Noncommutative Quantum Mechanics Viewed from Feynman Formalism

Dyson published in 1990 a proof due to Feynman of the Maxwell equations. This proof is based on the assumption of simple commutation relations between position and velocity. We first study a nonrelativistic particle using Feynman formalism. We show that Poincar\'{e}'s magnetic angular momentum and Dirac magnetic monopole are the direct consequences of the structure of the sO(3) Lie algebra in Feynman formalism. Then we show how to extend this formalism to the dual momentum space with the aim of introducing Noncommutative Quantum Mechanics which was recently the subject of a wide range of works from particle physics to condensed matter physics.Comment: 11 pages, To appear in the Proceedings of the Lorentz Workshop "Beyond the Quantum", eds. Th.M. Nieuwenhuizen et al., World Scientific, Singapore, 2007. Added reference

Effects of disorder on the vortex charge

We study the influence of disorder on the vortex charge, both due to random pinning of the vortices and due to scattering off non-magnetic impurities. In the case when there are no impurities present, but the vortices are randomly distributed, the effect is very small, except when two or more vortices are close by. When impurities are present, they have a noticeable effect on the vortex charge. This, together with the effect of temperature, changes appreciably the vortex charge. In the case of an attractive impurity potential the sign of the charge naturally changes.Comment: 10 pages, 16 figures. Accepted in Phys. Rev.

Challenges in conducting and publishing research on the Middle East and Africa in leading journals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons for the lack of research attention paid to the Middle East (ME) and Africa regions. In particular, this study seeks to identify the reasons for and implications of the paucity of ME- and Africa-based studies in high-quality international journals in the marketing field with a specific focus on the challenges in conducting and publishing research on these regions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature on the ME and Africa regions to identify papers published in 23 high-quality marketing, international business, and advertising journals. This search resulted in 301 articles, among which 125 articles were based on primary or secondary data collected from a local source in those regions. The authors of these 125 articles constitute the Delphi study sample. These academics provided input in an effort to reach a consensus regarding the two proposed models of academic research in both regions. Findings – This paper differs from previous studies, where academic freedom emerged as the most important inhibitor to conducting and publishing research. The most frequently mentioned challenges in conducting research in Africa were access to data, data collection issues, diversity of the region, and lack of research support infrastructure. For the ME, the most often described challenges included validity and reliability of data, language barriers, data collection issues, and availability of a network of researchers. Editors’ and reviewers’ low interest and limited knowledge were ranked high in both regions. South Africa, Israel, and Turkey emerged as outliers, in which research barriers were less challenging than in the rest of the two regions. The authors attribute this difference to the high incidence of US-trained or US-based scholars originating from these countries. Originality/value – To the best of the knowledge, no marketing studies have discussed the problems of publishing in high-quality international journals of marketing, international business, and advertising for either region. Thus, most of the issues the authors discuss in this paper offer new insightful results while supplementing previous research on the challenges of conducting and publishing research on specific world regions

Phase of bi-particle localized states for the Cooper problem in two-dimensional disordered systems

The Cooper problem is studied numerically for the Anderson model with disorder in two-dimensions. It is shown that the attractive Hubbard interaction creates a phase of bi-particle localized states in the regime where non-interacting states are delocalized. This phase cannot be obtained in the mean-field approximation and the pair coupling energy is strongly enhanced in this regime. The effects of magnetic field are studied and it is shown that under certain conditions they lead to delocalization.Comment: revtex, 7 pages, 8 figure

Mining archaeology sites at the Alto Minho region (Northern Portugal) - a management perspective

[Abstract] Archaeological mining sites in northern Portugal include a few roman gold mines in shear zones and the tin and tungsten mining of the first half of the XX century, widespread through the entire Alto Minho region, and related to residual-granite mineralization. Pre-roman vestiges of mineral resources disposal are restricted to Pleistocene industries, without known mining evidences. Better preserved sites represent the tin and tungsten period from which, some testimony of local peculiar technologies, are remaining. From a land use point of view, the preservation of old excavations and ruined plants may be in equilibrium with new mining projects for the mineral resources potential and new forms of tourism regional offe

Escalas de Bem-Estar Social: evidências de validade e fidelidade no contexto português

This study aims to provide evidence of validity and reliability of the Social Well-being Scales in the Portuguese context. A cross-sectional study was developed with 322 adults (M = 30.45; SD = 8.52) aged from 18 to 58 years old, mostly females (65.8%). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good model fit considering the five-factor model consistent with the original theoretical proposal. Also, additional validity evidence was obtained with statistically significant associations being found between social well-being dimensions and satisfaction with life, depression and anxiety. Reliability data also showed adequate internal consistency of all well-being dimensions. This reliable and valid scale is useful to evaluate social well-being in adulthood in the Portuguese context, not only allowing a more comprehensive approach to the mental health research but also providing opportunities of assessment and intervention focused on a positive framework.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Eosinophilic fasciitis: an atypical presentation of a rare disease

Eosinophilic fasciitis, or Shulman's disease, is a rare disease of unknown etiology. It is characterized by peripheral eosinophilia, hypergammaglobulinemia, and high erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The diagnosis is confirmed by a deep biopsy of the skin. The first line of treatment is corticotherapy. We present a rare case of eosinophilic fasciitis in a 27-year-old woman with an atypical presentation with symmetrical peripheral edema and a Groove sign. The patient responded well to treatment with corticosteroids at high doses and, in this context, was associated with hydroxychloroquine and azathioprine. After two and a half years, peripheral eosinophilia had increased, and more of her skin had hardened. At that time, the therapy was modified to include corticoids, methotrexate, and penicillamine. It is of great importance to publicize these cases that allow us to gather experience and better treat our patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio