Dracula Unbound, Frankenstein Unbound and Moreau’s Other Island all together in one eBook. All of Aliss’ Monster Trilogy in one place. Moreau’s Other Island Welcome to Dr Moreau’s other island. Place of untold horros. Home of the Beast Men… Available for the first time in eBook. He stands very tall, long prosthetic limbs glistening in the harsh sun, withered body swaying, carbine and whip clasped in artificial hands. Man-beasts cower on the sand as he brandishes his gun in the air. He is Dr Moreau, ruler of the fabulous, grotesque island, where humans are as brutes and brutes as humans, where the future of the entire human race is being reprogrammed. The place of untold horrors. The place of the New Man. Frankenstein Unbound When Joe Bodenland is suddenly transported back in time to the year 1816, his first reaction is of eager curiosity rather than distress… This is Aldiss’ response to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, available for the first time in eBook. When Joe Bodenland is suddenly transported back in time to the year 1816, his first reaction is of eager curiosity rather than distress. Certainly the Switzerland in which he finds himself, with its charming country inns, breathtaking landscapes and gentle, unmechanised pace of life, is infinitely preferable to the America of 2020 where the games of politicians threaten total annihilation. But after meeting the brooding young Victor Frankenstein, Joe realises that this world is more complex than the one he left behind. Is Frankenstein real, or are both Joe and he living out fictional lives? Dracula Unbound A dramatic reworking of the vampire myth in a way that only Brian Aldiss can… Available for the first time in eBook. When Bram Stoker was writing his famous novel, Dracula, at the end of the 19th century he received a visitor named Joe Bodenland. While the real Count Dracula came from the distant past, Joe arrived from Stoker’s future – on a desperate mission to save humanity from the undead.

When Joe Bodenland is suddenly transported back in time to the year 1816, his first reaction is of eager curiosity rather than distress… This is Aldiss’ response to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, available for the first time in eBook. When Joe Bodenland is suddenly transported back in time to the year 1816, his first reaction is of eager curiosity rather than distress. Certainly the Switzerland in which he finds himself, with its charming country inns, breathtaking landscapes and gentle, unmechanised pace of life, is infinitely preferable to the America of 2020 where the games of politicians threaten total annihilation. But after meeting the brooding young Victor Frankenstein, Joe realises that this world is more complex than the one he left behind. Is Frankenstein real, or are both Joe and he living out fictional lives? BRIAN SAYS: Developed as a tribute to Mary Shelley’s work, following the writing of Billion Year Spree, with its proposal, since widely adopted, that Frankenstein is the first seminal work to which the label “SF” can be logically attached. Frankenstein makes a female monster to accompany the male; Bodenland, lost from our time, hunts down first Frankenstein and then the monsters, becoming monstrous himself in the process.

Demystify the complexity of machine learning techniques and create evolving, clever solutions to solve your problems Key Features *Master supervised, unsupervised, and semi-supervised ML algorithms and their implementation *Build deep learning models for object detection, image classification, similarity learning, and more *Build, deploy, and scale end-to-end deep neural network models in a production environment Book Description This Learning Path is your complete guide to quickly getting to grips with popular machine learning algorithms. You'll be introduced to the most widely used algorithms in supervised, unsupervised, and semi-supervised machine learning, and learn how to use them in the best possible manner. Ranging from Bayesian models to the MCMC algorithm to Hidden Markov models, this Learning Path will teach you how to extract features from your dataset and perform dimensionality reduction by making use of Python-based libraries. You'll bring the use of TensorFlow and Keras to build deep learning models, using concepts such as transfer learning, generative adversarial networks, and deep reinforcement learning. Next, you'll learn the advanced features of TensorFlow1.x, such as distributed TensorFlow with TF clusters, deploy production models with TensorFlow Serving. You'll implement different techniques related to object classification, object detection, image segmentation, and more. By the end of this Learning Path, you'll have obtained in-depth knowledge of TensorFlow, making you the go-to person for solving artificial intelligence problems This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: *Mastering Machine Learning Algorithms by Giuseppe Bonaccorso *Mastering TensorFlow 1.x by Armando Fandango *Deep Learning for Computer Vision by Rajalingappaa Shanmugamani What you will learn *Explore how an ML model can be trained, optimized, and evaluated *Work with Autoencoders and Generative Adversarial Networks *Explore the most important Reinforcement Learning techniques *Build end-to-end deep learning (CNN, RNN, and Autoencoders) models Who this book is for This Learning Path is for data scientists, machine learning engineers, artificial intelligence engineers who want to delve into complex machine learning algorithms, calibrate models, and improve the predictions of the trained model. You will encounter the advanced intricacies and complex use cases of deep learning and AI. A basic knowledge of programming in Python and some understanding of machine learning concepts are required to get the best out of this Learning Path.

