Terahertz near-field imaging of buried structures.

We report a characterization of the spatial resolution of terahertz (THz) apertureless near-field imaging of metal lines deeply buried beneath a silicon dioxide layer. We find a good resolution for edge contrast, even in the case where the capping layer is considerably thicker than the tip radius. We find that contrast and resolution depend on demodulation frequency, thickness of the capping layer, and radius of the tip.

Volcanic phosphorus supply boosted Mesozoic terrestrial biotas in northern China.

The Mesozoic terrestrial Jehol Biota of northern China exceeds the biomass and biodiversity of contemporaneous Lagerstätten. From 135 to 120 Ma, biotic radiation may have responded to the peak destruction of the North China Craton. However, the direct mechanistic link between geological and biological evolution is unclear.

A genome-wide association study reveals that the cytochrome b5 involved in seed reserve mobilization during seed germination in rice.

A candidate gene cytochrome b5 for the major QTL qSRMP9 for rice seed reserve mobilization was validated during seed germination using a genome-wide association study approach. Seed reserve mobilization plays important roles in the early seedling growth in rice. However, the genetic basis underlying this process is poorly understood.

Activation tagging identifies Arabidopsis transcription factor AtMYB68 for heat and drought tolerance at yield determining reproductive stages.

Heat stress occurring at reproductive stages can result in significant and permanent damage to crop yields. However, previous genetic studies in understanding heat stress response and signaling were performed mostly on seedling and plants at early vegetative stages. Here we identify, using a developmentally defined, gain-of-function genetic screen with approximately 18 000 Arabidopsis thaliana activation-tagged lines, a mutant that maintained productive seed set post-severe heat stress during flowering.

Towards large area and continuous MoS2 atomic layers via vapor-phase growth: thermal vapor sulfurization.

We report on the effects of substrate, starting material, and temperature on the growth of MoS(2) atomic layers by thermal vapor sulfurization in a tube-furnace system. With Mo as the starting material, atomic layers of MoS(2) flakes are obtained on sapphire substrates while a bell-shaped MoS(2) layer, sandwiched by amorphous SiO(2), is obtained on native-SiO(2)/Si substrates under the same sulfurization conditions. An anomalous thickness-dependent Raman shift (A(1g)) of the MoS(2) atomic layers is observed in Mo-sulfurizations on sapphire substrates, which can be attributed to the competition between the effects of thickness and the surface/interface.

Abnormal lithium isotope composition from the ancient lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton.

Lithium elemental and isotopic compositions of olivines in peridotite xenoliths from Hebi in the North China Craton provide direct evidence for the highly variable δ(7)Li in Archean lithospheric mantle. The δ(7)Li in the cores of olivines from the Hebi high-Mg# peridotites (Fo > 91) show extreme variation from -27 to +21, in marked deviation from the δ(7)Li range of fresh MORB (+1.6 to +5.

Shoot-specific down-regulation of protein farnesyltransferase (alpha-subunit) for yield protection against drought in canola.

Canola (Brassica napus L.) is one of the most important oilseed crops in the world and its seed yield and quality are significantly affected by drought stress. As an innate and adaptive response to water deficit, land plants avoid potential damage by rapid biosynthesis of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA), which triggers stomatal closure to reduce transpirational water loss.

Molecular tailoring of farnesylation for plant drought tolerance and yield protection.

Protecting crop yield under drought stress is a major challenge for modern agriculture. One biotechnological target for improving plant drought tolerance is the genetic manipulation of the stress response to the hormone abscisic acid (ABA). Previous genetic studies have implicated the involvement of the beta-subunit of Arabidopsis farnesyltransferase (ERA1) in the regulation of ABA sensing and drought tolerance.