Dark Pulses Research Articles

The role of the main photophase on dark‐time measurement used for diapause determination in the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella

Abstract The Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella Hubner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) measures night length and enters diapause as a last‐instar larva. To examine the role of photophase on dark‐time measurement, the main LD 7 : 17 h photoperiod is disrupted by various lengths of darkness at 25 °C. When the light phase is not disrupted, the incidence of diapause is 76%. As the dark pulse disrupting a 7‐h photophase becomes longer, the incidence of diapause decreases. To detect the dynamic kinetics of the time‐measuring process, the main scotophase of 17 h is scanned by a 2‐h light pulse. When the dark pulse in a 7‐h photophase is fixed at 1 h after dawn and its duration is varied systematically from 1 to 3 h, or when the end of the dark pulse is fixed at 1 h before dusk, diapause is prevented completely by a 2‐h light pulse inserted in the middle of 17‐h darkness. These results are compared with those of a single night interruption of a 17‐h scotophase with a 2‐h light pulse but with an intact 7‐h photophase. The disruption of a 7‐h photophase by a dark pulse shifts the descending and ascending slopes of the response curve to some extent toward dawn and dusk, respectively, indicating that the dark pulse tends to shorten the critical length of dark time for diapause induction. When the main photophase (7 h) is interrupted by a 1‐h dark pulse at 3–4 h after dawn, the 2‐h scanning light pulse in the main scotophase (17 h) appears to act effectively as a dusk signal in the early scotophase. However, those in the mid‐ and late scotophase do not define the critical night length from dusk as sharply as for the critical night length from a 2‐h light pulse to dawn. The results indicate the importance of photophase in the dark‐time measurement.

Serotonin Increases the Phase Shift of the Circadian Locomotor Activity Rhythm in Mice after Dark Pulses in Constant Light Conditions

Investigations on the effects of the 5-HT agonists and antagonists on the phase of the circadian locomotor activity rhythm of animals kept in constant light conditions (LL) are rare. Therefore the influence of R-(+)-OH-DPAT (5-HT1A receptors agonist) and metergoline (5-HT1/2/7 receptors antagonist) on the phase shift of the locomotor-activity rhythm alone and when combined with dark pulses in mice kept in LL are examined. The results indicate that 8-OH-DPAT administered independently at 12.00CT (Circadian Time) shifted the phase of the circadian rhythm and reinforced the effect of dark pulses on this parameter. 12.00CT was defined arbitrarily as the onset of locomotor activity in constant conditions. Metergoline diminished the phase shifts after dark pulses compared to 8-OH-DPAT. The influence of the serotonin agonist showed that serotonin can reinforce the phase shifting effect of the locomotor activity rhythm after dark pulses in LL condition.

Shedding light on circadian clock resetting by dark exposure: differential effects between diurnal and nocturnal rodents

The master circadian clock in mammals, located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus, is entrained by light and behavioural stimulation. In addition, the SCN can be reset by dark pulses in nocturnal rodents under constant light conditions. Here, the shifting effects of a dark pulse on the SCN clock were detailed at both a behavioural and molecular level in a nocturnal rodent (Syrian hamster), and were compared to those of a diurnal rodent (Arvicanthis ansorgei). Four-hour dark pulses led to phase advances in the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity from subjective midday to dusk in hamsters, but from subjective dusk to midnight in Arvicanthis. Moreover, dark pulses had no resetting effect during the middle of the subjective night in hamsters, while such a dead shifting zone occurred during most of the subjective day in Arvicanthis. The behavioural phase advances in both hamsters and Arvicanthis were most often accompanied by marked downregulation of the clock genes Per1 and/or Per2 in the SCN, and also by changes in the transforming growth factor-alpha expression, a neuropeptide that suppresses daytime activity in nocturnal mammals. Despite that both hamsters and Arvicanthis showed dark-induced phase advances at circadian time-12, Per1 gene and its protein PER1 were downregulated in Arvicanthis but not in hamsters. Altogether these results show that dark resetting of the SCN is always associated with downregulation of Per1 and/or Per2 expression, and mostly occurs during resting. Thus, the circadian window of sensitivity to dark differs between nocturnal and diurnal rodents.

Zn0.8Mg0.2O-based metal–semiconductor–metal photodiodes on quartz for visible-blind ultraviolet detection

Zn0.8Mg0.2O metal–semiconductor–metal ultraviolet photodiodes were fabricated on quartz by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Dark current, spectral responsivity and pulse response experiments were carried out for the device. The photodetectors showed a peak responsivity at 330 nm. The ultraviolet-visible rejection ratio (R330 nm/R400 nm) was more than four orders of magnitude at 3 V bias. The photodetector showed fast photoresponse with a rise time of 10 ns and a fall time of 170 ns. In addition, the thermally limited detectivity was calculated to be 3.1 × 1011 cm Hz1/2 W−1 at 330 nm.

