The Bayesian network is one of the most important architectures for representing and reasoning with multivariate probability distributions. When used in conjunction with specialized informatics, possibilities of real-world applications are achieved. Probabilistic Methods for BioInformatics explains the application of probability and statistics, in particular Bayesian networks, to genetics. This book provides background material on probability, statistics, and genetics, and then moves on to discuss Bayesian networks and applications to bioinformatics.

Rather than getting bogged down in proofs and algorithms, probabilistic methods used for biological information and Bayesian networks are explained in an accessible way using applications and case studies. The many useful applications of Bayesian networks that have been developed in the past 10 years are discussed. Forming a review of all the significant work in the field that will arguably become the most prevalent method in biological data analysis.
Unique coverage of probabilistic reasoning methods applied to bioinformatics data--those methods that are likely to become the standard analysis tools for bioinformatics.Shares insights about when and why probabilistic methods can and cannot be used effectively; Complete review of Bayesian networks and probabilistic methods with a practical approach.

The research articles in this volume cover timely quantitative psychology topics, including new methods in item response theory, computerized adaptive testing, cognitive diagnostic modeling, and psychological scaling. Topics within general quantitative methodology include structural equation modeling, factor analysis, causal modeling, mediation, missing data methods, and longitudinal data analysis. These methods will appeal, in particular, to researchers in the social sciences. The 80th annual meeting took place in Beijing, China, between the 12th and 16th of July, 2015. Previous volumes to showcase work from the Psychometric Society's Meeting are New Developments in Quantitative Psychology: Presentations from the 77th Annual Psychometric Society Meeting (Springer, 2013), Quantitative Psychology Research: The 78th Annual Meeting of the Psychometric Society (Springer, 2015), and Quantitative Psychology Research: The 79th Annual Meeting of the Psychometric Society, Wisconsin, USA, 2014 (Springer, 2015).

The purpose of this book is to present a comprehensive account of the different definitions of stochastic integration for fBm, and to give applications of the resulting theory. Particular emphasis is placed on studying the relations between the different approaches. Readers are assumed to be familiar with probability theory and stochastic analysis, although the mathematical techniques used in the book are thoroughly exposed and some of the necessary prerequisites, such as classical white noise theory and fractional calculus, are recalled in the appendices. This book will be a valuable reference for graduate students and researchers in mathematics, biology, meteorology, physics, engineering and finance.

This book provides a rigorous mathematical treatment of the non-linear stochastic filtering problem using modern methods. Particular emphasis is placed on the theoretical analysis of numerical methods for the solution of the filtering problem via particle methods. The book should provide sufficient background to enable study of the recent literature. While no prior knowledge of stochastic filtering is required, readers are assumed to be familiar with measure theory, probability theory and the basics of stochastic processes. Most of the technical results that are required are stated and proved in the appendices. Exercises and solutions are included.

This book proposes the formulation of an efficient methodology that estimates energy system uncertainty and predicts Remaining Useful Life (RUL) accurately with significantly reduced RUL prediction uncertainty. Renewable and non-renewable sources of energy are being used to supply the demands of societies worldwide. These sources are mainly thermo-chemo-electro-mechanical systems that are subject to uncertainty in future loading conditions, material properties, process noise, and other design parameters.It book informs the reader of existing and new ideas that will be implemented in RUL prediction of energy systems in the future. The book provides case studies, illustrations, graphs, and charts. Its chapters consider engineering, reliability, prognostics and health management, probabilistic multibody dynamical analysis, peridynamic and finite-element modelling, computer science, and mathematics.

This book offers a practical guide to Agent Based economic modeling, adopting a "learning by doing" approach to help the reader master the fundamental tools needed to create and analyze Agent Based models. After providing them with a basic "toolkit" for Agent Based modeling, it present and discusses didactic models of real financial and economic systems in detail. While stressing the main features and advantages of the bottom-up perspective inherent to this approach, the book also highlights the logic and practical steps that characterize the model building procedure. A detailed description of the underlying codes, developed using R and C, is also provided. In addition, each didactic model is accompanied by exercises and applications designed to promote active learning on the part of the reader. Following the same approach, the book also presents several complementary tools required for the analysis and validation of the models, such as sensitivity experiments, calibration exercises, economic network and statistical distributions analysis. By the end of the book, the reader will have gained a deeper understanding of the Agent Based methodology and be prepared to use the fundamental techniques required to start developing their own economic models. Accordingly, "Economics with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents" will be of particular interest to graduate and postgraduate students, as well as to academic institutions and lecturers interested in including an overview of the AB approach to economic modeling in their courses.

