3,028 research outputs found
Whether Funds Transferred From Trust Account Can Be âProperty of the Debtorâ That Is Subject to a Fraudulent Transfer Claim
(Excerpt)
One of the main purposes of bankruptcy is to maximize the value of the bankruptcy estate for the benefit of creditors. Consistent with this goal of maximizing the value of a bankrupt estate, a bankruptcy trustee has certain âavoidance powersâ that are codified in chapter 5 of the Bankruptcy Code. These broad powers allow the trustee to file adversary proceedings to avoid certain pre- and post-petition transfers of property of the debtor. After a trustee avoids a transfer, the âtransferred property is returned to the estate for the benefit of all persons who have presented valid claims.â
One common avoidance power is the trusteeâs power to avoid certain pre-petition transfers of property by the debtor to a third party as a fraudulent transfers. Fraudulent transfers may be avoided under federal law, section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code, or under state law according to section 544(b) of the Bankruptcy Code. Under section 548, the trustee may avoid both an actually fraudulent transfer (i.e., a transfer of property of the debtor made with the actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud creditors) and a constructively fraudulent transfer (i.e., a transfer of property made by an insolvent company in exchange for less than reasonably equivalent value). Under section 544(b), the trustee may avoid any transfer that an actual unsecured creditor could have avoided under applicable state law, which in most states is the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act (the âUFTAâ) (though in some states it is Uniform Fraudulent Conveyances Act (the âUFCAâ)). As a result, the trustee may also be able avoid both types of fraudulent transfers under section 544(b) because the UFTA permits (1) any creditor that was in existence at the time of the subject transfer to avoid a constructively fraudulent transfer and (2) any existing or future creditor to avoid an actually fraudulent transfer.
An essential element in a trusteeâs avoidance powers is ability to avoid a âtransfer of property made by the debtor.â If there is not a transfer of property from the debtor, but from a different source, then a trustee may not be able to avoid a particular transfer. For this reason, a transfer of property being held in trust cannot constitute a fraudulent transfer because when property is being held in trust, it is for the benefit of another â never entering the holder of the trustâs bankrupt estate.
Recently, in In re Dayton Title Agency, Inc., a trustee sued a paid-off lender to avoid the payment made to the lender on behalf of the debtorâs client as a fraudulent transfer. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held in that a transfer of funds from a trust account to the lender was constructively fraudulent because the elements of the UFTA were met. This Article will examine whether a trustee can avoid a transfer from a debtorâs trust account as a fraudulent transfer and is separated into four parts. Part 1 discusses the basic tenets of fraudulent conveyance law under sections 544(b) and 548 of the Bankruptcy Code, while Part I(a) analyzes why funds held in trust are not subject to fraudulent transfer law. Part II discusses the holdings by the Dayton Title court in Ohio, and the Cannon court in Tennessee. Part III illustrates why Dayton and Cannon are distinguishable cases, and the Conclusion discusses implications of the Dayton courtâs holding
Radiation-Pressure-Mediated Control of an Optomechanical Cavity
We describe and demonstrate a method to control a detuned movable-mirror
Fabry-Perot cavity using radiation pressure in the presence of a strong optical
spring. At frequencies below the optical spring resonance, self-locking of the
cavity is achieved intrinsically by the optomechanical (OM) interaction between
the cavity field and the movable end mirror. The OM interaction results in a
high rigidity and reduced susceptibility of the mirror to external forces.
