DNA Fingerprinting: Approaches and Applications (Exs (Experientia Supplementum))

Book Description

This text provides a broad and integrative introduction to the conduct and interpretation of scientific research in geography. It covers both conceptual and technical aspects, and is applicable to all topical areas in geographic research, including human and physical geography, and geographic information science. The text discusses all parts of the research process, including scientific philosophy; basic research concepts; generating research ideas; communicating research and using library resources; sampling and research design; quantitative and qualitative data collection; data analysis, display, and interpretation; reliability and validity; using geographic information techniques in research; and ethical conduct in research.

The text is intended for English-language undergraduate and graduate courses on research methods in geography and related disciplines, such as environmental studies. In addition, it will be valuable as a reference work or primer for students, faculty, and other professionals who want a concise and integrated introduction to research methods in geography.The text applies the research philosophy and methods of the social and natural sciences to topics in geography. At the same time, it recognizes and respects the heterogeneity and pluralism of geography, and avoids simplistic conceptions of scientific geography as narrowly “positivistic,” “objective,” or “quantitative.” In this way, the text attempts to promote rigor and progressiveness in geography, helping to build bridges among the various subfields of geography and the other social and natural sciences, while avoiding some of the limiting meta-theoretical conflicts that have characterized geography in recent decades.

Customer Reviews:

A perfect beginner's coursebook.......2006-05-20

For a comprehensive college-level study of geographic research methods, choose AN INTRODUCTION TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY, which covers the entire research process and describes basic concepts, from generating ideas to using library resources and using ethical judgment in conducting, compiling and presenting research. Plenty of illustration of different geographic research techniques include boxed summaries and spatial examples, which self-tests, assessments, and exercises make for a perfect beginner's coursebook.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

Book Description

Previously published in two separate volumes, this new edition now combines both the standard text and the lab files into one comprehensive volume, and includes a cross-platform CD-ROM containing the Maple code, files and worksheets.

Nonlinear physics continues to be an area of dynamic modern research, with applications to physics, engineering, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, biology, medicine and economics. In this second edition extensive use is made of the computer algebra system, Maple V. No prior knowledge of Maple or of programming is assumed. The authors have provided 74 Maple files on a CD-ROM, all classroom tested, as well as 60 annotated Maple worksheets. These files and worksheets may be used to both solve and explore the text's 400 problems. The book includes 30 experimental activities which are intended to deepen and broaden the reader's understanding of the nonlinear physics. These activities are correlated with Part I, the theoretical framework of the text.

Customer Reviews:

Clear,Concise,Fun.......2000-05-23

Nice book for professionals and first-year students. Nice graphics (via Maple). Good introduction to advanced non-linear applications - students should be able to find lots of interesting areas to explore. (be first!)

A Laboratory Manual for Nonlinear Physics: with Maple for Scientists and Engineers

Average customer rating:

A Laboratory Manual for Nonlinear Physics: with Maple for Scientists and Engineers
Richard H. Enns , and George McGuire
Manufacturer: Birkhäuser Boston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Measurement | Experiments, Instruments & Measurement | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Mathematical Physics | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Interesting sf thriller with a slow start but for the most a great, brisk pace

Different from Nagata's earlier work, but a great read

A Fine Effort from One of Nanotech SF's Best Writers

A weak version of "Blood Music".

a hot start with a cold follow-up

Limit of Vision
Linda Nagata
Manufacturer: Tor Science Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
High Tech | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Memory Memory

The Bohr Maker

Deception Well

Cybertypes: Race, Ethnicity, and Identity on the Internet

Dawn (Xenogenesis)

ASIN: 0765342111

Book Description

A beautiful young scientist lies dead in a top-secret laboratory, a victim of an illegal experiment with the forbidden nanotechnology known as "LoVs"- intelligent organisms that live at the limits of human vision. In Vietnam's Mekong Delta, a daring journalist probes mysterious cult rumored to have awesome powers. As factions across the globe race to control this strange creation, in orbit high above Earth, an awesome new stage in evolution is about to begin......

Customer Reviews:

Interesting sf thriller with a slow start but for the most a great, brisk pace.......2006-07-20

_Limit of Vision_ by Linda Nagata is an interesting relatively near future science fiction thriller, one that was a little slow going and perhaps even choppy at first, with disparate storylines and at least at first with characters fairly light on detail, but about a quarter of the way into the book became a riveting narrative with a brisk pace, great tension, and a wonderful sense of escalation. Though at least one of the main characters remained to me at least not as well formed as I would have liked and I thought the opening was a bit too open-ended, revolving some but not all (or even most) of the story's problems, it was all in all an enjoyable book.

