Detection of thermotolerant coliforms and SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage and recreational waters in the Ecuadorian coast: A call for improving water quality regulation.

Wastewater surveillance represents an alternative approach to regulating contamination and the early detection of infectious agents and outbreaks of diseases of public health importance. This study evaluated domestic wastewater effects on recreational waters in estuarine and seawater bodies in Guayas and Santa Elena provinces in Ecuador, South America. Fecal indicator bacteria (thermotolerant coliforms) served as key indicators for evaluation. Physical, chemical, and microbiological quality markers following the Ecuadorian environmental quality standard and the discharge of effluents to the water resource were analyzed. Samples were collected from 44 coastal sites and 2 oxidation lagoons during the dry and rainy seasons of 2020 and 2021, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in samples with higher E. coli concentrations using reverse transcription quantitative PCR to detect the genes N and ORF1ab. All samples analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 showed Ct ˂ 40 for at least one gene. Four samples showed at least 20 genome copies of gene N per reaction. These were at an artisanal fishing port, an estuarine area (Palmar), a recreational bay, and an oxidation lagoon. A moderate correlation was found between SARS-CoV-2 RNA, thermotolerant coliform and E. coli (p-value ≤ 0.0037), and a strong and positive correlation between thermotolerant coliform and E. coli. (p-value ≤ 0.00001), highlighting the utility of these established parameters as a proxy of the virus. Significant differences were found in the concentrations of thermotolerant coliforms between seasons (p-value = 0.016) and sites (p-value = 0.005). The highest levels of coliforms were found in the dry season (63000 MPN/100 mL) in Anconcito and during the rainy season (14000 MPN/100 mL) at Esterillo in Playas County. It is recommended that the decentralized autonomous governments of the surveyed provinces in Ecuador implement urgent corrective actions and establish medium-term mechanisms to minimize a potential contamination route. Additional parameters must be included in the monitoring, such as Enterococcus and intestinal parasites, due to their public health implications. In the oxidation lagoons, maintenance actions must be carried out, including the dissolution of sediments, an increase in water retention times, and in situ treatment of the sludge, to improve the system's performance.

Geometric Methods for Cosmological Data on the Sphere.

This review is devoted to recent developments in the statistical analysis of spherical data, strongly motivated by applications in cosmology. We start from a brief discussion of cosmological questions and motivations, arguing that most cosmological observables are spherical random fields. Then, we introduce some mathematical background on spherical random fields, including spectral representations and the construction of needlet and wavelet frames. We then focus on some specific issues, including tools and algorithms for map reconstruction (i.e., separating the different physical components that contribute to the observed field), geometric tools for testing the assumptions of Gaussianity and isotropy, and multiple testing methods to detect contamination in the field due to point sources. Although these tools are introduced in the cosmological context, they can be applied to other situations dealing with spherical data. Finally, we discuss more recent and challenging issues, such as the analysis of polarization data, which can be viewed as realizations of random fields taking values in spin fiber bundles. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Statistics and Its Application, Volume 11 is March 2024. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

La formación técnica y tecnológica como apuesta de desarrollo local. el programa universidad al barrio en barranquilla

Este artículo tiene como finalidad entender la contribución de la educación técnica y tecnológica en la generación de empleo y emprendimiento, como elementos importantes en el desarrollo local, al evaluar la eficacia del programa Universidad al Barrio en el distrito de Barranquilla. Esto se logra bajo un enfoque mixto tanto de análisis documental como de consulta a algunos de los actores principales, para valorar su eficacia a partir del alcance, la calidad, empleabilidad y emprendimiento del programa. Los resultados muestran que el programa logra altos niveles de cobertura y empleabilidad en jóvenes de estratos socioeconómicos bajos, sin embargo, tiene grandes desafíos en términos de calidad.

This article aims to understand the contribution of technical and technological education in the generation of employment and entrepreneurship, as important elements in local development, by evaluating the effectiveness of the program Universidad al Barrio in the District of Barranquilla. This is achieved under a mixed approach of both documentary analysis and interviews with some of the main actors, to assess the effectiveness of the program from its coverage, quality, employability, and entrepreneurship. Results show that the program achieves high levels of coverage and employability in young people from low socio-economic levels, however, it has great challenges in terms of quality.

Female empowerment and community-based productive associations: A systematic literature review / Empoderamiento femenino y asociaciones productivas comunitarias: Una revisión sistemática de literatura

Abstract Albeit its long trajectory on social sciences and gender studies, female empowerment promotion has gained a renewed protagonism because of its inclusion on the Millenium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. Among prioritized strategies to achieve this empowerment, international agencies and national governments have focused on gene-rating associative processes around productive activities. This study presents a systematic literature review to analyze the impact of community-based productive rural association's membership over different dimensions of female empowerment: resources, agency, and results. Then, a systematic literature review of five quantitative studies and eight qualitative studies is carried on. The analysis is organized according to each dimension of the empowerment process. In quantitative papers, the standardized size effects are estimated; a content analysis is made for qualitative papers. Results show that impacts of belonging to productive associations have been studied mostly from the empowerment approach as agency -decision-making process-, and for this specific dimension, size effects are statistically significant but small (8=0,05; 0,22).

Resumen Pese a estar presente en diversas discusiones de las ciencias sociales y los estudios de género la promoción del empoderamiento femenino ha alcanzado un renovado protagonismo a partir de su inclusión en los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio y de Desarrollo Sostenible. Dentro de las estrategias priorizadas para lograr este empoderamiento las agencias internacionales y gobierno nacionales han apostado por la generación de procesos asociativos en torno a actividades productivas. En este documento se presenta una revisión sistemática de literatura que tiene por objetivo analizar el impacto de pertenecer a asociaciones productivas rurales en las diferentes dimensiones del proceso de empoderamiento, a saber: recursos, agencia y resultados. Con este fin, se utiliza una metodología de revisión sistemática de literatura de cinco artículos cuantitativos y ocho artículos cualitativos. Para el caso de los cuantitativos, se presenta una organización basada en el componente del proceso de empoderamiento evaluado y se estima el tamaño del efecto estandarizado; para el caso de los cualitativos, se realiza un análisis de contenido de los hallazgos siguiendo la misma organización por dimensiones del proceso. Los resultados muestran que el impacto de la pertenencia a cooperativas ha sido estudiado de forma mayoritaria desde el enfoque de empoderamiento como agencia, entendida como toma de decisiones; y que, para este componente en particular, los tamaños de los efectos (d de Cohen) son significativos, aunque pequeños (8=0,05; 0,22).

Niche differentiation drives microbial community assembly and succession in full-scale activated sludge bioreactors.

Network models and community phylogenetic analyses are applied to assess the composition, structure, and ecological assembly mechanisms of microbial communities. Here we combine both approaches to investigate the temporal dynamics of network properties in individual samples of two activated sludge systems at different adaptation stages. At initial assembly stages, we observed microbial communities adapting to activated sludge, with an increase in network modularity and co-exclusion proportion, and a decrease in network clustering, here interpreted as a consequence of niche specialization. The selective pressure of deterministic factors at wastewater treatment plants produces this trend and maintains the structure of highly functional and specialized communities responding to seasonal environmental changes.

Comparison of N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide levels at different stages of visceral leishmaniosis and in patients with chronic kidney disease.

N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) may be a useful marker in canine leishmaniosis (CanL). The aim was to compare NT-proBNP in dogs at different LeishVet stages of CanL and with idiopathic chronic kidney disease (CKD). Dogs diagnosed with CanL or CKD and a group of healthy dogs were included (group A, five normal dogs; group B, six dogs LeishVet 1-2; group C, 13 dogs LeishVet 3-4; group D, six dogs with CKD). NT-proBNP was higher (P<0.001) in group C (7.616 pmol/l, interquartile range (IQR) 3537-10,000 pmol/l) than in group A (293 pmol/l, IQR 257-373), group B (388.5 pmol/l, IQR 324-793) and group D (740 pmol/l, IQR 557-962 pmol/l). International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) kidney stage was not different between groups C and D or between groups A and B, but was different within all the rest of the group comparisons (P<0.001). In group C all dogs had echocardiographic increase in left ventricular mass index. NT-proBNP had negative correlation with haematocrit (P<0.001, r=0.749) and positive correlation with systemic blood pressure (P<0.001, r=0.728). NT-proBNP is consistently elevated in dogs with advanced CanL and is strongly correlated with the degree of systemic hypertension and anaemia. Moreover, dogs with advanced CanL exhibit increase in left ventricular mass. NT-proBNP may however be a less desirable cardiac marker as unlike cardiac troponin I it is often not elevated at earlier stages of CanL.

