Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tidal disruption of stars by supermassive black holes: The X-ray view

The tidal disruption of stars by supermassive black holes produces luminous soft X-ray accretion flares in otherwise inactive galaxies. First events have been discovered in X-rays with the ROSAT observatory, and have more recently been detected with XMM-Newton, Chandra and Swift, and at other wavelengths. In X-rays, they typically appear as very soft, exceptionally luminous outbursts of radiation, which decline consistent with L ∝ t −5/3 on the timescale of months to years. They reach total amplitudes of decline up to factors 1000-6000 more than a decade after their initial high-states, and in low-state, their host galaxies are essentially X-ray inactive, optically inactive, and radio inactive. X-ray luminous tidal disruption events (TDEs) represent a powerful new probe of accretion physics near the event horizon, and of relativistic effects. TDEs offer a new way of estimating black hole spin, and they are signposts of supermassive binary black holes and recoiling black holes. Once discovered in the thousands in upcoming sky surveys, their rates will probe stellar dynamics in distant galaxies, and they will uncover the - so far elusive - population of intermediate mass black holes in the universe, if they do exist. Further, the reprocessing of the flare into IR, optical and UV emission lines provides us with multiple new diagnostics of the properties of any gaseous material in the vicinity of the black hole (including the disrupted star itself) and in the host galaxy. First candidate events of this kind have been reported recently.
TRANSMISSION OR TRANSACTION 3 Transmission or Transaction ? The Role of Child Characteristics in Parental Educational Expectations using both Longitudinal and Behavioral Genetic Methods

Parents’ educational expectations have been widely hypothesized to play an instrumental role in socializing children’s educationally relevant behavior. However, in addition to a process whereby parents socially transmit educationally relevant beliefs to their children, children’s behaviors may reciprocally affect parental expectations. We explore evidence for transactional associations using longitudinal and genetically informative twin data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth and Kindergarten cohorts. We find that, although variation in parental expectations is tied closely to family-level influences, expectations are also significantly influenced by variation in child genotypes. We explore mechanisms that might underlie these child-to-parent effects using longitudinal cross-lagged path models of child characteristics (approaches towards learning and problem behaviors), child achievement (math and reading), and parental educational expectations. We find that initial levels of child characteristics predict future expectations above and beyond previous expectations. These results are consistent with transactional frameworks in which parent-to-child and child-to-parent effects co-occur. TRANSMISSION OR TRANSACTION 3 Transmission or Transaction? The Role of Child Characteristics in Parental Educational Expectations using both Longitudinal and Behavioral Genetic Methods Educational attainment predicts key life outcomes, such as income (Day & Newburger, 2002) and health (Montez, Hummer, Hayward, Woo, & Rogers, 2011). Educational expectations (i.e., expecting to continue on an educational track, rather than expecting to pursue other vocational options) are consistently associated with actual educational attainment and academic achievement, even after controlling for a number of family and individual confounds (Duncan, Featherman, & Duncan, 1972; Sewell & Shah, 1967). Thus, understanding the mechanisms underlying the association behind educational expectations and child development has been implicated as fundamental to the development of policies and interventions to improve academic achievement and educational attainment. Sociologists and psychologists have examined the relation between educational expectations and educational attainment in separate but parallel literatures. Both of these literatures primarily explore the parent-child relationship under the assumption of a transmission model in which parents act as active broadcasters of academic beliefs and children act as passive receivers. However, much work in child development (e.g., Bell, 1968) has highlighted the importance of reciprocal or transactional processes between children and their environments. The current project demonstrates that both parent-to-child and child-to-parent effects influence academic development and expectations, that these effects occur even before children enter school and that the transactional process is sensitive to child motivation and problem behavior.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION, RISK FACTORS AND ETIOLOGY OF LUNG ABSCESS

Background: A lung abscess is characterized by a necrotic lesion with marked cavitation and exudate within the lung parenchyma. The objective of this study was to identify the most common causative agent of lung abscess within our target population. Methods: Retrospective data from two consecutive years was obtained from the pulmonology department at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, one of Pakistan’s largest public hospitals. A total of 41 cases of lung abscess were identified on the bases of clinical, radiological and microbiological evidence. These cases were then analysed to establish a link between the incidence of abscess and key factors such as the most common causative organism, the correlation of age and gender and the location within the lung parenchyma. Results: Sputum for routine culture and sensitivity (C/S) showed Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (29.3%) as the most common causative organism. Correlation between abscess and risk factors such as history of smoking (65.9%), poor oral hygiene (56.1%), diabetes (43.9%) and alcoholism (14.6%) have been discussed and compared to previous publications. The frequency of common symptoms such as productive cough (90.2%), fever (82.9%) hemoptysis (58.5%) and clubbing of fingers (46.3%) have been analysed and a contrast is drawn in some instances between our obtained values and pre-existing data. The most common site of involvement is the lower lobe of the right lung (51.2%). Conclusion: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa was found to be the most common causative bacteria within the population for lung abscess while smoking was shown to be the most common risk factor.
Antimicrobial activity of extracts from leaves, stems and flowers of Euphorbia macroclada against plant pathogenic fungi

