Temperature Entrainment Research Articles

Plasma assisted synthesis of γ-alumina from waste aluminium dross

Aluminium dross, a waste generated from aluminium melting process, contains aluminium metal, aluminium oxide, aluminium oxy-nitride and impurities such as sodium chloride and potassium chloride. Since aluminium dross is land filled without treatment, it is hazardous to the environment. Conventional methods for the metal recovery from the recycling of aluminium dross involve chemicals and are time consuming. In this study, an attempt was made to treat aluminium dross using plasma arc melting process. The aluminium dross was melted and evaporated by the plasma arc established between a crucible anode and a rod type hollow cathode made of graphite. Raw dross and products of plasma treated dross such as slag and fine powder were characterized. The generation of ultrafine alumina powder and slag are explained using simulation of the plasma arc inside the crucible and free energy minimization calculations. High temperature and air entrainment into the plasma inside the crucible converted the dross into alumina slag and fine powder. The amount of fine alumina powder produced increased substantially with plasma power initially as seen from the results of alumina obtained at 5 kW and 10 kW. However, further increase in plasma power resulted only in marginal increase in the conversion of Al dross to alumina. Results of this study indicate that arc plasma technology can be effectively applied to convert Al dross into value added fine alumina powder.

Determination of optimum ejector operating pressures for anodic recirculation in SOFC systems

In this study, a numerical analysis of an ejector for micro combined heat and power system based on 18 kW Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) using methane as fuel is presented. An ejector design, which reflects the real system conditions in the view of the flow characteristics, is provided and the ejector performance is numerically investigated for various methane pressure to exhaust pressure ratios and methane inlet temperatures. The results show that the fuel inlet temperature and the pressure ratio of the methane to exhaust significantly affect the steam to carbon ratio (STCR) and entrainment ratio. The higher pressure ratio and methane temperature allow a high entrainment ratio and STCR, but as pressure ratio and methane temperature increase, STCR and entrainment ratio remain unchanged after a specific value. 1140 different scenarios related with the inlet and outlet pressures of the ejector and methane temperature are created to determine the optimum operating conditions. The simulations show that the optimum methane inlet pressure is 7 bar and exhaust pressure is 1.159 bar for the ejector geometry of the interest. The entrainment ratio and STCR are determined as 2.05 and 0.92, respectively at this optimum scenario.

The Arabidopsis sickle Mutant Exhibits Altered Circadian Clock Responses to Cool Temperatures and Temperature-Dependent Alternative Splicing

The circadian clock allows plants to anticipate and respond to daily changes in ambient temperature. Mechanisms establishing the timing of circadian rhythms in Arabidopsis thaliana through temperature entrainment remain unclear. Also incompletely understood is the temperature compensation mechanism that maintains consistent period length within a range of ambient temperatures. A genetic screen for Arabidopsis mutants affecting temperature regulation of the PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR7 promoter yielded a novel allele of the SICKLE (SIC) gene. This mutant, sic-3, and the existing sic-1 mutant both exhibit low-amplitude or arrhythmic expression of core circadian clock genes under cool ambient temperature cycles, but not under light-dark entrainment. sic mutants also lengthen free running period in a manner consistent with impaired temperature compensation. sic mutant alleles accumulate LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY) and CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1) splice variants, among other alternatively spliced transcripts, which is exacerbated by cool temperatures. The cca1-1 lhy-20 double mutant is epistatic to sic-3, indicating the LHY and CCA1 splice variants are needed for sic-3 circadian clock phenotypes. It is not expected that SIC is directly involved in the circadian clock mechanism; instead, SIC likely contributes to pre-mRNA metabolism, and the splice variants that accumulate in sic mutants likely affect the circadian clock response to cool ambient temperature.

