text:
Fawad Chaudhry, US envoy Donald Blome discuss political situation in hour-long meeting: sources
ISLAMABAD: PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chauhdry Tuesday met US Ambassador Donald Blome at the US embassy in the federal capital to discuss the country's prevailing political situation, Geo News reported citing sources.
During an hour-long meeting held between 3-4pm, the two discussed political matters, the sources said.
While confirming the development, Chaudhry told Geo News it was a routine meeting.
It should be noted that this was Chaudhry's second meeting with the US diplomat this month. After the first meeting, the PTI leader initially denied holding a such meeting but later admitted to meeting Blome.
The diplomatic sources shared that the US envoy off and on meets with PDM and PTI leaders but the details of such interactions are not released to the media.
The US embassy sources refrained from commenting on the meeting held today.
It is important to note that the PTI, which accused the US of interfering in Pakistani politics and hatching a conspiracy to topple the government of the former prime minister Imran Khan, has now backtracked from its stance and seeks a fresh start with Washington.
The PTI chairman was removed from PM's office through a vote of no-confidence by the then-opposition on April 9 — becoming the first premier to be removed through this move. Khan blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the President Joe Biden-led US administration for his ouster, however, both deny the claims.
In an interview with the Financial Times earlier this month, Khan said that "he no longer blames the US and wants dignified ties with the country if he comes back to power".
Referring to the alleged conspiracy, Khan said "it was over".
"As far as I'm concerned it's over, it's behind me. The Pakistan I want to lead must have good relationships with everyone, especially the United States," he said.
"Our relationship with the US has been as of a master-servant relationship, or a master-slave relationship, and we've been used like a hired gun. But for that I blame my own governments more than the US," the publication quoted the former premier as saying.
Tags: national News
Karisma Kapoor dances to 'Le Gyi' from 'Dil Toh Pagal Hai' at a wedding:


