Introduction to Programming Concepts With Case Studies in Python

This book examines the concepts of preventive care and health promotion specifically in the context of the elderly. It adopts a broad concept of health and defines a number of goals around this theme. Thereafter it provides a succinct, up-to-the-minute critique of the worth, risks and costs of preventive care and health promotional strategies for older people. A broad range of such strategies are considered including cancer prevention, the prevention of non-cancer health problems and strategies aimed at enhancing functional status and strengthening the social support network. Principles for tailoring these strategies to the varied needs and wishes of elderly people are outlined. Likewise, practical measures are discussed for integrating these preventive strategies into the existing health care system. In particular, the role of screening, case-finding and targeting strategies in primary care are reviewed in detail. The book concludes with a wider look at the cost implications of preven

In this volume, the authors discuss what practical contributions ecology can and can't make in applied science and environmental problem solving. In the first section, they discuss conceptual problems that have often prevented the formulation and evaluation of powerful, precise, general theories, explain why island biogeography is still beset with controversy and examine the ways in which science is value laden. In the second section, they describe how ecology can give us specific answers to practical environmental questions posed in individual case studies, and argue for a new way to look at scientific error. A case study using the Florida panther is examined in the light of these findings. They end by suggesting a bright future for the important, but relatively undeveloped task of applying ecology to practical environmental problem solving.

In this volume, the authors discuss what practical contributions ecology can and can't make in applied science and environmental problem solving. In the first section, they discuss conceptual problems that have often prevented the formulation and evaluation of powerful, precise, general theories, explain why island biogeography is still beset with controversy and examine the ways in which science is value laden. In the second section, they describe how ecology can give us specific answers to practical environmental questions posed in individual case studies, and argue for a new way to look at scientific error. A case study using the Florida panther is examined in the light of these findings. They end by suggesting a bright future for the important, but relatively undeveloped task of applying ecology to practical environmental problem solving.

This book brings together essays that illustrate the different uses and interpretations of style in archaeology. Style is a widely discussed and controversial issue, which has always been central for archaeological interpretation. The collection considers the history of style in archaeology, its relationship to the concept of style in art history and how stylistic analyses will differ according to different initial assumptions. The essays show how stylistic interpretation works at different levels and they debate stylistic terminologies and concepts. Although these essays show that there is no unified theory of style, they underline the importance of continuing creative discussion through different themes and individual case studies.

For the third edition of this successful undergraduate text, the author has made a number of changes to improve the presentation and clarify some of the arguments, and has also brought several of the applications up to date. The new material includes an elementary, descriptive introduction to the ideas behind the new science of chaos. The overall objectives of the book are unchanged: to lead the student to a thorough understanding of the basic concepts of vibrations and waves, to show how these concepts unify a wide variety of familiar physics, and to open doors to advanced topics which they illuminate. Each section of the book contains a brief summary of its salient contents. There are approximately 180 problems to which all numerical answers are provided, together with hints for their solution. This book is designed both for use as a text for an initial undergraduate course on vibrations and waves, and for a reference at later stages when more advanced topics or applications are met.

In Responsibility and evidence in oral discourse twelve prominent linguists and linguistic anthropologists examine 'responsibility', 'authority', and 'knowledge': central, but problematic, concepts in contemporary anthropology. Their detailed case studies analyze diverse forms of oral discourse - everyday conversation, conversational narrative, song, oratory, divination, and ritual poetry - in societies in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. The studies show how speakers attribute responsibility for acts and states of affairs, how particular forms of language and discourse relate to claims and disclaimers of responsibility, and how verbal acts are themselves social acts, subject to such attributions. The volume challenges those cognitive theorists who locate responsibility for the meaning of verbal acts solely in the intentions of individual speakers. Instead, the contributors focus on the production of meaning between speakers and audiences in particular social and cultural c

This book was first published in 1991. The study of ancient science and its relations with Greek philosophy has made a significant and growing contribution to our understanding of ancient thought and civilisation. This collection of articles on Greek science contains fifteen of the most important papers published by G. E. R. Lloyd in this area since 1961, together with three newer articles. The topics range over all areas and periods of Greek science, from the earliest Presocratic philosophers to Ptolemy and Galen. In each case the article is preceded by an introduction that assesses scholarly debate on the topic since the original publication. Professor Lloyd also suggests modifications and developments to his own position in the light of those debates and his own further research.

The study of chiefdoms has moved from a preoccupation with their formal characteristics to a concern with their dynamics as political institutions. The contributors to this volume are interested in how ruling elites retain power through control over production and exchange, and then legitimize that control through an elaborate ideology. The eleven case studies look at particular chiefdoms, originating in specific historical conditions. Despite obvious differences between the chiefdoms, certain common underlying processes are revealed. The collection recognizes how complex and interdependent the sources of power in society are, as well as the forces of instability that constantly threaten to tear the society apart. Chiefdoms offers a rich and varied interpretation of sociopolitical power.

This is an up-to-date and integrated introduction to model theory, designed to be used for graduate courses (for students who are familiar with first-order logic), and as a reference for more experienced logicians and mathematicians. Model theory is concerned with the notions of definition, interpretation and structure in a very general setting, and is applied to a wide variety of other areas such as set theory, geometry, algebra (in particular group theory), and computer science (e.g. logic programming and specification). Professor Hodges emphasises definability and methods of construction, and introduces the reader to advanced topics such as stability. He also provides the reader with much historical information and a full bibliography, enhancing the book's use as a reference.

This book is an examination of the nature of economic explanation. The opening chapters introduce current thinking in the philosophy of science and review the literature on methodology. Professor Blaug then turns to the troublesome question of the logical status of welfare economics, giving the reader an understanding of the outstanding issues in the methodology of economics. This is followed by a series of case studies of leading economic controversies, which shows how controversies in economics may be illuminated by paying attention to questions of methodology. A final chapter draws the strands together and gives the author's view of what is wrong with modern economics. This book is a revised and updated edition of a classic work on the methodology of economics, in which Professor Blaug develops his discussion of the latest developments in macroeconomics, general equilibrium theory and international trade theory. A new section on the rationality postulate is also added.

Lawrence Johnson advocates a major change in our attitude toward the nonhuman world. He argues that nonhuman animals, and ecosystems themselves, are morally significant beings with interests and rights. The author considers recent work in environmental ethics in the introduction and then presents his case with the utmost precision and clarity. Written in an attractive, nontechnical style, the book will be of particular interest to philosophers, environmentalists and ecologists.

Using both grand conceptualizations and grounded case studies, Allan Pred and Michael Watts look at how people cope with and give meaning to capitalism and modernity in different times and places. As

In this 1992 book, Professor Koslow advances an account of the basic concepts of logic. A central feature of the theory is that it does not require the elements of logic to be based on a formal language. Rather, it uses a general notion of implication as a way of organizing the formal results of various systems of logic in a simple, but insightful way. The study has four parts. In the first two parts the various sources of the general concept of an implication structure and its forms are illustrated and explained. Part 3 defines the various logical operations and systematically explores their properties. A generalized account of extensionality and dual implication is given, and the extensionality of each of the operators, as well as the relation of negation and its dual, are given substantial treatment because of the novel results they yield. Part 4 considers modal operators and studies their interaction with logical operators. By obtaining the usual results without the usual assumptio

The primary object of this manual is to build an understanding of the principles of computer operations and the use of computers in the laboratory. While the development of applications for computers has been rapid since their introduction, the principles of computer operation and their use in sensing and control have remained stable. Those are the primary subjects of this book, throughout which a gradual understanding of what goes on inside a computer is developed. The laboratory provides a vital experience in linking theory with physical reality, and all of the computer work is done in the context of doing experiments. The IBM-PC design is used as the basis for the book. The internal design of this machine is slightly more complicated than earlier personal computers, but it is still simple enough to be quickly learned. The computer can be directly controlled by proper programming, and offers considerably more power than earlier designs. The IBM design also has expansion slots which m

This book reviews and interrelates a large number of theoretical and experimental contributions to the research on finite plastic deformation of single crystals and polycrystalline metals. An overall theoretical framework for investigation of large strains in crystalline materials is presented that enables the blending of contemporary and earlier experimental research with modern concepts in solid mechanics. Professor Havner has provided a historical perspective throughout, including accurate attribution of ideas and emphasis on pioneering studies, beginning with G. I. Taylor and the German researchers in the 1920s. Early chapters deal with single crystals, including extensive analyses of particular experimental configurations. Then connections between single crystals and polycrystalline material behaviour are considered. Necessary background to the most general theoretical sections is presented in an appendix and approximately 200 references to the primary scientific literature are in