Explore C# and the .NET Core framework to create applications and optimize them with ASP.NET Core 2 Key Features *Get to grips with multi-threaded, concurrent, and asynchronous programming in C# and .NET Core *Develop modern, cross-platform applications with .NET Core 2.0 and C# 7.0 *Create efficient web applications with ASP.NET Core 2. Book Description C# is a widely used programming language, thanks to its easy learning curve, versatility, and support for modern paradigms. The language is used to create desktop apps, background services, web apps, and mobile apps. .NET Core is open source and compatible with Mac OS and Linux. There is no limit to what you can achieve with C# and .NET Core. This Learning Path begins with the basics of C# and object-oriented programming (OOP) and explores features of C#, such as tuples, pattern matching, and out variables. You will understand.NET Standard 2.0 class libraries and ASP.NET Core 2.0, and create professional websites, services, and applications. You will become familiar with mobile app development using Xamarin.Forms and learn to develop high-performing applications by writing optimized code with various profiling techniques. By the end of C# 7 and .NET: Designing Modern Cross-platform Applications, you will have all the knowledge required to build modern, cross-platform apps using C# and .NET. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: *C# 7.1 and .NET Core 2.0 - Modern Cross-Platform Development - Third Edition by Mark J. Price *C# 7 and .NET Core 2.0 High Performance by Ovais Mehboob Ahmed Khan What you will learn *Explore ASP.NET Core to create professional web applications *Master OOP with C# to increase code reusability and efficiency *Protect your data using encryption and hashing *Measure application performance using BenchmarkDotNet *Use design techniques to increase your application’s performance *Learn memory management techniques in .NET Core *Understand tools and techniques to monitor application performance Who this book is for This Learning Path is designed for developers who want to gain a solid foundation in C# and .NET Core, and want to build cross-platform applications. To gain maximum benefit from this Learning Path, you must have basic knowledge of C#.

Explore and understand data with the powerful data visualization techniques of Tableau, and then communicate insights in powerful ways Key Features *Apply best practices in data visualization and chart types exploration *Explore the latest version of Tableau Desktop with hands-on examples *Understand the fundamentals of Tableau storytelling Book Description Graphical presentation of data enables us to easily understand complex data sets. Tableau 10 Complete Reference provides easy-to-follow recipes with several use cases and real-world business scenarios to get you up and running with Tableau 10. This Learning Path begins with the history of data visualization and its importance in today's businesses. You'll also be introduced to Tableau - how to connect, clean, and analyze data in this visual analytics software. Then, you'll learn how to apply what you've learned by creating some simple calculations in Tableau and using Table Calculations to help drive greater analysis from your data. Next, you'll explore different advanced chart types in Tableau. These chart types require you to have some understanding of the Tableau interface and understand basic calculations. You’ll study in detail all dashboard techniques and best practices. A number of recipes specifically for geospatial visualization, analytics, and data preparation are also covered. Last but not least, you'll learn about the power of storytelling through the creation of interactive dashboards in Tableau. Through this Learning Path, you will gain confidence and competence to analyze and communicate data and insights more efficiently and effectively by creating compelling interactive charts, dashboards, and stories in Tableau. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: *Learning Tableau 10 - Second Edition by N. Milligan *Getting Started with Tableau 2018.x by Tristan Guillevin What you will learn *Build effective visualizations, dashboards, and story points *Build basic to more advanced charts with step-by-step recipes *Become familiar row-level, aggregate, and table calculations *Dig deep into data with clustering and distribution models *Prepare and transform data for analysis *Leverage Tableau’s mapping capabilities to visualize data *Use data storytelling techniques to aid decision making strategy Who this book is for Tableau 10 Complete Reference is designed for anyone who wants to understand their data better and represent it in an effective manner. It is also used for BI professionals and data analysts who want to do better at their jobs.