text:
About the Ochsner Journal
Ochsner Journal Blog
Case ReportCase Reports
Cytomegalovirus Hepatitis and Pancreatitis in the Immunocompetent
Aaron Chan, Fateh Bazerbachi, Brian Hanson, M. Chadi Alraies and Alisa Duran-Nelson
Ochsner Journal June 2014, 14 (2) 295-299;
Aaron Chan
Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
For correspondence: duran012@umn.edu
Fateh Bazerbachi
Brian Hanson
M. Chadi Alraies
Alisa Duran-Nelson
Background Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a double-stranded DNA virus and a member of the Herpesviridae family. It is a lytic virus that causes a cytopathic effect in vitro and in vivo. CMV affects nearly all humans, with a 60%-100% seroprevalence worldwide, and in the immunocompetent it typically manifests as a mild and self-limiting mononucleosis syndrome. In immunocompromised patients, CMV has the ability to cause significant inflammation in many different organ systems.
Case Report We report an unusual case of hepatitis and pancreatitis secondary to CMV in an immunocompetent patient. A 29-year-old male was admitted with elevated lipase, elevated aminotransferases, and epigastric pain after an acute viral prodrome. An initial CMV DNA polymerase chain reaction workup was positive, indicating acute or reactivated infection. Liver histology was consistent with CMV infection. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic ultrasound, and intraoperative cholangiogram were not indicative of other etiologies. CMV viremia was successfully cleared with ganciclovir, and the patient experienced clinical and biochemical improvements.
Conclusion Pancreatitis and hepatitis secondary to CMV are rare but should be considered in the workup of immunocompetent patients, especially in the presence of a recent viral-like illness.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common viral pathogen in humans. It is a lytic virus that causes a cytopathic effect in vitro and in vivo. Seroprevalence for CMV worldwide ranges from 60%-100% but the severity of illness varies.1 Primary CMV may be asymptomatic or may cause a mild and self-limiting mononucleosis-like syndrome.2-4 The self-limiting course of CMV infection typically includes fever, malaise, splenomegaly, mild hepatomegaly, small increases in serum transaminase activity, and variable elevation of serum alkaline phosphatase.4,5 CMV infection can cause severe hepatitis, meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, colitis, uveitis, retinitis, and pneumonitis in the immunocompromised.1,6 Some rare case reports describe severe CMV infection in immunocompetent adults. We report CMV hepatitis and pancreatitis in a young immunocompetent male.
A previously healthy 29-year-old male with no significant past medical history was admitted to the hospital for treatment of acute pancreatitis. Two weeks prior to admission, the patient had developed a febrile syndrome with severe myalgias and arthralgias. These symptoms persisted for a week. The patient then developed burning epigastric pain and was found to be Helicobacter pylori positive. He was started on clarithromycin, amoxicillin, pantoprazole, and sucralfate. Over the following 4 days, he defervesced but the pain progressed and radiated to his back. An abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed mild splenomegaly and did not show walled-off necrosis or pancreatic inflammation. Upon admission, the patient's lipase level was 398 U/L. The patient was hospitalized for nonalcoholic acute pancreatitis.
A review of systems revealed the patient exhibited chills, diaphoresis, night sweats, fatigue, nausea, nonbloody emesis, anorexia, orthostasis, and 5-pound weight loss. He had a temperature of 98.8°F, blood pressure of 133/83 mmHg, heart rate of 103 beats per minute, and respiratory rate of 18 breaths per minute, and his oxygen saturation was 100% on room air. Physical examination was negative for cervical lymphadenopathy or pharyngeal exudates. He was tender in the right upper quadrant and had a positive Murphy sign.
Upon admission, the patient's lipase level was 398 U/L and his alanine aminotransferase (ALT) test was 78 U/L. His total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) test, and alkaline phosphatase were normal. The patient was treated with supportive measures for pancreatitis, and treatment for Helicobacter pylori was discontinued. Over the subsequent 2 weeks, the patient's lipase peaked at 3,012 U/L and his AST and ALT peaked at 540 U/L and 717 U/L, respectively (Table 1). His alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin levels remained normal. The patient's triglycerides level was normal. The patient underwent several tests and his antinuclear antibody, F-actin, antimitochondrial M2 antibody, and immunoglobulin (Ig)-G4 were negative. Hepatitis A, B, and C serologies were negative. The patient's ceruloplasmin, urinary copper, and ferritin were normal. His human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serology was negative. Mumps IgG showed immunity with a negative IgM. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serology showed evidence of past exposure but no active infection. Notably, the patient's CMV IgM test was positive at 209 U/mL, IgG test was positive at 4.8 U/mL, and CMV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was 1,000 copies (log 3.0).
Laboratory Investigations
An abdominal ultrasound on admission showed fatty liver infiltrates. Two days after admission, a magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed fatty liver infiltration without choledocholithiasis. An upper endoscopy showed mild reflux esophagitis and gastritis, and histopathology revealed mixed acute and chronic inflammation with reactive epithelial changes and no evidence of atypia. An endoscopic ultrasound was negative for biliary system dilation and/or choledocholithiasis (Table 2).
Imaging and Procedures in Chronological Order
Ganciclovir was initiated on day 8 of his hospitalization at a dose of 5 mg/kg intravenously every 12 hours and discontinued on day 14 with a notable downward trend in the patient's lipase and transaminases. Following this course, his symptoms abated and a repeat CMV PCR was negative (Figure 1). A CT-guided liver biopsy showed mild to moderate infiltrate of small lymphocytes in the sinusoids and a beaded sinusoidal infiltrate characteristic of CMV infection (Figure 2).
Biochemical profile throughout hospitalization. The graph includes the patient's aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lipase levels.
Liver histology demonstrating the patient's (A) core liver biopsy, (B) a 20 × magnification view of sinusoidal lymphocytes, (C) a 100 × magnification view of sinusoidal beading, and (D) the viral inclusion body at 100 × magnification.
CMV is a DNA virus and a member of the herpesvirus group.4,6,7 CMV's prevalence is high, but its course is usually self-limiting in immunocompetent patients. Our case highlighted a young immunocompetent male who presented with a protracted febrile illness, splenomegaly, lymphocytosis, acute pancreatitis, hepatitis, and CMV viremia. Although severe manifestations of CMV have been reported in immunocompetent adults, CMV in this population remains rare. We found only 3 reports of CMV pancreatitis, regardless of immunologic status. Two cases were reported in HIV-positive patients, while the third was reported in an immunocompetent male.7-9 The immunocompetent patient presented with jaundice and liver dysfunction. He underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiography that revealed a focal, irregular biliary stricture suspicious for biliary malignancy. A pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Histology showed frequent CMV inclusion bodies in the ductular and acinar cells of the pancreas, as well as in the epithelial and desquamated cells of the common bile duct. Interestingly, serum IgG suggested past exposure to CMV, but IgM was negative. PCR procedures did not detect CMV DNA, ruling out systemic disease. The patient was not treated with antiviral agents because symptoms of CMV infection resolved after surgery.7
Our patient presented with hepatitis and interstitial pancreatitis, supported by the prolonged persistence of severe pain and the lipase peak.10 His liver biopsy results were consistent with CMV, confirming organ involvement (Figure 2). We recognize the shortcoming of not obtaining definitive proof of CMV pancreatitis via histology. Clinical improvement was rapid following ganciclovir treatment, and histology would not have changed management. We attempted to compensate for this shortcoming by providing workups for other viral, structural, vasculitic, and autoimmune causes of pancreatitis. These evaluations were negative.
Drugs remain another potential confounder, as the patient received treatment for H. pylori infection prior to admission. This therapy was considered a potential culprit in the etiology of pancreatitis. The H. pylori medications were discontinued on admission, and concordant improvement in the transaminases and lipase did not occur until the patient was treated with ganciclovir. The presence of definite CMV hepatitis, as well as systemic viremia, also pointed toward CMV as a probable cause for the patient's pancreatitis.
CMV hepatitis is typically mild and self-limiting, although cases of severe hepatitis have included fatal hepatic necrosis.5,11 In our patient, other causes of hepatitis (including hepatitis A, B, and C; EBV; autoimmune disease; and infiltrative diseases, such as copper overload and hemochromatosis) were excluded. Extensive imaging was also completed, and imaging results were not consistent with a locoregional inflammatory process to explain simultaneous pancreas involvement.
Because of its potential toxicity, ganciclovir is typically reserved for severe CMV infections because of potential complications that include myelosuppression, central nervous system disorders, hepatotoxicity, and teratogenesis.1
CMV has been reported to cause disease in immunocompetent patients. Pancreatitis and hepatitis secondary to CMV are rare but should be considered in the workup of immunocompetent patients, especially in the presence of a recent viral-like illness. Treatment of CMV with ganciclovir is typically reserved for severe cases of CMV infection because of potential undesirable side effects, but this treatment may need further investigation as this case demonstrates. The patient exhibited improvement in his clinical symptoms and liver and pancreatic enzymes after initiation of antivirals, and he was eventually cleared of CMV viremia. Early recognition and treatment of CMV hepatitis and pancreatitis could lead to improved outcomes and may spare the patient unnecessary diagnostic or invasive interventions.
This article meets the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Medical Specialties Maintenance of Certification competencies for Patient Care and Medical Knowledge.
The authors have no financial or proprietary interest in the subject matter of this article.
© Academic Division of Ochsner Clinic Foundation
Rafailidis PI,
Mourtzoukou EG,
Varbobitis IC,
Falagas ME
(3 27, 2008) Severe cytomegalovirus infection in apparently immunocompetent patients: a systematic review. Virol J 5:47, pmid:18371229.
Serna-Higuera C,
González-García M,
Milicua JM,
Muñoz V
(10, 1999) Acute cholestatic hepatitis by cytomegalovirus in an immunocompetent patient resolved with ganciclovir. J Clin Gastroenterol 29(3):276–277, pmid:10509956.
Tzavella K,
Zantidis A,
Economou I,
(2007) Portal hypertension caused by acute cytomegalovirus infection with liver involvement in an immunocompetent patient. Scand J Infect Dis 39(2):177–178, pmid:17366040.
Wreghitt TG,
Teare EL,
Sule O,
Devi R,
Rice P
(12 15, 2003) Cytomegalovirus infection in immunocompetent patients. Clin Infect Dis 37(12):1603–1606, pmid:14689339, Epub 2003 Nov 18.
Shusterman NH,
Frauenhoffer C,
Kinsey MD
(6, 1978) Fatal massive hepatic necrosis in cytomegalovirus mononucleosis. Ann Intern Med 88(6):810–812, pmid:208441.
Ma Y,
Feng J,
Qi Y,
Dou XG
(3 4, 2011) An immunocompetent adult patient with hepatitis and guillain-barré syndrome after cytomegalovirus infection. Virol J 8:95, pmid:21371337.
Oku T,
Maeda M,
Waga E,
(10, 2005) Cytomegalovirus cholangitis and pancreatitis in an immunocompetent patient. J Gastroenterol 40(10):987–992, pmid:16261436.
Cella JP,
Gupta S
(1 16, 1992) Diagnosis of cytomegalovirus pancreatitis in AIDS by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography. N Engl J Med 326(3):204, pmid:1309270, Erratum in: N Engl J Med. 1992 Mar 19;326(12):844.
Joe L,
Ansher AF,
Gordin FM
(11, 1989) Severe pancreatitis in an AIDS patient in association with cytomegalovirus infection. South Med J 82(11):1444–1445, pmid:2554512.
Banks PA,
Freeman ML
(10, 2006) Practice Parameters Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology. Practice guidelines in acute pancreatitis. Am J Gastroenterol 101(10):2379–2400, pmid:17032204.
Lamb SG,
Stern H
(11 5, 1966) Cytomegalovirus mononucleosis with jaundice as presenting sign. Lancet 2(7471):1003–1006, pmid:4162659.
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Creamy and Spicy Pasta Shells and Sausage – savory smoked sausage sautéed with bell peppers until nicely browned, then smothered in a creamy Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese sauce with pasta shells, spiced up by red pepper flakes!
Creamy sauce, pasta, and spicy sausage go great together.
It's an easy recipe, but it's very important to use the right kind of sausage. Use savory (NOT SWEET) smoked sausage without any sweetness added to it. Italian spicy smoked sausage is great too.
Creamy and Spicy Pasta Shells and Sausage - savory smoked sausage sautéed with bell peppers until nicely browned, then smothered in a creamy Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese sauce with pasta shells, spiced up by red pepper flakes!
Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chopped bell peppers, sliced smoked sausage, and red pepper flakes and cook for several minutes, occasionally stirring, until the peppers soften, and the sausage starts to brown.
Add half and half to the skillet and bring to boil. Add shredded Parmesan and shredded Mozzarella cheeses to the skillet, and keep stirring until the cheese starts to melt. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue stirring until all the cheese melts.
In the mean time, cook pasta according to the package instructions, drain.
Add cooked pasta to the skillet, stir everything in. Taste, add more salt and extra crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
A must try pasta dish for sure. Loved the pics even more!


