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Books in Social sciences and humanities

Recent Progress of Life Science Technology in Japan
1st Edition
June 28, 2014
Yoji Ikawa + 1 more
English
Recent Progress of Life Science Technology in Japan discusses developments in cancer research technologies in Japan. In June 1983 an intra-cabinet panel of the Japanese Government drafted a 10-year strategy for cancer control, recognizing the importance of this field of research. A scientific research group was organized to comprise two sections—the first concerning the development and evaluation of DNA technologies, and the second on protein-related technologies. In the promotion of fundamental cancer research, the development and refinement of basic technologies for each component of the ""triangle of bio-sciences""—DNA, protein, and antibody—are essential, particularly in the elucidation of tumor-inducing and tumor-suppressing genes, tumor-specific antigens, and so forth. Part I of the book details the achievements of the first group in developing automated instrumentations for DNA sequencing. The second scientific research group worked on three major subareas: (1) gene transfer and expression technologies; (2) technologies for extraction, purification, and structural analysis of cancer-related proteins; and (3) technologies for analysis and synthesis of saccharide chains. Reports from these areas are respectively grouped in Part II, Part III, and Part IV of this monograph.
Speech and Language
Advances in Basic Research and Practice
1st Edition
Volume 1
June 28, 2014
Norman J. Lass
English
Speech and Language: Volume 1, Advances in Basic Research and Practice is a compendium of papers that discusses the processes and pathologies of, as well as applies theories and clinical issues to, speech and language. Some papers discuss perception of speech in early infancy, the problems faced by speech clinicians, and the anatomy of the perioral motor system. Based on data compiled on the infant's perception of speech sounds, one paper notes that human infants discriminate depending on fine temporal and frequency changes in a complex auditory array. Infants also show perceptual constraints while listening to speech characterized as adult- like; they are also predisposed to perceive certain speech-sound categories such as vowel and fricative categories. One paper examines the suggestion of Kent (1976) that "acoustic characteristics of children's speech...hold the promise of sensitive methods for the study of speech maturation and developmental disorders." This investigation involves the following: the recent attempts at multidimensional analyses of speech and perception; a measure of perceptual contrast; and results of feature comparison efforts. The compendium is well suited for linguists, ethnologists, psychologists, and researchers whose works involve linguistics, language learning, communications, and syntax.
Speech and Language
Advances in Basic Research and Practice
1st Edition
Volume 2
June 28, 2014
Norman J. Lass
English
Speech and Language: Volume 2, Advances in Basic Research and Practice is a compendium of papers that discusses the processes and pathologies of speech and language, such as functional articulation disorders, lexical development, and a group therapy for treating stuttering. Some papers deal with vocal fold vibrations, childhood homonymy, framework for conversational speech behaviors, and vibrotactile testing. One paper cites studies of Hersen and Barlow (1976) that treatments warrant consideration only if these are powerful enough to effect obvious gains; and of Gilbert, McPeek, and Mosteller (1977) that treatment research is more likely to give modest than substantial gains—the degree of gains which can also be difficult to detect. Another paper examines suggestions for teaching words to language-disordered children, that when knowledge of normal language processes is applied in training approaches, effective and individualized programs will follow. Used in the treatment of stuttering, the Shaping Group, which employs action and many other treatment models, shows that its approach is effective. Another paper notes that before a surgical correction of voice disorders is undertaken, the importance of knowing the possible effects of various procedures on the voice should first be known. The compendium is well suited for linguists, ethnologists, psychologists, speech therapists, and researchers whose works involve linguistics, learning, communications, corrective surgery, and syntax.
