Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complying with the Transposition Deadlines of EU Directives: Evidence from Italy

This article assesses the causes of the timing of transposition of 2179 EU directives, using an original dataset of 3183 laws adopted by the Italian authorities. Amendments to Commission directives are transposed sooner. Additionally, EU laws with longer time for adaptation present a lower risk of delay beyond the deadline. More intense supranational monitoring speeds up transposition and lowers the risk of delay. Interestingly, as the volume of EU laws to be incorporated increases, transposition “accelerates” and, since 1984, delay is less likely to occur. As expected, administrative and legal reforms undertaken at the national level have lowered the risk of delay and increased the likelihood of transposition. Finally, those legal instruments that offer the opportunity to potential veto players to voice their concerns and delay transposition do not appear to corroborate entirely our predictions. As expected, legislative and local authority measures increase the risk of delay, while ministerial acts both lower this risk and expedite transposition. But, contrary to our predictions, legislative and cabinet acts accelerate transposition and cabinet measures increase rather than reduce the likelihood of delay.
Modelling and validation of a propellant mixer for controller design q

A mixing chamber used in rocket engine testing at the NASA Stennis Space Center is modelled by a system of two nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The mixer is used to condition the thermodynamic properties of cryogenic liquid propellant by controlled injection of the same substance in the gaseous phase. The three inputs of the mixer are the positions of the valves regulating the liquid and gas flows at the inlets, and the position of the exit valve regulating the flow of conditioned propellant. Mixer operation during a test requires the regulation of its internal pressure, exit mass flow, and exit temperature. A mathematical model is developed to facilitate subsequent controller designs. The model must be simple enough to lend itself to subsequent feedback controller design, yet its accuracy must be tested against real data. For this reason, the model includes function calls to thermodynamic property data. Some structural properties of the resulting model that pertain to controller design, such as uniqueness of the equilibrium point, feedback linearizability and local stability are shown to hold under conditions having direct physical interpretation. q Supported by NASA Stennis Space Center through NRC Contract NASW-99027 and NASA Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. * Corresponding author. Address: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Cleveland State University, Stilwell Hall 242, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA. Fax: 1 216 687 5375. E-mail addresses: h.richter@ssuohio.edu (H. Richter), ebarbieri@uh.edu (E. Barbieri), fernando.figueroa-1@ nasa.gov (F. Figueroa). The existence of fixed valve positions that attain a desired operating condition is also shown. Validation of the model against real data is likewise provided.
Sensitivity Analysis of Transonic Flow over J-78 Wings

3D transonic flow over swept and unswept wings with an J-78 airfoil at spanwise sections is studied numerically at negative and vanishing angles of attack. Solutions of the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations are obtained with a finite-volume solver on unstructured meshes. The numerical simulation shows that adverse Mach numbers, at which the lift coefficient is highly sensitive to small perturbations, are larger than those obtained earlier for 2D flow. Due to the larger Mach numbers, there is an onset of self-exciting oscillations of shock waves on the wings. The swept wing exhibits a higher sensitivity to variations of the Mach number than the unswept one.
Information link model for construction using artificial intelligence

This paper reports on a novel project model developed to help clients plan, monitor and control their construction projects. It describes a knowledge-based system designed for this purpose. The paper initially concentrates on the practical aspect of knowledge acquisition indicating problems that were faced and solutions employed. Following this, the structure of the knowledge-based system which was developed is outlined and its use described. Conclusions are drawn as to the applicability of the model and the final system. The work undertaken shows that it is feasible to benefit from the field of artificial intelligence to develop a project manager assistant computer program that utilises the benefit of information and its links.
Design and positive financial impact of crush pillars on mechanized deep-level mining at South Deep Gold Mine

