Variations of cervical vertebrae after expression of a Hox-1.1 transgene in mice.

in Cell (1990), 61(2), 301-8

To understand the function of murine homeobox genes, a genetic analysis is mandatory. We generated gain-of-function mutants by introducing genomic sequences of the Hox-1.1 gene under the control of a ... [more ▼]

To understand the function of murine homeobox genes, a genetic analysis is mandatory. We generated gain-of-function mutants by introducing genomic sequences of the Hox-1.1 gene under the control of a chicken beta-actin promoter into mice. Our previous data had shown that these transgenic mice are nonviable after birth and are born with craniofacial abnormalities. In a subsequent detailed analysis of severely affected animals, malformations of the basioccipital bone, the atlas, and the axis were observed. Manifestation of an additional vertebra, a proatlas, occurred at the craniocervical transition. The dominant interference of the Hox-1.1 transgene with developmental programs seems to occur around day 9 of gestation, the time of neural crest migration and somite differentiation. We discuss the resulting phenotype with respect to a developmental control function of Hox-1.1. [less ▲]

Variations of the sub-Riemannian distance on Sasakian manifolds with applications to coupling

E-print/Working paper (2022)

On Sasakian manifolds with their naturally occurring sub-Riemannian structure, we consider parallel and mirror maps along geodesics of a taming Riemannian metric. We show that these transport maps have ... [more ▼]

On Sasakian manifolds with their naturally occurring sub-Riemannian structure, we consider parallel and mirror maps along geodesics of a taming Riemannian metric. We show that these transport maps have well-defined limits outside the sub-Riemannian cut-locus. Such maps are not related to parallel transport with respect to any connection. We use this map to obtain bounds on the second derivative of the sub-Riemannian distance. As an application, we get some preliminary result on couplings of sub-Riemannian Brownian motions. [less ▲]

Variazioni sulla terminologia giuridica in diritto comunitario e francese : dal « francese comunitario » al « francese di Francia »: l’esempio del diritto di “résiliation” del compratore di un viaggio nella direttiva 90/314/CEE sui viaggi, vacanze e circuiti “tutto compreso

in Il diritto contrattuale europeo nelle direttive communitarie e trasposizioni giuridiche nazionali (2006)

Variétés lorentziennes plates vues comme limites de variétés anti-de Sitter, d'après Danciger, Guéritaud et Kassel

in Astérisque (2016), 380

A survey on the recent work of Danciger, Gu\'eritaud and Kassel on Margulis space-times and complete anti-de Sitter space-times. Margulis space-times are quotients of the 3-dimensional Minkowski space by ... [more ▼]

A survey on the recent work of Danciger, Gu\'eritaud and Kassel on Margulis space-times and complete anti-de Sitter space-times. Margulis space-times are quotients of the 3-dimensional Minkowski space by (non-abelian) free groups acting propertly discontinuously. Goldman, Labourie and Margulis have shown that they are determined by a convex co-compact hyperbolic surface S along with a first-order deformation of the metric which uniformly decreases the lengths of closed geodesics. Danciger, Gu\'eritaud and Kassel show that those space-times are principal ℝ-bundles over S with time-like geodesics as fibers, that they are homeomorphic to the interior of a handlebody, and that they admit a fundamental domain bounded by crooked planes. To obtain those results they show that those Margulis space-times are "infinitesimal" versions of 3-dimensional anti-de Sitter manifolds, and are lead to introduce a new parameterization of the space of deformations of a hyperbolic surface that increase the lengths of all closed geodesics. [less ▲]

Varieties of Democracy (V-DEM) Report "Autocratization Surges - Resistance Grows" (2020)

Report (2020)

Main findings 2020. Autocratization – the decline of democratic traits – accelerates in the world: for the first time since 2001, autocracies are in the majority: 92 countries – home to 54% of the global ... [more ▼]

