Whereas getting exact data about living systems and sophisticated experimental procedures have primarily absorbed the minds of researchers previously, the development of high-throughput technologies has caused the weight to increasingly shift to the problem of interpreting accumulated data in terms of biological function and biomolecular mechanisms. In 'Data Mining Techniques for the Life Sciences', experts in the field contribute valuable information about the sources of information and the techniques used for 'mining' new insights out of databases. Beginning with a section covering the concepts and structures of important groups of databases for biomolecular mechanism research, the book then continues with sections on formal methods for analyzing biomolecular data and reviews of concepts for analyzing biomolecular sequence data in context with other experimental results that can be mapped onto genomes. As a volume of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series, this work provides the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results.Authoritative and easy to reference, 'Data Mining Techniques for the Life Sciences' seeks to aid students and researchers in the life sciences who wish to get a condensed introduction into the vital world of biological databases and their many applications.

Nella modernità la teoria morale si astiene dal proporre modelli vincolanti di vita buona. Sennonché l'impossibilità di comporre la disputa sullo statuto morale e giuridico della vita umana prepersonale induce oggi Habermas a riproporre la problematica etica classica sul piano dell'universalità antropologica. Che significato vogliamo dare alla vita della nostra specie? vogliamo mantenere il valore tradizionale della responsabilità morale soggettiva? che tutela dare alla vita umana nei suoi stadi prenatali? che rispetto tributare ai suoi stadi post mortem? L'autore teme una genetica liberale che si affidi alle opzioni interessate dei genitori e ai meccanismi del mercato. Fuoriuscendo dal rapporto clinico e dialogico col paziente, ossia dai limiti strettamente terapeutici e negativi che presuppongono il consenso dell'interessato, il liberalismo genetico rischia di alterare quell'eguaglianza casuale della natalità cui tutti i cittadini devono il cominciamento di un esclusivo destino di socializzazione. Solo se manteniamo come giuridicamente indisponibile la casualità della nascita, i cittadini possono garantirsi l'eguaglianza di accesso all'ideale comunità dei soggetti morali e alla reale comunità dei cittadini politici.

'Improving teacher quality is a necessary--indeed, the key--ingredient for improving our nation's schools,' the editors of Creating a New Teaching Profession conclude. But putting this advice into practice may require radical reforms in the way schools attract, retain, evaluate, and develop teachers. The scholars and practitioners in this book go beyond empirical research to offer private sector lessons and innovative reforms to jolt the teaching profession from complacency: Dan Goldhaber and Jane Hannaway on the urgent need to rethink human capital development in teaching; Alan S. Blinder on educating tomorrow's workforce; Sean P. Corcoran on proposed teacher training policies; Michael M. DeArmond, Kathryn L. Shaw, and Patrick M. Wright on human resource management in school districts; Dan Goldhaber on teacher development overseas; Frederick M. Hess on avenues for rethinking the teaching profession; Paul T. Hill on instructional technology; Eric A. Hanushek on teacher deselection; Steven G. Rivkin on performance-based pay systems; Robert M. Costrell, Richard W. Johnson, and Michael J. Podgursky on retirement benefits as incentives; Jennifer King Rice on effective professional development; David H. Monk on education that fits teachers' changing career paths; Joel I. Klein on challenges facing urban school superintendents; Randi Weingarten on the role of teachers' unions in reform; Andrew J. Rotherham on public policy that effectively supports teachers

Terrorism is a complex phenomenon that cannot be understood through reading of a number of unrelated academic articles or a dry overview of the history of terrorism or the investigative techniques. For A New Understanding of Terrorism, the Editors have chosen a different paradigm. They have selected numerous case studies from actual events that illustrate various typologies of terrorist actions, be it from a separatist, nationalist, lone-wolf individual terrorist, religious fanatics or environmentalist orientation, and they present these cases within the context of following the trajectories of the terrorist activity, the terrorist act itself and, the response to the event from the relevant authorities.Some chapters concentrate on terrorist attacks that actually took place, others speculate about the possibilities of an attack occurring sometime in the future, such as the chapters on the Olympic Games, Aviation or Rail Security. When possibilities rather than a specific event are discussed, the authors of these chapters draw the attention of the reader towards the same direction—the reasoning, the actual event and the response that followed.The thorough analysis of the presented case studies and the applied counter-measures will, hopefully, if not curtail then possibly at least mitigate the operational and ideological strength of terrorist groups or individual actors.A New Understanding of Terrorism will enable the reader to make the connection between the emotional charge inherent in any terrorist activity, the cold-blooded tactics that lead to the terrorist event itself and the pragmatic and very straightforward, but at the same time very simplistically designed, strategic response that has to come from a synergy between academics, military and law enforcement brainstorming design in order to be more effective in the future.ABOUT THE EDITORS:M.R. (Maki) Haberfeld is a Professor of Police Science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. She has worked for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, in the New York Field Office, as a special consultant. Prior to that she has served in a counter-terrorist unit in the Israeli Defense Forces and she left the army at the rank of Sergeant. She was also a lieutenant in the Israel National Police. For the past eight years, Dr. Haberfeld has been involved in developing, coordinating and teaching in a special training program for the New York City Police Department, where she teaches courses in police ethics, leadership and counter-terrorism. She was also an Academic Coordinator of the Law Enforcement Executive Police Institute for the State of New York, where she taught modules on counter-terrorism response.Agostino von Hassell is the president of The Repton Group LLC, a New York City based consulting group that deals mostly with national security issues. He has written numerous political and historical articles and is the author of two major military histories, Warriors: The United States Marine Corps and Strike Force: Marine Corps Special Operations. In 2003, he published a pictorial portrait of the United States—In Honor of America. He has taught as an adjunct professor in the graduate program of John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, teaching members of the New York City Police Department in subjects such as counter-terrorism and leadership. He is a life member of the United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents, the National Defense Industry Association,  the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and the Authors' Guild.

In 2004 philosopher Antony Flew, one of the world's most prominent atheists, publicly acknowledged that he had become persuaded of the existence of God. Not long before that, in 2003, Flew and Christian philosopher Gary Habermas debated at a Veritas Forum at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Habermas, perhaps the world's leading expert on the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus, made the case for rational belief on the basis of the reliability of the evidence. Flew argued for alternative understandings of the evidence presented.For two-and-a-half decades Flew and Habermas have been in friendly dialogue about the plausibility of the resurrection and the existence of God. This book presents the full content of their third and final debate, as well as transcripts of the Q & A session with the audience afterward. Also included are a 2004 conversation between Habermas and Flew shortly after Flew's much-publicized change of position, as well as editor David Baggett's assessment and analysis of the full history of Habermas and Flew's interactions.Here is your opportunity to listen in on a conversation with two of the greatest thinkers of our era about one of the most pivotal events in human history. Follow the evidence wherever it leads. And decide for yourself whether it's believable that a man could rise from the dead.

Se l'esigenza di capire e interpretare la vita sociale sta oggi al centro ella filosofia e delle scienze umane, in questo libro Habermas offre concrete indicazioni sui rapporto che deve legare la riflessione sulla morale all'agire morale della vita quotidiana. Jürgen Habermas è professore emerito di filosofia all'Università J. W. Goethe di Francoforte.

Donna controcorrente, spirito libero e fotografa pionieristica, Gerda Taro ha speso la sua breve e intensissima vita documentando il fronte caldo della guerra civile spagnola con forte capacità visiva e molto coraggio. Fino ad oggi, le sue fotografie sono state poco viste e spesso sottovalutate. Per la prima volta questo volume rende onore al suo lavoro e la consacra, finalmente, grande e sensibile fotografa.

