Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lieu singulier des variétés duales : approche géométrique et applications aux variétés homogènes.

On doit a Friedrich Knop un etonnant theoreme qui etablit un lien entre algebres de Lie simples de type A-D-E, et singularites simples de meme type. Le resultat est le suivant : on considere la projectivisation de l'orbite de plus haut poids pour l'action adjointe d'un groupe de Lie simple sur son algebre de Lie (une telle variete est appelee variete adjointe). Il existe alors un hyperplan tangent a l'orbite ayant un unique point singulier du meme type que celui de l'algebre de Lie. Ce theoreme est le point de depart de nos travaux. Afin de mieux comprendre ce lien, nous etudions la geometrie des varietes duales des varietes adjointes. Dans le premier chapitre nous prouvons une version duale du theoreme de Knop. Notre theoreme permet d'obtenir le discriminant d'une singularite simple a partir de la duale de la variete adjointe. L'hyperplan considere par Knop s'interprete alors comme un point tres singulier de la duale. Dans le deuxieme chapitre nous considerons le lieu singulier de la duale pour une varietes projective lisse. Nous montrons que l'existence de certaines strates de dimensions maximales equivaut a l'existence de section hyperplane de la variete d'origine admettant des points singuliers d'un type donne. Nous insistons alors sur l'importance de deux strates qui ont un sens geometrique : la duale de la variete des tangentes et la duale de la variete des secantes. Enfin dans un dernier chapitre nous appliquons ces resultats a l'etude de la normalite des duales des varietes homogenes.
EFFECTS OF NONYLPHENOL AND 17 β-OESTRADIOL ON VITELLOGENIN SYNTHESIS , TESTICULAR STRUCTURE AND CYTOLOGY IN MALE EELPOUT ZOARCES

Nonylphenol has been found to be oestrogenic in fish and may influence the reproductive system of male fish. In the present study, the effects of low (10 μg g−1 week−1) and high (100 μg g−1 week−1) doses of nonylphenol and of 17βoestradiol on the synthesis of vitellogenin and on testicular structure and cytology were investigated in male eelpout Zoarces viviparus during active spermatogenesis (May) and late spermatogenesis (June). Twenty-five days after injection, a significant dose-dependent increase in the plasma vitellogenin concentration, measured by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay, was observed in the treated groups. A highly significant reduction in the gonadosomatic index was observed concomitant with the increase in the plasma vitellogenin concentration. Macroscopically, milt was observed to be present in the control fish, but was sparse or absent in the treated fish. Histological examination using light microscopy revealed severe effects of nonylphenol as well as of oestradiol treatment on testicular structure. Control fish had seminiferous lobules containing spermatogenic cysts and only a few spermatozoa (May) or had the walls of their seminiferous lobules lined with cuboidal Sertoli cells (June). In the treated fish, the seminiferous lobules were degenerated (May) or were filled with numerous spermatozoa and the Sertoli cells appeared very squamous (June). Electron microscopy revealed greater numbers of phagocytozed spermatozoa in these Sertoli cells. In rats, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP) has been used as a specific marker of Sertoli cell function. In the present study, both nonylphenol and 17β-oestradiol treatment resulted in a reduction in the activity of this enzyme. The study provides evidence that nonylphenol is oestrogenic, as indicated by the large increase in vitellogenin synthesis, and that both nonylphenol and oestradiol have marked effects on the testicular structure and cytology of germ cells and Sertoli cells of male Z. viviparus.
Transforming care work and care jobs for the future of decent work

The report analyses the ways in which unpaid care work is recognized and organized, the extent and quality of care jobs and their impact on the well-being of individuals and society. A key focus of this report is the persistent gender inequalities in households and the labour market, which are inextricably linked with care work. These gender inequalities must be overcome to make care work decent and to ensure a future of decent work for both women and men. The report contains a wealth of original data drawn from over 90 countries and details transformative policy measures in five main areas: care, macroeconomics, labour, social protection and migration. It also presents projections on the potential for decent care job creation offered by remedying current care work deficits and meeting the related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Analysis of Households’ Investment Decisions Based on International Data

