Serving as an important second messenger, calcium ion has unique properties and universal ability to transmit diverse signals that trigger primary physiological actions in cells in response to hormones, pathogens, light, gravity, and stress factors. Being a second messenger of paramount significance, calcium is required at almost all stages of plant growth and development, playing a fundamental role in regulating polar growth of cells and tissues and participating in plant adaptation to various stress factors. Many researches showed that calcium signals decoding elements are involved in ABA-induced stomatal closure and plant adaptation to drought, cold, salt and other abiotic stresses. Calcium channel proteins like AtTPC1 and TaTPC1 can regulate stomatal closure. Recently some new studies show that Ca 2+ is dissolved in water in the apoplast and transported primarily from root to shoot through the transpiration stream. The oscillating amplitudes of [Ca 2+ ] o and [Ca 2+ ] i are controlled by soil Ca 2+ concentrations and transpiration rates. Because leaf water use efficiency (WUE) is determined by stomatal closure and transpiration rate, so there may be a close relationship between Ca 2+ transporters and stomatal closure as well as WUE, which needs to be studied. The selection of varieties with better drought resistance and high WUE plays an increasing role in bio-watersaving in arid and semi-arid areas on the globe. The current paper reviews the relationship between calcium signals decoding elements and plant drought resistance as well as other abiotic stresses for further study.

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The modified transverse Ising model taking into account the four-spin exchange interaction and quantum fluctuation, as well as the mechanical constraint of the substrate, is constructed and applied to investigate the electrocaloric effect (ECE) in BaTiO3 thin films. It is found that the temperature dependence of ECE strongly depends on both the four-spin exchange interaction and quantum fluctuation. Most importantly, we achieve the adiabatic temperature change ΔT=11.78 K at Tm=490 K, which can be comparable with that observed experimentally in PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3 thin films and ferroelectric polymers. Furthermore, the internal stresses resulting from the clamping effect of the substrate play a crucial role in the ECE of ferroelectric films. Control of the misfit stress by appropriate choice of substrate provides an effective means to improve the adiabatic temperature change for use in cooling or thermodielectric power conversion devices.

Effects of quantum fluctuation and four-spin interaction on the polarization and pyroelectric coefficient of temperature graded ferroelectric film are investigated, based on the transverse Ising model by taking into account the four-spin interaction. It is found that the magnitude and the sign of the polarization gradient are dependent on the imposed temperature gradient, and both the quantum fluctuation and four-spin interaction play an important role in the thermodynamic properties of the temperature graded film. With increasing strength of the quantum fluctuations the sharp peak of the pyroelectric coefficient shifts to lower temperatures. Also the four-spin interaction increases the mean polarization and makes the smooth pyroelectric peak at low temperature more pronounced. Furthermore, the graded ferroelectric film shows the characteristic feature of a first-order phase transition when the fourspin interaction is larger than a critical value, which is dependent on the temperature gradient and the quantum fluctuation.

Oxygen vacancies (VO) effects on magnetic ordering in Eu0.5Ba0.5TiO3−δ (EBTO3−δ) thin films have been investigated using a combination of experimental measurements and first-principles density-functional calculations. Two kinds of EBTO3−δ thin films with different oxygen deficiency have been fabricated. A nuclear resonance backscattering spectrometry technique has been used to quantitatively measure contents of the VO. Eu0.5Ba0.5TiO3 ceramics have been known to exhibit ferroelectric (FE) and G-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) properties. While, a ferromagnetic (FM) behavior with a Curie temperature of 1.85 K has been found in the EBTO3−δ thin films. Spin-polarized Ti3+ ions, which originated from the VO, has been proven to mediate a FM coupling between the local Eu 4f spins and were believed to be responsible for the great change of the magnetic ordering. Considering the easy formation of VO, our work opens up a new avenue for achieving co-existence of FM and FE orders in oxide materials.

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