During the last two decades, structural equation modelling (SEM) has emerged as a powerful multivariate data analysis tool in social science research settings, especially in the fields of sociology, psychology, and education. Social science researchers and students benefit greatly from acquiring knowledge and skills in SEM, since the methods can provide a bridge between the theoretical and empirical aspects of behavioural research. Ramlall explains in a rigorous, concise, and practical manner all the vital components embedded in structural equation modelling (SEM). Focusing on R and Stata to implement and perform various structural equation models, Ramlall examines the types, benefits, and drawbacks of SEM, delving into model specifications and identifications, fit evaluations, and path diagrams.

This book makes use of the LISP programming language to provide readers with the necessary background to understand and use fuzzy logic to solve simple to medium-complexity real-world problems. It introduces the basics of LISP required to use a Fuzzy LISP programming toolbox, which was specifically implemented by the author to "teach" the theory behind fuzzy logic and at the same time equip readers to use their newly-acquired knowledge to build fuzzy models of increasing complexity. The book fills an important gap in the literature, providing readers with a practice-oriented reference guide to fuzzy logic that offers more complexity than popular books yet is more accessible than other mathematical treatises on the topic. As such, students in first-year university courses with a basic tertiary mathematical background and no previous experience with programming should be able to easily follow the content. The book is intended for students and professionals in the fields of computer science and engineering, as well as disciplines including astronomy, biology, medicine and earth sciences. Software developers may also benefit from this book, which is intended as both an introductory textbook and self-study reference guide to fuzzy logic and its applications. The complete set of functions that make up the Fuzzy LISP programming toolbox can be downloaded from a companion book's website.

Beyond simulation and algorithm development, many developers increasingly use MATLAB even for product deployment in computationally heavy fields. This often demands that MATLAB codes run faster by leveraging the distributed parallelism of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). While MATLAB successfully provides high-level functions as a simulation tool for rapid prototyping, the underlying details and knowledge needed for utilizing GPUs make MATLAB users hesitate to step into it. "Accelerating MATLAB with GPUs" offers a primer on bridging this gap.

Starting with the basics, setting up MATLAB for CUDA (in Windows, Linux and Mac OS X) and profiling, it then guides users through advanced topics such as CUDA libraries. The authors share their experience developing algorithms using MATLAB, C++ and GPUs for huge datasets, modifying MATLAB codes to better utilize the computational power of GPUs, and integrating them into commercial software products. Throughout the book, they demonstrate many example codes that can be used as templates of C-MEX and CUDA codes for readers projects. Download example codes from the publisher's website: http: //booksite.elsevier.com/9780124080805/
Shows how to accelerate MATLAB codes through the GPU for parallel processing, with minimal hardware knowledgeExplains the related background on hardware, architecture and programming for ease of useProvides simple worked examples of MATLAB and CUDA C codes as well as templates that can be reused in real-world projects"

With its flexibility for programming both small and large projects, Scala is an ideal language for teaching beginning programming. Yet there are no textbooks on Scala currently available for the CS1/CS2 levels. Introduction to the Art of Programming Using Scala presents many concepts from CS1 and CS2 using a modern, JVM-based language that works well for both programming in the small and programming in the large.

The book progresses from true programming in the small to more significant projects later, leveraging the full benefits of object orientation. It first focuses on fundamental problem solving and programming in the small using the REPL and scripting environments. It covers basic logic and problem decomposition and explains how to use GUIs and graphics in programs. The text then illustrates the benefits of object-oriented design and presents a large collection of basic data structures showing different implementations of key ADTs along with more atypical data structures. It also introduces multithreading and networking to provide further motivating examples.

By using Scala as the language for both CS1 and CS2 topics, this textbook gives students an easy entry into programming small projects as well as a firm foundation for taking on larger-scale projects. Many student and instructor resources are available at www.programmingusingscala.net

VHDL 101 is written for Electrical Engineers and others wishing to break into FPGA design and assumes a basic knowledge of digital design and some experience with engineering process .

Bill Kafig, industry expert, swiftly brings the reader up to speed on techniques and functions commonly used in VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) as well as commands and data types. Extensive simple, complete designs accompany the content for maximum comprehension. The book concludes with a section on design re-use, which is of utmost importance to today's engineer who needs to meet a deadline and lower costs per unit.

