Why do larger countries have more armed conflict? This paper surveys three sets of hypotheses forwarded in the conflict literature regarding the relationship between the size and location of population groups: Hypotheses based on pure population mass, on distances, on population concentrations, and some residual state-level characteristics. The hypotheses are tested on a new dataset-ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Events Dataset)-which disaggregates internal conflicts into individual events. The analysis covers 14 countries in Central Africa. The conflict event data are juxtaposed with geographically disaggregated data on populations, distance to capitals, borders, and road networks. The paper develops a statistical method to analyze this type of data. The analysis confirms several of the hypotheses.

Conservation biology -- using concepts from traditional resource management and modern population biology to preserve biological diversity -- has emerged as one of the most important areas of ecology In order to really understand the problems of decreasing diversity and the solutions to maintaining it, the attention of ecologists must be focused on larger spatial and temporal scales than they are used to. The book discusses methods and statistical techniques that can be used to analyze spatial patterns in geographic populations. These techniques incorporate ideas from fractal geometry to develop measures of geographic range fragmentation, and can be used to ask questions regarding the conservation of biodiversity.

Population genetics has made great strides in applying statistical analysis and mathematical modeling to understand how genes mutate and spread through populations over time. But real populations also live in space. Streams, mountains, and other geographic features often divide populations, limit migration, or otherwise influence gene flow. This book rigorously examines the processes that determine geographic patterns of genetic variation, providing a comprehensive guide to their study and interpretation. Geographical Genetics has a unique focus on the mathematical relationships of spatial statistical measures of patterns to stochastic processes. It also develops the probability and distribution theory of various spatial statistics for analysis of population genetic data, detailing exact methods for using various spatial features to make precise inferences about migration, natural selection, and other dynamic forces. The book also reviews the experimental literature on the types of spatial patterns of genetic variation found within and among populations. And it makes an unprecedented strong connection between observed measures of spatial patterns and those predicted theoretically. Along the way, it introduces readers to the mathematics of spatial statistics, applications to specific population genetic systems, and the relationship between the mathematics of space-time processes and the formal theory of geographical genetics. Written by a leading authority, this is the first comprehensive treatment of geographical genetics. It is a much-needed guide to the theory, techniques, and applications of a field that will play an increasingly important role in population biology and ecology.

Illustrated with a wide range of case studies drawn from all parts of the world, POPULATION GEOGRAPHY clearly depicts the cause-and-effect links between demographic change and the socio-economic transformation of societies. Providing timely information in a clear and accessible style, the text is an ideal classroom text for instructors who are introducing their students to the topic of population geography.

This book studies the origins and development of population geography as a discipline. It explores the key concepts, tools and statistical and demographic techniques that are widely employed in the analysis of population. The chapters in this book: Provide a comprehensive geographical account of population attributes in the world, with a particular focus on India; Study the three major components of population change – fertility, mortality and migration – that have remained somewhat neglected in the study of human geography so far; Examine the salient social, demographic and economic characteristics of population, along with topics such as size, distribution and growth of population; Discuss major population theories, policies and population–development–environment interrelations, thus marking a significant departure from the traditional pattern-oriented approach. Well supplemented with figures, maps and tables, this key text will be an indispensable read for students, researchers and teachers of human geography, demography, anthropology, sociology, economics and population studies.

This compact and accessible text provides a comprehensive, issue-oriented introduction to population geography. First grounding students in the fundamentals, Bruce Newbold then explains the tools and techniques commonly used to describe and understand population concepts using real-world issues and events. Drawing on both U.S. and international cases, he explores such pressing concerns as HIV/AIDS, international migration, refugee movements, fertility, mortality, resource scarcity, and conflict. Every chapter includes both methods and focus sections to provide a more in-depth discussion of the ideas and concepts developed in the book. In addition, a wide array of maps, tables, and figures illustrate and enhance the cases. Newbold highlights the geographical perspective—with its ability to provide powerful insights and bridge disparate issues—by emphasizing the roles of space and place, location, regional differences, and diffusion. Arguing that an understanding of population is essential to prepare for the future, this cogent text will provide upper-division undergraduates with a thorough grasp of the field.