Statistical Methods in Food and Consumer Research continues to be the only book to focus solely on the statistical techniques used in sensory testing of foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and other consumer products.
This new edition includes the most receent applications of statistical methods, and features significant updates as well as two new chapters.
Covering the application of techniques including R-index, the Bayesian approach for sensory differences tests, and preference mapping in addition to several other methodologies, this is the comprehensive reference needed by those studying sensory evaluation and applied statistics in agriculture and biological sciences. Research professionals working with food, beverages, healthcare, cosmetics, and other related areas will find the book a valuable guide to the variety of statistical methods available.

Key Features:
* Provides comprehensive coverage of statistical techniques in sensory testing
* Includes data compiled from real-world experiments
* Covers the latest in data interpretation and analysis
* Addresses key methods such as R-index, Thursonian Discriminal Distances, group sequential tests, beta-binomial tests, sensory difference and similarity tests, just-about-right data, signal-to-noise ratio, analysis of cosmetic data, Descriptive Analysis, claims substantiation and preference mapping

Probability and Stochastic Modeling not only covers all the topics found in a traditional introductory probability course, but also emphasizes stochastic modeling, including Markov chains, birth-death processes, and reliability models. Unlike most undergraduate-level probability texts, the book also focuses on increasingly important areas, such as martingales, classification of dependency structures, and risk evaluation. Numerous examples, exercises, and models using real-world data demonstrate the practical possibilities and restrictions of different approaches and help students grasp general concepts and theoretical results. The text is suitable for majors in mathematics and statistics as well as majors in computer science, economics, finance, and physics. The author offers two explicit options to teaching the material, which is reflected in "routes" designated by special "roadside" markers. The first route contains basic, self-contained material for a one-semester course. The second provides a more complete exposition for a two-semester course or self-study.

With an emphasis on models and techniques, this textbook introduces many of the fundamental concepts of stochastic modeling that are now a vital component of almost every scientific investigation. In particular, emphasis is placed onlaying the foundationfor solvingproblemsin reliability, insurance, finance, and credit risk.

The material has been carefully selected to cover the basic concepts and techniques on each topic, making this an ideal introductory gateway to more advanced learning. With exercises and solutions to selected problems accompanying each chapter, this textbook is for a wide audience including advanced undergraduate and beginning-level graduate students, researchers, and practitioners in mathematics, statistics, engineering, and economics."

This proceedings volume contains nine selected papers that were presented in the International Symposium in Statistics, 2012 held at Memorial University from July 16 to 18. These nine papers cover three different areas for longitudinal data analysis, four dealing with longitudinal data subject to measurement errors, four on incomplete longitudinal data analysis, and the last one for inferences for longitudinal data subject to outliers. Unlike in the independence setup, the inferences in measurement errors, missing values, and/or outlier models, are not adequately discussed in the longitudinal setup. The papers in the present volume provide details on successes and further challenges in these three areas for longitudinal data analysis. This volume is the first outlet with current research in three important areas in the longitudinal setup. The nine papers presented in three parts clearly reveal the similarities and differences in inference techniques used for three different longitudinal setups. Because the research problems considered in this volume are encountered in many real life studies in biomedical, clinical, epidemiology, socioeconomic, econometrics, and engineering fields, the volume should be useful to the researchers including graduate students in these areas.

A wide variety of processes occur on multiple scales, either naturally or as a consequence of measurement. This book contains methodology for the analysis of data that arise from such multiscale processes. The book brings together a number of recent developments and makes them accessible to a wider audience. Taking a Bayesian approach allows for full accounting of uncertainty, and also addresses the delicate issue of uncertainty at multiple scales. The Bayesian approach also facilitates the use of knowledge from prior experience or data, and these methods can handle different amounts of prior knowledge at different scales, as often occurs in practice.

