Quiescent state and outburst evolution of SGR 0501+4516

We report on the quiescent state of the soft gamma repeater SGR 0501+4516 observed by XMM–Newton on 2009 August 30. The source exhibits an absorbed flux ∼75 times lower than that measured at the peak of the 2008 outburst, and a rather soft spectrum, with the same value of the blackbody temperature observed with ROSAT back in 1992. This new observation is put into the context of all existing X-ray data since its discovery in 2008 August, allowing us to complete the study of the timing and spectral evolution of the source from outburst until its quiescent state. The set of deep XMM–Newton observations performed during the few years time-scale of its outburst allows us to monitor the spectral characteristics of this magnetar as a function of its rotational period, and their evolution along these years. After the first ∼10 d, the initially hot and bright surface spot progressively cooled down during the decay. We discuss the behaviour of this magnetar in the context of its simulated secular evolution, inferring a plausible dipolar field at birth of 3 × 1014 G, and a current (magnetothermal) age of ∼10 kyr.

Active edible films: Current state and future trends

Active edible films represent one of the current and future trends in the development of new polymers for selected applications, particularly food packaging. Some biopolymers show excellent performance as carriers for active compounds extracted from natural sources and are able to be released at a controlled rate to packaged food. In this review we aim to present, in a comprehensive way, the most recent advances and updates in this subject, where much research is currently ongoing and new studies are reported very often. This review focuses on innovative biopolymer matrices, their processing to obtain edible active films, and present and future applications.

Seeding a Profession: The Intersection of the State, International Interests, and the Early Development of Brazilian Nursing

State and international entities can have profound effects on the development of a country’s nursing profession. Through a global health governance lens, this paper explores the development of nursing in Brazil during the early twentieth century, and its intersections with national and international interests. Accordingly, we will show how state policies established an environment that fostered the institutionalization of nursing as a profession in Brazil and supported it as a means to increase the presence of females in nation building processes. The State focused on recruiting elite women for nursing, in part due to the Rockefeller Foundation’s involvement in the country. Nurses who worked for Rockefeller came from well-educated classes within US society with specific ideas about who should be a nurse and the roles of nurses in a healthcare system. These women served as the primary vehicles for interacting with Brazilian health authorities responsible for health system development. Their early efforts did not, however, ensure a system capable of producing nursing human resources at a rate that, in present day Brazil, could meet the health needs of the country. Findings from this paper offer new avenues for historians to explore the early roots of professional nursing through a global health governance lens, improve the understanding of the intersection between international politics and professionalization, and highlight how these factors may impact nursing human resources production in the long term.