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Academic Press

Geometric Measure Theory
A Beginner's Guide
2nd Edition
May 19, 2014
Frank Morgan
English
Geometric measure theory is the mathematical framework for the study of crystal growth, clusters of soap bubbles, and similar structures involving minimization of energy. Morgan emphasizes geometry over proofs and technicalities, and includes a bibliography and abundant illustrations and examples. This Second Edition features a new chapter on soap bubbles as well as updated sections addressing volume constraints, surfaces in manifolds, free boundaries, and Besicovitch constant results. The text will introduce newcomers to the field and appeal to mathematicians working in the field.
Single Neuron Computation
1st Edition
May 19, 2014
Thomas M. McKenna + 2 more
English
This book contains twenty-two original contributions that provide a comprehensive overview of computational approaches to understanding a single neuron structure. The focus on cellular-level processes is twofold. From a computational neuroscience perspective, a thorough understanding of the information processing performed by single neurons leads to an understanding of circuit- and systems-level activity. From the standpoint of artificial neural networks (ANNs), a single real neuron is as complex an operational unit as an entire ANN, and formalizing the complex computations performed by real neurons is essential to the design of enhanced processor elements for use in the next generation of ANNs.The book covers computation in dendrites and spines, computational aspects of ion channels, synapses, patterned discharge and multistate neurons, and stochastic models of neuron dynamics. It is the most up-to-date presentation of biophysical and computational methods.
Linguistic Evidence
Language, Power, and Strategy in the Courtroom
1st Edition
May 19, 2014
William M. O'Barr
English
With the permission of a North Carolina court, more than 150 hours of courtroom speech were recorded for this study. These tapes provided a rich archive for a variety of different types of inquiry, including the ethnography of courtroom speech and social psychological experiments focused on effects of different modes of presenting information in courts of law. Four sets of linguistic variables and related experimental studies have constituted a major portion of the research: (1) "powerful" versus "powerless" speech; (2) hypercorrect versus formal speech; (3) narrative versus fragmented testimony, and (4) simultaneous speech by witnesses and lawyers. All four sets of studies focus on the central question of importance of form over content of testimony.
Integrable Systems in Quantum Field Theory and Statistical Mechanics
1st Edition
May 19, 2014
M. Jimbo + 2 more
English
Advanced Studies in Pure Mathematics, Volume 19: Integrable Systems in Quantum Field Theory and Statistical Mechanics provides information pertinent to the advances in the study of pure mathematics. This book covers a variety of topics, including statistical mechanics, eigenvalue spectrum, conformal field theory, quantum groups and integrable models, integrable field theory, and conformal invariant models. Organized into 17 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the eigenvalues of the three-state superintegrable chiral Potts model of the associated spin chain by use of a functional equation. This text then illustrates the importance of the star-triangle equation with a few results for the two-dimensional Ising model. Other chapters consider the conformal field theories on manifolds with a boundary, and the constraints placed by modular invariance on their partition functions. This book discusses as well the topological invariants for knots and links. The final chapter deals with equations of motion for two-dimensional quantum field theory. This book is a valuable resource for mathematicians.
Child Discourse
1st Edition
May 19, 2014
Susan Ervin-Tripp
English
Child Discourse contains papers presented in a symposium on child discourse at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association in Mexico City in November 1974. Three other papers, one presented by Edelsky at the same meeting, and two by Dore and Garvey, are also included to broaden the scope of methods and issues considered. Organized into three parts, this book generally aims at describing and analyzing social and linguistic knowledge of a child in utilizing language to project socially appropriate identities and to engage in purposive social acts. Part I focuses on children's speech events, while Part II centers more on function and act. The last part takes into consideration the social aspect of language usage among children.
Optimization Techniques in Statistics
1st Edition
May 19, 2014
Jagdish S. Rustagi
English
Statistics help guide us to optimal decisions under uncertainty. A large variety of statistical problems are essentially solutions to optimization problems. The mathematical techniques of optimization are fundamentalto statistical theory and practice. In this book, Jagdish Rustagi provides full-spectrum coverage of these methods, ranging from classical optimization and Lagrange multipliers, to numerical techniques using gradients or direct search, to linear, nonlinear, and dynamic programming using the Kuhn-Tucker conditions or the Pontryagin maximal principle. Variational methods and optimization in function spaces are also discussed, as are stochastic optimization in simulation, including annealing methods. The text features numerous applications, including:Finding maximum likelihood estimatesMarkov decision processesProgramming methods used to optimize monitoring of patients in hospitalsDerivation of the Neyman-Pearson lemmaThe search for optimal designsSimulation of a steel millSuitable as both a reference and a text, this book will be of interest to advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students in statistics, operations research, management and engineering sciences, and related fields. Most of the material can be covered in one semester by students with a basic background in probability and statistics.
Introduction to Biostatistics
A Guide to Design, Analysis and Discovery.
1st Edition
May 19, 2014
Ronald N. Forthofer + 1 more
English
The Biostatistics course is often found in the schools of public Health, medical schools, and, occasionally, in statistics and biology departments. The population of students in these courses is a diverse one, with varying preparedness. The book assumes the reader has at least two years of high school algebra, but no previous exposure to statistics is required.Written for individuals who might be fearful of mathematics, this book minimizes the technical difficulties and emphasizes the importance of statistics in scientific investigation. An understanding of underlying design and analysis is stressed. The limitations of the research, design and analytical techniques are discussed, allowing the reader to accurately interpret results. Real data, both processed and raw, are used extensively in examples and exercises. Statistical computing packages - MINITAB, SAS and Stata - are integrated. The use of the computer and software allows a sharper focus on the concepts, letting the computer do the necessary number-crunching.
Word Order Universals
1st Edition
May 19, 2014
John A Hawkins
English
Word Order Universals is a detailed account of word order universals and their role in theories of historical change. The starting point is the Greenberg data set, which is comprised of a sample of 142 languages for certain limited co-occurrences of basic word orders, and a 30-language sample for more detailed information. In the Language Index, the 142 have been expanded to some 350 languages. Using the original Greenberg samples and the Expanded Sample, an alternative set of descriptive word order statements is provided. Comprised of eight chapters, this book begins with an introduction to the theory of word order universals, encompassing topics such as word order variation across languages and theories of universal grammar. The reader is then introduced to the work of Joseph Greenberg and Theo Vennemann on word order universals; implicational universals in Greenberg's data and the Expanded Sample; and the predictions made by implicational and distributional universals for word order change. Reformulated universals for historical reconstruction are also discussed, along with some laws of reconstruction derived from synchronic universals. The final chapter is devoted to the Expanded Sample, with particular reference to its quantities as well as its typological and genetic classification. This monograph will be a useful resource for specialists in grammar and linguistics.
Learning About Learning Disabilities
1st Edition
May 19, 2014
Po-Zen Wong + 1 more
English
This is the first textbook to give equal attention to the intellectual, conceptual, and practical aspects of learning disabilities. Topical coverage is both comprehensive and thorough, and the information presented is up-to-date.
Miscarriages of Justice
Actual Innocence, Forensic Evidence, and the Law
1st Edition
May 19, 2014
Brent E. Turvey + 1 more
English
Miscarriages of justice are a regular occurrence in the criminal justice system, which is characterized by government agencies that are understaffed, underfunded, and undertrained across the board. We know this because, every week, DNA testing and innocence projects across the United States help to identify and eventually overturn wrongful convictions. As a result, the exonerated go free and the stage is set for addressing criminal and civil liability. Criminal justice students and professionals therefore have a need to be made aware of the miscarriage problem as a threshold issue. They need to know what a miscarriage of justice looks like, how to recognize it's many forms, and what their duty of care might be in terms of prevention. They also need to appreciate that identifying miscarriages, and ensuring legal remedy, is an important function of the system that must be honored by all criminal justice professionals. The purpose of this textbook is to move beyond the law review, casebook, and true crime publications that comprise the majority of miscarriage literature. While informative, they are not designed for teaching students in a classroom setting. This text is written for use at the undergraduate level in journalism, sociology, criminology and criminal justice programs - to introduce college students to the miscarriage phenomenon in a structured fashion. The language is more broadly accessible than can be found in legal texts, and the coverage is multidisciplinary. Miscarriages of Justice: Actual Innocence, Forensic Evidence, and the Law focuses on the variety of miscarriages issues in the United States legal system. Written by leaders in the field, it is particularly valuable to forensic scientists and attorneys evaluating evidence or preparing for trial or appeal in cases where faulty evidence features prominently. It is also of value to those interested in developing arguments for miscarriage in post-conviction review of criminal cases. Chapters focus specifically on issues of law enforcement bias and corruption; false confessions; ineffective counsel and prosecutorial misconduct; forensic fraud; and more. The book closes by examining innocence projects and commissions, and civil remedies for the wrongfully convicted.This text ultimately presents the issue of miscarriages as a systemic and multi-disciplinary criminal justice issue. It provides perspectives from within the professional CJ community, and it serves as warning to future professionals about the dangers and consequences of apathy, incompetence, and neglect. Consequently, it can be used by any CJ educator to introduce any group of CJ students to the problem.

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