This book examines holomorphic Morse inequalities and the asymptotic expansion of the Bergman kernel on manifolds by using the heat kernel. It opens perspectives on several active areas of research in complex, Kahler and symplectic geometry. A large number of applications are also included, such as an analytic proof of Kodaira's embedding theorem, a solution of the Grauert-Riemenschneider and Shiffman conjectures, compactification of complete Kahler manifolds of pinched negative curvature, Berezin-Toeplitz quantization, weak Lefschetz theorems, and asymptotics of the Ray-Singer analytic torsion.

This book introduces the basic concepts and methods that are useful in the statistical analysis and modeling of the DNA-based marker and phenotypic data that arise in agriculture, forestry, experimental biology, and other fields. It concentrates on the linkage analysis of markers, map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, and assumes a background in regression analysis and maximum likelihood approaches. The strength of this book lies in the construction of general models and algorithms for linkage analysis, as well as in QTL mapping in any kind of crossed pedigrees initiated with inbred lines of crops.

This book introduces the basic concepts and methods that are useful in the statistical analysis and modeling of the DNA-based marker and phenotypic data that arise in agriculture, forestry, experimental biology, and other fields. It concentrates on the linkage analysis of markers, map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, and assumes a background in regression analysis and maximum likelihood approaches. The strength of this book lies in the construction of general models and algorithms for linkage analysis, as well as in QTL mapping in any kind of crossed pedigrees initiated with inbred lines of crops.

The 2010 International Conference on Life System Modeling and Simulation (LSMS 2010) and the 2010 International Conference on Intelligent Computing for Susta- able Energy and Environment (ICSEE 2010) were formed to bring together resear- ers and practitioners in the fields of life system modeling/simulation and intelligent computing applied to worldwide sustainable energy and environmental applications. A life system is a broad concept, covering both micro and macro components ra- ing from cells, tissues and organs across to organisms and ecological niches. To c- prehend and predict the complex behavior of even a simple life system can be - tremely difficult using conventional approaches. To meet this challenge, a variety of new theories and methodologies have emerged in recent years on life system mod- ing and simulation. Along with improved understanding of the behavior of biological systems, novel intelligent computing paradigms and techniques have emerged to h- dle complicated real-world problems and applications. In particular, intelligent c- puting approaches have been valuable in the design and development of systems and facilities for achieving sustainable energy and a sustainable environment, the two most challenging issues currently facing humanity. The two LSMS 2010 and ICSEE 2010 conferences served as an important platform for synergizing these two research streams.

The 2010 International Conference on Life System Modeling and Simulation (LSMS 2010) and the 2010 International Conference on Intelligent Computing for Susta- able Energy and Environment (ICSEE 2010) were formed to bring together resear- ers and practitioners in the fields of life system modeling/simulation and intelligent computing applied to worldwide sustainable energy and environmental applications. A life system is a broad concept, covering both micro and macro components ra- ing from cells, tissues and organs across to organisms and ecological niches. To c- prehend and predict the complex behavior of even a simple life system can be - tremely difficult using conventional approaches. To meet this challenge, a variety of new theories and methodologies have emerged in recent years on life system mod- ing and simulation. Along with improved understanding of the behavior of biological systems, novel intelligent computing paradigms and techniques have emerged to h- dle complicated real-world problems and applications. In particular, intelligent c- puting approaches have been valuable in the design and development of systems and facilities for achieving sustainable energy and a sustainable environment, the two most challenging issues currently facing humanity. The two LSMS 2010 and ICSEE 2010 conferences served as an important platform for synergizing these two research streams.

Palta learned long ago not to expect a "normal" life. She'd settle for one free of close encounters with supernaturally-gifted homicidal maniacs.

Apparently that's too much to ask.

Join your favorite Onontian royal family, as they settle into life at the palace...only don't get too comfortable, because things are about to take a hair-raising turn.

Vitality is the gripping third installment in the Proximity series.

No matter the planet, Palta Capal is an alien.

She's lived a lifetime where she never belonged...but relocating to the "home world" she's never seen has her feeling more like an outsider than ever.

