Embarking upon research as a graduate student or postdoc can be exciting and enriching--the start of a rewarding career. But the world of scientific research is also a competitive one, with grants and good jobs increasingly hard to find. "The Chicago Guide to Your Career in Science "is intended to help scientists not just cope but excel at this critical phase in their careers.
Victor A. Bloomfield and Esam E. El-Fakahany, both well-known scientists with extensive experience as teachers, mentors, and administrators, have combined their knowledge to create a guidebook that addresses all of the challenges that today's scientists-in-training face. They begin by considering the early stages of a career in science: deciding whether or not to pursue a PhD, choosing advisors and mentors, and learning how to teach effectively. Bloomfield and El-Fakahany then explore the skills essential to conducting and presenting research. "The Chicago Guide to Your Career in Science" offers detailed advice on how to pursue research ethically, manage time, and communicate effectively, especially at academic conferences and with students and peers. Bloomfield and El-Fakahany write in accessible, straightforward language and include a synopsis of key points at the end of each chapter, so that readers can dip into relevant sections with ease. From students prepping for the GRE to postdocs developing professional contacts to faculty advisors and managers of corporate labs, scientists at every level will find "The Chicago Guide to Your Career in Science" an unparalleled resource. ""The Chicago Guide to Your Career in Science" is a roadmap to the beginning stages of a scientific career. I will encourage my ownstudents to purchase it."--Dov F. Sax, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, Brown University "Step-by-step, Victor Bloomfield and Esam El-Fakahany provide sound, thorough, yet succinct advice on every issue a scientist in training is likely to encounter. Young readers will welcome the authors' advice on choosing a graduate school, for example, while senior scientists will probably wish that a book like this had been around when they were starting out. With down-to-earth and occasionally humorous advice, "The Chicago Guide to your Career in Academic Biology" belongs on the bookshelf of every graduate student and advisor."--Norma Allewell, Dean, College of Chemical and Life Sciences, University of Maryland

Instead of presenting the standard theoretical treatments that underlie the various numerical methods used by scientists and engineers, Using R for Numerical Analysis in Science and Engineering shows how to use R and its add-on packages to obtain numerical solutions to the complex mathematical problems commonly faced by scientists and engineers. This practical guide to the capabilities of R demonstrates Monte Carlo, stochastic, deterministic, and other numerical methods through an abundance of worked examples and code, covering the solution of systems of linear algebraic equations and nonlinear equations as well as ordinary differential equations and partial differential equations. It not only shows how to use R's powerful graphic tools to construct the types of plots most useful in scientific and engineering work, but also: Explains how to statistically analyze and fit data to linear and nonlinear models Explores numerical differentiation, integration, and optimization Describes how to find eigenvalues and eigenfunctions Discusses interpolation and curve fitting Considers the analysis of time series Using R for Numerical Analysis in Science and Engineering provides a solid introduction to the most useful numerical methods for scientific and engineering data analysis using R.

Nucleic Acids presents an up-to-date and comprehensive account of the structures and physical chemistry properties of nucleic acids, with special emphasis on biological function. With a targeted audience of 1) molecular biologists, 2) physical biochemists, and 3) physical chemists, the book has been carefully organized to reach three different audiences while requiring only introductory physical chemistry and molecular biology as prerequisites. Nucleic Acids will serve as a textbook in physical biochemistry and biophysical chemistry classes, as well as a supplemental text in courses on nucleic acid biochemistry or molecular biology, and as a personal reference for students and researchers in these fields. Key Features Organized according to a systematic consideration of techniques used in the study of nucleic acid structure and properties. Key topics - such as protein-DNA and protein-drug complexes, conformational transitions, characterization of nucleic acids by gel and solution techniques, and behavior of supercoiled DNA - are covered in great detail as veritable mini-monographs. Heavily illustrated with diagrams, graphs, and molecular structures, including nearly 2 dozen color figures. Includes numerous figures, tables and an extensive bibliography to facilitate use as a reference volume.