We present in this paper the results of a theoretical study of electron impact broadening for several lines of the Ar VII ion. The results have been obtained using our quantum mechanical method and the semiclassical perturbation one. Results are presented for electron density 10 18 cm −3 and for electron temperatures ranging from 2 × 10 4 to 5 × 10 5 K required for plasma modeling. Our results have been compared to other semiclassical ones obtained using different sources of atomic data. A study of the strong collisions contributions to line broadening has been performed. The atomic structure and collision data used for the calculations of line broadening are also calculated by our codes and compared to available theoretical results. The agreement found between the two calculations ensures that our line broadening procedure uses adequate structure and collision data.

Missing Stark widths for 37 spectral lines of strontium ions (17 Sr V lines and 20 Sr VI lines) have been calculated using a quantum mechanical method. 23 spectral lines of Sr V have been recently discovered, for the first time, in the Ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of the hot white dwarf RE 0503−289. This recent discovery prompts us to calculate the Stark widths of the new lines. These calculations can fill the lack of the database STARK-B and can be used to investigate the observed spectra in such stars. To perform the line broadening calculations, preliminary structure and collision calculations have been carried out using the sequence of the University College London (UCL) codes (superstructure (sst), distorted wave (dw), jajom). Results for the 37 lines are provided for different electron temperatures and at density Ne = 1017 cm−3. The present results will enter the STARK-B data base which is a node of the Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Center - VAMDC. We hope that the obtained results will be useful for the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) modelling of stellar-atmosphere.

We present in this paper quantum Stark broadening data for 14 Ar VIII and 16 Ar IX lines. For the Ar VIII ion, we compare our results to those calculated using the semiclassical method and we find an acceptable agreement. We performed also a comparison between the importance of Stark and Doppler broadening in the atmospheric conditions of DO white dwarfs. To the best of our knowledge, the Stark widths provided for the Ar IX ion are new, and no results have been found in the literature to compare with. We present some of the atomic radiative data used in our broadening calculations, and we compare them to other results. The comparison shows an acceptable agreement. Our results come to fill the lack of line broadening data necessary in stellar spectroscopy and plasma analysis.

Stark broadening and atomic data calculations have been developed for the recent years, especially atomic and line broadening data for highly ionized ions of argon. We present in this paper atomic data (such as energy levels, line strengths, oscillator strengths and radiative decay rates) for Ar XVI ion and quantum Stark broadening calculations for 10 Ar XVI lines. Radiative atomic data for this ion have been calculated using the University College London (UCL) codes (SUPERSTRUCTURE, DISTORTED WAVE, JAJOM) and have been compared with other results. Using our quantum mechanical method, our Stark broadening calculations for Ar XVI lines are performed at electron density N e = 10 20 cm −3 and for electron temperature varying from 7.5×10 5 to 7.5×10 6 K. No Stark broadening results in the literature to compare with. So, our results come to fill this lack of data.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to assess the antitumoral effect of the methanol extract (MeOH) from Nitraria retusa leaves and to investigate its immunomodulatory activity that mediated the prevention of tumor progression in tumor-bearing mice.MethodsBalb/c mice weighing 18–20 g were subcutaneously implanted with B16-F10 cells then injected intra-peritoneally, 7 days later with (200 mg/kg bw) of MeOH extract, for 21 days. After euthanization on day 21, the tumors were weighed. Lymphocyte proliferation, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and NK activity were evaluated using the MTT assay. Macrophage phagocytosis was studied by measuring their lysosomal activity and nitric oxide production.ResultsThe methanol extract inhibited significantly the growth of the implanted tumor, and increased remarkably splenocyte proliferation as well as NK and CTL activities, in tumor-bearing mice. It also promoted lysosomal activity of treated animal macrophages.ConclusionOur findings suggest that antitumoral effect of MeOH extract is related with to immunomodulatory activity.