Practical Data Processing and Analysis Using R

At first glance, studying behavior is easy, but as every budding ethologist quickly realises, there are a host of complex practical, methodological and analytical problems to solve before designing and conducting the study. How do you choose which species or which behavior to study? What equipment will you need to observe and record behavior successfully? How do you record data in the dark, in the wet, or without missing part of the action? How do you analyse and interpret the data to yield meaningful information? This new expanded edition of the Handbook of Ethological Methods provides a complete step-by-step introduction to ethological methods from topic choice and behavioral description to data collection and statistical analysis. This book will be a must for beginning students and experienced researchers studying animal behavior in the field or laboratory.

The design and analysis of geometric algorithms have seen remarkable growth in recent years, due to their application in, for example, computer vision, graphics, medical imaging and CAD. The goals of this book are twofold: first to provide a coherent and systematic treatment of the foundations; secondly to present algorithmic solutions that are amenable to rigorous analysis and are efficient in practical situations. When possible, the algorithms are presented in their most general d-dimensional setting. Specific developments are given for the 2- or 3-dimensional cases when this results in significant improvements. The presentation is confined to Euclidean affine geometry, though the authors indicate whenever the treatment can be extended to curves and surfaces. The prerequisites for using the book are few, which will make it ideal for teaching advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate courses in computational geometry.

Bootstrap methods are computer-intensive methods of statistical analysis, which use simulation to calculate standard errors, confidence intervals, and significance tests. The methods apply for any level of modelling, and so can be used for fully parametric, semiparametric, and completely nonparametric analysis. This 1997 book gives a broad and up-to-date coverage of bootstrap methods, with numerous applied examples, developed in a coherent way with the necessary theoretical basis. Applications include stratified data; finite populations; censored and missing data; linear, nonlinear, and smooth regression models; classification; time series and spatial problems. Special features of the book include: extensive discussion of significance tests and confidence intervals; material on various diagnostic methods; and methods for efficient computation, including improved Monte Carlo simulation. Each chapter includes both practical and theoretical exercises. S-Plus programs for implementing the

Engineers and applied geophysicists routinely encounter interpolation and estimation problems when analysing data from field observations. Introduction to Geostatistics presents practical techniques for the estimation of spatial functions from sparse data. The author's unique approach is a synthesis of classic and geostatistical methods with a focus on the most practical linear minimum-variance estimation methods, and includes suggestions on how to test and extend the applicability of such methods. The author includes many useful methods (often not covered in other geostatistics books) such as estimating variogram parameters, evaluating the need for a variable mean, parameter estimation and model testing in complex cases (e.g. anisotropy, variable mean, and multiple variables), and using information from deterministic mathematical models. Well illustrated with exercises and worked examples taken from hydrogeology, Introduction to Geostatistics assumes no background in statistics and

Between 1989 and 1994, 41 out of 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa underwent significant political reform, including in many cases the first competitive elections in a generation. How can this wave of political liberalization be explained? Why did some countries complete a democratic transition, while others could not sustain more than limited political reform and others still suffered authoritarian reversals? What are the long term prospects for democracy in Africa? This study constitutes the first comprehensive analysis of democratic transitions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using an original data set they assembled, the authors demonstrate that economic and international forces often provided the context in which political liberalization occurred, but cannot by themselves explain the observed outcomes. Instead, the authors develop a political-institutional theoretical framework in which the distinctive political traditions of Africa's neopatrimonial states are shown to have powerfully s

Extreme environmental events, such as floods, droughts, rainstorms and high winds, have severe consequences for human society. Regional frequency analysis helps to solve the problem of estimating the frequency of these rare events at one site, by using data from several sites. This book is the first complete account of the L-moment approach to regional frequency analysis. Regional Frequency Analysis comprehensively describes the theoretical background to the subject, is rich in practical advice for users, and contains detailed examples that illustrate the approach. This book will be of great value to hydrologists, atmospheric scientists and civil engineers, concerned with environmental extremes.