Is Asperger syndrome a syndrome in its own right or is it a form of autism? Sufferers from the syndrome are like autistic individuals in that they show the same kind of impairments from early childhood; yet they are unlike them in being far more verbally articulate and socially adapted. They can be highly intelligent and reminiscent of eccentrics with their unusual interests, special skills and unworldliness. In this volume several of the major experts in the field discuss the diagnostic criteria of the syndrome, named after Hans Asperger who first described the condition in the 1940s, and illustrate their views with case studies drawn from their clinical practice. They also provide surprisingly practical suggestions on the education and management of autistic children. Current opinion on Asperger syndrome and its relationship to autism is fraught with disagreement and hampered by ignorance. This book gives the first coherent account of Asperger syndrome as a distinct variant of autism

There has recently been a rapid growth of activity in nonlinear optics. Effects such as frequency doubling, stimulated Raman scattering, phase conjugation and solitons are of great interest both for their fundamental properties and their many important applications in science and engineering. It is mainly these applications - especially in telecommunications and information processing - that have stimulated the recent surge of activity. This book is a self contained account of the most important principles of nonlinear optics. Assuming only a familiarity with basic mathematics, the fundamentals of nonlinear optics are fully developed from basic concepts. The essential quantum mechanical apparatus is introduced and explained. In later chapters the underlying ideas are illustrated by discussing particular experimental configurations and materials. This book will be an invaluable introduction to the field for beginning graduates in physics or engineering, and will provide an excellent ov

The author presents a theory of concurrent processes where three different semantic description methods that are usually studied in isolation are brought together. Petri nets describe processes as concurrent and interacting machines; algebraic process terms describe processes as abstract concurrent processes; and logical formulas specify the intended communication behaviour of processes. At the heart of this theory are two sets of transformation rules for the top-down design of concurrent processes. The first set can be used to transform stepwise logical formulas into process terms, whilst process terms can be transformed into Petri nets by the second set. These rules are based on novel techniques for the operational and denotational semantics of concurrent processes. Various results and relationships between nets, terms and formulas starting with formulas and illustrated by examples. The use of transformations is demonstrated in a series of case studies, and the author also identifies

This book provides an introduction to recent analytical and experimental studies of plant growth in the sea. The physiology and ecology of marine plants are, therefore, emphasized at the expense of a more traditional taxonomic or morphological treatment. The physics and chemistry of the marine environment are examined with specific reference to the requirements of marine plants, and much of the book concentrates on those aspects of their physiology which are unique to marine plants, or which help us to understand their ecology. Since over 90% of the species of marine plants are algae, most of the book is devoted to the marine representatives of this group, with examples from all oceans and coasts of the world where detailed work has been done. Phytoplankton and seaweeds are discussed together in chapters on photosynthesis, growth and productivity, and geographical distribution, in order to provide an integrated picture of the biology of marine plants in general. There is, however, a de

Dr. Laing's first purpose is to make madness and the process of going mad comprehensible. In this, with case studies of schizophrenic patients, he succeeds brilliantly, but he does more: through a vis

This book attempts to uncover the basic form and structure of the Babylonian Talmud, which is a centrally important text in Jewish studies. The contribution made by Dr Jacobs to the study of the Talmud consists in his presentation of the literary principles employed in its composition, and he here presents a clear survey indicating the manner in which earlier material was reworked in order to make each component, or sugya, into a carefully structured and self-consistent unit. Jacobs compares the editors' methods in this regard with the manner in which Shakespeare converted the variety of chronicles and source material available to him into a much more dramatic literary form, which - while preserving the kernel of the story - completely transformed its character and impact. Dr Jacobs' study constitutes an excellent introduction to the Babylonian Talmud and to the nature of rabbinic thinking.

