Scattering in Noncommutative Quantum Mechanics

We derive the correction due to noncommutativity of space on Born approximation, then the correction for the case of Yukawa potential is explicitly calculated. The correction depends on the angle of scattering. Using partial wave method it is shown that the conservation of the number of particles in elastic scattering is also valid in noncommutative spaces which means that the unitarity relation is held in noncommutative spaces. We also show that the noncommutativity of space has no effect on the optical theorem. Finally we study Gaussian function potential in noncommutative spaces which generates delta function potential as $\theta \to 0$.Comment: 7 Pages, no figure, accepted for publication in Modern Physics Letters

Berry's phase in noncommutative spaces

We introduce the perturbative aspects of noncommutative quantum mechanics. Then we study the Berry's phase in the framework of noncommutative quantum mechanics. The results show deviations from the usual quantum mechanics which depend on the parameter of space/space noncommtativity.Comment: 7 pages, no figur

Effect of a Family-Oriented Communication Skills Training Program on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Older adults face several physical and psychological problems such as hearing loss, vision loss, and memory loss, which diminish the quality of their communication. Poor communication in turn affects their psychological wellbeing and induces substantial depression, anxiety, and stress. The family has an important role in the mental health of older adults. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of a family-oriented communication skills training program on depression, anxiety, and stress in older adults. Patients and Methods: For this randomized controlled clinical trial, we enrolled 64 older adults from two healthcare centers affiliated to the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The subjects were randomly allocated to an experimental group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 32). In the experimental group, older adults along with their primary caregiver participated in six sessions of communication skill education. The control group participated in two training sessions on nutrition and exercise. All participants answered the DASS21 questionnaire three times—at the start of the study, at the end of the sixth week, and a month after the last educational session of the experimental group. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Fisher’s exact and t tests and by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: In the experimental group, the mean depression score significantly reduced from 10.56 ± 3.34 before intervention to 7.46 ± 2.80 and 6.30 ± 2.75 after intervention and at follow-up, respectively; the mean anxiety score significantly reduced from 8.46 ± 1.88 before intervention to 5.83 ± 1.93 and 5.80 ± 2.12 after intervention and at follow-up, respectively; and the mean stress score significantly decreased from 11.40 ± 4.53 before intervention to 8.90 ± 3.81 and 8.43 ± 3.31 after intervention and at follow-up, respectively (P < 0.05 for all three domains). In contrast, the control group did not show any significant change in the mean depression, anxiety, and stress scores. Conclusions: Family-oriented education on communication skills could reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in the elderly. Therefore, such programs should be adopted as a non-pharmacological and cost-effective method for reducing depression, anxiety, and stress in older adults

Consequences of bursty star formation on galaxy observables at high redshifts

The star formation histories (SFHs) of dwarf galaxies are thought to be \emph{bursty}, with large -- order of magnitude -- changes in the star formation rate on timescales similar to O-star lifetimes. As a result, the standard interpretations of many galaxy observables (which assume a slowly varying SFH) are often incorrect. Here, we use the SFHs from hydro-dynamical simulations to investigate the effects of bursty SFHs on sample selection and interpretation of observables and make predictions to confirm such SFHs in future surveys. First, because dwarf galaxies' star formation rates change rapidly, the mass-to-light ratio is also changing rapidly in both the ionizing continuum and, to a lesser extent, the non-ionizing UV continuum. Therefore, flux limited surveys are highly biased toward selecting galaxies in the \emph{burst} phase and very deep observations are required to detect all dwarf galaxies at a given stellar mass. Second, we show that a $\log_{10}[\nu L_{\nu}(1500{\rm \AA})/L_{{\rm H}\alpha}]>2.5$ implies a very recent quenching of star formation and can be used as evidence of stellar feedback regulating star formation. Third, we show that the ionizing continuum can be significantly higher than when assuming a constant SFH, which can affect the interpretation of nebular emission line equivalent widths and direct ionizing continuum detections. Finally, we show that a star formation rate estimate based on continuum measurements only (and not on nebular tracers such as the hydrogen Balmer lines) will not trace the rapid changes in star formation and will give the false impression of a star-forming main sequence with low dispersion.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, and 2 tables. Version accepted by MNRA