1,920 research outputs found

    Holographic Geometry and Noise in Matrix Theory

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    Using Matrix Theory as a concrete example of a fundamental holographic theory, we show that the emergent macroscopic spacetime displays a new macroscopic quantum structure, holographic geometry, and a new observable phenomenon, holographic noise, with phenomenology similar to that previously derived on the basis of a quasi-monochromatic wave theory. Traces of matrix operators on a light sheet with a compact dimension of size RR are interpreted as transverse position operators for macroscopic bodies. An effective quantum wave equation for spacetime is derived from the Matrix Hamiltonian. Its solutions display eigenmodes that connect longitudinal separation and transverse position operators on macroscopic scales. Measurements of transverse relative positions of macroscopically separated bodies, such as signals in Michelson interferometers, are shown to display holographic nonlocality, indeterminacy and noise, whose properties can be predicted with no parameters except RR. Similar results are derived using a detailed scattering calculation of the matrix wavefunction. Current experimental technology will allow a definitive and precise test or validation of this interpretation of holographic fundamental theories. In the latter case, they will yield a direct measurement of RR independent of the gravitational definition of the Planck length, and a direct measurement of the total number of degrees of freedom.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures; v2: factors of Planck mass written explicitly, typos correcte

    An evaluation of the viability of photovoltaics in residential schemes managed by UK registered social landlords

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    Global demands on fossil fuels require the investigation of renewable and viable alternative energy supplies. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that current consumption of fossil fuels is untenable as atmospheric emissions of gases, in particular carbon dioxide (CO2), is having a significant and worsening effect on global climate change (IPCC 1992).25% of UK CO2 emissions are generated in the housing sector (UKCCP 2000). As major providers of UK social housing, Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), indirectly make a significant contribution to UK CO2 emissions. In delivering UK Government policies, RSLs are required to meet national social and economic targets, as well as environmental targets. Clearly, social, environmental and economic issues combine in the arena of energy efficiency and social housing.Potentially, the use of photovoltaics (PV) in social housing could assist the UK government in meeting targets in terms of affordable housing, providing &quot;free&quot; electricity to low income tenants, and with minimal environmental impact in urban areas. However, uptake of PV amongst RSLs in the UK has been minimal to date. This paper explores the factors that act as barriers to energy efficiency in this market.<br /

    Current Administration of U.S. Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Laws: Implications for Prospective U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Talks

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    U.S.-Mexico trade relations are changing at a rapid pace. In 1985, the United States and Mexico entered into a bilateral trade agreement that seeks to eliminate the subsidization of manufactured products. One year later, Mexico became a signatory to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (the GATT ), the multilateral accord that governs world trade in manufactured and agricultural products. In 1987, the two countries entered into a framework agreement that establishes a consultative mechanism designed to resolve bilateral trade disputes involving such issues as intellectual property protection, direct foreign investment, and trade in goods and services

    Evaluating the triple bottom line in the implementation of photovoltaic systems in UK social housing

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    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warnings regarding the detrimental effects of carbon dioxide emissions and global warming have gained acceptance amongst many governments (IPCC 2001). The UK government has agreed to reduce emissions, implement a package of enabling measures (UKCCP 2000) and issued an Energy White Paper (HMSO 2003) calling for a diversification of energy supply policies which will include renewable sources.Housing accounts for approximately 25% of UK CO2 emissions and as providers of social housing, Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and their tenants are major contributors. RSLs are deliverers of national policy in several areas and contribute to the attainment of governmental environmental, social and economic targets and impact upon the wider demands of housing policy, healthcare, education and law &amp; order (DETR 1999, Cole and Shayer 1998).Photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation could deliver &ldquo;free&rdquo; electricity to the low income households historically housed by RSLs. PV helps address such issues as fuel poverty and could be used as a stimulus for creating interest in areas of low demand for social housing.RSLs provide housing solutions which cross traditional economic, social and environmental divides and this lends their modus operandi to the concept of the triple bottom line. The triple bottom line enables social and environmental aspects to be considered alongside economic considerations within decision-making frameworks (Elkington 1999, Andreason 1995).Using a qualitative research methodology, this paper assesses current commercial viability of PV installations on RSL developments and identifies key barriers to implementation. The paper also investigates whether the application of the triple bottom line can liberate RSLs from viewing PV as a non-viable option by enabling a greater emphasis to be placed on the social &amp; environmental aspects of PV. The paper considers whether a framework for RSLs to improve their decision-making processes by embracing social &amp; environmental factors is feasible.<br /

