Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Hubble Space Telescope Survey of BL Lacertae Objects. II. Host Galaxies

We have used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFPC2 camera to survey 132 BL Lac objects comprising seven complete radio-, X-ray-, and optically selected samples. We obtained useful images for 110 targets spanning the redshift range 0 ≲ z ≲ 1.3. These represent an unbiased subsample of the original 132 since they were snapshots selected to fill random holes in the HST schedule. The exposure times ranged from a few hundred to ~1000 s, increasing with redshift. Most images were taken in the F702W filter; those already observed in F814W during Cycle 5 were reobserved in F606W to give broader wavelength coverage. The data were analyzed uniformly, and both statistical and systematic errors were estimated (the latter dominate). In of the BL Lac images, host galaxies are detected, including nearly all for z < 0.5 (58 of 63). In contrast, only one-quarter of the BL Lac objects with z > 0.5 (six of 22) were resolved because of the relatively short exposure times, and these tend to be very luminous host galaxies. The highest redshift host galaxy detected is in a BL Lac object at z = 0.664. HST data add critical morphological information in the range a few tenths to a few arcseconds. In 58 of the 72 resolved host galaxies, a de Vaucouleurs profile is significantly preferred, at ≳99% confidence, over a pure exponential disk; the two fits are comparable in the remaining 14 cases because of their generally lower signal-to-noise ratios. These results limit the number of disk systems to at most 8% of BL Lac objects (at 99% confidence) and are consistent with all BL Lac host galaxies being ellipticals. The detected host galaxies are luminous ellipticals with a median absolute K-corrected magnitude of MR ~ -23.7 ± 0.6 mag (rms dispersion), at least 1 mag brighter than M* and comparable to brightest cluster galaxies. The galaxy morphologies are generally smooth and undisturbed, with small or negligible ellipticities (ϵ ≲ 0.2). The half-light surface brightness is anticorrelated with half-light radius in quantitatively the same way as other elliptical galaxies, indicating that apart from their highly active nuclei, BL Lac objects appear to be absolutely normal ellipticals. There is no correlation between host galaxy and observed nuclear magnitude or estimated jet power corrected for beaming. If black hole mass is correlated linearly with bulge mass in general, this implies a large range in Eddington ratio. The host galaxies of the radio-selected and X-ray-selected BL Lac objects are comparable in both morphology and luminosity, strongly suggesting that nuclear properties do not have a dramatic effect on large-scale host galaxy properties, or vice versa. BL Lac objects have extended radio powers and host galaxy magnitudes very much like those of FR I galaxies, and quite distinct from FR II's, which instead are more similar to quasars. Thus the present data strongly support the unification picture with FR I galaxies constituting the bulk of the parent population of BL Lac objects.
Progesterone Induces Mucosal Immunity in a Rodent Model of Human Taeniosis by Taenia solium

More than one quarter of human world's population is exposed to intestinal helminth parasites. The Taenia solium tapeworm carrier is the main risk factor in the transmission of both human neurocysticercosis and porcine cysticercosis. Sex steroids play an important role during T. solium infection, particularly progesterone has been proposed as a key immunomodulatory hormone involved in susceptibility to human taeniosis in woman and cysticercosis in pregnant pigs. Thus, we evaluated the effect of progesterone administration upon the experimental taeniosis in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Intact female adult hamsters were randomly divided into 3 groups: progesterone-subcutaneously treated; olive oil-treated as the vehicle group; and untreated controls. Animals were treated every other day during 4 weeks. After 2 weeks of treatment, all hamsters were orally infected with 4 viable T. solium cysticerci. After 2 weeks post infection, progesterone-treated hamsters showed reduction in adult worm recovery by 80%, compared to both vehicle-treated and non-manipulated infected animals. In contrast to control and vehicle groups, progesterone treatment diminished tapeworm length by 75% and increased proliferation rate of leukocytes from spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes of infected hamsters by 5-fold. The latter exhibited high expression levels of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α at the duodenal mucosa, accompanied with polymorphonuclear leukocytes infiltration. These results support that progesterone protects hamsters from the T. solium adult tapeworm establishment by improving the intestinal mucosal immunity, suggesting a potential use of analogues of this hormone as novel inductors of the gut immune response against intestinal helminth infections and probably other bowel-related disorders.
Who Am I Online? Examining Voluntary Use as Symbolic-Collective Action