The book is aimed at statisticians, applied mathematicians, and engineers working on problems dealing with multiscale processes in time and/or space, such as in engineering, finance, and environmetrics. The book will also be of interest to those working on multiscale computation research. The main prerequisites are knowledge of Bayesian statistics and basic Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. A number of real-world examples are thoroughly analyzed in order to demonstrate the methods and to assist the readers in applying these methods to their own work. To further assist readers, the authors are making source code (for R) available for many of the basic methods discussed herein.

An in-depth look at current issues, new research findings, and interdisciplinary exchange in survey methodology and processing

Survey Measurement and Process Quality extends the marriage of traditional survey issues and continuous quality improvement further than any other contemporary volume. It documents the current state of the field, reports new research findings, and promotes interdisciplinary exchange in questionnaire design, data collection, data processing, quality assessment, and effects of errors on estimation and analysis.

The book's five sections discuss a broad range of issues and topics in each of five major areas, including

• Questionnaire design—conceptualization, design of rating scales for effective measurement, self-administered questionnaires, and more
• Data collection—new technology, interviewer effects, interview mode, children as respondents
• Post-survey processing and operations—modeling of classification operations, coding based on such systems, editing, integrating processes
• Quality assessment and control—total quality management, developing current best methods, service quality, quality efforts across organizations
• Effects of misclassification on estimation, analysis, and interpretation—misclassification and other measurement errors, new variance estimators that account for measurement error, estimators of nonsampling error components in interview surveys

Survey Measurement and Process Quality is an indispensable resource for survey practitioners and managers as well as an excellent supplemental text for undergraduate and graduate courses and special seminars.

This textbook is the result of the enhancement of several courses on non-equilibrium statistics, stochastic processes, stochastic differential equations, anomalous diffusion and disorder. The target audience includes students of physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, and engineering at undergraduate and graduate level with a grasp of the basic elements of mathematics and physics of the fourth year of a typical undergraduate course. The little-known physical and mathematical concepts are described in sections and specific exercises throughout the text, as well as in appendices. Physical-mathematical motivation is the main driving force for the development of this text. It presents the academic topics of probability theory and stochastic processes as well as new educational aspects in the presentation of non-equilibrium statistical theory and stochastic differential equations.. In particular it discusses the problem of irreversibility in that context and the dynamics of Fokker-Planck. An introduction on fluctuations around metastable and unstable points are given. It also describes relaxation theory of non-stationary Markov periodic in time systems. The theory of finite and infinite transport in disordered networks, with a discussion of the issue of anomalous diffusion is introduced. Further, it provides the basis for establishing the relationship between quantum aspects of the theory of linear response and the calculation of diffusion coefficients in amorphous systems.

This is a how-and-why-to-do-it book for students and scientists in all the behavioral sciences. It presents sophisticated statistical methods for analyzing continuous-time records of behavior, and integrates many recent developments in ethology, mathematical modelling, statistics, and technology. These new methods are explicitly designed to handle sequential or simultaneous acts where neither the duration nor the sequence of the acts is predetermined, which is often the case if the time scale on which behavior is studied is relatively short. The authors show how to analyze behavioral data starting with a basic model, the continuous time Markov chain. They then indicate how and when this model can be generalized and demonstrate the suitability of their approach for detecting, for example, the effects of different experimental treatments or of gradual changes in the social or physical environment. Competitive interactions such as predator-prey or host-parasite are also good subjects for this type of analysis. There are eight chapters and many worked examples, leading the reader through the mathematical processes and their applications. Students and researchers in all fields of behavioural science will find this book incomparably useful for planning and performing data analysis.

