Comparisons of the Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of Anisotropic NdFeB Magnets Prepared by Hot Pressing and Spark Plasma Sintering

Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism - NdFeB hot-pressed and hot-deformed magnets were prepared by hot-pressed (HP) sintering and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The effects of sintering...     

Silencing of the Ortholog of DEFECTIVE IN ANTHER DEHISCENCE 1 Gene in the Woody Perennial Jatropha curcas Alters Flower and Fruit Development

DEFECTIVE IN ANTHER DEHISCENCE 1 (DAD1), a phospholipase A1, utilizes galactolipids (18:3) to generate α-linolenic acid (ALA) in the initial step of jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, we isolated the JcDAD1 gene, an ortholog of Arabidopsis DAD1 in Jatropha curcas, and found that it is mainly expressed in the stems, roots, and male flowers of Jatropha. JcDAD1-RNAi transgenic plants with low endogenous jasmonate levels in inflorescences exhibited more and larger flowers, as well as a few abortive female flowers, although anther and pollen development were normal. In addition, fruit number was increased and the seed size, weight, and oil contents were reduced in the transgenic Jatropha plants. These results indicate that JcDAD1 regulates the development of flowers and fruits through the JA biosynthesis pathway, but does not alter androecium development in Jatropha. These findings strengthen our understanding of the roles of JA and DAD1 in the regulation of floral development in woody perennial plants.     

Simulation of the Majorana equation in circuit QED

We propose a scheme to simulate the 1D Majorana equation with two Cooper pair boxes coupled to a 1D superconducting transmission line resonator, where strong coupling limit can be achieved. With proper choice of systematic parameters, we are able to engineer different kind of interactions, which are indispensable for simulating the Majorana equation in an enlarged real Hilbert space. Measurement of a conserved observable, i.e., the pseudo-helicity, via transmission spectrum of the cavity field can verify the simulated Majorana wave function. The measurement is experimentally resolvable according to our estimation based on conservative experimental parameters.