The Influence of Hot Electrons on the Calculation of Ionization Rates

Electron-Impact Ionization (EII) is considered one of the most important ionization methods in dynamic systems, in which elements and ions are suddenly exposed to energetic electrons. In many plasma types, it has been observed that some electrons (hot) are governed by a non-Maxwellian energy distribution. This study illustrates the effects of a non-Maxwellian distribution on beryllium and Be+2 emission lines and their effective ionization rate coefficients. The focus on beryllium as an impacted material by electron flux aimed to evaluate the EII rates for Be and generate the corresponding datasets needed for Be+2 data analysis. An interaction cross-section was generated using the Flexible Atomic Code (FAC) and used in the estimation of the EII distribution energy functions to estimate the ionization rates for a non-Maxwellian distribution. The use of non-Maxwellian energy distributions for different fractions of hot electrons showed the sensitivity of these rates to the fraction of hot electrons and the forms of the electron energy distribution. The results were in good agreement with those found in the literature

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics' resources: focus on curated databases

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (www.isb-sib.ch) provides world-class bioinformatics databases, software tools, services and training to the international life science community in academia and industry. These solutions allow life scientists to turn the exponentially growing amount of data into knowledge. Here, we provide an overview of SIB's resources and competence areas, with a strong focus on curated databases and SIB's most popular and widely used resources. In particular, SIB's Bioinformatics resource portal ExPASy features over 150 resources, including UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, ENZYME, PROSITE, neXtProt, STRING, UniCarbKB, SugarBindDB, SwissRegulon, EPD, arrayMap, Bgee, SWISS-MODEL Repository, OMA, OrthoDB and other databases, which are briefly described in this article

Nursing students’ understanding of the concept of culture

Using a critical ethnography design, the investigator foregrounds nursing students understanding of the concept of culture, how they learn about the concept of culture, and apply what they learn in providing care for a culturally diverse population. Eight students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and educational backgrounds, with varying lengths of clinical experience voluntarily participated in the study. Data were collected through access to two students' reflective journals and in-depth interviews with students using open-ended questions, which were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Socio-demographic data were also collected. The data were analysed using narrative analytical techniques. The findings from this study suggest first, that students hold diverse perspectives on the concept of culture. At the same time, it is also crucial to value and respect the perspectives of others and recognise the implications o f particular ideological stances toward the concept of culture. Second, the process of learning and understanding about culture involves giving voice to multiple representations of realities, and cannot be isolated from socio-cultural, historical, economic, and political contexts. Third, inequalities and oppression that result from particular perspectives on culture can only be overcome when nursing students and nurses engage in a continuous discourse and problematise culture and bring critical perspectives to the processes of learning about culture. In addition, learning about culture must be ongoing and must draw from academic, personal and nursing experiences. Fourth, there is a dialectic relationship between culture and life experiences. The research indicates that the perception of culture influences values and beliefs, and these values and beliefs are rooted in their life experiences, whether they be of a personal, academic, and nursing nature.Applied Science, Faculty ofNursing, School ofGraduat

CALCULATION OF IONIZATION RATE COEFFICIENTS OF HELIUM-LIKE IRON

<p><span>The atomic data of the various atomic processes are essential for the radiative collisional models describing the plasmas. In this work we present our computation results of the ionization rate coefficients of helium-like iron ions. These types of ions can exist in all the types of plasmas. We use a simple numerical method to generate the ionization rates starting from the cross sections which  are obtained by FAC (Flexible Atomic Code). Our computation results will be compared with those published.</span></p

A Comparative study of Sri Lankan and global retail banking customer behavior changes due to the Covid – 19 health crisis and responses by banks

Organizations and consumers worldwide were caught off guard by the COVID-19 pandemic and banks and banking customers have been no exception. Research surveys across the world address several changes in retail banking customer behavior due to the crisis. Notable among these is a sharp decline in bank branch visits and an increase in adoption of digital (internet and mobile banking) interactions with banks. Related to these behavioral changes are challenges faced by certain customers, especially the older and rural customers in adopting to digital interactions, attitudes towards internet based mobile banking, trust in banks, and concerns about privacy and security. In addition to addressing threats imposed by this crisis to banks’ liquidity and profitability, retail banks have also had to address above aspects of retail banking customer behaviors. Banks actions reported include redesigning their customer service to ensure business continuity, customer communication strategies, aiding customers in use of internet and mobile banking, enhancing cyber security, promoting customer trust, restructuring operations and staff scheduling (including work from home), and addressing employee morale and emotional issues, and organizational culture issues. This paper will report findings of a survey of 119 Sri Lankan retail banking customers to ascertain their behavioral changes and attitudes due to the COVID -19 health crisis. Then it will present a survey of top and/or Operational Managers of the 12 most prominent banks in Sri Lanka to ascertain how banks handled the COVID – 19 crisis. These findings will then be compared to findings on retail bank customer behavior changes and bank responses in 27 other countries based on recent research papers and industry reports. The findings from this study were that Sri Lankan retail banking customers reduced physical contacts, and increased digital interactions, with their banks. They also found the change useful and easy to handle, thus leading them to trust the banks with the privacy and security of information resulting in overall satisfaction with the change. These findings are consistent with findings across the globe. It was also found that Sri Lankan banks are sufficiently addressing service continuance and safety of customers and employees with administrative changes comparable to actions by banks across the world. However, Sri Lankan banks, compared to banks across the world, have not established formal cybersecurity policies or programs, communication and educational programs for customers, programs to enhance employee morale and emotional issues, and addressed organizational culture issues although they seem to be aware of the significance of these issues. The paper will finally present certain recommendations for bank Managers and areas for further research