Did you know these prickly things?
Speaking about desert cactus species we can name the following: ariocarpus, carnegiea, cephalocereus, cephaloceus, echinocactus, ferocactus, opuntia, and some others.
When we hear the word "desert" we usually imagine Sahara or Kara-Kum with their scorching sand-dunes devoid of any vegetation. But the soil of stony deserts of Central and South America is very rich in all necessary salts for cacti. Though its contains very little amount of humus, water dissolves salts and the plant can absorb them.
But if rains are extremely rare here, where does water comes from? Plentiful dews, falling at night and flowing down between ribs of cacti, the night fogs accumulating on prickly stalks – this is a poor water diet of desert types of cactus growing in Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador.
Roots of many cacti of these places are radish-shaped and are capable to save water within, or ramify widely near the surface. To reduce moisture evaporation, cacti aspire to curtail the area of the stalk surface. That's why they have either spherical or a short cylindrical form.
Desert cactus types are not afraid of burning sun: some of them have thick and dense thin skin, which becomes flat and "hides" in the ground for the period of droughts; some have high sharp ribs causing shade; others are covered with dense prickles or setae, looking like a brush.
For their correct development desert types of cactus require much sun, soil containing little humus and careful watering. They can easily die because of water stagnation in the ground even during summer heat.
The word savanna usually means vast territories of grass plains, covered with herbage, isolated islets of undersized trees and bushes. Its distinctive features are a long dry period without rain falling on winter and spring months, and plentiful rains and thunderstorms in summertime. Fluctuations in temperature reach 20 °C and more.
Such climate is considered to be the most favorable for cactus types growing on these plains. The most popular of them are coryphanta and mammillaria. These types of cactus excellently bear dry and cool winter and need a lot of warmth, sun and watering in summer, but they are afraid of water stagnation near their roots. The soil for these cacti should contain less humus, than the soil for forest cactus species, and it should have an admixture of loam.
By the way, the majority of savanna cacti, especially undersized ones like mammillaria, grow well in penumbra. In natural conditions they hide from the sun in thick grass.
There's such a popular belief that all forest cactus types are bare and defenseless. But it's far from being true. There is a whole group of cacti named Hylocereinae or forest saguaros, which texture differs under the influence of life conditions. Here belong such cactus types as aporocactus, hylocereus, celenicereus, chamaecereus.
Forest saguaros have thin and flexible creeping stalks and air roots on them, which deliver additional moisture from the air. As a rule, saguaros grow close to the edges of the forest, where there is more light and the air circulates freely between the trees. In case of drought their stalks wrinkle, but with the first rain they become juicy and green again. That's why these types of cactus belong to another group of cacti – to xerophytes. This group is much bigger than the group of epiphytes, and includes various species from different areas of habitation.
Hylocereinae already have the means of protection from the excessive water evaporation or overheat of the stalk. For example, grey wax bloom and short but strong thorns of celenicereus, a countless number of small setaceous barbs of aporocactus and chamaecereus, etc.
Here belong such cactus species as melocactus, copiapoa and some others. This time I'm going to tell you about one of them.
Growing just by the sea, very close to the surfs, such types of cactus as melocacti are sometimes washed and taken away by the water. You can find them along warm coast of Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Cuba, but most of these cactus types grow on the islands of West Indies. One legend says that the first melocacti come exactly from those places. Caught from the sea by sailors, they quickly spread in Europe.
As a matter of fact, melocactus was one of the first cacti got to Europe and described in botanical books.
The roots of seashore cacti extend far under the surface of sand ground to gather more fresh rainwater. All year long these cacti need warmth (about 20°C) and humid air; therefore it's extremely difficult to grow them as houseplants. They prefer mainly sand soil with an admixture of loam and humus, and they can't bear alkalic soil.
Have you ever heard about such cactus types as epiphyllum, rhipsalis or schlumbergera? Certainly, you did. These epiphytic cacti of rainforests grow in moist and sultry woods on forks of branches, in hollows and on stubs. They settle on leaf humus, so their roots are short, but very branchy and clutch at any crack or a ledge on a tree bark. These cactus plants grow all year long, because there are no seasons of droughts and colds in the rainforests.
Thick leaves always cover these types of cactus from the sun, causing shading, that's why they don't need to have such means of protection against overheat of the stalk like a thick skin, a wax bloom or fuzz.
Epiphytic cactus types grow in damp atmosphere and they have no need at all to save water. They absorb it from the moist air around thanks to a bulk of stomae on their wide stalks. You can always recognize these cactus types: their stalks consist of many thin sprouts, and they look like dendritic leaf-shaped plates. They are bare and unprotected and need warmth and moisture the whole year round. Following the advice of many cactus specialists I've placed my schlumbergera bridgesii (Christmas cactus) in the aquarium covered by glass.
© 2019 A Guide to the Miraculous Cactus World. All Rights Reserved.


text:
\section{Introduction}

With the advent of the sub-arcsec X-ray imaging capability of the {\sl Chandra}\
    X-ray Observatory (Weisskopf et al.\ 2003), observations of galaxies
    out to the Virgo Cluster routinely detect tens
to hundreds of X-ray sources above
    detection limits of $\sim 10^{37\pm1}$~ergs~s$^{-1}$\
(Fabbiano \& White 2006).
In analogy with our own Milky Way, the majority of these bright sources are
    likely X-ray binaries.
The precise nature of many of these objects is
usually difficult to quantify because
    of a lack of high-quality X-ray spectra and light curves.

In a few instances, periodic dips are apparent in
the observed X-ray light curves
of individual sources.
By interpreting these dips as eclipses by a companion star, the light curves
    can be used to constrain the system orbital parameters and even the mass of
    the compact object if suitable additional information is available such as
an estimate of the companion star mass via
spectral and luminosity-class typing (see, e.g.,
Weisskopf et al. 2004; Pietsch et al.\ 2004; Pooley \& Rappaport 2005;
Fabbiano et al. 2006).

{NGC~4214}\ is a dwarf starburst galaxy, morphological type IAB(s)m, located 3.5~Mpc
distant (1\arcsec$=$17~pc). The brightest X-ray source in {NGC~4214}, CXOU~J121538.2+361921}\newcommand{\cxous}{CXOU~J121538\
(hereafter, \cxous), shows distinct
behavior indicative of an eclipse at a period of 3.62~hrs. This periodicity is
visible in each of 5 X-ray observations taken over a 10-yr timespan though no
more than two cycles are evident in any single observation. The X-ray light
curves and spectra of the source are presented in \S~2.
Upper limits from a search for an optical counterpart are given in \S~3.
An analysis of the X-ray source and its companion based on the
observational evidence is derived in \S~4.  In
\S~5 we discuss the interpretation of the
observations and the implications for the nature
of the binary.

