The Galactic black hole transient H1743-322 during outburst decay: connections between timing noise, state transitions and radio emission

Multi-wavelength observations of Galactic black hole transients during outburst decay are instrumental for our understanding of the accretion geometry and the formation of outflows around black hole systems. H1743-322, a black hole transient observed intensely in X-rays and also covered in the radio band during its 2003 decay, provides clues about the changes in accretion geometry during state transitions and also the general properties of X-ray emission during the intermediate and the low-hard states. In this work, we report on the evolution of spectral and temporal properties in X-rays and the flux in the radio band with the goal of understanding the nature of state transitions observed in this source. We concentrate on the transition from the thermal dominant state to the intermediate state that occurs on a timescale of one day. We show that the state transition is associated with a sudden increase in power-law flux. We determine that the ratio of the power-law flux to the overall flux in the 3--25 keV band must exceed 0.6 to observe strong timing noise. Even after the state transition, once this ratio was below 0.6, the system transited back to the thermal dominant state for a day. We show that the emission from the compact radio core does not turn on during the transition from the thermal dominant state to the intermediate state but does turn on when the source reaches the low-hard state, as seen in 4U 1543-47 and GX 339-4. We find that the photon index correlates strongly with the QPO frequency and anti-correlates with the rms amplitude of variability. We also show that the variability is more likely to be associated with the power-law emission than the disk emission.Comment: 23 pages, 5 Figures, 1 Table, accepted for publication in Ap

Target Mass Effects in Polarized Virtual Photon Structure Functions

We study target mass effects in the polarized virtual photon structure functions $g_1^\gamma (x,Q^2,P^2)$, $g_2^\gamma (x,Q^2,P^2)$ in the kinematic region $\Lambda^2\ll P^2 \ll Q^2$, where $-Q^2 (-P^2)$ is the mass squared of the probe (target) photon. We obtain the expressions for $g_1^\gamma (x,Q^2,P^2)$ and $g_2^\gamma (x,Q^2,P^2)$ in closed form by inverting the Nachtmann moments for the twist-2 and twist-3 operators. Numerical analysis shows that target mass effects appear at large $x$ and become sizable near $x_{\rm max}(=1/(1+\frac{P^2}{Q^2}))$, the maximal value of $x$, as the ratio $P^2/Q^2$ increases. Target mass effects for the sum rules of $g_1^\gamma$ and $g_2^\gamma$ are also discussed.Comment: 24 pages, LaTeX, 9 eps figure

Problematising international placements as a site of intercultural learning

This paper theorises some of the learning outcomes of a three-year project concerning student learning in international social work placements in Malaysia. The problematic issue of promoting cultural and intercultural competence through such placements is examined, where overlapping hegemonies are discussed in terms of isomorphism of social work models, that of the nation state, together with those relating to professional values and knowledge, and the tyrannies of received ideas. A critical discussion of cultural competence as the rationale for international placements is discussed in terms of the development of the graduating social worker as a self-reflexive practitioner. The development of sustainable international partnerships able to support student placement and the issue of non-symmetrical reciprocation, typical of wide socio-economic differentials across global regions, is additionally discussed

Interferometry of Direct Photons in Central 280Pb+208Pb Collisions at 158A GeV

Two-particle correlations of direct photons were measured in central 208Pb+208Pb collisions at 158 AGeV. The invariant interferometric radii were extracted for 100<K_T<300 MeV/c and compared to radii extracted from charged pion correlations. The yield of soft direct photons, K_T<300 MeV/c, was extracted from the correlation strength and compared to theoretical calculations.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Polarized Virtual Photon Structure Function g2γg_2^\gamma and Twist-3 Effects in QCD

We investigate the twist-3 effects in the polarized virtual photon structure. The structure functions $g_1^\gamma$ and $g_2^\gamma$ of polarized photon could be experimentally studied in the future polarized $ep$ or $e^+e^-$ colliders. The leading contributions to $g_1^\gamma$ are the twist-2 effects, while another structure function $g_2^\gamma$, which only exists for the virtual photon target, receives not only the twist-2 but also twist-3 contributions. We first show that the twist-3 effects actually exist in the box-diagram contributions and we extract the twist-3 part, which can also be reproduced by the pure QED operator product expansion. We then calculate the non-trivial lowest moment ($n=3$) of the twist-3 contribution to $g_2^\gamma$ in QCD. For large $N_c$ (the number of colors), the QCD analysis of the twist-3 effects in the flavor nonsinglet part of $g_2^\gamma$ becomes tractable and we can obtain its moments in a compact form for all $n$.Comment: 27 pages, LaTeX, 9 eps figures, eqsection.sty file included, Appendix A added, some minor changes for Fig.

Efeito da ferrugem e da supressão de nitrogênio no nível transcricional do gene nitrato redutase (CaNR) em Coffea arabica L.

