Initial measurements of black hole spin in GX 339-4 from Suzaku spectroscopy

We report on a deep Suzaku observation of the stellar-mass black hole GX 339-4 in outburst. A clear, strong, relativistically shaped iron emission line from the inner accretion disk is observed. The broadband disk reflection spectrum revealed is one of the most sensitive yet obtained from an accreting black hole. We fit the Suzaku spectra with a physically motivated disk reflection model, blurred by a new relativistic line function in which the black hole spin parameter is a variable. This procedure yielded a black hole spin parameter of a p. Joint modeling of these Suzaku spectra and prior XMM-Newton spectra obtained in two different 0.89 +/- 0.04 outburst phases yields a spin parameter of a = 0.93 +/- 0.01. The degree of consistency between these results suggests that disk reflection models allow for spin measurements that are not strongly biased by scattering effects. We suggest that the best value of the black hole spin parameter is a = 0.93 +/- 0.01 (statistical) +/- 0.04 (systematic). Although preliminary, these results represent the first direct measurement of nonzero spin in a stellar-mass black hole using relativistic line modeling

On the determination of the spin of the black hole in Cyg X-1 from X-ray reflection spectra

The spin of Cygnus X-1 is measured by fitting reflection models to Suzaku data covering the energy band 0.9-400 keV. The inner radius of the accretion disc is found to lie within 2 gravitational radii (r_g=GM/c^2) and a value for the dimensionless black hole spin is obtained of 0.97^{+0.014}_{-0.02}. This agrees with recent measurements using the continuum fitting method by Gou et al. and of the broad iron line by Duro et al. The disc inclination is measured at 23.7^{+6.7}_{-5.4} deg, which is consistent with the recent optical measurement of the binary system inclination by Orosz et al of 27+/-0.8 deg. We pay special attention to the emissivity profile caused by irradiation of the inner disc by the hard power-law source. The X-ray observations and simulations show that the index q of that profile deviates from the commonly used, Newtonian, value of 3 within 3r_g, steepening considerably within 2r_g, as expected in the strong gravity regime.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures, MNRAS in pres

Mental illness and comorbidities, aspects of initial evaluation

Mental Illness is a public problem in western societies. Recent reports say that the most frequent conditions of psychiatric hospitalization are related to elderly, over 65 years old, diagnosed with dementia, other organic disorders and depression. And we are seeing increasingly in episodes of urgency, consumption of psychoactive drugs, which can foster the emergence of other comorbidities. The aim of this study was to characterize from a socio-demographic, clinical and functional point of view, older people who staged an emergency episode in a psychiatric hospital. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study. The sample consisted of 99 elderly people involved in a psychiatric emergency episode in the biennium 2013/2014 and data were collected from the initial evaluation form (IE). Results: People with dementia have more associated diseases than others with other mental Illnesses. Some are at higher risk for potential episodes of falls and loss of functionality and associated factors. Conclusion. More cognitive and functional impairment, evidenced in the functional dependency cycle. The quality of care in later age, requires a multidimensional and interdisciplinary approach. Initial assessment must be complete and holistic in order to give the best care.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The relationship between the effective tax rate and the nominal rate

The main goal of this investigation is to understand the relationship between the nominal rate and the effective tax rate and to evaluate if the differences between them depend on the value of the nominal rate. Based on a sample of 1,530 companies from 5 countries members of the European Union (Denmark, Slovenia, Finland, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom) there’s evidence that the effective tax rate is positively related to the nominal rate. The effective tax rate was calculated through the ratio between the value of the tax paid over the result before tax. When the nominal tax rate increases, the effective rate increases equally but with a slower growth. This relationship is softened if we take into account the value of the nominal tax rate, which shows that companies have the ability to manage the results in order to increase savings in tax.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The soluble transferrin receptor as a marker of iron homeostasis in normal subjects and in HFE-related hemochromatosis

Background and Objectives. The soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) is a clinical marker of erythropoietic activity, also used in the diagnosis of iron deficiency. In the present paper we explore the meaning of this parameter in normal physiological conditions of iron homeostasis and in the setting of iron overload due to hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). Design and Methods. Reference values for sTfR were established in a population of 42 apparently healthy subjects, analyzed in relation to other hematologic parameters, namely, hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), transferrin saturation (TfSat) and serum ferritin. The same analysis was done in a group of 45 patients with HH who were homozygous for the C282Y mutation of HFE and had a wide range of TfSat values. In addition, individual serial profiles were analyzed in three patients. Results. In normal subjects circulating sTfR correlated significantly with the TfSat level, reflecting the systemic effect of iron availability on the erythropoietic activity in a normal physiological steady state. A TfSat of 25% appeared as a threshold value, below which there was a progressive increase in sTfR; this increase in sTfR occurred concomitantly with a decrease in Hb, MCV and serum ferritin. In HH patients the up-regulation of sTfR started at TfSat values as high as 50%. Interpretation and Conclusions. The fact that sTfR up-regulation started at higher TfSat values in HH patients suggests that the recognition of systemic iron available for erythropoiesis is altered in this condition. Based on these results, a new hypothesis is advanced, proposing that the HFE protein in involved as a sensor of systemic iron availability, via the soluble transferrin receptor

Recomendação de inoculante para cultura de milho utilizando a bactéria Herbaspirillum seropedicae, estirpe BR11417

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