Generate effective results in a variety of visually appealing charts using the plotting packages in PythonAbout This BookExplore various tools and their strengths while building meaningful representations that can make it easier to understand dataPacked with computational methods and algorithms in diverse fields of scienceWritten in an easy-to-follow categorical style, this book discusses some niche techniques that will make your code easier to work with and reuse Who This Book Is For If you are a Python developer who performs data visualization and wants to develop existing knowledge about Python to build analytical results and produce some amazing visual display, then this book is for you. A basic knowledge level and understanding of Python libraries is assumed.What You Will LearnGather, cleanse, access, and map data to a visual frameworkRecognize which visualization method is applicable and learn best practices for data visualizationGet acquainted with reader-driven narratives and author-driven narratives and the principles of perceptionUnderstand why Python is an effective tool to be used for numerical computation much like MATLAB, and explore some interesting data structures that come with itExplore with various visualization choices how Python can be very useful in computation in the field of finance and statisticsGet to know why Python is the second choice after Java, and is used frequently in the field of machine learningCompare Python with other visualization approaches using Julia and a JavaScript-based framework such as D3.jsDiscover how Python can be used in conjunction with NoSQL such as Hive to produce results efficiently in a distributed environment In Detail Python has a handful of open source libraries for numerical computations involving optimization, linear algebra, integration, interpolation, and other special functions using array objects, machine learning, data mining, and plotting. Pandas have a productive environment for data analysis. These libraries have a specific purpose and play an important role in the research into diverse domains including economics, finance, biological sciences, social science, health care, and many more. The variety of tools and approaches available within Python community is stunning, and can bolster and enhance visual story experiences. This book offers practical guidance to help you on the journey to effective data visualization. Commencing with a chapter on the data framework, which explains the transformation of data into information and eventually knowledge, this book subsequently covers the complete visualization process using the most popular Python libraries with working examples. You will learn the usage of Numpy, Scipy, IPython, MatPlotLib, Pandas, Patsy, and Scikit-Learn with a focus on generating results that can be visualized in many different ways. Further chapters are aimed at not only showing advanced techniques such as interactive plotting; numerical, graphical linear, and non-linear regression; clustering and classification, but also in helping you understand the aesthetics and best practices of data visualization. The book concludes with interesting examples such as social networks, directed graph examples in real-life, data structures appropriate for these problems, and network analysis. By the end of this book, you will be able to effectively solve a broad set of data analysis problems.Style and approach The approach of this book is not step by step, but rather categorical. The categories are based on fields such as bioinformatics, statistical and machine learning, financial computation, and linear algebra. This approach is beneficial for the community in many different fields of work and also helps you learn how one approach can make sense across many fields

Sharpen your skills in Swift by designing and deploying seven fully functional applicationsAbout This BookDevelop a variety of iOS-compatible applications that range from health and fitness to utilities using this project-based handbookDiscover ways to make the best use of the latest features in Swift to build on a wide array of applicationsFollow step-by-step instructions to create Swift apps oriented for the real world Who This Book Is For If you are a competent iOS developer who wants to develop stunning applications with Swift, then this book is for you. Familiarity with Swift programming is assumed.What You Will LearnGet to grips with the basics of Xcode and Swift for application developmentCreate a Photo Sharing application to capture an image, edit it using different features and share it via social media.Develop applications using the WatchKit and exchange data between iPhone and the WatchUse advanced features such as SpriteKit to build a gameInstall third-party Swift frameworks to improvise on your application developmentDiscover how to simulate home automation with HomeKitBuild an application to monitor the user's weight, heart rate and the number of steps for Health Historic AnalysisManipulate media using AVFoundation framework to merge audio and video. In Detail In this book, you will work through seven different projects to get you hands-on with developing amazing applications for iOS devices. We start off with a project that teaches you how to build a utility app using Swift. Moving on, we cover the concepts behind developing an entertainment or social networking related application, for example, a small application that helps you to share images, audio, and video files from one device to another. You’ll also be guided through create a city information app with customized table views, a reminder app for the Apple Watch, and a game app using SpriteKit. By the end of this book, you will have the required skillset to develop various types of iOS applications with Swift that can run on different iOS devices. You will also be well versed with complex techniques that can be used to enhance the performance of your applications.Style and approach This book takes a step-by-step approach to help you build apps from scratch and learn the methodology to develop real-time applications using Swift.