Teetering between the thrill of newfound love and the despair of family loss-not to mention the looming threat of global war-Palta doesn't need any more excitement in her life.

But what she needs and what she gets are two entirely different things.

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"Relativity, the much-anticipated second book in the Proximity series, is an exciting new book release for 2013. It is a science fiction romance novel for women and men of all ages, including teens and young adults. Never fear, those who don't typically go for science fiction...It is, first and foremost, a sweet romance - with plenty of mystery, action, and humor to appeal to all."

Meet Layla McKelland: Novelist (unpublished, but cut her some slack...seventeen is a bit early to despair), Slightly neurotic introvert (Alright, let's be honest...there's no "slightly" about it), International Woman of Mystery, and... Okay, just scratch the bio. The only real "mystery" in Layla's life is why her father has never been on the scene. Or why her mother drags Layla to a new coastal home every year. Nothing about the latest hometown seems too newsworthy...until a routine day at the beach leaves Layla questioning whether she's read one too many paranormal fantasy novels. The plot thickens when a random guy claims to know things about her father-a bizarre claim he backs up with an equally impossible stunt. And Layla soon finds herself on the wrong side of a mysterious attempted drowning...on her own kitchen floor. When all is done, Layla will attest that fact is far stranger than fiction. And nothing in real life is ever as transparent as it seems...Not even water. Especially not water.

Dr. Palta Capal would be a typical American career woman...if only she were human.

She has found her calling in this world as a physician. It's an ideal outlet for her compassionate spirit...and unearthly healing powers.

Palta may spend her nights rereading Jane Austen novels, but she deliberately avoids pursuing her own love story. Human men - attractive as they may be - inevitably grow old and wither, leaving her to grieve in solitude. Frankly, no one has seemed worth the torment.

Enter Eric Moran, the intensely attractive and enigmatic new coworker on the scene. With his quiet confidence and warm smile, he manages to draw Palta's attention. Little does she know that he, too, holds a secret...one that will propel them both into an escalating collision of two worlds.

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"Proximity is an exciting new book release for 2012. It is a science fiction romance novel for women and men of all ages, including teens and young adults. Never fear, those who don't typically go for science fiction...It is, first and foremost, a sweet romance - with plenty of mystery, action, and humor to appeal to all. It will stand among the top romance novels of 2012."

Here, in a single volume, is the first comprehensive history in English of the Sephardim - descendants of the Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabella. Writing for the general reader as well as for the specialist, Paloma Diaz-Mas provides a superbly organized and up-to-date account of Sephardic culture, history, religious practice, language, and literature. Most of the Sephardim originally settled in Mediterranean Europe, the Low Countries, North Africa, and the Turkish Empire. In the nineteenth century, however, a second diaspora brought the Sephardim to the United States, South America, Israel, and Western Europe. Diaz-Mas begins with a brief overview of Jewish religion and culture, discussing the calendar, holidays, dietary laws, and life-cycle ceremonies. Next, she traces the history of the Jews in Spain through the 1492 expulsion. She succinctly describes their subsequent wanderings, settlements, and achievements up to the nineteenth century, when false messiahs caused crises that had a profound impact on Sephardic communities. After detailing the various causes of the second diaspora, Diaz-Mas addresses the effect of the Holocaust specifically on the Sephardim - an issue almost entirely overlooked elsewhere. She also reviews the involvement of the Sephardim in Spanish politics through the Moroccan Protectorate and into Franco's time and the present. The final chapter focuses on the situation of the Sephardim throughout the world today. Diaz-Mas's treatment of the language of the Sephardim - often called Ladino or Judeo-Spanish - shows how it diverged from "mainstream" Spanish in the 1500s, how it developed regional dialects, and why it is now disappearing as aneveryday language. In addition to traditional Sephardic literature - religious works, coplas (verses), popular stories - newer genres like journalism and theater are also examined. Authoritative and completely accessible, Sephardim will appeal to anyone interested in Spanish culture and Jewish civilization. Each chapter ends with a list of recommended reading, and the book includes an extensive bibliography of works in Spanish, French, and English. Fully updated by the author since its publication in Spanish, Sephardim also features notes by the translator that illuminate references which might otherwise be obscure to an English-speaking reader.