Infrared Constraints on AGN Tori Models

This work focuses on the properties of dusty tori in active galactic nuclei (AGN) derived from the comparison of SDSS type 1 quasars with mid-Infrared (MIR) counterparts and a new, detailed torus model. The infrared data were taken by the Spitzer Wide-area InfraRed Extragalactic (SWIRE) Survey. Basic model parameters are constraint, such as the density law of the graphite and silicate grains, the torus size and its opening angle. A whole variety of optical depths is supported. The favoured models are those with decreasing density with distance from the centre, while there is no clear tendency as to the covering factor, ie small, medium and large covering factors are almost equally distributed. Based on the models that better describe the observed SEDs, properties such as the accretion luminosity, the mass of dust, the inner to outer radius ratio and the hydrogen column density are computed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in "Infrared Diagnostics of Galaxy Evolution", ASP Conference Series, Pasadena, 14-16 November 200

Serum levels and removal by haemodialysis and haemodiafiltration of tryptophan-derived uremic toxins in ESKD patients

Tryptophan is an essential dietary amino acid that originates uremic toxins that contribute to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patient outcomes. We evaluated serum levels and removal during haemodialysis and haemodiafiltration of tryptophan and tryptophan-derived uremic toxins, indoxyl sulfate (IS) and indole acetic acid (IAA), in ESKD patients in different dialysis treatment settings. This prospective multicentre study in four European dialysis centres enrolled 78 patients with ESKD. Blood and spent dialysate samples obtained during dialysis were analysed with high-performance liquid chromatography to assess uremic solutes, their reduction ratio (RR) and total removed solute (TRS). Mean free serum tryptophan and IS concentrations increased, and concentration of IAA decreased over pre-dialysis levels (67%, 49%, -0.8%, respectively) during the first hour of dialysis. While mean serum total urea, IS and IAA concentrations decreased during dialysis (-72%, -39%, -43%, respectively), serum tryptophan levels increased, resulting in negative RR (-8%) towards the end of the dialysis session (p < 0.001), despite remarkable Trp losses in dialysate. RR and TRS values based on serum (total, free) and dialysate solute concentrations were lower for conventional low-flux dialysis (p < 0.001). High-efficiency haemodiafiltration resulted in 80% higher Trp losses than conventional low-flux dialysis, despite similar neutral Trp RR values. In conclusion, serum Trp concentrations and RR behave differently from uremic solutes IS, IAA and urea and Trp RR did not reflect dialysis Trp losses. Conventional low-flux dialysis may not adequately clear Trp-related uremic toxins while high efficiency haemodiafiltration increased Trp losses

Memory, Conflict and Reconciliation A Half-Day Conference

Join the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs and the Vaclav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy for a half-day conference exploring the role of memory in conflict and reconciliation. A distinguished group of scholars and practitioners will articulate diverse perspectives on the nature of memory, its role in public discourse, and the ways it can both feed conflict and promote reconciliation. 1:15 PM-1:30 PM I OPENING REMARKS John F. Stack, Jr., Founding Dean, Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs Martin Palous, Director, Vaclav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy 1:30 PM-3:30 PM I PANEL 1: REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST Henrik Syse, Research Professor, Peace Research Institute; Member, Norwegian Nobel Committee, Oslo, Norway Memory as a Means of Reconciliation and Dialogue: Philosophical and Practical Reflections on Memory and Conflict Glenn Hughes, St. Mary\u27s Chair in Catholic Philosophy, St. Mary\u27s University, San Antonio, Texas Uses and Abuses of Memory Aurora Morcillo, Professor, FIU Department of History; Director, Spanish and Mediterranean Studies Program Between Memory and History: A Proustian Intervention Ambassador Michael Zantovsky, Director of Vaclav Havel Library, Prague, the Czech Republic The Responsibility to Remember: Memory as an Attribute of Being 3:00 PM -3:20 PM I COFFEE BREAK 3:20 PM ~ 5:00 PM I PANEL 2: THE CURRENT USES OF MEMORY AND CLOSING REMARKS Marifeli Perez-Stable, Professor, FIU Department of Global & Sociocultural Studies Cuban National Reconciliation Liliana Trevizan, Professor of Modern Languages, State University of New York at Potsdam A Museum and Democratic Performance in Chile Carlos Gonzales, Independent Journalist and Filmmaker; Founder and CEO, Mentora News, Philadelphia Diary of Ukraine\u27s Forgotten War Marie Janouskova and Michal Smid, Representatives ofPostBellum, Prague, Czech Republic The Mission of the Non-Profit Organization Post Bellum Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, Writer and Educator; Co-founder and Spokesperson, Cuban Democratic Directorate Beyond Narratives: Cuba\u27s Struggle for Memory 5:00 PM-6:00 PM I CLOSING RECEPTIONhttps://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cri_events/1344/thumbnail.jp

Experiencia subjetiva del empleado en colaboradores de establecimientos hoteleros de la región Junín

