Practical Data Processing and Analysis Using R

This book discusses the statistical description of processes, including an extensive review of probability and statistics, and the analysis of raw data using spectral methods. Various theoretical mode

This introductory textbook for business statistics teaches statistical analysis and research methods via business case studies and financial data using Excel, Minitab, and SAS. Every chapter in this t

Male sex work generates sales in excess of one billion dollars annually in the United States. Recent sex scandals involving prominent leaders and government shutdowns of escort websites have focused attention on this business, but despite the attention that comes when these scandals break, we know very little about how the market works. Economics, Sexuality, and Male Sex Work is the first economic analysis of male sex work. Competition, the role of information, pricing strategies and other economic features of male sex work are analyzed using the most comprehensive data available. Sex work is also social behavior, however, and this book shows how the social aspects of gay sexuality influence the economic properties of the market. Concepts like desire, masculinity and sexual stereotypes affect how sex workers compete for clients, who practices safer sex, and how sex workers present themselves to clients to differentiate them from the competition.

Male sex work generates sales in excess of one billion dollars annually in the United States. Recent sex scandals involving prominent leaders and government shutdowns of escort websites have focused attention on this business, but despite the attention that comes when these scandals break, we know very little about how the market works. Economics, Sexuality, and Male Sex Work is the first economic analysis of male sex work. Competition, the role of information, pricing strategies and other economic features of male sex work are analyzed using the most comprehensive data available. Sex work is also social behavior, however, and this book shows how the social aspects of gay sexuality influence the economic properties of the market. Concepts like desire, masculinity and sexual stereotypes affect how sex workers compete for clients, who practices safer sex, and how sex workers present themselves to clients to differentiate them from the competition.

A practical and self-contained guide to the principles, techniques, models and tools of imaging spectroscopy. Bringing together material from essential physics and digital signal processing, it covers key topics such as sensor design and calibration, atmospheric inversion and model techniques, and processing and exploitation algorithms. Readers will learn how to apply the main algorithms to practical problems, how to choose the best algorithm for a particular application, and how to process and interpret hyperspectral imaging data. A wealth of additional materials accompany the book online, including example projects and data for students, and problem solutions and viewgraphs for instructors. This is an essential text for senior undergraduate and graduate students looking to learn the fundamentals of imaging spectroscopy, and an invaluable reference for scientists and engineers working in the field.

This book offers a novel approach to understanding violence and violent conflict using complexity and network theories, borrowed from the natural sciences, together with social network analysis. Becau

This book presents practical optimization techniques used in image processing and computer vision problems. Ill-posed problems are introduced and used as examples to show how each type of problem is r

The second edition of this popular text provides undergraduates with a quantitative yet accessible introduction to the physical principles underlying the collection and analysis of observational data in contemporary optical and infrared astronomy. The text clearly links recent developments in ground- and space-based telescopes, observatory and instrument design, adaptive optics, and detector technologies to the more modest telescopes and detectors that students may use themselves. Beginning with reviews of the most relevant physical concepts and an introduction to elementary statistics, students are given the firm theoretical foundation they need. New topics, including an expanded treatment of spectroscopy, Gaia, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, and photometry at large redshifts bring the text up to date. Historical development of topics and quotations emphasize that astronomy is both a scientific and a human endeavour, while extensive end-of-chapter exercises facilitate the studen

This book provides a broad overview of monetary developments in Norway over the past 200 years, using a rich variety of graphical illustrations based on a unique data set of historical monetary statistics, which will be documented and made available on the Norges Bank website (in English) at http://www.norges-bank.no/en. Throughout the book, Norway's monetary developments are anchored in a historical context and in the development of monetary thinking. Through their analysis of the historical data, the authors provide new insights and comparisons to other Scandinavian countries, along with an excellent examination of the development and character of the banking and financial system in Norway.

