Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unified View of Black-Hole High-Energy States

ABSTRACT. We present here a review of high-energy (>1 keV) observations of seven black-holecandidates, six of which have estimated masses. In this review we focus on two parameters of interest: theratio of "nonthermal" to total luminosity as a function of the total luminosity divided by the Eddingtonluminosity, and the root-mean-square (rms) variability as a function of the nonthermal-to-total luminosityratio. Below - 10% Eddington luminosity, the sources tend to be strictly nonthermal (the so called "off"and "'low" states). Above this luminosity the sources become mostly thermal (the "high" state), with thenonthermal component increasing with luminosity (the "very high" and "flare" states)• There are importantexceptions to this behavior, however, and no steady - as opposed to transient - source has been observedover a wide range of parameter space. In addition, the rms variability is positively correlated with the ratioof nonthermal to total luminosity, although there may be a minimum level of variability associated with"thermal" states. We discuss these results in light of theoretical models and find that currently no singlemodel describes the fidl range of black-hole high-energy behavior. In fact. the observations are exactlyopposite from what one expects based upon simple notions of accretion disk instabilities.I. INTRODUCTIONGalactic X-ray sources are typically identified as black-hole candidates (BHC) if they have measured mass functionsindicating a compact object with M_3MG, or if their high-energy spectra (- 1 keV - 10 MeV) and temporal variabil-ity (- 10-3- 102 Hz) are similar to other BHC. A review ofthe general observations, a number of theoretical models,plus individual descriptions of most of the approximatelytwenty galactic BHC can be found in Tanaka and Lewin(1995). A review of the timing analyses can be found in vander Klis (1994. 19951 and Miyamoto (19941. These latterreviews attempt to link the energy spectra and timing obser-vations, and they draw analogies to similar observations ofneutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries. The purpose of thiswork is not to summarize or reanalyze these reviews, butrather to look at a subset of BHC where we have some indi-cation of the compact object's mass and its variability prop-erties. (We make one exception to this list, for reasons whichwe elaborate below, and include GX 339-4 which has noreliable mass estimate.) We will, however, come to similarconclusions regarding the associated variability and total en-ergetics of each state as are discussed in the reviews ofMiyamoto (1994) and van der Klis (1995). The energy spectra of BHC have been historically la-belled based upon observations of the soft X-ray band(-1-10 keV). Intense, quasithermal flux is referred to asthe "high" state. Nonthermal flux in this band, typically apower law with a photon index _ of - 1.7, indicates that theBHC is in the "'off" state (for extremely low intensity flux)or "low" state (for moderate intensity flux). Note that in the_1-10 keV band the low state flux is less than the high state
Anti-Periodic Solutions for Shunting Inhibitory Cellular Neural Networks with Continuously Distributed Delays

This paper is concerned with the existence and exponential stability of anti-periodic solutions for shunting inhibitory cellular neural networks (SICNNs) with continuously distributed delays arising from the description of the neur-ons' state in delayed neural networks. Without assuming the global Lipschitz and bounded conditions of activation functions, new sufficient conditions ensuring the existence and exponential stability of anti-periodic solutions for SICNNs are established. Moreover an example is given to illustrate the feasibility of the conditions in our results.
Designing a Mobile and Socially Networked Learning Assistant for a University-level Keyword Advertising Course

An Internet-based learning assistant leveraging the social attribute features of mobile technology is designed and implemented to incorporate updating course content of an upper-level college technology advertising course in real-time. The mobile application offers an online collaborative environment utilizing the inherent social and location-independent features of mobile technology to improve the teaching and learning environment. The application was implemented in a university-level keyword advertising course and integrated with several course-related web tools, including an enterprise-level social network. Aspects of the effectiveness of the application were evaluated using a series of five hypotheses. The results supported three hypotheses testing the relationship between gender and application use, the variations among tool choices
An unsettled bookcase: a critical paradigmatic approach to connect theory and pedagogy

ABSTRACT In this essay, I explore the shifts in the current landscape regarding the treatment of theory and pedagogy as a critical endeavor. Swartz argued that there is disconnect between the work of “theory” and “pedagogy,” a notion I find quite unsettling. In contrast, Critical Communication Pedagogy educators begin with a premise of equity, inclusiveness, and reflexivity—arranging paradigms for disciplinary spaces to foster advancements of theory and pedagogy in concert with each other. I examine the possibilities within the literature, offer consideration for what has been accomplished, nuance the critical paradigm to connect theory and pedagogy through praxis, share innovations and acceptance of disciplinary spaces, and invite a conversation around educational commitments, ownership, and “work. ”
A Comparison of Avatar-, Video-, and Robot-Mediated Interaction on Users’ Trust in Expertise

