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Olfactory dysfunction is manifested in a wide range of neurological and psychiatric diseases, and often emerges prior to the onset of more classical symptoms and signs. From a behavioral perspective, olfactory deficits typically arise in conjunction with impairments of cognition, motivation, memory, and emotion. However, a conceptual framework for explaining the impact of olfactory processing on higher brain functions in health and disease remains lacking. Here we aim to provide circuit-level insights into this question by synthesizing recent advances in olfactory network connectivity with other cortical brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex. We will focus on social cognition as a representative model for exploring and critically evaluating the relationship between olfactory cortices and higher-order cortical regions in rodent models. Although rodents do not recapitulate all dimensions of human social cognition, they have experimentally accessible neural circuits and well-established behavioral tests for social motivation, memory/recognition, and hierarchy, which can be extrapolated to other species including humans. In particular, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been recognized as a key brain region in mediating social cognition in both rodents and humans. This review will highlight the underappreciated connectivity, both anatomical and functional, between the olfactory system and mPFC circuitry, which together provide a neural substrate for olfactory modulation of social cognition and social behaviors. We will provide future perspectives on the functional investigation of the olfactory-mPFC circuit in rodent models and discuss how to translate such animal research to human studies.

Resumen Introduccion y objetivos La hemorragia secundaria a la fistula arteriovenosa (FAV) o al pseudoaneurisma (PA) es una complicacion poco frecuente de la nefrolitotomia percutanea (NLPC). El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar las complicaciones hemorragicas (CH) tras la NLPC y los resultados del tratamiento endovascular. Materiales y metodos Entre mayo de 2009 y diciembre de 2019 se realizaron en nuestro centro 1.335 NLPC por litiasis renal. Analizamos la incidencia de CH tempranas y tardias, el tratamiento administrado, la necesidad de embolizacion posterior y los datos clinicos y analiticos de los pacientes. Resultados Un total de 59 (4,4%) pacientes presentaron CH, y todos fueron tratados con arteriografia y embolizacion selectiva (AES) para controlar el sangrado. Se observo hematoma perirrenal en 38 pacientes (64%). En cuanto a los hallazgos angiograficos, hubo 32 (54%) PA, 8 (14%) FAV, 4 (7%) extravasaciones por laceracion vascular y 15 (25%) PA combinadas con FAV. En un caso, fueron necesarios 3 procedimientos para controlar la hemorragia. En 30 pacientes (51%) no se requirio transfusion de sangre, mientras que en 29 (49%) se transfundio una media de 1,3 unidades. La mediana de seguimiento fue de 24 ± 21 meses. El intervalo de tiempo medio entre la NLPC y la AES fue de 7,3 ± 4,9 dias. Un total de 24 (41%) pacientes reingresaron tras el alta debido a una CH tardia que requeria AES. La demora entre el reingreso y la AES fue de 4,8 ± 4,6 horas de media. Conclusion Las CH tempranas y tardias tras la NLPC pueden ser mayores. El tratamiento con AES tras la deteccion precoz es un metodo efectivo y minimamente invasivo que evita multiples transfusiones de sangre, en muchos casos insuficientes.

The Quichua porcupine (Coendou quichua) is a neotropical rodent with uncertain taxonomic and conservation status. Two Quichua porcupines with severe hyperkeratosis and alopecia were found in the Magdalena River Basin of Colombia. Sarcoptes scabiei, the mite causing mange, a disease carried mainly by domestic animals, was confirmed via parasitological and molecular methods. This is the first report of mange in neotropical porcupines to date. The population-level impact of mange in Coendou spp., related mammals and predators in Colombia might represent a threat and needs further investigation., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Pathological characterisation of sarcoptic mange in cryptic Coendou quichua is carried out. • The impact of sarcoptic mange on Coendou quichua is currently unknown. • New data on Sarcoptes hosts carries significance for the economy and conservation. • Sarcoptic mange is of low priority in Colombia, affecting the understanding of the disease.

Selecting the correct weather forecasting technique is a crucial task when planning an efficient solar energy generation system. Estimating accurate solar photovoltaic systems power output depends on the correct modeling of solar irradiance and ambient temperature, evidencing the need for a framework to select the correct technique to forecast these parameters. This paper presents a review of the forecasting methods to predict solar irradiance and ambient temperature, considering the sensitivity to the forecasting horizon. The methodology includes estimating an interval for ambient temperature and solar irradiance by using the Mean Absolute Error as the percentage of variation in these parameters. To provide context, the study considers best-case and worst-case scenarios for four cities, estimating the power output for a sample array and analyzing the differences between the cases. The power output estimation of the PV array varied between 36% and 50% (on average) for the short-term prediction, and 54% to 95% for the long-term. The changes in the location produced an average variation of 43% in terms of power production, and up to 187% in economic value (USD) for the short term, and 44.5% and 187% for the long term. The results suggest a marked sensitivity to the variation in the forecasting horizon and significance with regards to location selection (considering the changes in solar irradiation and the cost of electricity).

