Genre of PORTAM. Mystery, Thriller, fantasy adventure.After his mother's sudden death, sixteen-year-old Jack uncovers a cryptic note that unravels the secret of his father's disappearance. This clue pulls him and his best friend into a dangerous mystery centered on an ancient and powerful necklace. Hunted by a shadowy figure who can kill to possess it, Jack must confront his family's hidden past to understand his own future, a journey that will change his world forever.

In the early hours of April 22, 1914, American President Woodrow Wilson sent Marines to seize the port of Veracruz in an attempt to alter the course of the Mexican Revolution. As a result, the United States seemed on the brink of war with Mexico. An international uproar ensued. The governments of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile offered to mediate a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Surprisingly, both the United States and Mexico accepted their offer and all parties agreed to meet at an inter...

I am the Chronicler, hear my story:In the year 5027, humanity will be enslaved by an alien race called the Reptuuls.But what if I told you a young boy befriended their oppressors?Orren Hawkins is a boy with a dream: to make friends with the Reptuuls, no matter the cost. It won't be easy due to the Reptuuls hatred of humanity. But by the grace of a long forgotten God, Orren has found two great and unusual friends, and they must learn to work together to rescue enslav...

In the early hours of April 22, 1914, American President Woodrow Wilson sent Marines to seize the port of Veracruz in an attempt to alter the course of the Mexican Revolution. As a result, the United States seemed on the brink of war with Mexico. An international uproar ensued. The governments of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile offered to mediate a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Surprisingly, both the United States and Mexico accepted their offer and all parties agreed to meet at an inter...

From the spontaneous rapid firing of cortical neurons to the spatial diffusion of disease epidemics, biological systems exhibit rich dynamic behaviour over a vast range of time and space scales. Unifying many of these diverse phenomena, Dynamics of Biological Systems provides the computational and mathematical platform from which to understand the

Explores the emerging subject of epidemic dynamics on complex networks, including theories, methods, and real-world applicationsThroughout history epidemic diseases have presented a serious threat to human life, and in recent years the spread of infectious diseases such as dengue, malaria, HIV, and SARS has captured global attention; and in the modern technological age, the proliferation of virus attacks on the Internet highlights the emergent need for knowledge ab...

In the first book of this touching and darkly comic duology set in the bestselling world of the Saint of Steel series, a paladin, a forger, an assassin and a scholar ride out of town on an espionage mission with deadly serious stakes.From the New York Times bestselling and multi-award winning author T. Kingfisher.When forger Slate is convicted of treason, she faces a death sentence. But her unique gift for sniffing out magic (literally) ear...

This new book on the fracture mechanics of concrete focuses on the latest developments in computational theories, and how to apply those theories to solve real engineering problems. Zihai Shi uses his extensive research experience to present detailed examination of multiple-crack analysis and mixed-mode fracture.Compared with other mature engineering disciplines, fracture mechanics of concrete is still a developing field with extensive new research and development. In recent years many dif...

Pull three people out of prison--a disgraced paladin, a convicted forger, and a heartless assassin. Give them weapons, carnivorous tattoos, and each other. Point them at the enemy.What could possibly go wrong?In the sequel to CLOCKWORK BOYS, Slate, Brenner, Caliban and Learned Edmund have arrived in Anuket City, the source of the mysterious Clockwork Boys. But the secrets they're keeping could well destroy them, before the city even gets the chance...

This exceptional book is concerned with the application of fractals and chaos, as well as other concepts from nonlinear dynamics to biomedical phenomena. Herein we seek to communicate the excitement being experienced by scientists upon making application of these concepts within the life sciences. Mathematical concepts are introduced using biomedical data sets and the phenomena being explained take precedence over the mathematics.In this new edition what has withstood the test of time has ...

HARRY DRESDEN IS BACK AND READY FOR ACTION, in the new entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files.When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, joins the White Council's security team to make sure the talks stay civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago - and all he holds dear?

Light and Skin Interactions immerses you in one of the most fascinating application areas of computer graphics: appearance simulation. The book first illuminates the fundamental biophysical processes that affect skin appearance, and reviews seminal related works aimed at applications in life and health sciences. It then examines four exemplary modeling approaches as well as definitive algorithms that can be used to generate realistic images depicting skin appearance. Despite its wide scope...