Manage, analyze, and visualize data with Microsoft Excel 2013 to transform raw data into ready to use informationAbout This BookCreate formulas to help you analyze and explain findingsDevelop interactive spreadsheets that will impress your audience and give them the ability to slice and dice dataA step-by-step guide to learn various ways to model data for businesses with the help of Excel 2013 Who This Book Is For If you want to start using Excel 2013 for data analysis and business modeling and enhance your skills in the data analysis life cycle then this book is for you, whether you’re new to Excel or experienced.What You Will LearnDiscover what Excel formulas are all about and how to use them in your spreadsheet developmentIdentify bad data and learn cleaning strategiesCreate interactive spreadsheets that engage and appeal to your audienceLeverage Excel’s powerful built-in tools to get the median, maximum, and minimum values of your dataBuild impressive tables and combine datasets using Excel’s built-in functionalityLearn the powerful *ing language VBA, allowing you to implement your own custom solutions with ease In Detail Excel 2013 is one of the easiest to use data analysis tools you will ever come across. Its simplicity and powerful features has made it the go to tool for all your data needs. Complex operations with Excel, such as creating charts and graphs, visualization, and analyzing data make it a great tool for managers, data scientists, financial data analysts, and those who work closely with data. Learning data analysis and will help you bring your data skills to the next level. This book starts by walking you through creating your own data and bringing data into Excel from various sources. You’ll learn the basics of SQL syntax and how to connect it to a Microsoft SQL Server Database using Excel’s data connection tools. You will discover how to spot bad data and strategies to clean that data to make it useful to you. Next, you'll learn to create custom columns, identify key metrics, and make decisions based on business rules. You’ll create macros using VBA and use Excel 2013’s shiny new macros. Finally, at the end of the book, you'll be provided with useful shortcuts and tips, enabling you to do efficient data analysis and business modeling with Excel 2013.Style and approach This is a step-by-step guide to performing data analysis and business modelling with Excel 2013, complete with examples and tips.

Over 35 exciting recipes to spice up your application development with IonicAbout This BookLearn how to utilize the robust features of Ionic CLI and its framework to create, develop, and build your mobile appExplore new integrations with various Backend-as-a-Services, along with AngularJS modules, for creative solutionsUse out-of-the-box Ionic functionalities, customize existing components, and add new components with this comprehensive, step-by-step guide Who This Book Is For If you are a front-end developer and want to take advantage of your existing mobile application development skills to develop cross-platform mobile apps, this book is for you. You will build up your Ionic knowledge with in-depth recipes on Angular.js, Cordova, and Sass.What You Will LearnAuthenticate users using an e-mail password, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedInRetrieve data and store it using FirebaseAccess native device functionalities such as a camera, contact list, e-mail, and maps using ngCordovaWork with localStorage and SQLite for persistent data access on the client sideCommunicate to and from your app using push notifications or SMSLeverage AngularJS events and Ionic-specific events to communicate across pages, controllers, and directivesCustomize the color and theme of your Ionic appCreate new custom directives as componentsCompile your app for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone In Detail The world of mobile development is extremely fragmented with many platforms, frameworks, and technologies available. Ionic is intended to fill that gap, by enabling developers to build apps that have a native feel to them, using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and AngularJS. Ionic makes it easy for front-end developers to become app developers. The framework provides superior performance with deep Cordova integration and a comprehensive set of tools for prototyping, backend support, and deployment. Ionic Cookbook takes you through the process of developing a cross-platform mobile app using just HTML5 and the JavaScript-based Ionic. You will start with an introduction to the CLI and then move on to building and running an app. You will explore common features of real-world mobile apps such as authenticating a user, and getting and saving data using either Firebase or Local Storage. Next, the book covers how Ionic integrates with Cordova to support native device features using ngCordova, and you will discover how to take advantage of existing modules around its ecosystem. You will also delve into advanced topics, including how to extend Ionic to create new components. Finally, the book will walk you through customizing the Ionic theme and building the app so that it can be deployed to all platforms.Style and approach This book follows a recipe-based approach to cross-platform mobile app development, where each task is explained in a conversational and easy-to-follow style. Every topic explains individual features or components of Ionic, and provides extra details for readers to come up with custom solutions based on real-world applications.