STUDY OF IONIZATION RATES OF HELIUM MAXWELLIAN PLASMA

<p>We have contributed to the study and calculation of ionization rate coefficients from the cross sections of neutral helium.Numerical methods and FAC code are used in this work. Our calculations are comparable to published results.</p

Вплив часу осадження на властивості тонких плівок ZnO, осаджених ультразвуковим спрей-піролізом, для оптоелектронних застосувань

Нелеговані тонкі плівки ZnO наносяться на скляні підкладки при 300 °C за допомогою ультразвукового спрей-піролізу. Ацетат цинку, оцтова кислота та метанол використовуються як прекурсори та розчинники. Підготовлені тонкі плівки мають товщину від 216 до 680 нм. Структурна трансформація спостерігається як функція часу осадження. Тонкі плівки, отримані за низького часу осадження, мають полікристалічну природу; вони кристалізуються у гексагональну структуру вюрциту і мають переважну орієнтацію вздовж осі с перпендикулярно підкладці, де максимальний розмір кристалітів становить 14,4 нм за найменшого часу осадження 5 хв. Однак ті плівки, які були отримані за час осадження вище 15 хв, демонструють аморфну природу, і ми спостерігаємо зникнення дифракційних піків. Для дослідження морфології плівок застосовувалася скануюча електронна мікроскопія. Зростання нанодротів у масштабі довжини у кілька мікрон добре видно для часу осадження 5 хв, а розширення – для часу 10 хв. Аморфна фаза тонких плівок ZnO була отримана при часі осадження 15 і 20 хв. Середній коефіцієнт пропускання усіх плівок перевищує 80 % у видимій області, а енергія забороненої зони для кристалічної фази збільшується з 3,17 до 3,45 еВ із збільшенням часу осадження. Низька питома провідність у діапазоні з 6,91 x 10 – 3 до 6,60 (Ω.см) – 1 була отримана при збільшенні часу осадження з 5 до 10 хв, а провідність більше 1,90 x 105 (Ω.см) – 1 – для часу осадження більше ніж 10 хв. Енергія Урбаха зменшується з 324 до 314 меВ із збільшенням часу осадження з 1 до 4 хв через деформацію та руйнування порядку у тонких плівках. Оптичні та електричні властивості осаджених тонких плівок виявили, що ці тонкі плівки мають потенційне застосування в оптоелектронних пристроях, особливо в сонячних батареях.In the present work, undoped ZnO thin films have been deposited on glass substrates at 300 °C by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. Zinc acetate, acetic acid and methanol have been used as precursors and solvents. The prepared thin films have a thickness ranging from 216 to 680 nm. Structural transformation has been observed as a function of deposition time. Thin films obtained at low deposition time are polycrystalline in nature, they crystallized under hexagonal wurtzite structure and presented a preferential orientation along the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate, where the maximum crystallite size was found to be 14.4 nm for a smallest deposition time of 5 min. However, those obtained at deposition time higher than 15 min exhibit amorphous nature and we observed a disappearance of diffraction peaks. Scanning electron microscopy has been applied for a morphology characterization of the films. A growth of nanowires in a length scale of few microns can be seen clearly for a deposition time of 5 min and enhanced at 10 min. An amorphous nature of ZnO thin films was obtained at deposition time of 15 and 20 min. The average transmittance of all films is over 80 % in the visible region and the band gap energy for crystalline phase increases from 3.17 to 3.45 eV with the increase of the deposition time. Low resistivities in the range of 6.91×10 – 3 and 6.60 (Ω.cm) – 1 were produced when the deposition time increases from 5 to 10 min, and more than 1.90 ×105 (Ω.cm) – 1 for deposition time greater than 10 min. The Urbach energy decreases from 324 to 314 meV with increasing deposition time from 1 to 4 min due to the strain and disorder in the thin films. The optical and electrical properties of deposited thin films revealed that these thin films have potential applications in optoelectronic devices especially in solar cells

The non-indigenous and invasive species Paraleucilla magna Klautau, Monteiro & Borojevic, 2004 (Porifera: Calcarea) in the Algerian coast (Southwestern of Mediterranean Sea)

The non-indigenous and invasive calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna Klautau, Monteiro & Borojevic, 2004 has been detected for the first time on the Algerian coast. The species has been recorded at high abundance in Algiers Port (Algiers) and in Pisan Island (Béjaïa) during spring 2018. It was present from 2 m to 20 m of depth at the community of seaweeds with filter feeders established on artificial hard substrates and on rocky boulders. Total of 172 individuals were recorded not exceeding 5 cm in height. Anthropogenic activities such as aquaculture farms or shipping traffic might be important vectors or act as stepping-stones in further expansion of Paraleucilla magna. Additional recording of the species adds to the knowledge of its biogeography distribution, biology and ecology in the Mediterranean and may improve selection of key geographical sites for future monitoring on the species proliferation and expansion