INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An Edgar Award Nominee for Best First Novel Longlisted for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize Named a New York Times Best Crime Novel of 2022 Named A Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by *Marie Claire* *Washington Post* *Vulture* *NBC News* *Buzzfeed* *Veranda* *PopSugar* *Paste* *The Millions* *Bustle* *Crimereads* Goodreads* *Bookbub* *Boston.com* and more! "The thefts are engaging and surprising, and the narrative brims with international intrigue. Li, however, has delivered more than a straight thriller here, especially in the parts that depict the despair Will and his pals feel at being displaced, overlooked, underestimated, and discriminated against. This is as much a novel as a reckoning." —New York Times Book Review Ocean's Eleven meets The Farewell in Portrait of a Thief, a lush, lyrical heist novel inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums; about diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexity of the Chinese American identity History is told by the conquerors. Across the Western world, museums display the spoils of war, of conquest, of colonialism: priceless pieces of art looted from other countries, kept even now. Will Chen plans to steal them back. A senior at Harvard, Will fits comfortably in his carefully curated roles: a perfect student, an art history major and sometimes artist, the eldest son who has always been his parents' American Dream. But when a mysterious Chinese benefactor reaches out with an impossible—and illegal—job offer, Will finds himself something else as well: the leader of a heist to steal back five priceless Chinese sculptures, looted from Beijing centuries ago. His crew is every heist archetype one can imagine—or at least, the closest he can get. A con artist: Irene Chen, a public policy major at Duke who can talk her way out of anything. A thief: Daniel Liang, a premed student with steady hands just as capable of lockpicking as suturing. A getaway driver: Lily Wu, an engineering major who races cars in her free time. A hacker: Alex Huang, an MIT dropout turned Silicon Valley software engineer. Each member of his crew has their own complicated relationship with China and the identity they've cultivated as Chinese Americans, but when Will asks, none of them can turn him down. Because if they succeed? They earn fifty million dollars—and a chance to make history. But if they fail, it will mean not just the loss of everything they've dreamed for themselves but yet another thwarted attempt to take back what colonialism has stolen. Equal parts beautiful, thoughtful, and thrilling, Portrait of a Thief is a cultural heist and an examination of Chinese American identity, as well as a necessary critique of the lingering effects of colonialism.
This book provides the most recent knowledge on almost all key aspects of the health impact of tobacco smoking. Its 21 chapters focus on both preclinical and clinical studies. The contents are broad, covering the epidemiology of tobacco smoking; genetic epidemiology; identification of susceptibility genomic regions, genes, and pathways as determined by both human and animal studies; evolutionary relations among the different nAChR subunit genes that are so important to the nicotine response; smoking-related diseases; E-cigarettes; and smoking cessation. Furthermore, each chapter includes a detailed and comprehensive list of key references. For both clinical and basic researchers, this book is a valuable resource on nicotine dependence and other addictions.
This study has three separate but interrelated aims: to offer a methodological approach for comparative philosophy on the level of the philosophical system; to examine Confucian philosophy as a philosophical system, with emphasis on its epistemological dimensions; and to use the thought of a particular thinker as an example of how the Confucian tradition was appropriated by individual thinkers. The author demonstrates that Confucian philosophy was a social system in which ideas and actions gained philosophical meaning in reference to specific socio-historical contexts and to specific levels of society (from the Confucian tradition itself to the individual person). Throughout, the author employs insights from anthropological theory, notably the social theory of communication, and draws on Western philosophy to illuminate Confucian ideas and assumptions and to provide cross-cultural comparisons and contrasts.
Spectral estimation is important in many fields including astronomy, meteorology, seismology, communications, economics, speech analysis, medical imaging, radar, sonar, and underwater acoustics. Most existing spectral estimation algorithms are devised for uniformly sampled complete-data sequences. However, the spectral estimation for data sequences with missing samples is also important in many applications ranging from astronomical time series analysis to synthetic aperture radar imaging with angular diversity. For spectral estimation in the missing-data case, the challenge is how to extend the existing spectral estimation techniques to deal with these missing-data samples. Recently, nonparametric adaptive filtering based techniques have been developed successfully for various missing-data problems. Collectively, these algorithms provide a comprehensive toolset for the missing-data problem based exclusively on the nonparametric adaptive filter-bank approaches, which are robust and accurate, and can provide high resolution and low sidelobes. In this book, we present these algorithms for both one-dimensional and two-dimensional spectral estimation problems.