Acheulean without handaxes? Assemblage variability at FLK West (Lowermost Bed II, Olduvai, Tanzania).

The FLK West sequence is divided into six fluvial stratigraphic levels, each of which provided archaeological materials. In the present paper we outline the major similarities and differences displayed by the lithic assemblages in FLK W, particularly the lower assemblages, which have yielded more objects than the upper ones. The differences noted in the absence-presence and frequency of LCTs may be explained in occupational terms, while the similarities in raw material selection, core reduction and flake retouching patterns indicate homogeneous cultural decisions and cognitive skills. We conclude that these assemblages were likely formed by the same hominin group or taxon and, therefore, the assemblage variability registered would correspond to different expressions of the same economic structure.

The origin of the Acheulean. Techno-functional study of the FLK W lithic record (Olduvai, Tanzania).

The Acheulean materials documented in FLK West dated c. 1.7 Ma. are the focus of the present work. An original techno-functional approach is applied here to analyze the origin of Acheulean tools. According to the results, these tools were employed in different functional contexts in which tasks of different durations that transformed resources with different resistances were carried out. The exploitation of large and resistant resources suggests that the economic mechanism governing the manufacture of these tools was an increase in the demand of the work load. The decision processes underlying the production of these tools have thus an evident functional motivation. However, the presence of a refined handaxe in the studied sample indicates that the design form and production principles of handaxe manufacture were the result of an abrupt emergence rather than a long gradual development. The integration of mechanical and ergonomic investigation in our research has been crucial to explain how a core-and-flake industry gave way to a technology based on the production of large and heavy shaped tools.

Glomus tumor in teen and repetition pneumonia: Case report.

Glomus tumors are uncommon tumors that are originated from smooth muscle cells of the neuromioarterials glomus bodies located in the arteriovenous anastomoses subcutaneous tissue or deep dermis of the extremities, mainly in the palms of the hands, wrists and subungual areas of the fingers. Carcinoid tumor, as the glomus tumor, can show an organoid pattern, increased vascularity, and uniform, round cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm, but usually are positive for cytokeratin and always stained with chromogranin and synaptophysin showing negative for smooth muscle markers which is presented in our case. Glomus tumors have a good prognosis and surgical resection is the treatment of choice. In our case, the patient underwent pulmonary bilobectomy because of the location of the tumor in the transition between the middle lobe and the basal bronchial trunk right lower lobe divisions. It is presented thus a glomus tumor with exceptional localization (pulmonary and bronchial) of benign histological features, according to most of the cases reported in the literature emphasizing their particular rare location, histological, and immunohistochemical profile, which helps the differential diagnosis with other most common tumors of bronchial location.

Imaging diagnosis-transcranial color-coded duplex sonography in a dog with hepatic encephalopathy.

We report the use of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in a dog with hepatic encephalopathy secondary to a congenital portosystemic shunt. A severe increase in the pulsatility index was measured in the right middle cerebral artery, left middle cerebral artery, and basilar artery. These values returned to normal following medical stabilization of the patient and resolution of the neurologic signs. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography appears to have value for monitoring the status of intracranial hypertension in patients with hepatic encephalopathy.

Cyclooxygenase-independent inhibitory effects on T cell activation of novel 4,5-dihydro-3 trifluoromethyl pyrazole cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors.

Anti-inflammatory efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been related to their properties as inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX)-mediated prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. However, recent studies have suggested that variations of the in vivo anti-inflammatory actions among different NSAIDs could not be solely explained by COX inhibition. Here, we have analyzed the effects on T cell activation of novel 4,5-dihydro-3 trifluoromethyl pyrazole anti-inflammatory drugs with different potencies as COX-2 inhibitors, namely E-6087, E-6232, E-6231, E-6036 and E-6259 as well as the chemically related COX-2 inhibitor Celecoxib. These drugs inhibited mitogen-mediated T cell proliferation as well as Interleukin (IL)-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and Interferon (IFN)-γ synthesis by activated T cells, independently of their ability to inhibit COX-2 enzymatic activity. Immunosuppressive effects of these drugs seem to be due to their interference on transcription factor activation as induced transcription from Nuclear Factor (NF)-κB and Nuclear Factor of Activated T cells (NFAT)-dependent enhancers was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, being the latter effect the most sensitive to the action of those compounds. Both NFAT dephosphorylation, required for its nuclear translocation, as well as transcriptional activity of a GAL4-NFAT chimera were diminished in the presence of these compounds. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory actions of NSAIDs, which may have important implications in anti-inflammatory therapy, through inhibition of NFAT.

