Soft Computing Based Modeling in Intelligent Systems

Modern communications technology demands smaller, faster and more efficient circuits. This book reviews the fundamentals of electromagnetism in passive and active circuit elements, highlighting various effects and potential problems in designing a new circuit. The author begins with a review of the basics - the origin of resistance, capacitance, and inductance - then progresses to more advanced topics such as passive device design and layout, resonant circuits, impedance matching, high-speed switching circuits, and parasitic coupling and isolation techniques. Using examples and applications in RF and microwave systems, the author describes transmission lines, transformers, and distributed circuits. State-of-the-art developments in Si based broadband analog, RF, microwave, and mm-wave circuits are reviewed. With up-to-date results, techniques, practical examples, illustrations and worked examples, this book will be valuable to advanced undergraduate and graduate students of electrical

As new federations take shape and old ones are revived around the world, a difficult challenge is to create incentives for fiscal discipline. A key question is whether a politically-motivated central government can credibly commit not to bail out subnational governments in times of crisis if it funds most of their expenditures. The center can commit when subnational governments retain significant tax autonomy, as in the United States. Or if the center dominates taxation, it can tightly regulate borrowing, as in many unitary systems. In a third group of countries including Brazil and Germany, the center can neither commit to a system of market-based discipline nor gain a monopoly over borrowing. By combining theory, quantitative analysis, and historical and contemporary case studies, this book explains why different countries have had dramatically different experiences with subnational fiscal discipline.

As new federations take shape and old ones are revived around the world, a difficult challenge is to create incentives for fiscal discipline. A key question is whether a politically-motivated central government can credibly commit not to bail out subnational governments in times of crisis if it funds most of their expenditures. The center can commit when subnational governments retain significant tax autonomy, as in the United States. Or if the center dominates taxation, it can tightly regulate borrowing, as in many unitary systems. In a third group of countries including Brazil and Germany, the center can neither commit to a system of market-based discipline nor gain a monopoly over borrowing. By combining theory, quantitative analysis, and historical and contemporary case studies, this book explains why different countries have had dramatically different experiences with subnational fiscal discipline.

Concerns over environmental and human health impacts of conventional weed management practices, herbicide resistance in weeds, and rising costs of crop production and protection have led agricultural producers and scientists in many countries to seek strategies that take greater advantage of ecological processes and thereby allow a reduction in herbicide use. This book provides principles and practices for ecologically based weed management in a wide range of temperate and tropical farming systems. After examining weed life histories and processes determining the assembly of weed communities, the authors describe how tillage and cultivation practices, manipulations of soil conditions, competitive cultivars, crop diversification, grazing livestock, arthropod and microbial biocontrol agents, and other factors can be used to reduce weed germination, growth, competitive ability, reproduction and dispersal. Special attention is given to the evolutionary challenges that weeds pose and the ro

This book, first published in 2000, is based on the modern conceptual understanding of crystal fields. It provides readers with clear instructions and a set of computer programs for the phenomenological analysis of energy spectra of magnetic ions in solids. The text clarifies several issues that have historically produced confusion in this area, particularly the effects of covalency and ligand polarization on the energy spectra of magnetic ions. Readers are shown how to employ a hierarchy of parametrized models to extract as much information as possible from observed lanthanide and actinide spectra. This book of crystal field theory describes all of the available phenomenological models, together with the conceptual and computational tools necessary for their use. It will be of particular interest to graduate students and researchers working in the development of opto-electronic systems and magnetic materials.

This 1999 book describes the implementation of multilevel methods for the numerical simulation of turbulent flows. The general ideas for the algorithms presented stem from dynamical systems theory and are based on the decomposition of the unknown function into two or more arrays corresponding to different scales in the Fourier space. Before describing in detail the numerical algorithm, survey chapters are included on the mathematical theory of the Navier-Stokes equations and on the physics of the conventional theory of turbulence. The multilevel methods are applied here to the simulation of homogeneous isotropic turbulent flows as well as turbulent channel flows. The implementation issues are discussed in detail and numerical simulations of the flows cited above are presented and analysed. The methods have been applied in the context of the direct numerical simulation and are therefore compared to such simulations.

