Lagrange Multiplier Test Diagnostics for Spatial Dependence and Spatial Heterogeneity

Several diagnostics for the assessment of model misspecification due to spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity are developed as an application of the Lagrange Multiplier principle. The starting point is a general model which incorporates spatially lagged dependent variables, spatial residual autocorrelation and heteroskedasticity. Particular attention is given to tests for spatial residual autocorrelation in the presence of spatially lagged dependent variables and in the presence of heteroskedasticity. The tests are formally derived and illustrated in a number of simple empirical examples.     

On Sophron fr. 3 K.-A. (Athenaeus 11.480 B)

After a brief review of some of the general problems posed by Sophron’s work, the paper analyses Sophron’s fr. 3 K.-A., offering a detailed commentary and a new interpretation of the passage.     

Tobler’s Law in a Multivariate World

Tobler’s first law of geography is widely recognized as reflecting broad empirical realities in geography. Its key concepts of “near” and “related” are intuitive in a univariate setting. However, when moving to the joint consideration of spatial patterns among multiple variables, the combination of attribute similarity and geographical similarity that underlies the concept of spatial autocorrelation is much harder to deal with. This article uses the notion of distance in multiattribute space to explore and visualize the connection between “near” and “related” in a multivariate context. We approach this from a global, local, and regional perspective. We outline a number of ways to combine different visualization techniques and introduce a new local neighbor match test for multivariate local clusters. We illustrate the methods by means of Guerry’s classic data set on moral statistics in 1833 France.     

Effects of Different Record Selection Methods on the Transverse Seismic Response of a Bridge in South Western British Columbia

The seismic response of a continuous 4-span bridge designed according to the current Canadian seismic provisions is investigated using Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA). Different earthquake types, including shallow crustal events, interface Cascadia subduction, and deep inslab subduction are considered. The median collapse capacities calculated using different record selection methods including Conditional Mean Spectrum (CMS)-based, Uniform Hazard Spectrum (UHS)-based, and epsilon-based methods are compared. The use of the epsilon-based method generally resulted in the highest collapse capacity predictions, but the CMS-based method was less sensitive to the number of records considered in the IDA.     

GeoDa : An Introduction to Spatial Data Analysis

This article presents an overview of GeoDa™, a free software program intended to serve as a user-friendly and graphical introduction to spatial analysis for non-geographic information systems (GIS) specialists. It includes functionality ranging from simple mapping to exploratory data analysis, the visualization of global and local spatial autocorrelation, and spatial regression. A key feature of GeoDa is an interactive environment that combines maps with statistical graphics, using the technology of dynamically linked windows. A brief review of the software design is given, as well as some illustrative examples that highlight distinctive features of the program in applications dealing with public health, economic development, real estate analysis, and criminology.     

Deposition of annual growth lines in the apex of the common limpet (Patella vulgata) from Shetland Islands,UK and Norway: Evidence from field marking and shell mineral content of annual line deposition

The abundance, accessibility and value of limpets as a source of food and bait for coastal peoples have resulted in their high frequency in shell middens worldwide. The limpet Patella vulgata is found in middens from the Mediterranean to Norway, and morphometric and sclerochronological analyses of its shell can provide insight into harvesting patterns and paleoenvironmental variables valuable in reconstructing climate. Previous work with P. vulgata has relied on lines on the exterior of the shell, or on lines exiting on the shell surface in shell cross-section, as annual or sub-annual markers. Shell damage may compromise these lines and limit the use of some shells, but growth lines are also found in the better-preserved shell apex. We investigated whether the growth lines in the apex of P. vulgata from two locations in Northern Europe are annual using calcein-marking and recapture. Investigations were performed at one site in the Shetland Islands (UK) and at one site at the northern limit of P. vulgata's range in Northern Norway. We also used laser ablation to measure the concentration of minerals in the shells of two individuals from Shetland to determine if patterns of minerals suggested as bioproxies for temperature and productivity varied annually. All individuals deposited one growth line in the apex during their year in the field, and the lowest ratios of Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca and to a lesser extent Mg/Ca were coincident with annual lines on the shells from Shetland. Growth at both sites was modelled using the von Bertalanffy growth function, and apex growth was nearly five times faster in Shetland than in Norway, probably a result of differences in temperature between the two locations.     

Direct radiocarbon (AMS) dating of split-based points from the (Proto)Aurignacian of Trou de la Mère Clochette,Northeastern France. Implications for the characterization of the Aurignacian and the timing of technical innovations in Europe

Radiocarbon (AMS) dates on two split-based point wings and a hominin molar from the site of Trou de la Mère Clochette in the French Jura are presented in this paper. Dating split-based points has very rarely been undertaken. This is unfortunate given that these artefacts are critical to our definition and characterization of Early Upper Palaeolithic technocomplexes, as they are considered to be the type fossil of the Classic Aurignacian.