The Art and Science of Optical Design is a comprehensive introduction to lens design, covering the fundamental physical principles and key engineering issues. Several practical examples of modern computer-aided lens design are worked out in detail from start to finish. The basic theory and results of optics are presented early on in the book, along with a discussion of optical materials. Aberrations, and their correction, and image analysis are then covered in great detail. Subsequent chapters deal with design optimisation and tolerance analysis. Several design examples are then given, beginning with basic lens design forms, and progressing to advanced systems, such as gradient index and diffractive optical components. In covering all aspects of optical design, including the use of modern lens design software, this book will be invaluable to students of optical engineering as well as to anyone engaged in optical design at any stage.

The Art and Science of Optical Design is a comprehensive introduction to lens design, covering the fundamental physical principles and key engineering issues. Several practical examples of modern computer-aided lens design are worked out in detail from start to finish. The basic theory and results of optics are presented early on in the book, along with a discussion of optical materials. Aberrations, and their correction, and image analysis are then covered in great detail. Subsequent chapters deal with design optimisation and tolerance analysis. Several design examples are then given, beginning with basic lens design forms, and progressing to advanced systems, such as gradient index and diffractive optical components. In covering all aspects of optical design, including the use of modern lens design software, this book will be invaluable to students of optical engineering as well as to anyone engaged in optical design at any stage.

Mathematica® in the Laboratory is a hands-on guide which shows how to harness the power and flexibility of Mathematica in the control of data-acquisition equipment and the analysis of experimental data. It explains how to use Mathematica to import, manipulate, visualise and analyse data from existing files. The generation and export of test data are also covered. The control of laboratory equipment is dealt with in detail, including the use of Mathematica's MathLink® system in instrument control, data processing, and interfacing. Many practical examples are given, which can either be used directly or adapted to suit a particular application. The book sets out clearly how Mathematica can provide a truly unified data-handling environment, and will be invaluable to anyone who collects or analyses experimental data, including astronomers, biologists, chemists, mathematicians, geologists, physicists and engineers. The book is fully compatible with Mathematica 3.0.

Mathematica® in the Laboratory is a hands-on guide which shows how to harness the power and flexibility of Mathematica in the control of data-acquisition equipment and the analysis of experimental data. It explains how to use Mathematica to import, manipulate, visualise and analyse data from existing files. The generation and export of test data are also covered. The control of laboratory equipment is dealt with in detail, including the use of Mathematica's MathLink® system in instrument control, data processing, and interfacing. Many practical examples are given, which can either be used directly or adapted to suit a particular application. The book sets out clearly how Mathematica can provide a truly unified data-handling environment, and will be invaluable to anyone who collects or analyses experimental data, including astronomers, biologists, chemists, mathematicians, geologists, physicists and engineers. The book is fully compatible with Mathematica 3.0.

A textbook for the advanced undergraduate or graduate student beginning a serious study of X-ray crystallography. It will be of interest both to those intending to become professional crystallographers and to those physicists, chemists, biologists, geologists, metallurgists and others who will use it as a tool in their research. All major aspects of crystallography are covered - the geometry of crystals and their symmetry, theoretical and practical aspects of diffracting X-rays by crystals and how the data may be analysed to find the symmetry of the crystal and its structure. Recent advances are fully covered, including the synchrotron as a source of X-rays, methods of solving structures from power data and the full range of techniques for solving structures from single-crystal data. A suite of computer programs is provided for carrying out many operations of data-processing and solving crystal structures - including by direct methods. While these are limited to two dimensions they ful

This is an important collection of essays dealing with the foundations of probability that will be of value to philosophers of science, mathematicians, statisticians, psychologists and educationalists. The collection falls into three parts. Part I comprises five essays on the axiomatic foundations of probability. Part II contains seven articles on probabilistic causality and quantum mechanics, with an emphasis on the existence of hidden variables. The third part consists of a single extended essay applying probabilistic theories of learning to practical questions of education: it incorporates extensive data analysis. Patrick Suppes is one of the world's foremost philosophers in the area of probability, and has made many contributions to both the theoretical and practical side of education. The statistician Mario Zanotti is a long-time collaborator.

