Schr\"odinger formalism for a particle constrained to a surface in R13\mathbb{R}_1^3

In this work it is studied the Schr\"odinger equation for a non-relativistic particle restricted to move on a surface $S$ in a three-dimensional Minkowskian medium $\mathbb{R}_1^3$, i.e., the space $\mathbb{R}^3$ equipped with the metric $\text{diag}(-1,1,1)$. After establishing the consistency of the interpretative postulates for the new Schr\"odinger equation, namely the conservation of probability and the hermiticity of the new Hamiltonian built out of the Laplacian in $\mathbb{R}_1^3$, we investigate the confining potential formalism in the new effective geometry. Like in the well-known Euclidean case, it is found a geometry-induced potential acting on the dynamics $V_S = - \frac{\hbar^{2}}{2m} \left(\varepsilon H^2-K\right)$ which, besides the usual dependence on the mean ($H$) and Gaussian ($K$) curvatures of the surface, has the remarkable feature of a dependence on the signature of the induced metric of the surface: $\varepsilon= +1$ if the signature is $(-,+)$, and $\varepsilon=1$ if the signature is $(+,+)$. Applications to surfaces of revolution in $\mathbb{R}^3_1$ are examined, and we provide examples where the Schr\"odinger equation is exactly solvable. It is hoped that our formalism will prove useful in the modeling of novel materials such as hyperbolic metamaterials, which are characterized by a hyperbolic dispersion relation, in contrast to the usual spherical (elliptic) dispersion typically found in conventional materials.Comment: 26 pages, 1 figure; comments are welcom

Risk Management in Scrum Projects: A Bibliometric Study

This article presents a bibliometric study of Risk Management in Scrum Projects. It was carried out an analysis involving the ISI Web of Knowledge and Scopus databases, identifying the main authors, countries and periodicals. It also identified the most cited authors by the analyzed articles, in addition to the keywords most frequently cited. These analyzes were performed using the reference maps, which were generated by CiteSpace® software, which offers a set of features to support bibliometrics. The objective was to identify the current scenario research of Risk Management applied in Scrum Projects in order to offer a consistent basis of information to researchers. The research verified that, despite the importance of the research topic, few scientific studies have been identified, which brings the need for new researches on the subject

Photoinitiated Intramolecular Proton Transfer in Deprotonated para-Coumaric Acid

Deprotonated para-coumaric acid is commonly considered as a model for the chromophore in photoactive yellow protein, which undergoes E → Z isomerization following absorption of blue light. Here, tandem ion mobility mass spectrometry is coupled with laser excitation to study the photochemistry of deprotonated para-coumaric acid, to show that the E isomers of the phenoxide and carboxylate forms have distinct photochemical responses with maxima in their action spectra at 430 and 360 nm, respectively. The E isomer of the phenoxide anion undergoes efficient autodetachment upon excitation of its lowest ππ* transition. For the E isomer of the carboxylate deprotomer, a one-way photoinitiated proton transfer generates the phenoxide deprotomer through a mechanism postulated to involve an excited-state enol–keto tautomerism followed by a series of ground-state rearrangements including a second proton transfer. This mechanism is supported by experiments in which the relevant intermediate keto isomer is prepared and spectroscopically probed and through master equation modeling of possible ground-state isomerization processes. The Z isomer of the carboxylate deprotomer shows a weak Z → E photoisomerization response that occurs in competition with photodestruction (presumably electron detachment), demonstrating that the E and Z isomers undergo different processes in their excited states. The study highlights the utility of isomer-selective spectroscopy for characterizing the photochemistry of isolated anions possessing multiple deprotonation sites

Resonant Lepton-Gluon Collisions at the Large Hadron Collider

We study the lepton-induced resonant production of color-adjoint leptons (leptogluons) at the LHC employing the lepton parton density function of the proton. We demonstrate that this production mechanism can be useful to extend the LHC ability to search for leptogluons beyond purely quark/gluon initiated production processes up to ~ 3.5 TeV leptogluon masses and O(1) TeV compositeness scales. Discerning leptogluons from scalar and vector leptoquarks is also possible in this channel, given a data sample containing the order of 100 signal events. We argue that the resonant channel can be combined with leptogluon pair and associated leptogluon-lepton productions to boost exclusion limits and discovery prospects at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure

Same-Sign Taus Signatures of Maximally Flavor-Violating Scalars at the LHC

We explore single and double flavor-violating scalars (flavons) production at the 13 and 14 TeV LHC in an effective field theory formulation where flavons always change the flavor of Standard Model fermions. When those scalars couple to mass, their flavor-changing couplings to top quarks and tau leptons are favored. Focusing on the mass region below the top quark mass, we find couplings that fit the muon and electron $(g-2)$ discrepancies and avoid several current experimental constraints. We determine the potential of the LHC to exclude or discover such a new physics scenario with clean signatures consisting of same-sign tau leptons and the simultaneous observation of resonances in the tau plus electron or muon invariant mass. We found that in the double production mode, effective couplings down to order $10^{-2}$ TeV$^{-1}$ can be probed for flavon masses in the 10-170 GeV range at the HL-LHC at 14 TeV, but couplings down to 0.1 TeV$^{-1}$ can be excluded at 95\% confidence level with data collected by the 13 TeV LHC in the same mass interval.Comment: 32 pages, 12 figures, 2 table

Quantum mechanics of particles constrained to spiral curves with application to polyene chains