What is it about? I will try to avoid spoilers, but here goes. At first, we have two entirely unconnected storylines. The first plotline introduces the reader to two daring young researchers (so daring in fact that they are conducting experiments in violation of international law). These two men, Randall Panwar and Virgil Copeland, employees of a company called EquaSys based in Honolulu, are illegally experimenting with something called an LOV (acronym for limit of vision), a tiny symbiotic synthetic species that is basically comprised of an artificially-created neuron called an asterid housed in a transparent silicate shell (the shell not only protecting the asterid but also permitting optical communication, as the colonial asterids communicate with pulses of visible light). Originally developed to be transplanted onto humans (where they would be visible on the host's head - generally the forehead - as glowing gemlike structures, easily concealed in a person's hair) who suffered from unbalanced brain chemistries, the LOVs would help stabilize the neurochemistry and emotions of those that possess them. It was found however that the semi-sentient LOVs could mutate and produce unwanted results, including deadly ones. After a mysterious event which we never learn anything about (referred to as the "Van Nuys Incident"), the LOVs were confined to a low-earth-orbit research facility called the _Hammer_ so that they could not escape into the environment and possibly pose a threat to people or animals.

Unfortunately, Panwar, Virgil, and their friend Gabrielle Villanti illegally removed some LOVs and transplanted them on to their persons. Conducting experiments in secret, they are discovered when Gabrielle dies (this happens during the first few pages of the book so I am not giving away any big secret here). Though I thought it quite remarkable that their bosses did not recognize the LOVs that they implanted on themselves (later this is explained away by the fact that Panwar, Virgil, and Gabrielle worked in a very loose administrative environment with fairly minimal supervision), the reader is not given much time to ponder this as their actions set into event a chain of events that includes the public discovery of LOVs on Earth, knowledge of a mutation of an LOV colony on the station to something approaching real sentience, and its escape from the station to avoid destruction.

The second plot thread at first seemed to have nothing to do with the one involving the LOVs, Virgil, Panwar, etc. The reader meets Elsa Suvanatat, a roving freelance Thai reporter, connected to a distant agent online (Else, like nearly everyone else in the setting, uses a sunglasses-shaped and sized item of headgear called a farsight, a device that allows one to be online all the time, pull up large amounts of information, make use of a personalized nearly sentient and individually customized computer program called a ROving Silicon Agent or ROSA, and even see in the dark). Virtually broke, she comes across a strange story covering a cult-like, locally feared group of kids in Vietnam called the Roi Nuoc (a Vietnamese name that means "Water Puppets"). The Roi Nuoc are a group of orphans and street kids who are fiercely independent, leery of authority, nonviolent but not exactly working within the law, united by a ROSA that is both motherly and aggressive by the name of Mother Tiger. Elsa also meets an another important individual in the book, a Vietnamese man by the name of Ky Xuan Nguyen, a locally influential businessmen who she thinks is either the head of (or a head of) the Roi Nuoc or possibly one of their members grown into adulthood (as apparently all Roi Nuoc members are kids and teens).

I don't think I am giving away too much when I say that the escaping LOV colony ends up in Vietnam and the events surrounding it entangle the Roi Nuoc, Elsa, and Ky. At this point in the book the separate plot threads unite and the story becomes fast and very interesting.

All in all a pretty good book. As I mentioned, I don't think all of the story elements were resolved and while it doesn't necessarily beg for a sequel, it did have an unfinished feel to it at the end. The LOVs themselves are very interesting and it was fun to read about their evolution. I also liked the fact that the book was set in Vietnam, not exactly a common locale for science fiction stories. I also like the title, which on one level simply mentioned the subject of the book, the artificial lifeforms, but at another level addressed the main problem of the authorities and the powers that be of the book's setting; their limited vision of the potential uses and benefits of the LOVs as well asan appreciation for the LOVs for their own sake.

Different from Nagata's earlier work, but a great read.......2002-11-15

I've read all of Linda Nagata's previous books. As a group, all of her previous books were enjoyable and reasonably well written. The characters were well described and the plots were interesting. The only complaint that I had was that the books really weren't that accessible because of the level of technical detail. While I enjoyed her "hard science" approach in her earlier books, I think it also kept her from getting a wider audience. From that perspective, I think that _Limit of Vision_ is an excellent attempt to broaden her audience while still remaining true to her original "hard science" roots. In addition, I think that with each book, Nagata's ability to create a thought provoking and challenging story has increased.

