Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A quadratic exponential model for the analysis of item response data

Riassunto: Si propone un metodo di stima del modello logistico a due parametri (2-PL) per l’analisi di dati derivanti dalla somministrazione di un questionario con domande valutate in modo dicotomico. Il metodo e basato su un’approssimazione, formulata seguendo Cox e Wermuth (1994), del modello in questione tramite un modello esponenziale quadratico i cui parametri sono stimabili tramite una semplice procedura iterativa. Vengono considerati uno studio per simulazione ed un’applicazione su dati reali. Infine si accenna ad una possibile estensione del modello al caso multidimensionale.
A DEEP SPACE HABITAT FOR EXPLORATION

The paper describes a habitable module to be used for long duration space exploration missions. The Deep Space Habitat (DSH) is conceived as a cis-lunar orbital infrastructure and a space-ship for deep space exploration missions. It will represent the first outpost beyond LEO, being deployed at the first Earth-Moon Lagrangian point (EML1), and is envisaged as a human-tended infrastructure with crew visits periodically foreseen. The DSH has to be firstly used as a platform for research and to demonstrate a set of critical technologies and associated operations required to perform a deep space human exploration mission (e.g. to a NEO). In this regard, placing the module at EML1 allows reproducing conditions that would be encountered during a travel to an asteroid (or to Mars), thus guaranteeing the possibility to test specific technologies in a more significant environment with respect to what possible on ground or in LEO (e.g. effects of radiations on human body outside the protection of the Van Allen belts and radiation protection system test). Besides being a technology test bed, the DSH will support lunar human exploration missions, providing a staging post and a safe haven for crew working on the Moon surface. The overall architecture of the DSH has derived from a set of system trade-off performed accordingly to the objectives to be accomplished: the most important features are described within the paper. The DSH deployed at EML1 can be seen as a first unit to be utilized as a precursor for a habitation module to be actually adopted for hosting the crew during a deep space mission (to a NEO or to Mars). Indeed, a second unit is envisaged, which exploits the experience gained through its precursor, having a common core with it and implementing technologies previously tested on it. Only minor changes shall be envisioned due to the peculiarities of the mission for which it is used. In particular, the description of the second unit presented in the paper refers to a specific reference mission to a NEO lasting one year. The first part of the paper focuses on the main performed trade-offs, as well as the obtained results, in terms of both system architecture and operations, highlighting the major differences between the two envisioned units. The second part is devoted to the critical and enabling technologies, with particular attention to advanced regenerative ECLSS, rapid prototyping and radiation protection system
PII: S1385-1101(00)00014-9

This paper discusses structure and function of the P aeocystiscolony skin, and relates them to the specific impact of Phaeocystiscolonies on ecology and biogeochemistry. The potential advantage of the recently discovered tough skin around the colonies ofPhaeocystis globosa is discussed in context with the metabolic costs of this structure, and compared to potential functions of structures around other phytoplankton. It is further proposed that mainly small, fast-growing pathogens and predators will be deterred by the colony skin. It will be shown that these theoretical predictions are consistent with available data from the literature, and can explain the dominance of the colonial form in Phaeocystisblooms. Finally, the peculiar biogeochemistry of Phaeocystiscolonies, especially the sedimentation of Phaeocystis -derived organic matter, is argued to be a function of the susceptibility of Phaeocystiscolonies to certain grazers, which in turn is strongly determined by the architecture and function of the colony skin. During the exponential phase of the bloom, Phaeocystis -derived organic matter can efficiently sink in faecal material of large zooplankton, which actively feed on the colonies. However, the integrity of the colony skin, and consequently its protection for the cells therein, seems to be closely coupled to the phase of active growth. Accordingly, the cells are massively affected by small grazers and pathogens and thus rapidly disintegrate after the culmination of the bloom, so that sedimentation of Phaeocystis -derived organic matter becomes probably restricted to the more refractory extracellular components of the colonies. q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
SURFACE ALBEDO OBTAINED WITH MODIS IMAGES IN CASES OF LOW AND HIGH AEROSOL LOADING IN THE ATMOSPHERE