Multilevel Analysis of Educational Data
1st Edition
June 28, 2014
R. Darrell Bock
English
Multilevel Analysis of Educational Data focuses on the principles and procedures used in the evaluation of educational progress. The selection first offers information on some applications of multilevel models to educational data, empirical Bayes methods, and a hierarchical item-response model for educational testing. Discussions focus on the interface between levels, group-level model for content elements, an application of empirical Bayes, validity generalization, improving law school validity studies, and summarizing evidence in randomized experiments on coaching. The text then takes a look at difficulties with Bayesian inference for random effects and multilevel aspects of varying parameters in structural models. The book elaborates on models for multilevel response variables with an application to growth curves and the issues and problems emerging from the application of multilevel models in British studies of school effectiveness, including enduring questions, two-level models, estimation and prediction, and econometric random coefficient modeling. The selection is a dependable reference for educators and researchers interested in the evaluation of educational progress.
Speech and Language
Advances in Basic Research and Practice
1st Edition
Volume 6
June 28, 2014
Norman J. Lass
English
Speech and Language: Volume 6, Advances in Basic Research and Practice is a collection of papers that discusses pathology, theories, and clinical issues related to language and speech. Some papers describe auditory discrimination and intervention techniques for articulatory defects, assessment of auditory disorders, phonological systems of deaf speakers, as well as speech and language characteristics of aging persons. Other papers discuss issues in language and cognitive assessment of black children, distortions of the supralaryngeal vocal tract, the structure of the human tongue, transformation of the acoustic signal into speech, and methods to estimate glottal volume velocity waveform properties. One paper suggests guidelines that investigators should be aware of before giving any speech discriminating tests. These guidelines include the following: use of age appropriate tests, use of culturally unbiased tests, adaption of intrapersonal testing procedures, and utilization of recorded stimulus presentation. Another paper reviews auditory processing deficits associated with brain damage and the considerations applicable to the assessment of such disorders. It also suggests treatment planning. One paper concludes that the phonological structure of a fluent speech requires that the listener employ higher level sources of knowledge while making phonetic decisions. Linguists, speech pathologists., psychologists, speech therapists, neurologists, neuropsychologists, and neurolinguists will find the collection highly relevant.
Production Economics: A Dual Approach to Theory and Applications
Applications of the Theory of Production
1st Edition
Volume 2
June 28, 2014
Melvyn Fuss + 1 more
English
Contributions to Economic Analysis: Production Economics: A Dual Approach to Theory and Applications, Volume 2 focuses on the theory of production from the standpoint of the "dual", the relationships between economic observables which are dual to physical technology. The selection first ponders on duality, intermediate inputs and value-added, Hicks' aggregation theorem and the existence of a real value-added function, and homotheticity and real value-added in Canadian manufacturing. Discussions focus on real value-added and the production structure, estimation of the production structure, double deflation and real value-added, measurement of total productivity, and duality between direct and conditional indirect utility functions. The book then examines the estimation techniques for the elasticity of substitution and other production parameters and measurement of the elasticity of factor substitution and bias of technical change. The publication takes a look at the identification of technical change in the electricity generating industry, factor substitution in electricity generation, and the effectiveness of rate-of-return regulation. Topics include statistical tests of regulatory effectiveness, profit function for a regulated firm, tests of the structure of technology, identification problems in the measurement of technical change, and measurement of disembodied technical change. The selection is a valuable source of information for economists and researchers interested in production economics.
Telecommunications Engineer's Reference Book
1st Edition
June 28, 2014
Fraidoon Mazda
English
Telecommunications Engineer's Reference Book maintains a balance between developments and established technology in telecommunications. This book consists of four parts. Part 1 introduces mathematical techniques that are required for the analysis of telecommunication systems. The physical environment of telecommunications and basic principles such as the teletraffic theory, electromagnetic waves, optics and vision, ionosphere and troposphere, and signals and noise are described in Part 2. Part 3 covers the political and regulatory environment of the telecommunications industry, telecommunication standards, open system interconnect reference model, multiple access techniques, and network management. The last part deliberates telecommunication applications that includes synchronous digital hierarchy, asynchronous transfer mode, integrated services digital network, switching systems, centrex, and call management. This publication is intended for practicing engineers, and as a supplementary text for undergraduate courses in telecommunications.
