New Releases by Kathleen Ryan

What is real in the twenty-first century, and how humans can navigate this shifting world. Despite a twenty-first-century plethora of images and our collective understanding that digital tools may alter the truth, human beings have a strong belief in the truth of the image: “pix or it didn’t happen.” But what does it mean when the image itself is fabricated? Or when AI is used to create audio or visual content that has the appearance of “truth” but is not, in fact, real? In Living in the Simulacra, Mark Heisten, Kathleen Ryan, and David Staton use Baudrillard’s concept of the simulacra to conceptualize the contemporary media landscape. From “post-truth” notions of news, advertising, and public relations to digital avatars replacing human interaction, the modern media landscape is, to a large degree, a pure simulacrum. Humans are entering into this space as if it were something similar to the physical world. It is not. This can be problematic, but it can also lead to the creation of new knowledge and opportunities for understanding. The book uses the concept of the simulacra, as developed by Plato, Deleuze, and Baudrillard, as an overarching framework to explore how the digital landscape has transformed our understanding of reality. Through practical examples and in-depth case studies, it explores how the simulacra has taken over contemporary life—as well as the ethical implications for media producers and audiences within that space.

The digital revolution has greatly influenced communication, meaning a current, analytical examination of changing literacy skills is needed. Becoming literate in today’s world requires an understanding of traditional and electronic messaging venues in order for communications to not be misled by unrecognized influences. This book examines changes in the concept of literacy, including, the specific characteristics of evaluation literacy, predictors of literacy efficiency, the nature of audiences and users, and ethical concerns. It also examines the implications and applications for instruction, assessment, and professional development.

The book draws from literary, psychological, and sociological perspectives to discuss and to illustrate how these perspectives contribute to instructional practices in Young Adult Literature. The focus is on young adult identity development as it is integrated into reading literature and contributing to the young adult reader’s personal growth. The suggestions for instruction range from complete lessons to mini-lessons as well as to student-developed lessons that encourage participation and responsibility of the student in his/her own learning. There is a section on integrating media, technology and literature in instruction. And finally, a look at implications and applications for assessment and curriculum.

Assessing Dyslexia guides readers through the design, administration, and interpretation of dyslexia assessments. Grounded in research on the linguistic and neural foundations of dyslexia, as well as the clinical outcomes of reading and writing processes, this concise volume provides a comprehensive framework for assessment, diagnosis, and intervention. Utilizing detailed examples to illustrate methodology and concepts, this book is critical reading for students looking to deepen their understanding of assessment, literacy, and the written language challenge.

The Dark Ages Clan Novel Saga is a 13-volume series of novels set in the world of Dark Ages: Vampire, released by White Wolf from 2002 to the end of 2004. The series begins with Dark Ages Clan Novel 1: Nosferatu and ends with Dark Ages Clan Novel 13: Tzimisce. Inspired by the original modern-day Clan Novel Saga for Vampire: The Masquerade, this series begins with the end of the original Vampire: The Dark Ages era and continued into the time-frame of Dark Ages: Vampire. The 13 novels are written from the POV of one clan each during the turbulence that swept through the mortal and Cainite societies of Europe following the fall of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade. These novels, unlike the original Clan Novel Series, are chronological, happening one after the other rather than overlapping. Dark Ages Clan Novel #4 Assamite: ANY PORT IN A STORM Andreas has an offer for the vampires fleeing the destruction in thirteenth-century Constantinople: a way out of the East and passage to the safer lands of Western Europe. But Andreas is not just a merchant, he is a priest of the snake god, a Follower of Set intent on uncovering the heretics in his own clan. If certain refugees need to be sacrificed for that to happen well, such is the cost of faith.

Explore effective ways to enhance the wellness and independence of older adults across the wellness-illness continuum. From an overview of the theories of aging and assessment through the treatment of disorders, including complex illnesses, this evidence-based book provides the comprehensive gerontological coverage you need to prepare for your role as an Advanced Practice Nurse. Understand how to easily identify factors that may affect the wellness of your patients and their families. Plus, enhance your critical-thinking skills with real-world case studies that bring concepts to life.

"Waverly, Kieran, and Seth struggle to survive on board the New Horizon--and take down their enemies before it''s too late"--

Movement has been made in recent times to generalize the study of degree sequences to k-edge-colored graphs and doing so requires the notion of a degree vector. The degree vector of a vertex v in a k-edge-colored graph is a (kx1) column vector in which entry i indicates the number of edges of color i incident to v. Consider the following question which we refer to as the k-Edge-Coloring Problem. Given a set of column vectors C and a graph family F, when does there exist some k-edge-colored graph in F whose set of degree vectors is C? This question is NP-Complete in general but certain graph families yield tractable results. In this document, I present results on the k-Edge-Coloring Problem and the related Factor Problem for the following families of interest: unicyclic graphs , disjoint unions of paths (DUPs), disjoint union of cycles (DUCs), grids, and 2-trees. Specifically, in Chapter 1, I characterize the degree vector sequences of k-edge-colored unicylcic graphs, and in Chapter 2, I characterize degree sequences of factors of fixed DUPs, fixed DUCs, and fixed graphs with maximum degree at most 2. In Chapter 3, I characterize degree vector sequences of 2-edge-colored fixed DUPs and fixed DUCs, and in doing so, I show that one restricted case for each is NP-hard. Finally, I characterize degree sequences of grid factors in a subset of cases in Chapter 4 and degree sequences of partial 2-trees in Chapter 5.