Specifically intended for lab-based biomedical researchers, this practical guide shows how to design experiments that are reproducible, with low bias, high precision, and widely applicable results. With specific examples from research using both cell cultures and model organisms, it explores key ideas in experimental design, assesses common designs, and shows how to plan a successful experiment. It demonstrates how to control biological and technical factors that can introduce bias or add noise, and covers rarely discussed topics such as graphical data exploration, choosing outcome variables, data quality control checks, and data pre-processing. It also shows how to use R for analysis, and is designed for those with no prior experience. An accompanying website (https://stanlazic.github.io/EDLB.html) includes all R code, data sets, and the labstats R package. This is an ideal guide for anyone conducting lab-based biological research, from students to principle investigators working in e

Specifically intended for lab-based biomedical researchers, this practical guide shows how to design experiments that are reproducible, with low bias, high precision, and widely applicable results. With specific examples from research using both cell cultures and model organisms, it explores key ideas in experimental design, assesses common designs, and shows how to plan a successful experiment. It demonstrates how to control biological and technical factors that can introduce bias or add noise, and covers rarely discussed topics such as graphical data exploration, choosing outcome variables, data quality control checks, and data pre-processing. It also shows how to use R for analysis, and is designed for those with no prior experience. An accompanying website (https://stanlazic.github.io/EDLB.html) includes all R code, data sets, and the labstats R package. This is an ideal guide for anyone conducting lab-based biological research, from students to principle investigators working in e

States increasingly cooperate to buy expensive defence equipment, but the management and legal aspects of these large collaborative procurement programmes are complex and not well understood. The Law of Collaborative Defence Procurement in the European Union analyses how these programmes are managed, and highlights areas which require improvement. The book addresses the law applicable to these programmes, which is built upon a four-layer 'matryoshka doll' of legal relationships at the crossroads of public international law, EU law and domestic law. Using practical examples, the book makes proposals for clarifying the legal basis and improving the efficiency of defence equipment cooperation among EU member states. By covering a broad scope of legal issues, this analysis goes beyond the defence sector and is relevant to centralised or joint purchasing and procurement activities of international organisations, providing invaluable information for practitioners, policy-makers and academics

Using a systems framework, this textbook provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to the performance, analysis and design of radio systems for students and practising engineers. Presented within a consistent framework, the first part of the book describes the fundamentals of the subject: propagation, noise, antennas and modulation. The analysis and design of radios, including RF circuit design and signal processing, is covered in the second half of the book. The former is presented with minimal involvement of Smith charts, enabling students to grasp the fundamentals more readily. Both traditional and software-defined/direct sampling technology are described, with pros and cons of each strategy explained. Numerous examples within the text involve realistic analysis and design activities, and emphasize how practical experiences may differ from theory or taught procedures. End-of-chapter problems are provided, as are a password-protected solutions manual and lecture slides to compl

This book examines government ethics rules and their enforcement in China, as well as in three other jurisdictions for comparative insights. Empirical research methods (involving primarily semi-structured interviews) have been employed to explore the dynamics of actual enforcement policies and practices in China. This book forms an analytical framework through reviewing existing theories on government ethics regulation and general regulation literature and analyzing government ethics rules in the US, the UK, and Hong Kong. Using this framework, it seeks to explore the patterns and features of government ethics rules and their enforcement in China. It shows that the inadequacy of government ethics rules per se and the deterrence-oriented criminal enforcement style of government ethics regulation are important but ignored elements of the problem of rampant corruption in China. Such analysis has generated important and practical policy implications for China's government ethics rules and

Working with big data can be complex and challenging, in part because of the multiple analysis frameworks and tools required. Apache Spark is a big data processing framework perfect for analyzing near

Using extensive data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (Davies, 2008), this groundbreaking book shows that the syntactic patterns in which English nominalizations can be found and the range of possible readings they can express are very different from what has been claimed in past theoretical treatments, and therefore that previous treatments cannot be correct. Lieber argues that the relationship between form and meaning in the nominalization processes of English is virtually never one-to-one, but rather forms a complex web that can be likened to a derivational ecosystem. Using the Lexical Semantic Framework (LSF), she develops an analysis that captures the interrelatedness and context dependence of nominal readings, and suggests that the key to the behavior of nominalizations is that their underlying semantic representations are underspecified in specific ways and that their ultimate interpretation must be fixed in context using processes available within the LSF.