This book from the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) deals with the implications of the exchange rate regimes and capital flows of the 1990s for government macroeconomic policy-making and EC policy co-ordination. Under the fixed exchange rates of the 1950s, economists and policy-makers had a much clearer idea of the nature of the external constraints. The commitment to defending the exchange rate is stronger in the 1990s than in the 1970s and 1980s, but at the same time international capital flows are far greater and freer than in the 1950s and 1960s, with many countries able to borrow almost indefinitely and on good terms on the Eurodollar market in order to finance their balance-of-payments deficits. This volume, derived from a conference organised jointly by CEPR and the Bank of Greece, deals with these issues in depth and includes both cross-country comparisons and case studies of individual countries.

In this book, Professor McGarity reveals the complex and problematic relationship between the 'regulatory reform' movements initiated in the early l970s and the United States' federal bureaucracy. Examining both the theory and application of 'regulatory reform' under the Reagan administration, the author succeeds in offering both a relevant analysis and critique of 'regulatory reform' and its implementation through bureaucratic channels. Using several case studies from the early Reagan years, this book describes the clash of regulatory cultures resulting from the President's attempt to incorporate 'regulatory analysis' into the bureaucratic decision-making process. Yet while McGarity recognizes the limitations of regulatory analysis, he concludes with suggestions for enhancing its effectiveness. This book could be used not only as a textbook for political science and government courses but also for graduate applications in public policy and public administration.

Now in paperback, this comprehensive book is the first text devoted to the problem of understanding the electrical properties of metals and alloys. Dr Rossiter, well-known for his work on the electrical resistivity of alloys, has written a book which blends results and theory, but does not rely on a strong grounding in quantum mechanics. After an introduction to the basic ideas, the concepts of atomic and magnetic correlations and their microstructural consequences are explained. Later chapters then deal with the effects of such correlations on electrical resistivity. Examples and applications of the concepts derived are given in discrete sections, allowing the uninterrupted development of theory for each specific problem, and enhancing the value of the book for a wide range of readers from theoretical and experimental solid state physicists to metallurgists and materials scientists. Anyone with an interest in the electrical conduction process or in the application of resistivity meas

Physical Analysis for Tribology presents a unified approach to the study of wear in mechanical systems. Written by a leading expert who has studied and taught the subject both in Britain and the USA, this book will be valuable to researchers and students with a wide range of experience in tribology. The book concentrates on the methods of physical analysis and the applications of these techniques. This is then illustrated by a discussion of specific tribosystems. The early chapters provide an introduction to physical analysis that is thorough and rigorous. This prepares the reader with all the knowledge necessary to understand the subsequent discussion of applications. Although the description of systems is not exhaustive, the treatment and the theory are universal and will therefore be relevant to individual case studies. The book will appeal to tribologists from a wide variety of disciplines and will be of interest to researchers in physics, chemistry, metallurgy and mechanical engin

The high level of unemployment in Britain in the 1980s led many people to believe that it would continue indefinitely, and many arguments were advanced to explain it. After a preliminary examination of the statistics of employment and unemployment in Britain, this 1991 book exposes the major factors determining their trends as a basis for considering the likely developments and policy options. The study covers most of the explanations found in academic debate as well as in popular belief, drawing on a wide range of empirical research, including systematic international comparisons as well as case studies of particular interest. The analysis is carried out under four main headings: structural change; the wage question; macroeconomic policy; and the international dimension. The book concludes with a consideration of the practicability of the different policies which emerge.

Combining theoretical and historical analysis, this book develops the thesis that the concepts of 'race' and 'ethnicity' are socially constructed. With case studies of the incorporation of Blacks and Irish immigrants into the social structure of the United States, Richard Williams demonstrates that the social values placed upon these groups result from their placement into specific labour categories rather than from inherent attributes. The author analyses the process by which the social identities of Blacks and Irish developed in their native lands. He argues that the social structure in the United States at its founding was hierarchical from its inception and that immigrant wage labourers were demanded to fill positions created by that structure. The conceptions of their identities developed through a transfer of the value assigned to their social positions to the groups themselves. Racial and ethnic identities represent the legitimisation of social stratification based on power rela

Frank Ramsey was the greatest of the remarkable generation of Cambridge philosophers and logicians which included G. E. Moore, Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Maynard Keynes. Before his tragically early death in 1930 at the age of twenty-six, he had done seminal work in mathematics and economics as well as in logic and philosophy. This volume, with a new and extensive introduction by D. H. Mellor, contains all Ramsey's previously published writings on philosophy and the foundations of mathematics. The latter gives the definitive form and defence of the reduction of mathematics to logic undertaken in Russell and Whitehead's Principia Mathematica; the former includes the most profound and original studies of universals, truth, meaning, probability, knowledge, law and causation, all of which are still constantly referred to, and still essential reading for all serious students of these subjects.

