On the balanced condition for the Eguchi-Hanson metric

Let $g_{EH}$ be the Eguchi-Hanson metric on the blow-up of $\mathbb{C}^2$ at the origin. In this paper we show that $mg_{EH}$ is not balanced for any positive integer $m$.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Journal of Geometry and Physic

Klauzula ogólna przeciwdziałająca unikaniu opodatkowania zawarta w dyrektywie ATAD: ustalenia na podstawie literatury włoskiej

The purpose of this contribution is to present systematically some of the main points of the Italian domestic debate on the GAAR to the international public. In particular, it provides an overview of the ‘Italian perspective’ on the GAAR introduced at the European level by the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD). Italy already introduced its GAAR in 2015 and, consequently, it has been considered unnecessary to amend it in light of the ATAD, thus, sparking a fervid debate on the compatibility of the two standards adopted.Celem niniejszego opracowania jest usystematyzowane zaprezentowanie czytelnikom z całego świata niektórych głównych punktów włoskiej debaty w sprawie GAAR. Artykuł zawiera przede wszystkim ogólny zarys „włoskiego spojrzenia” na GAAR, którą w Europie wdrożono dyrektywą w sprawie przeciwdziałania unikaniu opodatkowania (ATAD). Włochy wprowadziły już własną GAAR w 2015 r., w związku z czym uznano, iż nie ma konieczności zmieniania jej w świetle przepisów ATAD, co sprowokowało burzliwą dyskusję na temat kompatybilności tych dwóch przyjętych norm

The fictions of corporate taxation and three ideas to make it fit for the challenges of the digital era

During the International Conference organized by the Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, the author presented a research project he was carrying out and presenting at several international institutions (among others, the University of Leiden, in the Netherlands, and the Lomonosov State University, also in the Russian Federation). The work is still in progress and is expected to be completed not earlier than 2022, in the form of one or more publishable articles. The presented article is brief report on the presentation held. Firstly, the author discusses the reasons why the solution to the taxation problems does not lie so much in redesigning the allocation rules and adopting new anti-avoidance measures in corporate income taxes. In a second part, the author argues that solutions may arise from reforming existing indirect taxes, based on the production, sale, use or ownership of goods and services and explores the possibilities to solve the current corporate taxation problems

Quantizations of Kähler metrics on blow-ups

The thesis consists of three main results related to Kähler metrics on blow-ups. In the first one, we prove that the blow-up C ̃^2 of C^2 at the origin endowed with the Burns–Simanca metric g_BS admits a regular quantization. We use this fact to prove that all coefficients in the Tian-Yau-Catlin-Zelditch expansion for the Burns–Simanca metric vanish and that a dense subset of (C ̃^2,g_BS) admits a Berezin quantization. In the second one, we prove that the generalized Simanca metric on the blow-up C ̃^n of C^n at the origin is projectively induced but not balanced for any integer n>=3. Finally, we prove as third result that any positive integer multiple of the Eguchi–Hanson metric, defined on a dense subset of C ̃^2/Z_2, is not balanced

q-State Potts model metastability study using optimized GPU-based Monte Carlo algorithms

We implemented a GPU based parallel code to perform Monte Carlo simulations of the two dimensional q-state Potts model. The algorithm is based on a checkerboard update scheme and assigns independent random numbers generators to each thread. The implementation allows to simulate systems up to ~10^9 spins with an average time per spin flip of 0.147ns on the fastest GPU card tested, representing a speedup up to 155x, compared with an optimized serial code running on a high-end CPU. The possibility of performing high speed simulations at large enough system sizes allowed us to provide a positive numerical evidence about the existence of metastability on very large systems based on Binder's criterion, namely, on the existence or not of specific heat singularities at spinodal temperatures different of the transition one.Comment: 30 pages, 7 figures. Accepted in Computer Physics Communications. code available at: http://www.famaf.unc.edu.ar/grupos/GPGPU/Potts/CUDAPotts.htm

Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling (CDC) of N-Phthaloyl Dehydroalanine Esters with Simple Arenes: Stereoselective Synthesis of Z-Dehydrophenylalanine Derivatives

Pd(II)-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) of methyl N-phthaloyl dehydroalanine esters with simple aromatic hydrocarbons is reported. The reaction, which involves the cleavage of two sp(2) C-H bonds followed by C-C bond formation, stereoselectively generates highly valuable Z-dehydrophenylalanine skeletons in a practical, versatile, and atom economical manner. In addition, a perfluorinated product was expediently converted into important nonproteinogenic amino acid building blocks through copper-catalyzed conjugate additions of boron, silicon, and hydride moieties