A programmable optical stimulator for Drosophila eyes is presented. The target application of the stimulator is to induce retinal degeneration in fly photoreceptor cells by exposing them to light in a controlled manner. The goal of this work is to obtain a reproducible system for studying age-related changes in susceptibility to environmental ocular stress. The stimulator uses light emitting diodes and an embedded computer to control illuminance, color (blue or red) and duration in two independent chambers. Further, the stimulator is equipped with per-chamber light and temperature sensors and a fan to monitor light intensity and to control temperature. An ON/OFF temperature control implemented on the embedded computer keeps the temperature from reaching levels that will induce the heat shock stress response in the flies. A custom enclosure was fabricated to house the electronic components of the stimulator. The enclosure provides a light-impermeable environment that allows air flow and lets users easily load and unload fly vials. Characterization results show that the fabricated stimulator can produce light at illuminances ranging from 0 to 16000 lux and power density levels from 0 to 7.2 mW/cm2 for blue light. For red light the maximum illuminance is 8000 lux which corresponds to a power density of 3.54 mW/cm2. The fans and the ON/OFF temperature control are able to keep the temperature inside the chambers below 28.17°C. Experiments with white-eye male flies were performed to assess the ability of the fabricated simulator to induce blue light-dependent retinal degeneration. Retinal degeneration is observed in flies exposed to 8 hours of blue light at 7949 lux. Flies in a control experiment with no light exposure show no retinal degeneration. Flies exposed to red light for the similar duration and light intensity (8 hours and 7994 lux) do not show retinal degeneration either. Hence, the fabricated stimulator can be used to create environmental ocular stress using blue light. Specifications table

Distributed energy resources have increased considerably in the United States and the world in the last decade. The proliferation of prosumers generates the opportunity to have a more decentralized and open energy market. Given this opportunity, the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) trading energy paradigm appears, where consumers and prosumers can exchange energy without the need for an intermediary. Because P2P energy trading plays a fundamental role in the proliferation of renewable energies and the system flexibility for a low-carbon energy transition, this paper provides a review of the P2P energy trading that is necessary to understand the current approaches, challenges, and future research that should be conducted in this area. As a result, areas for consideration were identified and grouped into the following six topics: (1) trading platform, (2) blockchain, (3) game theory, (4) simulation, (5) optimization, and (6) algorithms. The study concludes by identifying several challenges that may give way to future research, such as integrating generation, transmission, and distribution into studies, large-scale studies, and modeling of consumer and prosumer complex behavior. Given P2P energy trading is a relatively new topic, there is still much work to be done to successfully implement the real-world model.

Nurses must demonstrate effective communication across complex interpersonal domains, as emphasized by numerous professional healthcare organizations. However, formal communication skills training has been only modestly integrated into baccalaureate nursing programs, and of those studied systematically, there are notable methodological concerns. The current study focused on application of a well-researched communication program (Comskil) to student nurses completing summer internships at a comprehensive cancer center as part of their clinical education. The Comskil training program for student nurses is an in-person, day-long training that includes three sections: responding empathically to patients; discussing death, dying, and end-of-life goals of care; and responding to challenging family interactions. Student nurse participants provided strongly favorable perceptions of the program, with 90% indicating that they agreed or strongly agreed with all perception items. A significant pre-to post-training improvement in self-reported confidence was observed (p .01). Additionally, pre- and post-training observational coding of standardized patient assessments indicated significant improvements in usage of the following skill categories: total skill use, information organization, and empathic communication (p .001). Overall, these results suggest that communication skills training for student nurses is a feasible, acceptable, and effective way of increasing confidence and skills usage in complex clinical scenarios.

The MAJORANA Collaboration is constructing the MAJORANA Demonstrator, an ultra-low background, 44-kg modular high-purity Ge (HPGe) detector array to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in Ge-76. The phenomenon of surface micro-discharge induced by high-voltage has been studied in the context of the MAJORANA Demonstrator. This effect can damage the front-end electronics or mimic detector signals. To ensure the correct performance, every high-voltage cable and feedthrough must be capable of supplying HPGe detector operating voltages as high as 5 kV without exhibiting discharge. R&D measurements were carried out to understand the testing system and determine the optimum design configuration of the high-voltage path, including different improvements of the cable layout and feedthrough flange model selection. Every cable and feedthrough to be used at the MAJORANA Demonstrator was characterized and the micro-discharge effects during the MAJORANA Demonstrator commissioning phase were studied. A stable configuration has been achieved, and the cables and connectors can supply HPGe detector operating voltages without exhibiting discharge., 9 pages, 12 figures, 8 tables, submitted to NIM A

The Majorana Collaboration is constructing a system containing 40kg of HPGe detectors to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of a future tonne-scale experiment capable of probing the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region. To realize this, a major goal of the Majorana Demonstrator is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 cnt/(ROI-t-y) in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value at 2039 keV. This goal is pursued through a combination of a significant reduction of radioactive impurities in construction materials with analytical methods for background rejection, for example using powerful pulse shape analysis techniques profiting from the p-type point contact HPGe detectors technology. The effectiveness of these methods is assessed using simulations of the different background components whose purity levels are constrained from radioassay measurements.

