New Releases by Adam Christopher

The Empire State is dying. The Fissure connecting the pocket universe to New York has vanished, plunging the city into a deep freeze and the populace are demanding a return to Prohibition and rationing as energy supplies dwindle. Meanwhile, in 1954 New York, the political dynamic has changed and Nimrod finds his department subsumed by a new group, Atoms For Peace, led by the mysterious Evelyn McHale. As Rad uncovers a new threat to his city, Atoms For Peace prepare their army for a transdimensional invasion. Their goal: total conquest – or destruction – of the Empire State. File Under: Science Fiction [ Splitting the Atoms | Angry Robots | Crossing | Universal Destruction ]

The evolution of antibiotic resistance is shaped by interactions between genes, the chemical environment, and an antibiotic''s mechanism of action. This thesis explores these interactions with experiments, theory, and analysis, seeking a mechanistic understanding of how different interactions between genes and drugs can enhance or constrain the evolution of antibiotic resistance.

Tony Prosdocimi lives in the bustling Metropolis of San Ventura - a city gripped in fear, a city under siege by the hooded supervillain, The Cowl. When Tony develops super-powers and acts to take down The Cowl, however, he finds that the local superhero team Seven Wonders aren''t as grateful as he assumed they''d be... File Under: Science Fiction [ Heroes In Action | A Double Cross | Kapow! | Tables Turned ]

THE EMPIRE STATE IS THE OTHER NEW YORK. A parallel-universe, Prohibition-era world of mooks and shamuses that is the twisted magic mirror to our bustling Big Apple, a place where sinister characters lurk around every corner while the great superheroes that once kept the streets safe have fallen into dysfunctional rivalries and feuds. Not that its colourful residents know anything about the real New York… until detective Rad Bradley makes a discovery that will change the lives of all its inhabitants. Playing on the classic Gotham conventions of the Batman comics and HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, debut author Adam Christopher has spun this smart and fast-paced superhero-noir adventure, the sort of souped-up thrill ride that will excite genre fans and general readers alike. File Under: Science Fiction [ Pocket Universe | Heroes or Villains | Speak Easy | Loyalties Divided ] e-book ISBN: 978-0-85766-194-4

This dissertation is presented in three parts. In the first part, using a combination of simultaneous RNA and protein detection, high-resolution confocal microscopy, and image segmentation, I show that it is possible to resolve and count the number of mRNA transcripts for a given gene within single-cells of fixed Drosophila embryos. I used these methods to study the stochastic nature of transcription at the endogenous locus of the Hox gene Sex combs reduced, and I uncovered evidence for transcriptional bursting as well as divergent modes of transcription. This was the first time such analyses had been carried out in an intact metazoan organism. In the second part, I present evidence that despite the presence of several well conserved putative binding sites in the 3''UTR of the Hox gene Antennapedia, the microRNA miR-iab-4-5p does not appear to play a large role in the regulation of Antennapedia protein levels during embryogenesis, and at most has very subtle effects. This is important, because despite the fact that Drosophila Hox genes and Hox-cluster encoded microRNAs are very strongly predicted to interact in silico, most investigations of these interactions have uncovered only very subtle (if any) effects on protein levels. This suggests that our ability to predict miRNA target sites in silico is very lacking, or that, in general, microRNAs play very subtle roles during development. In the third part, I investigate the function of the homolog of the Grainy head transcription factor in the fungus Neurospora crassa. In all animal model organisms in which they have been studied, Grainy head transcription factors play a conserved role in epidermal barrier formation and healing. I therefore thought it would be interesting to investigate the function of this transcription factor in fungi, organisms which lack an epidermis. Using microarray and phenotypic analyses I uncovered evidence that the Grainy head homolog in Neurospora plays a role in cell-wall formation, defense, and virulence. This points to an interesting connection between transcriptional control of physical-barrier formation in animals, and physical-barrier formation, defense, and virulence in fungi.

The Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), ruling at a time when the rest of Eurasia seemed to be having tremendous political and social difficulties, stands out as a period of prosperity, expansion, cultural growth, cosmopolitanism and political unity. This dissertation focuses on the port-city of Guangzhou, located on the southeastern coast of China, which was the acknowledged prime destination for maritime trade for most of the Tang dynasty. The specific historical question of this work investigates the influence of international maritime trade on the growth and expansion of Guangzhou during the Tang dynasty. The main assertion of this study is that, during the period of the Tang dynasty, Guangzhou not only grew in urban form due to the flourishing economy, but also became a multivalent symbol---representing both the culture of the imperial center and also the local characteristics of its frontier location. Ultimately, this period in Guangzhou''s history would create a space for the creation of a separate Cantonese identity within the larger narrative of a Han Chinese identity. This dissertation contributes to the historical discourse on the importance of cities in pre-modern Chinese history, frontiers in Chinese history, identity formation, cross-cultural trade in pre-modern times, and the maritime connections between East and Southeast Asia.

Keywords: low velocity impact damage, optical sensors, composites, FBG, Bragg grating, structural health monitoring.

Abstract: Presently, security threats from computer viruses to malicious intrusion imperil computer users. To mitigate and counter these threats, a consortium of hardware and software vendors and consumer-electronics manufacturers are implementing "trusted computing" (TC) standards on present and future computer systems. These standards define security policies that can defend computer systems against attacks. However, in their zeal to protect intellectual property, the content and computer industries plan to use TC technologies in ways that will likely infringe upon users'' civil liberties and hamper innovation. Here, details of these technologies and their uses and misuses are explained. An overview of technologies on which TC depends is presented, followed by an explanation of exactly what TC is. Interactions between TC-supported computer hardware, operating systems, and software are explored, as are the potential impacts on civil liberties and the economy. Finally, present and future TC computer systems are analyzed and reasonable policy suggestions are offered.

Canon''s got an impressive, hot new Pro-level digital SLR camera, and photographers will want to understand how to use every one of its up-to-the-minute functions. With Magic Lantern, they will. It goes well beyond the camera''s instruction manual, and explains how to handle all the decisive moments in shooting the action. Find out how to take advantage of the camera''s 8.2 megapixel resolution from its low-noise CMOS sensor. Learn how to set digital shooting speed records with the Mark II''s 8.5-frames-per-second drive and high-speed JPEG image buffer. (It can buffer 69 megapixels per second.) You''ll understand all the camera''s ins and outs, meet all the challenges of professional shooting, and get amazing results.

Keywords: rational expectations, Wall Street Journal, economic forecasting, Lamont hypothesis.