Pacemaker-neuron–dependent disturbance of the molecular clockwork by a Drosophila CLOCK mutant homologous to the mouse Clock mutation

Circadian clocks are composed of transcriptional/translational feedback loops (TTFLs) at the cellular level. In Drosophila TTFLs, the transcription factor dCLOCK (dCLK)/CYCLE (CYC) activates clock target gene expression, which is repressed by the physical interaction with PERIOD (PER). Here, we show that amino acids (AA) 657-707 of dCLK, a region that is homologous to the mouse Clock exon 19-encoded region, is crucial for PER binding and E-box-dependent transactivation in S2 cells. Consistently, in transgenic flies expressing dCLK with an AA657-707 deletion in the Clock (Clk(out)) genetic background (p{dClk-Δ};Clk(out)), oscillation of core clock genes' mRNAs displayed diminished amplitude compared with control flies, and the highly abundant dCLKΔ657-707 showed significantly decreased binding to PER. Behaviorally, the p{dClk-Δ};Clk(out) flies exhibited arrhythmic locomotor behavior in the photic entrainment condition but showed anticipatory activities of temperature transition and improved free-running rhythms in the temperature entrainment condition. Surprisingly, p{dClk-Δ};Clk(out) flies showed pacemaker-neuron-dependent alterations in molecular rhythms; the abundance of dCLK target clock proteins was reduced in ventral lateral neurons (LNvs) but not in dorsal neurons (DNs) in both entrainment conditions. In p{dClk-Δ};Clk(out) flies, however, strong but delayed molecular oscillations in temperature cycle-sensitive pacemaker neurons, such as DN1s and DN2s, were correlated with delayed anticipatory activities of temperature transition. Taken together, our study reveals that the LNv molecular clockwork is more sensitive than the clockwork of DNs to dysregulation of dCLK by AA657-707 deletion. Therefore, we propose that the dCLK/CYC-controlled TTFL operates differently in subsets of pacemaker neurons, which may contribute to their specific functions.

The effects of time-varying temperature on delays in genetic networks.

Delays in gene networks result from the sequential nature of protein assembly. However, it is unclear how models of gene networks that use delays should be modified when considering time-dependent changes in temperature. This is important, as delay is often used in models of genetic oscillators that can be entrained by periodic fluctuations in temperature. Here, we analytically derive the time dependence of delay distributions in response to time-varying temperature changes. We find that the resulting time-varying delay is nonlinearly dependent on parameters of the time-varying temperature such as amplitude and frequency, therefore, applying an Arrhenius scaling may result in erroneous conclusions. We use these results to examine a model of a synthetic gene oscillator with temperature compensation. We show that temperature entrainment follows from the same mechanism that results in temperature compensation. Under a common Arrhenius scaling alone, the frequency of the oscillator is sensitive to changes in the mean temperature but robust to changes in the frequency of a periodically time-varying temperature. When a mechanism for temperature compensation is included in the model, however, we show that the oscillator is entrained by periodically varying temperature even when maintaining insensitivity to the mean temperature.

Study on Improving the Performance of the Cascade Heat Pump Cycle using Ejectors

Background: The cascade heat pump cycle is used when a large difference between the condensing temperature and the evaporating temperature exist. Methods: This study uses ejectors to improve the performance of a cascade heat pump cycle that utilizes refrigerants R134a and R404a. Ejectors were applied to the high-stage cycle, the low-stage cycle and then to both cycles. Changes in performance according to the condensing temperature, evaporating temperature and ejector entrainment ratio were tracked. Results: Results of the numerical analysis showed that applying ejectors to both the highstage and low-stage cycles provided the greatest efficiency, yielding a 26.9% increase in the COP compared to standard cascade cycles. Conclusion: For COP enhancement, it is beneficial to apply ejectors to both-stage cycles as well as to lower the ejector entrainment ratio as much as possible.

Temperature compensation and temperature sensation in the circadian clock

All known circadian clocks have an endogenous period that is remarkably insensitive to temperature, a property known as temperature compensation, while at the same time being readily entrained by a diurnal temperature oscillation. Although temperature compensation and entrainment are defining features of circadian clocks, their mechanisms remain poorly understood. Most models presume that multiple steps in the circadian cycle are temperature-dependent, thus facilitating temperature entrainment, but then insist that the effect of changes around the cycle sums to zero to enforce temperature compensation. An alternative theory proposes that the circadian oscillator evolved from an adaptive temperature sensor: a gene circuit that responds only to temperature changes. This theory implies that temperature changes should linearly rescale the amplitudes of clock component oscillations but leave phase relationships and shapes unchanged. We show using timeless luciferase reporter measurements and Western blots against TIMELESS protein that this prediction is satisfied by the Drosophila circadian clock. We also review evidence for pathways that couple temperature to the circadian clock, and show previously unidentified evidence for coupling between the Drosophila clock and the heat-shock pathway.

Tuning the phase of circadian entrainment.