Extracts drawn from dried and powdered flowers, stems and leaves of Euphorbia macroclada with some organic solvents were tested for antimicrobial effect against the fungi Verticillium dahliae, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium italicum, Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria solani, Stemphylium solani, Cladosporium sp. , Mucor sp. , and Pythium sp. The strongest inhibitory effect of the extracts was observed against R. solani, V. dahliae, F. oxysporum, Pythium sp. and R. stolonifer. The weakest effect was against A. solani. Extracts from the stems had a stronger inhibitory effect than those from the flowers or leaves. Butanol was the best solvent to extract antimicrobial compounds from leaves, stems and flowers and was superior to chloroform, water and petroleum ether. Results clearly indicate that E. macroclada is a promising source of antimicrobial compounds.
3D product authenticity model for online retail: An invariance analysis

This study investigates the effects of different levels of invariance analysis on three dimensional (3D) product authenticity model (3DPAM) constructs in the e- retailing context. A hypothetical retailer website presents a variety of laptops using 3D product visualisations. The proposed conceptual model achieves acceptable fit and the hypothesised paths are all valid. We empirically investigate the invariance across the subgroups to validate the results of our 3DPAM. We concluded that the 3D product authenticity model construct was invariant for our sample across different gender, level of education and study backgrounds. These findings suggested that all our subgroups conceptualised the 3DPAM similarly. Also the results show some non-invariance results for the structural and latent mean models. The gender group posits a non-invariance latent mean model. Study backgrounds group reveals a non-invariance result for the structural model. These findings allowed us to understand the 3DPAMs validity in the e-retail context. Managerial implications are explained.
Micro-Level Estimation of Optimal Consumption Choice With Intertemporal Nonseparability in Preferences and Measurement Errors

This article investigates the presence of habit formation in household consumption, using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. We develop an econometric model of internal habit formation of the multiplicative specification. The restrictions of the model allow for classical measurement errors in consumption without parametric assumptions on the distribution of measurement errors. We estimate the parameters by nonlinear generalized method of moments and find that habit formation is an important determinant of household food-consumption patterns. Using the parameter estimates, we develop bounds for the expectation of the implied heterogenous intertemporal elasticity of substitution and relative risk aversion that account for measurement errors, and compute confidence intervals for these bounds. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Superconformal field theories and cyclic homology

One of the predictions of the AdS/CFT correspondence is the matching of protected operators between a superconformal field theory and its holographic dual. We review the spectrum of protected operators in quiver gauge theories that flow to superconformal field theories at low energies. The spectrum is determined by the cyclic homology of an algebra associated to the quiver gauge theory. Identifying the spectrum of operators with cyclic homology allows us to apply the Hochschild-Kostant-Rosenberg theorem to relate the cyclic homology groups to deRham cohomology groups. The map from cyclic homology to deRham cohomology can be viewed as a mathematical avatar of the passage from open to closed strings under the AdS/CFT correspondence.
Wegener’s granulomatosis and environmental factors in Western Montana

The objective of our study was to determine whether exposure to silica or other environmental factors is associated with developing Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG), in a geographically isolated region of Western Montana. We sought to identify and interview all cases of WG diagnosed during 1993-2006 among residents of a ten-county region of Western Montana, as well as a group of demographically similar controls (n=39) without autoimmune disease. In the interview, we ascertained occupational silica and other exposures (metals, solvents, pesticides, tobacco). We enumerated 32 cases of WG, of whom 27 were included in the case-control study. Overall, a history of silica exposure was not associated with WG (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.13-3.27), although there was a suggestion of increase in risk among persons with relatively recent (OR=2.67, 95% CI: 0.54-17.2), heavy (OR=1.82, 95% CI: 0.09-112.9), and prolonged (OR=1.53, 95% CI: 0.16-20.0) exposures. A history of having worked in the mining industry was associated with WG (six cases including three with no silica exposure, zero controls, lower 95% CI: 1.53). Risk was not associated with occupational or aerial pesticide exposure, but with residential rodenticide use (OR=12.15, 95% CI: 1.54-552). Occupational exposure to metals or solvents was not associated with WG, nor was a history of cigarette smoking. Results of earlier studies of WG support the hypothesis that silica exposure adversely influences the risk of developing WG. Our small study of WG failed to identify an association with silica overall, but the results are compat­ible with an increased risk in persons with relatively heavy, prolonged, and/or recent exposure.
Using Binary Paradata to Correct for Measurement Error in Survey Data Analysis

ABSTRACT Paradata refers here to data at unit level on an observed auxiliary variable, not usually of direct scientific interest, which may be informative about the quality of the survey data for the unit. There is increasing interest among survey researchers in how to use such data. Its use to reduce bias from nonresponse has received more attention so far than its use to correct for measurement error. This article considers the latter with a focus on binary paradata indicating the presence of measurement error. A motivating application concerns inference about a regression model, where earnings is a covariate measured with error and whether a respondent refers to pay records is the paradata variable. We specify a parametric model allowing for either normally or t-distributed measurement errors and discuss the assumptions required to identify the regression coefficients. We propose two estimation approaches that take account of complex survey designs: pseudo-maximum likelihood estimation and parametric fractional imputation. These approaches are assessed in a simulation study and are applied to a regression of a measure of deprivation given earnings and other covariates using British Household Panel Survey data. It is found that the proposed approach to correcting for measurement error reduces bias and improves on the precision of a simple approach based on accurate observations. We outline briefly possible extensions to uses of this approach at earlier stages in the survey process. Supplemental materials are available online.
Search for doubly charged Higgs bosons decaying to dileptons in p p̄ collisions at √s = 1.96 TeV

We present the results of a search for doubly charged Higgs bosons (H+/-+/-) decaying to dileptons (ll(')) using approximately 240 pb(-1) of pp collision data collected by the CDF II experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron. In our search region, given by same-sign ll(') mass m(ll('))>80 GeV/c(2) (100 GeV/c(2) for ee channel), we observe no evidence for H+/-+/- production. We set limits on sigma(pp -->H++H---->l(+)l('+)l(-)l('-)) as a function of the mass of the H+/-+/- and the chirality of its couplings. Assuming exclusive same-sign dilepton decays, we derive lower mass limits on H(+/-+/-)(L) of 133, 136, and 115 GeV/c(2) in the ee, mumu, and emu channels, respectively, and a lower mass limit of 113 GeV/c(2) on H(+/-+/-)(R) in the mumu channel, all at the 95% confidence level.
The effects of metronome frequency differentially affects gait on a treadmill and overground in people with Parkinson disease.

BACKGROUND Treadmills and rhythmic auditory cueing can influence stepping rhythm for individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Of concern, however, is that auditory cueing directly addresses the temporal features of gait, whereas adjusting step length may be more important for people with PD. Stepping to a faster cadence when walking overground may increase gait speed, but without requiring an increased step length. Furthermore, given the potentially valuable role of walking on a treadmill for individuals with PD, we are concerned that increasing cadence with rhythmic auditory cueing while walking at a constant treadmill speed will induce even shorter steps. RESEARCH QUESTION What is the effect of different metronome cue frequencies on spatiotemporal gait parameters when walking overground compared to walking on a treadmill in people with PD? METHODS Using a repeated-measures design, 21 people with PD (stage 1-3) walked overground and on a treadmill with and without metronome cues of 85 %, 100 %, and 115 % of their baseline cadence frequency for one minute each. We assessed step length, and cadence during all conditions. Gait speed was assessed during overground gait. RESULTS An interaction effect between cue frequency and walking environment revealed that participants took longer steps during the 85 % condition on the treadmill only. When walking overground, metronome cues of 85 % and 115 % of baseline cadence yielded decreases and increases, respectively, in both cadence and gait speed with no associated change in step length. SIGNIFICANCE These data suggest that people with PD are able to alter spatiotemporal gait parameters immediately when provided the appropriate metronome cue and walking environment. We propose to target shortened step lengths by stepping to the beat of slow frequency auditory cues while walking on a treadmill, whereas the use of fast frequency cues during overground walking can facilitate faster walking speeds.
Comparing bird and bat fatality‐rate estimates among North American wind‐energy projects

Estimates of bird and bat fatalities are often made at wind-energy projects to assess impacts by comparing them with other fatality estimates. Many fatality estimates have been made across North America, but they have varied greatly in field and analytical methods, monitoring duration, and in the size and height of the wind turbines monitored for fatalities, and few benefited from scientific peer review. To improve comparability among estimates, I reviewed available reports of fatality monitoring at wind-energy projects throughout North America, and I applied a common estimator and 3 adjustment factors to data collected from these reports. To adjust fatality estimates for proportions of carcasses not found during routine monitoring, I used national averages from hundreds of carcass placement trials intended to characterize scavenger removal and searcher detection rates, and I relied on patterns of carcass distance from wind turbines to develop an adjustment for variation in maximum search radius around wind turbines mounted on various tower heights. Adjusted fatality rates correlated inversely with wind-turbine size for all raptors as a group across the United States, and for all birds as a group within the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, California. I estimated 888,000 bat and 573,000 bird fatalities/year (including 83,000 raptor fatalities) at 51,630 megawatt (MW) of installed wind-energy capacity in the United States in 2012. As wind energy continues to expand, there is urgent need to improve fatality monitoring methods, especially in the implementation of detection trials, which should be more realistically incorporated into routine monitoring. © 2013 The Wildlife Society
Work-Family Conflict : The Role of Perceived Supervisor Support as a Mediator )

