Bacterial Contamination of Clothes and Environmental Items in a Third-Level Hospital in Colombia

Objective. This study evaluates the bacterial contamination rate of items in the hospital setting that are in frequent contact with patients and/or physicians. By determining the bacterial species and the associated antibiotic resistance that patients are exposed to. Methods. Hospital-based cross-sectional surveillance study of potential bacterial reservoirs. Cultures from 30 computer keyboards, 32 curtains, 40 cell phones, 35 white coats, and 22 ties were obtained. Setting. The study was conducted an urban academic 650-bed teaching hospital providing tertiary care to the city of Medellin, Colombia. Results. In total, 235 bacterial isolates were obtained from 159 surfaces sampled. 98.7% of the surfaces grew positive bacterial cultures with some interesting resistance profiles. Conclusion. There are significant opportunities to reduce patient exposure to frequently pathogenic bacteria in the hospital setting; patients are likely exposed to many bacteria through direct contact with white coats, curtains, and ties. They may be exposed to additional bacterial reservoirs indirectly through the hands of clinicians, using computer keyboards and cell phones

Short communication: Application of site‐level assessment of governance and equity (sage) methodology to a candidate oecm: AndakÍ municipal natural park, caquetÁ, colombia.

Governance is a fundamental aspect and precondition for conservation strategies, such as protected areas or OECMs. A methodology for Site-level Assessment of Governance and Equity (SAGE) has been proposed by IUCN to explore different aspects of governance, based on ten principles. This article describes the application of SAGE to a candidate OECM for what we believe is the first time: the Andakí Municipal Natural Park in the Amazon region of Colombia. The application of SAGE generated useful insights into different aspects of governance, including the importance of good communication and recognising and respecting the rights and responsibilities of different actors. Based on this experience, we believe that the SAGE methodology could be a useful tool not only to identify priorities for improving governance, but also to assess governance and equity in order to evaluate if an area meets the criteria for an OECM that it is governed and managed to achieve sustained and effective contributions to in situ conservation of biodiversity, associated ecosystem functions and services, and cultural, spiritual, socio-economic and other locally relevant values. © 2021, IUCN - International Union for the Conservation of Nature. All rights reserved.This process was made possible with the support of: a) the Local Protected Areas Regional Project implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft f?r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, ICLEI ? Local Governments for Sustainability and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); Environment ministries in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru; commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety; b) the project adaptation of the OECM criteria to the Colombian context supported by PPD-GEF-PNUD, and implemented by Resnatur, Instituto Humboldt, Fundaci?n Natura and the Local Protected Areas Project; and c) the EUROCLIMA+ programme supported by Expertise France, GIZ and the International Institute for the Environment and Development (IIED); and d) Thora Amend, Vice Chair, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (thematic area: Governance)

Global Antifungal Profile Optimization of Chlorophenyl Derivatives against Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Twenty-two aromatic derivatives bearing a chlorine atom and a different chain in the para or meta position were prepared and evaluated for their in vitro antifungal activity against the phytopathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The results showed that maximum inhibition of the growth of these fungi was exhibited for enantiomers S and R of 1-(40-chlorophenyl)- 2-phenylethanol (3 and 4). Furthermore, their antifungal activity showed a clear structure-activity relationship (SAR) trend confirming the importance of the benzyl hydroxyl group in the inhibitory mechanism of the compounds studied. Additionally, a multiobjective optimization study of the global antifungal profile of chlorophenyl derivatives was conducted in order to establish a rational strategy for the filtering of new fungicide candidates from combinatorial libraries. The MOOPDESIRE methodology was used for this purpose providing reliable ranking models that can be used later

Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC): status update

Here we report on the status of the The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC), which is an on-going series of upgrades to the W.M. Keck II adaptive optics system and instrument suite focused on exoplanet imaging and spectroscopic characterization. The KPIC infrared pyramid wavefront sensor and fiber injection unit to high-resolution infrared spectrograph NIRSPEC have been assembled, integrated and are under-going tests at the University of Hawaii before installation at the Summit in the Fall of 2018

