Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of NiO Nanostructure Thin Film

Nickel oxide was deposited on highly cleaned glass substrates using spray pneumatic technique. The effect of precursor molarity on structural, optical and electrical properties has been studied. The XRD lines of the deposited NiO were enhanced with increasing precursor molarity due to the improvement of the films crystallinity. It was shown that the crystalline size of the deposited thin films was calculated using Debye-Scherer formula and found in the range between 9 and 47 nm. The optical properties have been discussed in this work. The absorbance (A), the transmittance (T) and the reflectance (R) were measured and calculated. Band gap energy is considered one of the most important optical parameter, therefore measured and found ranging between 3.64 and 3.86 eV. The NiO thin film reduces the light reflection for visible range light. The increase of the electrical conductivity to maximum value of 0.0896 (Ω cm) – 1 can be explained by the increase in carrier concentration of the films. A good electrical conductivity of the NiO thin film is obtained due to the electrically low sheet resistance. NiO can be applied in different electronic and optoelectronic applications due to its high band gap, high transparency and good electrical conductivity

Natural occurrence and pathogenicity of Xanthomonas bacteria on selected plants

Peer Revie

Порівняльний аналіз концепцій підготовки лідерів в вищих навчальних закладах Великобританії та України

The paper presents a consistent comparative analysis of the leadership training concepts in the United Kingdom and Ukraine, based on the example of the University of Greenwich and the National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute". We define basic principles of leadership training at the Department of pedagogy and psychology of social systems management. Special attention is paid to the importance of implementing a synergetic approach in the training of modern managers-leaders. The highlighted similarities in leadership training in the UK and Ukraine are the synergistic approach, cluster approach, a focus on the personal traits development of future leaders.В статті представлено послідовний порівняльний аналіз концепцій підготовки лідерів в Сполученому Королівстві та Україні, на прикладі Університету Грінвіча та Національного технічного університету "Харківський політехнічний інститут". Визначено основні принципи підготовки лідерів на кафедрі педагогіки і психології управління соціальними системами. Окрема увага приділена важливості реалізації синергетичного підходу при підготовці сучасних управлінців-лідерів. Виділені спільні риси підготовки лідерів у Великобританії та Україні: синергетичний підхід, кластер ний підхід, орієнтація на розвиток особистісних якостей майбутніх лідерів

Farmers' knowledge and perception of enset Xanthomonas wilt in southern Ethiopia

This is the final version. Available on open access from BMC via the DOI in this recordAvailability of data and materials: The dataset supporting the conclusions of this article is included within the article (“Additional file 1 Datasets”).Background: Enset Xanthomonas wilt (EXW) was first reported in 1939 and continues to threaten the sustainability of farming systems in south and southwestern parts of Ethiopia. The present study was conducted in the central zones of southern Ethiopia to assess farmers' knowledge and perception about EXW, its etiology and mode of transmission, and its implications for the management of EXW. Methods: A survey was conducted in 240 households across Hadiya, Kembata-Tembaro and Wolaita zones of southern Ethiopia using focus group discussions and a structured questionnaire to assess farmers' perceptions of causes and modes of EXW transmission, and their knowledge on symptom identification. In addition, EXW prevalence, incidence and severity were determined for each zone. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Results: The results showed that a significant number of farmers are aware of EXW, its symptoms, etiology and transmission and spread, but they are not able to readily relate modes of spread to control methods. Since 2002, EXW became prominent in Hadiya, with the highest EXW incidence and severity, followed by Wolaita, and Kembata-Tembaro. Farmers identified EXW as the major cause for declining production and productivity of enset in the region. Conclusion: EXW has spread widely and rapidly in southern Ethiopia, with significant socioeconomic impacts in smallholders' livelihoods. There is a need for developing knowledge-based strategies and awareness-raising campaign for EXW management.This work was supported by the McKnight foundation, Africa RISING and Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI)

Morphological Variation and Inter-Relationships of Quantitative Traits in Enset (Ensete ventricosum (welw.) Cheesman) Germplasm from South and South-Western Ethiopia