_Limit of Vision_ is set in the near future. A trio of scientists has been working on a project for a corporation basically exploring the feasibility of using organisms named LOVs (since they exist at the limit of human vision) for any practical purposes. Unfortunately, the scientists are hampered because all biotechnology is strictly regulated b/c of a horrible sounding accident caused by biotech gone awry. So, their LOV experiment actually lives on a space station in orbit around Earth. Before the LOVs were taken to the space station, the scientists stole some of them and implanted them on their foreheads.

This book is about the unexpected and unpredictable consequences of that action. Some of the questions that were raised in the book include: what defines consciousness? At what point does an organism stop being "animal" and start being something else? If an organism has consciousness, then do we have the right to just destroy it? And if we don't destroy it, does it pose a threat to the very things that define us as humans?

It's not a perfect book. It does leave some loose ends. It might even be missing some details throughout the book. But, that said, I absolutely had a GREAT time reading this book. It read almost like a thriller rather than some dry biotech story. In my mind, it encompassed many of the things that make sci-fi fun to read - a fast moving plot, lots of technology well used, a real concern about what might happen in the future. With a little stretching, I could absolutely see the vision Nagata created in _Limit of Vision_ as being a realistic possibility of what our future might look like. I was also really impressed by the strides that Nagata has made in creating realistic characters.

I also want to stress that Nagata is not some "new SF author" attempting to re-write Bear's _Blood Music_. First of all, she's been around for quite a while. She has several other books out there that are really well written, although in a much different style than _Limit of Vision_. Second, Nagata has written about nanotechnology in basically ALL of her earlier books. She's not attempting to re-write _Blood Music_, she's continuing in exploring a subject that she's been talking about for quite a while. In my opinion, even if you just look at the quality of the WRITING, _Limit of Vision_ is a far superior novel.

A Fine Effort from One of Nanotech SF's Best Writers.......2002-10-05

I concur with a previous reviewer who finds Nagata's "Limit of Vision" to be an inferior repetition of Greg Bear's splendid "Blood Music". Although Nagata does an excellent job describing LOVs and the politics of the mid 21st Century, her writing never seems as sharp or as lyrical as Bear's. Still I must commend Nagata for writing a fine debut hardcover novel. Fans of nanotechnological science fiction and hard science fiction will unable embrace Nagata's latest novel.

A weak version of "Blood Music"........2002-02-22

It seems rewriting Greg Bear's excellent "Blood Music" has become madatory for every new SF author to come along. This kind of recycling normally wouldn't bother me because it's a great plot worth revisiting from another author's perspective. What does bother me is they never get it right. An escaped biotech, nanotech, whatever-tech agent which alters people's minds and threatens a new order of human evolution should be scary. But though it's touted as hard SF "Limit of Vision" reads like a juvenile adventure novel and rarely generates anything more than mild suspense. It doesn't help that Nagata saddles her rogue whatever-tech agents with the unfortunate acronym "LOVs" --a name I can't help but associate with either Barney the Dinosaur or disposable diapers. But these LOVs are serious things which atain sentience (surprise), tear up a space station and start reproducing themselves after outgrowing their chemical-dependence safeguards (yep, JUST like in Jurassic Park).

You'd think people would be a little hesitant to infect themselves with these LOVs (cute name notwithstanding), but not in this strange world where all natural human instincts are sacrificed to further the plot. Nope, in this world people can't wait to get their brains on the LOVs because LOVs "intensify your mood". Exaclty what "intensifying your mood" really gets you is never really nailed down, but it's a pale second compared to the host of freakish super powers imbued in "Blood Music" --or for that matter in any of the various Star Trek episodes of a similar plot. People may be willing to scrap The World As They Know It for an evolutionary upgrade, but it's gotta be a killer deal--imortality at the very least. I found myself rooting for the "bad guys" who spend the novel trying to stop the idiotic "heroes" from thoughtlessly passing out LOVs like M&Ms even as they're mutating into that thing on the book cover. In the real world our response to such an outbreak could be summed up in two words: Daisy Cutter, and we'd be right. But who am I to question the author's assumption that "intensifying your mood" is worth the risk of having your world overrun by giant spiders a thousand times smarter than you who just outgrew what they used to eat.

a hot start with a cold follow-up.......2002-02-19

I was riveted for the first 60 pages or so... the implications of the story at this point are profound, a thriller which places the contest of ethics and science on stage. Then, inexplicably, Nagata changes pace and it slows considerably.