Celebrates the American writer who in his works confronted and explored the social fabric of the United States in the early 20th century. More than 500 entries include synopses of his novels, short stories, and nonfiction; descriptions of his characters, details about family, friends, and associates.
The structural biology of protein-nucleic acid interactions is in some ways a mature field and in others in its infancy. High-resolution structures of protein-DNA complexes have been studied since the mid 1980s and a vast array of such structures has now been determined, but surprising and novel structures still appear quite frequently. High-resolution structures of protein-RNA complexes were relatively rare until the last decade. Propelled by advances in technology as well as the realization of RNA's importance to biology, the number of example structures has ballooned in recent years. New insights are now being gained from comparative studies only recently made possible due to the size of the database, as well as from careful biochemical and biophysical studies. As a result of the explosion of research in this area, it is no longer possible to write a comprehensive review. Instead, current review articles tend to focus on particular subtopics of interest. This makes it difficult for newcomers to the field to attain a solid understanding of the basics. One goal of this book is therefore to provide in-depth discussions of the fundamental principles of protein-nucleic acid interactions as well as to illustrate those fundamentals with up-to-date and fascinating examples for those who already possess some familiarity with the field. The book also aims to bridge the gap between the DNA- and the RNA- views of nucleic acid - protein recognition, which are often treated as separate fields. However, this is a false dichotomy because protein - DNA and protein - RNA interactions share many general principles. This book therefore includes relevant examples from both sides, and frames discussions of the fundamentals in terms that are relevant to both. The monograph approaches the study of protein-nucleic acid interactions in two distinctive ways. First, DNA-protein and RNA-protein interactions are presented together. Second, the first half of the book develops the principles of protein-nucleic acid recognition, whereas the second half applies these to more specialized topics. Both halves are illustrated with important real life examples. The first half of the book develops fundamental principles necessary to understand function. An introductory chapter by the editors reviews the basics of nucleic acid structure. Jen-Jacobsen and Jacobsen discuss how solvent interactions play an important role in recognition, illustrated with extensive thermodynamic data on restriction enzymes. Marmorstein and Hong introduce the zoology of the DNA binding domains found in transcription factors, and describe the combinational recognition strategies used by many multiprotein eukaryotic complexes. Two chapters discuss indirect readout of DNA sequence in detail: Berman and Lawson explain the basic principles and illustrate them with in-depth studies of CAP, while in their chapter on DNA bending and compaction Johnson, Stella and Heiss highlight the intrinsic connections between DNA bending and indirect readout. Horvath lays out the fundamentals of protein recognition of single stranded DNA and single stranded RNA, and describes how they apply in a detailed analysis of telomere end binding proteins. Nucleic acids adopt more complex structures - Lilley describes the conformational properties of helical junctions, and how proteins recognize and cleave them. Because RNA readily folds due to the stabilizing role of its 2'-hydroxyl groups, Li discusses how proteins recognize different RNA folds, which include duplex RNA. With the fundamentals laid out, discussion turns to more specialized examples taken from important aspects of nucleic acid metabolism. Schroeder discusses how proteins chaperone RNA by rearranging its structure into a functional form. Berger and Dong discuss how topoisomerases alter the topology of DNA and relieve the superhelical tension introduced by other processes such as replication and transcription. Dyda and Hickman show how DNA transposes mediate genetic mobility and Van Duyne discusses how site-specific recombinases "cut" and "paste" DNA. Horton presents a comprehensive review of the structural families and chemical mechanisms of DNA nucleases, whereas Li in her discussion of RNA-protein recognition also covers RNA nucleases. Lastly, FerrÚ-D'AmarÚ shows how proteins recognize and modify RNA transcripts at specific sites. The book also emphasises the impact of structural biology on understanding how proteins interact with nucleic acids and it is intended for advanced students and established scientists wishing to broaden their horizons.
