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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how digital platforms have changed working conditions and labor relations in domestic and care work in recent years. The study focuses on Hogarú, a digital platform in Colombia. Through a qualitative study involving interviews and focus groups, we analyze Hogarú's business model, along with the changes in working conditions for domestic workers compared to traditional employment methods. The study highlights two main findings. First, digital platforms can enhance domestic workers' bargaining power by raising awareness of their rights, professionalizing their work, promoting physical meeting spaces with other workers, providing ongoing training, and ensuring fundamental rights. Second, while digital platforms can shift the traditional labor relationship from one where the domestic worker directly offers care services to one managed by the company, power imbalances and low recognition of this work persist. This article offers insights into digital labor platforms from the perspective of the workers involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores elements of masculine subjectivity and identity based on interviews with men from median and low income groups whose spouses pressed charges against them with the Family Commissioners (comisaría de familia) of Bogota. Based on the post-structuralist tradition in social sciences and pro-feminist studies about masculinities, the article examines the significances and representations of the men about the occurrences of intrafamilial violence, in the context of the negotiation of homes in front of family judges. The article points out properties of the accounts related to everyday practices that represent a tactical character in the negotiation of the representation of self, and are codified expressions of cultural constructs that configure the relationships between intrafamilial violence and masculinity. It is shown how intervention processes in matters that traditionally were reserved for private consideration, have allowed to evidence the ambivalence of masculine identities to get rid of the stigma of having been reported and consolidate images that result in accordance with hegemonic patterns of representation and power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Growing evidence shows that Interleukin (IL)-1β 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-1β in the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2, showing that COX-2 induction by this cytokine is due to both nuclear factor (NF)-κB-dependent transcriptional and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated post-transcriptional mechanisms. Treatment of these cells with IL-1β increased the levels of COX-2 mRNA and protein and hence the production of PGE2. IL-1β induced NF-κB activation in Caco-2 cells, promoting the binding of this transcription factor to DNA and increasing NF-κB-dependent transcription. Inhibition of NF-κB activation diminished IL-1β-mediated transcriptional activation of COX-2. Furthermore, mutation or deletion of a putative NF-κB binding site in the human COX-2 promoter greatly diminished its induction by IL-1β. 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-1β. p38 MAPK signalling was required for IL-1β-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-1β. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colombia today is a country of increasing violence, militarization and human rights abuse. The cultural construction of identities here has been shaped by widespread domestic violence, which overlaps with other expressions of social and political violence. The recent state response has sought through mechanisms of protection and conciliation to end the violation of human rights in the sphere of domestic life without involving the family in penal processes. This article reports findings of the problematic of this response, which is grounded not only on working through conciliation in cases of human rights abuse but also on a lack of consideration of the gender identities and cultural constructions surrounding domestic violence. Any intervention by the authorities is critical not only by the overwhelming demand but by their own perceptions, values and cultural images which render intervention problematic as interpersonal violence takes place in private life. The research is being conducted in Bogotá through a sample from cases of family conflicts brought to Family Commissaries Offices and through personal interviews. The aim is to assess the effectiveness of the protection and conciliation processes of the Law against Domestic Violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently introduced LincoSim Web Based High Performance Computing (HPC) Cloud Platform for Automatic Virtual Towing Tank Analysis, which is based on open-source Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solvers (Salvadore & Ponzini, 2019), is herein applied to the hydrodynamic assessment of a catamaran vessel. An experimental data campaign was used to assess the effect of the demihull separation distance on the catamaran's resistance for a given demihull shape. The results of the comparison between the experimental and the automatically generated numerical ones are presented and discussed in the present work. The comparison is quite rich including data for a reference monohull, three demihull separations and two displacements conditions, each with the Froude number ranging from 0.145 to 0.904. The set of the experimental data acquired for the model scaled catamaran are the total resistance, the sinkage and the dynamic trim. Nevertheless, also the wave fields at three given locations are considered in the towing tank experiments in order to assess not only the effect on the hull, but also on the catamaran's wake field. The agreement between computational and experimental quantities is good for both the hull-related and flow-related ones, confirming the ability of the developed automated tool to discern between favorable and detrimental fluid dynamic conditions and to efficiently rank performances also for multihulls. Notably, thanks to the availability of numerical data for both model and full scale, also the effectiveness of the extrapolation process