Economic Theory and the Cities
2nd Edition
June 28, 2014
J. Vernon Henderson
English
The Second Edition of Economic Theory and the Cities has been revised and expanded with both the graduate student and the practicing professional in mind. Providing a state-of-the-art synthesis of important theoretical topics in urban economics, the volume emphasizes the fundamental links between urban economics and new developments in mainstream economic theory.@from:From the Preface: In this book I present what I believe to be the most important theoretical topics in urban economics. Since urban economics is a rather diffuse field, any presentation is necessarily selective, reflecting personal tastes and opinions. Given that, I note on what basis I chose the material that is presented and developed.First, the basic spatial model of a monocentric city is presented, since it lays the foundation for thinking about many of the topics in urban economics. The consideration of space and spatial proximity is one central feature of urban economics that distinguishes it from other branches of economics. The positive and negative externalities generated by activities locating in close spatial proximity are central to analysis of urban phenomena. However, in writing this book I have tried to maintain strong links between urban economics and recent developments in mainstream economic theory. This is reflected in the chapters that follow, which present models of aspects of the most important topics in urban economics--externali... housing, transportation, local public finance, suburbanization, and community development. In these chapters, concepts from developments in economics over the last decade or so are woven into the traditional approaches to modeling these topics. Examples are the role of contracts in housing markets and community development; portfolio analysis in analyzing housing tenure choice and investment decisions; the time-inconsistency problem in formulating long-term economic relationships between communities, developers, and local governments; search in housing markets; and dynamic analysis in housing markets and traffic scheduling. The book ends with chapters on general equilibrium models of systems of cities, demonstrating how individual cities fit into an economy and interact with each other.This book is written both as a reference book for people in the profession and for use as a graduate text. In this edition, a strong effort has been made to present the material at a level and in a style suitable for graduate students. The edition has greatly expanded the sections on housing and local public finance so these sections could be studied profitably by a broad range of graduate students. Recommended prerequisites are an undergraduate urban economics course and a year of graduate-level microeconomic theory. It is possible that the book can be used in very advanced undergraduate courses if the students are well versed in microeconomics and are quantitatively oriented.
Speech and Language
Advances in Basic Research and Practice
1st Edition
Volume 7
June 28, 2014
Norman J. Lass
English
Speech and Language: Advances in Basic Research and Practice, Volume 7 presents contributions that discuss a wide array of topics on speech and language processes and pathologies. This volume contains 11 contributions focusing on a broad range of topics on speech and language. Topics discussed in the book include auditory processing deficits in aphasic individuals and the factors that influence their performance; the functioning of the auditory system in stutterers; speech training aids for the deaf; and techniques for the assessment of language abilities in children. The morphological structure and mechanical properties of the vocal fold; the factors which participate in determining the location of a boundary signal and its amplitude; and the assessment and remediation of communication behavior in moderately retarded developmentally disabled adults are likewise covered extensively. Linguists, speech pathologists, and other language experts will find the book very insightful and informative.
Multinomial Probit
The Theory and Its Application to Demand Forecasting
1st Edition
June 28, 2014
Carlos Daganzo
English
Multinomial Probit: The Theory and Its Application to Demand Forecasting covers the theoretical and practical aspects of the multinomial probit (MNP) model and its relation to other discrete choice models. This text is divided into five chapters and begins with an overview of the disaggregate demand modeling in the transportation field. The subsequent chapters examine the computational aspects of the maximum-likelihood estimation and the statistical aspects of MNP model calibration. These chapters specifically describe the properties of the log-likelihood function and the statistical properties of MNP estimators. These topics are followed by a discussion of the mechanical aspects of the MNP model. The closing chapter examines the errors in the estimation of the true parameter value due to lack of data and how these errors propagate to the final prediction. This book will prove useful to econometricians, engineers, and applied mathematicians.

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