Computer science Books

Book SynopsisThis textbook provides a strong foundation and a clear overview for students of membrane biology and an invaluable synthesis of cutting-edge research for working scientists. The text retains its clear and engaging style, providing a solid background in membrane biochemistry, while also incorporating the approaches of biophysics, genetics and cell biology to investigations of membrane structure, function and biogenesis to provide a unique overview of this fast-moving field. A wealth of new high resolution structures of membrane proteins are presented, including the Na/K pump and a receptor-G protein complex, offering exciting insights into how they function. All key tools of current membrane research are described, including detergents and model systems, bioinformatics, protein-folding methodology, crystallography and diffraction, and molecular modeling. This comprehensive and up-to-date text, emphasising the correlations between membrane research and human health, provides a solid founTable of ContentsDedication; Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. The diversity of membrane lipids; 3. Tools for studying membrane components; 4. Proteins in or at the bilayer; 5. Bundles and barrels; 6. Functions and families; 7. Protein folding and biogenesis; 8. Diffraction and simulation; 9. Membrane enzymes; 10. Membrane receptors; 11. Transporters; 12. Channels; 13. Electron transport and energy transduction; 14. In pursuit of complexity; Appendix I. Abbreviations; Appendix II. Single-letter codes for amino acids; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisComputing is revolutionizing the practice of biology. This book, which assumes no prior computing experience, provides students with the tools to write their own Python programs and to understand fundamental concepts in computational biology and bioinformatics. Each major part of the book begins with a compelling biological question, followed by the algorithmic ideas and programming tools necessary to explore it: the origins of pathogenicity are examined using gene finding, the evolutionary history of sex determination systems is studied using sequence alignment, and the origin of modern humans is addressed using phylogenetic methods. In addition to providing general programming skills, this book explores the design of efficient algorithms, simulation, NP-hardness, and the maximum likelihood method, among other key concepts and methods. Easy-to-read and designed to equip students with the skills to write programs for solving a range of biological problems, the book is accompanied by nuTrade Review'In my twenty years as a professor, I have never run across a textbook on bioinformatics algorithms that a biologist can read from cover to cover and understand. This is the one.' Pavel Pevzner, Ronald R. Taylor Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, University of California, San Diego'This is an awesome book for anyone to get into computing. It is easy to follow and clearly structured so the reader understands what they are learning and why. The book provides the fundamentals concepts of computational biology and bioinformatics in parallel to gaining actual skills in computing and the ability to write your own Python programs! What I love about the book is how the authors ensure the concepts and skills are applicable to a clear and defined biological problem. The authors help demystify the various topics and bring the reader to understand the algorithms behind the programming tools by applying these to resolve an actual biological problem. This book is also an excellent resource for those involved in training and education, and it provides plenty of exercise to use in the actual classroom.' Maria Victoria Schneider, The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC), UK'There is a wide agreement that biological science curricula should change and that a better understanding of computational notions and practice is required, starting at undergraduate level. Only a handful of academic programs, and fewer textbooks, are offering such computational experience to life science students, beyond a general introductory programming course. Libeskind-Hadas and Bush take a novel, exciting approach to this challenge. They designed an introductory programming and computer science principles course, using Python, and built around a carefully selected suit of computational problems with a biological motivation. The book covers all basic notions and programming practices that are taught in standard CS introductory course, and even adds some advanced computational ideas. Most importantly, it will be far more friendly and relevant to the vast majority of life science students, who are likely to discover through it both the beauty of computer science and its relevance to their own discipline.' Benny Chor, Tel-Aviv University, IsraelTable of ContentsPreface; Meet python; Part I. Python versus Pathogens: 1. Computing GC content; 2. Pathogenicity islands; 3. Open reading frames and genes; 4. Finding genes (at last!); Part II. Sequence Alignment and Sex Determination: 5. Recursion; 6. The use-it-or-lose-it principle; 7. Dictionaries, memoization, and speed; 8. Sequence alignments and the evolution of sex chromosomes; Part III. Phylogenetic Reconstruction and the Origin of Modern Humans: 9. Representing and working with trees; 10. Drawing trees; 11. The UPGMA algorithm; Part IV. Additional Topics: 12. RNA secondary structure prediction; 13. Gene regulatory networks and the maximum likelihood method; 14. Birds, bees, and genetic algorithms; Where to go from here; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith great potential benefit and possible harm, online social media platforms are transforming human society. Based on decades of deep exploration, distinguished scholar William Sims Bainbridge surveys our complex virtual society, harvesting insights about the future of our real world. Many pilot studies demonstrate valuable research methods and explanatory