Understand the fundamentals of machine learning with R and build your own dynamic algorithms to tackle complicated real-world problems successfully About This Book Get to grips with the concepts of machine learning through exciting real-world examples Visualize and solve complex problems by using power-packed R constructs and its robust packages for machine learning Learn to build your own machine learning system with this example-based practical guide Who This Book Is For If you are interested in mining useful information from data using state-of-the-art techniques to make data-driven decisions, this is a go-to guide for you. No prior experience with data science is required, although basic knowledge of R is highly desirable. Prior knowledge in machine learning would be helpful but is not necessary. What You Will Learn Utilize the power of R to handle data extraction, manipulation, and exploration techniques Use R to visualize data spread across multiple dimensions and extract useful features Explore the underlying mathematical and logical concepts that drive machine learning algorithms Dive deep into the world of analytics to predict situations correctly Implement R machine learning algorithms from scratch and be amazed to see the algorithms in action Write reusable code and build complete machine learning systems from the ground up Solve interesting real-world problems using machine learning and R as the journey unfolds Harness the power of robust and optimized R packages to work on projects that solve real-world problems in machine learning and data science In Detail Data science and machine learning are some of the top buzzwords in the technical world today. From retail stores to Fortune 500 companies, everyone is working hard to making machine learning give them data-driven insights to grow their business. With powerful data manipulation features, machine learning packages, and an active developer community, R empowers users to build sophisticated machine learning systems to solve real-world data problems. This book takes you on a data-driven journey that starts with the very basics of R and machine learning and gradually builds upon the concepts to work on projects that tackle real-world problems. You’ll begin by getting an understanding of the core concepts and definitions required to appreciate machine learning algorithms and concepts. Building upon the basics, you will then work on three different projects to apply the concepts of machine learning, following current trends and cover major algorithms as well as popular R packages in detail. These projects have been neatly divided into six different chapters covering the worlds of e-commerce, finance, and social-media, which are at the very core of this data-driven revolution. Each of the projects will help you to understand, explore, visualize, and derive insights depending upon the domain and algorithms. Through this book, you will learn to apply the concepts of machine learning to deal with data-related problems and solve them using the powerful yet simple language, R. Style and approach The book is an enticing journey that starts from the very basics to gradually pick up pace as the story unfolds. Each concept is first defined in the larger context of things succinctly, followed by a detailed explanation of their application. Each topic is explained with the help of a project that solves a real real-world problem involving hands-on work thus giving you a deep insight into the world of machine learning.

Discover the power of Drools 6 and Business Rules for developing complex scenarios in your applications About This Book Implement and model different rules using the DRL full syntax Model complex business decisions and domain models in order to automate and improve your operational decisions with the Drools framework A practical, fast-paced, hands-on guide to help you use the different components provided by the Drools Rule Engine Who This Book Is For This book is for Java developers and architects who need to have a deep understanding of how to create or integrate your applications with the Drools Rules Framework. The book assumes that you know the Java language well and also have experience with some widely used frameworks, such as Spring. You should also know the basics of Maven-based applications. What You Will Learn Automate your application’s decisions, such as promotion applying, discount policies, fraud detection, and more. Quickly get started with writing your first rules using the DRL full syntax. Discover the power of the new syntax components of the rule language. Define inferences in your business rules to simplify complex decisions. Write decision tables, templates,domain-specific languages, and scorecards, and learn how to map them to the Drools framework. Harness the full operational power of Drools through all of its configuration points. Use Drools configurations and architectures for different environments and scenarios. In Detail Mastering JBoss Drools 6 will provide you with the knowledge to develop applications involving complex scenarios. You will learn how to use KIE modules to create and execute Business Rules, and how the PHREAK algorithm internally works to drive the Rule Engine decisions. This book will also cover the relationship between Drools and jBPM, which allows you to enrich your applications by using Business Processes. You will be briefly introduced to the concept of complex event processing (Drools CEP) where you will learn how to aggregate and correlate your data based on temporal conditions. You will also learn how to define rules using domain-specific languages, such as spreadsheets, database entries, PMML, and more. Towards the end, this book will take you through the integration of Drools with the Spring and Camel frameworks for more complex applications. Style and approach Approached from a developer’s perspective, the book teaches you all the advanced concepts of Business Rules applicable examples with helpful screenshots, diagrams, tutorials, and examples.