How can the Earth become fully industrialised without overwhelming natural systems? This is a book for those who wish to participate more effectively in today's attempts to implement appropriate strategies. The reader will more deeply understand: • recycling - after learning what happens to lead and cadmium in consumer products; • solar energy - after exploring a future based on biomass energy; • chemicals in agriculture - after being introduced to ecotoxicology and the global nitrogen cycle; • industrial innovation - after reading eye-witness accounts of new design principles and management practices on the shop floor; • international cooperation - after confronting conflicting perspectives of authors from several countries. The goal is to empower the citizen activist, the scholar looking for new challenges, the business leader determined to move beyond slogans in achieving the greening of industry, and the educated person everywhere who finds these issues too important to be left to

The United States introduced the earned income tax credit (EITC) in 1975, where it remains the most significant earnings-based refundable credit in the Internal Revenue Code. While the United States was the first country to use its domestic revenue system to deliver and administer social welfare benefits to lower-income individuals or families, a number of other countries, including New Zealand and Canada, have experimented with or incorporated similar credits into their tax systems. In this work, Michelle Lyon Drumbl, drawing on her extensive advocacy experience representing low-income taxpayers in EITC audits, analyzes the effectiveness of the EITC in the United States and offers suggestions for how it can be improved. This timely book should be read by anyone interested in how the EITC can be reimagined to better serve the working poor and, more generally, whether the tax system can promote social justice.

The United States introduced the earned income tax credit (EITC) in 1975, where it remains the most significant earnings-based refundable credit in the Internal Revenue Code. While the United States was the first country to use its domestic revenue system to deliver and administer social welfare benefits to lower-income individuals or families, a number of other countries, including New Zealand and Canada, have experimented with or incorporated similar credits into their tax systems. In this work, Michelle Lyon Drumbl, drawing on her extensive advocacy experience representing low-income taxpayers in EITC audits, analyzes the effectiveness of the EITC in the United States and offers suggestions for how it can be improved. This timely book should be read by anyone interested in how the EITC can be reimagined to better serve the working poor and, more generally, whether the tax system can promote social justice.

One of the major problems of macroeconomic theory is the way in which the people exchange goods in decentralized market economies. There are major disagreements among macroeconomists regarding tools to influence required outcomes. Since the mainstream efficient market theory fails to provide an internal coherent framework, there is a need for an alternative theory. The book provides an innovative approach for the analysis of agent based models, populated by the heterogeneous and interacting agents in the field of financial fragility. The text is divided in two parts; the first presents analytical developments of stochastic aggregation and macro-dynamics inference methods. The second part introduces macroeconomic models of financial fragility for complex systems populated by heterogeneous and interacting agents. The concepts of financial fragility and macroeconomic dynamics are explained in detail in separate chapters. The statistical physics approach is applied to explain theories of m

The leadership and management of academic health centers present challenges as complex as any in the corporate environment. A consensus is emerging about their integrated mission of education, research and service, and this book, first published in 2005 and focusing on value-driven management, provides a truly comprehensive review of these issues available. Based on reports produced by the Blue Ridge Academic Health Group, which has developed a framework for meeting the challenges of improving health in the 21st century, it also contains invited commentaries and case studies from leading authorities in and beyond the United States. It identifies the public policies and organizational practices required to maximise the health status of individuals and the population, and highlights innovative practices. It is essential reading for managers and leaders of clinical and basic science departments in academic health centers, and for all those involved in health systems management studies.