The paper attempts to pinpoint the economic, demographic and risk-taking factors that influence households’ demand for risky financial assets, using the Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) database as the basis for the analysis. From the perspective of risky asset holding, supply is also important, and therefore clustering was used to identify several country groups based on capital market features. The study mainly focuses on the countries that are, similar to Hungary, less active based on their capital market features, but the characteristics of countries with a more active capital market are also presented for comparison. In line with the empirical literature, demand for risky assets is examined using econometric tools, isolating the effect of the significant factors. Accordingly, separate logit models were created for the demand factors in the different country groups under review, i.e. those with a less mature and those with a highly mature capital market. The results indicate that income, wealth, skills and risk-taking positively influence risky asset holding, while liquidity constraints and background risks have a negative influence; the findings confirm the preliminary expectations and can be deemed robust.
Enamel wear opposing different surface conditions of different CAD/CAM ceramics.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate bovine enamel wear opposed to four different ceramic substrates (CEREC) in the glazed and polished conditions. METHOD AND MATERIALS Sixty-three ceramic (IPS Empress CAD, Paradigm C, Vitablocs Mark II) and fourteen composite resin (MZ100) styli were prepared. Ceramics were subdivided into three surface conditions (n = 7), unpolished, polished, and glazed, and the composite resin (n = 7) into unpolished and polished. All styli were used as wear antagonists opposing bovine enamel blocks (8 mm × 9 mm) in an oral wear simulator. Wear tests were conducted at 30 N abrasion and 70 N attrition forces applied at 1.7 Hz for 5,000 simulated mastication cycles. Abrasion and attrition wear were evaluated using an automatic profilometer. Statistical analyses were conducted using Tukey's B rank order test, P = . 05. RESULTS For bovine enamel opposing glazed Vitablocs, abrasion and attrition wear showed a volume loss significantly higher than bovine enamel opposing polished Vitablocs (P < .05). For attrition wear, bovine enamel opposing glazed Vitablocs and untreated Paradigm C showed a volume loss higher than bovine enamel opposing the other ceramic conditions. CONCLUSION Abrasion and attrition wear of bovine enamel opposing antagonist ceramic was affected according to the ceramic surface condition and the ceramic material. Antagonistic wear against the studied ceramic materials and conditions exhibited wear rates within the range of normal enamel. In addition, the glaze layer presented as a protection, exhibiting fewer cracks and less loss of material on the ceramic surface.
Jacqueline Loh: E-payments in Asia - regulating innovation and innovative regulation

3 . Until about a decade ago, payments were entirely offered by banks. We wrote cheques that were issued by banks and deposited cheques into accounts that we held with banks. As electronic or e-payments flourished, we paid for shopping using debit or credit cards that bore various brands, but were ultimately issued by banks. The banks would then find a way of settling payments among themselves through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) (usually run by the banking industry) and the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system (run by the central bank). For the longest time, the central bank’s role was clear: We kept payments safe by keeping banks safe.
RIVALRY DETERRENCE IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS: CONTINGENCIES GOVERNING THE MUTUAL FORBEARANCE HYPOTHESIS.

The mutual forbearance hypothesis proposes that multiple contacts with rivals deter competitive aggressiveness. In this study we examine some of the contingencies governing the mutual forbearance hypothesis by focusing on multinational companies engaged in multipoint competition across international markets. Using a database of 1778 competitive actions of the 13 largest automobile companies operating in 27 countries over a 7-year period, we find increased subsidiary ownership and host country regulations further enhance the deterring influence of multimarket contact on competitive aggressiveness, whereas cultural distance of the host subsidiary market from the MNC's home country attenuates this deterring influence.
Molecular Models for Murine Sperm-Egg Binding*