Build a tower defense game and earn delectable C# treats by baking cupcakes and fighting fearsome sweet-toothed pandas About This Book Build a complete and exciting 2D Tower Defense game from scratch. Understand and learn to perform each phase of the game development pipeline Homework and exercises to improve your skills and take them to the next level Who This Book Is For If you are looking forward to get started with 2D game development, either if you are a newcomer to this world, or you came from 3D games or other game engines, this book is for you. Although there are many references to other resources throughout the book, it is assumed that you have a general understanding of C# and its syntax and structure. What You Will Learn Import and set up assets for 2D game development Design and implement dynamic and responsive User Interfaces Create and handle complex animation systems Unlock all the potentiality of the physics engine Implement Artificial Intelligence algorithms to give intelligence to your NPCs Script gameplay and overall bring your ideas to life In Detail Want to get started in the world of 2D game development with UnityThis book will take your hand and guide you through this amazing journey to let you know exactly what you need to build the games you want to build, without sacrificing quality. You will build a solid understanding of Unity 5.x, by focusing with the embedded tools to develop 2D games. In learning about these, along with accurate explanations and practical examples, you will design, develop, learn how to market and publish a delectable Tower Defense game about cupcakes versus pandas. Each chapter in this book is structured to give you a full understanding on a specific aspect of the workflow pipeline. Each of these aspects are essential for developing games in Unity. In a step-by-step approach, you will learn about each of the following phases: Game Design, Asset Importing, Scripting, User Interfaces, Animations, Physics, Artificial Intelligence, Gameplay Programming, Polishing and Improving, Marketing, Publishing and much more. This book provides you with exercises and homework at the end of each chapter so that you can level up your skills as a Unity game developer. In addition, each of these parts are centered on a common point of discussion with other learners just like you. Therefore, by sharing your ideas with other people you will not only develop your skills but you will also build a network. Style and approach This is a fun step-by-step approach in the whole pipeline of 2D game development in Unity, which is explained in a conversational and easy-to-follow style. Each topic is explained sequentially, allowing you to experience both basics and advanced features of Unity. By doing this, the book is able to provide you with a solid grasp on each of the topics. In this way, by engaging with the book’s content, exploring the additional references to further readings and completing the homework sections, you are able to challenge yourself and apply what you know in a variety of ways. Once you have finished reading this book, you will be well on your way to developing games from start to finish!

Stress is an inevitable part of being lawyer and it can even be a positive force – it can help you push through long hours or meet tough targets. However, when stress becomes excessive, it can be damaging to individuals and to firms, leading to mental and physical sickness, lack of morale or a desire to take on additional responsibility, and worse. The problem is widespread. According to a Law Society survey, 95% of lawyers have some negative stress in their jobs, and 17% say that this is extreme. Lawyers feel overloaded with work, unappreciated, isolated, and unsupported; many complain of unattainable targets, poor pay, and long hours. And while many firms say they have programmes in place that are geared towards improving the wellbeing of staff, 66% of lawyers say they would be concerned about reporting feelings of stress to their employer because of the stigma involved. Nobody wishes to be seen as a weak link in the chain of a professional practice. A solution won’t be found overnight. This book is designed to encourage lawyers and firms to think more about the question of stress, how to recognise it in others and themselves, and how to take action before it becomes excessive. It is written for lawyers everywhere – regardless of location or career level.

Are you interested in learning more about the complex area of structured trade financeStructured Trade Finance (STF) is a highly specialised area of trade finance that has evolved directly from practice. As it grows and becomes more complex in an increasingly risk-based regulatory environment, there is a need for more detailed guidance on the subject. Foundations of Structured Trade Finance will provide you with exactly this. Written by Dr Oramah — President of Afreximbank and a professional who played an important role in the evolution of STF — this report will: Address the philosophical foundations and risks associated with structured trade finance Provide step-by-step guidance on how deals can be structured Outline the scope of coverage outside the confines of commodities Examine real life case studies and draw out lessons that can be learned from these STF has proven itself as an effective instrument for attracting trade finance to those regions that receive limited trade finance and which lag behind in trade and economic performance. Ensure you're aware of the risks associated with it.

Would you like to know how to elicit 40% more information from your witnesses, saving time and moneyWhether you're a solicitor, barrister or legal executive, this comprehensive toolkit will help you master the cognitive interviewing technique. Written by cognitive interviewing expert and trainer to litigators involved in the Bloody Sunday and Shipman inquiries, Geoff Coughlin, this practical guide will teach you how to: Obtain the right information, faster and more efficiently Eliminate the need for re-interviewing Address specific common interview challenges, as identified by solicitors in the field Discover how to uncover lies and deceit based on the latest most reliable indicators Uncover more useful information in less time You'll also gain hints and tips on how to prepare for your witness interview and take notes during it. You'll take away knowledge on how to adapt your communication style for this purpose, and use Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques to decipher memory recall patterns. The problem is widespread. According to a Law Society survey, 95% of lawyers have some negative stress in their jobs, and 17% say that this is extreme. Lawyers feel overloaded with work, unappreciated, isolated, and unsupported; many complain of unattainable targets, poor pay, and long hours. And while many firms say they have programmes in place that are geared towards improving the wellbeing of staff, 66% of lawyers say they would be concerned about reporting feelings of stress to their employer because of the stigma involved. Nobody wishes to be seen as a weak link in the chain of a professional practice. A solution won’t be found overnight. This book is designed to encourage lawyers and firms to think more about the question of stress, how to recognise it in others and themselves, and how to take action before it becomes excessive. It is written for lawyers everywhere – regardless of location or career level.