Become an expert in Bayesian Machine Learning methods using R and apply them to solve real-world big data problemsAbout This BookUnderstand the principles of Bayesian Inference with less mathematical equationsLearn state-of-the art Machine Learning methodsFamiliarize yourself with the recent advances in Deep Learning and Big Data frameworks with this step-by-step guide Who This Book Is For This book is for statisticians, analysts, and data scientists who want to build a Bayes-based system with R and implement it in their day-to-day models and projects. It is mainly intended for Data Scientists and Software Engineers who are involved in the development of Advanced Analytics applications. To understand this book, it would be useful if you have basic knowledge of probability theory and analytics and some familiarity with the programming language R.What You Will LearnSet up the R environmentCreate a classification model to predict and explore discrete variablesGet acquainted with Probability Theory to analyze random eventsBuild Linear Regression modelsUse Bayesian networks to infer the probability distribution of decision variables in a problemModel a problem using Bayesian Linear Regression approach with the R package BLRUse Bayesian Logistic Regression model to classify numerical dataPerform Bayesian Inference on massively large data sets using the MapReduce programs in R and Cloud computing In Detail Bayesian Inference provides a unified framework to deal with all sorts of uncertainties when learning patterns form data using machine learning models and use it for predicting future observations. However, learning and implementing Bayesian models is not easy for data science practitioners due to the level of mathematical treatment involved. Also, applying Bayesian methods to real-world problems requires high computational resources. With the recent advances in computation and several open sources packages available in R, Bayesian modeling has become more feasible to use for practical applications today. Therefore, it would be advantageous for all data scientists and engineers to understand Bayesian methods and apply them in their projects to achieve better results. Learning Bayesian Models with R starts by giving you a comprehensive coverage of the Bayesian Machine Learning models and the R packages that implement them. It begins with an introduction to the fundamentals of probability theory and R programming for those who are new to the subject. Then the book covers some of the important machine learning methods, both supervised and unsupervised learning, implemented using Bayesian Inference and R. Every chapter begins with a theoretical de*ion of the method explained in a very simple manner. Then, relevant R packages are discussed and some illustrations using data sets from the UCI Machine Learning repository are given. Each chapter ends with some simple exercises for you to get hands-on experience of the concepts and R packages discussed in the chapter. The last chapters are devoted to the latest development in the field, specifically Deep Learning, which uses a class of Neural Network models that are currently at the frontier of Artificial Intelligence. The book concludes with the application of Bayesian methods on Big Data using the Hadoop and Spark frameworks.Style and approach The book first gives you a theoretical de*ion of the Bayesian models in simple language, followed by details of its implementation in the R package. Each chapter has illustrations for the use of Bayesian model and the corresponding R package, using data sets from the UCI Machine Learning repository. Each chapter also contains sufficient exercises for you to get more hands-on practice.

Accelerate your code writing skills with over twenty programming patterns that will make your code easier to maintain and scaleAbout This BookOptimize your web application for production useBuild views and controllers with minimal effort that will evolve with your applicationLearn how to maintain a MeteorJS project while it is running in production Who This Book Is For This book is for developers who have already had an introductory course with Meteor. Basic knowledge of web development is recommended.What You Will LearnUse of Jade, Stylus, and CoffeeScript to speed up web developmentIncrease productivity by leveraging the best packages in the communityOptimize your site for load speed with advanced publishers and subscribersLeverage the aggregation framework to produce results with big dataMaster the intricacies of front-end development using Jeet, Bootstrap, CSS animations, and moreOptimize your site for search engine visibilitySecure your site with Meteor’s best practicesTrack the live status of your application, ensuring all errors have been taken care of In Detail With the increasing interest in NodeJS web applications, a new framework, Meteor, has joined the ranks to simplify developer workflows. Meteor is one of the few open source frameworks that has received funding since its early development stages. It builds on ideas from existing frameworks and libraries, offering developers an easy way to develop a prototype app. At the same time, it gives them the tools and flexibility to build a fully fledged production app. Meteor is the weapon of choice for start-ups in today’s world. Meteor Design Patterns cuts through the jargon that most websites play with and gets to the point with simple solutions that will boost your development skills. We start off with a refresher on the basics of JavaScript programming such as templates, CoffeeScript, the Event Loop, and the Merge Box, amongst others. You then learn how to map real-world data and optimize the data’s publishers to output data with the least amount of work done by the server with some subscribe and publish patterns. Next, using front-end patterns, you will learn how to create maintainable and trackable forms, and make our site crawlable by any search engine. Following this, you will see how to optimize and secure the web application and maintain applications without breaking other features. Finally, you will learn how to deploy a secure production-ready application while learning to set up modulus, compose with Oplog tracking and SSL certificates, as well as error tracking with Kadira. Throughout the book, you will put your skills to practice and build an online shop from scratch. By the end of the book, you will have built a feature-rich online shop.Style and approach The book is a practical handbook on how to build an e-commerce web app using Meteor. Every topic ties into the webapp to easily illustrate the concepts that you are learning about.