Murine sperm initiate fertilization by binding to the specialized extracellular matrix of mouse eggs, known as the zona pellucida. Over the past decade, powerful genetic, biophysical, and biochemical techniques have been employed to gain new insights into this interaction. Evidence from these studies does not support either of two major models for binding first proposed over two decades ago. Two more recently established models suggest that protein-protein interactions predominate during this initial stage of fertilization. Another model proposes that about 75–80% of the murine sperm bound to zona pellucida under well defined in vitro conditions is carbohydrate dependent, with the remaining sperm bound via protein-protein interactions. Mounting evidence suggests that the carbohydrate sequences coating the murine egg could be employed as specific immune recognition markers. Continued investigation of this system may resolve many of these controversial findings and reveal novel functions for murine zona pellucida glycoproteins.
A Floating Analog Memristor Emulator Circuit

This brief introduces a new floating memristor emulator circuit based on second-generation current conveyors and passive elements. A mathematical model to characterize the memristor behavior was derived, showing a good accuracy among HSPICE simulations and experimental results. An analysis of the frequency behavior of the memristor is also described, showing that the frequency-dependent pinched hysteresis loop in the current-versus-voltage plane holds up to 20.2 kHz. Theoretical derivations and related results are experimentally validated through implementations from commercially available devices, and the proposed memristor emulator circuit can easily be reproducible at a low cost. Furthermore, the emulator circuit can be used as a teaching aid and for future applications with memristors, such as sensors, cellular neural networks, chaotic systems, programmable analog circuits, and nonvolatile memory devices.
The Particle Inflow Gun can be used to Co‐transform Paramecium using Tungsten Particles

ABSTRACT. A particle inflow gun (PIG) was constructed and tested for its utility to transform Paramecium using tungsten or gold as the DNA carrier particle. In the first set of experiments we transformed Paramecium with a plasmid containing the neomycin‐resistance gene, obtaining a transformation efficiency of 0.31±0.14% (mean±SD) for tungsten particles and 1.30±0.29% for gold particles. Plasmid DNA precipitated upon tungsten was shown to be stable for transformation purposes for up to 1 h prior to use and had no detectable effects on transformation efficiency. In addition, we demonstrated that at high frequency (71±20%) a Paramecium mutant strain could be phenotypically rescued by co‐transformation with a second plasmid containing the selectable neomycin‐resistance gene. The PIG coupled with tungsten particles as the carrier offers a low‐cost alternative for biolistic transformation of Paramecium.
PIRPLE: a penalized-likelihood framework for incorporation of prior images in CT reconstruction

Over the course of diagnosis and treatment, it is common for a number of imaging studies to be acquired. Such imaging sequences can provide substantial patient-specific prior knowledge about the anatomy that can be incorporated into a prior-image-based tomographic reconstruction for improved image quality and better dose utilization. We present a general methodology using a model-based reconstruction approach including formulations of the measurement noise that also integrates prior images. This penalized-likelihood technique adopts a sparsity enforcing penalty that incorporates prior information yet allows for change between the current reconstruction and the prior image. Moreover, since prior images are generally not registered with the current image volume, we present a modified model-based approach that seeks a joint registration of the prior image in addition to the reconstruction of projection data. We demonstrate that the combined prior-image- and model-based technique outperforms methods that ignore the prior data or lack a noise model. Moreover, we demonstrate the importance of registration for prior-image-based reconstruction methods and show that the prior-image-registered penalized-likelihood estimation (PIRPLE) approach can maintain a high level of image quality in the presence of noisy and undersampled projection data.
Moral Disengagement: A Framework for Understanding Bullying Among Adolescents

The present study examined whether the construct of moral disengagement (Bandura, 1999, 2002; Bandura, 2001) contributes to our understanding of bullying among adolescents. Canadian students in grades 8-10 (N = 494) completed questionnaires about their experiences with bullying and victimization and their attitudes about bullying. Eighteen items were identified (post hoc) as reflecting major categories of moral disengagement. Results indicated high levels of frequent victimization and bullying (i.e., 12% and 13% of students, respectively). Reported positive attitudes and beliefs about bullying were significantly more likely among students who engaged in bullying, with 38% of the variance in reported bullying accounted for by the students’ endorsement of strategies for moral disengagement. Interestingly, reported experiences of victimization were also related to moral disengagement, but only for those students who reported moderate levels of bullying. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for school-based interventions.
Genetic, nongenetic and epigenetic risk determinants in developmental programming of type 2 diabetes