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR will search for the neutrinoless double beta decay (ββ(0ν)) of the isotope 76Ge with a mixed array of enriched and natural germanium detectors. In view of the next generation of tonne-scale germanium-based ββ(0ν)-decay searches, a major goal of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 cnt/(ROI-t-y) in the 4 keV region of interest (ROI) around the 2039-keV Q-value of the 76Ge ββ(0ν)-decay. Such a requirement on the background level significantly constrains the design of the readout electronics, which is further driven by noise and energy resolution performances. We present here the low-noise low- background front-end electronics developed for the low-capacitance p-type point contact (P-PC) germanium detectors of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR. This resistive-feedback front-end, specifically designed to have low mass, is fabricated on a radioassayed fused-silica substrate where the feedback resistor consists of a sputtered thin film of high purity amorphous germanium and the feedback capacitor is based on the capacitance between gold conductive traces.

High purity germanium (HPGe) crystals will be used for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, where they serve as both the source and the detector for neutrinoless double beta decay. It is crucial for the experiment to understand the performance of the HPGe crystals. A variety of crystal properties are being investigated, including basic properties such as energy resolution, efficiency, uniformity, capacitance, leakage current and crystal axis orientation, as well as more sophisticated properties, e.g. pulse shapes and dead layer and transition layer distributions. In this paper, we will present our measurements that characterize the HPGe crystals. We will also discuss our simulation package for the detector characterization setup, and show that additional information can be extracted from data-simulation comparisons., Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics, TAUP 2013 (F. Avignone & W. Haxton, editors, Physics Procedia, Elsevier)

The Majorana Collaboration is constructing the Majorana Demonstrator , an ultra-low background, 40-kg modular high purity Ge detector array to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge. In view of the next generation of tonne-scale Ge-based neutrinoless double-beta decay searches that will probe the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region, a major goal of the Demonstrator is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 count/tonne/year in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value at 2039 keV. The current status of the Demonstrator is discussed, as are plans for its completion.

A study of signals originating near the lithium-diffused n+ contact of p-type point contact (PPC) high purity germanium detectors (HPGe) is presented. The transition region between the active germanium and the fully dead layer of the n+ contact is examined. Energy depositions in this transition region are shown to result in partial charge collection. This provides a mechanism for events with a well defined energy to contribute to the continuum of the energy spectrum at lower energies. A novel technique to quantify the contribution from this source of background is introduced. Experiments that operate germanium detectors with a very low energy threshold may benefit from the methods presented herein.

Strategies based on using the translaminar fungicide cymoxanil for control of potato late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, were compared in the highland tropics of Ecuador in three separate field experiments. In one strategy, a commercial formulation of cymoxanil mixed with mancozeb was sprayed sequentially three times early in the season; this was then followed by three sequential sprays of a commercial product containing mancozeb alone. For the other strategy, the same commercial products were alternated. For each strategy, a spray interval of 14 d was used after the contact/translaminar mixture and 10 d after sprays containing mancozeb alone. Both strategies were evaluated with a manually operated knapsack sprayer but with two levels of application quality. High quality was achieved with a constant pressure valve and a new nozzle, while for low quality, fungicide was applied without a valve and using a damaged nozzle. All treatment combinations gave adequate disease control and no consistent effect of application strategy or application quality could be measured on disease severity or yield. However, approximately twice the volume of fungicide was applied using poor quality equipment, regardless of the application strategy. Advantages and disadvantages of the strategies and their potential effects on fungicide resistance are discussed.

Increasing parity is associated with a reduction in the risk of ovarian cancer, but it is not clear whether this association applies to different histopathological types and to borderline tumours. Moreover, the temporal relations are poorly understood, and the possible role of age at first birth remains unequivocal. We have investigated these issues in a case-control study nested in a nationwide cohort of women born between 1925 and 1960 in Sweden. During follow-up until 1984, 3486 invasive ovarian cancers (2992 epithelial, 330 stromal, 149 germ-cell, 15 not classifiable) and 510 tumours of borderline malignant potential were diagnosed. 5 individually age-matched controls (total 19,980) were selected for each case woman. After simultaneous adjustment for parity and age at first birth, increasing parity was associated with a pronounced consistent decrease in relative risk of all invasive cancers (odds ratio for each additional birth 0.81 [95% Cl 0.77-0.85]), epithelial cancer (0.81 [0.77-0.86]), stromal cancer (0.84 [0.72-0.98]), and germ-cell cancer (0.71 [0.48-1.05]), but a less consistent decrease for borderline tumours (0.92 [0.81-1.04]). The risk of ovarian cancer decreased by about 10% for each 5-year increment in age at first childbirth (odds ratios 0.89 [0.84-0.94] epithelial cancer, 0.92 [0.77-1.10] stromal cancer, 0.92 [0.65-1.32] germ-cell cancer, 0.93 [0.80-1.09] borderline tumours). Because our findings cannot be readily explained by theories involving incessant ovulation or high serum concentrations of gonadotropins, new aetiological hypotheses are needed. Pregnancy-dependent clearance from the ovaries of cells that have undergone malignant transformation could explain the reproductive risk factors for ovarian cancer.

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