This is the final version. Available on open access from MDPI via the DOI in this recordEnset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is Ethiopia's most important root crop. A total of 387 accessions collected from nine different regions of Ethiopia were evaluated for 15 quantitative traits at Areka Agricultural Research Centre to determine the extent and pattern of distribution of morphological variation. The variations among the accessions and regions were significant (p ≤ 0.01) for all the 15 traits studied. Mean for plant height, central shoot weight before grating, and fermented squeezed kocho yield per hectare per year showed regional variation along an altitude gradient and across cultural differences related to the origin of the collection. Furthermore, there were significant correlations among most of the characters. This included the correlation among agronomic characteristics of primary interest in enset breeding such as plant height, pseudostem height, and fermented squeezed kocho yield per hectare per year. Altitude of the collection sites also significantly impacted the various characteristics studied. These results reveal the existence of significant phenotypic variations among the 387 accessions as a whole. Regional differentiations were also evident among the accessions. The implication of the current results for plant breeding, germplasm collection, and in situ and ex situ genetic resource conservation are discussed.This study was part of the PhD research work of the first author, and we acknowledge the McKnight Foundation for financial support

The Theoretical Foundations of the Enterprise Strategic Management System

The concepts, theories, and practices of strategic management have become very important in the modern management literature. This has become evident due to the complex, ambiguous, and dynamic nature of modern corporate management, which has been a concern for scholars in this field. The main purpose of this article is to review strategic management with an emphasis on its conceptions, theory, and connection with the resource-based philosophy of a firm’s competitive advantage. The authors analyzed the relevant literature establishing the relationship between the theory of strategic management and the competitive advantage of a firm on the grounds of the resource-based philosophy. It is specified that the resource-based model is one of the main theories of strategic management, which helps to explain the effectiveness of an organization. The main strategies for entering the external market are considered, namely: SWOT analysis; Porter’s Five Forces model; the Balanced Scorecard; Blue Ocean strategy; Agile strategy; PESTEL analysis. Each of the considered strategies for a firm’s entry into the external market has its own disadvantages and undoubted advantages, which should be considered, first of all, in the context of the product features. In the course of the study the key components of strategic management and the stages of strategic analysis are identified. Studying the competitive advantage of an organization from this school of thought allows organizations to measure the value of their internal resources and capabilities, in particular, to achieve competitive advantage. It is argued for that that the purpose of a system analysis of the external environment consists in identifying the future opportunities that a company can safely rely on, as well as to in detecting threats that may arise and which need to be prevented or reduced, also in determining the position of the enterprise opposite to competitors in the field of input factors and production. It is also proved that the advantages possessed by an enterprise should play a decisive role in choosing a strategy

Effect of Annealing in Physical Properties of NiO Nanostructure Thin Film

Nickel oxide was deposited on highly cleaned glass substrates using spray pneumatic technique. The effect of precursor molarity on structural, optical and electrical properties has been studied. The XRD lines of the deposited NiO were enhanced with increasing precursor molarity due to the improvement of the films crystallinity. It was shown that the average of the crystalline size of the deposited thin films was calculated using Debye–Scherer formula and found 46.62 for as-deposited sample and 119.89 nm for the annealed one. The optical properties have been discussed in this work. The absorbance (A), the transmittance (T) and the reflectance (R) were measured and calculated. Band gap energy is considered one of the most important optical parameter, therefore measured and found ranging ranging 3.64 for as-deposited sample and 2.98 eV for the annealed one. The NiO thin film reduces the light reflection for visible range light. The increase of the electrical conductivity to maximum value of 0.09241 (Ωcm)−1 can be explained by the increase in carrier concentration of the films. A good electrical conductivity of the NiO thin film is obtained due to the electrically low sheet resistance. NiO can be applied in different electronic and optoelectronic applications due to its high band gap, high transparency and good electrical conductivity

A Statistical Study of Technological Trends in Logistics: Patent Analysis

The aim of the study is to develop a methodology for constructing series for distribution of patents based on selected characteristics, to analyze patterns in the structure of logistics processes and structural changes in them as an information base for a statistical study of technological trends in logistics. It is determined that research on technological trends is becoming very relevant for developing a successful technological strategy in logistics, taking into account the strategic importance of identifying opportunities for and threats to technological development while achieving sustainable competitiveness in the logistic market. Given the rapid pace of development of technology, both in logistics and related fields, logistics service providers need methodological support and relevant patent data to facilitate research on technological trends to increase their competitiveness. It is determined that using the method of expert assessments, qualification and company analysis in studying technological trends in logistics under modern conditions is ineffective, while statistical study of technological trends based on patent analysis in logistics is underestimated. The necessity of a statistical study of technological trends in logistics using a 4-stage methodology for conducting patent analysis is substantiated. The proposed methodology involves the use of the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), which allows determining the logistics related technological topics behind patents. In addition, information on technological topics and their trends, obtained as a result of the proposed methodology for patent analysis, will help to better understand the technological landscape in logistics