The circadian clock coordinates daily physiological, metabolic and behavioural rhythms. These endogenous oscillations are synchronized with external cues ('zeitgebers'), such as daily light and temperature cycles. When the circadian clock is entrained by a zeitgeber, the phase difference ψ between the phase of a clock-controlled rhythm and the phase of the zeitgeber is of fundamental importance for the fitness of the organism. The phase of entrainment ψ depends on the mismatch between the intrinsic period τ and the zeitgeber period T and on the ratio of the zeitgeber strength to oscillator amplitude. Motivated by the intriguing complexity of empirical data and by our own experiments on temperature entrainment of mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) slices, we present a theory on how clock and zeitgeber properties determine the phase of entrainment. The wide applicability of the theory is demonstrated using mathematical models of different complexity as well as by experimental data. Predictions of the theory are confirmed by published data on Neurospora crassa strains for different period mismatches τ - T and varying photoperiods. We apply a novel regression technique to analyse entrainment of SCN slices by temperature cycles. We find that mathematical models can explain not only the stable asymptotic phase of entrainment, but also transient phase dynamics. Our theory provides the potential to explore seasonal variations of circadian rhythms, jet lag and shift work in forthcoming studies.

Period and timeless mRNA Splicing Profiles under Natural Conditions in Drosophila melanogaster.

Previous analysis of Drosophila circadian behavior under natural conditions has revealed a number of novel and unexpected features. Here we focus on the oscillations of per and tim mRNAs and their posttranscriptional regulation and observe significant differences in molecular cycling under laboratory and natural conditions. In particular, robust per mRNA cycling from fly heads is limited to the summers, whereas tim RNA cycling is observed throughout the year. When both transcripts do cycle, their phases are similar, except for the very warmest summer months. We also study the natural splicing profiles of per and tim transcripts and observe a clear relationship between temperature and splicing. In natural conditions, we confirm the relationship between accumulation of the per(spliced) variant, low temperature, and the onset of the evening component of locomotor activity, first described in laboratory conditions. Intriguingly, in the case of tim splicing, we detect the opposite relationship, with tim(spliced) expression increasing at higher temperatures. A first characterization of the 4 different TIM protein isoforms (resulting from the combination of the natural N-terminus length polymorphism and the C-terminus alternative splicing) using the 2-hybrid assay showed that the TIM(unspliced) isoforms have a stronger affinity for CRY, but not for PER, suggesting that the tim 3' splicing could have physiological significance, possibly in temperature entrainment and/or adaptation to seasonal environments.

Temperature-dependent resetting of the molecular circadian oscillator in Drosophila.

Circadian clocks responsible for daily time keeping in a wide range of organisms synchronize to daily temperature cycles via pathways that remain poorly understood. To address this problem from the perspective of the molecular oscillator, we monitored temperature-dependent resetting of four of its core components in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster: the transcripts and proteins for the clock genes period (per) and timeless (tim). The molecular circadian cycle in adult heads exhibited parallel responses to temperature-mediated resetting at the levels of per transcript, tim transcript and TIM protein. Early phase adjustment specific to per transcript rhythms was explained by clock-independent temperature-driven transcription of per. The cold-induced expression of Drosophila per contrasts with the previously reported heat-induced regulation of mammalian Period 2. An altered and more readily re-entrainable temperature-synchronized circadian oscillator that featured temperature-driven per transcript rhythms and phase-shifted TIM and PER protein rhythms was found for flies of the 'Tim 4' genotype, which lacked daily tim transcript oscillations but maintained post-transcriptional temperature entrainment of tim expression. The accelerated molecular and behavioural temperature entrainment observed for Tim 4 flies indicates that clock-controlled tim expression constrains the rate of temperature cycle-mediated circadian resetting.

Temperature, velocity and air entrainment of fire whirl plume: A comprehensive experimental investigation