theories. Tracing membership interlocks between Facebook groups can chart the structure of a social movement, like the one devoted to future spaceflight development. Statistical data on the roles played by people in massively multiplayer online games illustrate the Silicon Law: information technology energizes both freedom and control, in a dynamic balance. The significance of open-source software suggests the traditional distinction between professional and amateur may fade, whereas web-based conflicts between religious and political groups imply that chasms are opening in civil society. This analysis of online space and the divergTrade Review'The book is meant to function as a springboard for sociometric research on the social structure of online communities, and may be useful to beginning researchers facing the challenges and opportunities of studying unconventional and problematic human online relationships.' C. Wankel, ChoiceTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Facebook; 3. Virtual worlds; 4. Open-source software; 5. Wikis; 6. Citizen social science; 7. Digital government; 8. Cultural science.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEssays by leaders from academia and industry offer guidance for professionals and general readers on ethical questions arising in modern business and technology, exploring what can be learned from such lapses as #MeToo, Volkswagen, and Cambridge Analytica and offering a broad, accessible overview of these challenges.Trade Review'This is a comprehensive book, looking at the subject of ethics from many angles – individual ethics, corporate guidelines, and societal norms; engineering, business, and legal domains; codes of ethics, regulations, and natural law. It takes us back to early cases of ethics in corporate conduct in the 1950s, and up to date with the latest implications of artificial intelligence, bioengineering, virtual reality, and the internet of things. Everyone should be concerned with ethics, and there's something for everyone here.' Peter Norvig, Research Director, Google'Professor Ali E. Abbas and his contributors have skillfully utilised their impressive academic and professional experience and perceptively addressed noteworthy ethical issues affecting technology, business, engineering and the society. This illuminating and unique book, is highly recommended and I believe it could also be considered as a must read book of ethics for the next generation of leaders.' Najmedin Meshkati, University of Southern California'Next Generation Ethics is an exciting compendium of information and opinions about the new arising ethical situations and how we might deal with them. Of particular note is Chapter 2 by Ronald Howard on 'Building your Ethical Code'. Then in the Technology section; Chapter 5, an interview with Vint Cerf, a luminary of the internet, and Chapter 6, A Hippocratic Oath for Technologists, as well as a couple of good discussions of artificial intelligence. The book then proceeds to large sections on ethics in business enterprises, engineering and even society, including public policy, legal, medical, journalism, and religion. Anyone interested in the ethical challenges we are now facing should scan this book to awaken to our manifold ethical challenges, extract immediately useful information, and keep it as a ready reference.' Jim Matheson, SmartOrg, Inc'… a broad and comprehensive learning and teaching book to use and discuss …' Mandi Astola, PrometheusTable of Contents1. Next-generation ethics: an introduction Ali E. Abbas; 2. Ethical distinctions for building your ethical code Ronald Howard; Part I. Technology: 3. Composite ethical frameworks for IoT and other emerging technologies Max Senges, Patrick S. Ryan and Richard S. Whitt; 4. Ethics of immersive technologies Randall W. Hill, Jr; 5. Internet, technology, and the future: an interview with Vint Cerf Vint G. Cerf and Ali E. Abbas; 6. A Hippocratic Oath for technologists Ali E. Abbas, Max Senges and Ronald Howard; 7. Data, privacy, and the greater good Eric Horvitz and Deirdre Mulligan; 8. Guidelines for artificial intelligence containment James Babcock, Janos Kramar and Roman V. Yampolskiy; Part II. Business Enterprises: 9. Next-generation business ethics: the impact of artificial intelligence Kirk O. Hanson; 10. Big data privacy, ethics, and enterprise continuous monitoring systems Daniel E. O'Leary; 11. How management theories and culture fads kill organizational ethics Marianne M. Jennings; 12. How next-generation teams and teaming may affect the ethics of working in teams Scott S. Wiltermuth and Alyssa J. Han; 13. Transparency: the what, why, and how of organizational effectiveness and ethics James J. O'Toole; 14. Global engagement by leaders is a moral imperative: building the next generation of ethical corporate cultures Marsha Ershaghi Hames; Part III. Engineering: 15. The whistle that was not blown: WV, diesels and engineers Michael Davis; 16. Addressing corruption in our global engineering/construction industry William P. Henry; 17. Ethics issues facing engineers in oil and gas operations Iraj Ershaghi; 18. Engineering codes of ethics: legal protection and empowerment for engineers Jeffrey H. Matsuura; 19. Engineering ethics when lives are on the line: when does bad engineering become bad ethics? Neil G. Siegel; 20. Case studies of product life cycle environmental impacts for teaching engineering ethics Matthew J. Eckelman, John Basl, Christopher Bosso, Jacqueline Isaacs and Kathleen Eggleson; Part IV. Society: 21. Next generation ethical issues: engineering, business, medicine, and public policy James Ellis, Laura Mosqueda, Jack Knott and Yannis Yortsos; 22. Techno innovations: the role of ethical standards, law and regulation and the public interest Frank V. Zerunyan; 23. Evolutionary ethics: a potentially helpful framework in engineering a better society John N. Celona; 24. Topics in next-generation medical ethics: the art in the art of medicine Josh H. Hyatt; 25. Next-generation ethical development of medical devices: considering harms, benefits, fairness, and freedom Andrew O. Brightman, Jonathan Beever and Michael Hiles; 26. Looking back to go forward: the ethics of journalism in a social media age Glenda N. Cooper; 27. Social media ethics 2.0 Jeremy H. Lipschultz; 28. AI people and society Eric Horvitz; 29. Ethics in cyberspace: freedom, rights, and cybersecurity Richard A. Spinello; 30. Next-generation religion and ethics Varun Soni.