New languages are constantly emerging, as existing languages diverge into different forms. To explain this fascinating process, we need to understand how languages change and how they emerge in children. In this pioneering study, David Lightfoot explains how languages come into being, arguing that children are the driving force. He explores how new systems arise, how they are acquired by children, and how adults and children play different, complementary roles in language change. Lightfoot makes an important distinction between 'external language' (language as it exists in the world), and 'internal language' (language as represented in an individual's brain). By examining the interplay between the two, he shows how children are 'cue-based' learners, who scan their external linguistic environment for new structures, making sense of the world outside in order to build their internal language. Engaging and original, this book offers an interesting account of language acquisition, variatio

The leadership and management of academic health centers present challenges as complex as any in the corporate environment. A consensus is emerging about their integrated mission of education, research and service, and this book, first published in 2005 and focusing on value-driven management, provides a truly comprehensive review of these issues available. Based on reports produced by the Blue Ridge Academic Health Group, which has developed a framework for meeting the challenges of improving health in the 21st century, it also contains invited commentaries and case studies from leading authorities in and beyond the United States. It identifies the public policies and organizational practices required to maximise the health status of individuals and the population, and highlights innovative practices. It is essential reading for managers and leaders of clinical and basic science departments in academic health centers, and for all those involved in health systems management studies.

Harold Davenport was one of the truly great mathematicians of the twentieth century. Based on lectures he gave at the University of Michigan in the early 1960s, this book is concerned with the use of analytic methods in the study of integer solutions to Diophantine equations and Diophantine inequalities. It provides an excellent introduction to a timeless area of number theory that is still as widely researched today as it was when the book originally appeared. The three main themes of the book are Waring's problem and the representation of integers by diagonal forms, the solubility in integers of systems of forms in many variables, and the solubility in integers of diagonal inequalities. For the second edition of the book a comprehensive foreword has been added in which three prominent authorities describe the modern context and recent developments. A thorough bibliography has also been added.

Human Capital and Institutions is concerned with human capital in its many dimensions and brings to the fore the role of political, social, and economic institutions in human capital formation and economic growth. Written by leading economic historians, including pioneers in historical research on human capital, the chapters in this text offer a broad-based view of human capital in economic development. The issues they address range from nutrition in pre-modern societies to twentieth-century advances in medical care; from the social institutions that provided temporary relief to workers in the middle and lower ranges of the wage scale to the factors that affected the performance of those who reached the pinnacle in business and art; and from political systems that stifled the advance of literacy to those that promoted public and higher education. Just as human capital has been a key to economic growth, so has the emergence of appropriate institutions been a key to the growth of human c

Present-day elliptical, spiral and irregular galaxies are large systems made of stars, gas and dark matter. Their properties result from a variety of physical processes that have occurred during the nearly fourteen billion years since the Big Bang. This comprehensive textbook, which bridges the gap between introductory and specialized texts, explains the key physical processes of galaxy formation, from the cosmological recombination of primordial gas to the evolution of the different galaxies that we observe in the Universe today. In a logical sequence, the book introduces cosmology, illustrates the properties of galaxies in the present-day Universe, then explains the physical processes behind galaxy formation in the cosmological context, taking into account the most recent developments in this field. The text ends on how to find distant galaxies with multi-wavelength observations, and how to extract the physical and evolutionary properties based on imaging and spectroscopic data.

Policing is commonly thought to be governed by domestic legal systems and not international law. However, various international legal standards are shown to have an impact in situations where police use force. Police Use of Force under International Law explores this tension in detail for the first time. It critically reviews the use of force by law enforcement agencies in a range of scenarios: against detainees, during protests, and in the context of counterterrorism and counterpiracy operations. Key trends, such as the growing use of private security services, are also considered. This book provides a human rights framework for police weaponry and protection of at-risk groups based on critical jurisprudence from the last twenty years. With pertinent case law and case studies to illustrate the key principles of the use of force, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in policing, human rights, state use of force or criminology.