Comprehensive measurements were performed to examine the temperature, velocity (in axial and tangential directions) and air entrainment of propane fire whirl plume in a medium-scale fixed-frame facility. It is found that the radial profile of excess temperature varies consistently with the continuous flame shape and the radial decay rate of excess temperature decreases in the intermittent flame and plume. The centerline axial velocity depends on both the buoyancy and the axial pressure gradient related to the tangential velocity. A weak annular reverse flow is found outside the upward core at z/D⩽1.0, while the absolute axial velocity slightly increases with fire size. The growth of axial velocity core is found to be constrained by the reverse flow. The mean axial velocity radius is confirmed to be greater than the mean excess temperature radius in the continuous flame. The radial profile of tangential velocity varies steadily with height, and is little affected by heat release rate. The radial swirl flow consists of the vortex core, the quasi-free vortex and the near wall region, and the active reaction occurs in the vortex core. The plume growth rate increases with decreasing RiB (Richardson number) and three distinct regions are identified in different RiB ranges. The air entrainment is strong at the bottom inflow boundary layer, while the mass flow rate increases slowly with height as compared to buoyant pool fires. The suppression of air entrainment may be attributable to the radial force balance and stable stratification in the centrifugal acceleration filed. The entrainment coefficient in the continuous flame is about one to two orders of magnitude lower than that in a buoyant pool fire, and it generally increases with height in the plume of fire whirl, approaching the value for pure buoyant plume. The mean entrainment coefficient depends on the mean RiB by −1 power law for z⩽Hf.

Mechanisms of the disappearance of sea surface temperature fronts in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean

AbstractThe disappearance mechanisms of subtropical sea surface temperature (SST) fronts occurring from May to August were examined quantitatively using a simple mixed‐layer model. Weekly 2.5° data sets were matched up between satellite and in situ observations, including cloud‐free SST from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer‐Earth Observing System (AMSR‐E) and Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Program (GTSPP) data. A 1.5 mixed‐layer model used in this study assumed that the temporal variation of the SST gradient was controlled by the resultant effect among the net heat flux, temperature advection (including Ekman and geostrophic), and the temperature entrainment at the bottom of the mixed layer. The net heat flux was found to provide a dominant contribution to the weakening of the SST front (decreasing SST gradient), while the temperature advection and the bottom entrainment were relatively weak. Decomposition of the net heat flux revealed that the meridional gradient of the latent heat flux is a direct factor in the weakening of the SST front, while the shortwave radiation could have indirect effects. The meridional gradient of the latent heat flux is induced by southerly winds, which in turn causes the weakening and disappearance of the SST front. Comparison of weekly and monthly averaged SST gradient modeling results with in situ observations demonstrated that the weekly SST gradient in the model agrees closely with AMSR‐E observations, but there was a large difference between the monthly SST gradient in the model and in the observations.

Entrainment of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat Fibroblasts by Temperature Cycles

The functional state of the circadian system of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) differs in several characteristics from the functional state of normotensive Wistar rats. Some of these changes might be due to the compromised ability of the central pacemaker to entrain the peripheral clocks. Daily body temperature cycles represent one of the important cues responsible for the integrity of the circadian system, because these cycles are driven by the central pacemaker and are able to entrain the peripheral clocks. This study tested the hypothesis that the aberrant peripheral clock entrainment of SHR results from a compromised peripheral clock sensitivity to the daily temperature cycle resetting. Using cultured Wistar rat and SHR fibroblasts transfected with the circadian luminescence reporter Bmal1-dLuc, we demonstrated that two consecutive square-wave temperature cycles with amplitudes of 2.5°C are necessary and sufficient to restart the dampened oscillations and entrain the circadian clocks in both Wistar rat and SHR fibroblasts. We also generated a phase response curve to temperature cycles for fibroblasts of both rat strains. Although some of the data suggested a slight resistance of SHR fibroblasts to temperature entrainment, we concluded that the overall effect it too weak to be responsible for the differences between the SHR and Wistar in vivo circadian phenotype.

Leptin-sensitive neurons in the arcuate nucleus integrate activity and temperature circadian rhythms and anticipatory responses to food restriction

Previously, we investigated the role of neuropeptide Y and leptin-sensitive networks in the mediobasal hypothalamus in sleep and feeding and found profound homeostatic and circadian deficits with an intact suprachiasmatic nucleus. We propose that the arcuate nuclei (Arc) are required for the integration of homeostatic circadian systems, including temperature and activity. We tested this hypothesis using saporin toxin conjugated to leptin (Lep-SAP) injected into Arc in rats. Lep-SAP rats became obese and hyperphagic and progressed through a dynamic phase to a static phase of growth. Circadian rhythms were examined over 49 days during the static phase. Rats were maintained on a 12:12-h light-dark (LD) schedule for 13 days and, thereafter, maintained in continuous dark (DD). After the first 13 days of DD, food was restricted to 4 h/day for 10 days. We found that the activity of Lep-SAP rats was arrhythmic in DD, but that food anticipatory activity was, nevertheless, entrainable to the restricted feeding schedule, and the entrained rhythm persisted during the subsequent 3-day fast in DD. Thus, for activity, the circuitry for the light-entrainable oscillator, but not for the food-entrainable oscillator, was disabled by the Arc lesion. In contrast, temperature remained rhythmic in DD in the Lep-SAP rats and did not entrain to restricted feeding. We conclude that the leptin-sensitive network that includes the Arc is required for entrainment of activity by photic cues and entrainment of temperature by food, but is not required for entrainment of activity by food or temperature by photic cues.