Anomalous dynamic characteristics of semiconductor quantum-dot lasers generating on two quantum states

Dynamics of the emission spectra of semiconductor quantum dot (QD) lasers generating on two quantum states has been experimentally studied. Being pumped with 30-ns current pulses, a QD laser ceased to generate 2–5 ns after switch-on and exhibited a pause up to 10 ns or longer, depending on the pumping pulse amplitude. After the subsequent switch-on, the laser generated short (200–300 ps) pulses of emission from the excited state of QDs followed by minima of comparable duration (dark pulses) corresponding to the ground-state emission. This behavior is explained in terms of the laser Q-switching due to the charge carrier density redistribution between the excited and ground states.

Split-Step Algorithm Based Propagation Modelling of Dark Soliton-Like Pulses

Many methods exist to model light propagation in optical fibers. Recently, a new method called “split-step method,” based on the Fourier transform, has emerged. This method shows well the interplay between the dispersion and nonlinear effects in the optical fiber. We present here some results for this method applied to dark soliton-like pulses in normal dispersion regime.

Coherent control and dark pulses in second harmonic generation

We present the results of our study of the second harmonic generation (SHG) in a nonlinear crystal using phase modulated femtosecond laser pulses. We show experimentally that the SHG process is an analogue of two photon absorption (TPA), yet it provides a better way to study coherent control because it enables one easier control of some important parameters. We demonstrate that for a thick nonlinear crystal pure phase manipulation can result in nontrivial pulses maximizing the second harmonic conversion efficiency and in dark pulses which are not converted at all. With a π step phase modulation applied to the pulse we have measured conversion efficiency for a set of crystals with different thicknesses to explore the effect of a finite spectral width of the TPA transition.

Quinone sensing by the circadian input kinase of the cyanobacterial circadian clock.

Circadian rhythms are endogenous cellular programs that time metabolic and behavioral events to occur at optimal times in the daily cycle. Light and dark cycles synchronize the endogenous clock with the external environment through a process called entrainment. Previously, we identified the bacteriophytochrome-like circadian input kinase CikA as a key factor for entraining the clock in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. Here, we present evidence that CikA senses not light but rather the redox state of the plastoquinone pool, which, in photosynthetic organisms, varies as a function of the light environment. Furthermore, CikA associates with the Kai proteins of the circadian oscillator, and it influences the phosphorylation state of KaiC during resetting of circadian phase by a dark pulse. The abundance of CikA varies inversely with light intensity, and its stability decreases in the presence of the quinone analog 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (DBMIB). The pseudo-receiver domain of CikA is crucial for sensitivity to DBMIB, and it binds the quinone directly, a demonstration of a previously unrecognized ligand-binding role for the receiver fold. Our results suggest that resetting the clock in S. elongatus is metabolism-dependent and that it is accomplished through the interaction of the circadian oscillator with CikA.

Photic and non-photic effects on the daily activity pattern of Mongolian gerbils

The paper analyses the daily activity pattern of Mongolian gerbils with and without access to a running wheel. To evaluate the synchronizing and the masking effects of light, experiments were performed under different photoperiods (L:D = 14:10 h and 10:14 h), and light and dark pulses were applied at different phases of the day–night cycle. In order to get a more direct estimate of the central pacemaker of the circadian system, the body temperature rhythm was investigated via implanted transmitters. Without access to a running wheel, the daily activity pattern was bimodal. One peak occurred in the first half of the light time, the other one around the light–dark transition. Also, the gerbils were more active during the light phase as compared to the dark phase. After unlocking the running wheel, the gerbils were active mainly during the dark time. The activity peak in the first half of the light phase remained, the second one shifted by a phase delay into the dark time. These results were found under both LD-regimens. Light during the night nearly completely suppressed running wheel activity, switching off the light during the day time induced wheel running. Whereas wheel running was clearly affected by light and dark pulses, the general activity was not. The body temperature rhythm also shows two peaks, with the second one being bigger and coinciding with the endogenous component of the circadian body temperature rhythm. It was found around light-off. After unlocking the running wheel, the maximum of the body temperature rhythm shifted to the night. This was not primarily a consequence of the changed activity pattern as shown by means of purification analysis. Removing the direct effects of motor activity led to a body temperature curve that could be described by a cosine function, and the delay shift was found also for the purified data, a better estimate of the endogenous circadian component. The wheel-associated increase in nocturnality is not only due to masking effects of wheel-running activity on the body temperature and activity rhythms. It also involves clock-related processes. Changes in the phase preference may serve as an adaptation mechanism to the changes in the animal's natural environment.