Policing is commonly thought to be governed by domestic legal systems and not international law. However, various international legal standards are shown to have an impact in situations where police use force. Police Use of Force under International Law explores this tension in detail for the first time. It critically reviews the use of force by law enforcement agencies in a range of scenarios: against detainees, during protests, and in the context of counterterrorism and counterpiracy operations. Key trends, such as the growing use of private security services, are also considered. This book provides a human rights framework for police weaponry and protection of at-risk groups based on critical jurisprudence from the last twenty years. With pertinent case law and case studies to illustrate the key principles of the use of force, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in policing, human rights, state use of force or criminology.

Most works of art, whether illustrative, musical or literary, are created subject to a set of constraints. In many (but not all) cases, these constraints have a mathematical nature, for example, the geometric transformations governing the canons of J. S. Bach, the various projection systems used in classical painting, the catalog of symmetries found in Islamic art, or the rules concerning poetic structure. This fascinating book describes geometric frameworks underlying this constraint-based creation. The author provides both a development in geometry and a description of how these frameworks fit the creative process within several art practices. He furthermore discusses the perceptual effects derived from the presence of particular geometric characteristics. The book began life as a liberal arts course and it is certainly suitable as a textbook. However, anyone interested in the power and ubiquity of mathematics will enjoy this revealing insight into the relationship between mathematic

This volume was originally published in 1983. It is concerned with the features of and the laws governing the occurrence of water in the interior of the Earth. Special attention is paid to the origin of the water in the interior of the Earth, the manner in which it moves and its changes of state. The laws which govern the distribution of groundwater are examined from the position of an understanding of the hydrogeological structure and the water-bearing systems. A scheme for the classification of groundwater is given based on the manner in which it is deposited. The deep-lying water and the subsurface water under the seas and oceans are examined together with the traditional subdivisions. The concluding sections are concerned with hydrogeothermics, the principles of hydrogeological zonation and the distribution of groundwater throughout the world. The basic viewpoints are illustrated by copious material from all over the world.

In 1867, Sir William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin) and Peter Guthrie Tate revolutionised physics with the publication of their Treatise on Natural Philosophy, in which they demonstrated the centrality of energy conservation to systems of dynamic movement. Popularly known as 'T&T' for its authors' initials, the Treatise became the standard textbook on natural philosophy, introducing generations of mathematicians to the 'new energy-based dynamics'. In Elements of Natural Philosophy (1873), they distil the portions of the Treatise not requiring higher calculus into a primer suitable for use in university courses. The first half covers the basic principles of kinematics and dynamics, including the motion of points, lines, and volumes, while the second half concerns questions of 'abstract dynamics', including particle attraction. The result of one of the most important collaborations in modern physics, this book remains a thorough introduction to the major principles of Thomson and Tait's lar

This is the first book presenting a coherent theoretical and experimental treatment of the rapidly developing field of macroscopic quantum tunneling of the magnetic moment. The theory is based on the concept of the magnetic instanton and its renormalization by the dissipative environment. The book includes discussions of the tunneling of magnetic moment in small ferromagnetic grains, tunneling of the Ne'el vector in antiferromagnetic grains, quantum nucleation of magnetic domains, and quantum depinning of domain walls. The experimental part collects the majority of recent data that are, or may be, relevant to spin tunneling. Among the topics described are low temperature magnetic relaxation and its interpretation in various systems, experiments on single particles and mesoscopic wires, and resonant spin tunneling in molecular magnets. This study of an important new field in condensed matter physics by two leading contributors to the subject will be of interest to theorists and experime

This is the first book presenting a coherent theoretical and experimental treatment of the rapidly developing field of macroscopic quantum tunneling of the magnetic moment. The theory is based on the concept of the magnetic instanton and its renormalization by the dissipative environment. The book includes discussions of the tunneling of magnetic moment in small ferromagnetic grains, tunneling of the Ne'el vector in antiferromagnetic grains, quantum nucleation of magnetic domains, and quantum depinning of domain walls. The experimental part collects the majority of recent data that are, or may be, relevant to spin tunneling. Among the topics described are low temperature magnetic relaxation and its interpretation in various systems, experiments on single particles and mesoscopic wires, and resonant spin tunneling in molecular magnets. This study of an important new field in condensed matter physics by two leading contributors to the subject will be of interest to theorists and experime