A new Lagrangian method for modelling the buoyant plume rise

A new method for the buoyant plume rise computation is proposed. Following Alessandrini and Ferrero (Phys A 388:1375–1387, 2009) a scalar transported by the particles and representing the temperature difference between the plume and the environment air is introduced. As a consequence, no more particles than those inside the plume have to be released to simulate the entrainment of the background air temperature. A second scalar, the vertical plume velocity, is assigned to each particle. In this way the entrainment is properly simulated and the plume rise is calculated from the local property of the flow. The model has been tested against data from two laboratory experiments in neutral and stable stratified flows. The comparison shows a good agreement.Then, we tested our new model against literature analytical formulae in a simple uniform neutral atmosphere, considering either the case of a single plume or the one of two plumes from adjacent stacks combining during the rising stage. Finally, a comparison of the model against an atmospheric tracer experiment (Bull Run), characterized by vertically non-homogeneous fields (wind velocity, temperature, velocity standard deviations and time scales), was performed. All the tests confirmed the satisfactory performance of the model.

DrosophilaTRPA1 Functions in Temperature Control of Circadian Rhythm in Pacemaker Neurons

Most animals from flies to humans count on circadian clocks to synchronize their physiology and behaviors. Daily light cycles are well known environmental cues for setting circadian rhythms. Warmer and cooler temperatures that mimic day and night are also effective in entraining circadian activity in most animals. Even vertebrate organisms can be induced to show circadian responses through exposure to temperature cycles. In poikilothermic animals such as Drosophila, temperature differences of only 2-3°C are sufficient to synchronize locomotor rhythms. However, the molecular sensors that participate in temperature regulation of circadian activity in fruit flies or other animals are enigmatic. It is also unclear whether such detectors are limited to the periphery or may be in the central brain. Here, we showed that Drosophila TRPA1 (transient receptor potential cation channel A1) was necessary for normal activity patterns during temperature cycles. The trpA1 gene was expressed in a subset of pacemaker neurons in the central brain. In response to temperature entrainment, loss of trpA1 impaired activity, and altered expression of the circadian clock protein period (Per) in a subset of pacemaker neurons. These findings underscore a role for a thermoTRP in temperature regulation that extends beyond avoidance of noxious or suboptimal temperatures.

GW182 Controls Drosophila Circadian Behavior and PDF-Receptor Signaling

The neuropeptide PDF is crucial for Drosophila circadian behavior: it keeps circadian neurons synchronized. Here, we identify GW182 as a key regulator of PDF signaling. Indeed, GW182 downregulation results in phenotypes similar to those of Pdf and Pdf-receptor (Pdfr) mutants. gw182 genetically interacts with Pdfr and cAMP signaling, which is essential for PDFR function. GW182 mediates miRNA-dependent gene silencing through its interaction with AGO1. Consistently, GW182's AGO1 interaction domain is required for GW182's circadian function. Moreover, our results indicate that GW182 modulates PDFR signaling by silencing the expression of the cAMP phosphodiesterase DUNCE. Importantly, this repression is under photic control, and GW182 activity level--which is limiting in circadian neurons--influences the responses of the circadian neural network to light. We propose that GW182's gene silencing activity functions as a rheostat for PDFR signaling and thus profoundly impacts the circadian neural network and its response to environmental inputs.