Communication technologies are becoming increasingly diverse in form and functionality. A central concern is the ability to detect whether others are trustworthy. Judgments of trustworthiness rely, in part, on assessments of nonverbal cues, which are affected by media representations. In this research, we compared trust formation on three media representations. We presented 24 participants with advisors represented by two of three alternate formats: video, avatar, or robot. Unknown to the participants, one was an expert and the other was a non-expert. We observed participants' advice seeking behaviour under risk as an indicator of their trust in the advisor. We found that most participants preferred seeking advice from the expert, but we also found a tendency for seeking robot or video advice. Avatar advice, in contrast, was more rarely sought. Users' self-reports support these findings. These results suggest that when users make trust assessments the physical presence of the robot representation might compensate for the lack of identity cues.
The Substance of Business Banking Relationships

The concept of business banking relationship, ie, the relations between banks and their client firms, as found in literature, is a poor conceptualisation of a rich and complex phenomenon whose structural, dynamic and organisational aspects are thus neglected. Most studies stress the operative and administrative issues whilst others looked at the relationships between banks and their customers as if they were just another variable in the banks marketing mix. Besides, very rarely have relationships themselves (between banks and their customers) been taken as the object of research and analysis This paper seeks to provide a new understanding of the substance of banking relationships. It presents a comparative study of ten banking relationships in Portugal, using the interaction and network approach development by the “IMP Group” in the context of industrial (manufacturing) systems. The study reported here also deals with relationships between firms, but the fact that one of the participants is a bank induces numerous specificities.
Antiasthmatic Effects of Hesperidin, a Potential Th2 Cytokine Antagonist, in a Mouse Model of Allergic Asthma

Background and Objective. The features of asthma are airway inflammation, reversible airflow obstruction, and an increased sensitivity to bronchoconstricting agents, termed airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), excess production of Th2 cytokines, and eosinophil accumulation in the lungs. To investigate the antiasthmatic potential of hesperidin as well as the underlying mechanism involved, we studied the inhibitory effect and anti-inflammatory effect of hesperidin (HPN) on the production of Th2 cytokines, eotaxin, IL-17, -OVA-specific IgE in vivo asthma model mice. Methods. In this paper, BALB/c mice were systemically sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) followed intratracheally, intraperitoneally, and by aerosol allergen challenges. We investigated the effect of HPN on airway hyperresponsiveness, pulmonary eosinophilic infiltration, various immune cell phenotypes, Th2 cytokine production and OVA-specific IgE production in a mouse model of asthma. Results. In BALB/c mice, we found that HPN-treated groups had suppressed eosinophil infiltration, allergic airway inflammation, and AHR, and these occurred by suppressing the production of IL-5, IL-17, and OVA-specific IgE. Conclusions. Our data suggest that the therapeutic mechanism by which HPN effectively treats asthma is based on reductions of Th2 cytokines (IL-5), eotaxin, OVA-specific IgE production, and eosinophil infiltration via inhibition of GATA-3 transcription factor.
Effect of delayed intrathecal administration of capsaicin on neuropathic pain induced by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve in rats

Purpose The current study was designed to examine the antinociceptive effect of intrathecally administered capsaicin, a transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 receptor agonist, in a rat model of neuropathic pain induced by unilateral sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury. Methods Male adult Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to six groups, and all rats underwent unilateral sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury. Two weeks after injury, five groups received intrathecal administration of either capsaicin in three different dosing regimens or equal volumes of vehicle. The other group received intrathecal capsaicin on the third day after nerve injury. The antinociceptive effect of capsaicin was assessed by measuring the capsaicin-induced change in thermal and mechanical response thresholds. Results Capsaicin (150–300 μg/100–200 μL), when administered by fast infusion or chronic infusions at 8 μL/hour or 1 μL/hour, attenuated thermal hyperalgesia as indicated by significantly prolonging paw withdrawal latency to noxious thermal stimulation. The antinociceptive effect of capsaicin was more profound in the injured limb compared to that in the uninjured limb. When capsaicin was administered on the third day after nerve injury, it failed to attenuate thermal hyperalgesia. No significant effect on the mechanical response threshold was observed with intrathecally administered capsaicin. Conclusion Our data suggest that intrathecal capsaicin could significantly attenuate thermal hyperalgesia, depending on the time when the drug is given after nerve injury, and that the antinociceptive efficacy of intrathecal capsaicin positively correlates with the previously reported dynamic profile of spinal transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 activity after nerve injury.
Leveraging ERP Implementation to Create Intellectual Capital: the Role of Organizational Learning Capability