Therapeutic interventions and adjustments in the management of Parkinson disease: role of combined carbidopa/levodopa/entacapone (Stalevo®)

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by 3 cardinal motor symptoms: resting tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Since its introduction 40 years ago, levodopa has represented the gold standard for dopaminergic stimulation therapy in patients with PD. Levodopa is routinely combined with a dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor (DDCI) to prevent the conversion of levodopa into dopamine in peripheral circulation. However, up to 80% of patients treated with continuous levodopa manifest the onset of disabling motor complications capable of producing an adverse effect on quality of life as the disease progresses. In recent years, a new, safe, and efficacious armamentarium of treatment options has been provided by the marketing of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor, entacapone, a peripheral blocker of dopa to 3-0-methyldopa metabolism, which increments levodopa brain availability. When administered with levodopa, entacapone conjugates the rapid onset of levodopa-induced effects with a protracted efficiency, thus providing additional benefits to classic levodopa treatment by increasing “on” time in fluctuating PD patients, and theoretically providing a more continuous and physiological-like stimulation of dopamine receptors implying a reduced risk of motor complications. In this context, the use of a single administration of combined carbidopa/ levodopa/entacapone (Stalevo®) in the treatment of PD affords clinical improvements similar to those obtained by 2 separate tablets (ie, levodopa/DDCI and entacapone), although the former produces a more positive effect on quality of life than the latter. Additionally, the STalevo Reduction In Dyskinesia Evaluation (STRIDE-PD) study was designed with the aim of demonstrating that the combination of levodopa, carbidopa, and entacapone, used as initial levodopa therapy, significantly delays the onset of dyskinesias compared with the conventional levodopa/carbidopa formulation. Unfortunately, STRIDEPD failed to prove the benefit of continuous dopaminergic stimulation with triple therapy in a clinical setting. Recently, the effect of combined COMT inhibitor with levodopa administration in reducing homocysteine synthesis has been described. To this regard, clear evidence has been presented indicating homocysteine as a risk factor for vascular diseases, cognitive impairment, and dementia. Several studies have discussed the potential of entacapone as adjunct to levodopa/ DDCI in reducing plasma homocysteine levels with contrasting results

Effects of triticale cultivars grown in a Mediterranean environment on biomass yield and quality

Triticale is a valuable crop in Mediterranean environments because its growth capacity at low temperatures and its precocity make it possible to obtain high biomass yields in early spring. Precocity of triticale is particularly appreciated in Mediterranean environment, where irrigation allows the sowing of a spring–summer corn crop after a winter cereal crop has been harvested for silage. In these conditions, early planted corn can take advantage of both longer-cycle cultivars and of the lower incidence of the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis attacks. Nutritional quality of triticale as forage is related to the phenological stage at harvest, cultivar choice, seeding rate and environmental conditions. The work reported in this paper was aimed at verifying if the hypothesized effects of the different habitus (cold requirement) of triticale cultivar grown at different seeding rates affect biomass quantity and quality at the stages of flowering and milk-waxy-maturity, which are the most relevant for triticale silage production

Coupled experiment/simulation approach for the design of radiation-hardened rare-earth doped optical fibers and amplifiers

We developed an approach to design radiation-hardened rare earth -doped fibers and amplifiers. This methodology combines testing experiments on these devices with particle swarm optimization (PSO) calculations. The composition of Er/Yb-doped phosphosilicate fibers was improved by introducing Cerium inside their cores. Such composition strongly reduces the amplifier radiation sensitivity, limiting its degradation: we observed a gain decreasing from 19 dB to 18 dB after 50 krad whereas previous studies reported higher degradations up to 0°dB at such doses. PSO calculations, taking only into account the radiation effects on the absorption efficiency around the pump and emission wavelengths, correctly reproduce the general trends of experimental results. This calculation tool has been used to study the influence of the amplifier design on its radiation response. The fiber length used to ensure the optimal amplification before irradiation may be rather defined and adjusted to optimize the amplifier performance over the whole space mission profile rather than before integration in the harsh environments. Both forward and backward pumping schemes lead to the same kind of degradation with our active fibers. By using this promising coupled approach, radiation-hardened amplifiers nearly insensitive to radiations may be designed in the future