Measurements of the band gap of ThF4 by electron spectroscopy techniques

We present an experimental determination of the band gap of ThF4 performed by two different techniques. The first measurement was performed by combining x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and bremsstrahlung isochromat spectroscopy. The second measurement exploited the position of the inelastic threshold in reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy. Both measurements gave compatible values of the band gap, with the average E = 10.2(2) eV. This value was found to be in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations. The measured band gap is significantly larger than the 229mTh excitation energy, making ThF4 a possible candidate material for a solid-state nuclear clock based on the vacuum ultraviolet \u3b3 decay

Agricultural Insurance in China

The system of agricultural insurance is a key sector of the state economy and the development of agricultural sector in general. As we may see now China is one of the leading agricultural countries showing good indicators of agricultural products export. By the aid of this insurance program farmers have become secure and make a significant contribution to the development of rural economy and, as a result, economy of the whole country. This article is aimed at the history of agricultural insurance market, its success and failures, its establishment as a separate mechanism since 2007, though the agricultural insurance goes back to 1980s. The article analyzes the structure of agricultural insurance systems, focuses on the sustainable development of the agricultural sector after the introduction of the new insurance campaign of 2007

Study of uranium solubility in gallium-indium eutectic alloy by emf method

Activity, activity coefficients and solubility of uranium in Ga-In eutectic alloy as well as activity of uranium in U-Ga and U-In alloys were determined between 573 and 1073 K using electromotive force (emf) method. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

Thermodynamics of reaction of praseodymium with gallium-indium eutectic alloy

Thermodynamic properties of Ga-In eutectic alloys saturated with praseodymium were determined for the first time employing the electromotive force method. The equilibrium potentials of the Pr-In alloys saturated with praseodymium (8.7-12.1 mol.% Pr) and Pr-Ga-In alloys (containing 0.0012-6.71 mol.% Pr) were measured between 573-1073 K. Pr-In alloy containing solid PrIn3 with known thermodynamic properties was used as the reference electrode when measuring the potentials of ternary Pr-In-Ga alloys. Activity, partial and excessive thermodynamic functions of praseodymium in alloys with indium and Ga-In eutectic were calculated. Activity (a), activity coefficients (γ) and solubility (X) of praseodymium in the studied temperature range can be expressed by the following equations: lgaα-Pr(In) = 4.425 - 11965/T ± 0.026. lgα-Pr(Ga-In) = 5.866 - 14766/T ± 0.190. lgγα-Pr(Ga-In) = 2.351 - 9996/T ± 0.39. lgPr(Ga-In) = 3.515 - 4770/T ± 0.20. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

An Optimal Method of Iron Starvation of the Obligate Intracellular Pathogen, Chlamydia Trachomatis

Iron is an essential cofactor in a number of critical biochemical reactions, and as such, its acquisition, storage, and metabolism is highly regulated in most organisms. The obligate intracellular bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis experiences a developmental arrest when iron within the host is depleted. The nature of the iron starvation response in Chlamydia is relatively uncharacterized because of the likely inefficient method of iron depletion, which currently relies on the compound deferoxamine mesylate (DFO). Inefficient induction of the iron starvation response precludes the identification of iron-regulated genes. This report evaluated DFO with another iron chelator, 2,2′-bipyridyl (Bpdl) and presented a systematic comparison of the two across a range of criteria. We demonstrate that the membrane permeable Bpdl was superior to DFO in the inhibition of chlamydia development, the induction of aberrant morphology, and the induction of an iron starvation transcriptional response in both host and bacteria. Furthermore, iron starvation using Bpdl identified the periplasmic iron-binding protein-encoding ytgA gene as iron-responsive. Overall, the data present a compelling argument for the use of Bpdl, rather than DFO, in future iron starvation studies of chlamydia and other intracellular bacteria

Thermodynamic properties of lanthanum in gallium-indium eutectic based alloys

Activity and activity coefficients of lanthanum were determined for the first time in gallium-indium eutectic based alloys in a wide temperature range employing electromotive force method. Activity of β-La and super cooled liquid lanthanum in Ga-In eutectic based alloys between 573 and 1073 K linearly depends on the reciprocal temperature: lgaβ-La(Ga-In)=5.660-15, 352T±0.093 lgaLa(Ga-In)=6.074-15,839T±0.093 Activity coefficients of β-La and super cooled liquid lanthanum in this system at 617-1073 K are described by the following equations: lgγβ-La (Ga-In)=3.786-12,216T±0.171 lgγLa(Ga-In)=4. 199-12,703T±0.171 In addition activity of lanthanum in alloys with In was also determined in the same temperature range. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Excessive thermodynamic properties of praseodymium in a gallium-indium alloy

The equilibrium potentials of praseodymium-diluted homogeneous Pr-Ga-In alloys in a (Li-K-Cs)Cleut-based salt electrolyte were measured between 573-1073 K by the emf method. These potentials are used to calculate the activity coefficients of α-praseodymium in liquid Ga-In eutectic alloys. PrIn3 alloy with well-known thermodynamic characteristics and without phase transitions in the temperature range 428-1483 K was employed as the reference electrode. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd