Can rigidly rotating polytropes be sources of the Kerr metric?

We use a recent result by Cabezas et al. to build up an approximate solution to the gravitational field created by a rigidly rotating polytrope. We solve the linearized Einstein equations inside and outside the surface of zero pressure including second-order corrections due to rotational motion to get an asymptotically flat metric in a global harmonic coordinate system. We prove that if the metric and their first derivatives are continuous on the matching surface up to this order of approximation, the multipole moments of this metric cannot be fitted to those of the Kerr metric.Comment: LaTeX, 17 pages, submitted to CQ

Singular sources in the Demianski-Newman spacetimes

The analysis of singular regions in the NUT solutions carried out in the recent paper (Manko and Ruiz, 2005 Class. Quantum Grav. 22, p.3555) is now extended to the Demianski-Newman vacuum and electrovacuum spacetimes. We show that the effect which produces the NUT parameter in a more general situation remains essentially the same as in the purely NUT solutions: it introduces the semi-infinite singularities of infinite angular momenta and positive or negative masses depending on the interrelations between the parameters; the presence of the electromagnetic field additionally endows the singularities with electric and magnetic charges. The exact formulae describing the mass, charges and angular momentum distributions in the Demianski-Newman solutions are obtained and concise general expressions P_n=(m+i\nu)(ia)^n, Q_n=(q+ib)(ia)^n for the entire set of the respective Beig-Simon multipole moments are derived. These moments correspond to a unique choice of the integration constant in the expression of the metric function \omega which is different from the original choice made by Demianski and Newman.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures; submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit

On the probable composition of ‘Jamaican stone’ aphrodisiac

A dangerous aphrodisiac, commonly known as ‘Jamaican stone’, banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has been studied by vibrational spectroscopy in order to solve the controversy on its composition. The results of the ATR-FTIR analysis revealed the presence of the a-pyrone ring, which is characteristic of bufadienolides from toad venom and bulbs of squill (Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn). This conclusion was reached after a comparative study with the spectra for phytochemicals derived from gambir and cat''s claw, two Uncaria species also preconized as aphrodisiacs and deemed as possible constituents of the ‘stone’. Owing to their physiologic similarities to digoxin, bufadienolides have been shown to produce a toxic profile similar to that of digoxin, although the lack one of the side chains found on digoxin should allow the use of hemodialysis to treat ‘Jamaican stone’ overdose

Ising exponents in the two-dimensional site-diluted Ising model

We study the site-diluted Ising model in two dimensions with Monte Carlo simulations. Using finite-size scaling techniques we compute the critical exponents observing deviations from the pure Ising ones. The differences can be explained as the effects of logarithmic corrections, without requiring to change the Universality Class.Comment: 7 pages, 2 postscript figures. Reference correcte

Rose Bengal test: diagnostic yield and use for the rapid diagnosis of human brucellosis in emergency departments in endemic areas

ABSTRACTThe aim of the present study was to analyse the diagnostic yield of the rose Bengal test for the rapid diagnosis of human brucellosis in an emergency department in an area where the disease is endemic. The study included 711 patients diagnosed initially with brucellosis and 270 controls. Brucellosis patients were divided into three groups: group I, individuals with no regular exposure to or history of brucellosis; group II, individuals exposed repeatedly to Brucella infection; and group III, individuals infected with Brucella who had received appropriate treatment during the previous 12 months. Blood cultures were positive for 445 (62.6%) brucellosis patients, while the remaining 266 (37.4%) patients were diagnosed according to clinical and serological criteria. The overall sensitivity of the rose Bengal test was 92.9%. The specificities for groups I, II and III were 94.3%, 91.7% and 76.9%, respectively, with positive likelihood ratios of 16.5, 10.4 and 4.2, respectively. The diagnostic gain after the performance of the rose Bengal test was good or very good in patients with no previous exposure to Brucella or history of brucellosis, but poor in patients who were exposed repeatedly to Brucella or had a history of brucellosis and a low pre-test probability. Use of the rose Bengal test as the sole technique for the diagnosis of brucellosis in endemic areas should be considered very carefully in the context of patients who are exposed repeatedly to Brucella or have a history of brucellosis

Unveiling the power spectra of δ\delta Scuti stars with TESS. The temperature, gravity, and frequency scaling relation

Thanks to high-precision photometric data legacy from space telescopes like CoRoT and Kepler, the scientific community could detect and characterize the power spectra of hundreds of thousands of stars. Using the scaling relations, it is possible to estimate masses and radii for solar-type pulsators. However, these stars are not the only kind of stellar objects that follow these rules: $\delta$ Scuti stars seem to be characterized with seismic indexes such as the large separation ($\Delta\nu$). Thanks to long-duration high-cadence TESS light curves, we analysed more than two thousand of this kind of classical pulsators. In that way, we propose the frequency at maximum power ($\nu_{\rm max}$) as a proper seismic index since it is directly related with the intrinsic temperature, mass and radius of the star. This parameter seems not to be affected by rotation, inclination, extinction or resonances, with the exception of the evolution of the stellar parameters. Furthermore, we can constrain rotation and inclination using the departure of temperature produced by the gravity-darkening effect. This is especially feasible for fast rotators as most of $\delta$ Scuti stars seem to be.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Breit interaction effects in relativistic theory of the nuclear spin-rotation tensor

In this work, relativistic effects on the nuclear spin-rotation (SR) tensor originated in the electronnucleus and electron-electron Breit interactions are analysed. To this end, four-component numerical calculations were carried out in model systems HX (X=H,F,Cl,Br,I). The electron-nucleus Breit interaction couples the electrons and nuclei dynamics giving rise to a purely relativistic contribution to the SR tensor. Its leading order in 1/c is of the same value as that of relativistic corrections on the usual second order expression of the SR tensor considered in previous work [I. A. Aucar, S. S. Gómez, J. I. Melo, C. G. Giribet, and M. C. Ruiz de Azúa, J. Chem. Phys. 138, 134107 (2013)], and therefore it is absolutely necessary to establish its relative importance. For the sake of completeness, the corresponding effect originating in the electron-electron Breit interaction is also considered. It is verified that in all cases these Breit interactions yield only very small corrections to the SR tensors of both the X and H nuclei in the present series of compounds. Results of the present work strongly suggest that in order to achieve experimental accuracy in the theoretical study of the SR tensor both electron-nucleus and electron-electron Breit effects can be safely neglected.Fil: Aucar, Ignacio Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Nordeste. Instituto de Modelado e Innovación Tecnológica; ArgentinaFil: Gomez, Sergio Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Nordeste. Instituto de Modelado e Innovación Tecnológica; ArgentinaFil: Giribet, Claudia Gloria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Física; ArgentinaFil: Ruiz de Azua, Martin Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Física; Argentin