This attractively illustrated book reviews the effects of agricultural development on bird populations in Britain. Examining modern farmland as a bird habitat, it explains the changes, both in habitat structure and in available resources, that have occurred as a result of mechanisation and use of agrochemicals. Farmland bird communities are described, and their composition related to farm structure and land use. Based extensively on empirical data extracted from the British Trust for Ornithology's Common Bird Census and from nest histories recorded in the BTO'S Nest Record Scheme, the book presents an important analysis of the position of agricultural bird populations under modern farming systems. Particular examination has been made of the impact of changing methods, rotations and crops, which have been underestimated in the past. Resulting from the co-operation between a professional ornithologist and a working cereal farmer, this book provides an objective and informed view of the i

Learn how information technology intersects with today's health care! Health Informatics: An Interprofessional Approach, 3rd Edition, follows the tradition of expert informatics educators Ramona Nelson and Nancy Staggers with new lead author, Lynda R. Hardy, to prepare you for success in today's technology-filled healthcare practice. Concise coverage includes information systems and applications, such as electronic health records, clinical decision support, telehealth, mHealth, ePatients, and social media tools, as well as system implementation. New to this edition are topics that include analytical approaches to health informatics, increased information on FHIR and SMART on FHIR, and the use of health informatics in pandemics. Chapters written by experts in the field provide the most current and accurate information on continually evolving subjects like evidence-based practice, EHRs, PHRs, mobile health, disaster recovery, and simulation. Objectives, key terms, and an abstract at the

This book provides a new legal-sociological account of contemporary democracy. It is based on a revision of standard positions in democratic theory, reflecting the impact of global legal norms on the institutions of national states. Chris Thornhill argues that the establishment of fully democratic, fully inclusive governance systems in national societies was generally impeded by inner-societal structural factors, and that inclusive patterns of democratic citizenship only evolved on the foundation of global legal norms that were consolidated after 1945. He claims that this process can be best understood through a transposition of key insights of classical legal sociology onto the form of global society. Extensive analysis of select case studies in different regions illustrate these claims. Thornhill offers a sociological theory of global law to explain contemporary processes of democratic integration and institutional formation, and contemporary constructions of citizenship and politica

This book provides a new legal-sociological account of contemporary democracy. It is based on a revision of standard positions in democratic theory, reflecting the impact of global legal norms on the institutions of national states. Chris Thornhill argues that the establishment of fully democratic, fully inclusive governance systems in national societies was generally impeded by inner-societal structural factors, and that inclusive patterns of democratic citizenship only evolved on the foundation of global legal norms that were consolidated after 1945. He claims that this process can be best understood through a transposition of key insights of classical legal sociology onto the form of global society. Extensive analysis of select case studies in different regions illustrate these claims. Thornhill offers a sociological theory of global law to explain contemporary processes of democratic integration and institutional formation, and contemporary constructions of citizenship and politica

To speak of human rights in the twenty-first century is to speak of proportionality. Proportionality has been received into the constitutional doctrine of courts in continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Israel, South Africa, and the United States, as well as the jurisprudence of treaty-based legal systems such as the European Convention on Human Rights. Proportionality provides a common analytical framework for resolving the great moral and political questions confronting political communities. But behind the singular appeal to proportionality lurks a range of different understandings. This volume brings together many of the world's leading constitutional theorists - proponents and critics of proportionality - to debate the merits of proportionality, the nature of rights, the practice of judicial review, and moral and legal reasoning. Their essays provide important new perspectives on this leading doctrine in human rights law.