The subject of the book is advanced statistical analyses for quantitative research synthesis (meta-analysis), and selected practical issues relating to research synthesis that are not covered in detail in the many existing introductory books on research synthesis (or meta-analysis). Complex statistical issues are arising more frequently as the primary research that is summarized in quantitative syntheses itself becomes more complex, and as researchers who are conducting meta-analyses become more ambitious in the questions they wish to address. Also as researchers have gained more experience in conducting research syntheses, several key issues have persisted and now appear fundamental to the enterprise of summarizing research. Specifically the book describes multivariate analyses for several indices commonly used in meta-analysis (e.g., correlations, effect sizes, proportions and/or odds ratios), will outline how to do power analysis for meta-analysis (again for each of the different kinds of study outcome indices), and examines issues around research quality and research design and their roles in synthesis. For each of the statistical topics we will examine the different possible statistical models (i.e., fixed, random, and mixed models) that could be adopted by a researcher. In dealing with the issues of study quality and research design it covers a number of specific topics that are of broad concern to research synthesists. In many fields a current issue is how to make sense of results when studies using several different designs appear in a research literature (e.g., Morris & Deshon, 1997, 2002). In education and other social sciences a critical aspect of this issue is how one might incorporate qualitative (e.g., case study) research within a synthesis. In medicine, related issues concern whether and how to summarize observational studies, and whether they should be combined with randomized controlled trials (or even if they should be combined at all). For each topic, included is a worked example (e.g., for the statistical analyses) and/or a detailed description of a published research synthesis that deals with the practical (non-statistical) issues covered.

This book presents the R software environment as a key tool for oceanographic computations and provides a rationale for using R over the more widely-used tools of the field such as MATLAB. Kelley provides a general introduction to R before introducing the 'oce' package. This package greatly simplifies oceanographic analysis by handling the details of discipline-specific file formats, calculations, and plots. Designed for real-world application and developed with open-source protocols, oce supports a broad range of practical work. Generic functions take care of general operations such as subsetting and plotting data, while specialized functions address more specific tasks such as tidal decomposition, hydrographic analysis, and ADCP coordinate transformation. In addition, the package makes it easy to document work, because its functions automatically update processing logs stored within its data objects. Kelley teaches key R functions using classic examples from the history of oceanography, specifically the work of Alfred Redfield, Gordon Riley, J. Tuzo Wilson, and Walter Munk. Acknowledging the pervasive popularity of MATLAB, the book provides advice to users who would like to switch to R. Including a suite of real-life applications and over 100 exercises and solutions, the treatment is ideal for oceanographers, technicians, and students who want to add R to their list of tools for oceanographic analysis.

Mathematical epidemiology of infectious diseases usually involves describing the flow of individuals between mutually exclusive infection states. One of the key parameters describing the transition from the susceptible to the infected class is the hazard of infection, often referred to as the force of infection. The force of infection reflects the degree of contact with potential for transmission between infected and susceptible individuals. The mathematical relation between the force of infection and effective contact patterns is generally assumed to be subjected to the mass action principle, which yields the necessary information to estimate the basic reproduction number, another key parameter in infectious disease epidemiology. It is within this context that the Center for Statistics (CenStat, I-Biostat, Hasselt University) and the Centre for the Evaluation of Vaccination and the Centre for Health Economic Research and Modelling Infectious Diseases (CEV, CHERMID, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp) have collaborated over the past 15 years. This book demonstrates the past and current research activities of these institutes and can be considered to be a milestone in this collaboration. This book is focused on the application of modern statistical methods and models to estimate infectious disease parameters. We want to provide the readers with software guidance, such as R packages, and with data, as far as they can be made publicly available.

This textbook covers the fundamentals of statistical inference and statistical theory including Bayesian and frequentist approaches and methodology possible without excessive emphasis on the underlying mathematics. This book is about some of the basic principles of statistics that are necessary to understand and evaluate methods for analyzing complex data sets. The likelihood function is used for pure likelihood inference throughout the book. There is also coverage of severity and finite population sampling. The material was developed from an introductory statistical theory course taught by the author at the Johns Hopkins University's Department of Biostatistics. Students and instructors in public health programs will benefit from the likelihood modeling approach that is used throughout the text. This will also appeal to epidemiologists and psychometricians. After a brief introduction, there are chapters on estimation, hypothesis testing, and maximum likelihood modeling. The book concludes with sections on Bayesian computation and inference. An appendix contains unique coverage of the interpretation of probability, and coverage of probability and mathematical concepts.

