Acetylcholine waves and dopamine release in the striatum.

Striatal dopamine encodes reward, with recent work showing that dopamine release occurs in spatiotemporal waves. However, the mechanism of dopamine waves is unknown. Here we report that acetylcholine release in mouse striatum also exhibits wave activity, and that the spatial scale of striatal dopamine release is extended by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Topographic organization in the cerebellar nuclei and inferior olive in relation to cerebellar hemispheric lobules in the mouse: Distinction between crus I and neighboring lobules.

The parallel closed-loop topographic connections between subareas of the inferior olive (IO), cerebellar cortex, and cerebellar nuclei (CN) define the fundamental modular organization of the cerebellum. The cortical modules or zones are organized into longitudinal zebrin stripes which are extended across transverse cerebellar lobules. However, how cerebellar lobules, which are related to the cerebellar functional localization, are incorporated into the olivo-cortico-nuclear topographic organization has not been fully clarified.

Divergent topographic projection of cerebral cortical areas to overlapping cerebellar lobules through distinct regions of the pontine nuclei.

The massive axonal projection from the cerebrum to the cerebellum through the pontine nuclei supports the cerebrocerebellar coordination of motor and nonmotor functions. However, the cerebrum and cerebellum have distinct patterns of functional localization in their cortices. We addressed this issue by bidirectional neuronal tracing from 22 various locations of the pontine nuclei in the mouse in a comprehensive manner.

Dopamine error signal to actively cope with lack of expected reward.

To obtain more of a particular uncertain reward, animals must learn to actively overcome the lack of reward and adjust behavior to obtain it again. The neural mechanisms underlying such coping with reward omission remain unclear. Here, we developed a task in rats to monitor active behavioral switch toward the next reward after no reward.

Transitioning Wastewater Treatment Plants toward Circular Economy and Energy Sustainability.

Aging infrastructure, increasing environmental regulations, and receiving water environment issues stem the need for advanced wastewater treatment processes across the world. Advanced wastewater treatment systems treat wastewater beyond organic carbon removal and aim to remove nutrients and recover valuable products. While the removal of major nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) is essential for environmental protection, this can only be achieved through energy-, chemical-, and cost-intensive processes in the industry today, which is an unsustainable trend, considering the global population growth and rapid urbanization.

Reorganization of longitudinal compartments in the laterally protruding paraflocculus of the postnatal mouse cerebellum.

The paraflocculus and the neighboring smaller flocculus form a remarkable protrusion in the ventrolateral aspect of the mouse cerebellum, in which the longitudinal compartments are conspicuously oriented perpendicularly to the sagittal plane. The developmental process of such anatomical arrangements in these lobules has not been fully clarified. Here, we used the genetic tractability of pcdh10-lacZ knock-in (OL-KO), IP R1-nls-lacZ transgenic (1NM13) and Gpr26cre-Ai9-AldocV mice to track the development of compartments and examined local longitudinal orientation of Purkinje cells within the paraflocculus and flocculus.

Divergent projections of single pontocerebellar axons to multiple cerebellar lobules in the mouse.

The basilar pontine nucleus (PN) is the key relay point for the cerebrocerebellar link. However, the projection pattern of pontocerebellar mossy fiber axons, which is essential in determining the functional organization of the cerebellar cortex, has not been fully clarified. We reconstructed the entire trajectory of 25 single pontocerebellar mossy fiber axons labeled by localized injection of biotinylated dextran amine into various locations in the PN and mapped all their terminals in an unfolded scheme of the cerebellum in 10 mice.

Cerebellar modules in the olivo-cortico-nuclear loop demarcated by pcdh10 expression in the adult mouse.

Topographic connection between corresponding compartments of the cerebellar cortex, cerebellar nuclei, and inferior olive form parallel modules, which are essential for the cerebellar function. Compared to the striped cortical compartmentalization which are labeled by molecular markers, such as aldolase C (Aldoc) or zebrin II, the presumed corresponding organization of the cerebellar nuclei and inferior olivary nucleus has not been much clarified. We focused on the expression pattern of pcdh10 gene coding cell adhesion molecule protocadherin 10 (Pcdh10) in adult mice.

Single axonal morphology and termination to cerebellar aldolase C stripes characterize distinct spinocerebellar projection systems originating from the thoracic spinal cord in the mouse.

The spinocerebellar projection has an essential role in sensorimotor coordination of limbs and the trunk. Multiple groups of spinocerebellar projections have been identified in retrograde labeling studies. In this study, we aimed at characterizing projection patterns of these groups using a combination of anterograde labeling of the thoracic spinal cord and aldolase C immunostaining of longitudinal stripes of the cerebellar cortex in the mouse.

Malaria infection, poor nutrition and indoor air pollution mediate socioeconomic differences in adverse pregnancy outcomes in Cape Coast, Ghana.

Background: The epidemiological evidence linking socioeconomic deprivation with adverse pregnancy outcomes has been conflicting mainly due to poor measurement of socioeconomic status (SES). Studies have also failed to evaluate the plausible pathways through which socioeconomic disadvantage impacts on pregnancy outcomes. We investigated the importance of maternal SES as determinant of birth weight and gestational duration in an urban area and evaluated main causal pathways for the influence of SES.