To speak of human rights in the twenty-first century is to speak of proportionality. Proportionality has been received into the constitutional doctrine of courts in continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Israel, South Africa, and the United States, as well as the jurisprudence of treaty-based legal systems such as the European Convention on Human Rights. Proportionality provides a common analytical framework for resolving the great moral and political questions confronting political communities. But behind the singular appeal to proportionality lurks a range of different understandings. This volume brings together many of the world's leading constitutional theorists - proponents and critics of proportionality - to debate the merits of proportionality, the nature of rights, the practice of judicial review, and moral and legal reasoning. Their essays provide important new perspectives on this leading doctrine in human rights law.

Sustainable development is becoming the guiding principle for the twenty-first century. This textbook - based on the author's course and rigorously class-tested by his students - provides an introduction into patterns of past and present (un)sustainable development and into the emergence of the notion of sustainable development. It systematically surveys the key concepts, models and findings of the various scientific disciplines with respect to the major sustainability issues: energy, nature, agro-food and resource systems, and economic growth. System analysis and modelling is introduced and used as an integrating tool. Stories and worldviews are used to connect the quantitative and the qualitative and to offer the reader an understanding of relevant trends and events in context. Sustainability Science is an ideal textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses in sustainable development and in environmental and resource science and policy.

Sustainable development is becoming the guiding principle for the twenty-first century. This textbook - based on the author's course and rigorously class-tested by his students - provides an introduction into patterns of past and present (un)sustainable development and into the emergence of the notion of sustainable development. It systematically surveys the key concepts, models and findings of the various scientific disciplines with respect to the major sustainability issues: energy, nature, agro-food and resource systems, and economic growth. System analysis and modelling is introduced and used as an integrating tool. Stories and worldviews are used to connect the quantitative and the qualitative and to offer the reader an understanding of relevant trends and events in context. Sustainability Science is an ideal textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses in sustainable development and in environmental and resource science and policy.

One of the major neuropsychological models of personality, developed by world-renowned psychologist Professor Jeffrey Gray, is based upon individual differences in reactions to punishing and rewarding stimuli. This biological theory of personality - now widely known as 'Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory' (RST) - has had a major influence on motivation, emotion and psychopathology research. In 2000, RST was substantially revised by Jeffrey Gray, together with Neil McNaughton, and this revised theory proposed three principal motivation/emotion systems: the 'Fight-Flight-Freeze System' (FFFS), the 'Behavioural Approach System' (BAS) and the 'Behavioural Inhibition System' (BIS). This is the first book to summarise the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of personality and bring together leading researchers in the field. It summarizes all of the pre-2000 RST research findings, explains and elaborates the implications of the 2000 theory for personality psychology and lays out the future researc

One of the major neuropsychological models of personality, developed by world-renowned psychologist Professor Jeffrey Gray, is based upon individual differences in reactions to punishing and rewarding stimuli. This biological theory of personality - now widely known as 'Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory' (RST) - has had a major influence on motivation, emotion and psychopathology research. In 2000, RST was substantially revised by Jeffrey Gray, together with Neil McNaughton, and this revised theory proposed three principal motivation/emotion systems: the 'Fight-Flight-Freeze System' (FFFS), the 'Behavioural Approach System' (BAS) and the 'Behavioural Inhibition System' (BIS). This is the first book to summarise the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of personality and bring together leading researchers in the field. It summarizes all of the pre-2000 RST research findings, explains and elaborates the implications of the 2000 theory for personality psychology and lays out the future researc

A full understanding of the developmental process in individuals requires contributions from disciplines including developmental biology and psychology, physiology, neuropsychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology. This ambitious and wide-ranging book integrates the findings from these and related areas to form a holistic view of human development from conception to death. Distinguished scientists have combined their expertise in a synthesis of biological and social sciences that will demand the attention of all researchers and practitioners concerned with human development across the lifespan. Based on a Nobel symposium, the topics discussed range from the function and development of single cells to the whole organism interacting with its environment. Drawing upon new theories and models, including the study of nonlinear dynamic systems and chaos theory, this book represents a major step in the move towards an integrated science of human development.

