggregation level of each of the three dimensions can be adapted to the scope. Built on Open Science principles, the method is easily automated and reproducible, and can be used for species trend indicators, maps and distribution models. We are using the method to aggregate species occurrence data for Europe per taxon, year and 1km2 European reference grid, to feed indicators and risk mapping/modelling for the Tracking Invasive Alien Species (TrIAS) project

Models of Co-occurrence

A model of co-occurrence in bitext is a boolean predicate that indicates whether a given pair of word tokens co-occur in corresponding regions of the bitext space. Co-occurrence is a precondition for the possibility that two tokens might be mutual translations. Models of co-occurrence are the glue that binds methods for mapping bitext correspondence with methods for estimating translation models into an integrated system for exploiting parallel texts. Different models of co-occurrence are possible, depending on the kind of bitext map that is available, the language-specific information that is available, and the assumptions made about the nature of translational equivalence. Although most statistical translation models are based on models of co-occurrence, modeling co-occurrence correctly is more difficult than it may at first appear

The myth of occurrence-based semantics

The principle of compositionality requires that the meaning of a complex expression remains the same after substitution of synonymous expressions. Alleged counterexamples to compositionality seem to force a theoretical choice: either apparent synonyms are not synonyms or synonyms do not syntactically occur where they appear to occur. Some theorists have instead looked to Frege’s doctrine of “reference shift” according to which the meaning of an expression is sensitive to its linguistic context. This doctrine is alleged to retain the relevant claims about synonymy and substitution while respecting the compositionality principle. Thus, Salmon :415, 2006) and Glanzberg and King :1–29, 2020) offer occurrence-based accounts of variable binding, and Pagin and Westerståhl :381–415, 2010c) argue that an occurrence-based semantics delivers a compositional account of quotation. Our thesis is this: the occurrence-based strategies resolve the apparent failures of substitutivity in the same general way as the standard expression-based semantics do. So it is a myth that a Frege-inspired occurrence-based semantics affords a genuine alternative strategy

Ictal kissing: occurrence and etiology.

Ictal kissing is a rare semiological manifestation in patients with epilepsy. We tried to estimate its occurrence and characterize the underlying etiology. We retrospectively reviewed all video-EEG reports from Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center over a 12-year period (2004-2015) for the occurrence of the term kiss . We then searched the electronic database PubMed on September 21, 2016 using the following search terms in the English language: ictal OR seizure OR epilepsy AND kiss OR kissing . Relevant original studies were included. During the study period, 5133 patients were investigated in our epilepsy monitoring unit. One patient (0.02%) had one episode of documented ictal kissing. He had drug-resistant right mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. In total, five studies met the criteria for inclusion in the review. These studies described nine patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy and ictal kissing behavior. Six out of ten patients with ictal kissing had hippocampal sclerosis. We add to the literature on ictal kissing by providing additional information on its frequency and etiology. The most common underlying etiology for ictal kissing is hippocampal sclerosis. However, this semiological ictal phenomenon is not pathognomonic for any etiology or localization

Time-energy correlations in solar flare occurrence

The existence of time-energy correlations in flare occurrence is still an open and much debated problem. This study addresses the question whether statistically significant correlations are present between energies of successive flares as well as energies and waiting times. We analyze the GOES catalog with a statistical approach based on the comparison of the real catalog with a reshuffled one where energies are decorrelated. This analysis reduces the effect of background activity and is able to reveal the role of obscuration. We show the existence of non-trivial correlations between waiting times and energies, as well as between energies of subsequent flares. More precisely, we find that flares close in time tend to have the second event with large energy. Moreover, after large flares the flaring rate significantly increases, together with the probability of other large flares. Results suggest that correlations between energies and waiting times are a physical property and not an effect of obscuration. These findings could give important information on the mechanisms for energy storage and release in the solar corona