However, due to a finite delay time in the cavity, this enhanced rigidity is
accompanied by an anti-damping force, which destabilizes the cavity. The cavity
is stabilized by applying external feedback in a frequency band around the
optical spring resonance. The error signal is sensed in the amplitude
quadrature of the transmitted beam with a photodetector. An amplitude modulator
in the input path to the cavity modulates the light intensity to provide the
stabilizing radiation pressure force
Mass wasting triggered by seasonal CO<sub>2</sub> sublimation under Martian atmospheric conditions: Laboratory experiments
Sublimation is a recognized process by which planetary landscapes can be modiïŹed. However, interpretation of whether sublimation is involved in downslope movements on Mars and other bodies is restricted by a lack of empirical data to constrain this mechanism of sediment transport and its inïŹuence on landform morphology. Here we present the ïŹrst set of laboratory experiments under Martian atmospheric conditions which demonstrate that the sublimation of CO2 ice from within the sediment body can trigger failure of unconsolidated, regolith slopes and can measurably alter the landscape. Previous theoretical studies required CO2 slab ice for movements, but we ïŹnd that only frost is required. Hence, sediment transport by CO2 sublimation could be more widely applicable (in space and time) on Mars than previously thought. This supports recent work suggesting CO2 sublimation could be responsible for recent modiïŹcation in Martian gullies
Radiation-pressure-mediated control of an optomechanical cavity
We describe and demonstrate a method to control a detuned movable-mirror Fabry-PĂ©rot cavity using radiation pressure in the presence of a strong optical spring. At frequencies below the optical spring resonance, self-locking of the cavity is achieved intrinsically by the optomechanical (OM) interaction between the cavity field and the movable end mirror. The OM interaction results in a high rigidity and reduced susceptibility of the mirror to external forces. However, due to a finite delay time in the cavity, this enhanced rigidity is accompanied by an antidamping force, which destabilizes the cavity. The cavity is stabilized by applying external feedback in a frequency band around the optical spring resonance. The error signal is sensed in the amplitude quadrature of the transmitted beam with a photodetector. An amplitude modulator in the input path to the cavity modulates the light intensity to provide the stabilizing radiation pressure force.This work was supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER Grants No. PHY-1150531, as well as No. PHY1707840 and No. PHY-1404245. M.J.Y. and D.E.M. receive support from the Australian Research Council through Project
No. CE170100004 (OzGrav)
Transplantation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells in Macular Degeneration
PURPOSE: Transplantation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells offers the potential for benefit in macular degeneration. Previous trials have reported improved visual acuity (VA), but lacked detailed analysis of retinal structure and function in the treated area. DESIGN: Phase 1/2 open-label dose-escalation trial to evaluate safety and potential efficacy (clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT01469832). PARTICIPANTS: Twelve participants with advanced Stargardt disease (STGD1), the most common cause of macular degeneration in children and young adults. METHODS: Subretinal transplantation of up to 200â000 hESC-derived RPE cells with systemic immunosuppressive therapy for 13 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end points were the safety and tolerability of hESC-derived RPE cell administration. We also investigated evidence of the survival of transplanted cells and measured retinal structure and function using microperimetry and spectral-domain OCT. RESULTS: Focal areas of subretinal hyperpigmentation developed in all participants in a dose-dependent manner in the recipient retina and persisted after withdrawal of systemic immunosuppression. We found no evidence of uncontrolled proliferation or inflammatory responses. Borderline improvements in best-corrected VA in 4 participants either were unsustained or were matched by a similar improvement in the untreated contralateral eye. Microperimetry demonstrated no evidence of benefit at 12 months in the 12 participants. In one instance at the highest dose, localized retinal thinning and reduced sensitivity in the area of hyperpigmentation suggested the potential for harm. Participant-reported quality of life using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire indicated no significant change. CONCLUSIONS: Subretinal hyperpigmentation is consistent with the survival of viable transplanted hESC-derived RPE cells, but may reflect released pigment in their absence. The findings demonstrate the value of detailed analysis of spatial correlation of retinal structure and function in determining with appropriate sensitivity the impact of cell transplantation and suggest that intervention in early stage of disease should be approached with caution. Given the slow rate of progressive degeneration at this advanced stage of disease, any protection against further deterioration may be evident only after a more extended period of observation
The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe
The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the
dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for
life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront
of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early
evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The
Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed
plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE
is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity
neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi
National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream
of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed
as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research
Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in
Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at
Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino
charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet
cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can
accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional
combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and
potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility
for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around
the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program
of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of
LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics
worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will
possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for
LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a
comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the
landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate
and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure
Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at TeV with the ATLAS detector
This paper presents measurements of the and cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a
function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were
collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with
the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity
of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements
varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the
1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured
with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with
predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various
parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between
them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables,
submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at
https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13
Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in âsNN=5.02ââTeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector
Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (ÎÏ) and pseudorapidity (Îη) are measured in âsNN=5.02ââTeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1ââÎŒb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ÎŁETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Îη|<5) ânear-sideâ (ÎÏâŒ0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ÎŁETPb. A long-range âaway-sideâ (ÎÏâŒÏ) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ÎŁETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Îη and ÎÏ) and ÎŁETPb dependence. The resultant ÎÏ correlation is approximately symmetric about Ï/2, and is consistent with a dominant cosâĄ2ÎÏ modulation for all ÎŁETPb ranges and particle pT
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