Accuracy of ultrasonographic measurements of kidney dog for clinical use

The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of ultrasonographic measurement of canine kidneys. A method agreement analysis comparing pairs of measurements (ultrasonographic kidney dimensions and direct kidney dimensions) was performed. Nineteen dogs aging from one to thirteen years were used. The ultrasonographic and anatomic linear parameters obtained from the kidneys were the following: width, length and height; the kidney volume was estimated from these measures using the formula of an ellipsoid. The statistical method performed (method agreement) demonstrated a satisfactory agreement. It can be concluded that ultrasound measurement is sufficiently accurate for clinical use, assuming a careful scanning technique.

El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la fiabilidad de las medidas ecográficas de los riñones del perro. Se llevó a cabo un análisis de concordancia entre métodos (medidas ecográficas del riñón y medidas anatómicas directas). Se utilizaron perros cuyas edades iban de uno a trece años. Las medidas ecográficas y anatómicas lineales que se obtuvieron de los riñones fueron las siguientes: anchura, longitud y altura. El volumen renal se estimó aplicando estas medidas en la fórmula de un elipsoide. A través de un análisis de concordancia estadística se observó un nivel de acuerdo satisfactorio. Se puede concluir que las medidas ecográficas son suficientemente fiables para su uso en clínica, si se lleva a cabo una cuidadosa técnica ecográfica.

BCL11B enhances TCR/CD28-triggered NF-kappaB activation through up-regulation of Cot kinase gene expression in T-lymphocytes.

BCL11B is a transcriptional regulator with an important role in T-cell development and leukaemogenesis. We demonstrated recently that BCL11B controls expression from the IL (interleukin)-2 promoter through direct binding to the US1 (upstream site 1). In the present study, we provide evidence that BCL11B also participates in the activation of IL-2 gene expression by enhancing NF-kappaB (nuclear factor kappaB) activity in the context of TCR (T-cell receptor)/CD28-triggered T-cell activation. Enhanced NF-kappaB activation is not a consequence of BCL11B binding to the NF-kappaB response elements or association with the NF-kappaB-DNA complexes, but rather the result of higher translocation of NF-kappaB to the nucleus caused by enhanced degradation of IkappaB (inhibitor of NF-kappaB). The enhanced IkappaB degradation in cells with increased levels of BCL11B was specific for T-cells activated through the TCR, but not for cells activated through TNFalpha (tumour necrosis factor alpha) or UV light, and was caused by increased activity of IkappaB kinase, as indicated by its increase in phosphorylation. As BCL11B is a transcription factor, we investigated whether the expression of genes upstream of IkappaB kinase in the TCR/CD28 signalling pathway was affected by increased BCL11B expression, and found that Cot (cancer Osaka thyroid oncogene) kinase mRNA levels were elevated. Cot kinase is known to promote enhanced IkappaB kinase activity, which results in the phosphorylation and degradation of IkappaB and activation of NF-kappaB. The implied involvement of Cot kinase in BCL11B-mediated NF-kappaB activation in response to TCR activation is supported by the fact that a Cot kinase dominant-negative mutant or Cot kinase siRNA (small interfering RNA) knockdown blocked BCL11B-mediated NF-kappaB activation. In support of our observations, in the present study we report that BCL11B enhances the expression of several other NF-kappaB target genes, in addition to IL-2. In addition, we provide evidence that BCL11B associates with intron 2 of the Cot kinase gene to regulate its expression.

BCL11B participates in the activation of IL2 gene expression in CD4+ T lymphocytes.

BCL11A and BCL11B are transcriptional regulators important for lymphopoiesis and previously associated with hematopoietic malignancies. Ablation of the mouse Bcl11b locus results in failure to generate double-positive thymocytes, implicating a critical role of Bcl11b in T-cell development. However, BCL11B is also expressed in CD4+ T lymphocytes, both in resting and activated states. Here we show both in transformed and primary CD4+ T cells that BCL11B participates in the control of the interleukin-2 (IL2) gene expression following activation through T-cell receptor (TCR). BCL11B augments expression from the IL2 promoter through direct binding to the US1 site. In addition, BCL11B associates with the p300 coactivator in CD4+ T cells activated through TCR, which may account for its transcriptional activation function. These results provide the first evidence that BCL11B, originally described as a transcriptional repressor, activates transcription of a target gene in the context of T-cell activation.