Objective: To determine the characteristics of the employee experience in employees of hotel establishments in the Junín region. Methods. The type of research was basic, descriptive level, simple descriptive design and non-experimental-transectional. The methods used were observation, analysis and synthesis and inductive-deductive, while the instrument applied was the questionnaire and the technique was the survey. The sample consisted of 320 employees of hotel establishments in the Junín region and the sample selection criterion was non-probabilistic by convenience. Results. The main results were that the levels of employee experience at the subjective level were regular in its physical and technological dimensions, and high in its cultural dimension; which reflects that, despite the adverse conditions due to the covid-19 pandemic, the collaborators performed their tasks with appropriateness and assertiveness. Conclusion. Companies in the hotel sector should implement programs that reinforce and establish the objective conditions of their work environment in order to generate profitable and positive subjective experiences in favor of their employees and the productivity of the organization.Objetivo. Determinar las características del employee experience en colaboradores de establecimientos hoteleros de la región Junín. Métodos. El tipo de investigación fue básica, de nivel descriptivo, diseño descriptivo simple y no experimental-transeccional. Los métodos fueron la observación, el análisis y síntesis y el inductivo-deductivo, mientras que el instrumento aplicado fue el cuestionario y la técnica la encuesta. La muestra estuvo conformada por 320 colaboradores de establecimientos hoteleros de la región Junín y el criterio de selección de la muestra fue no probabilístico por conveniencia. Resultados. Los principales resultados fueron que los niveles de experiencia del empleado a nivel subjetivo fueron regulares en sus dimensiones física y tecnológica, y de nivel alto en su dimensión cultural; lo que refleja que, pese a las condiciones adversas por pandemia de la covid-19, los colaboradores desarrollaron labores con propiedad y asertividad. Conclusión. Las empresas del sector hotelero deben implementar programas que refuercen y establezcan las condiciones objetivas de su entorno laboral a fin de generar experiencias subjetivas redituables y positivas en favor de sus colaboradores y la productividad de la organización

The Galaxy Mass Function up to z=4 in the GOODS-MUSIC sample: into the epoch of formation of massive galaxies

The goal of this work is to measure the evolution of the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function and of the resulting Stellar Mass Density up to redshift ~4, in order to study the assembly of massive galaxies in the high redshift Universe. We have used the GOODS-MUSIC catalog, containing ~3000 Ks-selected galaxies with multi-wavelength coverage extending from the U band to the Spitzer 8 micron band, of which 27% have spectroscopic redshifts and the remaining fraction have accurate photometric redshifts. On this sample we have applied a standard fitting procedure to measure stellar masses. We compute the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function and the resulting Stellar Mass Density up to redshift ~4, taking into proper account the biases and incompleteness effects. Within the well known trend of global decline of the Stellar Mass Density with redshift, we show that the decline of the more massive galaxies may be described by an exponential timescale of ~6 Gyrs up to z~1.5, and proceeds much faster thereafter, with an exponential timescale of ~0.6 Gyrs. We also show that there is some evidence for a differential evolution of the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function, with low mass galaxies evolving faster than more massive ones up to z~1-1.5 and that the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function remains remarkably flat (i.e. with a slope close to the local one) up to z~1-1.3. The observed behaviour of the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function is consistent with a scenario where about 50% of present-day massive galaxies formed at a vigorous rate in the epoch between redshift 4 and 1.5, followed by a milder evolution until the present-day epoch.Comment: accepted for publication in A&A. Uses aa.cls, 15 pages, 11 figures. The observed mass functions are available in electronic form at http://lbc.oa-roma.inaf.it/goods/massfunctio

Evaluating Natural History and Follow Up Strategies for Non-obstructive Urolithiasis in Pediatric Population

Objective: While small non-obstructive stones in the adult population are usually observed with minimal follow-up, the same guidelines for management in the pediatric population have not been well-studied. We evaluate the clinical outcomes of small non-obstructing kidney stones in the pediatric population to better define the natural history of the disease.Methods: In this IRB-approved retrospective study, patients with a diagnosis of kidney stones from January 2011 to March 2017 were identified using ICD9 and ICD10 codes. Patients with ureteral stones, obstruction, or stones &gt;5 mm in size were excluded. Patients with no follow-up after initial imaging were also excluded. Patients with a history of stones or prior stone interventions were included in our population. Frequency of follow-up ultrasounds while on observation were noted and any ER visits, stone passage episodes, infections, and surgical interventions were documented.Results: Over the 6-year study period, 106 patients with non-obstructing kidney stones were identified. The average age at diagnosis was 12.5 years and the average stone size was 3.6 mm. Average follow-up was 17 months. About half of the patients had spontaneous passage of stones (54/106) at an average time of 13 months after diagnosis. Stone location did not correlate with spontaneous passage rates. Only 6/106 (5.7%) patients required stone surgery with ureteroscopy and/or PCNL at an average time of 12 months after initial diagnosis. The indication for surgery in all 6 cases was pain. 17/106 (16%) patients developed febrile UTIs and a total of 43 ER visits for stone-related issues were noted, but no patients required urgent intervention for an infected obstructing stone. Median interval for follow-up was every 6 months with renal ultrasounds, which then was prolonged to annual follow up in most cases.Conclusions: The observation of pediatric patients with small non-obstructing stones is safe with no episodes of acute obstructive pyelonephritis occurring in these patients. The sole indication for intervention in our patient population was pain, which suggests that routine follow-up ultrasounds may not be necessary for the follow-up of pediatric non-obstructive renal stones ≤5 mm in size

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London