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A novel fiber-optic vector magnetic field sensor and its sensing quality dependent of fabrication method has been proposed and investigated. The proposed sensor has two surfaces on the tip of a multimode fiber, which is used as the sensing probe. By plating different thickness of gold film on the surfaces, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) can be generated and the signal can be reflected by the surfaces as well. Meanwhile, magnetic fluid (MF) as the magnetic field sensitive material is packed around the sensing probe. The experimental results prove that the response of MF to external magnetic field can be used to sense magnetic field intensity and direction via monitoring the dip wavelength of SPR. The obtained refractive index (RI) sensitivities are 2105 nm/RIU (RI range: 1.332–1.365) and 6692 nm/RIU (RI range: 1.372–1.411), magnetic field intensity sensitivities are 11.67 nm/mT (0°), and −0.47 nm/mT (90°). Besides, the proposed sensing probe is ultracompact and the footprint is extremely small (the length of sensing part is only 615 μm), which is very helpful for magnetic field detection in narrow space and gradient field.

Salt stress is a common abiotic factor that restricts plant growth and development. As a halophyte, Tamarix hispida is a good model plant for exploring salt-tolerance genes and regulatory mechanisms. DNA-binding with one finger (DOF) is an important transcription factor (TF) that influences and controls various signaling substances involved in diverse biological processes related to plant growth and development, but the regulatory mechanisms of DOF TFs in response to salt stress are largely unknown in T. hispida. In the present study, a newly identified Dof gene, ThDOF8 , was cloned from T. hispida , and its expression was found to be induced by salt stress. Transient overexpression of ThDOF8 enhanced T. hispida salt tolerance by enhancing proline levels, and increasing the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD). These results were also verified in stably transformed Arabidopsis. Results from TF-centered yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assays and EMSAs showed that ThDOF8 binds to a newly identified cis -element (TGCG). Expression profiling by gene chip analysis identified four potential direct targets of ThDOF8, namely the cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases genes, CRK10 and CRK26, and two glutamate decarboxylase genes, GAD41 , and GAD42 , and these were further verified by ChIP–quantitative-PCR, EMSAs, Y1H assays, and β-glucuronidase enzyme activity assays. ThDOF8 can bind to the TGCG element in the promoter regions of its target genes, and transient overexpression of ThCRK10 also enhanced T. hispida salt tolerance. On the basis of our results, we propose a new regulatory mechanism model, in which ThDOF8 binds to the TGCG cis -element in the promoter of the target gene CRK10 to regulate its expression and improve salt tolerance in T. hispida. This study provides a basis for furthering our understanding the role of DOF TFs and identifying other downstream candidate genes that have the potential for improving plant salt tolerance via molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]