ABSTRACT . The surface albedo is a parameter of vital importance for estimating the net radiation. This parameter is obtained by using data obtained from satelliteimages and by utilizing the appropriate method for atmospheric correction. The method used by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to obtainsurface reflectance through MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) sensor aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites (MOD09 and MYD09 products) hasproved inaccurate for the detection of burning areas in the Amazon region – for products in both collection 4 and collection 5. Other methods have been used toobtain the albedo. However, these are limited to atmospheric conditions with negligible aerosol influence. In the present work, we have established a relationshipbetween surface reflectance and the top of atmosphere, based on a radiative transfer model in an atmosphere of multiple layers. The method applied to productsLevel 1B (MOD02 and MYD02) in regions of low aerosol loading (Northeast Brazil) produces results similar to those effected by product MOD09. Furthermore, inregions of high aerosol loading (burnings in the Amazon region of Brazil), the method presents much higher performance than that rendered by the MOD09 andMYD09 products, improving, therefore, by more than 10% the accuracy of these results. The method is simple, efficient and easy to use. Keywords: reflectance, atmospheric correction, method of two streams, burning regions. RESUMO . O albedo da superficie e um parâmetro fundamental na estimativa do saldo de radiacao. Ele pode ser obtido atraves de dados gerados por imagens desatelite, utilizando um metodo adequado de correcao atmosferica. O metodo usado pela NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), para obter refletânciasda superficie, atraves do sensor MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) abordo dos satelites Terra e Aqua (produtos MOD09 e MYD09), apresentaproblemas em regioes de queimadas na Amazonia, tanto os produtos da colecao 4 como os da colecao 5. Outros metodos tem sido utilizados para a obtencao doalbedo. No entanto, eles sao limitados a aplicacao em atmosfera com pouca influencia de aerossol. Neste trabalho, e estabelecida uma relacao entre a refletânciada superficie e a do topo da atmosfera, com base em um modelo de transferencia radiativa numa atmosfera de multiplas camadas. O metodo aplicado aos produtos nivel 1B (MOD02 e MYD02), em regioes de baixa carga de aerossol (Nordeste do Brasil), produz resultados semelhantes ao produto MOD09, e em regioes de altacarga de aerossol (regiao de queimadas na Amazonia brasileira), apresenta desempenho superior aos produtos MOD09 e MYD09, melhorando em mais de 10% aprecisao desses resultados. O metodo e simples, eficiente e de facil utilizacao. Palavras-chave: refletância, correcao atmosferica, metodo de dois fluxos, regiao de queimadas.
Dynamics of Wave Packets Generated at a Finite Distance from a Scattering Step

The scattering process of wave packets is often described recovering the simple monochromatic scheme supposing that the particle comes from −∞ with a sharp momentum distribution, thus allowing for approximations usually used in common calculations of physical quantities involved in the process. In this work, we study the scattering process of a Gaussian wave packet impinging on the step potential, finding out that its dynamics depends on the initial conditions of the incident particle, and in particular on the wave packet origin x0. We propose a semi-classical approximated model to describe the dynamics of the scattering wave packet, also defining a characteristic time interval tf as the time required for the formation of transmitted packet beyond the step. Through a comparison with the numerical solution of the Schrodinger equation, our model explains the tf as a function of the origin x0 and spread of the incident wave packet in coordinate space, giving rise to such a dependence for a finite distance scattering processes.
Spin-orbit angle distribution and the origin of (mis)aligned hot Jupiters

Context. For 61 transiting hot Jupiters, the projection of the angle between the orbital plane and the stellar equator (called the spinorbit angle) has been measured. For about half of them, a significant misalignment is detected, and retrograde planets have been observed. This challenges scenarios of the formation of hot Jupiters. Aims. In order to better constrain formation models, we relate the distribution of the real spin-orbit angle Ψ to the projected one β. Then, a comparison with the observations is relevant. Methods. We analyse the geometry of the problem to link analytically the projected angle β to the real spin-orbit angle Ψ. The distribution of Ψ expected in various models is taken from the literature, or derived with a simplified model and Monte Carlo simulations in the case of the disk-torquing mechanism. Results. An easy formula to compute the probability density function (PDF) of β knowing the PDF of Ψ is provided. All models tested here look compatible with the observed distribution beyond 40 degrees, which is so far poorly constrained by only 18 observations. But only the disk-torquing mechanism can account for the excess of aligned hot Jupiters, provided that the torquing is not always efficient. This is the case if the exciting binaries have semi-major axes as large as ∼10 4 AU. Conclusions. Based on comparison with the set of observations available today, scattering models and the Kozai cycle with tidal friction models can not be solely responsible for the production of all hot Jupiters. Conversely, the presently observed distribution of the spin-orbit angles is compatible with most hot Jupiters having been transported by smooth migration inside a proto-planetary disk, itself possibly torqued by a companion.
PROPOSING A MODEL FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURS’ CASH WAQF INTENTION

This paper aims to propose a model of entrepreneurship development by focusing on the role of cash waqf intention as a mediator on the relationship of cash waqf awareness, religiosity, attitude towards act, subjective norms, perceived behavioral and entrepreneurship development. By enhancing the theory of planned behavior, a structured question was designed to survey 459 Nigerian entrepreneurs. SEM analysis was used to test the theoretical framework and to propose a model of entrepreneurship development in Nigeria by means of Waqf. Result shows that the most important variables to explain entrepreneurs’ cash waqf intention for business growth are cash waqf awareness and attitude towards cash waqf. It is argued in this research that the presence of high level of cash waqf awareness and the attitude towards cash waqf can play an important role in achieving business growth. The paper extends the applicability of the theory of planned behavior, cash waqf awareness and religiosity in investigating the effect of cash waqf intention for business development.
Dissolved and suspended organic carbon in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. Stock dynamics in upper ocean waters