Main findings 2020. Autocratization – the decline of democratic traits – accelerates in the world: for the first time since 2001, autocracies are in the majority: 92 countries – home to 54% of the global population. Almost 35% of the world’s population live in autocratizing nations – 2.6 billion people. EU has its first non-democracy as a member: Hungary is now classed as an electoral authoritarian regime. Major G20 nations and all regions of the world are part of the “third wave of autocratization”: autocratization is affecting Brazil, India, the United States of America, and Turkey, which are major economies with sizeable populations, exercising substantial global military, economic, and political influence. Latin America is back to a level last recorded in the early 1990s while Eastern Europe and Central Asia are at post-Soviet Union lows. India is on the verge of losing its status as a democracy due to the severely shrinking of space for the media, civil society, and the opposition under Prime Minister Modi’s government. Pro-democracy resistance grows from 27% in 2009 to 44% in 2019 amidst the autocratization surge. During 2019, citizens in 29 democracies mobilized against autocratization, such as in Bolivia, Poland, and Malawi. Citizens staged mass protests in 34 autocracies, among them Algeria, Hong Kong, and Sudan. [less ▲]

Varying the number of bidders in the first-price sealed-bid auction: experimental evidence for the one-shot game

in Theory and Decision (2013), 75(3)

Vascular and metabolic risk factors of late-life depression

in Vessel Plus (2022)

VAT neutrality

Doctoral thesis (2014)

Most major economies use a value added tax (VAT) which is a derivation of the French 1954 taxe sur la valeur ajoutée. The initial imposition of VAT in France and its spread around the world have been ... [more ▼]

Most major economies use a value added tax (VAT) which is a derivation of the French 1954 taxe sur la valeur ajoutée. The initial imposition of VAT in France and its spread around the world have been driven by economic reasons. This thesis focuses on one of these economic triggers: the neutrality of VAT as regards the functioning of the economy. It demonstrates that the reason VAT was chosen in France and why thereafter it spread around the world was because it offered the possibility to collect governmental revenue while allowing the economic forces of the market to interplay without being adversely affected. The prerequisite conditions for the existence of VAT neutrality are therefore identified herein along with an overview of the VAT mechanism, demonstrating that the concept of neutrality is built into the VAT system in a manner that allows for the preservation of the natural functioning of the market. After the definition of VAT neutrality is set forth, the elements that comprise VAT neutrality are tested against the realities on the ground and the issues that infringe the neutrality of VAT are identified and analysed. In conclusion, remedies for these issues are being sought by a review of the causes of infringement of VAT neutrality in the perspective of selected proposals for modified VAT systems. These proposals include redesignating the place where VAT is levied and improving VAT collection. Ultimately, the proposed solution has recourse to the roots of VAT together with the most advanced technological tools available to give back to VAT the power to levy revenue while letting the economic forces of the market interplay without instigating any adverse influence. [less ▲]

Vaterschaftswunsch und -absicht schwuler Männer

Scientific Conference (2014, September)

VC investors’ venture screening: the role of the decision maker’s education and experience

in Journal of Business Economics (2022), 92(1), 27-63

We assess whether and how VC investors’ education and experience influence their screening decisions of potential investee candidates. Empirically, we perform an experimental choice-based-conjoint (CBC ... [more ▼]

We assess whether and how VC investors’ education and experience influence their screening decisions of potential investee candidates. Empirically, we perform an experimental choice-based-conjoint (CBC) analysis with 564 individual VC investors. Our results highlight that the level and field of education, as well as the decision maker’s investment and entrepreneurial experience, moderate the relative importance of different screening criteria. More specifically, we find that international scalability seems to become more important for decision makers with higher education and those with entrepreneurial experience. Whereas decision makers with a background in natural science focus on the value-added of the product or service, engineers seem to value a break even profitability and focus less on the management team. Investment experience, on the other hand, leads to a stronger focus on the management team. Our study contributes to the literature investigating the influence of human capital characteristics of the decision maker in venture financing. Practical implications exist for entrepreneurial ventures seeking financing and for risk capital investors making investments in such ventures. [less ▲]