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of perceived supervisor support as a mediator between leadermember exchange (LMX) and work-family conflict. Although previous studies have found significant relationship between LMX and work-family conflict, empirical evidence explaining the relationship is still limited. Thus, this study attempts to fill the gap by examining the role of perceived supervisor support as a mediator between LMX and work-family conflict. A study was conducted on a sample consisting of 535 nurses in 6 public hospitals in Selangor. Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analysis. The results showed: (1) LMX was negatively related to work-family conflict; (2) LMX was positively related to perceived supervisor support; (3) perceived supervisor support was negativly related to work-family conflict and; (4) perceived supervisor support mediates the relationship between LMX and work-family conflict. The findings demonstrate the role of perceived supervisor support as a mediator in the relationship between LMX and work-family conflict. The study also highlighted the importance of maintaining good supervisor-employee relationships. Good relations between supervisors and employees will enhance the perceived social support which in turn reduces work-family conflict.
Analysis of the Achievable Time-Frequency Diversity Gains in Coded OFDM

We address the problem of determining how to optimally exploit the time-frequency diversity in a coded OFDM system. We assume to deploy a code that generates complex codewords with M-ary alphabet of length equal to NNB where N is the number of tones. The codewords span NB blocks over which the fading is assumed to be quasi- static but independent across distinct blocks. We determine rate/complexity tradeoffs for maximum achievable diversity gains, and coding gains as a function of the channel response. We dig into the benefits and disadvantages of deploying interleaving, and we show that it helps to maximize diversity/coding gains with high probability. number of tones. The channel is assumed to be time-variant and frequency selective. In particular we assume a block Rayleigh fading model, i.e., the channel is assumed to be time-invariant over the duration of a given block but it varies in an independent fashion in the adjacent block. The codewords span one or more blocks. The cyclic prefix is assumed to be long enough to cope with the channel time dispersion. The deployment of coding has the potentiality of yielding a diversity and a coding gain over the uncoded OFDM system. We study the error rate performance, and we derive design criteria for COFDM such that both the diversity gain, and the coding gain are maximized. The analysis goes through the analysis of the pairwise error probability. In turn the pairwise error probability depends on the rank and determinant of a generalized Vandermonde matrix whose structure is a function of the channel and the error event itself. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions under which the generalized Vandermonde matrix is full rank. Not only the Hamming distance but also the error position patterns play an import role. It is found that certain codes with Hamming distance equal to d (with d being the rank of the channel correlation matrix) have pathologic behavior and do not achieve full diversity when used in a conjunction with OFDM modulation. We also consider the deployment of time-frequency interleaving. The idea is widely applied, however, the approach is often heuristic. Instead, our analysis helps understanding the effect of the deployment of interleaving in terms of coding and diversity gains. It is found that interleaving may decrease the diversity exploitation of the code. However, it makes it unlikely. In certain conditions, interleaving can preserve the diversity gain of the code but it is beneficial since it is capable of increasing the coding gain.
Major Volatile Composition of Four Distilled Alcoholic Beverages Obtained from Fruits of the Forest

The aim of the present study was to obtain four distilled alcoholic beverages from red raspberry (RB), arbutus berry (AB), black mulberry (BM) and black currant (BC) by solid-state fermentation with Sacchromyces cerevisiae IFI83, and subsequent distillation of the fermented fruits. The mean concentrations of ethanol in the distillates from RB (41.3 g/hL aa), AB (44.3 g/hL aa), BM (48.3 g/hL aa) and BC (38.5 g/hL aa) were within the limits (from 38.5 to 86.0 g/hL aa) fixed by the European Council (Regulation 110/2008) for fruit distillates. In addition, the mean concentrations of methanol in the four alcoholic beverages were much lower than the maximum levels of acceptability that the aforementioned regulation fixed for RB, AB, BM and BC distillates. The mean volatile composition of the four distillates was different from other alcoholic beverages such as four commercial Galician orujo spirits, Portuguese bagaceiras, Mexican artisanal Bacanora beverages, and other distillates obtained from fermented blackberry, whey, cherry and black and red currants. These results showed that the pulps from RB, AB, BM and BC can be successfully used as fermentation substrates for producing alcoholic beverages with high quality and with their own distinctive characteristics.