Crush pillars were introduced to the destress stopes of South Deep Gold Mine (South Deep) to improve efficiencies and face availability. The behaviour of crush pillars has been studied previously on the platinum mines (Watson, 2010), and the findings were adapted to the different environment at South Deep. One of the most significant environmental differences was the larger closure rate with occasional rapid loading, typical of a deep mining environment. The quartzite rocks of the Witwatersrand gold mines are also more brittle than rocks of the platinum mines, which needed to be incorporated in the design philosophy. This paper describes the design methodology as well as measurements conducted to verify the design. Finally, the results from a trial site are described. The old and new mining methods are compared to provide the reader with a sense of the positive financial impact that the pillars can have on the mine. Description of the mine
Established liked versus disliked brands: Brain activity, implicit associations and explicit responses

Abstract Consumers’ attitudes towards established brands were tested using implicit and explicit measures. In particular, late positive potential (LPP) effects were assessed as an implicit neurophysiological measure of motivational significance. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) was used as an implicit behavioural measure of valence-related aspects (affective content) of brand attitude. We constructed individualised stimulus lists of liked and disliked brand types from participants’ subjective pre-assessment. Participants then re-rated these visually presented brands whilst brain potential changes were recorded via electroencephalography (EEG). First, self-report measures during the test confirmed pre-assessed attitudes underlining consistent explicit rating performance. Second, liked brands elicited significantly more positive going waveforms (LPPs) than disliked brands over right parietal cortical areas starting at about 800 ms post stimulus onset (reaching statistical significance at around 1,000 ms) and lasting until the end of the recording epoch (2,000 ms). In accordance to the literature, this finding is interpreted as reflecting positive affect-related motivational aspects of liked brands. Finally, the IAT revealed that both liked and disliked brands indeed are associated with affect-related valence. The increased levels of motivation associated with liked brands is interpreted as potentially reflecting increased purchasing intention, but this is of course only speculation at this stage.
Housing market dynamics and welfare

We augment a closed-economy DSGE model with collateral constraints tied to real estate values by incorporating the time-to-build phenomenon in the housing construction sector. Adding construction sector delays significantly improves business cycle properties of the model relative to the versions with no time-to-build delays or with permanently fixed housing stock. We also find that in the presence of construction lags adding housing prices to the central bank policy function increases aggregate welfare in the economy by up to 0.3 percent of consumption. This result is robust to several specifications of the Taylor rule and to changes in key parameter values.
A METHOD FOR COMPUTING UPPER BOUNDS ON THE SIZE OF A MAXIMUM CLIQUE

Maximum clique problem is to find a maximum clique(largest in size) in an undirected graph G. We present a method that computes either a maximum clique or an upper bound for the size of a maximum clique in G. We show that this method performs well on certain class of graphs and discuss the application of this method in a branch and bound algorithm for solving maximum clique problem, whose efficiency is depended on the computation of good upper bounds.
Image Quality Assessment and Some Solving Approaches to Current Issues

Image Quality Assessment and Some Solving Approaches to Current Issues Zhao Wenzhe Qin Shiyin (School of Automation Science and Electrical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China) Abstract According to the current development trends in the image quality assessment, a series of assessment methodologies and their corresponding measures were comparatively analyzed in depth. Several conventional measures of performance indices are tested with samples from the image database of LIVE in U-Texas at Austin, based on which the monotonicity, veracity, and consistency of various index measures are discussed, expounded and commented by using the subjective scores in the database, so as to indicate their applicability and limitations. Thus the VQEG standard is employed to validate the correctness of the above results. Moreover, some important issues in engineering applications and possible solving approaches are proposed based on the current development trends and requirements of practical applications.
Modeling the influence of river rehabilitation scenarios on bed material sediment flux in a large river over decadal timescales