This comprehensive volume presents a unified framework of continuum theories. It indicates that (i) microcontinuum theories (micromorphic and micropolar theories) are natural extension of classical continuum mechanics, and (ii) classical continuum mechanics is a special case of microcontinuum theories when the deformable material point is idealized as a single mathematical point. The kinematics and basic laws are rigorously derived. Based on axiomatic approach, constitutive theory is systematically derived for various kinds of materials, ranging from Stokesian fluid to thermo-visco-elastic-plastic solid. Material force and Thermomechanical-electromagnetic coupling are introduced and discussed. Moreover, general finite element methods for large-strain thermomechanical coupling physical phenomena are systematically formulated. Also, non-classical continuum theories (Nonlocal Theory, Mechanobiology, 4D printing, Poromechanics, and Non-Self-Similar Crack Propagation) are rigorously formulated with applications and demonstrated numerically.As an advanced monograph, this unique compendium can also be used as a textbook for several graduate courses, including continuum mechanics, finite element methods, and advanced engineering science theories. Extensive problems are provided to help students to better understand the topics covered.
Plasmonics stems from the surface charge density oscillations at metal–dielectric interface, leading to extremely strong light–matter interactions. In the past few decades, plasmonics has become one of the most favorite fields/techniques in realizing high-performance photonic devices. For this purpose, different new concepts, such as exploration of different radiation frequency regions, two-dimensional materials/heterostructures, and different types of substrates for the excitation of plasmons have been investigated for plasmonics-based sensors and detectors. This book focuses on the recent and advanced works on optical sensors and detectors utilizing plasmonic techniques for opto-electronic applications. The book is unique as it describes both sensors and detectors based on plasmonics and their practical applications in a single book, a feature not found in any book so far.
Classification of Finite Simple Groups (CFSG) is a major project involving work by hundreds of researchers. The work was largely completed by about 1983, although final publication of the “quasithin” part was delayed until 2004. Since the 1980s, CFSG has had a huge influence on work in finite group theory and in many adjacent fields of mathematics. This book attempts to survey and sample a number of such topics from the very large and increasingly active research area of applications of CFSG. The book is based on the author's lectures at the September 2015 Venice Summer School on Finite Groups. With about 50 exercises from original lectures, it can serve as a second-year graduate course for students who have had first-year graduate algebra. It may be of particular interest to students looking for a dissertation topic around group theory. It can also be useful as an introduction and basic reference; in addition, it indicates fuller citations to the appropriate literature for readers who wish to go on to more detailed sources.
In his diary, Antera Duke (ca.1735-ca.1809) wrote the only surviving eyewitness account of the slave trade by an African merchant. A leader in late eighteenth-century Old Calabar, a cluster of Efik-speaking communities in the Cross River region, he resided in Duke Town, forty-five miles from the Atlantic Ocean in what is now southeast Nigeria. His diary, written in trade English from 1785 to 1788, is a candid account of daily life in an African community at the height of Calabar's overseas commerce. It provides valuable information on Old Calabar's economic activity both with other African businessmen and with European ship captains who arrived to trade for slaves, produce, and provisions. This new edition of Antera's diary, the first in fifty years, draws on the latest scholarship to place the diary in its historical context. Introductory essays set the stage for the Old Calabar of Antera Duke's lifetime, explore the range of trades, from slaves to produce, in which he rose to prominence, and follow Antera on trading missions across an extensive commercial hinterland. The essays trace the settlement and development of the towns that comprised Old Calabar and survey the community's social and political structure, rivalries among families, sacrifices of slaves, and witchcraft ordeals. This edition reproduces Antera's original trade-English diary with a translation into standard English on facing pages, along with extensive annotation. The Diary of Antera Duke furnishes a uniquely valuable source for the history of precolonial Nigeria and the Atlantic slave trade, and this new edition enriches our understanding of it.
The second part of a series to be used as a workbook for Algebra I and II. Topics include Factorization, Quadratic equations, their graphs, radicals and rational expressions.