This article reports on a test of an integrated voluntary information technology use model that draws on social identity theory to extend the functional utility model of the user. User feedback on a health care insurance firm's electronic service in South Africa was analyzed qualitatively using pattern matching to test the model's propositions. While functional utility was found to be a significant determinant of voluntary information technology use, both functional utility and symbolic needs were significant for some user segments. Information technology research can benefit from further cross-fertilization with social identity theory to explain use patterns in different voluntary contexts. Providers seeking to move beyond functional utility should consider the symbolic needs of strategically important user segments to strengthen long-term relationships.
Long-Term Changes in Physical Activity Following a One-Year Home-Based Physical Activity Counseling Program in Older Adults with Multiple Morbidities

This study assessed the sustained effect of a physical activity (PA) counseling intervention on PA one year after intervention, predictors of sustained PA participation, and three classes of post-intervention PA trajectories (improvers, maintainers, and decliners) in 238 older Veterans. Declines in minutes of PA from 12 to 24 months were observed for both the treatment and control arms of the study. PA at 12 months was the strongest predictor of post-intervention changes in PA. To our surprise, those who took up the intervention and increased PA levels the most, had significant declines in post-intervention PA. Analysis of the three post-intervention PA trajectories demonstrated that the maintenance group actually reflected a group of nonresponders to the intervention who had more comorbidities, lower self-efficacy, and worse physical function than the improvers or decliners. Results suggest that behavioral counseling/support must be ongoing to promote maintenance. Strategies to promote PA appropriately to subgroups of individuals are needed.
Long-Term Behavior of X-Ray Pulsars in the Small Magellanic Cloud

Results of a 4 yr X-ray monitoring campaign of the Small Magellanic Cloud using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) are presented. This large data set makes possible detailed investigation of a significant sample of SMC X-ray binaries. Eight new X-ray pulsars were discovered, and a total of 20 different systems were detected. Spectral and timing parameters were obtained for 18. In the case of 10 pulsars, repeated outbursts were observed, allowing determination of candidate orbital periods for these systems. We also discuss the spatial and pulse-period distributions of the SMC pulsars.
Implicit Detection of Hidden Processes with a Local-Booted Virtual Machine

Currently stealth malware is becoming a major threat to the PC computers. Process hiding is the technique commonly used by stealth malware to evade detection by anti-malware scanners. On the defensive side, previous host-based approaches will be defeated once the privileged stealth malware controls a lower reach of the system. The virtual machine (VM) based solutions gain tamper resistance at the cost of losing the OS-level process view. Moreover, existing VM-based approaches cannot introspect the preinstalled OS which is just the protecting concern for PC users. In this paper, we present a new VM-based approach called Libra which accurately reproduces the software environment of the underlying preinstalled OS within the Libra VM and provides an OS-level semantic view of the processes. With our new local-booting technology, Libra VM just boots from the underlying host OS but not a newly installed OS image. Thus, Libra provides a way to detect the existing process-hiding stealth malware in the host OS. In addition, instead of depending on the guest information which is subvertable to the privileged guest malware, Libra adopts a unique technique to implicitly construct the trusted view of process list (TVPL) from within the virtualized hardware layer. Our evaluation results with real-world hiding-process rootkits, which are widely used by stealth malware, demonstrate its practicality and effectiveness.
Post-Seismic Deformation from the 2009 Mw 6.3 Dachaidan Earthquake in the Northern Qaidam Basin Detected by Small Baseline Subset InSAR Technique