Waverly, Kieran and Seth are in a race against time – and with the future of humanity hanging in the balance, there''s no room for mistakes... After a desperate escape from the enemy ship, Waverly has finally made it back to the Empyrean. The memory of home has been keeping her alive for the past months... but home is nothing like she left it. Forced to leave their captive parents behind on the New Horizon, she''s returned only to find that Kieran has become a strict leader and turned the crew against Seth. What happened to the Kieran she thought she knew? Now Waverly''s not sure whom she can trust. And the one person she wants to believe in is darkly brilliant Seth, the ship''s supposed enemy. Waverly knows that the situation will only get worse until they can rescue their parents – but how? Before they have time to make a plan, an explosion rocks the Empyrean, and Seth and Waverly are targeted as the prime suspects. Can they find the true culprit before Kieran locks them away... or worse? Will Waverly follow her heart, even if it puts lives at risk? Now more than ever, every step could bring them closer to a new beginning – or a sudden end. Spark is book two in Amy Kathleen Ryan''s thrilling young adult science fiction series Sky Chasers.

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you''d been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival-not love-the issue? A ship heading for New Earth is halfway through its incredible journey across the galaxy. On board, sixteen year olds Waverly and Kieran are part of the first generation born in space. They are in love. They believe their future is written in the stars. They have never seen a stranger before... ... until the day they are wrenched apart and suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives. Glow is the most riveting series debut since The Hunger Games.

One of School Library Journal''s Best Fiction Books of 2011 If a violent battle destroyed the only world you''ve ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there''s no turning back. The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he''s the best choice. Still, there''s a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth. Suddenly, Waverly''s dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean''s sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon''s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster. Pulse-pounding and addictive, Glow begins Amy Kathleen Ryan''s Sky Chasers--the most riveting series since The Hunger Games.

Zen and Xander are sisters—truly, madly, deeply sisters, and this is their last summer together. Zen is the "good" girl with a black belt in karate and a newfound penchant for kicking heads. Xander is a wild scientific genius with a self-destructive streak a light-year long. They have three things in common: they’re brown-eyed blondes, they’ve noticed the boy next door has turned into a hottie, and they miss their mom, who died almost a year ago. These sisters are surviving just fine—except Zen keeps getting into fights that are harder and harder to finish, while Xander spirals into a vortex of late-night parties, scary men, and drugs. What’s worse, Xander has scholarships to the most coveted universities in the country, but she’s about to ruin everything. Should Zen keep trying to protect Xander, or finally let her go?

A high school girl can read minds—and doesn''t like what she hears—in this novel that "will have you laughing out loud" (Barry Lyga, author of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl). Nothing is beyond Kristi Carmichael''s disdain—her hippie high school, her friend Jacob, her workaholic mom. Yet for all her attitude, Kristi has a vulnerable side. She can hear the thoughts of her fellow students—a power that''s not as cool as it sounds, since she can hear them calling her fat and gross. She''s hot for Gusty Peterson, one of the most popular guys in school, but of course, she''s sure he thinks she''s disgusting. And she''s still mad at her father, who walked out on her two years ago. Soon, a school project brings her together with Gusty, her father comes home and drops a bombshell, and a friend comes out of the closet—and suddenly she is left doubting that she can read people at all.

After the death of her beloved older brother, fifteen-year-old Anna is forced to spend the summer with her grandfather in Wyoming, where she babysits for a traumatized young boy, learns secrets of her grandfather''s past, and encounters a grizzly bear who seems strangely familiar.

In spinal cord-transected larval lamprey, descending brain neurons, most of which are reticulospinal (RS) neurons, regenerate their axons across a transection site and contribute to behavioral recovery. In the present study, DiI-labeled descending brain neurons in larval lamprey were dissociated and cultured. Glutamate application to neurons elicited neurite inhibition and often retraction, which was abolished by kynurenic acid. Glutamate-induced neurite retraction appeared to be due, in part, to calcium influx via voltage-gated calcium channels, since application of high potassium media inhibited neurite outgrowth, an effect that was blocked by Co2+ or Cd2+. Glutamate application in the presence of [omega]-conotoxin MVIIC still inhibited neurite outgrowth, suggesting calcium influx via chemically-gated channels may also contribute. Particularly, N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) application elicited neurite retraction. Glutamate application in the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX) inhibited neurite outgrowth. Interestingly, TTX inhibited neurite growth, suggesting the neurons may be spontaneously active. Glutamate-induced neurite retraction may be due, in part, to increases in intracellular calcium levels, which possibly involve second messengers (e.g. cAMP). Application of dibutyryl cyclic AMP or Forskolin induced neurite retraction, while 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) inhibited neurite outgrowth, suggesting that cAMP is normally produced in cultured RS neurons. The agent H89 abolished neurite retraction mediated by glutamate, suggesting that cAMP and protein kinase A are involved in the signaling pathway for glutamate-induced neurite retraction. Results from the present study suggest that glutamate inhibits neurite outgrowth by acting on glutamate receptors, mediating calcium influx via voltage-gated and chemically-gated channels, increasing intracellular calcium, and activating cAMP. Similar intracellular signaling mechanisms may be important for axonal regeneration following spinal cord injury in the lamprey.

This dynamic full-colour text actively engages students in their exploration of Canadian law and its social, political, and global ramifications. Canadian and International Law connects the historical roots of law to issues in contemporary society. Developed and tested by highly experienced teachers, subject specialists, and students for maximum classroom applicability. This text is sufficiently rigorous for university prep, yet has been designed to meet the language and interests of grade 12 students.

Pass through the Gauntlet, wander past the Penumbra, and encounter an infinity of worlds floating just beyond consciousness. Heavens, hells, Paradox Realms, Chantries, Umbral reflections and mysterious Zones spin in the unmappable dance of creation. Push up through the Horizon, and endless space becomes your playground. Just watch your step...