High-contrast spectroscopy testbed for Segmented Telescopes: instrument overview and development progress

The High Contrast spectroscopy testbed for Segmented Telescopes (HCST) is being developed at Caltech. It aims at addressing the technology gap for future exoplanet imagers and providing the U.S. community with an academic facility to test components and techniques for high contrast imaging, focusing on segmented apertures proposed for future ground-based (TMT, ELT) and space-based telescopes (HabEx, LUVOIR). We present an overview of the design of the instrument and a detailed look at the testbed build and initial alignment. We offer insights into stumbling blocks encountered along the path and show that the testbed is now operational and open for business. We aim to use the testbed in the future for testing of high contrast imaging techniques and technologies with amongst with thing, a TMT-like pupil

First version of the fiber injection unit for the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer

Coupling a high-contrast imaging instrument to a high-resolution spectrograph has the potential to enable the most detailed characterization of exoplanet atmospheres, including spin measurements and Doppler mapping. The high-contrast imaging system serves as a spatial filter to separate the light from the star and the planet while the high-resolution spectrograph acts as a spectral filter, which differentiates between features in the stellar and planetary spectra. The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) located downstream from the current W. M. Keck II adaptive optics (AO) system will contain a fiber injection unit (FIU) combining a high-contrast imaging system and a fiber feed to Keck’s high resolution infrared spectrograph NIRSPEC. Resolved thermal emission from known young giant exoplanets will be injected into a single-mode fiber linked to NIRSPEC, thereby allowing the spectral characterization of their atmospheres. Moreover, the resolution of NIRSPEC (R = 37,500 after upgrade) is high enough to enable spin measurements and Doppler imaging of atmospheric weather phenomenon. The module was integrated at Caltech and shipped to Hawaii at the beginning of 2018 and is currently undergoing characterization. Its transfer to Keck is planned in September and first on-sky tests sometime in December

First version of the fiber injection unit for the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer

Coupling a high-contrast imaging instrument to a high-resolution spectrograph has the potential to enable the most detailed characterization of exoplanet atmospheres, including spin measurements and Doppler mapping. The high-contrast imaging system serves as a spatial filter to separate the light from the star and the planet while the high-resolution spectrograph acts as a spectral filter, which differentiates between features in the stellar and planetary spectra. The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) located downstream from the current W. M. Keck II adaptive optics (AO) system will contain a fiber injection unit (FIU) combining a high-contrast imaging system and a fiber feed to Keck’s high resolution infrared spectrograph NIRSPEC. Resolved thermal emission from known young giant exoplanets will be injected into a single-mode fiber linked to NIRSPEC, thereby allowing the spectral characterization of their atmospheres. Moreover, the resolution of NIRSPEC (R = 37,500 after upgrade) is high enough to enable spin measurements and Doppler imaging of atmospheric weather phenomenon. The module was integrated at Caltech and shipped to Hawaii at the beginning of 2018 and is currently undergoing characterization. Its transfer to Keck is planned in September and first on-sky tests sometime in December

Energía de enlace para una impureza donadora poco profunda en hilos cuánticos rectangulares de GaAs bajo presión hidrostática

RESUMEN: En la aproximación de masa efectiva y usando el método variacional se calcula la energía de enla-ce de una impureza donadora poco profunda en un hilo cuántico de GaAs con sección transversal rectangular bajo presión hidrostática. Los resultados son para diferentes posiciones de la impureza y tamaños de la sección transversal del hilo. Los aspectos más generales que han sido observados pueden ser resumidos así: 1) la energía de enlace decrece con el desplazamiento de la impureza hacia las paredes del hilo, 2) para una sección transversal fija, la energía de enlace se incrementa con el incremento de la presión hidrostática y 3) en los casos límite del tamaño de la sección trans-versal del hilo, los resultados están en buen acuerdo con reportes previos en pozos cuánticos y sis-temas hidrogenoides 3D