Build powerful data analytics applications with this business intelligence tool and overcome all your business challenges Key Features *Master time-saving techniques and make your QlikView development more efficient *Perform geographical analysis and sentiment analysis in your QlikView applications *Explore advanced QlikView techniques, tips, and tricks to deliver complex business requirements Book Description QlikView is one of the most flexible and powerful business intelligence platforms around, and if you want to transform data into insights, it is one of the best options you have at hand. Use this Learning Path, to explore the many features of QlikView to realize the potential of your data and present it as impactful and engaging visualizations. Each chapter in this Learning Path starts with an understanding of a business requirement and its associated data model and then helps you create insightful analysis and data visualizations around it. You will look at problems that you might encounter while visualizing complex data insights using QlikView, and learn how to troubleshoot these and other not-so-common errors. This Learning Path contains real-world examples from a variety of business domains, such as sales, finance, marketing, and human resources. With all the knowledge that you gain from this Learning Path, you will have all the experience you need to implement your next QlikView project like a pro. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: *QlikView for Developers by Miguel ?ngel García, Barry Harmsen *Mastering QlikView by Stephen Redmond *Mastering QlikView Data Visualization by Karl Pover What you will learn *Deliver common business requirements using advanced techniques *Load data from disparate sources to build associative data models *Understand when to apply more advanced data visualization *Utilize the built-in aggregation functions for complex calculations *Build a data architecture that supports scalable QlikView deployments *Troubleshoot common data visualization errors in QlikView *Protect your QlikView applications and data Who this book is for This Learning Path is designed for developers who want to go beyond their technical knowledge of QlikView and understand how to create analysis and data visualizations that solve real business needs. To grasp the concepts explained in this Learning Path, you should have a basic understanding of the common QlikView functions and some hands-on experience with the tool.

Step-by-step guide to build high performing predictive applications Key Features *Use the Python data analytics ecosystem to implement end-to-end predictive analytics projects *Explore advanced predictive modeling algorithms with an emphasis on theory with intuitive explanations *Learn to deploy a predictive model's results as an interactive application Book Description Predictive analytics is an applied field that employs a variety of quantitative methods using data to make predictions. It involves much more than just throwing data onto a computer to build a model. This book provides practical coverage to help you understand the most important concepts of predictive analytics. Using practical, step-by-step examples, we build predictive analytics solutions while using cutting-edge Python tools and packages. The book's step-by-step approach starts by defining the problem and moves on to identifying relevant data. We will also be performing data preparation, exploring and visualizing relationships, building models, tuning, evaluating, and deploying model. Each stage has relevant practical examples and efficient Python code. You will work with models such as KNN, Random Forests, and neural networks using the most important libraries in Python's data science stack: NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Seaborn, Keras, Dash, and so on. In addition to hands-on code examples, you will find intuitive explanations of the inner workings of the main techniques and algorithms used in predictive analytics. By the end of this book, you will be all set to build high-performance predictive analytics solutions using Python programming. What you will learn *Get to grips with the main concepts and principles of predictive analytics *Learn about the stages involved in producing complete predictive analytics solutions *Understand how to define a problem, propose a solution, and prepare a dataset *Use visualizations to explore relationships and gain insights into the dataset *Learn to build regression and classification models using scikit-learn *Use Keras to build powerful neural network models that produce accurate predictions *Learn to serve a model's predictions as a web application Who this book is for This book is for data analysts, data scientists, data engineers, and Python developers who want to learn about predictive modeling and would like to implement predictive analytics solutions using Python's data stack. People from other backgrounds who would like to enter this exciting field will greatly benefit from reading this book. All you need is to be proficient in Python programming and have a basic understanding of statistics and college-level algebra.

A comprehensive guide to Android forensics, from setting up the workstation to analyzing key artifacts Key Features *Get up and running with modern mobile forensic strategies and techniques *Analyze the most popular Android applications using free and open source forensic tools *Learn malware detection and analysis techniques to investigate mobile cybersecurity incidents Book Description Many forensic examiners rely on commercial, push-button tools to retrieve and analyze data, even though there is no tool that does either of these jobs perfectly. Learning Android Forensics will introduce you to the most up-to-date Android platform and its architecture, and provide a high-level overview of what Android forensics entails. You will understand how data is stored on Android devices and how to set up a digital forensic examination environment. As you make your way through the chapters, you will work through various physical and logical techniques to extract data from devices in order to obtain forensic evidence. You will also learn how to recover deleted data and forensically analyze application data with the help of various open source and commercial tools. In the concluding chapters, you will explore malware analysis so that you’ll be able to investigate cybersecurity incidents involving Android malware. By the end of this book, you will have a complete understanding of the Android forensic process, you will have explored open source and commercial forensic tools, and will have basic skills of Android malware identification and analysis. What you will learn *Understand Android OS and architecture *Set up a forensics environment for Android analysis *Perform logical and physical data extractions *Learn to recover deleted data *Explore how to analyze application data *Identify malware on Android devices *Analyze Android malware Who this book is for If you are a forensic analyst or an information security professional wanting to develop your knowledge of Android forensics, then this is the book for you. Some basic knowledge of the Android mobile platform is expected.