\section{X-ray Timing and Spectra}

Table~1 lists the X-ray observations of {NGC~4214}\
that include the variable source \cxous.
Previous analysis of the initial {\sl Chandra}\ and the
{\sl XMM-Newton}\ observations are reported in
    Hartwell et al.\ (2004).
They list source \cxous\ as source~11 at
    $\alpha=12^h15^m38.^s25$,
$\delta=36^{\circ}19\arcmin21.\arcsec4$
(J2000 coordinates).
It is by far the brightest point source among the
20 discrete sources they detect,
    with a 0.3--8.0~keV flux of 3.0$\times$10$^{-13}$~ergs~cm$^{-2}$~s$^{-1}$.

\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{llcc}
\multicolumn{4}{c}{{\sc Table 1}} \\
\multicolumn{4}{c}{X-ray observations of CXOU~J121538.2+361921}\newcommand{\cxous}{CXOU~J121538} \\
\hline \hline
    \multicolumn{1}{c}{Date of}    &  Instrument &  Exposure & Counts$^a$ \\
    \multicolumn{1}{c}{observation}&             & (ks)      & ($\pm$~error) \\
\hline
1994-12-10   &ROSAT/HRI       & 42.6 & 91$\pm$12  \\
2001-10-16   &Chandra/ACIS-S  & 26.4 & 943$\pm$31 \\
2001-11-22   &XMM-Newton/PN   & 16.7 & 453$\pm$36 \\
2004-04-03   &Chandra/ACIS-S  & 27.2 & 201$\pm$16 \\
2004-07-30   &Chandra/ACIS-S  & 28.6 & 843$\pm$30 \\
\hline
\multicolumn{4}{l}{$^a$background-subtracted in 0.5--8.0 keV energy band}
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\begin{figure*}[t]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=0.97\columnwidth]{f1a.eps}
\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=0.97\columnwidth]{f1b.eps}
\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=0.97\columnwidth]{f1c.eps}
\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=0.97\columnwidth]{f1d.eps}
\figcaption{
Background-subtracted {\sl Chandra}\ and {\sl XMM-Newton}\ X-ray light curves of \cxous.
The solid curve traces the best-fit 7-knot spline fit to the folded light
curve (see text).
\label{fig:alllc}}
\end{center}
\end{figure*}

\begin{center}
\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=0.47\textwidth]{f2.eps}
\figcaption{Folded light curve of the X-ray dataset made by combining the
two brightest {\sl Chandra}\ observations obtained on 2001-10-16 and 2004-7-30.
The heavy curve denotes the best-fitting 7-knot spline model to this
light curve.
\label{fig:foldedlc}}
\end{center}

Our locally-developed analysis software suite,
{\tt LExtrct} (Tennant 2006), was
    used to extract and analyze
    the source and background light curves and
spectra from the {\sl ROSAT}\ and {\sl Chandra}\ data.
The {\sl XMM-Newton}\ Science Analysis System (version is
6.5.0) was used for the {\sl XMM-Newton}\ data.
The  nearest discrete source is 23.\arcsec 7 to the north and is only 10\% of
    the flux of \cxous.
Thus, source \cxous\ is easily isolated from other
discrete sources even in the {\sl XMM-Newton}\ and
    {\sl ROSAT}\ data.
For the {\sl Chandra}\ data, a circular extraction region of radius 5\arcsec\ was used
    for the source and a nearby region of area 170 square arcsecs was chosen
    for the background.
For the {\sl XMM-Newton}\ data, a circular source region of radius 15\arcsec\ and a
background of 1385 square arcsecs were used for analysis.

The 0.5--8.0~keV {\sl Chandra}\ and {\sl XMM-Newton}\ light curves of \cxous\ are shown in
    Figure~\ref{fig:alllc} (the {\sl ROSAT}\ light curve is
sparsely sampled because of the
    90~min orbit of the satellite, and is not shown here). Prominent dips
are seen in all four light curves.
Using the longest exposure data, the {\sl Chandra}\ observation on 2004-7-30,
    the light curve was folded
    on trial frequencies ranging from
6.4$\times$10$^{-5}$ to 1.2$\times$10$^{-4}$~Hz
    (some noise is apparent at lower frequencies).
The resulting $\chi^2$ statistic {\sl vs.} trial
frequency was fit to a Gaussian
    distribution. The peak of the Gaussian is at 7.682(60)$\times$10$^{-5}$~Hz
    corresponding to a period of 13020(100)~s.
A repeat of this procedure for the first {\sl Chandra}\ dataset, from
2001-10-16, resulted in a
    best-fit period of 12900(170)~s.

Since both datasets have the same period, within the uncertainties,
we combined them to increase the number of counts per phase bin.
The minima of the two datasets were aligned via a  $\chi^2$ fitting
procedure before they were added together.
The folded light curve made from this combined dataset (in 64 phase
 bins, Fig.~\ref{fig:foldedlc}) was fit using a 7-knot spline with
 periodic boundary conditions to create a model light curve.
This model was then applied to all the light
curves as shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:alllc}.
For these individual exposures, only the amplitude, phase, and DC level
  of the spline model were
    allowed to vary in the model fitting.
A period of 13020(100)~s is consistent with all the observations.
However, since the uncertainty in the period is of order 1\%, phase
coherence is totally lost in 100 cycles or
approximately two weeks; much shorter
    than the time between observations.
For this analysis, no barycenter corrections were applied because
they should be at most
$\sim$30 km~s$^{-1} \times 10^4$ s or about 1 lt-sec,
which is well within our measurement
errors.

\begin{center}
\includegraphics[angle=0,width=0.47\textwidth]{f3.eps}
\figcaption{Three-color {\sl Hubble}\ image of an 8\arcsec $\times$8\arcsec\
region around \cxous\ in {NGC~4214}.
Data are from 1997 (MacKenty et al.\ 2000) and include
F656N (red), F555W (green), and F336W (blue) filters.
The error region for \cxous, with a 1/3$''$ radius,
is shown as a circle near the image center. North is indicated.
\label{fig:hst}}
\end{center}

Several models provide acceptable fits to the spectra of \cxous\ extracted from
    the individual {\sl Chandra}\ and {\sl XMM-Newton}\ observations.
The model fit parameters are consistent with the values obtained by
 Hartwell et al.\ (2004); namely, for an absorbed power law model,
 $N_{\rm H} = (1.8^{+0.6}_{-0.7})\times 10^{21}$~cm$^{-2}$ and
 $\Gamma = 1.8^{+0.3}_{-0.2}$.
The average flux in the 0.5--8.0~keV band ranges from
    (2.0$\pm$0.1)$\times$10$^{-14}$~ergs~cm$^{-2}$~s$^{-1}$\ (on 2004-04-03) to
    (3.41$\pm$0.34)$\times$10$^{-13}$~ergs~cm$^{-2}$~s$^{-1}$\ (on 2001-10-16).
The flux during the bright phases on 2001-10-16 is
  (4.77$\pm$0.48)$\times$10$^{-13}$~ergs~cm$^{-2}$~s$^{-1}$.
Fewer than 1000 source counts were accumulated during
any individual X-ray observation
    of \cxous\ (Table~1).
Therefore, no other important constraints on the nature of the source can
    be deduced from these spectra.

If the dips in the light curve are due to an eclipse, then the spectral shape
    during time intervals near the minimum in the light curve may differ from
    the shape at other times due to changes in
absorption or scattering of X-rays by the
    atmosphere or wind of the companion star.
To test for this possibility, we compared spectra extracted from high-
 ($>$0.035~c~s$^{-1}$) and low-count-rate ($<$0.025~c~s$^{-1}$)
 phases of the 2001-10-16 {\sl Chandra}\ observation.
A Kolmogorov-Smirnoff test showed these spectra are consistent with being
 drawn from the same parent distribution at the 40\% level.
Examination of the
 soft (0.5--2.0) and hard (2.0--8.0~keV) light curves also show
 no evidence for enhanced absorption near or away from eclipse.

In summary,
periodicity is apparent in all the observations of \cxous. We surmise the
    periodicity is due to an eclipse of the X-ray source by a companion
star and that the orbital period of the system is
    $P_{\rm orb} = 13020(100)~{\rm s} = 3.62(3)~{\rm h}$.

\section{Optical Counterpart Search} \label{sec:optical}

{\sl Hubble}\ observations of {NGC~4214}\ were carried out in 1997 in several filters
    as reported by MacKenty et al.\ (2000).
The dynamical center of {NGC~4214}\ ({\sl Chandra}\ source~10 in Hartwell et al.\ 2004)
and \cxous\ are both located on the WPC2 camera~3 in these
observations making the registration between the optical and X-ray images
 accurate.
We estimate the radius of the X-ray error circle to be $\sim$0.\arcsec 3.
There are several optical sources within this circle in the {\sl Hubble}\ images
   (Figure~\ref{fig:hst}).
Taking the total light within the error circle as a conservative upper limit
    to any potential counterpart, we deduce the following observed magnitudes:
    $m_{\rm F336W}=23.6$~mag, $m_{\rm F555W}=23.7$~mag,
 $m_{\rm F702W}=22.4$~mag,
    and $m_{\rm F814W}=22.0$~mag.
Since the different sources within the error circle contribute different
    amounts in the different bandpasses, optical colors
 based on the total light are not meaningful.
An estimated reddening correction can be made from the fitted X-ray absorption
    column, which averages to $\sim$2$\times$10$^{21}$~cm$^{-2}$,
corresponding to
    A(V)$\sim$1.1~mag.
The resulting upper limit to the optical
counterpart to \cxous\ is $m_{\rm F555W}=22.6$~mag.
By way of comparison, we note that this is about equivalent to
   a late OV~star at the distance of {NGC~4214}.

\section{Orbital Constraints}

\subsection{Orbital Period}

In order to understand what this eclipse discovery implies, we start
by examining the constraints on the donor star set by the measured
orbital period, $P_{\rm orb} =3.62$ hr.  First we take Kepler's 3rd
law:
\begin{equation}
\frac{GM_T}{a^3} = \left(\frac{2\pi}{P_{\rm orb}}\right)^2 ~~,
\end{equation}%
where $M_T$ and $a$ are the total binary mass and orbital separation,
respectively, and utilize the relation: $R_L = r_L a = R_{\rm don}/f$,
where $R_L$ is the Roche-lobe radius of the donor
and $f$ is the fraction of the Roche lobe that is filled by the donor
star of radius $R_{\rm don}$.  Combining these, we find:
\begin{equation}
\frac{{R}^{3/2}_{\rm
don}}{f^{3/2}{M}_T^{1/2}r_L^{3/2}} \simeq 0.36
\left(\frac{P_{\rm orb}}{1\,{\rm hr}}\right)~~,
\end{equation}
where ${M}_T$ and ${R}_{\rm don}$ are in solar units.  Finally, we make
use of Eggelton's (1983) expression for $r_L$ to find:
\begin{equation}
\frac{{R}^{3/2}_{\rm don}}{{M}_{\rm don}^{1/2}} \simeq 0.12
\xi(q)f^{3/2}\left(\frac{P_{\rm orb}}{1\,{\rm hr}}\right)~~,
\end{equation}
where
\begin{equation}
\xi(q) \equiv
\frac{q^{1/2}\sqrt{1+q}}{\left[0.6q^{2/3}+\ln(1+q^{1/3})\right]^{3/2}}~~,
\end{equation}
and $q$ is the mass ratio $M_{\rm don}/M_{\rm acc}$.  Here, $M_{\rm
acc}$ is the mass of the accreting star.  Equation (3)
is analogous to the classical radius-mass relation (e.g.,
eq.\,[3] of Pooley \& Rappaport 2005; see also
the discussion in Weisskopf et al.\,2004) for
Roche-lobe filling donor
stars, but is generalized via Eggleton's (1983) expression for $r_L$
for virtually any mass ratio.  The function $\xi(q)$ differs by less
than 10\% from unity for $0.01 \lesssim q \lesssim 2$, and increases
to a value of only 1.35 as $q \rightarrow 10$.  An additional feature
of eq.\,(3) is that the factor $f$ allows for donor stars that
underfill their Roche lobes.

\begin{center}
\includegraphics[angle=0,width=0.47\textwidth]{f4.eps}
\figcaption{Constraints on the eclipsing source \cxous\ in {NGC~4214}.
Red curves: radius-mass
constraints set by the value of $P_{\rm orb}$; solid, dashed and dot-dashed
curves correspond to the mass ratio,
$q \equiv M_{\rm don}/M_{\rm acc}$,
and Roche-lobe filling parameter, $f$, in the following pairs
(1,1), (10,1) and (1,3/4), respectively. Green
curves: H-burning stars; solid (dashed) curve represents the zero
(terminal) age main sequence.   Blue curves: He-burning stars;
solid (dashed) curve represents the zero (approximate terminal)
age main sequence.  Orange curve: degenerate (He) dwarfs.
\label{fig:RofM}}
\end{center}

A plot of eq.\,(3), with $P_{\rm orb} = 3.62$ hr, is shown in
Figure~\ref{fig:RofM} in the radius--mass plane of the donor star.
The solid (dashed) red curve is for all $q \lesssim 2$ ($q = 10$);
both curves are for $f=1$ (i.e., a Roche-lobe filling donor). The lower
red dot-dashed curve represents the case where the donor star fills
only 3/4 of its Roche lobe, and $q=1$. The solid (dashed) green curve
is a simple $R(M)$ relation for zero age (terminal age) H-burning
main-sequence stars, while the solid (dashed) blue curve is the $R(M)$
relation for zero age (terminal age) He-burning main-sequence stars
(see, e.g., Paczy\'nski 1971; Kato \& Iben 1992; Justham \& Podsiadlowski
2006, private communication). For completeness, we show, as an orange
curve, the $R(M)$ relation for degenerate He stars.

From an inspection of Figure~\ref{fig:RofM},
 and the intersection of the red curves
with the green and blue curves, we can draw some basic conclusions
about the nature of the donor star.

\vspace{0.3cm}\centerline{{\em
Hydrogen-burning companion
star}}\vspace{0.3cm}

One obvious interpretation
of the nature of the eclipsing binary is a normal
main-sequence donor star with a mass of $\sim$0.4~M$_{\odot}$\
(the intersection of the green and red curves of Figure~\ref{fig:RofM}).
This,
coupled with an orbital period of 3.62 hr, evokes either a
conventional low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) in NGC 4214, or a
cataclysmic variable binary (CV) with a white dwarf accretor in our
own Galaxy.  In the former case, an important question would be how
an unevolved, low-mass donor star could drive a sufficiently high
rate of mass transfer to account for $L_x \simeq 7 \times 10^{38}$~ergs~s$^{-1}$.
Mass transfer from an unevolved 0.4~M$_{\odot}$\ star is induced by
 orbital decay through gravitational
 radiation and magnetic braking
 (see, e.g., Rappaport, Verbunt, \& Joss 1983).
The mass transfer rate would then be low
 and we estimate the corresponding X-ray luminosity would range from only
 $\sim 2 \times 10^{36}$~ergs~s$^{-1}$\ (for gravitational radiation and a
 neutron star accretor) to
 $\sim 6 \times 10^{37}$~ergs~s$^{-1}$\ (for magnetic braking and a
 stellar-mass black hole accretor).