    Current Administration of U.S. Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Laws: Implications for Prospective U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Talks

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    This Article discusses the current administration of the U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws in proceedings involving products from Mexico. Specifically, this Article begins by providing an overview of the basic statutory and regulatory provisions of the U.S. antidumping duty law, emphasizing the application of certain provisions in cases involving imports from Mexico. The Article then focuses its discussion upon recent developments in the U.S. countervailing duty law that have had a unique effect upon Mexican exporters. The Article continues by highlighting the antidumping and countervailing duty provisions of the recently concluded U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement (the FTA or Agreement ). Finally, this Article concludes by offering U.S. and Mexico free trade negotiators a few suggestions to ensure the successful completion of the forthcoming free trade talks

    Current Administration of U.S. Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Laws: Implications for Prospective U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Talks

    Get PDF
    U.S.-Mexico trade relations are changing at a rapid pace. In 1985, the United States and Mexico entered into a bilateral trade agreement that seeks to eliminate the subsidization of manufactured products. One year later, Mexico became a signatory to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (the GATT ), the multilateral accord that governs world trade in manufactured and agricultural products. In 1987, the two countries entered into a framework agreement that establishes a consultative mechanism designed to resolve bilateral trade disputes involving such issues as intellectual property protection, direct foreign investment, and trade in goods and services

    Bankruptcy Officials vs. The Internal Revenue Service: The Beat Goes On

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    This author has previously addressed several areas of conflict between bankruptcy officials; i.e., trustees and judges, and the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ). Due to continued litigation, both in the U.S. Supreme Court and in certain federal courts of appeal, some of these areas will be reevaluated in this article. In addition, new areas of conflict resulting in litigation in various levels of the federal court system will be discussed. Policy and statutory modifications will be suggested to alleviate the growing costly burden of litigation

    Choice of Business Tax Entity After the 1993 Tax Act

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    The first section of this article presents a discussion of the decision itself, as well as a description of each of the most common types of business forms. The second section provides a summary of the tax classification requirements imposed on certain entities by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The third and fourth sections examine the non-tax and tax considerations of the choice of entity decision. A chart is also provided which summarizes the non-tax and tax considerations addressed in the article (see Appendix A)

    Thrombin exosite for fibrinogen recognition is partially accessible in prothrombin.

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    The procoagulant alpha-thrombin is produced by the proteolytic cleavages of a minimum of two peptide bonds Arg274-Thr275 and Arg323-Ile324 in prothrombin. The Arg323-Ile324 cleavage is required for the expression of the active site of thrombin (Morita, T., Iwanaga, S. Suzuki, T. (1976) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 79, 1089-1108; Hibbard, L. S., Nesheim, M. E., and Mann, K. G. (1982) Biochemistry 21, 2285-2292). It is not yet clear to what extent the proteolytic events are responsible for exposing protein recognition exosites on thrombin. We employed high resolution NMR spectroscopy to examine interactions of prothrombin and thrombin with synthetic hirudin peptides targeted toward the fibrinogen recognition exosite of thrombin. The hirudin tail synthetic analogues (acetyl-Asp55-Phe-Glu-Glu-Ile-Pro-Glu-Glu-Tyr-Leu-Gln65/G ly65-OH) exhibited similar NMR relaxation enhancements (line broadening patterns and transferred nuclear Overhauser effects) with human prothrombin as with human alpha-thrombin, indicating that both proteins bind the peptide in a similar manner. The protein-induced relaxation enhancements are specific to the interaction of the hirudin peptides with the fibrinogen recognition exosite of thrombin since no significant effects were observed with either human serum albumin or with human gamma-thrombin, which has an impaired recognition exosite. The binding affinities were determined from NMR relaxation time measurements, which gave approximate Kd values of 500 microM an

    Noncovariant gauge fixing in the quantum Dirac field theory of atoms and molecules

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    Starting from the Weyl gauge formulation of quantum electrodynamics (QED), the formalism of quantum-mechanical gauge fixing is extended using techniques from nonrelativistic QED. This involves expressing the redundant gauge degrees of freedom through an arbitrary functional of the gauge-invariant transverse degrees of freedom. Particular choices of functional can be made to yield the Coulomb gauge and Poincar\'{e} gauge representations. The Hamiltonian we derive therefore serves as a good starting point for the description of atoms and molecules by means of a relativistic Dirac field. We discuss important implications for the ontology of noncovariant canonical QED due to the gauge freedom that remains present in our formulation.Comment: 8 pages, 0 figure
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