On 28 August 2009, one thrust-faulting Mw 6.3 earthquake struck the northern Qaidam basin, China. Due to the lack of ground observations in this remote region, this study presents high-precision and high spatio-temporal resolution post-seismic deformation series with a small baseline subset InSAR technique. At the temporal scale, this changes from fast to slow with time, with a maximum uplift up to 7.4 cm along the line of sight 334 days after the event. At the spatial scale, this is more obvious at the hanging wall than that at the footwall, and decreases from the middle to both sides at the hanging wall. We then propose a method to calculate the correlation coefficient between co-seismic and post-seismic deformation by normalizing them. The correlation coefficient is found to be 0.73, indicating a similar subsurface process occurring during both phases. The results indicate that afterslip may dominate the post-seismic deformation during 19–334 days after the event, which mainly occurs with the fault geometry and depth similar to those of the c-seismic rupturing, and partly extends to the shallower and deeper depths.
TEACHERS CERTIFICATION TO DEAL WITH TEACHERS PROFESSIONALISM AND PROSPERITY A Case Study on Teachers Hopes, Challenges and Reality in Indonesia

Tulisan ini memberikan uraian mengenai sertifikasi guru yang sekarang menjadi isu hangat di dunia pendidikan Indonesia. Sertifikasi guru sebagaimana diamanatkan oleh UU No. 14 2005 bertujuan meningkatkan kualitas sumber daya guru serta profesionalisme mengajar untuk menciptakan siswa yang berprestasi dan lulusan yang mampu bersaing secara nasional dan internasional. Hal lain yang juga menjadi titik utama dari sertifikasi guru adalah peningkatan kesejahteraan guru itu sendiri. Akan tetapi dalam pelaksanaanya masih terdapat beberapa kesenjangan antara yang diamanatkan oleh UU dan realitas yang ada. Tujuan penulisan artikel ini adalah untuk memaparkan beberapa hal mencakup harapan, tantangan dan realitas sertifikasi guru berkenaan dengan peningkatan profesionalisme dan kesejahteraan guru.
Firm Size and IT Investment: Beyond Simple Averages

We attempt to gain a better perspective on evolving firm-size in the past twenty years across industries by combining Brynjolfsson, Malone, Gurbaxani, and Kambil (1994, BMGK)’s empirical framework of measuring the effect of coordination cost reduction due to information technology (IT) investment, and Kumar, Rajan, and Zingales (2001)’s synopsis of theories of the firm. We find that although in general BMGK’s result holds for new firm data from COMPUSTAT, the firm size of professional service sector grows as IT investment increases. The paper’s potential contributions to empirical methods include (1) a different focus on the measurement of firm size by utilizing weighted average employee-measure of firm size adopted by KRZ’s work to replicate BMGK’s findings with a new dataset, and (2) refinement of KRZ’s weighted average employeemeasure of firm size using entropy partition techniques from the machine learning literature, to fully account for the effect of larger firms within each industry.
Epithelial Cells and in a Rat Model of Inflammation Activity and Expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 in Human Oral Inhibitory Effects of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester on the Updated Version

We investigated the mechanisms by which caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a phenolic antioxidant, inhibited the stimulation of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis in cultured human oral epithelial cells and in an animal model of acute inflammation. Treatment of cells with CAPE (2.5mg/ml) suppressed phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate; TPA) and calcium ionophore (A23187)-mediated induction of PGE2 synthesis. This relatively low concentration of CAPE did not affect amounts of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. CAPE nonselectively inhibited the activities of baculovirus-expressed hCOX-1 and hCOX-2 enzymes. TPAand A23187-stimulated release of arachidonic acid from membrane phospholipids was also suppressed by CAPE (4–8 mg/ml). Higher concentrations of CAPE (10–20mg/ml) suppressed the induction of COX-2 mRNA and protein mediated by TPA. Transient transfections using humanCOX-2 promoter deletion constructs were performed; the effects of TPA and CAPE were localized to a 124-bp region of theCOX-2promoter. In the rat carrageenan air pouch model of inflammation, CAPE (10–100 mg/kg) caused dose-dependent suppression of PG synthesis. Amounts of COX-2 in the pouch were markedly suppressed by 100 mg/kg CAPE but were unaffected by indomethacin. These data are important for understanding the anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties of CAPE.
Humanistic and economistic approaches to banking - better banking lessons from the financial crisis?: Business Ethics: A European Review

