We present the results of an archival XMM-Newton study of the bright X-ray point sources (LX > 10 38 erg s−1) in 32 nearby galaxies. From our list of approximately 100 point sources, we attempt to determine if there is a low-state counterpart to the Ultraluminous X-ray (ULX) population, searching for a soft-hard state dichotomy similar to that known for Galactic X-ray binaries and testing the s...

MWC656 is the first known Be/black hole (BH) binary system. Be/BH binaries are important in the context of binary system evolution and sources of detectable gravitational waves because they are possible precursors of coalescing neutron star/BH binaries. X-ray observations conducted in 2013 revealed that MWC656 is a quiescent high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB), opening the possibility to explore X-...

Suicide risk, as well as psychiatric disorder, has been repeatedly reported in the international literature as an important issue in the care of individuals suffering from epilepsy. In this pilot study a sample comprising 103 patients with a diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy, were collected from three clinics. The patients were administered the Beck hopelessness scale (BHS), the Beck depressi...

This study aims to validate blood pressure (BP) values measured by an oscillometric BP monitor and seek possible calibration methods if discrepancies exist. Noninvasive BP measurement outcomes were determined using an oscillometric BP monitor (Omron HBP-1300) versus a mercury sphygmomanometer (standard device). Two percent of subjects enrolled in an epidemiological investigation were systematic...

We investigated the reported distances of Galactic black hole (BH) and neutron star low–mass X–ray binaries (LMXBs). Comparing the distances derived for the neutron stars Cyg X–2 and XTE J2123–058 using the observed Eddington limited photospheric radius expansion bursts with the distances derived using the observed radius and effective temperature of the companion star we find that the latter a...

The velocity dispersion of 7 Seyfert 1 galaxies at z ∼ 0.37 is measured using high signal-to-noise Keck spectra. Black hole (BH) mass estimates are obtained via an empirically calibrated photoionization method. We derive the BH mass velocity dispersion relationship at z ∼ 0.37. We find an offset with respect to the local relationship, in the sense of somewhat lower velocity dispersion at a fixe...

In this talk we present the latest results from our ongoing project on geometrothermodynamics (also known as information geometry of thermodynamics or Ruppeiner geometry) of dilaton BHs in 4D in both Einstein and string frames and a dyonic dilaton BH and at the end we report very briefly results from this approach to the 2D dilaton BHs. The thermodynamic geometry, also known as Ruppeiner geomet...

This study attempted to determine noninvasively whether a dysregulation of autonomic reflexes exists in children with breath holding spells (BHS). Fifty children between 13 to 47 months of age who had experienced BHS were evaluated at a time when they stopped having spells, for autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction. The results were compared with the test results of control group of 100 no...

Even when we consider Newtonian stars, i.e., stars with surface gravitational redshift, z ≪ 1, it is well known that, theoretically, it is possible to have stars, supported against self-gravity, almost entirely by radiation pressure. However, such Newtonian stars must necessarily be supermassive(Hoyle and Fowler 1963; Fowler 1966; Weinberg 1972). We point out that this requirement for excessive...

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are correlated with the loudness dependence of auditory evoked potentials (LDAEP). The question of whether there is a difference in BDNF levels between depressive patients according to their illness severity, history of suicide attempts, and central serotonin activity was also addresse...