Learn to work with XRP and build applications on Ripple's blockchain Key Features *Learn to use Ripple’s decentralized system for transfering digital assets globally *A simpilfied and shortened learning curve to understand the Ripple innovation and Blockchain *Takes a hands-on approach to work with XRP – Ripple’s native currency Book Description This book starts by giving you an understanding of the basics of blockchain and the Ripple protocol. You will then get some hands-on experience of working with XRP. You will learn how to set up a Ripple wallet and see how seamlessly you can transfer money abroad. You will learn about different types of wallets through which you can store and transact XRP, along with the security precautions you need to take to keep your money safe. Since Ripple is currency agnostic, it can enable the transfer of value in USD, EUR, and any other currency. You can even transfer digital assets using Ripple. You will see how you can pay an international merchant with their own native currency and how Ripple can exchange it on the ?y. Once you understand the applications of Ripple, you will learn how to create a conditionally-held escrow using the Ripple API, and how to send and cash checks. Finally, you will also understand the common misconceptions people have about Ripple and discover the potential risks you must consider before making investment decisions. By the end of this book, you will have a solid foundation for working with Ripple's blockchain. Using it, you will be able to solve problems caused by traditional systems in your respective industry. What you will learn *Understand the fundamentals of blockchain and Ripple *Learn how to choose a Ripple wallet *Set up a Ripple wallet to send and receive XRP *Learn how to protect your XRP *Understand the applications of Ripple *Learn how to work with the Ripple API *Learn how to build applications on check and escrow features of Ripple Who this book is for This book is for anyone interested in getting their hands on Ripple technology and learn where it can be used to gain competitive advantages in their respective fields. For most parts of the book, you need not have any pre-requisite knowledge. However, you need to have basic background of JavaScript to write an escrow.

Learn the foundations of blockchain technology - its core concepts and algorithmic solutions across cryptography, peer-to-peer technology, and game theory. Key Features * Learn the core concepts and foundations of the blockchain and cryptocurrencies * Understand the protocols and algorithms behind decentralized applications * Master how to architect, build, and optimize blockchain applications Book Description Blockchain technology is a combination of three popular concepts: cryptography, peer-to-peer networking, and game theory. This book is for anyone who wants to dive into blockchain from first principles and learn how decentralized applications and cryptocurrencies really work. This book begins with an overview of blockchain technology, including key definitions, its purposes and characteristics, so you can assess the full potential of blockchain. All essential aspects of cryptography are then presented, as the backbone of blockchain. For readers who want to study the underlying algorithms of blockchain, you’ll see Python implementations throughout. You’ll then learn how blockchain architecture can create decentralized applications. You’ll see how blockchain achieves decentralization through peer-to-peer networking, and how a simple blockchain can be built in a P2P network. You’ll learn how these elements can implement a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, and the wider applications of blockchain work through smart contracts. Blockchain optimization techniques, and blockchain security strategies are then presented. To complete this foundation, we consider blockchain applications in the financial and non-financial sectors, and also analyze the future of blockchain. A study of blockchain use cases includes supply chains, payment systems, crowdfunding, and DAOs, which rounds out your foundation in blockchain technology. What you will learn * The core concepts and technical foundations of blockchain * The algorithmic principles and solutions that make up blockchain and cryptocurrencies * Blockchain cryptography explained in detail * How to realize blockchain projects with hands-on Python code * How to architect the blockchain and blockchain applications * Decentralized application development with MultiChain, NEO, and Ethereum * Optimizing and enhancing blockchain performance and security * Classical blockchain use cases and how to implement them Who this book is for This book is for anyone who wants to dive into blockchain technology from first principles and build a foundational knowledge of blockchain. Familiarity with Python will be helpful if you want to follow how the blockchain protocols are implemented. For readers who are blockchain application developers, most of the applications used in this book can be executed on any platform.

Leverage powerful features of the SQL Server and watch your infrastructure transform into a high-performing, reliable network of systems. Key Features * Explore more than 20 real-world use cases to understand SQL Server features * Get to grips with the SQL Server Always On technology * Learn how to choose HA and DR topologies for your system Book Description Professional SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery explains the high availability and disaster recovery technologies available in SQL Server: Replication, AlwaysOn, and Log Shipping. You’ll learn what they are, how to monitor them, and how to troubleshoot any related problems. You will be introduced to the availability groups of AlwaysOn and learn how to configure them to extend your database mirroring. Through this book, you will be able to explore the technical implementations of high availability and disaster recovery technologies that you can use when you create a highly available infrastructure, including hybrid topologies. By the end of the book, you’ll be equipped with all that you need to know to develop robust and high performance infrastructure. What you will learn * Configure and troubleshoot Replication, AlwaysOn, and Log Shipping * Study the best practices to implement HA and DR solutions * Design HA and DR topologies for the SQL Server and study how to choose a topology for your environment * Use T-SQL to configure replication, AlwaysOn, and log shipping * Migrate from On-Premise SQL Server to Azure SQL Database * Manage and maintain AlwaysOn availability groups for extended database mirroring Who this book is for Professional SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery is for you if you are a database administrator or database developer who wants to improve the performance of your production environment. Prior experience of working with SQL Server will help you get the most out of this book.