After losing the science/thriller pace, the story leaves doesn't drive to a full examination of the theme; other central characters, including the enigmatic "Mother Tiger," remain forever obscured by mystery.

Book Description

Finally available again in the United States, The Limits of Vision is Robert Irwin's irrepressibly entertaining and imaginative novel about a young housewife named Marcia and the war she wages against dirt. Set over the course of a single day as Marcia goes about her quotidian activities-having the girls over for coffee, tidying the house, making dinner-it becomes increasingly clear that her sanity is unraveling at an alarming rate. Irwin is at his creative best here, as he describes Marcia's conversations with Mucor, the "mouthpiece for the Dirt, the Empire of Decay and Ruin, the Principle of Evil," as well as such scientists and artists of the past as William Blake, Charles Dickens, Leonardo da Vinci, and Charles Darwin.

Making Change Happen: Shared Vision, No Limits

Average customer rating:

Making Change Happen: Shared Vision, No Limits
Bill Lamperes
Manufacturer: ScarecrowEducation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Educators will find more than sixty strategies and reflections to help guide the success of any new or experienced school leader. Beginning with methods of assessing the organization's culture, the book then expands on ways to empower staff, students, and community members to embrace change.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the Limits of Victorian Vision

Average customer rating:

Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the Limits of Victorian Vision
David G. Riede
Manufacturer: Cornell Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0801415527

For Fear of the Fire: Joan of Arc and the Limits of Subjectivity.(Book Review): An article from: The Modern Language Review

Average customer rating:

For Fear of the Fire: Joan of Arc and the Limits of Subjectivity.(Book Review): An article from: The Modern Language Review
Victoria Best
Manufacturer: Modern Humanities Research Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Modern Language Review, published by Modern Humanities Research Association on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1100 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: For Fear of the Fire: Joan of Arc and the Limits of Subjectivity.(Book Review)
Author: Victoria Best
Publication: The Modern Language Review (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association
Volume: 99 Issue: 1 Page: 210(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Imaging & Vision for the Global Anti-Terror Campaign: The Capabilities, Possibilities and Limits. (Advanced imaging round table).(Brief Article): An article from: Advanced Imaging

Average customer rating:

Imaging & Vision for the Global Anti-Terror Campaign: The Capabilities, Possibilities and Limits. (Advanced imaging round table).(Brief Article): An article from: Advanced Imaging
Barry Mazor
Manufacturer: Cygnus Business Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Manager's Guides to Computing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Advanced Imaging, published by Cygnus Business Media on November 1, 2001. The length of the article is 3402 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Imaging & Vision for the Global Anti-Terror Campaign: The Capabilities, Possibilities and Limits. (Advanced imaging round table).(Brief Article)
Author: Barry Mazor
Publication: Advanced Imaging (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2001
Publisher: Cygnus Business Media
Volume: 16 Issue: 11 Page: 16(6)

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The limits of usability testing. (Vision & Logic's Matt Belge discusses the usability testing trend): An article from: Soft-Letter

Average customer rating:

The limits of usability testing. (Vision & Logic's Matt Belge discusses the usability testing trend): An article from: Soft-Letter

Manufacturer: Soft-letter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Soft-Letter, published by Soft-letter on May 6, 1994. The length of the article is 530 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The limits of usability testing. (Vision & Logic's Matt Belge discusses the usability testing trend)
Publication: Soft-Letter (Newsletter)
Date: May 6, 1994
Publisher: Soft-letter
Volume: v10 Issue: n24 Page: p1(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Vision systems face a grand challenge: autonomous vehicles take it to the limit in the Mojave desert. : An article from: Advanced Imaging

Average customer rating:

Vision systems face a grand challenge: autonomous vehicles take it to the limit in the Mojave desert. : An article from: Advanced Imaging
Hank Russell
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000CCVVRW
Release Date: 2005-11-16

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Advanced Imaging, published by Thomson Gale on October 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1897 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Vision systems face a grand challenge: autonomous vehicles take it to the limit in the Mojave desert.
Author: Hank Russell
Publication: Advanced Imaging (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 20 Issue: 9 Page: 14(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books