The primary objective of this book is to provide readers with up-to-date knowledge of recent advances in serotonin research across different fields. The research topics include the following aspects: The first chapter provides novel evidence supporting the involvement of genetic variants in the serotonin transporter and receptor genes in the etiology of nicotine dependence and alcoholism through gene-by-gene interaction. The second chapter provides an update on genes and genetic variants in the serotonergic network that have been implicated in sudden infant death syndrome. The third chapter discusses how aggressive social stress such as absence of electricity, cold weather, shortage of food, and social isolation influence the development of chronic stress, pathological aggression, and formation of killer and self-killer organisms and how the distribution and concentration of serotonin in the brain are changed along with these physiological and pathological conditions. Chapter Four shows that serotonin signaling influences many developmental processes both in the central nervous system and in the peripheral organs, and Chapter Five reviews new evidence on the involvement of the brain's serotonergic system in the regulation of food intake, digestion, and metabolism in fish. The last two chapters describe the identification and purification of a novel serotonin-modulating anticonsolidation protein and show how this protein is involved in memory formation and suppression of drug addiction and epileptic seizures in Chapter 6 and in regulation of mutagenesis and adaptation in Chapter 7. Collectively, this book provides a broad view of recent advances in serotonin research in different species of animals. It is our hope that the book will provide readers with a deeper understanding of these new developments in serotonin research across different disciplines.
Pure JavaScript, Second Edition is a substantial and focused reference for experienced Web developers. This book begins with an accelerated introduction to the newest features of JavaScript so that experienced Web developers can quickly understand the concepts of JavaScript and begin developing their own JavaScript solutions immediately. Pure JavaScript, Second Edition contains concise descriptions of JavaScript forms, cookies, windows, and layers. Beyond the brief descriptions and short syntax snippets found in most references, this book also provides real-life, well-commented JavaScript examples for each documented object, property, method, and event handler. This not only helps the reader's understanding of the syntax, but also provides a contextual aid in determining how and why a specific object or method may be used. It also includes a special reference section dedicated to server-side JavaScript, coverage of JScript and Active Scripting, and a complete reference to browser-supported JavaScript.
Polar organometallic compounds are indispensable for the synthetic chemist. As this book shows, these almost ideal reagents are easy to prepare with high specificity under mild conditions and yet react quite readily with a great variety of substrates. Many compounds can be metallated directly at positions which would otherwise be difficult to substitute. Functional groups and heteroatoms already present in a molecule direct metallation to sites in their vicinity. The rules which govern polar organometallic chemistry often are not dominated by the usual n-delocalization and inductive effects; dipolar interactions, chelation, polarization, etc. often can be much more important. This affords novel synthetic opportunities. A good example is the development of a basically new type of aromatic substitution chemistry not based on positively charged intermediates. Seebach's injunction, "Thinking of polar organometallic compounds as carbanions is an impoverishment rather than a simplification" (International Symposium, Chemistry of Carbanions, Durham 1984), stresses the need to consider the metal not only as an integral, but perhaps also as the key component of these reagents. Rather than wandering off as solvated cations and acting as uninvolved spectators, the metals, rather than the anion moieties, can initiate and govern the subsequent reactions. To the founders of this field, e. g. Grignard, Ziegler, Gilman, Wittig, and their followers, the metal was critical. The title of Schlosser's book, "Polare Organometalle", certainly was apt.
This is a fun and easy to use exercise book that will help you in learning to write the sports in Simplified Chinese. Popular sports such as American Football, Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Ice Hockey and many more. Using large boxes in a grid, some characters can be traced and is suitable for all levels of learning - beginner to advanced. With 38 sports to choose from, find your favorite sports. Ideal as a supplement and study aid. Bring it along with you when traveling.
This paper assesses a possible explanation for the global downward trend in top personal income tax rates over the last decades: globalization and the related tax evasion and avoidance opportunities could have raised elasticities of taxable income, which would imply lower optimal tax rates. The paper estimates elasticities of taxable income for top income earners using a large sample of economies and years with a common method, allowing an analysis of trends in such elasticities. The paper finds that elasticities do not appear to exhibit any clear pattern over the years. The downward trend in tax rates must have other possible explanations, which are briefly discussed.
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