Navigate the world of data analysis, visualization, and machine learning with over 100 hands-on Scala recipesAbout This BookImplement Scala in your data analysis using features from Spark, Breeze, and ZeppelinScale up your data anlytics infrastructure with practical recipes for Scala machine learningRecipes for every stage of the data analysis process, from reading and collecting data to distributed analytics Who This Book Is For This book shows data scientists and analysts how to leverage their existing knowledge of Scala for quality and scalable data analysis.What You Will LearnFamiliarize and set up the Breeze and Spark libraries and use data structuresImport data from a host of possible sources and create dataframes from CSVClean, validate and transform data using Scala to pre-process numerical and string dataIntegrate quintessential machine learning algorithms using Scala stackBundle and scale up Spark jobs by deploying them into a variety of cluster managersRun streaming and graph analytics in Spark to visualize data, enabling exploratory analysis In Detail This book will introduce you to the most popular Scala tools, libraries, and frameworks through practical recipes around loading, manipulating, and preparing your data. It will also help you explore and make sense of your data using stunning and insightfulvisualizations, and machine learning toolkits. Starting with introductory recipes on utilizing the Breeze and Spark libraries, get to grips withhow to import data from a host of possible sources and how to pre-process numerical, string, and date data. Next, you’ll get an understanding of concepts that will help you visualize data using the Apache Zeppelin and Bokeh bindings in Scala, enabling exploratory data analysis. iscover how to program quintessential machine learning algorithms using Spark ML library. Work through steps to scale your machine learning models and deploy them into a standalone cluster, EC2, YARN, and Mesos. Finally dip into the powerful options presented by Spark Streaming, and machine learning for streaming data, as well as utilizing Spark GraphX.Style and approach This book contains a rich set of recipes that covers the full spectrum of interesting data analysis tasks and will help you revolutionize your data analysis skills using Scala and Spark.

Explore the Underscore.js library by example using a test-driven development approachAbout This BookUnderstand and learn to apply functional programming principles using the built-in functions of Underscore.jsLeverage and reuse Underscore.js-based code to create code that targets client, server, or database contextsTake Underscore.js further by reusing code between client and server and by learning about other closely related libraries Who This Book Is For If you are a developer with fundamental JavaScript knowledge and want to use modern JavaScript libraries to extend your functional programming skills, then Underscore.js is an important library you should be familiar with.What You Will LearnReference and call Underscore.js functions using a modern JavaScript development workflowApply Underscore.js to JavaScript arrays, objects, and functionsTake advantage of object-oriented or functional programming techniques with Underscore.jsLeverage Underscore.js to create code that targets client, server, or database contextsExtend Underscore.js functionality with other closely related librariesReuse Underscore.js-based code between client and server applicationsPrepare for the upcoming JavaScript standard ECMAScript 6 and support older browsers In Detail Underscore.js is one of the most popular modern JavaScript libraries used for functional programming. It can be used as a base for building complex JavaScript applications in a sustainable manner and for building other JavaScript libraries. It embraces functional programming principles but is not opinionated and can be used with imperative, object-oriented, functional, or other programming styles. This book explores how to use Underscore.js to power your code and understand modern JavaScript development concepts while applying a lightweight and efficient workflow to build applications. The book starts with an incremental Underscore.js introduction by exploring key JavaScript concepts. You will then explore the basic features of Underscore.js in action and establish a lightweight development workflow that allows the provided examples to be guided by tests. The book then covers the functionality of Underscore.js with in-depth examples and explanations for understanding and applying the Underscore.js API. You'll also learn how to use Underscore.js as a base for your own modules and libraries within an object-oriented or functional programming style, and will be able to explore Underscore.js use cases in different environments. Eventually, you'll learn about libraries that are closely related with Underscore.js, how to share code between client and server, and how to prepare for the upcoming JavaScript standard ECMAScript 6.Style and approach This book takes an example-driven approach to describing some of the essential JavaScript concepts and practices that are useful for building sustainable applications.

Harness the power of OpenStack Networking for public and private clouds using 90 hands-on recipesAbout This BookBuild and manage virtual switching, routing, and firewall-based networks in OpenStack using NeutronDevelop plugins and drivers for Neutron to enhance the built-in networking capabilitiesMonitor and automate OpenStack networks using tools like Ceilometer and Heat Who This Book Is For This book is aimed at network and system administrators who want to deploy and manage OpenStack-based cloud and IT infrastructure. If you have basic knowledge of OpenStack and virtualization, this book will help you leverage the rich functionality of OpenStack Networking in your cloud deployments.What You Will LearnOperate OpenStack Networking for public and private cloudsConfigure advanced routing services for your workloadsSecure data traffic using firewall-as-a-service capabilities of OpenStackDiscover how to leverage VXLAN to implement SDN in your OpenStack cloudMonitor the virtual networks using CeilometerDevelop plugins to enhance and customize OpenStack NetworkingProvide HA and VPN connectivity for your virtual machinesTroubleshoot and solve common problems with OpenStack Networking In Detail Networking in OpenStack has evolved from Nova Network to Neutron. This has resulted in a rich suite of networking services available to OpenStack users and administrators. Advanced services such as routers, firewall, and load balancers use building blocks such as network and subnets. Recent improvements support powerful customization using plugins. The evolution of Neutron continues as it integrates with tools like Ceilometer and Heat. This book will explore the built-in capabilities of Neutron to effectively deploy cloud solutions. You will begin with the most fundamental constructs of OpenStack Networking for switching and routing. You will then learn how to provide your tenants with services like firewalls and load-balancers. The step-by-step recipes will help you configure and troubleshoot networking problems in your cloud. This book will also introduce you to advanced topics like Ceilometer, Heat, and other upcoming tools in OpenStackStyle and approach The book is full of step-by-step recipes to configure and manage the networking aspects of your OpenStack cloud. In addition to covering basic configuration involved in OpenStack Networking, the books also shares various troubleshooting tips and techniques. As much as possible the book uses OpenStack dashboard (Horizon) to help the user get a feel of real OpenStack Networking