In recent years, 'nudge units' or 'behavioral insights teams' have been created in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other nations. All over the world, public officials are using the behavioral sciences to protect the environment, promote employment and economic growth, reduce poverty, and increase national security. In this book, Cass R. Sunstein, the eminent legal scholar and best-selling co-author of Nudge (2008), breaks new ground with a deep yet highly readable investigation into the ethical issues surrounding nudges, choice architecture, and mandates, addressing such issues as welfare, autonomy, self-government, dignity, manipulation, and the constraints and responsibilities of an ethical state. Complementing the ethical discussion, The Ethics of Influence: Government in the Age of Behavioral Science contains a wealth of new data on people's attitudes towards a broad range of nudges, choice architecture, and mandates.

This practical and accessibly written textbook provides a thoughtfully ordered introduction to a wide range of phonological phenomena. It contains many exercises combining classic datasets with newly compiled problems. These help the student learn to discover sound patterns nested in complex linguistic data, beginning with concrete introductory examples and stepping through a series of progressively more complex phonological phenomena. It covers alternation, vowel harmony, phonemic analysis, natural classes and distinctive features, abstractness and opacity, syllable structure, tone, stress, prosodic morphology, feature geometry, and optimality theory. It is essential reading for students of linguistics around the world.

This practical and accessibly written textbook provides a thoughtfully ordered introduction to a wide range of phonological phenomena. It contains many exercises combining classic datasets with newly compiled problems. These help the student learn to discover sound patterns nested in complex linguistic data, beginning with concrete introductory examples and stepping through a series of progressively more complex phonological phenomena. It covers alternation, vowel harmony, phonemic analysis, natural classes and distinctive features, abstractness and opacity, syllable structure, tone, stress, prosodic morphology, feature geometry, and optimality theory. It is essential reading for students of linguistics around the world.

Using a new approach to ethnicity that underscores its relative territoriality, H. Zeynep Bulutgil brings together previously separate arguments that focus on domestic and international factors to offer a coherent theory of what causes ethnic cleansing. The author argues that domestic obstacles based on non-ethnic cleavages usually prevent ethnic cleansing whereas territorial conflict triggers this policy by undermining such obstacles. The empirical analysis combines statistical evaluation based on original data with comprehensive studies of historical cases in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Bosnia, in the 1990s. The findings demonstrate how socio-economic cleavages curb radical factions within dominant groups whereas territorial wars strengthen these factions and pave the way for ethnic cleansing. The author further explores the theoretical and empirical extensions in the context of Africa. Its theoretical novelty and broad empirical scope make this book highly valuable to sch

Candlestick technical analysis is an old trading technique that tracks the short-term price movements by employing the relationship between open, high, low, and close prices. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the predictive power of candlestick trading strategies by using the Taiwan 151 component stocks daily data for the period from 2 January 1992 to 31 December 2009. The main contribution of this thesis is using a fourprice- level approach to categorize the single-line patterns constructed by candlestick charting in a systematical manner. The approach adopted in this thesis permits us to release for the limitation of recognition in a manner not previously possible. Moreover, we not only consider transaction costs and risk but also mitigate data-snooping problems conscientiously by several appropriate methods, including the bootstrap methodology and sub-sample and out-of-sample tests. We find evidence that four patterns are profitable for the Taiwan stock market after transacti

The Moon boasts an unexpected variety of landscapes - including volcanic features, sinuous valleys and ghost craters - which are readily visible from Earth. This practical guide explains and demonstrates how you can capture impressive images of our nearest neighbour in space using a variety of different techniques. As the first guide to be dedicated to modern lunar imaging, this volume offers an in-depth and illustrated approach to common optics, the essentials of digital images, imaging devices, and image processing software. Even in light-polluted areas, the countless features and finest details of the Moon can be captured by following the instructions in this comprehensive and accessible guide. Covering equipment ranging from smartphones and DSLRs to specialist planetary cameras, whether you are a novice without a telescope, an amateur developing your skills in imaging, or an experienced astrophotographer, you will benefit from the hints, insights and expertise within.

Corruption is a significant problem for democracies throughout the world. Even the most democratic countries constantly face the threat of corruption and the consequences of it at the polls. Why are some governments more corrupt than others, even after considering cultural, social, and political characteristics? In Clarity of Responsibility, Accountability, and Corruption, the authors argue that clarity of responsibility is critical for reducing corruption in democracies. The authors provide a number of empirical tests of this argument, including a cross-national time-series statistical analysis to show that the higher the level of clarity the lower the perceived corruption levels. Using survey and experimental data, the authors show that clarity causes voters to punish incumbents for corruption. Preliminary tests further indicate that elites respond to these electoral incentives and are more likely to combat corruption when clarity is high.