In honor of the work of Professor Shunji Osaki, Stochastic Reliability and Maintenance Modeling provides a comprehensive study of the legacy of and ongoing research in stochastic reliability and maintenance modeling. Including associated application areas such as dependable computing, performance evaluation, software engineering, communication engineering, distinguished researchers review and build on the contributions over the last four decades by Professor Shunji Osaki. Fundamental yet significant research results are presented and discussed clearly alongside new ideas and topics on stochastic reliability and maintenance modeling to inspire future research. Across 15 chapters readers gain the knowledge and understanding to apply reliability and maintenance theory to computer and communication systems. Stochastic Reliability and Maintenance Modeling is ideal for graduate students and researchers in reliability engineering, and workers, managers and engineers engaged in computer, maintenance and management works.

This book describes recent trends in growth curve modelling research in various subject areas, both theoretical and applied. It explains and explores the growth curve model as a valuable tool for gaining insights into several research topics of interest to academics and practitioners alike. The book's primary goal is to disseminate applications of the growth curve model to real-world problems, and to address related theoretical issues. The book will be of interest to a broad readership: for applied statisticians, it illustrates the importance of growth curve modelling as applied to actual field data; for more theoretically inclined statisticians, it highlights a number of theoretical issues that warrant further investigation.

This compilation focuses on the theory and conceptualisation of statistics and probability in the early years and the development of young children's (ages 3-10) understanding of data and chance. It provides a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge international research on the development of young learners' reasoning about data and chance in formal, informal, and non-formal educational contexts. The authors share insights into young children's statistical and probabilistic reasoning and provide early childhood educators and researchers with a wealth of illustrative examples, suggestions, and practical strategies on how to address the challenges arising from the introduction of statistical and probabilistic concepts in pre-school and school curricula. This collection will inform practices in research and teaching by providing a detailed account of current best practices, challenges, and issues, and of future trends and directions in early statistical and probabilistic learning worldwide. Further, it will contribute to future research and theory building by addressing theoretical, epistemological, and methodological considerations regarding the design of probability and statistics learning environments for young children.

A indispensable guide to understanding and designing modern experiments

The tools and techniques of Design of Experiments (DOE) allow researchers to successfully collect, analyze, and interpret data across a wide array of disciplines. Statistical Analysis of Designed Experiments provides a modern and balanced treatment of DOE methodology with thorough coverage of the underlying theory and standard designs of experiments, guiding the reader through applications to research in various fields such as engineering, medicine, business, and the social sciences.

The book supplies a foundation for the subject, beginning with basic concepts of DOE and a review of elementary normal theory statistical methods. Subsequent chapters present a uniform, model-based approach to DOE. Each design is presented in a comprehensive format and is accompanied by a motivating example, discussion of the applicability of the design, and a model for its analysis using statistical methods such as graphical plots, analysis of variance (ANOVA), confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests.

Numerous theoretical and applied exercises are provided in each chapter, and answers to selected exercises are included at the end of the book. An appendix features three case studies that illustrate the challenges often encountered in real-world experiments, such as randomization, unbalanced data, and outliers. Minitab(R) software is used to perform analyses throughout the book, and an accompanying FTP site houses additional exercises and data sets.

With its breadth of real-world examples and accessible treatment of both theory and applications, Statistical Analysis of Designed Experiments is a valuable book for experimental design courses at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also an indispensable reference for practicing statisticians, engineers, and scientists who would like to further their knowledge of DOE.

"The outstanding strengths of the book are its topic coverage, references, exposition, examples and problem sets... This book is an excellent addition to any mathematical statistician's library." -Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society In this new edition the author has added substantial material on Bayesian analysis, including lengthy new sections on such important topics as empirical and hierarchical Bayes analysis, Bayesian calculation, Bayesian communication, and group decision making. With these changes, the book can be used as a self-contained introduction to Bayesian analysis. In addition, much of the decision-theoretic portion of the text was updated, including new sections covering such modern topics as minimax multivariate (Stein) estimation.