A stochastic flood generator and calibrated sediment transport formulae were used to assess the decadal impact of major river rehabilitation strategies on two fraction bed material sediment flux and net storage, first‐order indicators of aquatic riverine habitat, in a large river system. Model boundary conditions were modified to reflect the implementation of three major river rehabilitation strategies being considered in the Sacramento River Valley: gravel augmentation, setting back of levees, and flow alteration. Fifty 30‐year model simulations were used to compute probabilities of the response in sediment flux and net storage to these strategies. Total annual average bed material sediment flux estimates were made at six gauged river cross sections, and ∼60 km reach‐scale sediment budgets were evaluated between them. Gravel augmentation to improve spawning habitat induced gravel accumulation locally and/or downstream, depending on the added mixture. Levee setbacks to recreate the river corridor reduced flow stages for most flows and hence lowered sediment flux. Flow alteration to mimic natural flow regimes systematically decreased total annual average flux, suggesting that high‐magnitude low‐frequency transport events do not affect long‐term trends in bed material flux. The results indicate that each rehabilitation strategy reduces sediment transport in its target reaches and modulates imbalances in total annual bed material sediment budgets at the reach scale. Additional risk analysis is necessary to identify extreme conditions associated with variable hydrology that could affect rehabilitation over decades. Sensitivity analysis suggests that sorting of bed material sediment is the most important determinant of modeled transport and storage patterns.
Cryptic Species: A Mismatch between Genetics and Morphology in Millepora

M illepore morphology is h ighly variable and shows signs of phenotypic plasticity. Two species of Millepora are present around the islands of the Bahamas: one exhibit ing a strong, blade-like structure, Millepora complanata, and the other having a delicate branch-like structure, Millepora alcicornis. The phylogenetic relationship of these corals has been under considerable debate for many years. The existence of a range of intermediate growth forms exh ibit ing characteristics of both recognized species has led to the re-examination of this species complex. Several methods were emp loyed to examine the taxono mic relationship including ecological abundance surveys, morphological thin-section analysis, and sequencing of rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) reg ions. Abundance surveys showed a demarcat ion of growth forms by depth at two sites but an intermingling of growth forms at a third site. Morphometric analysis resulted in discrimination between M. alcicornis, M. complanata and the intermediate g rowth forms. However, rDNA sequence differences revealed the presence of two distinct clades, each containing members of the two currently recognized species as well as intermediate growth forms. The sequence analysis suggests the presence of two, phenotypically plastic cryptic species. Although limited in scope, our results indicate that caution should be exercised when describing species based on morphology alone and that multip le characters, including genetic information, should be used when describing species relationships.
Dry season discharge and sediment yield of the northern tributaries of the Kathmandu Valley, Central Nepal

Population growth, urbanization and improper land use practice cause change in natural behavior of the river system. In this point soil erosion and sediment deposition in the river channel adversely bring environmental problems like variation in discharge, surface water physical quality, sediment transportation capacity, sediment yield and stream power. In lack of proper research and planning, disasters like flooding, failure of engineering structure, bank erosion and imbalance in aquatic ecosystem can be seen. To better understand the stream, present work was carried out to determine the discharge, sediment transportation capacity, sediments yield and stream power of northern major tributaries of the Bagmati River. Subsequent to this, relations between the two or more than two morpho-hydraulic parameters with the discharge and sediments load were evaluated.The northern Bagmati River basin occupies an area of 3750 sq. km and lies within 26°42’ and 27°50’ N latitude and 85°02’ and 85°58’ E longitude. The Bagmati River, non-glacial perennial river, consists of four main tributaries contributing from the northern part of the Bagmari River basin. They are the Manahara River, Bagmati River, Dhobi Khola and the Bishnumati River. The four major tributaries including the Bagmati River were upto sixth stream order. The study revealed that water discharge varied from 0.033 to 1.983 m3/s and the grain size distribution d50 ranged from 0.0002 to 0.0250 m. The study found that the suspended load for dry season varied from 5.93 to 916 mg/L and the bed load from 6 to 393711 tonnes/day. The total sediment yield ranged from 0.58 to 22029.64 tonnes/km2/day. The boundary shear stress and critical shear stress ranged from 0.03 to 30.87 N/m2 and 0.05 to 0.06 N/m2, respectively. The stream power per unit channel width was found to vary from 0.001 to 0.06 KNm/s/m2 for tributaries. Except at few sites, the rest of the sites of the studied river exhibit competency and good capability of sediment transport of the rivers. This study helps to implement proper engineering hydraulic practices around the river corridors.Bulletin of the Department of Geology, Vol. 19, 2016, pp. 29–44
What Should we do in the Context of Land Use Change Occurring Frequently in China