Advance your skills in efficient data analysis and data processing using the powerful tools of Scala, Spark, and Hadoop About This Book * This is a primer on functional-programming-style techniques to

Multilayer networks, in particular multilayer social networks, where users belong to and interact on different networks at the same time, are an active research area in social network analysis, computer science, and physics. These networks have traditionally been studied within these separate research communities, leading to the development of several independent models and methods to deal with the same set of problems. This book unifies and consolidates existing practical and theoretical knowledge on multilayer networks including data collection and analysis, modeling, and mining of multilayer social network systems, the evolution of interconnected social networks, and dynamic processes such as information spreading. A single real dataset is used to illustrate the concepts presented throughout the book, demonstrating both the practical utility and the potential shortcomings of the various methods. Researchers from all areas of network analysis will learn new aspects and future directi

Multilayer networks, in particular multilayer social networks, where users belong to and interact on different networks at the same time, are an active research area in social network analysis, computer science, and physics. These networks have traditionally been studied within these separate research communities, leading to the development of several independent models and methods to deal with the same set of problems. This book unifies and consolidates existing practical and theoretical knowledge on multilayer networks including data collection and analysis, modeling, and mining of multilayer social network systems, the evolution of interconnected social networks, and dynamic processes such as information spreading. A single real dataset is used to illustrate the concepts presented throughout the book, demonstrating both the practical utility and the potential shortcomings of the various methods. Researchers from all areas of network analysis will learn new aspects and future directi

Although speciation analysis by using hyphenated methods such as IC-MS and IC-ICP-MS is relatively expensive, it is gaining more and more importance. This method is used to deal with situations that r

This book provides a rigorous treatment of deterministic and random signals. It offers detailed information on topics including random signals, system modelling and system analysis. System analysis in frequency domain using Fourier transform and Laplace transform is explained with theory and numerical problems. The advanced techniques used for signal processing, especially for speech and image processing, are discussed. The properties of continuous time and discrete time signals are explained with a number of numerical problems. The physical significance of different properties is explained using real-life examples. To aid understanding, concept check questions, review questions, a summary of important concepts, and frequently asked questions are included. MATLAB programs, with output plots and simulation examples, are provided for each concept. Students can execute these simulations and verify the outputs.

This unique and comprehensive introduction offers an unrivalled and in-depth understanding of the computational-based thermodynamic approach and how it can be used to guide the design of materials for robust performances, integrating basic fundamental concepts with experimental techniques and practical industrial applications, to provide readers with a thorough grounding in the subject. Topics covered range from the underlying thermodynamic principles, to the theory and methodology of thermodynamic data collecting, analysis, modeling, and verification, with details on free energy, phase equilibrium, phase diagrams, chemical reactions, and electrochemistry. In thermodynamic modelling, the authors focus on the CALPHAD method and first-principles calculations. They also provide guidance for use of YPHON, a mixed-space phonon code developed by the authors for polar materials based on the supercell approach. Including worked examples, case studies, and end-of-chapter problems, this is an es

The first book on the topic, and written by the founder of the technique, this comprehensive resource provides a detailed overview of sum-frequency spectroscopy, its fundamental principles, and the wide range of applications for surfaces, interfaces, and bulk. Beginning with an overview of the historical context, and introductions to the basic theory of nonlinear optics and surface sum-frequency generation, topics covered include discussion of different experimental arrangements adopted by researchers, notes on proper data analysis, an up-to-date survey commenting on the wide range of successful applications of the tool, and a valuable insight into current unsolved problems and potential areas to be explored in the future. With the addition of chapter appendices that offer the opportunity for more in-depth theoretical discussion, this is an essential resource that integrates all aspects of the subject and is ideal for anyone using, or interested in using, sum-frequency spectroscopy.