This is an important collection of essays dealing with the foundations of probability that will be of value to philosophers of science, mathematicians, statisticians, psychologists and educationalists. The collection falls into three parts. Part I comprises five essays on the axiomatic foundations of probability. Part II contains seven articles on probabilistic causality and quantum mechanics, with an emphasis on the existence of hidden variables. The third part consists of a single extended essay applying probabilistic theories of learning to practical questions of education: it incorporates extensive data analysis. Patrick Suppes is one of the world's foremost philosophers in the area of probability, and has made many contributions to both the theoretical and practical side of education. The statistician Mario Zanotti is a long-time collaborator.

This substantial revision of the text Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations by the Finite Element Method by C. Johnson is a two volume introduction to the computational solution of differential equations using a unified approach organised around the adaptive finite element method. It presents a synthesis of mathematical modelling, analysis and computation. It provides the student with theoretical and practical tools useful for addressing the basic questions of computational mathematical modelling in science and engineering: How to model physical phenomena using differential equations? What are the properties of solutions of differential equations? How to compute solutions in practice? How to estimate and control the accuracy of computed solutions? The first volume begins by developing the basic issues at an elementary level in the context of a set of model problems in ordinary differential equations. The second volume extends the scope to nonlinear differential equations

This 1996 book is a greatly expanded edition of what has become one of the best known introductions to the principles, techniques and applications of optical holography. Where necessary, existing sections have been updated, and two new chapters have been added. After presenting the theory of holographic imaging and the various types of holograms, practical aspects of holography are then covered, as are the production of holograms for display, colour holography and computer generated holograms. A variety of the applications of holography are then discussed in detail, such as high resolution imaging, information storage and processing, vibration analysis, and holographic interferometry. Containing more than 1000 selected references, this book will be invaluable to anyone wishing to learn more about optical holography, as well as to established researchers and engineers in this field.

At first glance, studying behavior is easy, but as every budding ethologist quickly realises, there are a host of complex practical, methodological and analytical problems to solve before designing and conducting the study. How do you choose which species or which behavior to study? What equipment will you need to observe and record behavior successfully? How do you record data in the dark, in the wet, or without missing part of the action? How do you analyse and interpret the data to yield meaningful information? This new expanded edition of the Handbook of Ethological Methods provides a complete step-by-step introduction to ethological methods from topic choice and behavioral description to data collection and statistical analysis. This book will be a must for beginning students and experienced researchers studying animal behavior in the field or laboratory.

Economists have developed models in which individuals form expectations of key variables in a 'rational' manner such that these expectations are consistent with actual economic environments. Professor Sheffrin first explores the logical foundation of the concept and the case for employing it in economic analysis. Subsequent chapters investigate its use in macroeconomics, financial markets, and microeconomics. A final chapter assesses its impact on theoretical and empirical work in economics and policy arenas. The author argues that while rational expectations are still central to macroeconomic policy debates, fully workable models have not yet been devised, and offers reasons for the lack of practical and conceptual progress. All chapters of the second edition have been revised or expanded. New sections inter alia include material on learning, the rationality of reported expectations, alternative recent developments explicitly or implicitly using rational expectations, new tests of the

Economists have developed models in which individuals form expectations of key variables in a 'rational' manner such that these expectations are consistent with actual economic environments. Professor Sheffrin first explores the logical foundation of the concept and the case for employing it in economic analysis. Subsequent chapters investigate its use in macroeconomics, financial markets, and microeconomics. A final chapter assesses its impact on theoretical and empirical work in economics and policy arenas. The author argues that while rational expectations are still central to macroeconomic policy debates, fully workable models have not yet been devised, and offers reasons for the lack of practical and conceptual progress. All chapters of the second edition have been revised or expanded. New sections inter alia include material on learning, the rationality of reported expectations, alternative recent developments explicitly or implicitly using rational expectations, new tests of the