MISFORTUNES OF WAR Nightwind, the military's best-kept secret, is the most lethal anti-missile aircraft in America's arsenal. Its solid-state laser system and advanced optics make it virtually indestructible and infinitely lethal. But, willing to barter his secrets to enemies of the Western world, the scientist who created it has sold out. The blueprints for Nightwind are going on the auction block in exchange for cold hard cash. Brokering the deal is an ex-KGB killer with traitors on his payroll. Nikolai Kursk's vision is limited only by his capacity for power. Not only has he put the scientist and the system plans on the market, he's about to up the ante by stealing the plane itself. His buyers are dealing because they want to see America burn. And their blood money suits Kursk just fine. But that kind of currency carries a price–soon to be collected in full by the Executioner.

All-access doesn't mean no problems. The three Diamond sisters survived the summer in style after coming to live with their long-lost billionaire father. But making a place for themselves at their exclusive new Las Vegas private school is throwing them any number of gold-plated curves. Savannah's YouTube stardom turns into a Sweet Sixteen reality show extravaganza--with complimentary enemies on the side. Dangerous flirtations don't keep Peyton from a gamble that will risk far more than she planned to bet. And when Courtney and the sisters' archenemy, Madison, uncover two explosive secrets, it will rock even this town of glittering illusion--and turn their lives upside down all over again. Sisterhood, first crushes, and scandalous secrets explode in book two of Michelle Madow's riveting series, The Secret Diamond Sisters.

They'd been close for years, but suddenly Madeline hungered for John in a new way. When they finally touched, passion set their souls on fire… but their friendship turned to ashes. Now Madeline feared she was no more than a mistress to him. And John was tormented by desire for–and doubts about–Madeline's love. Yes, Madeline loved John. But would love sustain her as they made the sensual journey from friends to lovers?

WAS HE REALLY THE BEST MAN? Police chief Jake O'Connor hadn't seen tomboy Zoe Russell in ten years–ever since he eloped and broke his best friend's heart. Now they had to walk down the aisle together–as maid of honor and best man in her sister's wedding! But Jake wasn't prepared for Zoe's stunning transformation, or the passionate feelings stirring inside him…. Zoe had tried valiantly to forget Jake, but no man she'd met in the big city came close to sexy, stubborn, small-town Jake O'Connor. Her matchmaking sister was intent on getting them back together, but could Zoe convince the love of her life that they were meant to walk down the aisle…as bride and groom?

His Blue-Chip Bride Everyone in their tiny town was convinced that Deborah Clark and Cameron Lyle were the perfect couple. Everyone but Deborah and Cameron, of course. She was the perky girl next door who planned children's parties. And this serious-minded businessman was the town's most eligible bachelor, accustomed to wining and dining glamorous women. So when these total opposites concocted the ideal solution to outwit the town's matchmakers, they quickly found themselves in way over their heads. Cameron had always thought of Deborah as a sweet girl, but now there was no mistaking the soul-searing heat that flared between them. Could this high-society bachelor convince her that the only solution was…a trip to the altar?

He has the little boy she wants… NYPD Detective Hank Ballantyne figures that for a single father, he's got his life running smoothly. And then disaster strikes–in the form of his adopted son's birth mother. Dr. Natalie Lawson lost track of her son while she was hospitalized after an earthquake in Guatemala. He was mistakenly identified as an orphan and brought to the United States for adoption. Now that she's found him, she wants him back. The two people who love this little boy want to do the best thing for their child. But deciding what that is won't be easy–especially after Hank and Natalie acknowledge that they want each other, too.