Up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 by interleukin-1beta in colon carcinoma cells.

Growing evidence shows that Interleukin (IL)-1beta and Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases and tumor growth, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we have analyzed the regulation of COX-2 by IL-1beta in the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2, showing that COX-2 induction by this cytokine is due to both nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB-dependent transcriptional and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated post-transcriptional mechanisms. Treatment of these cells with IL-1beta increased the levels of COX-2 mRNA and protein and hence the production of PGE2. IL-1beta induced NF-kappaB activation in Caco-2 cells, promoting the binding of this transcription factor to DNA and increasing NF-kappaB-dependent transcription. Inhibition of NF-kappaB activation diminished IL-1beta-mediated transcriptional activation of COX-2. Furthermore, mutation or deletion of a putative NF-kappaB binding site in the human COX-2 promoter greatly diminished its induction by IL-1beta. In addition, this cytokine induced a rapid increase in p38 MAPK activation. Interestingly, inhibition of p38 MAPK by SB203580 severely decreased induction of COX-2 expression by IL-1beta. p38 MAPK signalling was required for IL-1beta-dependent stabilization of COX-2 transcript. Given the importance of COX-2 expression in intestinal inflammation and colon carcinogenesis, these findings contribute to determine the key signalling pathways involved in the regulation of COX-2 expression in colorectal cells by inflammatory stimuli, such as IL-1beta.

BCL11B functionally associates with the NuRD complex in T lymphocytes to repress targeted promoter.

BCL11 genes play crucial roles in lymphopoiesis and have been associated with hematopoietic malignancies. Specifically, disruption of the BCL11B (B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma 11B) locus is linked to T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and the loss of heterozygosity in mice results in T-cell lymphoma. BCL11 proteins are related C2H2 zinc-finger transcription factors that act as transcriptional repressors. Here, we demonstrate the association of the endogenous BCL11B with the nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylase (NuRD) complex, one of the major transcriptional corepressor complexes in mammalian cells. BCL11B complexes from T lymphocytes possess trichostatin A-sensitive histone deacetylase activity, confirming the functionality of the complexes. Analysis of the BCL11B-NuRD association demonstrated that BCL11B directly interacted with the metastasis-associated proteins MTA1 and MTA2 through the amino-terminal region. We provide evidence for the functional requirement of MTA1 in transcriptional repression mediated by BCL11B through the following: (1) overexpression of MTA1 enhanced the transcriptional repression mediated by BCL11B, (2) knockdown of MTA1 expression by small interfering RNA inhibited BCL11B transcriptional repression activity and (3) MTA1 was specifically recruited to a BCL11B targeted promoter. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that the NuRD complex mediates transcriptional repression function of BCL11B.

Expression and function of the nuclear factor of activated T cells in colon carcinoma cells: involvement in the regulation of cyclooxygenase-2.

Increasing evidence shows a crucial role of the Ca2+/ calcineurin-mediated activation of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) in the regulation of a variety of processes in nonimmune cells. Here we provide evidence that NFATc1 and NFATc2 are expressed in human colon carcinoma cell lines. These proteins are translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus upon treatment with a combination of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate plus the calcium ionophore A23187. Subsequent to translocation to the nucleus, NFATc1 and NFATc2 were able to bind to a NFAT response element in the DNA, regulating transcriptional activation of genes containing a NFAT-responsive element such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). COX-2 expression and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production were induced upon pharmacological stimuli leading to NFAT activation and blunted by inhibition of calcineurin phosphatase with cyclosporin A or tacrolimus (FK506). Expression of NFAT wild type protein or the active catalytic subunit of calcineurin transactivates COX-2 promoter activity, whereas a dominant negative mutant of NFAT inhibited COX-2 induction in colon carcinoma cell lines. Furthermore, mutation or deletion of NFAT binding sites in the human COX-2 promoter greatly diminished its induction by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate/calcium ionophore A23187. These findings demonstrate the presence and activation of NFAT in human colon carcinoma cells, with important implications in the regulation of genes involved in the transformed phenotype as COX-2.