14,355 research outputs found
T-duality off shell in 3D Type II superspace
We give the manifestly T-dual formulation of the massless sector of the
classical 3D Type II superstring in off-shell 3D N=2 superspace, including the
action. It has a simple relation to the known superspace of 4D N=1 supergravity
in 4D M-theory via 5D F-theory. The pre potential appears as part of the
vielbein, without derivatives.Comment: References added, factor of 2 in the algebra (8) fixe
Natural curvature for manifest T-duality
We reformulate the manifestly T-dual description of the massless sector of
the closed bosonic string, directly from the geometry associated with the (left
and right) affine Lie algebra of the coset space Poincare/Lorentz. This
construction initially doubles not only the (spacetime) coordinates for
translations but also those for Lorentz transformations (and their dual). As a
result, the Lorentz connection couples directly to the string (as does the
vielbein), rather than being introduced ad hoc to the covariant derivative as
previously. This not only reproduces the old definition of T-dual torsion, but
automatically gives a general, covariant definition of T-dual curvature (but
still with some undetermined connections).Comment: Minor changes in notations (see e.g. eq.(7), eq.(8)). Some typos
corrected: e.g factor "i" in equations (11) and (12). New references adde
Towards a directed homotopy type theory
In this paper, we present a directed homotopy type theory for reasoning
synthetically about (higher) categories, directed homotopy theory, and its
applications to concurrency. We specify a new `homomorphism' type former for
Martin-L\"of type theory which is roughly analogous to the identity type former
originally introduced by Martin-L\"of. The homomorphism type former is meant to
capture the notions of morphism (from the theory of categories) and directed
path (from directed homotopy theory) just as the identity type former is known
to capture the notions of isomorphism (from the theory of groupoids) and path
(from homotopy theory). Our main result is an interpretation of these
homomorphism types into Cat, the category of small categories. There, the
interpretation of each homomorphism type hom(a,b) is indeed the set of
morphisms between the objects a and b of a category C. We end the paper with an
analysis of the interpretation in Cat with which we argue that our homomorphism
types are indeed the directed version of Martin-L\"of's identity types
Investments in power generation in Great Britain c1960-2010 - The role of accounting and the financialisation of investment decisions
This paper explores the increasing role of financialisation on investment decisions in the power generation industry in Great Britain (GB). Such decisions affect society, and the relative role of financialisation in these macro-levels decisions has not been explored from a historical perspective.
The paper draws on historical material and interview data. Specifically, we use an approach inspired by institutional sociology drawing on elements of Scott’s (2014) pillars of institutions. Applying concepts stemming from regulative and normative pressures, we explore changes in investments over the analysis period to determine forces which institutionalised practices - such as accounting - into investment in power generation.
Investments in electricity generation have different levels of public and private participation. However, the common logics that underpin such investment practices provide an important understanding of the political-economics and institutional change in the UK. Thus, the heightened use of accounting in investment has been, to some extent, a contributory factor to the power supply problems now faced by the British public.
This paper contributes to prior literature on the effects of financialisation on society, adding power generation/energy supply to the many societal level issues already explored. It also provides brief but unique insights into the changing nature of the role of accounting in an industry sector over an extended timeframe
Costly banknote issuance and interest rates under the national banking system
The behavior of interest rates under the U.S. National Banking System is puzzling because of the apparent presence of persistent and large unexploited arbitrage opportunities for note issuing banks. Previous attempts to explain interest rate behavior have relied on the cost or the inelasticity of note issue. These attempts are not entirely satisfactory. Here we propose a new rationale to solve the puzzle. Inelastic note issuance arises endogenously because the marginal cost of issuing notes is an increasing function of circulation. We build a spatial separation model where some fraction of agents must move each period. Banknotes can be carried between locations; deposits cannot. Taking the model to the data on national banks, we find it matches the movements in long-term interest rates well. It also predicts movements in deposit rates during panics. However, the model displays more inelasticity of notes issuance than is in the data.Bank notes ; Interest rates ; National banks (United States)
New Public Management a re-packaging of extant techniques? Some archival evidence from an Irish semi-state power company
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to explore, if like some other management initiatives, New Public Management may be a repackaging of already existent concepts. Emerging in the 1970s and 1980s as an innovative way to manage public sector elements, New Public Management has affected both the ownership and management of public sector companies, services, and utilities. Minimal research has been undertaken previously, using historic archival sources of public entities, to explore if elements of the concept originated prior to the 1970s.