The extent to which enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems deliver value for organizations has been debated. In this study, we argue that the presence of appropriate organizational resources is essential for capturing the potential of ERP implementation. We investigate the relationship between ERP implementation and two organizational resources, specifically, Intellectual Capital (IC) and Organizational Learning Capability (OLC) to enrich the understanding of the way the value of ERP implementations can be realized. A sample of 226 manufacturing firms in Vietnam was surveyed to test the theoretical model. Structural equation modelling with partial least square method and two approaches for moderation analysis were used to analyze the data. The results indicate that ERP implementation scope has a positive impact on intellectual capital (IC). However, firms need to build a certain level of OLC to utilize ERP implementation for the enhancement of IC.
The Cosmic Near-Infrared Background: Remnant Light from Early Stars

The redshifted ultraviolet light from early stars at z ~ 10 contributes to the cosmic near-infrared background. We present detailed calculations of its spectrum with various assumptions about metallicity and the mass spectrum of early stars. We show that if the near-infrared background has a stellar origin, metal-free stars are not the only explanation of the excess near-infrared background; stars with metals (e.g., Z = 1/50 Z☉) can produce the same amount of background intensity as the metal-free stars. We quantitatively show that the predicted average intensity at 1-2 μm is essentially determined by the efficiency of nuclear burning in stars, which is not very sensitive to metallicity. We predict νIν/* ≃ 4-8 nW m-2 sr-1, where * is the mean star formation rate at z = 7-15 (in units of M☉ yr-1 Mpc-3) for stars more massive than 5 M☉. On the other hand, since we have very little knowledge about the form of the mass spectrum of early stars, the uncertainty in the average intensity due to the mass spectrum could be large. An accurate determination of the near-infrared background allows us to probe the formation history of early stars, which is difficult to constrain by other means. While the star formation rate at z = 7-15 inferred from the current data is significantly higher than the local rate at z < 5, it does not rule out the stellar origin of the cosmic near-infrared background. In addition, we show that a reasonable initial mass function, coupled with this star formation rate, does not overproduce metals in the universe in most cases and may produce as little as less than 1% of the metals observed in the universe today.
Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Strategies that Work.

Beyond the Journal • Young Children on the Web • January 2009 1, 3, 7 ® Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects about one and a half million people in the United States. One in every 150 babies is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and boys are four times more likely than girls to have a form of the neurological disorder (Autism Society of America 2006). Many children with ASD, especially those with Asperger’s syndrome, are fully included in regular early childhood classrooms with their typically developing peers (Willis 2009). ASD is a broad-based term under which there are five recognized types of autism. The term spectrum is used because the characteristics of the disorder occur along a continuum, with severe symptoms at one end and very mild behaviors at the other. Where a child falls on the continuum helps determine how to plan for his education. For example, a child may be at the mild end in his ability to communicate with others but at the severe end regarding his behavior around others. ASD is a medical condition usually diagnosed by a developmental pediatrician and/or a team of specialists that may include a speechlanguage pathologist, occupational therapist, or child psychologist. Early intervention offering behavorial, social, and skill-building training is vital. Most children with ASD have an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) or an Individual Education Program (IEP) in place by the time they enter the classroom. These plans are designed with input from the child’s family and can serve as a guide for planning activities and making modifications to the curriculum. They outline the broad goals Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Osteopontin Is Expressed in the Mouse Uterus during Early Pregnancy and Promotes Mouse Blastocyst Attachment and Invasion In Vitro

Embryo implantation into the maternal uterus is a decisive step for successful mammalian pregnancy. Osteopontin (OPN) is a member of the small integrin-binding ligand N-linked glycoprotein family and participates in cell adhesion and invasion. In this study, we showed that Opn mRNA levels are up-regulated in the mouse uterus on day 4 and at the implantation sites on days 5 and 8 of pregnancy. Immunohistochemistry localized the OPN protein to the glandular epithelium on day 4 and to the decidual zone on day 8 of pregnancy. OPN mRNA and proteins are induced by in vivo and in vitro decidualization. OPN expression in the endometrial stromal cells is regulated by progesterone, a key regulator during decidualization. As a secreted protein, the protein level of OPN in the uterine cavity is enriched on day 4, and in vitro embryo culturing has indicated that OPN can facilitate blastocyst hatching and adhesion. Knockdown of OPN attenuates the adhesion and invasion of blastocysts in mouse endometrial stromal cells by suppressing the expression and enzymatic activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in the trophoblast. Our data indicated that OPN expression in the mouse uterus during early pregnancy is essential for blastocyst hatching and adhesion and that the knockdown of OPN in mouse endometrial stroma cells could lead to a restrained in vitro trophoblast invasion.
Mass and Light in the Universe