Fundamentals of Nuclear Physics is a textbook on nuclear physics aimed at undergraduates in their final year, designed to give the student a thorough understanding of the principal features of nuclei, nuclear decays and nuclear reactions. The book covers the elementary concepts of the subject necessary for introductory courses and also explores more advanced topics, suitable for graduate courses. Initially several models are described and used to explain nuclear properties with many illustrative examples. Sections follow on a-, B- and y-decay, fission, thermonuclear fusion, reactions, nuclear forces and nuclear collective motion. In each case many examples are discussed, and the student should gain a thorough grounding in knowledge of the nucleus. The presentation is quantitative and short derivations are given in full to enable the student to make predictions about nuclear phenomena. This book will be of value to all undergraduates studying nuclear physics, as well as to first-year gr

First published in 1990, Rural Communities under Stress goes behind the crises of famine and poor agricultural production to examine the forces and pressures that can affect peasant farming communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on a wide range of case studies by anthropologists, political scientists, sociologists, and economists, the book shows that peasant farmers have ways of defending their interests. Cases from Senegal, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda are given as concrete examples of ways peasant farming communities cope with the stresses of economic exploitation, political subordination, and demographic and ecological pressure. Even when they are not successful, peasant farmers are far from being passive victims. The book examines in direct and clear language the major arguments about the basic nature of Africa's rural crisis put forward by powerful agencies of international assistance and influential academics.

This monograph is concerned with the qualitative theory of best L1-approximation from finite-dimensional subspaces. It presents a survey of recent research that extends 'classical' results concerned with best uniform approximation to the L1 case. The work is organized in such a way as to be useful for self-study or as a text for advanced courses. It begins with a basic introduction to the concepts of approximation theory before addressing one- or two-sided best approximation from finite-dimensional subspaces and approaches to the computation of these. At the end of each chapter is a series of exercises; these give the reader an opportunity to test understanding and also contain some theoretical digressions and extensions of the text.

First published in 1974, this collection of classic case studies in the ethnography of speaking had a formative influence on the field. No other volume has so successfully provided a broad, cross-cultural survey of the use, role and function of language and speech in social life. The essays deal with traditional societies in Native North, Middle, and South America, Africa, and Oceania, as well as English, French, and Yiddish speaking communities in Europe and North America and Afro-American communities in North America and the Caribbean. Now reissued, the collection includes a key introduction by the editors that traces the subsequent development of the ethnography of speaking and indicates directions for future research. The theoretical and methodological concepts and perspectives that illuminated the first edition are recognized anon and valued by many disciplines beyond that of linguistic anthropology. Scholars and students whose backgrounds may be in literature, speech communicatio

This timely volume presents a synthesis of the ideas that emerged from a multidisciplinary colloquium held at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in August 1985. The aim was to assess the impact of drought as a major factor in the agrarian crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. Leading authorities engage in discussion of the African environment, the socio-political factors that generate famine, case studies of the effects of famine on these social structures, and finally possible lessons to be learnt on dealing with famine worldwide, thus developing an up-to-date and cohesive study of the problems of African development. Despite the current popular interest in the African famine problem, Drought and Hunger in Africa is the first major collection of the results that have emerged from the recent profusion of research relating to the subject. As such, this book has relevance, not only in Africa, but also to scientists, social-scientists and policy makers in the West, and to other areas of

Rabbinic texts are often cited in New Testament and Old Testament studies, but hitherto there has been no easy way for a student to grasp the scope and variety of the relevant rabbinic writings. This book introduces the student to the full range of the early rabbinic writings, with a thorough introduction and notes, so that both a bird's eye view of the literature as well as close aquaintance with typical and important texts can be obtained. This will enable the reader to embark on further study with a clearer orientation. The book also aims to correct many mistaken views about rabbinic Judaism arising from outdated conceptions of the relation between Christianity and Judaism.