Low birthweight (LBW) individuals and offspring of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) exhibit increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and associated cardiometabolic traits in adulthood, which for both groups may be mediated by adverse events and developmental changes in fetal life. T2D is a multifactorial disease occurring as a result of complicated interplay between genetic and both prenatal and postnatal nongenetic factors, and it remains unknown to what extent the increased risk of T2D associated with LBW or GDM in the mother may be due to, or confounded by, genetic factors. Indeed, it has been shown that genetic changes influencing risk of diabetes may also be associated with reduced fetal growth as a result of reduced insulin secretion and/or action. Similarly, increased risk of T2D among offspring could be explained by T2D susceptibility genes shared between the mother and her offspring. Epigenetic mechanisms may explain the link between factors operating in fetal life and later risk of developing T2D, but so far convincing evidence is lacking for epigenetic changes as a prime and direct cause of T2D. This review addresses recent literature on the early origins of adult disease hypothesis, with a special emphasis on the role of genetic compared with nongenetic and epigenetic risk determinants and disease mechanisms.
Melatonin reduces the severity of dextran‐induced colitis in mice

Abstract: Melatonin administration reduces the severity of dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)‐induced colitis in mice. After 7 weeks of daily intraperitoneal melatonin administration (150 μg/kg), rectal bleeding and occult blood was eliminated in all mice in which colitis was induced by DSS. In addition the frequency and severity of focal lesions in the mucosa was dramatically reduced. Furthermore, weight loss and higher food consumption observed in DSS‐treated mice was reversed in DSS‐treated mice injected with melatonin. All treated groups exhibited significant alterations in goblet cell distribution as a result of DSS or melatonin administration. Surprisingly, serum melatonin levels were more than 10 times higher in mice that received DSS as compared to controls. The significant improvement in the conditions of melatonin‐treated mice might be due to its effect on the smooth muscles of the colon, the blood supply in the mucosa, its capability as an antioxidant and scavenger of free radicals, or its effect on the immune system of the gut. The higher plasma levels of melatonin in DSS‐treated mice might be due to a stress‐induced increase in the production of gastrointestinal (GIT) melatonin.
Main clinical, therapeutic and technical factors related to patient's maximum skin dose in interventional cardiology procedures.

OBJECTIVE The study aimed to characterise the factors related to the X-ray dose delivered to the patient's skin during interventional cardiology procedures. METHODS We studied 177 coronary angiographies (CAs) and/or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties (PTCAs) carried out in a French clinic on the same radiography table. The clinical and therapeutic characteristics, and the technical parameters of the procedures, were collected. The dose area product (DAP) and the maximum skin dose (MSD) were measured by an ionisation chamber (Diamentor; Philips, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and radiosensitive film (Gafchromic; International Specialty Products Advanced Materials Group, Wayne, NJ). Multivariate analyses were used to assess the effects of the factors of interest on dose. RESULTS The mean MSD and DAP were respectively 389 mGy and 65 Gy cm(-2) for CAs, and 916 mGy and 69 Gy cm(-2) for PTCAs. For 8% of the procedures, the MSD exceeded 2 Gy. Although a linear relationship between the MSD and the DAP was observed for CAs (r=0.93), a simple extrapolation of such a model to PTCAs would lead to an inadequate assessment of the risk, especially for the highest dose values. For PTCAs, the body mass index, the therapeutic complexity, the fluoroscopy time and the number of cine frames were independent explanatory factors of the MSD, whoever the practitioner was. Moreover, the effect of technical factors such as collimation, cinematography settings and X-ray tube orientations on the DAP was shown. CONCLUSION Optimising the technical options for interventional procedures and training staff on radiation protection might notably reduce the dose and ultimately avoid patient skin lesions.
Survival prediction in terminally ill cancer patients by clinical estimates, laboratory tests, and self-rated anxiety and depression.