China’s effort to mitigate soil organic carbon (SOC) loss caused by rapid land use changes over the last two decades faces great challenges. Generally, land use change projects in China have been performed without considering the mechanisms involved in the link between land use change and SOC dynamic. Such situation will likely increase the climatic and environmental risks brought by land use changes. In this paper, we illustrate why most studies over the past several decades in China have been unable to provide significant guiding information for what kind of land use can be adopted to benefit the climate and ecological environments. In addition, we recommend the combination of soil organic matter fractionation with radiocarbon assessment, which researchers are working on to better predict the dynamic trends of SOC under land use change and present several proposals in regard to how to sequester more carbon in soils after land use change.
Causal Interactive Links Between Presence and Fear in Virtual Reality Height Exposure

Virtual reality plays an increasingly important role in research and therapy of pathological fear. However, the mechanisms how virtual environments elicit and modify fear responses are not yet fully understood. Presence, a psychological construct referring to the ‘sense of being there’ in a virtual environment, is widely assumed to crucially influence the strength of the elicited fear responses, however, causality is still under debate. The present study is the first that experimentally manipulated both variables to unravel the causal link between presence and fear responses. Height-fearful participants (N = 49) were immersed into a virtual height situation and a neutral control situation (fear manipulation) with either high versus low sensory realism (presence manipulation). Ratings of presence and verbal and physiological (skin conductance, heart rate) fear responses were recorded. Results revealed an effect of the fear manipulation on presence, i.e., higher presence ratings in the height situation compared to the neutral control situation, but no effect of the presence manipulation on fear responses. However, the presence ratings during the first exposure to the high quality neutral environment were predictive of later fear responses in the height situation. Our findings support the hypothesis that experiencing emotional responses in a virtual environment leads to a stronger feeling of being there, i.e., increase presence. In contrast, the effects of presence on fear seem to be more complex: on the one hand, increased presence due to the quality of the virtual environment did not influence fear; on the other hand, presence variability that likely stemmed from differences in user characteristics did predict later fear responses. These findings underscore the importance of user characteristics in the emergence of presence.
NBS-Encoding Genes in Brassica napus Evolved Rapidly After Allopolyploidization and Co-localize With Known Disease Resistance Loci