This practical book takes the challenge of the dermatopathology sign-out and walks the reader through a diagnostic approach, explaining how to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions and identifying histopathologic features unique to each entity. Through discussion of some 150-200 lineage-unrelated cutaneous neoplastic disorders (primary and secondary), the reader will become familiar with common and sometimes uncommon but clinically relevant conditions. Each chapter adopts a consistent style for quick and easy reading, covering typical microscopic features, clinical vignettes, histological variations, diagnostic pitfalls and differentials, and key diagnostic pearls. Chapters also explain general pathological principles, laboratory processing of specimens and medico-legal aspects of neoplastic dermatopathology. Each copy of the book is packaged with a password, providing online access to all text and images. Written by leading pathologists and educators, this is an essential r

This book is an analytical examination of financing and public service delivery challenges in a decentralized framework. It also provides critical insights into the effectiveness of public expenditure, through benefit incidence analysis of education and healthcare services in India. The benefits of decentralization always come with conflicts and trade-offs. By unpacking the process of decentralization, the authors identify that 'unfunded mandates', arising from the asymmetry between finances and functions at local levels, are a major challenge. The analysis is carried out by distilling the existing studies in this area, and through an empirical investigation of public finance data at different public sector levels in India, as well as in some selected developing countries. Using the household survey statistics of consumption expenditure, an analysis of utilization or benefit incidence of public spending on social sectors in India is achieved, covering education and health sectors. This

This book introduces the syntactic process of auxiliary formation and applies it to the grammatical analysis of the indicative, or non-modal, auxiliary verbs of Modern Tamil. Using data from spoken an

The transmission mechanism of monetary policy explains how monetary policy works - which variables respond to interest rate changes, when, why, how, how much and how predictably. It is vital that central banks and their observers, worldwide, understand the transmission mechanism so that they know what monetary policy can do and what it should do to stabilize inflation and output. The volume sets out different aspects of the transmission mechanism. Some chapters scrutinize the relevance of practical issues such as asymmetries, recent structural changes and estimation errors using data on the USA, the Euro area and developing countries. Other chapters focus on modelling crucial aspects such as productivity, the exchange rate and the monetary sector. These issues are counterpointed by contributions that analyse monetary policy in Japan and the UK.

31 Days Before Your Network+ Exam offers a personable and practical way to understand the certification process, commit to taking the exam, and finish preparation using a variety of Foundation

Essentials of Programming in Mathematica® provides an introduction suitable for readers with little or no background in the language as well as for those with some experience using programs such as C, Java, or Perl. The author, an established authority on Mathematica® programming, has written an example-driven text that covers the language from first principles, as well as including material from natural language processing, bioinformatics, graphs and networks, signal analysis, geometry, computer science, and many other applied areas. The book is appropriate for self-study or as a text for a course in programming in computational science. Readers will benefit from the author's tips, which provide insight and suggestions on small and large points. He also provides more than 350 exercises from novice through to advanced level with all of the solutions available online.

Quantitative research in social science research is changing rapidly. Researchers have vast and complex arrays of data with which to work: we have incredible tools to sift through the data and recognize patterns in that data; there are now many sophisticated models that we can use to make sense of those patterns; and we have extremely powerful computational systems that help us accomplish these tasks quickly. This book focuses on some of the extraordinary work being conducted in computational social science - in academia, government, and the private sector - while highlighting current trends, challenges, and new directions. Thus, Computational Social Science showcases the innovative methodological tools being developed and applied by leading researchers in this new field. The book shows how academics and the private sector are using many of these tools to solve problems in social science and public policy.

Quantitative research in social science research is changing rapidly. Researchers have vast and complex arrays of data with which to work: we have incredible tools to sift through the data and recognize patterns in that data; there are now many sophisticated models that we can use to make sense of those patterns; and we have extremely powerful computational systems that help us accomplish these tasks quickly. This book focuses on some of the extraordinary work being conducted in computational social science - in academia, government, and the private sector - while highlighting current trends, challenges, and new directions. Thus, Computational Social Science showcases the innovative methodological tools being developed and applied by leading researchers in this new field. The book shows how academics and the private sector are using many of these tools to solve problems in social science and public policy.

This book provides an overview of climate change in India using river basin data and analytical and econometric methods. It,first, makes a quantitative assessment of how climate change affects agricul

The field of marketing and management has undergone immense changes over the past decade. These dynamic changes are driving an increasing need for data analysis using quantitative modelling. Problem s