Create advanced data and integrated solutions using Azure Event Grid, functions, and containers Key Features * Get familiar with the different design patterns available in Microsoft Azure * Develop Azure cloud architecture and a pipeline management system * Get to know the security best practices for your Azure deployment Book Description Over the years, Azure cloud services have grown quickly, and the number of organizations adopting Azure for their cloud services is also gradually increasing. Leading industry giants are finding that Azure fulfills their extensive cloud requirements. Azure for Architects – Second Edition starts with an extensive introduction to major designing and architectural aspects available with Azure. These design patterns focus on different aspects of the cloud, such as high availability, security, and scalability. Gradually, we move on to other aspects, such as ARM template modular design and deployments. This is the age of microservices and serverless is the preferred implementation mechanism for them. This book covers the entire serverless stack available in Azure including Azure Event Grid, Azure Functions, and Azure Logic Apps. New and advance features like durable functions are discussed at length. A complete integration solution using these serverless technologies is also part of the book. A complete chapter discusses all possible options related to containers in Azure including Azure Kubernetes services, Azure Container Instances and Registry, and Web App for Containers. Data management and integration is an integral part of this book that discusses options for implementing OLTP solutions using Azure SQL, Big Data solutions using Azure Data factory and Data Lake Storage, eventing solutions using stream analytics, and Event Hubs. This book will provide insights into Azure governance features such as tagging, RBAC, cost management, and policies. By the end of this book, you will be able to develop a full-?edged Azure cloud solution that is Enterprise class and future-ready. What you will learn * Create an end-to-end integration solution using Azure Serverless Stack * Learn Big Data solutions and OLTP–based applications on Azure * Understand DevOps implementations using Azure DevOps * Architect solutions comprised of multiple resources in Azure * Develop modular ARM templates * Develop Governance on Azure using locks, RBAC, policies, tags and cost * Learn ways to build data solutions on Azure * Understand the various options related to containers including Azure Kubernetes Services Who this book is for If you are Cloud Architects, DevOps Engineers, or developers who want to learn key architectural aspects of the Azure Cloud platform, then this book is for you. Prior basic knowledge of the Azure Cloud platform is good to have.

Stay updated with expert techniques for solving data analytics and machine learning challenges and gain insights from complex projects and power up your applications Key Features * Build independent machine learning (ML) systems leveraging the best features of R 3.5 * Understand and apply different machine learning techniques using real-world examples * Use methods such as multi-class classification, regression, and clustering Book Description Given the growing popularity of the R-zerocost statistical programming environment, there has never been a better time to start applying ML to your data. This book will teach you advanced techniques in ML ,using? the latest code in R 3.5. You will delve into various complex features of supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning algorithms to design efficient and powerful ML models. This newly updated edition is packed with fresh examples covering a range of tasks from different domains. Mastering Machine Learning with R starts by showing you how to quickly manipulate data and prepare it for analysis. You will explore simple and complex models and understand how to compare them. You’ll also learn to use the latest library support, such as TensorFlow and Keras-R, for performing advanced computations. Additionally, you’ll explore complex topics, such as natural language processing (NLP), time series analysis, and clustering, which will further refine your skills in developing applications. Each chapter will help you implement advanced ML algorithms using real-world examples. You’ll even be introduced to reinforcement learning, along with its various use cases and models. In the concluding chapters, you’ll get a glimpse into how some of these blackbox models can be diagnosed and understood. By the end of this book, you’ll be equipped with the skills to deploy ML techniques in your own projects or at work. What you will learn * Prepare data for machine learning methods with ease * Understand how to write production-ready code and package it for use * Produce simple and effective data visualizations for improved insights * Master advanced methods, such as Boosted Trees and deep neural networks * Use natural language processing to extract insights in relation to text * Implement tree-based classifiers, including Random Forest and Boosted Tree Who this book is for This book is for data science professionals, machine learning engineers, or anyone who is looking for the ideal guide to help them implement advanced machine learning algorithms. The book will help you take your skills to the next level and advance further in this field. Working knowledge of machine learning with R is mandatory.