PURPOSE To study how survival of palliative cancer patients relates to subjective prediction of survival, objective prognostic factors (PFs), and individual psychological coping. PATIENTS AND METHODS Survival was estimated according to three categories (< 1 month, 1 to 6 months, and > 6 months) by two physicians (A and B) and the institutional tumor board (C) for 216 patients recently referred for palliative radiotherapy. After 6 months, the accuracy of these estimates was assessed. The prognostic relevance of clinical symptoms, performance status, laboratory tests, and self-reported emotional distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) was investigated. RESULTS In 61%, 55%, and 63% of the patients, prognoses were correctly estimated by A, B, and C, respectively. kappa statistic showed fair agreement of the estimates, which proved to be overly optimistic. Accuracy of the three estimates did not improve with increasing professional experience. In particular, the survival of 96%, 71%, and 87% of patients who died in less than 1 month was overestimated by A, B, and C, respectively. On univariate analysis, 11 of 27 parameters significantly affected survival, namely performance status, primary cancer, fatigue, dyspnea, use of strong analgesics, brain metastases, leukocytosis, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), depression, and anxiety. On multivariate analysis, colorectal and breast cancer had a favorable prognosis, whereas brain metastases, Karnofsky performance status less than 50%, strong analgesics, dyspnea, LDH, and leukocytosis were associated with a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION This study revealed that physicians' survival estimates were unreliable, especially in the case of patients near death. Self-reported emotional distress and objective PFs may improve the accuracy of survival estimates.
The Availability of Energy and Protein, with Respect to Uric Acid, of Yellow-seeded Rapeseed Meal in Broiler Diets

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of yellow-seeded rapeseed meal (YRSM). In the first experiment nutrient retention was recorded by 48 Arbor Acres-broiler chickens (28-d old) to determine AMEn (nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy), coefficient of apparent protein digestibility based on ileal digesta nitrogen, excreta nitrogen and uric acid nitrogen. The second experiment was carried out with 304 Arbor Acres-broiler chickens to compare effects of SBM (soybean meal) and YRSM on performance, carcass and digestive tract status. In the control treatment, SBM was replaced by graded levels of YRSM at 15, 22.5 and 30% of diet. Digestibility of YRSM protein was significantly lower (p 0.001) between ileal and excreta digestibility of protein based on uric acid. AMEn as a fraction of gross energy was 0.54 in SBM and 0.45 in YRSM. With the exception of 30% YRSM, other YRSM treatments resulted in major effects on length and weight of the gastrointestinal tract. The results of this study have shown no adverse effect on performance as well as protein digestibility and energy value in response to replacement of SBM by YRSM with the exception of 22.5 and 30% YRSM.
Continuity of motivation in higher education: A three-year follow-up study

This study investigates the question how the quality of students’ learning motivation changes within a period of 3 years. Of special interest is which conditions of the learning environment are responsible for the stability or respectively the change of learning motivation. Deci and Ryan’s (2002) self-determination theory (SDT) provides the theoretical foundation of this paper. It allows a differentiated analysis of the qualities of learning motivation (intrinsic motivation and four types of extrinsic motivation) and also suggests that motivational processes are highly influenced by basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social relatedness. On three different dates between 2003 and 2005, 104 students participated in a questionnaire. Overall, the longitudinal results show that the qualities of learning motivation remain relatively stable. In contrast, particularly the perceived support of autonomy and competence show a significant decline. The evaluation of social relatedness at university, between students and lecturers as well as between groups of students, remains stable on a high level during those three years. The social relatedness significantly correlates with learning motivation in all of the three assessments. The results are discussed in relation to situational and cultural conditions.