Donna controcorrente, spirito libero e fotografa pionieristica, Gerda Taro ha speso la sua breve e intensissima vita documentando il fronte caldo della guerra civile spagnola con forte capacità visiva e molto coraggio. Fino ad oggi, le sue fotografie sono state poco viste e spesso sottovalutate. Per la prima volta questo volume rende onore al suo lavoro e la consacra, finalmente, grande e sensibile fotografa.

Alla questione di fondo, se gli appartenenti a culture diverse possano in generale incontrarsi su un terreno comune di intesa e in che cosa questa universale comunione che tutti unisce eventualmente consista, vengono spesso date risposte contrarie e semplificate. L'universalismo consapevole di sé della tradizione occidentale muove dall'unità di una ragione innata in tutti gli uomini. Gli si contrappone un autocontraddittorio relativismo, il quale parte dal fatto che in tutte le tradizioni forti albergano criteri del vero e del falso loro propri e per l'appunto incommensurabili. Mentre l'universalismo astratto getta al vento le idee delle scienze storiche dello spirito, il relativismo se ne fa sopraffare. In questo volume Habermas, confrontandosi con grandi filosofi e intellettuali contemporanei consapevoli dell'importanza dei miti, dei simboli, dell'apporto delle culture religiose, ma coerentemente fedeli al metodo critico-analitico e a un approccio discorsivo, approfondisce e difende le ragioni di un razionalismo consapevole e aperto al dialogo tra le culture.

This all-new collection features the most critically acclaimed issues of Spawn in years. If you haven't been picking up Spawn you should, and this is a fantastic place to start. Includes the stunningly painted Gunslinger story arc! Collects Spawn #170-175.

This book addresses two questions that are crucial to understanding Mexico's current economic and political challenges. Why did the opening up of the economy to foreign trade and investment not result in sustained economic growth? Why has electoral democracy not produced rule of law? The answer to those questions lies in the ways in which Mexico's long history with authoritarian government shaped its judicial, taxation, and property rights institutions. These institutions, the authors argue, cannot be reformed with the stroke of a pen. Moreover, they represent powerful constraints on the ability of the Mexican government to fund welfare-enhancing reforms, on the ability of firms and households to write contracts, and on the ability of citizens to enforce their basic rights.

Two countervailing trends mark the intellectual tenor of our age the spread of naturalistic worldviews and religious orthodoxies. Advances in biogenetics, brain research, and robotics are clearing the way for the penetration of an objective scientific self-understanding of persons into everyday life. For philosophy, this trend is associated with the challenge of scientific naturalism. At the same time, we are witnessing an unexpected revitalization of religious traditions and the politicization of religious communities across the world. From a philosophical perspective, this revival of religious energies poses the challenge of a fundamentalist critique of the principles underlying the modern Wests postmetaphysical understanding of itself.
The tension between naturalism and religion is the central theme of this major new book by Jrgen Habermas. On the one hand he argues for an appropriate naturalistic understanding of cultural evolution that does justice to the normative character of the human mind. On the other hand, he calls for an appropriate interpretation of the secularizing effects of a process of social and cultural rationalization increasingly denounced by the champions of religious orthodoxies as a historical development peculiar to the West. These reflections on the enduring importance of religion and the limits of secularism under conditions of postmetaphysical reason set the scene for an extended treatment the political significance of religious tolerance and for a fresh contribution to current debates on cosmopolitanism and a constitution for international society.

Many textbooks on differential equations are written to be interesting to the teacher rather than the student. Introduction to Differential Equations with Dynamical Systems is directed toward students. This concise and up-to-date textbook addresses the challenges that undergraduate mathematics, engineering, and science students experience during a first course on differential equations. And, while covering all the standard parts of the subject, the book emphasizes linear constant coefficient equations and applications, including the topics essential to engineering students. Stephen Campbell and Richard Haberman--using carefully worded derivations, elementary explanations, and examples, exercises, and figures rather than theorems and proofs--have written a book that makes learning and teaching differential equations easier and more relevant. The book also presents elementary dynamical systems in a unique and flexible way that is suitable for all courses, regardless of length.