Create responsive eLearning content, including quizzes, demonstrations, simulations and Virtual Reality projects that fit on any device with Adobe Captivate 2019 Key Features * Build responsive, interactive and highly engaging eLearning content with Adobe Captivate 2019 * Build Virtual Reality eLearning experiences with Adobe Captivate 2019 * Assess your student knowledge with interactive and random quizzes * Seamlessly integrate your eLearning content with any SCORM or xAPI compliant LMS Book Description Adobe Captivate is used to create highly engaging, interactive, and responsive eLearning content. This book takes you through the production of a few pieces of eLearning content, covering all the project types and workflows of Adobe Captivate. First, you will learn how to create a typical interactive Captivate project. This will give you the opportunity to review all Captivate objects and uncover the application's main tools. Then, you will use the built-in capture engine of Captivate to create an interactive software simulation and a Video Demo that can be published as an MP4 video. Then, you will approach the advanced responsive features of Captivate to create a project that can be viewed on any device. And finally, you will immerse your learners in a 360o environment by creating Virtual Reality projects of Adobe Captivate. At the end of the book, you will empower your workflow and projects with the newer and most advanced features of the application, including variables, advanced actions, JavaScript, and using Captivate 2019 with other applications. If you want to produce high quality eLearning content using a wide variety of techniques, implement eLearning in your company, enable eLearning on any device, assess the effectiveness of the learning by using extensive Quizzing features, or are simply interested in eLearning, this book has you covered! What you will learn * Learn how to use the objects in Captivate to build professional eLearning content * Enhance your projects by adding interactivity, animations, and more * Add multimedia elements, such as audio and video, to create engaging learning experiences * Use themes to craft a unique visual experience * Use question slides to create SCORM-compliant quizzes that integrate seamlessly with your LMS * Make your content fit any device with responsive features of Captivate * Create immersive 360° experiences with Virtual Reality projects of Captivate 2019 * Integrate Captivate with other applications (such as PowerPoint and Photoshop) to establish a professional eLearning production workflow * Publish your project in a wide variety of formats including HTML5 and Flash Who this book is for If you are a teacher, instructional designer, eLearning developer, or human resources manager who wants to implement eLearning, then this book is for you. A basic knowledge of your OS is all it takes to create the next generation of responsive eLearning content.

Understand the core concepts of deep learning and deep reinforcement learning by applying them to develop games Key Features * Apply the power of deep learning to complex reasoning tasks by building a Game AI * Exploit the most recent developments in machine learning and AI for building smart games * Implement deep learning models and neural networks with Python Book Description The number of applications of deep learning and neural networks has multiplied in the last couple of years. Neural nets has enabled significant breakthroughs in everything from computer vision, voice generation, voice recognition and self-driving cars. Game development is also a key area where these techniques are being applied. This book will give an in depth view of the potential of deep learning and neural networks in game development. We will take a look at the foundations of multi-layer perceptron’s to using convolutional and recurrent networks. In applications from GANs that create music or textures to self-driving cars and chatbots. Then we introduce deep reinforcement learning through the multi-armed bandit problem and other OpenAI Gym environments. As we progress through the book we will gain insights about DRL techniques such as Motivated Reinforcement Learning with Curiosity and Curriculum Learning. We also take a closer look at deep reinforcement learning and in particular the Unity ML-Agents toolkit. By the end of the book, we will look at how to apply DRL and the ML-Agents toolkit to enhance, test and automate your games or simulations. Finally, we will cover your possible next steps and possible areas for future learning. What you will learn * Learn the foundations of neural networks and deep learning. * Use advanced neural network architectures in applications to create music, textures, self driving cars and chatbots. * Understand the basics of reinforcement and DRL and how to apply it to solve a variety of problems. * Working with Unity ML-Agents toolkit and how to install, setup and run the kit. * Understand core concepts of DRL and the differences between discrete and continuous action environments. * Use several advanced forms of learning in various scenarios from developing agents to testing games. Who this book is for This books is for game developers who wish to create highly interactive games by leveraging the power of machine and deep learning. No prior knowledge of machine learning, deep learning or neural networks is required this book will teach those concepts from scratch. A good understanding of Python is required.