"It's time you took a lover." Take a lover? Seduce her mysterious new neighbor? Tess Cameron laughed aloud at her best friend's suggestion. Then she met Jordan Trask, aforementioned neighbor. Suddenly Tess began to wonder how a homebody, single-mom gardener went about seducing a drop-dead-gorgeous, devastatingly appealing male…. Attending the neighborhood barbecue? Planting flowers? Jordan knew he was in trouble. Spending time with his adorably sexy neighbor was wreaking havoc with his plan to hide out in Harmony for the summer–especially with the part where he had to leave…

JAWS OF DEATH India is a country whose history is written in blood, and its legacy is cities teeming with human misery and vultures profiting from evil and corruption. Balahadra Naraka is a big game poacher turned murderer of anyone who stands in his way: cops, soldiers, game wardens and, now, U.S. diplomats. His savagery, coupled with his own government's failed attempts to stop him, translates to open season for a warrior more than ready to end Naraka's long, cruel career. The hunt will take Mack Bolan to one of the darkest, least hospitable places on earth: the swamps and jungles of India's Sundarbans, where the warlord has taken the number one spot on the Executioner's most endangered list.

36 hours: a town is plunged into darkness.. the mayor is missing.. two doctors race the clock to save lives.. as a blackout paralyzed Grand Springs, Colorado, Dr. Noah Howell was back on the job in Vanderbilt Memorial's ER, thrown together with Dr. Amanda Jennings, the woman he'd never forgotten,,, the woman he's walked away from one long year ago; in the desperate hours of the night, tension turned to passion, and fate brought Noah one last chance to reveal the truth behind his betrayal, but some secrets were better left untold.

THE SETTING: New York THE CAST: Bett Cambridge, aspiring actress. She had devoted her entire professional life to escaping her backwoods past and was now a Broadway star. The one blot on her resume–an ill-fated affair with America's most promising playwright. Edward "Cul" McCullough, hot new author. He left Bett behind when his career took off, but now they were working together again. Yet Cul was still afraid of commitment, and even as Bett's sensuality washed away his inhibitions, he still tried to deny their love. THE ACTION: A love story, fraught with complications, but destined for fulfillment.

His face was the last thing she'd ever seen… Determined to locate the accident victim he'd comforted as her eyesight waned, Jack MacAllister told himself he only wanted to know that she was all right. But when he found Eleanor Rappaport again, he knew he couldn't fade into the shadows this time. She was alone and blind–and pregnant! Eleanor's life had become a lonely struggle–until a stranger's soothing words pierced the darkness. Why did his oddly familiar voice make her heart beat faster? On the bring of motherhood, Eleanor thought she needed space. But maybe she needed Jack more….

This Stork Was Nine Years Late! When Noah Bryant returns home to Erskine, Montana, he's not anticipating a hero's welcome. After all, he abandoned the town–and his high school girlfriend–right after the prom and hasn't spoken to anyone there since. But the last person he expects to meet is his nine-year-old daughter, Jessie…a daughter he didn't know he had. When Noah returns, Janey realizes she never really stopped loving him. And he seems eager to be a part of Jessie's life, and hers. But Noah's back in Erskine for more than personal reasons; he has a business proposition that could seriously affect the whole town. And if there's anything Janey loves as much as her family, it's Erskine.

NECESSARY RISKS Mack Bolan is searching for suitcase nukes in the treacherous backcountry of Pakistan. The deadly weapons are being developed by internal factions determined to vaporize neighboring India. It's a suicide mission–one Bolan takes on with deadly determination. Aiding a group of dissidents committed to stopping a deeply rooted conspiracy that could lead to the annihilation of the Indian subcontinent, Bolan adjusts his angle of attack as a relentless enemy races ahead on their doomsday timetable. But in a part of the world where an international shouting match can turn into mutually assured destruction, all the Executioner needs is for his enemy to make one critical mistake.

WHAT'S THE SEXY DOCTOR DOING WITH THE TOWN VIRGIN? Studly Brady Spencer and shy Eden Frazier–a preposterous pair, you say? How else do you explain the good doctor making late-night house calls at Eden's flower shop? The self-proclaimed last maiden in America denies a dalliance, saying, "I'm still wilting away like yesterday's roses," but this reporter suspects that Doc Brady's got the cure for what ails her! There's only one problem: Like a hothouse flower, Eden's saved herself–for one man, forever–but Brady's vowed to remain Tyler's last standing bachelor….

Wicked Captain, Wayward Wife When young widow Evelina Wylder comes face to face with her dashing captain husband – very much alive – she’s shocked, overjoyed…and furious! So, whatever his explanation for his outrageous deception, she’ll keep Nick firmly out of their marriage bed no matter his choice of seduction… The Earl’s Runaway Brides When Felicity’s husband, dashing Major Nathan Carraway, disappeared into war-torn Spain she discovered a dark secret behind their whirlwind marriage and fled to England… Five years on, Felicity takes the hand of a dangerously handsome dance partner…her commanding husband – back to claim his runaway bride!