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDrawing upon new and existing oral histories, extensive use of National Science Foundation (NSF) documents, and the experience of two of the authors as senior managers, this book describes how NSF’s programmatic activities originated and evolved to become the primary source of funding for research in computing and information technologies.Table of Contents Preface PART I CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY 1950-1974: Science Information, Computing Facilities, Education, and Basic Research 1974-1986: CER, CSNET, NSFNET, and the Founding of CISE 1986-1998: The New Directorate in a Period of Computer Science Expansion 1999-2006: Broadening Computer Science with New Initiatives 2007-2016: The Growing Centrality of CISE to NSF PART II SELECTED SUBJECT STUDIES Pre-CISE Computing Facilities and Education Programs Pre-CISE Computing Research Information Technology Research Networking Research and Deployment NSF Support of High-Performance Computation CISE's Role in Broadening Participation in Computing What Does an AD/CISE Do? PART III SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONSSummary and Conclusions APPENDIXESComputing Organizations at NSF

Read more less

Book SynopsisRecognizing the importance of portfolio management, the Project Management Institute (PMI) has launched a new certification entitled the Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP). PfMP Exam Practice Tests and Study Guide is the most comprehensive resource available to help you prepare for and pass the PfMP certification exam. It provides coverage that is current with The Standard for Portfolio Management, Third Edition and the PfMP Examination Content Outline (ECO), 2013.The book consists of five sections, each of which corresponds to one of the five domains described in the ECO. Each section includes study hints, a list of major topics that may be encountered on the exam, and 20 multiple-choice practice questions that illustrate the applicable task from the ECO. Each section also includes an answer sheet and answer key with the rationale for each correct answer and reTable of ContentsIntroduction.L ist of Acronyms. Strategic Alignment. Governance. Portfolio Performance Management. Portfolio Risk Management. Communications Management. Practice Test 1. Practice Test 2. Appendix: Study Matrix Practice Tests. References.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDigital Diversity: Youth, Equity, and Information Technology is about youth, schools, and the use of technology. Youth are instrumental in finding novel ways to access and use technology. They are directly affected by changes such as the proliferation of computers in schools and elsewhere, and the increasingly heavy use of the Internet for both information sharing and for communication. The contributors to this volume investigate how the resources provided by information and communication technology (ICT) are made available to different groups of young people (as defined by gender, race, rural location, Aboriginal status, street youth status) and how they do (or do not) develop facility and competence with this technology. How does access vary for these different groups of youth? Which young people develop facility with ICT? What impact has this technology had on their learning and their lives? These are among the issues examined. Youth from a wide variety of settings are included in the study, including Inuit youth in the high arctic. Rather than mandate how youth should/could better use technology (as much of the existing literature does) the contributors focus on how youth and educators are actually using technology. By paying attention to the routine use and understandings of ICTs by youth and those teaching youth, the book highlights the current gaps in policy and practice. It challenges assumptions around the often taken-for-granted links between technology, pedagogy, and educational outcomes for youth in order to highlight a range of important equity issues.Trade Review``As a collection, these seven essays challenge conventional assumptions concerning the application of digital media in schools, while examining disparities between educational policies and practices, and highlighting equity issues as they are affected by information technologies.... Convincing arguments are provided here involving ICT-based pedagogies, how they are transforming our educational system, and how we need to re-think current approaches. Included are lucid and well-argued perspectives on the relative applicability of curriculum-based software and the increasing need for institutional support to better integrate accessible and interactive computer based technologies in the classroom, in order to generate improved student achievements. Wilfrid Laurier University Press is to be commended for its intelligent layout and design of the book. These seven essays include coherent presentations of salient facts and arguments, helpful visual charts and graphics, and detailed numerical tables, along with clearly stated conclusions and tightly worded summative notes. All of these are supported by comprehensive Works Cited pages, contributors' notes, and a detailed and comprehensive index. This insightful set of essays successfully examines the importance of integrating information and communications techonologies within our evolving educational system.'' -- Karl Jirgens -- Canadian Literature, 214, Autumn 2012, 20130502Table of ContentsTable of Contents for Digital Diversity: Youth, Equity, and Information Technology , edited by E. Dianne Looker and Ted