In the case that \cxous\ is a CV in our own Galaxy,
the shape of the X-ray eclipse (see, Figs.~\ref{fig:alllc}
and~\ref{fig:foldedlc}) is reminiscent of that of AM Her systems
(Heise et al.\ 1985).
If CVs are confined to the Galactic disk with a scale height $H\sim300$~pc,
then \cxous, in this interpretation, would be within
$\sim$1~kpc, corresponding to an X-ray luminosity of
$\sim$6$\times$10$^{31}$~ergs~s$^{-1}$, or about 1/3 of the average luminosity
for AM~Her systems (see, e.g., Ramsay \& Cropper 2003).

There are no physical solutions for extremely~--~or even
  moderately~--~evolved normal main-sequence
stars which would more
naturally drive the high rate of mass transfer
implied for a system
at the distance of {NGC~4214}.

\vspace{0.3cm}\centerline{{\em Helium-burning
companion star}}\vspace{0.3cm}

Another obvious possibility for the nature of the
binary is a He-burning star in a binary with either a neutron-star or
stellar-mass black-hole accretor (see also Weisskopf et al. 2004).
The intersection of the various orbital constraint (red) curves with
the He-star (blue) curves in Fig.\,4 yield a range of possible
combinations of He-star mass and accretor mass.
For example, a $\sim$12~M$_{\odot}$\ He-ZAMS star could fill its Roche with an
accretor of comparable mass (i.e., $q \sim 1$), e.g., a
$\sim$12~M$_{\odot}$\ black hole.  Alternatively, a more massive
He-ZAMS donor of $\sim$23~M$_{\odot}$\ would fill its Roche lobe with
a much less massive accretor, e.g., a neutron star.  Or a $\sim$7~M$_{\odot}$\
He-ZAMS donor could underfill its Roche lobe (by a factor of, e.g., 3/4) and
still achieve substantial mass transfer via a stellar wind.  However, for
reasons discussed below, perhaps the most promising interpretation is
an intermediate-mass He star (e.g., $\sim$2--3~M$_{\odot}$) that is somewhat evolved, with approximately twice its main-sequence radius, or near
the He terminal-age main sequence (TAMS).

\subsection{Eclipse Duration}

For the case where the X-ray eclipse is due to
the compact accretor going behind the companion
star, we can also use the eclipse duration to
learn more about the constituent masses of the
binary.  Note that these constraints would
therefore pertain to the case of the He-star
companion, but probably not to an AM Her-type eclipse.
We modify the expression for the eclipse half
angle, $\theta_{\rm ecl}$, from eq.\,(4) of
Pooley \& Rappaport (2005; see also Weisskopf et al. 2004)
to allow for arbitrary mass ratios, $q$,:
\begin{equation}
\theta_{\rm ecl} =
\cos^{-1}\left[\frac{1}{\sin
i} \sqrt{1-r_L^2}\right]
~~,
\end{equation}
where $i$ is the orbital inclination angle, and
\begin{equation}
r_L = \frac{0.49q^{2/3}}{\left[0.6q^{2/3}+\ln(1+q^{1/3})\right]}~~,
\end{equation}
(Eggleton 1983). A plot of $\theta_{\rm ecl}(q)$ is shown in
Fig.~\ref{fig:eclipse} for inclination angles of $90^\circ$,
$80^\circ$, and $70^\circ$. The horizontal
lines denote our estimates for the maximum and minimum observed
eclipse half angles.  We have not performed any detailed
eclipse calculations for the case where a stellar wind accounts for
an appreciable portion of the X-ray modulation.  Given the limited
statistical precision associated with the X-ray
light curves, we can say only that the drop in
intensity more closely resembles a classical X-ray eclipse, i.e.,
as in a high-mass X-ray binary, than a wind-modulated light curve,
e.g., X1908+075 (Levine et al. 2004).

\begin{center}
\includegraphics[angle=0,width=0.47\textwidth]{f5.eps}
\figcaption{Geometric eclipse half-angle (in degrees) as a function of
the mass ratio, for several values of the inclination angle, $i$ (eq.\,[5]).
The horizontal lines are estimates for the observed upper and lower limits on
$\theta_{\rm ecl}$.
\label{fig:eclipse}}
\end{center}

From the intersection of the two horizontal curves with the
$\theta_{\rm ecl}(q)$ curves in Fig.~\ref{fig:eclipse}, we conclude
that the mass ratio in this system is
\begin{equation}
1 \lesssim q
  \lesssim 10 ~~.
\end{equation}
This range of $q$ values is consistent with the illustrative system
components suggested above.  In particular, unevolved He stars of mass
$\sim7-18$~M$_{\odot}$\ could have a black-hole accretor of
$\sim7-12$~M$_{\odot}$\ (intersection of solid blue with solid and
dot-dashed red curves in Fig.\,4).  Higher mass He stars (i.e.,
$\gtrsim$22~M$_{\odot}$) would require much less massive accretors (e.g.,
neutron stars; intersection of solid blue and dashed red curves).
Finally, somewhat evolved He stars of $\sim2-3$~M$_{\odot}$\ could have
neutron-star or very low-mass black hole accretors.

\section{Discussion}

Our observations of a 3.62-hr eclipse in the source
\cxous\ have yielded three distinct possibilities
for the nature of the binary.  We discuss the
pros and cons of each in turn.

\subsection{Conventional LMXB}

As discussed above, in the context of the orbital constraints, if the
donor is a H-rich, low-mass star it cannot be very evolved.
Thus, it is unclear how an unevolved, low-mass donor star could drive a
sufficiently high rate of mass transfer to account for values of
$L_x$ that approach $7 \times 10^{38}$ ergs s$^{-1}$ during several different observations spanning nearly 3 years~--~especially if
the accretor were a neutron star.
Conventional black hole LMXBs,
 on the other hand, can have high luminosities but
 only during short transient outbursts.
Systems with short orbital periods like \cxous\
should either not be transients or, if they
are, should not have such prolonged intervals of high $\dot M$ (see, e.g.,
King et al.\ 1996; Kalogera et al.\ 2004; Fabbiano et al.\ 2006).
Moreover,
if the accretor were a stellar-mass black hole then $q \ll 1$ and
 the eclipse duration would be much shorter than observed
 (Figure~\ref{fig:eclipse}).

In discussing a possible short orbital period ULX, Liu et al.\ (2002)
suggested beaming of the X-radiation to reduce the actual value of
$L_x$.  Given that \cxous\ is an eclipsing system this possibility seems
remote, though not impossible if the accretor were a rapidly spinning black
hole, and a large kick during its formation oriented the orbital
plane perpendicular to the spin axis.