Dissolved and suspended organic carbon (DOC and POC) distributions were studied in the undersampled Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean during Cruise HE052 of the 'Bio Hesperides' in December 1998. The coastal waters of the ice edge, the Gerlache Strait, and the open-ocean waters of the Weddell Sea and the Drake Passage were sampled. The high correlation between chlorophyll a (chl a), DOC and POC suggest that a considerable fraction (estimated at 15 to 30%) of the organic matter available in the upper mixed layer of the different study regions is the product of synthesis and early degradation of planktonic primary production. Relatively low renewal times (≤2 wk) of this material, except in the Polar Front Zone (>5 wk), were deduced from measured primary/bacterial production rates Maximum contributions of this potentially bioreactive organic carbon pool (TOC B ) to the total organic carbon (TOC) were observed in the highly productive waters of the ice edge (24%) and Gerlache Strait (30%) regions, where high chl a levels and shallow upper mixed layers (due to marked salinity gradients) occurred. DOC represented 42 and 56 % of TOC B , in these regions, respectively. In contrast, TOC B comprised ≤20% of TOC in the less productive open-ocean waters of the Weddell Sea and Drake Passage, where DOC made up ≥65% of TOC B , The Subantarctic Zone constituted an exception, with high chl a levels and a shallow upper mixed layer (due to marked temperature gradients): 29% of the organic carbon in the upper mixed layer was TOC B , 68% of which was in the dissolved fraction. Accumulation of DOC in the study regions points to a reduction in bacterial activity through mechanisms other than substrate limitation.
ONE YEAR PROSPECTIVE STUDY TO COMPARE UNDERLAY AND OVERLAY TECHNIQUES OF MYRINGOPLASTY

Tympanic membrane perforation may be traumatic in origin or due to CSOM which may not heal spontaneously. Over the years various modalities of treatment have evolved for the treatment of this. Primary aim of the treatment is to control and eliminate the foci of infection. The closure of tympanic membrane perforation with different graft materials restores the vibratory area of the membrane, gives round window protection, reduces susceptibility of the middle ear mucosa to infection and improves hearing. Two basic techniques have come up in which the graft is placed either over the drum remnant or under the drum remnant and the techniques are called overlay and underlay respectively. The present study is an attempt to compare the results of both techniques in a tertiary care hospital. Tympanic membrane perforation may be traumatic in origin or due to CSOM which may not heal spontaneously. Over the years various modalities of treatment have evolved for the treatment of this. Primary aim of the treatment is to control and eliminate the foci of infection. The closure of tympanic membrane perforation with different graft materials restores the vibratory area of the membrane, gives round window protection, reduces susceptibility of the middle ear mucosa to infection and improves hearing. Two basic techniques have come up in which the graft is placed either over the drum remnant or under the drum remnant and the techniques are called overlay and underlay respectively. The present study is an attempt to compare the results of both techniques in a tertiary care hospital.
Influential Factors on Fatigue in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

This descriptive study was performed to identify the factors that influence fatigue in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 117 subjects were recruited from a university hospital in J city. For data collection, a questionnaire survey was performed between May 1 and June 28 2013. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson Correlation, and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS WIN 15.0 package. The mean fatigue scores of the subjects was 2.80. Depression, age, and time since the diagnosis were the variables influencing fatigue. The total explanatory power of these factors on fatigue was 40%. In conclusion, it is essential to develop a fatigue control nursing program considering depression, age and time since the diagnosis for patients with type 2 Diabetes mellitus.
Phenomenological description of young massive star clusters

The most massive stars appear grouped in giant molecular clouds. Their strong wind activity generates large structures known as super bubbles and induces collective effects which could accelerate particles up to the high energy and produce gamma-rays. The best objects to observe these effects are young massive star clusters in which no supernova explosion has occurred yet. Such star associations are typically still embedded in their parent molecular cloud, which can be traced by the emission due to ionization by the stellar light (HII region). Considering this region as a spherical leaky-box surrounding a central cosmic ray source, a phenomenological model has been developed to estimate cosmic-rays and gamma-rays production for several clusters. The expected gamma-ray flux have been finally compared to the present and future gamma-ray telescopes sensitivities.
Trapline foraging by bumble bees: VII. Adjustments for foraging success following competitor removal