Genes containing nucleotide-binding sites (NBS) play an important role in pathogen resistance in plants. However, the evolutionary fate of NBS-encoding genes after formation of allotetraploid Brassica napus (AnAnCnCn, 2n = 38) is still unknown. We performed a genome-wide comparison of putatively functional NBS-encoding genes in B. napus and its progenitor species Brassica rapa (ArAr, 2n = 20) and Brassica oleracea (CoCo, 2n = 18), identifying 464, 202, and 146 putatively functional NBS-encoding genes respectively, with genes unevenly distributed in several clusters. The An-subgenome of B. napus possessed similar numbers of NBS-encoding genes (191 genes) to the Ar genome of B. rapa (202 genes) and similar clustering patterns. However, the Cn genome of B. napus had many more genes (273) than the B. oleracea Co genome (146), with different clustering trends. Only 97 NBS-encoding genes (66.4%) in B. oleracea were homologous with NBS-encoding genes in B. napus, while 176 NBS-encoding genes (87.1%) were homologous between B. rapa and B. napus. These results suggest a greater diversification of NBS-encoding genes in the C genome may have occurred after formation of B. napus. Although most NBS-encoding genes in B. napus appeared to derive from the progenitors, the birth and death of several NBS-encoding genes was also putatively mediated by non-homologous recombination. The Ka/Ks values of most homologous pairs between B. napus and the progenitor species were less than 1, suggesting purifying selection during B. napus evolution. The majority of NBS-encoding genes (60% in all species) showed higher expression levels in root tissue (out of root, leaf, stem, seed and flower tissue types). Comparative analysis of NBS-encoding genes with mapped resistance QTL against three major diseases of B. napus (blackleg, clubroot and Sclerotinia stem rot) found 204 NBS-encoding genes in B. napus located within 71 resistance QTL intervals. The majority of NBS-encoding genes were co-located with resistance QTLs against a single disease, while 47 genes were co-located with QTLs against two diseases and 3 genes were co-located with QTLs against all three. Our results revealed significant variation as well as interesting evolutionary trajectories of NBS-encoding genes in the different Brassica subgenomes, while co-localization of NBS-encoding genes and resistance QTL may facilitate resistance breeding in oilseed rape.
Quality of Life in Brain Cancer: Clinical Validation of the Mexican-Spanish Version of the EORTC QLQ-BN20 Questionnaire

Background: Overall survival (OS) of patients with Brain Cancer (BC) is slowly increasing. The disease itself and its treatments deeply impact patient Health-related quality of life (HRQL). Therefore, valid and reliable instruments are needed. In this study, the Mexican-Spanish version of the QLQ-BN20 instrument is psychometrically and clinically validated. Methods: Patients with brain cancer (BC) (primary or metastatic) evaluated at a tertiary cancer center, were invited to respond to the questionnaire, as well as the core-module QLQ-C30. Tests to demonstrate the instrument's internal consistency, the association of HRQL scales with clinical variables and OS were investigated. Results: One hundred and nineteen patients were included in this cohort: 77 women and 42 men (mean age, 46.2 years). Patients answered both instruments in < 30 min. Good convergent [all correlation coefficients (CC) > 0.37] and discriminant validity was observed and was associated with significant overlap (CC 0.007–0.68). All four multi-item scales of QLQ-BN20 also demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach α > 0.7). Several scales of the QLQ-BN20 were significantly associated with performance status and a modified Recursive Partition Analysis. Of the possible scale correlations, 40 of 161 (24.8%) scales in both instruments, were significantly (directly or inversely) correlated. Visual disorders, Motor dysfunction, Seizures and Weakness of the legs presented association with OS (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The Mexican-Spanish version of the BN20 instrument is valid and reliable and can be used in clinical trials in patients with BC. Some HRQL scales were associated with OS and could therefore be incorporated in future studies of prognostic models.
Biomineralization and Bioaccumulation of Europium by a Thermophilic Metal Resistant Bacterium

Rare earth metals are widely used in the production of many modern technologies. However, there is concern that supply cannot meet the growing demand in the near future. The extraction from low-grade sources such as geothermal fluids could contribute to address the increasing demand for these compounds. Here we investigated the interaction and eventual bioaccumulation of europium (Eu) by a thermophilic bacterium, Thermus scotoductus SA-01. We demonstrated that this bacterial strain can survive in high levels (up to 1 mM) of Eu, which is hundred times higher than typical concentrations found in the environment. Furthermore, Eu seems to stimulate the growth of T. scotoductus SA-01 at low (0.01–0.1 mM) concentrations. We also found, using TEM-EDX analysis, that the bacterium can accumulate Eu both intracellularly and extracellularly. FT-IR results confirmed that carbonyl and carboxyl groups were involved in the biosorption of Eu. Infrared and HR-XPS analysis demonstrated that Eu can be biomineralized by T. scotoductus SA-01 as Eu2(CO3)3. This suggests that T. scotoductus SA-01 can potentially be used for the biorecovery of rare earth metals from geothermal fluids.