Adapting to the shifting characteristics of the American Jewish population and the larger society of the United States, the synagogue has consistently served as American Jewry's vital forum for the exploration of the evolving ideological and social concerns of American Jews. From the Americanization of an immigrant congregation in Seattle to the growth of a synagogue center in Brooklyn, and from the agitation for religious reform in early nineteenth-century Charlestown to the introduction of American folk music in a Houston temple, the cases studied in this volume attest to the prominent role of the synagogue in shaping, as well as adapting to, social, cultural, and ideological trends. The book begins with an overview of the historical transformation and denominational differentiation of American synagogues. The essays in the second section offer in-depth analyses of the critical challenges to and changes in synagogue life through innovative studies of representative congregations. The

Algebraic geometry is, essentially, the study of the solution of equations and occupies a central position in pure mathematics. This short and readable introduction to algebraic geometry will be ideal for all undergraduate mathematicians coming to the subject for the first time. With the minimum of prerequisites, Dr Reid introduces the reader to the basic concepts of algebraic geometry including: plane conics, cubics and the group law, affine and projective varieties, and non-singularity and dimension. He is at pains to stress the connections the subject has with commutative algebra as well as its relation to topology, differential geometry, and number theory. The book arises from an undergraduate course given at the University of Warwick and contains numerous examples and exercises illustrating the theory.

Integral equations form an important class of problems, arising frequently in engineering, and in mathematical and scientific analysis. This textbook provides a readable account of techniques for their numerical solution. The authors devote their attention primarily to efficient techniques using high order approximations, taking particular account of situations where singularities are present. The classes of problems which arise frequently in practice, Fredholm of the first and second kind and eigenvalue problems, are dealt with in depth. Volterra equations, although attractive to treat theoretically, arise less often in practical problems and so have been given less emphasis. Some knowledge of numerical methods and linear algebra is assumed, but the book includes introductory sections on numerical quadrature and function space concepts. This book should serve as a valuable text for final year undergraduate or postgraduate courses, and as an introduction or reference work for practisin

In this book Warren Motley offers an original interpretation of James Fenimore Cooper's career. Whereas most studies of Cooper have centered on the figure of the Leatherstocking - that solitary model of the self-sufficient American hero untrammeled by civilization - this book examines Cooper's interest in the pioneer patriarchs who built new societies in the wilderness. Throughout his career Cooper explored an essential American problem: how to achieve the right balance between freedom and authority. He did this by retelling the story of the frontier settlement and thereby assessing its successes and failures. Like other writers in the decades before the Civil War, Cooper struggled with the legacy of the Revolutionary fathers - a legacy made more personal in Cooper's case by his father's role as a frontier land developer, judge, and Federalist politician. This book breaks new ground by relating Cooper's artistic development, and his ideas about authority in society, to his efforts to b

This book represents a comprehensive examination of interest-group politics in France. Rather than the narrow case studies usually employed to study group politics, the book focuses on the overall pattern of interaction between interest groups and government. Drawing upon extensive interviews with French interest-group leaders and politicians, Wilson examines the structures and methods of group politics, the perspectives and attitudes of group leaders, and the place of interest groups in the broader pattern of French politics. He concludes that neither of the two major conceptualizations of interest-group/government relations is adequate to explain group politics in France. He suggests that the French state is much more powerful than recognized by these or other models of interest-group politics. Political influence is difficult for groups to develop and, once achieved, is fleeting. Consequently, groups engage in a wide range of activities, some of which are pluralist, others corporati

In this book, Jon Conrad and Colin Clark develop the theory of resource economics. To begin, they provide an introduction to the required techniques of dynamic optimization. Throughout the book they build the reader's understanding with many fully-worked problems and numerical examples. The authors have written this text in the belief that the theory and concepts of resource are more quickly learned, more effectively made operational, and more truly understood if the reader is exposed to carefully explained numerical examples. By working through the problems at the end of each chapter, students will learn the techniques to be used in empirical studies of natural resource systems. The first chapter provides an introduction to optimization, including constrained optimization, dynamic allocation problems, dynamic programming, continuous time problems, and the maximum principle, and a discussion of various numerical and graphical techniques. The remaining chapters deal in depth with the ec