Context: Due to advances in synthesizing lower-dimensional materials, there is the challenge of finding the wave equation that effectively describes quantum particles moving on 1D and 2D domains. Jensen and Koppe and Da Costa independently introduced a confining potential formalism showing that the effective constrained dynamics is subjected to a scalar geometry-induced potential; for the confinement to a curve, the potential depends on the curve’s curvature function.Method: To characterize the π electrons in polyenes, we follow two approaches. First, we utilize a weakened Coulomb potential associated with a spiral curve. The solution to the Schrödinger equation with Dirichlet boundary conditions yields Bessel functions, and the spectrum is obtained analytically. We employ the particle-in-a-box model in the second approach, incorporating effective mass corrections. The π-π* transitions of polyenes were calculated in good experimental agreement with both approaches, although with different wave functions

Environmental Risk Assessment Based on High-Resolution Spatial Maps of Potentially Toxic Elements Sampled on Stream Sediments of Santiago, Cape Verde

Geochemical mapping is the base knowledge to identify the regions of the planet with critical contents of potentially toxic elements from either natural or anthropogenic sources. Sediments, soils and waters are the vehicles which link the inorganic environment to life through the supply of essential macro and micro nutrients. The chemical composition of surface geological materials may cause metabolic changes which may favor the occurrence of endemic diseases in humans. In order to better understand the relationships between environmental geochemistry and public health, we present environmental risk maps of some harmful elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) in the stream sediments of Santiago, Cape Verde, identifying the potentially harmful areas in this island. The Estimated Background Values (EBV) of Cd, Co, Cr, Ni and V were found to be above the Canadian guidelines for any type of use of stream sediments and also above the target values of the Dutch and United States guidelines. The Probably Effect Concentrations (PEC), above which harmful effects are likely in sediment dwelling organisms, were found for Cr and Ni. Some associations between the geological formations of the island and the composition of stream sediments were identified and confirmed by descriptive statistics and by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The EBV spatial distribution of the metals and the results of PCA allowed us to establish relationships between the EBV maps and the geological formations. The first two PCA modes indicate that heavy metals in Santiago stream sediments are mainly originated from weathering of underlying bedrocks. The first metal association (Co, V, Cr, and Mn; first PCA mode) consists of elements enriched in basic rocks and compatible elements. The second association of variables (Zn and Cd as opposed to Ni; second PCA mode) appears to be strongly controlled by the composition of alkaline volcanic rocks and pyroclastic rocks. So, the second PCA mode is also considered as a natural lithogenic mode. The third association (Cu and Pb; third PCA mode) consists of elements of anthropogenic origin

Nutritional, Bioactive and Physicochemical Characteristics of Different Beetroot Formulations

Beetroot possesses high nutritional value and is considered one of the main dietary sources of nitrate. Nitrate has increasingly attracted the interest of the scientific community regarding new physiological, nutritional and therapeutic approaches with beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. These effects can be explained by the possible effect of dietary nitrate in stimulating nitric oxide synthesis. Dietary nitrate can be reduced to nitrite in the oral cavity, which is then decomposed to nitric oxide and other bioactive nitrogen oxides in the stomach. Beetroot administration can be conducted by several types of formulations, in order to provide a convenient and alternative source of dietary beetroot, such as beetroot juice or beetroot chips and powder. The challenge in providing a product which, in addition to being rich in nitrate, is attractive and easy to administer, while also being microbiologically safe, is increased by the limited scientific information available concerning the nutritional aspects of beetroot formulations. In this chapter, a brief review on the efficiency of different beetroot formulations on health indicators is conducted, emphasizing the effects following the intake of nitrate-enriched beetroot gel. The metabolic and hemodynamic effects of beetroot formulations in healthy and non-healthy volunteers are also discussed

Effects of experimental bleaching agents on the mineral content of sound and demineralized enamels

High concentrations of hydrogen peroxide can cause adverse effects on composition and structure of teeth. However, the addition of calcium and fluoride in bleaching agents may reduce enamel demineralization. Objective: To evaluate chemical changes of sound and demineralized enamels submitted to high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide containing fluoride (F) or calcium (Ca). Material and Methods: Enamel blocks of bovine incisors with standard dimensions were obtained and half of them were submitted to pH-cycling to promote initial enamel caries lesions. Sound and demineralized enamel samples were divided into (n=10): (C) Control (no whitening treatment); (HP) 35% hydrogen peroxide; and two experimental groups: (HPF) 35% HP+0.2% F and (HPC) 35% HP+0.2% Ca. Experimental groups were submitted to two in-office bleaching sessions and agents were applied 3 times for 15 min to each session. The control group was kept in remineralizing solution at 37°C during the bleaching treatment. The surface mineral content of sound and demineralized enamels was determined through Fourier Transform Raman spectroscopy (FT-Raman), Energy dispersive Micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (μ-EDXRF); and the subsurface, through cross-sectional microhardness (CSMH). In addition, polarized light microscopy (PLM) images of enamel subsurface were observed. Results: According to three-way (FT-Raman and μ-EDXRF analyses) or two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (CSMH) and Tukey test (α=5%), the calcium or fluoride added to high-concentrated bleaching agents increased phosphate and carbonate concentrations on sound and demineralized enamels (p<0.05). However, HPC and HPF were unable to completely reverse the subsurface mineral loss promoted by bleaching on sound and demineralized enamels. The calcium/ phosphate (Ca/P) ratio of sound enamel decreased after HP treatment (p<0.001). Conclusion: Even though experimental bleaching agents with Ca or F reduced mineral loss for both sound and demineralized enamel surfaces, these agents were unable to reverse the enamel subsurface demineralization