Evidence for erbium-erbium energy migration in erbium(III) bis(perfluoro-p-tolyl)phosphinate

Copyright 2008 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. This article appeared in Applied Physics Letters 92, 103303 (2008) and may be found at

The earliest high-fired glazed ceramics in China: the composition of the proto-porcelain from Zhejiang during the Shang and Zhou periods (c. 1700-221 BC)

Bodies and glazes of 54 proto-porcelain sherds and 18 non proto-porcelain samples from Shang and Zhou periods production sites in Deqing, Zhejiang province were analysed by EPMA-WDS. The results indicate that the bodies of all samples were made from local raw material porcelain stone, with the proto-porcelain samples being made from clay of higher quality. Wood ashes, high in lime and low in potash, were intentionally applied to the proto-porcelain samples, resulting in the formation of lime-rich glazes whose compositions were determined by a temperature-controlled mechanism. In contrast, kiln fragments and furniture show a potash-rich fuel vapour glaze, which formed unintentionally during use of the kiln. The firing temperature for most of the proto-porcelain glazes is around the maturing temperature for typical more recent lime glazes, showing that the potters were already at such an early time able to attain sufficiently high temperature in their kilns

Virtual reality

Virtual reality is still in its infancy. However, many contemporary applications already have proven virtual reality to be indispensable to everyday life. For instance, the technology of virtual product design and manufacturing makes the new products better and cheaper. The applications of VR in medicine allow doctors to diagnose a disease more accurately. Without a doubt, it has and will foster more innovative research and applications. High-resolution, low-lag and low-price systems will be the focus of future virtual reality research. The technology has been infiltrated into many application fields, involving training, medical, engineering; space exploring and communication.published_or_final_versio

A universal mass-based index defining energy efficiency of different modes of passenger transport

Reduction in vehicle weight can significantly reduce energy use in human transportation. However, to gauge efficiency, energy use and weight for a particular vehicle should be related to the number of people being transported while currently there is no convenient means to assess this. Here we statistically analyse the weight, energy consumption, carrying capacity and occupancy level for automobiles, buses, high-speed trains and aircraft. Based on the analysis and inspired by the medical body mass index (BMI), we have proposed a vehicle mass index (VMI), defined as [Formula presented], for the first time enables energy efficiency assessment of different transportations on a global scale, where n a weight sensitivity parameter and A the energy efficiency constant of a theoretically weightless vehicle. We show the VMI ranges and conclude the significant vehicle weight reduction windows to achieve their index lower limits. The possible limits for the VMI and the associated A and n values are also assessed. The concept of VMI could form the basis of a worldwide standard, useful in the current drive for a greener economy

Measuring Technology of the Anisotropic Tensile Properties of Woven Fabrics

ArticleTEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL. 78(12):1116-1123 (2008)journal articl

Hubble Frontier Field Free-form Mass Mapping of the Massive Multiple-merging Cluster MACSJ0717.5+3745

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Hubble Frontier Field Free-form Mass Mapping of the Massive Multiple-merging Cluster MACSJ0717.5+3745

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Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 1 and immunity to hepatitis B virus

Aim: To compare the gene expression profile in a pair of HBV-infected twins. Methods: The gene expression profile was compared in a pair of H BV-infected twins. Results: The twins displayed different disease outco mes. One acquired natural immunity against HBV, whereas the other became a chronic HBV carrier. Eighty-eight and forty-six genes were found to be up- or downregulated in their PBMCs, respectively. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced protein 1 (TNF-αIP1) that expressed at a higher level in the HBV-immune twins was identified and four pairs of siblings with HBV immunity by RT-PCR. However, upon HBV core antigen stimulation, TNF-αIP1 was downregulated in PBMCs from subjects with immunity, whereas it was slightly upregulated in HBV carriers. Bioinformatics analysis revealed a K+ channel tetramerization domain in TNF-αIP1 that shares a significant homology with some human, mouse, and C elegan proteins. Conclusion: TNF-αIP1 may play a role in the innate immunity against HBV. © 2005 The WJG Press and Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.published_or_final_versio