We sketch out two basic paradigms informing banking practice: the economistic paradigm focusing on profit maximization and the humanistic one, serving the common good. We then highlight paradigmatic cases to explore how each of these business models fared during the quasi-natural experiment of the financial crisis. We find that many humanistic banks outperformed traditional economistic banks. Despite the uneven playing field humanistic banks fared remarkably well with regard to traditional financial performance judgements, muting criticisms of competitiveness. We find that overall both paradigms can provide a basis for successful banking as long as social and financial value generation are blended. We conclude by providing lessons learned for better banking.
The role of biology in planetary evolution: cyanobacterial primary production in low‐oxygen Proterozoic oceans

Summary Understanding the role of biology in planetary evolution remains an outstanding challenge to geobiologists. Progress towards unravelling this puzzle for Earth is hindered by the scarcity of well‐preserved rocks from the Archean (4.0 to 2.5 Gyr ago) and Proterozoic (2.5 to 0.5 Gyr ago) Eons. In addition, the microscopic life that dominated Earth's biota for most of its history left a poor fossil record, consisting primarily of lithified microbial mats, rare microbial body fossils and membrane‐derived hydrocarbon molecules that are still challenging to interpret. However, it is clear from the sulfur isotope record and other geochemical proxies that the production of oxygen or oxidizing power radically changed Earth's surface and atmosphere during the Proterozoic Eon, pushing it away from the more reducing conditions prevalent during the Archean. In addition to ancient rocks, our reconstruction of Earth's redox evolution is informed by our knowledge of biogeochemical cycles catalysed by extant biota. The emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis in ancient cyanobacteria represents one of the most impressive microbial innovations in Earth's history, and oxygenic photosynthesis is the largest source of O 2 in the atmosphere today. Thus the study of microbial metabolisms and evolution provides an important link between extant biota and the clues from the geologic record. Here, we consider the physiology of cyanobacteria (the only microorganisms capable of oxygenic photosynthesis), their co‐occurrence with anoxygenic phototrophs in a variety of environments and their persistence in low‐oxygen environments, including in water columns as well as mats, throughout much of Earth's history. We examine insights gained from both the rock record and cyanobacteria presently living in early Earth analogue ecosystems and synthesize current knowledge of these ancient microbial mediators in planetary redox evolution. Our analysis supports the hypothesis that anoxygenic photosynthesis, including the activity of metabolically versatile cyanobacteria, played an important role in delaying the oxygenation of Earth's surface ocean during the Proterozoic Eon.
A Sinorhizobium meliloti-specific N-acyl homoserine lactone quorum-sensing signal increases nodule numbers in Medicago truncatula independent of autoregulation

N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) act as quorum sensing signals that regulate cell-density dependent behaviors in many gram-negative bacteria, in particular those important for plant-microbe interactions. AHLs can also be recognized by plants, and this may influence their interactions with bacteria. Here we tested whether the exposure to AHLs affects the nodule-forming symbiosis between legume hosts and rhizobia. We treated roots of the model legume, Medicago truncatula, with a range of AHLs either from its specific symbiont, Sinorhizobium meliloti, or from the potential pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Agrobacterium vitis. We found increased numbers of nodules formed on root systems treated with the S. meliloti-specific AHL, 3-oxo-C14-homoserine lactone, at a concentration of 1 μM, while the other AHLs did not result in significant changes to nodule numbers. We did not find any evidence for altered nodule invasion by the rhizobia. Quantification of flavonoids that could act as nod gene inducers in S. meliloti did not show any correlation with increased nodule numbers. The effects of AHLs were specific for an increase in nodule numbers, but not lateral root numbers or root length. Increased nodule numbers following 3-oxo-C14-homoserine lactone treatment were under control of autoregulation of nodulation and were still observed in the autoregulation mutant, sunn4 (super numeric nodules4). However, increases in nodule numbers by 3-oxo-C14-homoserine lactone were not found in the ethylene-insensitive sickle mutant. A comparison between M. truncatula with M. sativa (alfalfa) and Trifolium repens (white clover) showed that the observed effects of AHLs on nodule numbers were specific to M. truncatula, despite M. sativa nodulating with the same symbiont. We conclude that plant perception of the S. meliloti-specific 3-oxo-C14-homoserine lactone influences nodule numbers in M. truncatula via an ethylene-dependent, but autoregulation-independent mechanism.
The effect of retarded growth upon the length of life span and upon the ultimate body size. 1935.

mary in the nature of a progress report dealing with a study employing rats to determine the effect of retarding growth upon the total length of life. The present summary represents a complete, final report of this experiment employing white rats and covering a period of nearly 4 years. The object of this study was to determine the effect of retarding growth upon the total length of life and to measure the effects of retarded growth upon the ultimate size of the animal's body. In the present study, growth was retarded by limiting the calories. The growth of an animal can be retarded either by disease or by various nutritional deficiencies. Every laboratory that performs vitamin assays is familiar with the retarded growth and prompt death that result when there is a deficiency of a certain factor such as vitamin A. In such experiments the animal grows little and dies prematurely. However, a border line level of such an essential as vitamin A may permit a very slow growth and permit the animal to approach or attain
USE OF GROUP-SELECTION AND SEED-TREE CUTS BY THREE EARLY-SUCCESSIONAL MIGRATORY SPECIES IN ARKANSAS

Abstract Silviculture in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas and Oklahoma has shifted in recent years from mostly even-aged management to a mix of even- and uneven-aged regeneration systems, including group-selection. Researchers have described presence/absence of early-successional bird species in forest openings created by even- and uneven-aged silviculture, but few have examined nest success. We examined occupancy and nest success of three early-successional species—Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea), Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens), and Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor)—within 6- and 7-year-old openings created by group-selection (uneven-aged, ≤0.8 ha) and seed-tree (even-aged, 11–16 ha) cuts in Arkansas. We found 54 Indigo Bunting nests in openings created by seed-tree cuts and 28 in openings created by group-selection cuts (hereafter “seed-tree stands” and “group-selection stands,” respectively). We found 50 Yellow-breasted Chat nests in seed-tree stands, but only 2 were found in group-selection stands. We found 14 Prairie Warbler nests in seed-tree and none in group-selection stands. Mayfield nest success for Indigo Bunting was 30.9% in seed-tree stands and 41.9% in group-selection openings, but there was no difference in daily nest survival (0.952 ± 0.009 and 0.964 ± 0.010, respectively; χ2 = 0.792, P = 0.37). Our data suggest that Indigo Buntings can nest successfully in both regenerating seed-tree and group-selection stands; however, group-selection openings may be too small to support nesting Yellow-breasted Chats and Prairie Warblers. Public concerns about clear-cutting have resulted in increased use of uneven-aged management by the USDA Forest Service. However, before widespread implementation of group-selection cutting, additional research should be conducted to evaluate the effects of this management strategy on Neotropical migratory bird communities.
Minimal Assumptions for E ¢ ciciency in Asymmetric English Auctions .

I introduce a property of players valuations that ensures the existence of an ex post e¢ cient equilibrium in asymmetric English auctions. The property is weaker than the one in Echenique and Manelli (2006) and is similar to that in Birulin and Izmalkov (2003). Relative to this latter paper and the work of Krishna (2003), the use of this property has the advantage of yielding the desired results without assuming di¤erentiability of valuations or that signals are drawn from a density.