Learn how to use R to apply powerful machine learning methods and gain insight into real-world applications using clustering, logistic regressions, random forests, support vector machine, and more. Key Features * Use R 3.5 to implement real-world examples in machine learning * Implement key machine learning algorithms to understand the working mechanism of smart models * Create end-to-end machine learning pipelines using modern libraries from the R ecosystem Book Description Machine Learning with R Quick Start Guide takes you on a data-driven journey that starts with the very basics of R and machine learning. It gradually builds upon core concepts so you can handle the varied complexities of data and understand each stage of the machine learning pipeline. From data collection to implementing Natural Language Processing (NLP), this book covers it all. You will implement key machine learning algorithms to understand how they are used to build smart models. You will cover tasks such as clustering, logistic regressions, random forests, support vector machines, and more. Furthermore, you will also look at more advanced aspects such as training neural networks and topic modeling. By the end of the book, you will be able to apply the concepts of machine learning, deal with data-related problems, and solve them using the powerful yet simple language that is R. What you will learn * Introduce yourself to the basics of machine learning with R 3.5 * Get to grips with R techniques for cleaning and preparing your data for analysis and visualize your results * Learn to build predictive models with the help of various machine learning techniques * Use R to visualize data spread across multiple dimensions and extract useful features * Use interactive data analysis with R to get insights into data * Implement supervised and unsupervised learning, and NLP using R libraries Who this book is for This book is for graduate students, aspiring data scientists, and data analysts who wish to enter the field of machine learning and are looking to implement machine learning techniques and methodologies from scratch using R 3.5. A working knowledge of the R programming language is expected.

Get to grips with processing large volumes of data and presenting it as engaging, interactive insights using Spark and Python. Key Features * Get a hands-on, fast-paced introduction to the Python data science stack * Explore ways to create useful metrics and statistics from large datasets * Create detailed analysis reports with real-world data Book Description Processing big data in real time is challenging due to scalability, information inconsistency, and fault tolerance. Big Data Analysis with Python teaches you how to use tools that can control this data avalanche for you. With this book, you'll learn practical techniques to aggregate data into useful dimensions for posterior analysis, extract statistical measurements, and transform datasets into features for other systems. The book begins with an introduction to data manipulation in Python using pandas. You'll then get familiar with statistical analysis and plotting techniques. With multiple hands-on activities in store, you'll be able to analyze data that is distributed on several computers by using Dask. As you progress, you'll study how to aggregate data for plots when the entire data cannot be accommodated in memory. You'll also explore Hadoop (HDFS and YARN), which will help you tackle larger datasets. The book also covers Spark and explains how it interacts with other tools. By the end of this book, you'll be able to bootstrap your own Python environment, process large files, and manipulate data to generate statistics, metrics, and graphs. What you will learn * Use Python to read and transform data into different formats * Generate basic statistics and metrics using data on disk * Work with computing tasks distributed over a cluster * Convert data from various sources into storage or querying formats * Prepare data for statistical analysis, visualization, and machine learning * Present data in the form of effective visuals Who this book is for Big Data Analysis with Python is designed for Python developers, data analysts, and data scientists who want to get hands-on with methods to control data and transform it into impactful insights. Basic knowledge of statistical measurements and relational databases will help you to understand various concepts explained in this book.

Apply cloud native patterns and practices to deliver responsive, resilient, elastic, and message-driven systems with confidence Key Features * Discover best practices for applying cloud native patterns to your cloud applications * Explore ways to effectively plan resources and technology stacks for high security and fault tolerance * Gain insight into core architectural principles using real-world examples Book Description Cloud computing has proven to be the most revolutionary IT development since virtualization. Cloud native architectures give you the benefit of more flexibility over legacy systems. This Learning Path teaches you everything you need to know for designing industry-grade cloud applications and efficiently migrating your business to the cloud. It begins by exploring the basic patterns that turn your database inside out to achieve massive scalability. You’ll learn how to develop cloud native architectures using microservices and serverless computing as your design principles. Then, you’ll explore ways to continuously deliver production code by implementing continuous observability in production. In the concluding chapters, you’ll learn about various public cloud architectures ranging from AWS and Azure to the Google Cloud Platform, and understand the future trends and expectations of cloud providers. By the end of this Learning Path, you’ll have learned the techniques to adopt cloud native architectures that meet your business requirements. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: * Cloud Native Development Patterns and Best Practices by John Gilbert * Cloud Native Architectures by Erik Farr et al. What you will learn * Understand the difference between cloud native and traditional architecture * Automate security controls and configuration management * Minimize risk by evolving your monolithic systems into cloud native applications * Explore the aspects of migration, when and why to use it * Apply modern delivery and testing methods to continuously deliver production code * Enable massive scaling by turning your database inside out Who this book is for This Learning Path is designed for developers who want to progress into building cloud native systems and are keen to learn the patterns involved. Software architects, who are keen on designing scalable and highly available cloud native applications, will also find this Learning Path very useful. To easily grasp these concepts, you will need basic knowledge of programming and cloud computing.