Animals collecting food from renewable resource patches scattered in space often establish small foraging areas to which they return faithfully. Such area fidelity offers foraging advantages through selection of profitable patches, route minimization, and regular circuit visits to these patches ("trapline foraging"). Resource distribution under field conditions may often vary in time, however, especially when competitors suddenly vanish and a number of patches become available for their neighbors. Previous studies suggested that site-faithful foragers of bumble bees quickly respond to such unexpected events by readjusting their foraging areas, although it is not clear how much their foraging performance was improved, beyond the simple relaxation of competitive pressure, or how they manifest such flexibility while persistently using certain foraging areas or paths. Here, we conducted indoor flight-cage experiments with bumble bees and found that a bee, when encountering a loss of its competitor, improved its foraging performance to a greater extent than expected from a simple relaxation of competitive pressure by increasing the size of its foraging area. Moreover, bees with better-established traplines achieved greater foraging areas after the loss of competitors, suggesting that bees do not necessarily need to "sample" neighboring patches to monitor temporal changes in environments. We discuss how periodical returns and route memory associated with accurate reward values could allow inherently conservative trapliners to make flexible adjustments, by effectively monitoring their circumstances and quickly readjusting to detected changes.
Songbird Responses to Land Preservation Within Southern New England Cluster Subdivisions

Cluster subdivisions were designed to protect open space in response to rapid rates of conventional development. One of the proclaimed benefits of preserving open space within cluster subdivisions is the provision of habitat for native wildlife, but this has rarely been evaluated. This study examined songbird response to the amount of land protected within cluster subdivisions in Rhode Island (USA). We selected 11 sites along a gradient based on the relative amount of land protected within a site (% land under a conservation easement; %CE). We used nonparametric multivariate statistics to compare songbird communities between protected and developed areas within subdivisions and regression analyses to relate bird abundance and community metrics to %CE. Songbird communities differed significantly between protected and developed areas within cluster subdivisions. Songbird richness and diversity both peaked between 73-74 %CE, while densities of forest interior and human intolerant species increased with increasing %CE. Ovenbird, Veery, and Pine Warbler most typified high %CE sites and were found most often in protected areas far from development edges. This study demonstrates that cluster subdivisions need to preserve approximately 70-75% of the original undeveloped parcel of land in order to maximize songbird diversity. A higher percentage should be preserved in large contiguous blocks to further benefit forest interior species. This suggests that proposed regulations that require Rhode Island subdivisions to protect at least 50% of a parcel’s buildable land may not be adequate to enhance bird diversity or preserve species that depend on large contiguous blocks of forest interior habitat.
Post-Crisis Slow Recovery and Monetary Policy

In the aftermath of the recent financial crisis and subsequent recession, slow recoveries have been observed and slowdowns in total factor productivity (TFP) growth have been measured in many economies. This paper develops a model that can describe a slow recovery resulting from an adverse financial shock in the presence of an endogenous mechanism of TFP growth, and examines how monetary policy should react to the financial shock in terms of social welfare. It is shown that in the face of the financial shocks, a welfare-maximizing monetary policy rule features a strong response to output, and the welfare gain from output stabilization is much more substantial than in the model where TFP growth is exogenously given. Moreover, compared with the welfare-maximizing rule, a strict inflation or price-level targeting rule induces a sizable welfare loss because it has no response to output, whereas a nominal GDP growth or level targeting rule performs well, although it causes high interest-rate volatility. In the presence of the endogenous TFP growth mechanism, it is crucial to take into account a welfare loss from a permanent decline in consumption caused by a slowdown in TFP growth.
Islamic Financial Stability during the US Sub-prime Crisis: Using from Data Panel

The recent global financial crisis has induced a series of failures in many conventional banks. It has plunged the world economy into the deepest recession ever since the end of the Second World War (IMF, 2009). In fact, economic growth of around 7% in 2007 in Western Europe fell to 1% in 2009 [1]. In this case, the moral and ethical aspect of finance began to be more emphasized. This financial crisis has increased the attention on Islamic banking [2]. Indeed, Islamic Banks hold over US $700 billion in assets and are growing at over 15% p.a [3]. In the same vision, [4] the Nobel Laureate, and at the same time the President of the Commission of Experts on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System, stressed that the world would have been able to avoid such a crisis if they have followed the model of Islamic finance. He added for a well-functioning financial system, it must, at its core, real cash). The aims of this paper are to test the resistance of the Islamic Banks (IBs) in comparison with the Conventional ones (CBs) to the last Sub-primes crisis. The solidity of these banks is appreciated across an empirical study of a sample of IBs and CBs in 8 banking systems. This sample is characterized by an important presence of IBs. By referring to an objective study of the solidity of banks measured by the Z-score, we conclude that Small Islamic Banks (SIBs) tend to be financially stronger than Small Conventional ones (SCBs). Large Conventional Banks (LCBs) tend to be financially stronger than Large Islamic ones (LIBs). Small Islamic Banks (SIBs) have tendency to be more solid than the Large Conventional Banks (LCBs).