O objetivo do trabalho é avaliar se a ferrugem do cafeeiro (Hemileia vastatrix) pode modular a resposta transcricional de um gene-chave na assimilação de nitrogênio (N), a nitrato redutase, em função da restrição do nutriente e da resposta do cultivar ao patógeno. Sabe-se que o estado nutricional da planta pode influenciar a severidade do ataque por patógenos. A ferrugem no cafeeiro é um problema recorrente em todas as regiões de cultivo, afetando desde a produtividade até a qualidade final da bebida. A despeito da importância da nutrição mineral para a produtividade e seu impacto na resposta à ferrugem, existem poucos estudos relacionados ao estabelecimento da relação molecular entre o estado nutricional do cafeeiro e resposta de defesa a patógenos. Duas cultivares ? uma resistente e uma suscetível à ferrugem do cafeeiro - foram submetidas a regimes diferenciais de N e inoculadas com H. vastatrix. A análise por qPCR do gene CaNR em três períodos pós-inoculação evidenciou padrões transcricionais distintos entre as duas cultivares - a cultivar suscetível apresentou um pico de expressão em período anterior a cultivar resistente. Este estudo preliminar evidencia que fatores genotípicos e nutricionais podem influenciar na atividade de genes relacionados ao metabolismo de N, dando suporte a futuras análises bioquímicas que auxiliem na compreensão de respostas fisiológicas e moleculares relacionadas com a interação da resposta de defesa e o estado nutricional

Adenosine Deaminase Activity Is a Sensitive Marker for the Diagnosis of Tuberculous Pleuritis in Patients with Very Low CD4 Counts

Background: Adenosine Deaminase Activity (ADA) is a commonly used marker for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion. There has been concern about its usefulness in immunocompromised patients, especially HIV positive patients with very low CD4 counts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of ADA in pleural fluid in patients with low CD4 counts. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective case control study. Medical files of patients with tuberculous pleuritis and non-tuberculous pleuritis were reviewed. Clinical characteristics, CD4 cell counts in blood and biochemical markers in pleural fluid, including ADA were recorded. Results: One ninety seven tuberculous pleuritis and 40 non- tuberculous pleuritis patients were evaluated. Using the cut-off value of 30 U/L, the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of ADA was 94%, 95%, 19, and 0.06 respectively. The mean CD4 cell counts among TB pleuritis patients was 29 and 153 cells/microL in patients with CD4 ,50 cells/microL and .50 cells/microL, (p,0.05) respectively. The corresponding mean ADA values for these patients were 76 U/L and 72 U/L respectively (p.0.5). There was no correlation between ADA values and CD4 cell counts (r =20.120, p = 0.369). Conclusion: ADA analysis is a sensitive marker of tuberculous pleuritis even in HIV patients with very low CD4 counts in a high TB endemic region. The ADA assay is inexpensive, rapid, and simple to perform and is of great value for the immediate diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis while waiting for culture result and this has a positive impact on patient outcome

An X-ray Imaging Study of the Stellar Population in RCW49

We present the results of a high-resolution X-ray imaging study of the stellar population in the Galactic massive star-forming region RCW49 and its central OB association Westerlund 2. We obtained a 40 ks X-ray image of a 17'x17' field using the Chandra X-ray Observatory and deep NIR images using the Infrared Survey Facility in a concentric 8'3x8'3 region. We detected 468 X-ray sources and identified optical, NIR, and Spitzer Space Telescope MIR counterparts for 379 of them. The unprecedented spatial resolution and sensitivity of the X-ray image, enhanced by optical and infrared imaging data, yielded the following results: (1) The central OB association Westerlund 2 is resolved for the first time in the X-ray band. X-ray emission is detected from all spectroscopically-identified early-type stars in this region. (2) Most (86%) X-ray sources with optical or infrared identifications are cluster members in comparison with a control field in the Galactic Plane. (3) A loose constraint (2--5 kpc) for the distance to RCW49 is derived from the mean X-ray luminosity of T Tauri stars. (4) The cluster X-ray population consists of low-mass pre--main-sequence and early-type stars as obtained from X-ray and NIR photometry. About 30 new OB star candidates are identified. (5) We estimate a cluster radius of 6'--7' based on the X-ray surface number density profiles. (6) A large fraction (90%) of cluster members are identified individually using complimentary X-ray and MIR excess emission. (7) The brightest five X-ray sources, two Wolf-Rayet stars and three O stars, have hard thermal spectra.Comment: 19 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables. ApJ in pres

Systematics of Inclusive Photon Production in 158 AGeV Pb Induced Reactions on Ni, Nb, and Pb Targets

The multiplicity of inclusive photons has been measured on an event-by-event basis for 158 AGeV Pb induced reactions on Ni, Nb, and Pb targets. The systematics of the pseudorapidity densities at midrapidity (rho_max) and the width of the pseudorapidity distributions have been studied for varying centralities for these collisions. A power law fit to the photon yield as a function of the number of participating nucleons gives a value of 1.13+-0.03 for the exponent. The mean transverse momentum, , of photons determined from the ratio of the measured electromagnetic transverse energy and photon multiplicity, remains almost constant with increasing rho_max. Results are compared with model predictions.Comment: 16 pages including 4 figure

Scaling of Particle and Transverse Energy Production in 208Pb+208Pb collisions at 158 A GeV

Transverse energy, charged particle pseudorapidity distributions and photon transverse momentum spectra have been studied as a function of the number of participants (N_{part}) and the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions (N_{coll}) in 158 A GeV Pb+Pb collisions over a wide impact parameter range. A scaling of the transverse energy pseudorapidity density at midrapidity as N_{part}^{1.08 \pm 0.06} and N_{coll}^{0.83 \pm 0.05} is observed. For the charged particle pseudorapidity density at midrapidity we find a scaling as N_{part}^{1.07 \pm 0.04} and N_{coll}^{0.82 \pm 0.03}. This faster than linear scaling with N_{part} indicates a violation of the naive Wounded Nucleon Model.Comment: 13 pages, 16 figures, submitted to European Physical Journal C (revised results for scaling exponents