Exploit the power of dynamic cloud formation and auto-scaling features to fully implement OpenStack orchestrationAbout This BookSet up, manage, and troubleshoot Heat and effectively automate your datacenter and cloud-based servicesAchieve high availability, minimize down-time, and automate the deployment of cloud-based services and resources with minimum effortUpgrade your skills and manipulate resources on virtual machines in an unattended fashion using Heat Who This Book Is For If you are a System Engineer, System Administrator, Cloud Administrator, or a Cloud Engineer, then this book is for you. You should have a background of working in a Linux-based setup. Any knowledge of OpenStack-based cloud infrastructure will help you create wonders using this book.What You Will LearnInstall an orchestration service for a private cloud environmentTackle errors that show up during the installation and configuration of heatConfigure a template for orchestration using the native HOT formatConfigure a template for orchestration using the AWS cloud formation formatDeploy a stack using the HOT templateDeploy a test stack using the AWS CloudFormation templateAutomate and orchestrate cloud-based services with OpenStack Heat In Detail This book is focused on setting up and using one of the most important services in OpenStack orchestration, Heat. First, the book introduces you to the orchestration service for OpenStack to help you understand the uses of the templating mechanism, complex control groups of cloud resources, and huge-potential and multiple-use cases. We then move on to the topology and orchestration specification for cloud applications and standards, before introducing the most popular IaaS cloud framework, Heat. You will get to grips with the standards used in Heat, overview and roadmap, architecture and CLI, heat API, heat engine, CloudWatch API, scaling principles, JeOS and installation and configuration of Heat. We wrap up by giving you some insights into troubleshooting for OpenStack. With easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions and supporting images, you will be able to manage OpenStack operations by implementing the orchestration services of Heat.Style and approach The book is a step-by-step guide to implementing an orchestration (cloud formation) service for OpenStack-based cloud environments. This book uses real-world scenarios and examples to demonstrate the procedures in an easy-to-understand language with plenty of screenshots to help you get a better understanding.

A hands-on guide to building an enterprise-grade, scalable RESTful web service using the Spring FrameworkAbout This BookFollow best practices and explore techniques such as clustering and caching to achieve a scalable web serviceLeverage the Spring Framework to quickly implement RESTful endpointsLearn to implement a client library for a RESTful web service using the Spring Framework Who This Book Is For This book is intended for those who want to learn to build RESTful web services with the Spring Framework. To make best use of the code samples included in the book, you should have a basic knowledge of the Java language. Previous experience with the Spring Framework would also help you get up and running quickly.What You Will LearnDeep dive into the principles behind RESTExpose CRUD operations through RESTful endpoints with the Spring FrameworkDevise response formats and error handling strategies, offering a consistent and flexible structure to simplify integration for service consumersFollow the best approaches for dealing with a service’s evolution while maintaining backward compatibilityUnderstand techniques to secure web servicesComply with the best ways to test RESTful web services, including tips for load testingOptimise and scale web services using techniques such as caching and clustering In Detail REST is an architectural style that tackles the challenges of building scalable web services. In today’s connected world, APIs have taken a central role on the web. APIs provide the fabric through which systems interact, and REST has become synonymous with APIs. The depth, breadth, and ease of use of Spring makes it one of the most attractive frameworks in the Java ecosystem. Marrying the two technologies is therefore a very natural choice. This book takes you through the design of RESTful web services and leverages the Spring Framework to implement these services. Starting from the basics of the philosophy behind REST, you’ll go through the steps of designing and implementing an enterprise-grade RESTful web service. Taking a practical approach, each chapter provides code samples that you can apply to your own circumstances. This book goes beyond the use of Spring and explores approaches to tackle resilience, security, and scalability concerns. You’ll learn techniques to deal with security in Spring and discover how to implement unit and integration test strategies. Finally, the book ends by walking you through building a Java client for your RESTful web service, along with some scaling techniques for it.Style and approach This book is a step-by-step, hands-on guide to designing and building RESTful web services. The book follows the natural cycle of developing these services and includes multiple code samples to help you.