We present a weak lensing and photometric study of six 0. °5 × 0. °5 fields observed at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope using the UH8K CCD mosaic camera. The fields were observed for a total of 2 hr each in I and V, resulting in catalogs containing ~20,000 galaxies per passband per field. We use V-I color and I magnitude to select bright early-type galaxies at redshifts 0.1 < z < 0.9. We measure the gravitational shear from faint galaxies in the range 21 < mI < 25 from a composite catalog and find a strong correlation with that predicted from the early types if they trace the mass with M/LB ≃ 300 ± 75 h M☉/L☉ for a flat (Ωm0 = 0.3,Ωλ0 = 0.7) lambda cosmology and M/LB ≃ 400 ± 100 h M☉/L☉ for Einstein-de Sitter. We make two-dimensional reconstructions of the mass surface density. Cross-correlation of the measured mass surface density with that predicted from the early-type galaxy distribution shows a strong peak at zero lag (significant at the 5.2 σ level). We azimuthally average the cross-correlation and autocorrelation functions. We conclude that the profiles are consistent with early-type galaxies tracing mass on scales of ≥45'' (≥200 h-1 kpc at z = 0.5). We subdivide our bright early-type galaxies by redshift and obtain similar conclusions. These M/LB ratios imply Ωm0 ≃ 0.10 ± 0.02 (Ωm0 ≃ 0.13 ± 0.03 for Einstein-de Sitter) of closure density.
The Protective Effect of Propolis on Norepinephrine, Dopamine and 5-Hydroxytryptamine Content in Thalamus-Hypothalamus and Cerebellum of Endotoxin-Intoxicated Adult Male Albino Rats

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of endotoxin (ET) on monoamines content in the thalamus-hypothalamus and the cerebellum of adult male albino rats and whether propolis (prop) can protect the brain during neuro-inflammation induced by ET. Seventy eight rats weighing 100-150g were divided into four groups. The first served as control group (6 rats) and were received a daily intraperitoneal (i.p) injection of saline solution (0.9% NaCl) for 15 consecutive days. The second group (24 rats); were received an i.p injection of 0.9% NaCl for 15 consecutive days, then received i.p injection of ET (1mg/kg/day) at the 16 day of experiment for 4 repeated days. The third group (24 rats); were received an i.p injection of prop (150mg/kg/day) for 19 consecutive days. The fourth group (24 rats); were administered prop by the same route as mentioned in the third group; then, the rats were received ET as described in the second group. Animals of all groups were decapitated 2 hours posttreatment at 16, 17, 18 and 19 days of experiment. ET treated-rats group showed a sharp decrease in norepinehrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin, 5-HT) content in both thalamushypothalamus and cerebellum at all treatment days versus the control group, while administration of prop followed by ET injection was found to enhance monoamine levels significantly in both selected brain regions if compared to ET-treated group. The present results indicate the harmful neurotoxic effect of ET on the brain, while prop was found to inhibit the sharp decline in NE, DA and 5-HT in both investigated regions. This may reflect the protective property of prop as an anti-inflammatory natural product. [Mahmoud, S. M. and El-Yamany, N. A. The Protective Effect of Propolis on Norepinephrine, Dopamine and 5Hydroxytryptamine Content in Thalamus-Hypothalamus and Cerebellum of Endotoxin-Intoxicated Adult Male Albino Rats. Life Sci J 2012;9(4):3372-3379]. (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 500
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Enzyme-Linked Immunospot for Diagnosis of Smear-Negative Tuberculosis in HIV-Infected Patients

Background Peripheral blood interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) have sub-optimal sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). However, assessment of local immune responses has been reported to improve the accuracy of TB diagnosis. Methods We enrolled HIV-infected adults with cough ≥2 weeks’ duration admitted to Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda and referred for bronchoscopy following two negative sputum acid-fast bacillus smears. We performed an ELISPOT-based IGRA (T-SPOT.TB®, Oxford Immunotec, Oxford, UK) using peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid mononuclear cells, and determined the accuracy of IGRAs using mycobacterial culture results as a reference standard. Results 94 HIV-infected patients with paired peripheral blood and BAL IGRA results were included. The study population was young (median age 34 years [IQR 28–40 years]) and had advanced HIV/AIDS (median CD4+ T-lymphocyte count 60 cells/µl [IQR 22–200 cells/µl]). The proportion of indeterminate IGRA results was higher in BAL fluid than in peripheral blood specimens (34% vs. 14%, difference 20%, 95% CI 7–33%, p = 0.002). BAL IGRA had moderate sensitivity (73%, 95% CI 50–89%) but poor specificity (48%, 95% CI 32–64%) for TB diagnosis. Sensitivity was similar (75%, 95% CI 57–89%) and specificity was higher (78%, 95% CI 63–88%) when IGRA was performed on peripheral blood. Conclusions BAL IGRA performed poorly for the diagnosis of smear-negative TB in a high HIV/TB burden setting. Further studies are needed to examine reasons for the large proportion of indeterminate results and low specificity of BAL IGRA for active TB in high HIV/TB burden settings.