\subsection{CV/AM Her system}

For the case of an AM Her system,
the eclipse would be caused by periodic occultations of
the accreting magnetic polar cap as it rotates
around the spin axis of the white dwarf.  In this
case, we cannot infer anything further about the
mass ratio of the binary constituents, as in
Fig.~\ref{fig:eclipse}.  Thus, we focus here on the constraints
set by the HST image (Fig.~\ref{fig:hst}), and an evaluation
of the probability of finding a high Galactic
latitude ($b \simeq 78^\circ$) AM Her binary
within the $D_{25}$ area of {NGC~4214}. As discussed in
\S\ref{sec:optical}, the limiting visual magnitude
for any counterpart to \cxous\ is 22.6.  However,
at $P_{\rm orb} \simeq 3.62$ hr, we expect the
donor star in an AM Her system to be roughly of
intrinsic spectral type $M0~V-M3~V$ with visual
magnitude $8.9 \lesssim M_{\rm V} \lesssim 10.5$.
  From the optical limit, this requires the source to be
   at least 2.6 to 5.5~kpc away.
Thus, unless the hypothesized AM Her system is in
the Galactic halo, the observed constraint on its
magnitude seems difficult to reconcile with its
expected brightness.

It also seems
somewhat unusual that an AM Her system would be
found by chance so close ($\sim 25''$) to a
particular galaxy that is being observed with
{\sl Chandra}\ for the purpose of detecting
luminous X-ray sources.  The $D_{25}$ ellipse region
associated with {NGC~4214}~has semi-minor and
semi-major axes of $197''$ and $255''$,
respectively.  This corresponds to a solid angle
of $\sim$44 square arcmin, or  $0.012$ square
degrees.  If there are $n_{\rm CV}$ CVs pc$^{-3}$ with
$P_{\rm orb} \gtrsim 3$ hr, then the surface
density, $S$, toward the NGP is $2 n_{\rm CV} H^3$~sr$^{-1}$, for
an assumed exponential distribution of CVs from
the Galactic plane with scale height $H$.  For
illustrative parameters of $n_{\rm CV} \sim 10^{-6}$
pc$^{-3}$ (see, e.g., from observations, Patterson 1984;
Howell et al.\ 2002; Schmidt et al. 2005; Gansicke et al. 2005;
Szkody et al. 2006; and from population models,
de Kool 1992; Kolb 1993; Han et al. 1995; and Politano,
Howell, \& Rappaport 1998) and $H \sim 300$ pc,
we have $S \sim 55$ per steradian, or
$\sim$0.016 per square degree.  Thus, the a
priori probability of finding a CV with $P_{\rm
orb} \gtrsim 3$ hr within the 0.012 square degree
area of the {NGC~4214}\ $D_{25}$ ellipse seems quite small, i.e.,
$\sim$2$\times$10$^{-4}$.

Finally, in regard to finding a CV close to a
galaxy of particular interest, we note that a
similar circumstance has arisen in the case of CG
X-1 in the field of the Circinus galaxy
(Weisskopf et al.\,2004).  This particular
eclipsing source had an orbital period of 7.5 hr,
which already is quite long for an AM Her system.
The Circinus galaxy is at $b \simeq -3.8^\circ$
(compared to $78^\circ$ for \cxous), and
therefore the probability of finding a
chance foreground CV is higher than near the NGP.
Nonetheless, these two eclipsing sources, when
taken together, reduce the likelihood that both
are foreground CVs.

Overall, we find the hypothesis that \cxous\ is a
foreground AM Her system to be implausible.

\subsection{Naked He-burning donor star}

If we interpret the \cxous\ system as
having a naked He-burning donor star of
mass somewhere in the range of $\sim 2-20$~M$_{\odot}$,
the requisite mass-transfer
rate, $\dot M$, could be achievable via either
direct Roche-lobe overflow or via Bondi-Hoyle
capture (see, e.g., Bondi \& Hoyle 1944) of a
modest fraction of the stellar wind from the He
star (Dewi et al.\,2002; Justham et al.\,2006). For the
lower-mass He stars within this range, direct Roche-lobe
overflow would probably be required to supply
the mass transfer rate.  The nuclear lifetimes of He stars
in this mass range
are quite short ($\sim$3$\times$10$^5$ to 3$\times$10$^6$ yr;
Paczy\'nski 1971; Habets 1986; Langer 1989; Kato \& Iben
1992; Dewi et al.\,2002; Justham \& Podsiadlowski 2006,
private communication) so that $\dot M$ values of
$\gtrsim 10^{-7}$~M$_{\odot}$\ yr$^{-1}$ are easily attained.

If the donor star is indeed a He-burning star, there is an additional
constraint that the X-ray light curve neither appears
to be dominated by modulation in a dense stellar
wind, nor suffers from any obvious photoelectric
(i.e., strongly energy-dependent) absorption.
For a simple $1/r^2$ stellar wind profile, the
column density as a function of orbital phase (at
$i = 90^\circ$) has a simple analytic form:
\begin{equation}N = n_0 a \phi/\sin \phi ~~~,
\end{equation}
except for values of $\phi$ corresponding to direct geometric
eclipse (e.g., Levine et al. 2004), where $n_0$ is the wind density
at the orbit of the compact accretor, $a$ is the orbital radius, and $\phi$
is the phase angle (with $\phi = 180^\circ$ being
defined as superior conjunction).  For some
illustrative parameters, we find:
\begin{equation}N \simeq 10^{23} \dot M_{-6}
\left(\frac{a}{3\,R_\odot}\right)^{-1}
v_{1000}^{-1} ~ {\rm cm}^{-2}~~~,
\end{equation}
where the units for $\dot M$ and $v$ are
$10^{-6}$~M$_{\odot}$\ yr$^{-1}$ and 1000 km
s$^{-1}$, respectively.  Thus, unless the stellar
wind is essentially completely ionized, the
optical depth to soft X-rays would be enormous.
For stellar-wind density profiles that start with
zero velocity and infinite density at the stellar
surface (e.g., Lucy \& Solomon 1970; Castor,
Abbott, \& Klein 1975), the column densities
would be larger, and the discrepancy with
the observed light curve would be even greater.
Therefore, if the donor star in \cxous\ is
ultimately identified with a He star with $M \gtrsim 3-4$~M$_{\odot}$,
this apparent lack of a dense stellar wind will have to be
reconciled with the binary stellar model.

To quantify the constraint on the He-donor star set by the
apparent lack of a strong stellar wind, we utilize the following
expression for stellar-wind rates as a function of luminosity by
Hamann, Koesterke, \& Wessolowski (1995):
\begin{equation}
\log \dot M (M_\odot\, {\rm yr}^{-1}) = -11.95 + 1.5 \log (L/L_\odot)
~~,
\end{equation}
where $L$ is the bolometric luminosity of the He star.  More
recently, Hamann \& Koesterke (1998) and Petrovic, Langer \& van der
Hucht (2005) have suggested that the wind loss rates are lower than
given by eq.\,(10) by factors of a few. Only for luminosities
$\lesssim 10^{4}\,L_\odot$ does the donor star avoid producing a
highly attenuating stellar wind (e.g., with
$\dot M \lesssim 10^{-6}$~M$_{\odot}$\ yr$^{-1}$).  This luminosity,
in turn corresponds to He star masses $\lesssim 3.5$~M$_{\odot}$\
(Kato \& Iben 1992; Justham \& Podsiadlowski 2006, private communication).
Our limit on the optical
counterpart of 22.6 magnitudes, is also much more consistent with
lower mass He stars (i.e., $2-3$~M$_{\odot}$).