Rapid advances in high-throughput genome sequencing technologies foreshadow a near-future in which millions of individuals will gain affordable access to their complete genome sequence. This promises to give unprecedented insights into the fundamental biological nature of ourselves and our species: where we came from, how we are born, how we interact with our environment, how we get sick, how we get well, and how we age. Personal genomics is therefore an important component of the inevitable transition towards personalized medicine, as the medical establishment begins to explore and evaluate the role of personal genomics in health and medicine. However there is currently very little training available for medical practitioners. Exploring Personal Genomics provides a novel, inquiry-based approach to understanding and interpreting the practical, medical, and societal aspects of personal genomic information. It is presented in two parts: the first provides readers of all backgrounds with a fundamental understanding of the biology of human genomes, information on how to obtain and understand digital representations of personal genomic data, tools and techniques for exploring the personal genomics of ancestry and genealogy, discovery and interpretation of genetic trait associations, and the role of personal genomics in drug response. The second part offers more advanced readers an understanding of the science, tools, and techniques for investigating interactions between a personal genome and the environment, connecting DNA to physiology, assessing rare variants and structural variation, and exploring resources for performing personal biological investigation. This advanced textbook is primarily aimed at undergraduate and graduate students taking classes in genomic medicine, genetics, and bioinformatics. It will also be of relevance and use to medical practitioners, evolutionary biologists, geneticists and individuals interested in exploring their personal genetic data.

Currently, spatial analysis is becoming more important than ever because enormous volumes of spatial data are available from different sources, such as GPS, Remote Sensing, and others. This book deals with spatial analysis and modelling. It provides a comprehensive discussion of spatial analysis, methods, and approaches related to human settlements and associated environment. Key contributions with empirical case studies from Iran, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, and Japan that apply spatial analysis including autocorrelation, fuzzy, voronoi, cellular automata, analytic hierarchy process, artificial neural network, spatial metrics, spatial statistics, regression, and remote sensing mapping techniques are compiled comprehensively. The core value of this book is a wide variety of results with state of the art discussion including empirical case studies. It provides a milestone reference to students, researchers, planners, and other practitioners dealing the spatial problems on urban and regional issues. We are pleased to announce that this book has been presented with the 2011 publishing award from the GIS Association of Japan. We would like to congratulate the authors!

Offers a clear view of the utility and place for survey data within the broader Big Data ecosystem This book presents a collection of snapshots from two sides of the Big Data perspective. It assembles an array of tangible tools, methods, and approaches that illustrate how Big Data sources and methods are being used in the survey and social sciences to improve official statistics and estimates for human populations. It also provides examples of how survey data are being used to evaluate and improve the quality of insights derived from Big Data. Big Data Meets Survey Science: A Collection of Innovative Methods shows how survey data and Big Data are used together for the benefit of one or more sources of data, with numerous chapters providing consistent illustrations and examples of survey data enriching the evaluation of Big Data sources. Examples of how machine learning, data mining, and other data science techniques are inserted into virtually every stage of the survey lifecycle are presented. Topics covered include: Total Error Frameworks for Found Data; Performance and Sensitivities of Home Detection on Mobile Phone Data; Assessing Community Wellbeing Using Google Street View and Satellite Imagery; Using Surveys to Build and Assess RBS Religious Flag; and more. Presents groundbreaking survey methods being utilized today in the field of Big Data Explores how machine learning methods can be applied to the design, collection, and analysis of social science data Filled with examples and illustrations that show how survey data benefits Big Data evaluation Covers methods and applications used in combining Big Data with survey statistics Examines regulations as well as ethical and privacy issues Big Data Meets Survey Science: A Collection of Innovative Methods is an excellent book for both the survey and social science communities as they learn to capitalize on this new revolution. It will also appeal to the broader data and computer science communities looking for new areas of application for emerging methods and data sources.