D. Naylor Chapter 1: Introduction | E. Dianne Looker and Ted D. Naylor Chapter 2: Digital Distance: Geographic and Cultural Divides in Access and Use of Computers and the Internet | E. Dianne Looker Chapter 3: Bridging and Bonding Social Capital: Computer and Internet Use among Youth in Relation to Their Cultural Identities | Victor Thiessen and E. Dianne Looker Chapter 4: Gendered Technologies as Divide, Diversity, and Distraction | Brian Campbell and Alyssa Henning Chapter 5: In the âDitchâ or on the Proverbial âInformation Highwayâ: An Investigation of Equity and Technological Literacies in the Preparation and Practice of Teachers | Ted D. Naylor and Blye W. Frank Chapter 6: Maybe Itâs Not the Teachers? Investigating the Problem of ICT Integration into Education | E. Dianne Looker and Ted D. Naylor Chapter 7: âBeing hooked upâ: Exploring the Experiences of Street Youth and Information Technologies | Jeff Karabanow and Ted D. Naylor Contributors Index Contributorsâ Bios Brian Lewis Campbell is a sociologist who is interested in the sociology of science and technology and the sociology of education. These general interests have come together in the study of technology diffusion and translation in education with special attention to the relationship between information technology use and social inequality. Campbell is a professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) but spends most of his time as associate provost and dean of graduate studies. Blye W. Frank is a professor and head of the Division of Medical Education and the head of the Department of Bioethics in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University. He has worked with faculties of medicine and health professions across Canada toward the promotion of diversity and cultural competency in the medical/health education environment. He is also a recognized expert in the field of gender studies. Dr. Frank is chair of the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health Institute Advisory Board. Alyssa Henning was a research assistant in the Equity and Technology Research Alliance project on digital divide issues. She has a B.A. in criminology and justice studies from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and an M.A. in public policy and administration from Ryerson University. She now works in the public sector in project coordination for non-profit agencies. Jeff Karabanow is a full professor at Dalhousie University. He has worked with homeless young people in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and Guatemala. He has published numerous academic articles about housing stability, service delivery systems, street health, and homeless youth culture. He has also completed a film documentary that looks at the plight of street youth in Guatemala City and two animated shorts on street life in Canada. His most recent work is a book titled Voices from the Streets: How Canadian Homeless Young People are Getting Off the Street (forthcoming). E. Dianne Looker, professor of Sociology and Canada Research Chair in Equity and Technology at Mount Saint Vincent University, has undertaken several longitudinal surveys dealing with youth in a changing society, with particular focus on ruralâurban differences. She has provided expert advice to numerous policy groups and government departments. Her recent work looks at ways in which the shift to a more information society has affected equity for subgroups of youth in Canada and abroad. Ted D. Naylor is a research manager and associate with the Atlantic Centre for the Study of the Information Society, Mount Saint Vincent University. A mixed-methods researcher with a diverse publication record, Naylor works on a variety of research projects in both the public and private sector. He is currently completing an interdisciplinary Ph.D. at Dalhousie University. Victor Thiessen is professor emeritus in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Dalhousie University, and academic director of the Atlantic Research Data Centre. His work in the past twenty years has focused on youth transitions, an area in which he has published extensively. His current investigations focus on the various pathways along which young Canadians navigate their way from schooling to employment.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume documents the results and presentations relating to the use of wavelet theory and other methods in surface fitting and image reconstruction of the Second International Conference on Curves and Surfaces, held in Chamonix in 1993. The papers represent directions for future research and development in many areas of application.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides a friendly, practical introduction to open source development options for programmers who build applications to run on IBM i computers. The author dispenses guidance to help developers get into open source in a strategic way—for example, helping them to assess the tools and platforms based on criteria such as their business needs, capabilities of the open source technologies, and career development considerations. Readers will take away a clear understanding of open source on IBM i platforms and tools, how these tools fit in with IBM i app development, and the next steps they must take in order to start developing with open source technologies.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe IBM i Control Language, or CL, is the human interface to one of the most successful computing platforms ever. Mastery of this language is necessary to get the greatest benefit from the IBM i server. This book helps programmers and system administrators using IBM i get the most out of the platform by writing useful CL programs. This new edition has been updated for IBM i 7.3 and includes new built-in functions, new data types, and new support for SQL. Upon completion of the book, readers will be able to write and compile robust, production-grade programs in the IBM i Control Language, guided by a CL expert.

Read more less