The previous edition of this text was the first to provide a quantitative introduction to chaos and nonlinear dynamics at undergraduate level. It was widely praised for the clarity of the writing and for the unique and effective way in which the authors presented the basic ideas. These same qualities characterise this revised and expanded second edition. Interest in chaotic dynamics has grown explosively in recent years. Applications to practically every scientific field have had far-reaching impact. As in the first edition, the authors present all the main features of chaotic dynamics using the damped, driven pendulum as the primary model. This second edition includes additional material on the analysis and characterisation of chaotic data, and applications of chaos. This new edition of Chaotic Dynamics can be used as a text for courses on chaos for physics and engineering students at the second and third year level.

Describes practical ways that parents can teach mathematical concepts to their children, including counting sneezes, finding geometric shapes in nature, and using coupons

This is the completely updated revision of the highly regarded book Exploration Seismology. Available now in one volume, this textbook provides a complete and systematic discussion of exploration seismology. The first part of the book looks at the history of exploration seismology and the theory - developed from the first principles of physics. All aspects of seismic acquisition are then described. The second part of the book goes on to discuss data-processing and interpretation. Applications of seismic exploration to groundwater, environmental and reservoir geophysics are also included. The book is designed to give a comprehensive up-to-date picture of the applications of seismology. Exploration Seismology's comprehensiveness makes it suitable as a text for undergraduate courses for geologists, geophysicists and engineers, as well as a guide and reference work for practising professionals.

This challenging book is based on the experience of the pioneering Buckingham project, a comprehensive mental health service focusing on primary care, and describes a new approach to the provision of mental health service to a community. Using the vulnerability-stress model of mental illness, the authors place their findings and recommendations in the wider context of mental health care provision, and draw widely on international research in this field. They insist on a rigorous approach to the provision and evaluation of care, and use telling case studies to reveal the benefits as well as some of the difficulties that may be experienced. The practical and cost effective approach described will be of the greatest interest to health care professionals in whatever treatment setting they may be working.

As computerisation in the medical environment has increased, so the advantages of storage and the computer analysis of data from various monitoring and measuring equipment has become well recognised. Most medical monitoring and measurement equipment now supports an RS-232 serial interface, allowing for direct computer access both in terms of data analysis and equipment control. This book describes the techniques used for interfacing a PC to a range of medical equipment used internationally in the areas of anaesthesia, intensive care, surgery, respiratory medicine and physiology. Part One addresses the serial interface, including the RS-232 standard, transmission of data and an introduction to serial-interface programming using Microsoft QuickBASIC. Part Two looks at electrical safety, the use of Kermit and data analysis. Part Three considers the practical aspects of interfacing a PC to a wide range of equipment, and includes example programs for collecting data and in some cases for co

This is a complete text combining practical data collection, research and statistical analysis, plus how to write up reports. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are discussed in-depth. This

Featuring the latest coverage of CDMA and TDMA systems, this is the only book in the wireless digital communications field which contains an in-depth analysis and description of practical R&D, des

The Dynamics of Industrial Competition, first published in 1995, describes the internal dynamics of industries using longitudinal data that make it possible to track firms over time. It provides a comprehensive picture of a number of different aspects of firm turnover in North America that arise from the competitive process - the entry and the exit of firms, the growth and decline of incumbent firms, and the merger process. Instantaneous and cumulative measures of market dynamics are provided by examining change in both the short and the long run. Using various measures of firm turnover to proxy the amount of competition, the study examines and contextualizes the relationship between industry performance and the intensity of the competitive process.

The measurement of household welfare is one of the most compelling yet demanding areas in economics. To place the analysis of inequality and poverty within an economic framework where individuals are making decisions about current and lifetime incomes and expenditures is a difficult task, made all the more challenging by the complexity of the decision-making process in which households are involved and the variety of constraints they face. This 1994 book examines the conceptual and practical difficulties of making inferences from observed behaviour. It addresses the problems of making comparisons across a range of very different households and discusses how data for such comparisons should be collected. The contributions, from experts from Europe, North America and Australia, have the unifying theme that there is a strong relationship between theoretical concepts from microeconomics and the appropriate use of micro data in evaluating household welfare.

