Classifying synoptic patterns driving tornadic storms and associated spatial trends in the United States.

Severe convective storms and tornadoes rank among nature's most hazardous phenomena, inflicting significant property damage and casualties. Near-surface weather conditions are closely governed by large-scale synoptic patterns. It is crucial to delve into the involved multiscale associations to understand tornado potential in response to climate change.

Upstream surface roughness and terrain are strong drivers of contrast in tornado potential between North and South America.

Central North America is the global hotspot for tornadoes, fueled by elevated terrain of the Rockies to the west and a source of warm, moist air from equatorward oceans. This conventional wisdom argues that central South America, with the Andes to the west and Amazon basin to the north, should have a "tornado alley" at least as active as central North America. Central South America has frequent severe thunderstorms yet relatively few tornadoes.

Circadian regulation of developmental synaptogenesis via the hypocretinergic system.

The circadian clock orchestrates a wide variety of physiological and behavioral processes, enabling animals to adapt to daily environmental changes, particularly the day-night cycle. However, the circadian clock's role in the developmental processes remains unclear. Here, we employ the in vivo long-term time-lapse imaging of retinotectal synapses in the optic tectum of larval zebrafish and reveal that synaptogenesis, a fundamental developmental process for neural circuit formation, exhibits circadian rhythm.

Imaging volumetric dynamics at high speed in mouse and zebrafish brain with confocal light field microscopy.

A detailed understanding of the function of neural networks and how they are supported by a dynamic vascular system requires fast three-dimensional imaging in thick tissues. Here we present confocal light field microscopy, a method that enables fast volumetric imaging in the brain at depths of hundreds of micrometers. It uses a generalized confocal detection scheme that selectively collects fluorescent signals from the in-focus volume and provides optical sectioning capability to improve imaging resolution and sensitivity in thick tissues.

All-optical imaging and manipulation of whole-brain neuronal activities in behaving larval zebrafish.

All-optical interrogation of population neuron activity is a promising approach to deciphering the neural circuit mechanisms supporting brain functions. However, this interrogation is currently limited to local brain areas. Here, we incorporate patterned photo-stimulation into light-sheet microscopy, allowing simultaneous targeted optogenetic manipulation and brain-wide monitoring of the neuronal activities of head-restrained behaving larval zebrafish.

Dysregulation of Microglial Function Contributes to Neuronal Impairment in Mcoln1a-Deficient Zebrafish.

Type IV mucolipidosis (ML-IV) is a neurodegenerative lysosome storage disorder caused by mutations in the MCOLN1 gene. However, the cellular and molecular bases underlying the neuronal phenotypes of ML-IV disease remain elusive. Using a forward genetic screening, we identified a zebrafish mutant, biluo, that harbors a hypomorphic mutation in mcoln1a, one of the two zebrafish homologs of mammalian MCOLN1.

A Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Sensor Enables Rapid and Specific Detection of Dopamine in Flies, Fish, and Mice.

Dopamine (DA) is a central monoamine neurotransmitter involved in many physiological and pathological processes. A longstanding yet largely unmet goal is to measure DA changes reliably and specifically with high spatiotemporal precision, particularly in animals executing complex behaviors. Here, we report the development of genetically encoded GPCR-activation-based-DA (GRAB) sensors that enable these measurements.