The ultimate troubleshooting guide for clear, concise, and real-world solutions to a wide range of common Citrix XenDesktop problemsAbout This BookExplore the XenDesktop architecture and work with various troubleshooting tools that every Citrix admin should know aboutDiscover how to troubleshoot performance, VDA registration, and NetScaler integration issuesA fast-paced troubleshooting guide to help you identify and resolve any kind of problem you might face while working with Citrix XenDesktop Who This Book Is For Troubleshooting Citrix XenDesktop is targeted at Citrix Administrators or Citrix Engineers who are working on Xendesktop and want to learn tips and techniques required to deal with the issues they face in their day-to-day life. A working knowledge of core elements and concepts of Xendesktop would be an added advantage.What You Will LearnSolve VDA registration problems and Citrix session launch difficultiesIdentify and resolve XenDesktop service issuesTroubleshoot performance issues related to the XenDesktop architectureWork around common printing issuesUnderstand the Citrix XenDesktop HDX policies and deal with the HDX MediaStream challengesResolve the common MCS and PVS configuration issues in your XenDesktop environmentFind solutions to some general issues that have been identified and recorded by Citrix in their database that every administrator must be aware of In Detail In today’s world, many organizations have decided to move to secure and stable VDI platforms to benefit their organization to meet their security needs. To meet an organization’s requirements, Citrix XenDesktop serves as the best desktop virtualization solution available, providing the optimum user experience. Troubleshooting Citrix XenDesktop is a single resource guide that will help you dig deep into all the technical issues you encounter to resolve them using an autonomous and well-defined approach. The book starts by walking you through the XenDesktop architecture and the troubleshooting toolkit for Citrix XenDesktop. The subsequent chapters will help you identify possible causes of various types of Citrix XenDesktop problems that may arise while installing, configuring, or troubleshooting day-to-day problems. You will also be dealing with the most common and important VDA registration problems that you might often face while working with the XenDesktop product suite. Additionally, you will resolve issues that arise while launching Citrix sessions, troubleshoot performance issues, and learn how to integrate Citrix NetScaler with your XenDesktop environment.Style and approach This book is an easy-to-follow troubleshooting guide with real-world examples of resolving XenDesktop issues. Each chapter is focused on a specific troubleshooting area, giving you the time to learn about and apply relevant tools and practices to troubleshoot the problems using a systematic approach.

Use game elements in Moodle courses to build learner resilience and motivationAbout This BookFormulate a Moodle course that acts as a flexible framework ready for your own contentKeep learners engrossed and create opportunities for motivation through the concepts of status, access, and powerA resourceful guide to innovative learning using automatic reports, assessments, and conditional release of activities Who This Book Is For This book has been designed for teachers who to use technology to create more engaging learning experiences for both online learning and in face-to-face sessions. This book will especially appeal to people who are interested in the underlying mechanics of play and games and want to know more about applying these concepts in an educational context. It is assumed that you are a teacher and expert in your field, have basic computer skills, and have access to the Internet.What You Will LearnSet up a scoring system using Moodle GradebookEnable communication and collaboration in your class as a Learning Community using forumsAssess your learners’ abilities by setting up challenges and questsConfigure gateways to check and ensure progress before new content or activities are releasedCreate Moodle assignments to provide effective feedback through a comment bank and custom scaleIssue Open Badges to recognize achievements and set up an online backpack to share digital badgesReduce anxiety for learners by using the game-like concept of “Levelling Up” In Detail This book describes how teachers can use Gamification design within the Moodle Learning Management System. Game elements can be included in course design by using, badges, rubrics, custom grading scales, forums, and conditional activities. Moodle courses do not have to be solo-learning experiences that replicate Distance Education models. The Gamification design process starts by profiling players and creating levels of achievement towards meeting learning outcomes. Each task is defined, valued, and sequenced. Motivation loops are devised to keep the momentum going. In a gaming studio, this approach would require a team of specialists with a large budget and time frames. Preparing for a class rarely has these optimal conditions. The approach used in this book is to introduce game elements into the course design gradually. First, apply gamification to just one lesson and then build up to gamifying a series of lessons over a term. Each example will indicate the difficulty level and time investment. Try it out to see what is most effective with your learners and choose wisely in your use of technology. By the end of this book, you will be able to create Moodle courses that incorporate choice, communication, challenge, and creativity.Style and approach An easy-to-follow guide full of screenshots and step-by-step instructions with estimated time frames required to accomplish numerous tasks. Tips are offered for new Moodlers and plugin extensions are suggested for advanced Moodlers. The focus of the book is on why you would want to use each activity rather than detailed technical de*ions.