Dark pulses for resonant two-photon transitions

We investigate the excitation of an atom or molecule via two-photon absorption induced by an ultrashort laser pulse in the perturbative intensity regime. We show that the probability for a resonant transition, i.e., with an intermediate state within the spectral width of the pulse, can be reduced to zero by pulses having a $\ensuremath{\theta}$-phase step at a certain detuning $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\omega}$ from the central frequency. Our theoretical predictions are confirmed by numerical calculations for the $4s\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4d$ transition in the potassium atom.

Stability of chirped bright and dark soliton-like solutions of the cubic complex Ginzburg–Landau equation with variable coefficients

We consider an inhomogeneous optical fiber system described by the generalized cubic complex Ginzburg–Landau (CGL) equation with varying dispersion, nonlinearity, gain (loss), nonlinear gain (absorption) and the effect of spectral limitation. Exact chirped bright and dark soliton-like solutions of the CGL equation were found by using a suitable ansatz. Furthermore, we analyze the features of the solitons and consider the problem of stability of these soliton-like solutions under finite initial perturbations. It is shown by extensive numerical simulations that both bright and dark soliton-like solutions are stable in an inhomogeneous fiber system. Finally, the interaction between two chirped bright and dark soliton-like pulses is investigated numerically.

Illuminating serotonergic gateways for strong resetting of the mammalian circadian clock

circadian clocks regulate animal behavior and physiology by generating daily rhythms and coordinating these with local time. If you sleep well and abstain from flying around the globe or working rotating shift schedules, this pervasive influence is easy to take for granted, a background rhythm of

Starting the Zebrafish Pineal Circadian Clock with a Single Photic Transition

The issue of what starts the circadian clock ticking was addressed by studying the developmental appearance of the daily rhythm in the expression of two genes in the zebrafish pineal gland that are part of the circadian clock system. One encodes the photopigment exorhodopsin and the other the melatonin synthesizing enzyme arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT2). Significant daily rhythms in AANAT2 mRNA abundance were detectable for several days after fertilization in animals maintained in a normal or reversed lighting cycle providing 12 h of light and 12 h of dark. In contrast, these rhythms do not develop if animals are maintained in constant lighting or constant darkness from fertilization. In contrast to exorhodopsin, rhythmicity of AANAT2 can be initiated by a pulse of light against a background of constant darkness, by a pulse of darkness against a background of constant lighting, or by single light-to-dark or dark-to-light transitions. Accordingly, these studies indicate that circadian clock function in the zebrafish pineal gland can be initiated by minimal photic cues, and that single photic transitions can be used as an experimental tool to dissect the mechanism that starts the circadian clock in the pineal gland.

Simulating dark current in NLC structures

Dark current generation and capture are of great importance in high gradient accelerating structure R&D especially for the NLC which aims to operate at 65 MV/m with specific limits on dark current and RF breakdown rates. Although considerable effort has been devoted to building and testing various types of structures to meet these requirements, few theoretical studies have been done to understand these effects in actual structures. This paper focuses on the simulation of dark current in a NLC test structure for which experimental data are available. The parallel time-domain field solver Tau3P and the parallel particle tracking code Track3P are used together to simulate, for the first time, a dark current pulse to compare with the data measured downstream. Results from SLAC X-band 30-cell constant impedance structure for RF drive pulses with different rise times are presented and discussed.

Resetting of the hamster circadian system by dark pulses

Circadian rhythms of animals are reset by exposure to light as well as dark; however, although the parameters of photic entrainment are well characterized, the phase-shifting actions of dark pulses are poorly understood. Here, we determined the tonic and phasic effects of short (0.25 h), moderate (3 h), and long (6-9 h) duration dark pulses on the wheel-running rhythms of hamsters in constant light. Moderate- and long-duration dark pulses phase dependently reset behavioral rhythms, and the magnitude of these phase shifts increased as a function of the duration of the dark pulse. In contrast, the 0.25-h dark pulses failed to evoke consistent effects at any circadian phase tested. Interestingly, moderate- and long-dark pulses elevated locomotor activity (wheel-running) on the day of treatment. This induced wheel-running was highly correlated with phase shift magnitude when the pulse was given during the subjective day. This, together with the finding that animals pulsed during the subjective day are behaviorally active throughout the pulse, suggests that both locomotor activity and behavioral activation play an important role in the phase-resetting actions of dark pulses. We also found that the robustness of the wheel-running rhythm was weakened, and the amount of wheel-running decreased on the days after exposure to dark pulses; these effects were dependent on pulse duration. In summary, similarly to light, the resetting actions of dark pulses are dependent on both circadian phase and stimulus duration. However, dark pulses appear more complex stimuli, with both photic and nonphotic resetting properties.