Mass-size distribution of PM10 and its characterization of ionic species in fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10−2.5) mode, New Delhi, India

Size distribution of PM10 mass aerosols and its ionic characteristics were studied for 2 years from January 2006 to December 2007 at central Delhi by employing an 8-stage Andersen Cascade Impactor sampler. The mass of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10−2.5) mode particles were integrated from particle mass determined in different stages. Average concentrations of mass PM10 and PM2.5 were observed to be 306 ± 182 and 136 ± 84 μg m−3, respectively, which are far in excess of annual averages stipulated by the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards (PM10: 60 μg m−3 and PM2.5: 40 μg m−3). The highest concentrations of PM10−2.5 (coarse) and PM2.5 (fine) were observed 505 ± 44 and 368 ± 61 μg m−3, respectively, during summer (June 2006) period, whereas the lower concentrations of PM10−2.5 (35 ± 9 μg m−3) and PM2.5 (29 ± 13 μg m−3) were observed during monsoon (September 2007). In summer, because of frequent dust storms, coarse particles are more dominant than fine particles during study period. However, during winter, the PM2.5 contribution became more pronounced as compared to summer probably due to enhanced emissions from anthropogenic activities, burning of biofuels/biomass and other human activities. A high ratio (0.58) of PM2.5/PM10 was observed during winter and low (0.24) during monsoon. A strong correlation between PM10 and PM2.5 (r2 = 0.93) was observed, indicating that variation in PM10 mass is governed by the variation in PM2.5. Major cations (NH4+, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and anions (F−, Cl−, SO42− and NO3−) were analyzed along with pH. Average concentrations of SO42− and NO3− were observed to be 12.93 ± 0.98 and 10.33 ± 1.10 μg m−3, respectively. Significant correlation between SO42− and NO3− in PM1.0 was observed indicating the major sources of secondary aerosol which may be from thermal power plants located in the southeast and incomplete combustion by vehicular exhaust. A good correlation among secondary species (NH+, NO3− and SO42−) suggests that most of NH4+ is in the form of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate in the atmosphere. During winter, the concentration of Ca2+ was also higher; it may be due to entrainment of roadside dust particles, traffic activities and low temperature. The molar ratio (1.39) between Cl− and Na+ was observed to be close to that of seawater (1.16). The presence of higher Cl− during winter is due to western disturbances and probably local emission of Cl− due to fabric bleaching activity in a number of export garment factories in the proximity of the sampling site.

Cryptochrome Antagonizes Synchronization of Drosophila’s Circadian Clock to Temperature Cycles

In nature, both daily light:dark cycles and temperature fluctuations are used by organisms to synchronize their endogenous time with the daily cycles of light and temperature. Proper synchronization is important for the overall fitness and wellbeing of animals and humans, and although we know a lot about light synchronization, this is not the case for temperature inputs to the circadian clock. In Drosophila, light and temperature cues can act as synchronization signals (Zeitgeber), but it is not known how they are integrated. We investigated whether different groups of the Drosophila clock neurons that regulate behavioral rhythmicity contribute to temperature synchronization at different absolute temperatures. Using spatially restricted expression of the clock gene period, we show that dorsally located clock neurons mainly mediate synchronization to higher (20°C:29°C) and ventral clock neurons to lower (16°C:25°C) temperature cycles. Molecularly, the blue-light photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) dampens temperature-induced PERIOD (PER)-LUCIFERASE oscillations in dorsal clock neurons. Consistent with this finding, we show that in the absence of CRY very limited expression of PER in a few dorsal clock neurons is able to mediate behavioral temperature synchronization to high and low temperature cycles independent of light. We show that different subsets of clock neurons operate at high and low temperatures to mediate clock synchronization to temperature cycles, suggesting that temperature entrainment is not restricted to measuring the amplitude of such cycles. CRY dampens temperature input to the clock and thereby contributes to the integration of different Zeitgebers.

Adaptive Temperature Compensation in Circadian Oscillations

A temperature independent period and temperature entrainment are two defining features of circadian oscillators. A default model of distributed temperature compensation satisfies these basic facts yet is not easily reconciled with other properties of circadian clocks, such as many mutants with altered but temperature compensated periods. The default model also suggests that the shape of the circadian limit cycle and the associated phase response curves (PRC) will vary since the average concentrations of clock proteins change with temperature. We propose an alternative class of models where the twin properties of a fixed period and entrainment are structural and arise from an underlying adaptive system that buffers temperature changes. These models are distinguished by a PRC whose shape is temperature independent and orbits whose extrema are temperature independent. They are readily evolved by local, hill climbing, optimization of gene networks for a common quality measure of biological clocks, phase anticipation. Interestingly a standard realization of the Goodwin model for temperature compensation displays properties of adaptive rather than distributed temperature compensation.