Forests are in decline, and the threats these outposts of nature face-including deforestation, degradation, and fragmentation-are the result of human culture. Or are theyThis volume calls these assumptions into question, revealing forests' past, present, and future conditions to be the joint products of a host of natural and cultural forces. Moreover, in many cases the coalescence of these forces-from local ecologies to competing knowledge systems-has masked a significant contemporary trend of woodland resurgence, even in the forests of the tropics.Focusing on the history and current use of woodlands from India to the Amazon, The Social Lives of Forests attempts to build a coherent view of forests sited at the nexus of nature, culture, and development. With chapters covering the effects of human activities on succession patterns in now-protected Costa Rican forests; the intersection of gender and knowledge in African shea nut tree markets; and even the unexpectedly rich urban woodlands of Chicago, this book explores forests as places of significant human action, with complex institutions, ecologies, and economies that have transformed these landscapes in the past and continue to shape them today. From rain forests to timber farms, the face of forests-how we define, understand, and maintain them-is changing.

The interactions between apex predators and their prey are some of the most awesome and meaningful in nature-displays of strength, endurance, and a deep coevolutionary history. And there is perhaps no apex predator more impressive and important in its hunting-or more infamous, more misjudged-than the wolf. Because of wolves' habitat, speed, and general success at evading humans, researchers have faced great obstacles in studying their natural hunting behaviors. The first book to focus explicitly on wolf hunting of wild prey, Wolves on the Hunt seeks to fill these gaps in our knowledge and understanding.Combining behavioral data, thousands of hours of original field observations, research in the literature, a wealth of illustrations, and-in the e-book edition and online-video segments from cinematographer Robert K. Landis, the authors create a compelling and complex picture of these hunters. The wolf is indeed an adept killer, able to take down prey much larger than itself. While adapted to hunt primarily hoofed animals, a wolf-or especially a pack of wolves-can kill individuals of just about any species. But even as wolves help drive the underlying rhythms of the ecosystems they inhabit, their evolutionary prowess comes at a cost: wolves spend one-third of their time hunting-the most time consuming of all wolf activities-and success at the hunt only comes through traveling long distances, persisting in the face of regular failure, detecting and taking advantage of deficiencies in the physical condition of individual prey, and through ceaseless trial and error, all while risking injury or death.By describing and analyzing the behaviors wolves use to hunt and kill various wild prey-including deer, moose, caribou, elk, Dall sheep, mountain goats, bison, musk oxen, arctic hares, beavers, and others-Wolves on the Hunt provides a revelatory portrait of one of nature's greatest hunters.

How should we speak of bodies and soulsIn Coming to Mind, Lenn E. Goodman and D. Gregory Caramenico pick their way through the minefields of materialist reductionism to present the soul not as the brain's rival but as its partner. What acts, they argue, is what is real. The soul is not an ethereal wisp but a lively subject, emergent from the body but inadequately described in its terms.Rooted in some of the richest philosophical and intellectual traditions of Western and Eastern philosophy, psychology, literature, and the arts and the latest findings of cognitive psychology and brain science-Coming to Mind is a subtle manifesto of a new humanism and an outstanding contribution to our understanding of the human person. Drawing on new and classical understandings of perception, consciousness, memory, agency, and creativity, Goodman and Caramenico frame a convincing argument for a dynamic and integrated self capable of language, thought, discovery, caring, and love.

Today we are all familiar with the iconic pictures of the nebulae produced by the Hubble Space Telescope's digital cameras. But there was a time, before the successful application of photography to the heavens, in which scientists had to rely on handmade drawings of these mysterious phenomena.?Observing by Hand sheds entirely new light on the ways in which the production and reception of handdrawn images of the nebulae in the nineteenth century contributed to astronomical observation. Omar W. Nasim investigates hundreds of unpublished observing books and paper records from six nineteenth-century observers of the nebulae: Sir John Herschel; William Parsons, the third Earl of Rosse; William Lassell; Ebenezer Porter Mason; Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel; and George Phillips Bond. Nasim focuses on the ways in which these observers created and employed their drawings in data-driven procedures, from their choices of artistic materials and techniques to their practices and scientific observation. He examines the ways in which the act of drawing complemented the acts of seeing and knowing, as well as the ways that making pictures was connected to the production of scientific knowledge.?An impeccably researched, carefully crafted, and beautifully illustrated piece of historical work, Observing by Hand will delight historians of science, art, and the book, as well as astronomers and philosophers.