Provide quality nursing care through each stage of child development! Wong's Nursing Care of Infants and Children, 12th Edition uses an easy-to-follow, family-centered approach to describe the care of children at each age and stage of development. The book begins with a discussion of the influences on and assessment of child health, then provides chapters on child health promotion and health problems - all organized by age groups and body systems. Up-to-date, evidence-based information helps you develop critical thinking skills along with the sensitivity needed to become a compassionate, caring pediatric nurse. Written by a team of experts led by Marilyn J. Hockenberry, Wong's continues to be the leading text in pediatric nursing.

The concepts of statistical physics and big data play an important role in the evidence-based analysis and interpretation of macroeconomic principles. The techniques of complex networks, big data, and statistical physics are useful to understand theories of economic systems, and the authors have applied these to understand the intricacies of complex macroeconomic problems. Recent research work using tools and techniques of big data, statistical physics, complex networks, and statistical science is covered, and basic graph algorithms and statistical measures of complex networks are described. The application of big data and statistical physics tools to assess price dynamics, inflation, systemic risks, and productivity is discussed. Chapter-end summary and numerical problems are provided to reinforce understanding of concepts.

Stretchable electronics is one of the transformative pillars of future flexible electronics. As a result, the research on new passive and active materials, novel designs, and engineering approaches has attracted significant interest. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of new approaches that enable the integration of high-performance materials, including, organic and inorganic compounds, carbon-based and layered materials, and composites to serve as conductors, semiconductors or insulators, with the ability to accommodate electronics on stretchable substrates. This Element presents a discussion about the strategies that have been developed for obtaining stretchable systems, with a focus on various stretchable geometries to achieve strain invariant electrical response, and summarises the recent advances in terms of material research, various integration techniques of high-performance electronics. In addition, some of the applications, challenges and opportunities associated w

Applied Speech and Audio Processing is a MATLAB-based, one-stop resource that blends speech and hearing research in describing the key techniques of speech and audio processing. This practically oriented text provides MATLAB examples throughout to illustrate the concepts discussed and to give the reader hands-on experience with important techniques. Chapters on basic audio processing and the characteristics of speech and hearing lay the foundations of speech signal processing, which are built upon in subsequent sections explaining audio handling, coding, compression, and analysis techniques. The final chapter explores a number of advanced topics that use these techniques, including psychoacoustic modelling, a subject which underpins MP3 and related audio formats. With its hands-on nature and numerous MATLAB examples, this book is ideal for graduate students and practitioners working with speech or audio systems.

In order to accurately describe and diagnose psychiatric illness, practitioners require in-depth knowledge of the signs and symptoms of behavioral disorders. Descriptive Psychopathology provides a broad review of the psychopathology of psychiatric illness, beyond the limitations of the DSM and ICD criteria. Beginning with a discussion of the background to psychiatric classification, the authors explore the problems and limitations of current diagnostic systems. The following chapters then present the principles of psychiatric examination and diagnosis, described with accompanying patient vignettes and summary tables, and related to different diagnostic concerns. A thought-provoking conclusion proposes a restructuring of psychiatric classification based on the psychopathology literature and its validating data. Written for psychiatry and neurology residents, clinical psychologists, behavioral neurologists, clinical psychology students and psychiatric nurse practitioners, it is invaluabl

This volume brings together a wide-ranging collection of the papers written by Jeremy Waldron, one of the most internationally respected political theorists writing today. The main focus of the collection is on substantive issues in modern political philosophy. The first six chapters deal with freedom, toleration and neutrality and argue for a robust conception of liberty. Waldron defends the idea that people have a right to act in ways others disapprove of, and that the state should be neutral vis-á-vis religious and ethical systems. The chapters that follow are concerned with socio-economic rights. Waldron argues that poverty and homelessness are not to be understood apart from the value of freedom. On the contrary our moral response to them should be based on the same values that underlie traditional liberal philosophy.