This graduate-level study approaches mathematical foundations of three-dimensional elasticity using modern differential geometry and functional analysis. It is directed to mathematicians, engineers and physicists who wish to see this classical subject in a modern setting with examples of newer mathematical contributions. Relevant problems appear throughout the text. 1983 edition.

Designed for students with only a basic knowledge of linguistics, this leading textbook provides a clear and practical introduction to phonology, the study of sound patterns in language. It teaches in a step-by-step fashion the logical techniques of phonological analysis and the fundamental theories that underpin it. This thoroughly revised and updated edition teaches students how to analyze phonological data, how to think critically about data, how to formulate rules and hypotheses, and how to test them. New to this edition: • Improved examples, over 60 exercises and 14 new problem sets from a wide variety of languages encourage students to practise their own analysis of phonological processes and patterns • A new and updated reference list of phonetic symbols and an updated transcription system, making data more accessible to students • Additional online material includes pedagogical suggestions and password-protected answer keys for instructors

Despite its remote and seemingly rigorous environment, the Antarctic is the world's most important habitat for seals, currently supporting more seals than all other parts of the world combined. As various national Antarctic programmes were established to study these animals, the need to standardize techniques became apparent. This book, arising from work by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (Group of Specialists on Seals), gives a detailed account of well-tried and, where possible, agreed methodologies, techniques, procedures and rationale for the collection and initial analysis of data on the biology and population ecology of Antarctic seals. This volume will not only help facilitate comparisons between different regions of Antarctica, but will also provide a guide for those studying seals in other parts of the world and those carrying out research on other large mammal species.

This book describes the experience over 25 years of the senior author with the chemistry of organic free radicals. It begins with a mechanistic study of industrial importance on the pyrolysis of chlorinated alkanes. It continues with a theory on the biosynthesis of phenolate derived alkaloids involving phenolate radical coupling. There follows 20 years of practical work to prove the theory correct, especially in the case of morphine alkaloids. The book then describes the work on nitrile photolysis (Barton reaction) which involved the invention of new radical chemistry leading to a simple synthesis of the important hormone, aldosterone. There follows a description of the invention of an important new method for the deoxygenation of biologically important molecules, especially sugars and nucleosides, using radical chemistry applied to thiocarbonyl derivatives. Some years later, in a logical extension to carboxylic acids, another new reaction was invented which provides carbon, nitrogen,

This 1993 work surveys and summarizes the results of more than seventy years of investigation, by factor analysis, of a variety of cognitive abilities, with particular attention to language, thinking, memory, visual and auditory perception, creativity and the production of ideas, and the speed and accuracy of mental processing. The author describes his detailed findings resulting from reanalysis of more than 460 data sets from the factor-analytic literature, followed by a presentation of a hierarchical, three-stratum theory of cognitive ability and its implications for further research. A set of three computer disks (IBM 3-1/2" 1.4 megabytes, ASCII format) containing the numerical data sets and Dr. Carroll's statistical results is also available. Representing over 4 megabytes of data or roughly 2000 printed pages the disks are major resources for the interested researcher.

Motor development is an integral part of the developmental process. Understanding the organization of the sensory-motor system and its adaptations in response to environmental factors is a vital part of understanding individual development as a whole. This volume describes and discusses human motor development using longitudinal study methods, and from an interdisciplinary perspective. Researchers from a variety of different backgrounds and disciplines provide a broad-ranging analysis of human motor development, from both the practical and theoretical standpoint, in a book which will be of great interest to paediatricians, psychologists, developmental biologists, developmental psychiatrists and neurologists as well as to research scientists in these fields.

This 1993 work surveys and summarizes the results of more than seventy years of investigation, by factor analysis, of a variety of cognitive abilities, with particular attention to language, thinking, memory, visual and auditory perception, creativity and the production of ideas, and the speed and accuracy of mental processing. The author describes his detailed findings resulting from reanalysis of more than 460 data sets from the factor-analytic literature, followed by a presentation of a hierarchical, three-stratum theory of cognitive ability and its implications for further research. A set of three computer disks (IBM 3-1/2" 1.4 megabytes, ASCII format) containing the numerical data sets and Dr. Carroll's statistical results is also available. Representing over 4 megabytes of data or roughly 2000 printed pages the disks are major resources for the interested researcher.

This introductory text presents the use of statistical methods as an integral part of biological investigation, yet one whose superficial complexities have deterred many biologists from using them. The author argues that the difficulties, such as they are, do not lie in mathematical manipulation, but in grasping a few simple, but unfamiliar concepts. He emphasizes the need for precisely defining problems and for careful selection of the most appropriate methods - a wide range of which are described and illustrated. Each chapter ends with a set of problems which are intended to help the student gain practical experience. No previous knowledge is assumed, and the student is encouraged to develop a competent and critical approach to analysing numerical data. In this second edition, the scope of the book has been extended, problems have been solved in a more satisfactory way, and a greater number of illustrative examples have been added.

The health of a population is most accurately reflected in the rate of growth of its children. It is this theme which underlies the analysis and presentation of what is by far the largest compilation of growth data ever assembled. The first edition, published in 1976, included all known reliable recent results on height, weight, skinfolds and other body measurements from all parts of the globe. In this edition, the very numerous measurements taken between 1976 and 1988 have been included as well as the results of the large number of new studies made on rate of maturation as evinced by bone age and pubertal development stages. Many sections of the book dwell on disentangling the effects of the environment and heredity on growth, and thus answer the question of whether one universal standard suffices for all peoples of the world, or whether different populations (such as races or nations) should each have their own optimal growth standards. Written by practical people with experience of

The health of a population is most accurately reflected in the rate of growth of its children. It is this theme which underlies the analysis and presentation of what is by far the largest compilation of growth data ever assembled. The first edition, published in 1976, included all known reliable recent results on height, weight, skinfolds and other body measurements from all parts of the globe. In this edition, the very numerous measurements taken between 1976 and 1988 have been included as well as the results of the large number of new studies made on rate of maturation as evinced by bone age and pubertal development stages. Many sections of the book dwell on disentangling the effects of the environment and heredity on growth, and thus answer the question of whether one universal standard suffices for all peoples of the world, or whether different populations (such as races or nations) should each have their own optimal growth standards. Written by practical people with experience of

This book deals with emotional experiences that are directly related both to theories of knowledge and to clinical psycho-analysis, and that in the most practical manner.

This book, written by a non-statistician for non-statisticians, emphasises the practical approach to those problems in statistics which arise regularly in data analysis situations in nuclear and high-energy physics experiments. Rather than concentrating on formal proofs of theorems, an abundant use of simple examples illustrates the general ideas which are presented, showing the reader how to obtain the maximum information from the data in the simplest manner. Possible difficulties with the various techniques, and pitfalls to be avoided, are also discussed. Based on a series of lectures given by the author to both students and staff at Oxford, this common-sense approach to statistics will enable nuclear physicists to understand better how to do justice to their data in both analysis and interpretation.

This book contains a modern treatment of production economics from a dual perspective, with special emphasis on recent developments. Results that were scattered throughout professional journals and monographs are now gathered into an integrated approach using a common notation. The book prepares the reader to apply the tools of the dual approach to real world problems and data sets. Particular care has been devoted to choosing topics for discussion that achieve this goal. Throughout the book there are worked examples and exercises, which are geared toward developing the reader's facility in using modern developments in production economics. Separate chapters are devoted to production, cost, and profit functions. Other topics include flexible functional forms, aggregation across inputs and outputs using the theory of separable structures, aggregation over economic optimizing firms, the representation of multioutput technologies, and the analysis and measurement of technical change from