has been assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a detailed taphonomic study of the faunal assemblage from FLK West (Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania), a site with an Acheulean component that dates to 1.7 Ma. The faunal sample analysed here is distributed in different archaeological levels and is associated with a significant lithic accumulation including several large format tools and handaxes. The fauna indicates the proliferation of open environments similar to those found in other Bed II and late Bed I sites. Evidence of anthropogenic activity (e.g. defleshing activities and marrow consumption) has been identified in the form of cut and percussion marks. A photogrammetric and morphometric analysis suggests that these marks were produced with quartzite flakes and not with handaxes. Evidence of interaction with carnivores was also noted; tooth marks were observed on some bones. Such interaction indicates the existence of competition between humans and carnivores for the same ecological niche, and might lead us to reflect on the survival strategies of Lower Pleistocene hominins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the results of new archaeological and geological research carried out in SHK Extension, a new site excavated within the SHK fluvial complex (Bed II, Olduvai Gorge). The paper describes the stratigraphy of the site and its correlation with our excavation in SHK Main Site, showing that overbank archaeological accumulations in both areas are synchronous and form part of the same fluvial palaeo-landscape. On the basis of the archaeo-stratigraphical analysis performed, mainly geared towards defining high-resolution chrono-stratigraphical frameworks within the deposit, we report the results of a technological study of the lithic collection sorted by archaeo-units, an assessment of the integrity of the main accumulation and an exhaustive lithic refitting programme. The archaeological sequence at SHK Extension, consisting of three archaeo-units, preserves a high-density patch of lithics and fossil bones (Level B2), on an overbank setting, isochronous with the SHK Main site. The high percentage of small lithic remains and bones, large number of fresh archaeological materials, and the identification of several refit sets support the integrity of the anthropogenic accumulation documented in Level B2. The main technological trait of the lithic assemblage from this level is the preservation of a qualitatively significant sample of large flakes and LCTs. The technological behaviours observed in SHKE, in the framework of the SHK complex, confirm that the complex web of inter-assemblage variability during Bed II times operated also in very close fractions of the same palaeo-landscape. This reinforces the idea that subtle functional parameters must be taken into account in our current assessment of the Developed Oldowan/Acheulean interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core preparation has been documented in Developed Oldowan assemblages dated between 1.5-1.3 Ma. However, its correct identification and significance is a matter of debate. In order to shed light on this issue, this paper attempts to reconstruct the flake production processes of the lithic assemblages currently recovered in SHK and BK at Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania). The methodological approach applied for the study of these two classical Developed Oldowan sites is based on the analysis and classification of flaking cores through detailed diacritical and technological descriptions, regardless of aprioristic morphological considerations. The flake production processes identified in both assemblages exhibit great technological homogeneity. The most remarkable difference between them is linked with divergences in flake size production. Core rotation and elongation of the perimeter of the flaked surface were the main technical actions implemented to manage core reduction, and seem to be related to reduction intensity. Core preparation, specifically striking platform preparation, was also applied, but to a minor extent, and was linked with a more effective management of blank reduction. It was not carried out through rigid technical and geometric schemes, and the products obtained were not predetermined. Nevertheless, its mere presence in Developed Oldowan sites is very suggestive, as it confirms a strong relationship between the Developed Oldowan and early Acheulean assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2006, The Olduvai Paleoanthropology and Paleoecology Project (TOPPP) is conducting intensive research in a number of classical and newly discovered sites throughout the sequence of Olduvai Gorge, in Tanzania. Over these fifteen years of intense fieldwork, efforts have mostly focused on the Oldowan and Acheulean evidence located in Bed I and Bed II, but also intended on more recent and less known resources of the archaeological record, such us those located in the Ndutu beds. In this work we present a synthetic and comprehensive view of the most significant scientific contributions produced by our team in the fields of lithic technology and paleo-economic studies, including: the remarkable enlargement of our knowledge on the technological behaviors undertaken during the Oldowan, as recorded in the various sites recently discovered within the Zinj paleosol (Bed I); the characterization of the oldest Acheulean in the Olduvai basin (and one of the earliest evidence of this techno-complex in East Africa) after the discovery by our team of the exceptional site of FLK West (Lower Bed II); new insights into the enduring debate of the techno-functional meaning of the Developed Oldowan/Acheulean interface through the re-excavation of various classical sites located in Middle and Upper Bed II, such as SHK, TK and BK, and the confirmation of the Acheulean ascription of their lithic assemblages; the discovery of a number of MSA sites, such as VCS and DGS, that confirm the significance of the MSA record in the Olduvai basin and nearby. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.Oncogene (2005) 24, 6753–6764. doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1208904; published online 8 August 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]