Dark pulse suppression of P‐ERK and c‐Fos in the hamster suprachiasmatic nuclei

It is well-established that light pulses regulate components of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases I/II (ERK) cascade in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) circadian clock. These events are important for photic-resetting of the circadian clock. The SCN circadian clock is also reset by pulses of dark, but it is unknown if this stimulus alters the activity of ERK, the transcription factor Elk-1 or expression of the immediate early gene c-fos in the SCN. Using Syrian hamsters free-running in constant light, we determined the effects of dark pulses on these factors in the SCN. In constant light, levels of phosphorylated ERK (P-ERK) showed significant circadian variation in the Syrian hamster SCN, while levels of c-Fos or phosphorylated Elk-1 (P-Elk-1) did not. A 6-h dark pulse beginning at circadian time (CT) 8 down-regulated expression of P-ERK and c-Fos, but not P-Elk-1, in the SCN. Following termination of the pulse, levels of c-Fos increased above time-matched control values, while P-ERK expression did not. When given at the beginning of the subjective night (CT13), a 6-h dark pulse did not phase-shift behavioural rhythms and failed to alter the expression of c-Fos, P-ERK, or P-Elk-1 in the SCN. At the level of the visual thalamus, expression of c-Fos in the intergeniculate leaflet was higher during the subjective night as compared to the subjective day, although dark pulses had no robust effects on expression of c-Fos or P-ELK-1 in this structure. We conclude that dark-pulse resetting of the circadian clock is complex and involves both non-photic and photic components.

Coherent control calculations for helium atom in short and intensive XUV laser pulses

Coherent control calculations are presented for helium. With the help of a genetic algorithm (GA) phase-modulated extreme ultra violet (XUV) laser pulses were controlled to maximize or minimize the non-resonant two-photon 1s1s → 1s3s excitation. Linearly polarized laser pulses were chosen at the frequency of 0.4 a.u. with a duration of about 15 fs and 1014 Wcm-2 peak intensity. We verified the theory that an antisymmetric spectral phase around the two-photon resonance frequency maximizes the transition probability. Dark pulses which do not excite the system at all have however symmetric spectral phases around the two-photon resonance frequency.

A Novel Mutation in kaiC Affects Resetting of the Cyanobacterial Circadian Clock

Light is the most important factor controlling circadian systems in response to day-night cycles. In order to better understand the regulation of circadian rhythms by light in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, we screened for mutants with defective phase shifting in response to dark pulses. Using a 5-h dark-pulse protocol, we identified a mutation in kaiC that we termed pr1, for phase response 1. In the pr1 mutant, a 5-h dark pulse failed to shift the phase of the circadian rhythm, while the same pulse caused a 10-h phase shift in wild-type cells. The rhythm in accumulation of KaiC was abolished in the pr1 mutant, and the rhythmicity of KaiC phosphorylation was reduced. Additionally, the pr1 mutant was defective in mediating the feedback inhibition of kaiBC. Finally, overexpression of mutant KaiC led to a reduced phase shift compared to that for wild-type KaiC. Thus, KaiC appears to play a role in resetting the cellular clock in addition to its documented role in the feedback regulation of circadian rhythms.

Generation of spin-wave dark solitons with phase engineering

We generate experimentally spin-wave envelope dark solitons from rectangular high-frequency dark input pulses with externally introduced phase shifts in yttrium-iron garnet magnetic fims. We observe the generation of both odd and even numbers of magnetic dark solitons when the external phase shift varies. The experimental results are in a good qualitative agreement with the theory of the dark-soliton generation in magnetic films developed earlier [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 2583 (1999)].

LdpA: a component of the circadian clock senses redox state of the cell

The endogenous 24-h (circadian) rhythms exhibited by the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 and other organisms are entrained by a variety of environmental factors. In cyanobacteria, the mechanism that transduces environmental input signals to the central oscillator of the clock is not known. An earlier study identified ldpA as a gene involved in light-dependent modulation of the circadian period, and a candidate member of a clock-entraining input pathway. Here, we report that the LdpA protein is sensitive to the redox state of the cell and exhibits electron paramagnetic resonance spectra consistent with the presence of two Fe4S4 clusters. Moreover, LdpA copurifies with proteins previously shown to be integral parts of the circadian mechanism. We also demonstrate that LdpA affects both the absolute level and light-dependent variation in abundance of CikA, a key input pathway component. The data suggest a novel input pathway to the circadian oscillator in which LdpA is a component of the clock protein complex that senses the redox state of a cell.