Neuromodulation of Synaptic Transmission in the Main Olfactory Bulb.

A major step in our understanding of brain function is to determine how neural circuits are altered in their function by signaling molecules or neuromodulators. Neuromodulation is the neurochemical process that modifies the computations performed by a neuron or network based on changing the functional needs or behavioral state of the subject. These modulations have the effect of altering the responsivity to synaptic inputs. Early sensory processing areas, such as the main olfactory bulb, provide an accessible window for investigating how neuromodulation regulates the functional states of neural networks and influences how we process sensory information. Olfaction is an attractive model system in this regard because of its relative simplicity and because it links primary olfactory sensory neurons to higher olfactory and associational networks. Likewise, centrifugal fibers from higher order brain centers target neurons in the main olfactory bulb to regulate synaptic processing. The neuromodulatory systems that provide regulatory inputs and play important roles in olfactory sensory processing and behaviors include the endocannabinoid system, the dopaminergic system, the cholinergic system, the noradrenergic system and the serotonergic system. Here, we present a brief survey of neuromodulation of olfactory signals in the main olfactory bulb with an emphasis on the endocannabinoid system.

Periodontal Microbiology.

This article provides a review of current information about periodontal bacteria, their activities within dental plaque biofilm, their interactions with the host immune system, and the infections with which they are associated. Periodontal disease, plaque formation, and the host immune response are also discussed, as are antimicrobial measures used to control the bacteria and the disease.

Mode-locked Yb-doped fiber laser emitting broadband pulses at ultralow repetition rates.

We report on an environmentally stable, Yb-doped, all-normal dispersion, mode-locked fiber laser that is capable of creating broadband pulses with ultralow repetition rates. Specifically, through careful positioning of fiber sections in an all-PM-fiber cavity mode-locked with a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror, we achieve stable pulse trains with repetition rates as low as 506 kHz. The pulses have several nanojules of energy and are compressible down to ultrashort (<500 fs) durations.

Parabolic and hyper-Gaussian similaritons in fiber amplifiers and lasers with gain saturation.

We present a new asymptotically exact analytical similariton solution of the generalized nonlinear Schrdinger equation for pulses propagating in fiber amplifiers and lasers with normal dispersion including the effect of gain saturation. Numerical simulations are in excellent agreement with this analytical solution describing self-similar linearly chirped parabolic pulses. We have also found that for small enough values of the dimensionless saturation energy parameter the fiber amplifiers and lasers can generate a new type of linearly chirped self-similar pulses, which we call Hyper-Gaussian similaritons. The analytical Hyper-Gaussian similariton solution of the generalized nonlinear Schrdinger equation is also in a good agreement with numerical simulations.

Quasi-parabolic pulse propagation and breakup in fiber amplifiers with third-order dispersion.

We present an analytical solution for propagating pulses in normal dispersion fiber amplifiers, including the effect of third-order dispersion. The solution of the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation is based on asymptotic methods, first-order perturbation theory, and a renormalization procedure and leads to determination of the critical length corresponding to pulse breakup. We have also found and confirmed numerically the condition on the parameters that govern the propagation, as is necessary to ensure a highly accurate analytical description of the pulses and critical lengths in fiber amplifiers with third-order dispersion.

Experimental realization of a mode-locked parabolic Raman fiber oscillator.

We report here the first demonstration of a mode-locked fiber laser delivering parabolic pulses (similaritons) at 1534 nm. The use of a Raman-based gain medium potentially allows its implementation at any wavelength. The 22nJ output similariton pulses have a true parabolic shape both in the time and spectral domains and a linear chirp. Linear recompression close to Fourier limit is demonstrated allowing us to obtain 6 ps compressed pulses with a compression factor of 75.

Illumination and fluorescence collection volumes for fiber optic probes in tissue.

Optical fibers can deliver light to, and collect it from, regions deep in tissue. However, reported illumination and fluorescence collection volumes adjacent to the fiber tip have been inconsistent, and systematic data on this topic are not available. Illumination and fluorescence collection profiles were characterized with high spatial resolution for different optical fibers in tissue and various fluids using two-photon flash photolysis and excitation. We confirm that illumination and fluorescence collection volumes for optical fibers are near identical. Collection volume is determined by the core dimensions and numerical aperture (NA) of the fiber and the scattering properties of the medium. For a multimode optical fiber with 100 microm core diam and NA=0.22, 80% of the total fluorescence is collected from a depth of 170 microm in tissue and 465 microm in nonscattering fluid. A semiempirical mathematical description of photon flux adjacent to the fiber tip was also developed and validated. This was used to quantify the extent of temporal blurring associated with propagation of a wavefront of altered fluorescence emission across the region addressed by fiber optic probes. We provide information that will facilitate the design of optical probes for tissue imaging or therapeutic applications.

Experimental demonstration of similariton pulse compression in a comblike dispersion-decreasing fiber amplifier.