Design/methodology/approach
This research draws on archival records from a publicly-owned electricity company, covering about three decades from 1946, during which a large investment project was undertaken by the company. We draw on key tenets of what is today called New Public Management, examining prior research to ascertain if similar elements were present in the case organisation.
Findings
When reviewing the progress of the investment project, many of the key elements of New Public Management emerged, even during the early part of the project.
Originality/value
There is little historical research on the origins of New Public Management, and the findings here suggest it may not be entirely new. While this does not at all invalidate existing research, it suggests New Public Management may be to an extent a repackaging of previously extant techniques. This opens up possibilities for future historic research in terms of how and why it was repackaged, and also what was/was not repackaged
Exclusive development of T cell neoplasms in mice transplanted with bone marrow expressing activated Notch alleles
Notch is a highly conserved transmembrane protein that is involved in cell fate decisions and is found in organisms ranging from Drosophila to humans. A human homologue of Notch, TAN1, was initially identified at the chromosomal breakpoint of a subset of T-cell lymphoblastic leukemias/lymphomas containing a t(7;9) chromosomal translocation; however, its role in oncogenesis has been unclear. Using a bone marrow reconstitution assay with cells containing retrovirally transduced TAN1 alleles, we analyzed the oncogenic potential of both nuclear and extranuclear forms of truncated TAN1 in hematopoietic cells. Although the Moloney leukemia virus long terminal repeat drives expression in most hematopoietic cell types, retroviruses encoding either form of the TAN1 protein induced clonal leukemias of exclusively immature T cell phenotypes in approximately 50% of transplanted animals. All tumors overexpressed truncated TAN1 of the size and subcellular localization predicted from the structure of the gene. These results show that TAN1 is an oncoprotein and suggest that truncation and overexpression are important determinants of transforming activity. Moreover, the murine tumors caused by TAN1 in the bone marrow transplant model are very similar to the TAN1-associated human tumors and suggest that TAN1 may be specifically oncotropic for T cells
A feasibility study: Forest Fire Advanced System Technology (FFAST)
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service completed a feasibility study that examined the potential uses of advanced technology in forest fires mapping and detection. The current and future (1990's) information needs in forest fire management were determined through interviews. Analysis shows that integrated information gathering and processing is needed. The emerging technologies that were surveyed and identified as possible candidates for use in an end to end system include ""push broom'' sensor arrays, automatic georeferencing, satellite communication links, near real or real time image processing, and data integration. Matching the user requirements and the technologies yielded a ""strawman'' system configuration. The feasibility study recommends and outlines the implementation of the next phase for this project, a two year, conceptual design phase to define a system that warrants continued development
Unseen and unheard? Women managers and organizational learning
This paper aims to use (in)visibility as a lens to understand the lived experience of six women managers in the headquarters of a large multinational organization in the UK to identify how “gender” is expressed in the context of organizational learning.
Design/methodology/approach:
The researchers take a phenomenological approach via qualitative data collection with a purposeful sample – the six female managers in a group of 24. Data were collected through quarterly semi-structured interviews over 12 months with the themes – knowledge, interaction and gender.
Findings:
Organizations seek to build advantage to gain and retain competitive leadership. Their resilience in a changing task environment depends on their ability to recognize, gain and use knowledge likely to deliver these capabilities. Here, gender was a barrier to effective organizational learning with women’s knowledge and experience often unseen and unheard.
Research limitations/implications:
This is a piece of research limited to exploration of gender as other, but ethnicity, age, social class, disability and sexual preference, alone or in combination, may be equally subject to invisibility in knowledge terms; further research would be needed to test this however.
Practical implications:
Practical applications relate to the need for organizations to examine and address their operations for exclusion based on perceived “otherness”. Gendered organizations cause problems for their female members, but they also exclude the experience and knowledge of key individuals as seen here, where gender impacted on effective knowledge sharing and cocreation of knowledge.
Social implications:
The study offers further evidence of gendered organizations and their impacts on organizational effectiveness, but it also offers insights into the continues social acceptance of a masculinized normative model for socio-economic practice.
Originality/value:
This exploration of gender and organizational learning offers new insights to help explain the way in which organizational learning occurs – or fails to occur – with visibility/invisibility of one group shaped by gendered attitudes and processes. It shows that organizational learning is not gender neutral (as it appears in mainstream organizational learning research) and calls for researchers to include this as a factor in future research
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