\section{Summary and Conclusions}

The brightest X-ray source in the field of the
galaxy {NGC~4214}, CXOU~J121538.2+361921}\newcommand{\cxous}{CXOU~J121538, shows distinct
eclipse-like intensity dips at a period of 3.62~hr.
These eclipses are present in each of five X-ray
observations spanning 1994 to 2004.
Assuming that these eclipses are indicative of the
orbital period, we can rather tightly constrain the
nature of the binary system.

We have considered the possibility that \cxous\ is a
conventional LMXB that somehow produces a very high luminosity for a
sustained interval of time.  The mass transfer rate that can be
driven by a low-mass, unevolved donor star is too low to supply the
requisite mass transfer rate, and it is unlikely that this source is,
or should be, a transient.

We have also evaluated quantitatively
the possibility that the \cxous\
system is a foreground CV (of the AM Her
subtype). Major difficulties with this scenario
are (i) the improbability of finding an AM Her system
aligned so closely, by chance, with a galaxy of
interest (even after taking into account the fact
that {\em Chandra} has observed a substantial
number of such galaxies with equal exposure), and
(ii) the lack of an optical counterpart brighter than
   22.6~mag, requiring the CV be a halo object.
We consider this
possibility unlikely.

The alternative is that the donor is a He-burning star.
He-donor star masses $M\gtrsim 4$~M$_{\odot}$\ are difficult
  to reconcile with the apparent lack of a dense stellar wind.
We believe that the most likely interpretation of this system is a
$\sim2-3$~M$_{\odot}$\ slightly evolved (e.g., TAMS) naked He star
transferring matter (stably) through the inner Lagrange point to a
neutron star. This type of binary has been extensively modeled by
Dewi et al.\,(2002).  If confirmed, this would open
exciting possibilities for both stellar evolution
studies (see, e.g., Dewi et al.\,2002; Justham et al. 2006) and the
interpretation of ultraluminous
X-ray sources at the lower end of their luminosity
function (see, e.g., Colbert \& Miller 2004;
Fabbiano \& White 2006).
In the case of \cxous, the peak observed luminosity is only
 about twice the Eddington limit for accretion of He onto a neutron star.
If the accretor in such a system, i.e., with a He donor star, were a
 stellar-mass black hole, then the Eddington limit
 would be $\sim 4 \times 10^{39}$~ergs~s$^{-1}$; well within
 the range of ultraluminous X-ray source luminosities.

Finally, we note that \cxous\ may be the first known
{\sl immediate} progenitor of a compact double neutron
star binary; i.e., beyond the second
 common envelope phase and prior to collapse
 of the He star core.
A perhaps unverifiable prediction is that
within some $10^5-10^6$ years the evolved core of the He
star will collapse to produce a type Ib supernova explosion
(see, e.g., Podsiadlowski, Joss, \& Hsu 1992; Woosley, Langer,
\& Weaver 1995) and leave a binary radio pulsar
(if the natal kick given to the pulsar is not so large as to unbind
the system; see, e.g., Pfahl et al. 2002 and references therein;
Podsiadlowski et al. 2004).  The putative neutron star that is currently in
the system is in the process of being spun up via accretion
torques and will be the rapidly rotating pulsar member of the
binary.  It is also interesting to note that this predicted
event has actually occurred already (given the $\sim$10
Myr light travel time for the information to reach us).

\acknowledgements
We thank Stephen
Justham, Philipp Podsiadlowski, Eric Pfahl, and
Steve Howell for very helpful discussions.  KKG is
supported in part by NASA under grant NNG04GC86G issued
through the Office of Space Science.
DP gratefully acknowledges
support provided by NASA through Chandra Postdoctoral
Fellowship
grant number PF4-50035 awarded by the Chandra X-ray
Center, which
is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical
Observatory for NASA
under contract NAS8-03060.  SR received some
support from Chandra
Grant TM5-6003X.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
AN ENGLISH FARMER TURNS VEGETARIAN
Quotations from "World Forum"
F. Newman Turner, an English Agriculturist gives us a most valuable human document of his conversion to vegetarianism:
He does not hold there is any special pleasure in the eating of meat but rather that it is an illusion cast upon us by custom and a perverted palate that can cause man to relish "the boiled backside or fried stuffed 'pigs' intestines euphemistically called sausages' " and that "ten per cent of joy in meat-eating comes from a mixture of hope, the glory of battle with knife and fork. and the self deception which refused to accept as distasteful a dish in which one has placed so much anticipated pleasure and which carries all the strength of scientific stress on the value of its 'first-class protein.' "
While Mr. Turner had been a theoretical vegetarian for some years before he gave up the eating of the bodies of his fellow creatures, he tells of a Christmas day when it was his duty as a farmer to take the life of some twenty to thirty ducks and geese to sell to a nearby poulterer. "The price had been good - it was during the war when high prices were paid for poultry. by merchants who travelled from farm to farm outbidding one another for the victims of mass- slaughter by which Christian people celebrate the birth of their gentle Prince of Peace.
As I took these helpless pathetic creatures in my firm grip and one by one violently squeezed their life from their beautiful bodies, I suddenly released my mind and opened my eyes and I saw in the eye which now pleaded with an expression I could hardly bear, the power of the life which was in me and in the suffering bird, but which was within the power of neither of us to create. From that moment when I saw the soul of a fellow-creature, my mind was freed from the bondage of a tradition which monopolized the God-given attributes of man. No argument of man could stand for me against the question in those haunting eyes ... I had eaten my last meal from the flesh of my fellow creatures."
Then came the struggle for this English farmer, whose very living depended on the sale of live-stock. First he rid himself of pigs even though some of his helpers "cast side glances at my sanity." He brought his "farming very near to the position where suffering and slaughter were not inflicted on the animals I loved." But the problem of the bull-calf remained, though he reduced to the smallest proportions by the building of a good pedigree herd. What to do with the very occasional calf? Mr. Turner's compromise is an interesting one. The cash he gets from the sale of such animals he sends to "an organization whose work is devoted to the establishment of a world in which man is revolted by the very sight of the decaying flesh of his fellow-creatures."


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FASB was established in the year 1973 with a view to lay down accounting standards to be followed in the USA in the maintenance of books of accounts and preparation of financial reports.
In India, the task of setting accounting standards is performed by Accounting Standards Board (ASB). The ASB was established in the year 1977 by Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). The accounting standards formed by ASB are issued by ICAI and the same is notified by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
IAS is a set of accounting standards developed by ICAI and notified under the Companies (Accounting Standards) Rules, 2006. Before the formation of Ind AS, the IAS were the sole set of accounting standards which governed all forms of organisations across India.
In the wake of globalisation, the financial reporting of Indian companies must be compliant with global standards so as to make it comprehensible to foreign institutional investors. With this view, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has issued 39 Accounting Standards known as "Ind AS". The new accounting standards are notified under the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015 ('Ind AS Rules'), of the Companies Act, 2013. Unlike IAS, The Ind AS is fully compliant with IFRS.
Note: When a company becomes eligible for the adoption of Ind AS, all its holding companies, subsidiaries, associates and joint venture companies will also be covered under Ind AS irrespective of the net worth of such companies.


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