In the past two decades in the United States, more than 1,600 Catholic elementary and secondary schools have closed, and more than 4,500 charter schools-public schools that are often privately operated and freed from certain regulations-have opened, many in urban areas. With a particular emphasis on Catholic school closures, Lost Classroom, Lost Community examines the implications of these dramatic shifts in the urban educational landscape.?More than just educational institutions, Catholic schools promote the development of social capital-the social networks and mutual trust that form the foundation of safe and cohesive communities. Drawing on data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods and crime reports collected at the police beat or census tract level in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, Margaret F. Brinig and Nicole Stelle Garnett demonstrate that the loss of Catholic schools triggers disorder, crime, and an overall decline in community cohesiveness, and suggest that new charter schools fail to fill the gaps left behind.This book shows that the closing of Catholic schools harms the very communities they were created to bring together and serve, and it will have vital implications for both education and policing policy debates.

Leo Strauss and his alleged political influence regarding the Iraq War have in recent years been the subject of significant media attention, including stories in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.Time magazine even called him "e;one of the most influential men in American politics."e; With The Truth about Leo Strauss, Michael and Catherine Zuckert challenged the many claims and speculations about this notoriously complex thinker. Now, with Leo Strauss and the Problem of Political Philosophy, they turn their attention to a searching and more comprehensive interpretation of Strauss's thought as a whole, using the many manifestations of the "e;problem of political philosophy"e; as their touchstone.?For Strauss, political philosophy presented a "e;problem"e; to which there have been a variety of solutions proposed over the course of Western history. Strauss's work, they show, revolved around recovering-and restoring-political philosophy to its original Socratic form. Since positivism and historicism represented two intellectual currents that undermined the possibility of a Socratic political philosophy, the first part of the book is devoted to Strauss's critique of these two positions. Then, the authors explore Strauss's interpretation of the history of philosophy and both ancient and modern canonical political philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Locke. Strauss's often-unconventional readings of these philosophers, they argue, pointed to solutions to the problem of political philosophy. Finally, the authors examine Strauss's thought in the context of the twentieth century, when his chief interlocutors were Schmitt, Husserl, Heidegger, and Nietzsche.?The most penetrating and capacious treatment of the political philosophy of this complex and often misunderstood thinker, from his early years to his last works, Leo Strauss and the Problem of Political Philosophy reveals Strauss's writings as an attempt to show that the distinctive characteristics of ancient and modern thought derive from different modes of solving the problem of political philosophy and reveal why he considered the ancient solution both philosophically and politically superior.

Ever since Kant and Hegel, the notion of autonomy-the idea that we are beholden to no law except one we impose upon ourselves-has been considered the truest philosophical expression of human freedom. But could our commitment to autonomy, as Theodor Adorno asked, be related to the extreme evils that we have witnessed in modernityIn Autonomy after Auschwitz, Martin Shuster explores this difficult question with astonishing theoretical acumen, examining the precise ways autonomy can lead us down a path of evil and how it might be prevented from doing so.Shuster uncovers dangers in the notion of autonomy as it was originally conceived by Kant. Putting Adorno into dialogue with a range of European philosophers, notably Kant, Hegel, Horkheimer, and Habermas-as well as with a variety of contemporary Anglo-American thinkers such as Richard Rorty, Stanley Cavell, John McDowell, and Robert Pippin-he illuminates Adorno's important revisions to this fraught concept and how his different understanding of autonomous agency, fully articulated, might open up new and positive social and political possibilities. Altogether, Autonomy after Auschwitz is a meditation on modern evil and human agency, one that demonstrates the tremendous ethical stakes at the heart of philosophy.?

In his 2010 book What Is a Person?, Christian Smith argued that sociology had for too long neglected this fundamental question. Prevailing social theories, he wrote, do not adequately "e;capture our deep subjective experience as persons, crucial dimensions of the richness of our own lived lives, what thinkers in previous ages might have called our 'souls' or 'hearts.'"e; Building on Smith's previous work, To Flourish or Destruct examines the motivations intrinsic to this subjective experience: Why do people do what they doHow can we explain the activity that gives rise to all human social life and social structuresSmith argues that our actions stem from a motivation to realize what he calls natural human goods: ends that are, by nature, constitutionally good for all human beings. He goes on to explore the ways we can and do fail to realize these ends-a failure that can result in varying gradations of evil. Rooted in critical realism and informed by work in philosophy, psychology, and other fields, Smith's ambitious book situates the idea of personhood at the center of our attempts to understand how we might shape good human lives and societies.