'That a perceptive, dedicated, and sensitive artist like Näkki Goranin has rescued from oblivion so many amazing self-portraits created by amateurs confronting themselves in the fleeting privacy of humble photobooths is yet another miracle for which we can be grateful.'-from the foreword by David HaberstichGenerally relegated to the realm of kitsch, the history and cultural importance of the photobooth has long been overlooked. Here, Näkki Goranin documents the invention, technological evolution, and commercial history of the photobooth with extensive illustrations culled from twenty-five years of collecting. Complementing this history is a powerful collection of heartbreaking, funny, and absolutely beautiful photobooth images. These often solitary figures-seeking freedom, confession, a thrill-are evocative of a lost time and place. Haberstich writes, 'For anyone who assumes that photobooth pictures are perfunctory, utilitarian records at best, the range of emotions and moods portrayed by the subjects of [this] collection is a revelation.'

Nei saggi raccolti in questo volume, Jürgen Habermas indica la via di una cultura che superi la polarizzazione inconciliabile tra laicità e religione per il tramite di un accertamento riflessivo dei confini, sia della fede sia della scienza. La convivenza, nella tolleranza e a parità di diritti, di comunità religiose inconciliabili nelle loro visioni del mondo, e di queste con la comunità dei non credenti, è possibile solo se tutti i membri della collettività sono disposti a considerarsi reciprocamente liberi ed eguali nella loro cittadinanza politica.

Nel testo si affrontano le alternative teorico-normative con cui governare la babele multiculturale del mondo contemporaneo. Le difficoltà derivano dal fatto che, in democrazia, il riconoscimento politico della diversità culturale non può che poggiare sull'eguaglianza dei diritti. Secondo i liberali la politica si fonda sull'universalismo delle norme giuridiche e dunque rimane neutrale rispetto alle varie concezioni etiche 'private'. Secondo i comunitari la politica si fonda invece sulla differenza dei valori etici.

'A wonderful resource, user friendly and very well written.' - Timothy J. Horohol, John Jay College

A unique approach to studying police forces around the globe

How do police forces around the world move toward democratization of their operations and responses? Analyzing police forces from 12 different countries, Comparative Policing: The Struggle for Democratization assesses the stages of each country based on the author's development of a “Continuum of Democracy” scale.

Key Features
Using five basic themes, this book uses the following criteria to rank and evaluate where each country falls on the continuum, clarifying how policing practices differ:
· History of a democratic form of government
· Level of corruption within governmental organizations and the oversight mechanisms in place
· Scope of and response to civil disobedience
· Organization structures of police departments
· Operational responses to terrorism and organized crime

Intended Audience: This unique analysis of policing is an ideal text for undergraduate and graduate courses in Comparative Criminal Justice, Police Studies, Policing and Society, and Terrorism in departments of criminal justice, criminology, sociology, and government.

Ask anyone who knows the medium, and that person will say Greg Capullo is the 'comic artist's artist!' This collection features many never before seen pieces and a behind the scenes tutorial. This stunning collection of drawings and paintings finally removes the text and logos from all the covers, and lets you take a good long look at the art itself. A must for any Spawn or comic art fan.

The editors (both of the Institute of Social Ecology, Klagenfurt U., Austria) present a series of six studies examining transitions from agricultural to industrial socioecological regimes in case studies varying in geographic and temporal focus, but uniformly adopting a 'material and energy flow accounting' framework that seeks to analyze biophysical aspects of society and link them to socioeconomic variables discoverable in the system of national accounts. The work is motivated by the belief that transition to sustainability will require as great a shift as from agriculturalism to industrialism and it therefore seeks to provide preliminary answers to questions concerning whether there is a characteristic metabolic profile of agrarian societies in terms of energy and materials use, what are the drivers of socioecological change, the level and nature of historical variance in agrarian-industrial transition, and the nature of the interplay between different spatial scales and levels of society. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)