Learn to create and customize impressive Drupal 8 modules to extend your website's functionalities Key Features * Explore a plethora of Drupal 8 APIs and get the best out of them using the power of PHP coding * Learn to implement efficient data management and data security by creating dedicated modules for it. * Stay up to date with the changes introduced in the new Drupal 8 releases Book Description Drupal 8 comes with a release cycle that allows for new functionality to be added at a much faster pace. However, this also means code deprecations and changing architecture that you need to stay on top of. This book updates the first edition and includes the new functionality introduced in versions up to, and including 8.7. The book will first introduce you to the Drupal 8 architecture and its subsystems before diving into creating your first module with basic functionality. You will work with the Drupal logging and mailing systems, learn how to output data using the theme layer and work with menus and links programmatically. Then, you will learn how to work with different kinds of data storages, create custom entities, field types and leverage the Database API for lower level database queries. You will further see how to introduce JavaScript into your module, work with the various file systems and ensure the code you write works on multilingual sites. Finally, you will learn how to programmatically work with Views, write automated tests for your functionality and also write secure code in general. By the end, you will have learned how to develop your own custom module that can provide complex business solutions. And who knows, maybe you’ll even contribute it back to the Drupal community. What you will learn * Develop Drupal 8 modules that do all the things you want * Master numerous Drupal 8 sub-systems and APIs in the process * Model, store, manipulate and process data to serve your purposes * Display data and content in a clean and secure way using the Drupal 8 theme system * Test your business logic to prevent regressions * Stay ahead of the curve and write code following the current best practices Who this book is for The primary target of this book is Drupal developers who want to learn how to write modules and develop in Drupal 8. It is also intended for Drupal site builders and PHP developers who have basic Object Oriented Programming skills. A little bit of Symfony experience is helpful but not mandatory.

Create distributed applications with clever design patterns to solve complex problems Key Features * Set up and run distributed algorithms on a cluster using Dask and PySpark * Master skills to accurately implement concurrency in your code * Gain practical experience of Python design patterns with real-world examples Book Description This Learning Path shows you how to leverage the power of both native and third-party Python libraries for building robust and responsive applications. You will learn about profilers and reactive programming, concurrency and parallelism, as well as tools for making your apps quick and efficient. You will discover how to write code for parallel architectures using TensorFlow and Theano, and use a cluster of computers for large-scale computations using technologies such as Dask and PySpark. With the knowledge of how Python design patterns work, you will be able to clone objects, secure interfaces, dynamically choose algorithms, and accomplish much more in high performance computing. By the end of this Learning Path, you will have the skills and confidence to build engaging models that quickly offer efficient solutions to your problems. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: * Python High Performance - Second Edition by Gabriele Lanaro * Mastering Concurrency in Python by Quan Nguyen * Mastering Python Design Patterns by Sakis Kasampalis What you will learn * Use NumPy and pandas to import and manipulate datasets * Achieve native performance with Cython and Numba * Write asynchronous code using asyncio and RxPy * Design highly scalable programs with application scaffolding * Explore abstract methods to maintain data consistency * Clone objects using the prototype pattern * Use the adapter pattern to make incompatible interfaces compatible * Employ the strategy pattern to dynamically choose an algorithm Who this book is for This Learning Path is specially designed for Python developers who want to build high-performance applications and learn about single core and multi-core programming, distributed concurrency, and Python design patterns. Some experience with Python programming language will help you get the most out of this Learning Path.

Integrate Redux with React and other front-end JavaScript frameworks efficiently and manage application states effectively Key Features * Get better at building web applications with state management using Redux * Learn the fundamentals of Redux to structure your app more efficiently * This guide will teach you develop complex apps that would be easier to maintain Book Description Starting with a detailed overview of Redux, we will follow the test-driven development (TDD) approach to develop single-page applications. We will set up JEST for testing and use JEST to test React, Redux, Redux-Sage, Reducers, and other components. We will then add important middleware and set up immutableJS in our application. We will use common data structures such as Map, List, Set, and OrderedList from the immutableJS framework. We will then add user interfaces using ReactJS, Redux-Form, and Ant Design. We will explore the use of react-router-dom and its functions. We will create a list of routes that we will need in order to create our application, and explore routing on the server site and create the required routes for our application. We will then debug our application and integrate Redux Dev tools. We will then set up our API server and create the API required for our application. We will dive into a modern approach to structuring our server site components in terms of Model, Controller, Helper functions, and utilities functions. We will explore the use of NodeJS with Express to build the REST API components. Finally, we will venture into the possibilities of extending the application for further research, including deployment and optimization. What you will learn * Follow the test-driven development (TDD) approach to develop a single-page application * Add important middleware, such as Redux store middleware, redux-saga middleware, and language middleware, to your application * Understand how to use immutableJS in your application * Build interactive components using ReactJS * Configure react-router-redux and explore the differences between react-router-dom and react-router-redux * Use Redux Dev tools to debug your application * Set up our API server and create the API required for our application Who this book is for This book is meant for JavaScript developers interesting in learning state management and building easy to maintain web applications.