*Gets you up to speed with VHDL fast, reducing time to market and driving down costs

* Companion website with source code and other documents to assist the student in building the reference design used throughout the book (http: //www.elsevierdirect.com/companion.jsp?ISBN=9781856177047)

*Covers the basics including language concepts and includes complete design examples for ease of learning

* Covers widely accepted industry nomenclature

* Learn from "best design practices"

*Gets you up to speed with VHDL fast, reducing time to market and driving down costs

* Companion website with source code and other documents to assist the student in building the reference design used throughout the book (http: //www.elsevierdirect.com/v2/companion.jsp?ISBN=9781856177047)

*Covers the basics including language concepts and includes complete design examples for ease of learning

* Covers widely accepted industry nomenclature

* Learn from "best design practices""

For years, Jack Flanagan has buried himself in the little town of Friendship, New York. Alcohol is a convenient way to banish the ghosts of the past, but it can't fill the void of loneliness. A serendipitous twist of fate has Jack dog-sitting Darla, an orphaned Golden Retriever, and he soon realizes the true nature of friendship.

Jack and Darla form a close bond as they struggle to find inner peace over their individual losses. Yet the farmhouse where Jack is staying is anything but peaceful-it's Norman Rockwell on the outside and Salvador Dali within, as Jack continually fights the bottle's lure. His relationship with Kate, a spunky middle-aged waitress, forces Jack to confront his failed marriage, especially when Kate reveals secrets of her own.

But it is the impish Darla who brings laughter at the most dismal of times and touches the hearts of those around her. Through Darla, Jack rethinks his life and realizes that it's never too late to change.

In his rich and varied career as a mathematician, computer scientist, and educator, Jacob T. Schwartz wrote seminal works in analysis, mathematical economics, programming languages, algorithmics, and computational geometry. In this volume of essays, his friends, students, and collaborators at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences present recent results in some of the fields that Schwartz explored: quantum theory, the theory and practice of programming, program correctness and decision procedures, dextrous manipulation in Robotics, motion planning, and genomics. In addition to presenting recent results in these fields, these essays illuminate the astonishingly productive trajectory of a brilliant and original scientist and thinker.

William J. Karnowski is a construction worker by day and poet by night. His spirit is married to the earth. He worked as a laborer, a mason tender, finisher, gandydancer, therapy aide, boat builder, ironworker, draftsman, and now owns a construction company with his brother Dave. "I thought to myself, "Self, if the geese can go south, then, why can't we?" It never did take me very long to make a decision, especially if it involved a motorcycle." Bill has traveled the length of the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, and to the Great Smokies and back in the sports car that he built. He built his house, makes his furniture, and writes poetry on his farm at Laclede, Kansas. "I find it is satisfying to get my hands and brain involved in everything I do." "Check it out. I twist a few tails along the way."

For introductory courses in Engineering and Computer Science. Teach your students to program and design user interfaces using Excel 2007. Introduction to VBA for Excel is an introductory text that is designed to instruct engineering and science students on how to develop programs using VBA within the Microsoft Excel environment. It is written for students at all levels and does not assume any previous programming experience.

This textbook provides an accessible introduction to the most important features of Fortran 2008. Features: presents a complete discussion of all the basic features needed to write complete Fortran programs; makes extensive use of examples and case studies to illustrate the practical use of features of Fortran 08, and supplies simple problems for the reader; provides a detailed exploration of control constructs, modules, procedures, arrays, character strings, data structures and derived types, pointer variables, and object-oriented programming; includes coverage of such major new features in Fortran 08 as coarrays, submodules, parameterized derived types, and derived-type input and output; highlights the topic of modules as the framework for organizing data and procedures for a Fortran program; investigates the excellent input/output facilities available in Fortran; contains appendices listing the many intrinsic procedures and providing a brief informal syntax specification for the language.

Beginning computing students often finish the introduction to programming course without having had exposure to various system tools, without knowing how to optimize program performance and without understanding how programs interact with the larger computer system. Adam Hoover's "System Programming with C and Unix" introduces students to commonly used system tools (libraries, debuggers, system calls, shells and scripting languages) and then explains how to utilize these tools to optimize program development. The text also examines lower level data types with an emphasis on memory and understanding how and why different data types are used.