Modern Statistical Methodology and Software for Analyzing Spatial Point PatternsSpatial Point Patterns: Methodology and Applications with R shows scientific researchers and applied statisticians from a wide range of fields how to analyze their spatial point pattern data. Making the techniques accessible to non-mathematicians, the authors draw on th

In this bold and timely work, law professor Jeffrey Shulman argues that the United States Constitution does not protect a fundamental right to parent. Based on a rigorous reconsideration of the historical record, Shulman challenges the notion, held by academics and the general public alike, that parental rights have a long-standing legal pedigree. What is deeply rooted in our legal tradition and social conscience, Shulman demonstrates, is the idea that the state entrusts parents with custody of the child, and it does so only as long as parents meet their fiduciary duty to serve the developmental needs of the child. Shulman’s illuminating account of American legal history is of more than academic interest. If once again we treat parenting as a delegated responsibility—as a sacred trust, not a sacred right—we will not all reach the same legal prescriptions, but we might be more willing to consider how time-honored principles of family law can effectively accommodate the evolving interests of parent, child, and state.

This first OECD Skills Outlook presents the initial results of the OECD Survey of Adult Skills, which evaluates the skills of adults in 22 OECD and 2 non-OECD partner countries.

TheArti?cialLifetermappearedmorethan20yearsagoinasmallcornerofNew Mexico, USA. Since then the area has developed dramatically, many researchers joining enthusiastically and research groups sprouting everywhere. This frenetic activity led to the emergence of several strands that are now established ?elds in themselves. We are now reaching a stage that one may describe as maturer: with more rigour, more benchmarks, more results, more stringent acceptance criteria, more applications, in brief, more sound science. This, which is the n- ural path of all new areas, comes at a price, however. A certain enthusiasm, a certain adventurousness from the early years is fading and may have been lost on the way. The ?eld has become more reasonable. To counterbalance this and to encourage lively discussions, a conceptual track, where papers were judged on criteria like importance and/or novelty of the concepts proposed rather than the experimental/theoretical results, has been introduced this year. A conference on a theme as broad as Arti?cial Life is bound to be very - verse,but a few tendencies emerged. First, ?elds like ‘Robotics and Autonomous Agents’ or ‘Evolutionary Computation’ are still extremely active and keep on bringing a wealth of results to the A-Life community. Even there, however, new tendencies appear, like collective robotics, and more speci?cally self-assembling robotics, which represent now a large subsection. Second, new areas appear.

First published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Babies who cry a lot, or are unsettled in the night, are common sources of concern for parents and, consequently, costly problems for health services. In this book, Ian St James-Roberts summarises the evidence concerning infant crying and sleeping problems to provide a new evidence-based approach to these common challenges for parents and health services. The book begins by distinguishing between infant and parental parts of the problems and provides guidelines for assessing each issue. Topics covered include: • the pros and cons of 'infant-demand' versus 'limit-setting' forms of parenting • causes of infant 'colicky' crying and night waking • effects of night-time separations on infant attachments • interventions such as swaddling, herbal remedies, and 'controlled crying.' Since there is now firm evidence that parents' vulnerabilities and cultural backgrounds affect how problems are defined and guidance is acted upon, and that parents who wish to do so can reduce infant crying and unsettled night waking, social factors are considered alongside medical issues. Translating research evidence into practical tools and guidance, The Origins, Prevention and Treatment of Infant Crying and Sleeping Problems will be essential reading for a wide range of healthcare professionals including mental health staff, social workers, midwives, health visitors, community physicians and paediatricians.

Jimmy McLeod grows up on a remote Scottish Estate, hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps. At the beginning of the Korean War, however, he is called up for national service, and this has far reaching effects on the rest of his life. Unable to stay on the estate on his return, he moves to southern England and works in the building trade. Jimmy’s life is far from easy as he continues to struggles to find a settled life for himself. Jimmy’s trials include performing as a sniper in the war, clashing with the laird’s nephew and being implicated in several murders. With many twists and turns, the book follows Jimmy and his increasingly unpredictable journey through life. The story shows how an ordinary man, through circumstances not all of his making, can find his whole life’s course altered. It also demonstrates how, when trained to kill, he can lose his way in life.

The Journal of School Leadership is broadening the conversation about schools and leadership and is currently accepting manuscripts. We welcome manuscripts based on cutting-edge research from a wide variety of theoretical perspectives and methodological orientations. The editorial team is particularly interested in working with international authors, authors from traditionally marginalized populations, and in work that is relevant to practitioners around the world. Growing numbers of educators and professors look to the six bimonthly issues to: deal with problems directly related to contemporary school leadership practice teach courses on school leadership and policy use as a quality reference in writing articles about school leadership and improvement.