A Questionnaire on Materialisms

Recent philosophical tendencies of “Actor-Network Theory,” “Object-Oriented Ontology,” and “Speculative Realism” have profoundly challenged the centrality of subjectivity in the humanities, and many artists and curators, particularly in the UK, Germany, and the United States, appear deeply influenced by this shift from epistemology to ontology. October editors asked artists, historians, and philosophers invested in these projects—from Graham Harman and Alexander R. Galloway to Armen Avanessian and Patricia Falguières to Ed Atkins and Amie Siegel—to explore what the rewards and risks of assigning agency to objects may be, and how, or if, such new materialisms can be productive for making and thinking about art today

Retrospective analysis of the Spitak earthquake

Based on the retrospective analysis of numerous data and studies of the Spitak earthquake the present work at- tempts to shed light on different aspects of that catastrophic seismic event which occurred in Northern Arme- nia on December 7, 1988. The authors follow a chronological order of presentation, namely: changes in geo- sphere, atmosphere, biosphere during the preparation of the Spitak earthquake, foreshocks, main shock, after- shocks, focal mechanisms, historical seismicity; seismotectonic position of the source, strong motion records, site effects; the macroseismic effect, collapse of buildings and structures; rescue activities; earthquake conse- quences; and the lessons of the Spitak earthquake

The MHC Class I-Like IgG Receptor Controls Perinatal IgG Transport, IgG Homeostasis, and Fate of IgG-Fc-Coupled Drugs.

Abs of the IgG isotype are efficiently transported from mother to neonate and have an extended serum t(1/2) compared with Abs of other isotypes. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the MHC class I-related protein, the neonatal FcR (FcRn), is the FcR responsible for both in vivo functions. To understand the phenotypes imposed by FcRn, we produced and analyzed mice with a defective FcRn gene. The results provide direct evidence that perinatal IgG transport and protection of IgG from catabolism are mediated by FcRn, and that the latter function is key to IgG homeostasis, essential for generating a potent IgG response to foreign Ags, and the basis of enhanced efficacy of Fc-IgG-based therapeutics. FcRn is therefore a promising therapeutic target for enhancing protective humoral immunity, treating autoimmune disease, and improving drug efficacy

Fluidic and mechanical thermal control devices

In recent years, intensive studies on thermal control devices have been conducted for the thermal management of electronics and computers as well as for applications in energy conversion, chemistry, sensors, buildings, and outer space. Conventional cooling or heating techniques realized using traditional thermal resistors and capacitors cannot meet the thermal requirements of advanced systems. Therefore, new thermal control devices are being investigated to satisfy these requirements. These devices include thermal diodes, thermal switches, thermal regulators, and thermal transistors, all of which manage heat in a manner analogous to how electronic devices and circuits control electricity. To design or apply these novel devices as well as thermal control principles, this paper presents a systematic and comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art of fluidic and mechanical thermal control devices that have already been implemented in various applications for different size scales and temperature ranges. Operation principles, working parameters, and limitations are discussed and the most important features for a particular device are identified