Self-similar propagation of linearly chirped hyperbolic-secant pulses in a comblike decreasing-dispersion fiber amplifier has been observed experimentally for the first time to our knowledge. The scheme takes advantage of an exact solution of the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with distributed coefficients.

The metal complexes of N-confused porphyrin as heme model compounds.

Recently, metal complexes of the isomers and analogs of porphyrin have become important model compounds for heme enzymes and proteins. While the chemistry of metalloporphyrins as heme models still attracts attention, the isomers and analogs of porphyrins provide insight into the biological choice of porphine as the macrocycle of choice and also help model reactive intermediates, such as high valent oxidation states. In this mini-review, we discuss the heme-relevant chemistry of N-confused porphyrin, an isomer of porphyrin with an inverted pyrrole ring, and focus on the chemistry of manganese, iron, and cobalt. The metallation chemistry of this macrocycle is more diverse than normal porphyrin, and involves tautomerization, C-H bond activation, the Lewis basicity of the external nitrogen, and issues with nucleophilic sensitivity. Despite the challenges posed by N-confused porphyrin, significant progress has been made toward generating heme-model complexes with this macrocycle.

Facile peripheral modification of N-confused porphyrin.

[reaction: see text] An improved methodology for the N-alkylation of the porphyrin isomer N-confused porphyrin is presented. The combination of polar solvent conditions and the use of the base Cs2CO3 affords externally modified products in high yield without separation difficulties and without the use of large excesses of alkylating reagent. The further transformation and metalation of these products provides opportunities for the construction of metalloenzyme model complexes, peptide adducts, and chromophore assemblies.

The synthesis of isostructural Mo2+ porphyrin and N-confused porphyrin complexes.

We have synthesized the first early transition metal N-confused porphyrin complex Mo(NCTPP)(pip)2; this species is isostructural to its normal porphyrin analog Mo(TPP)(pip)2 but exhibits significant electronic differences arising from the inversion of a single pyrrolic group.

High-frequency and -field EPR investigation of a manganese(III) N-confused porphyrin complex, [Mn(NCTPP)(py)2].

We report the first high-frequency and -field electron paramagnetic resonance (HFEPR) study of a Mn(III) N-confused porphyrin (NCP) complex (NCP is also known as inverted porphyrin or 2-aza-21-carbaporphyrin). We have found a striking variation in the electronic properties of the S = 2 Mn(III) ion coordinated by NCP compared to other Mn(III) porphyrinoid complexes. Thus, inversion of a single pyrrole ring greatly changes the equatorial ligand field exerted and leads to large magnitudes of both the axial and rhombic zero-field splitting [respectively, D = -3.084(3) cm(-1), E = -0.608(3) cm(-1)], which are unprecedented in other Mn(III) porphyrinoids.

Permanent refractive-index modification in germanium-doped optical fibers by use of red light.

We observed photoinduced birefringence in elliptical-core optical fibers by using a continuous-wave krypton-ion laser. We induced the birefringence by injecting 20 mW of 647-nm or 50 mW of 676-nm light into the fiber at 45 degrees to the slow axis. The rate of change of the refractive index was found to be proportional to the square of the average power. Polarization mode couplers written into the fibers have been stable for more than 2 years and can be erased by use of light polarized perpendicularly to the original writing beam.

Dianionic and trianionic macrocycles in cobalt N-confused porphyrin complexes.

We report the syntheses of cobalt N-confused porphyrins; this work completes the series of the late first-row transition metals that have been incorporated into the core of N-confused porphyrin, and in these compounds the macrocycles can act as either a -2 or -3 anion.

Manganese N-confused porphyrin reactivity: CH bond activation and meso carbon reduction.

Manganese N-confused porphyrins activate C-C and C-H bonds upon heating or air oxidation; the dimer complex [Mn(NCTPP)]2 is reduced at two meso positions, and the pyridine coordinated monomer breaks the internal C-H bond upon heating or exposure to oxygen.

Scalar modulation instability in the normal dispersion regime by use of a photonic crystal fiber.

Modulation instability at high frequencies has been demonstrated in the normal dispersion regime by use of a photonic crystal fiber. This fiber-optic parametric generator provides efficient conversion of red pump light into blue and near-infrared light.

Dimeric and monomeric forms of manganese N-confused porphyrin.

The synthesis and structural characterization of a manganese adduct of N-confused tetraphenylporphyrin (NCTPP) is presented; in the absence of coordinating ligands this complex forms a novel dimer structure and demonstrates a potential manganese agostic interaction with the interior pyrrolic CH as seen in other first row transition metal NCTPP compounds.

Observation of non-phase-matched parametric amplification in resonant nonlinear optics.

The coupling between a resonant excitation and a nonresonant parametric process in a nonlinear system is studied experimentally under non-phase-matched conditions. Our study performed in the context of anti-Stokes stimulated Raman scattering provides a clear observation of the self-induced phase matching of a parametric process. A close agreement with theoretical predictions is observed.