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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.

Membrane architecture is crucially important for mitochondrial function and integrity. The MICOS complex is located at crista junctions and determines cristae membrane morphology and the formation of crista junctions. Here we provide data of the bona fide MICOS subunit MIC26 for determining cristae morphology. MiRNA-mediated downregulation of MIC26 results in higher protein levels of MIC27 and in lower levels of Mic10. Using a miRNA-resistant form to MIC26 we show that this effect is specific to MIC26. Our data further demonstrate that depletion of MIC26 primarily affects the level of the 22 kDa mitochondrial isoform of MIC26 but not the amount of the secreted 55 kDa isoform of MIC26. Depletion of MIC27, however, increases secretion of the latter isoform. Overexpression of a myc-tagged version of MIC26 resulted in altered cristae morphology with swollen and partly vesicular cristae-structures.

BackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is an adult-onset movement disorder of largely unknown etiology. We have previously shown that loss-of-function mutations of the mitochondrial protein kinase PINK1 (PTEN induced putative kinase 1) cause the recessive PARK6 variant of PD.Methodology/principal findingsNow we generated a PINK1 deficient mouse and observed several novel phenotypes: A progressive reduction of weight and of locomotor activity selectively for spontaneous movements occurred at old age. As in PD, abnormal dopamine levels in the aged nigrostriatal projection accompanied the reduced movements. Possibly in line with the PARK6 syndrome but in contrast to sporadic PD, a reduced lifespan, dysfunction of brainstem and sympathetic nerves, visible aggregates of alpha-synuclein within Lewy bodies or nigrostriatal neurodegeneration were not present in aged PINK1-deficient mice. However, we demonstrate PINK1 mutant mice to exhibit a progressive reduction in mitochondrial preprotein import correlating with defects of core mitochondrial functions like ATP-generation and respiration. In contrast to the strong effect of PINK1 on mitochondrial dynamics in Drosophila melanogaster and in spite of reduced expression of fission factor Mtp18, we show reduced fission and increased aggregation of mitochondria only under stress in PINK1-deficient mouse neurons.ConclusionThus, aging Pink1(-/-) mice show increasing mitochondrial dysfunction resulting in impaired neural activity similar to PD, in absence of overt neuronal death.

The study of mammalian community structure is basic knowledge for group conservation. The objective of the study was to describe Tequila municipality mammal's diversity in Veracruz, Mexico, using the photo trap technique. From September 2014 to April 2015, 11 photo traps were installed at 500 m from each other, to cover most of the geographic surface of the municipality. The mammal's photos captured were identified with specialized guides, its risk category was verified in the Mexican legislation, and the effective number of species described the structure of the mammalian community. A richness of 16 species of mammals was recorded, from which eight species were rare and eight were abundant, indicating a balanced community due to the balanced proportion between carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. The study recorded three species of mammals at risk of extinction and, besides, an endemic species from Mexico. To conserve the mammal's wealth, it is necessary to implement actions to improve and enrich their habitat, and a sustainable management program of biodiversity by the indigenous society of Tequila, Veracruz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Este texto aborda la transformación lote a lote ejecutada en el área urbana de Bogotá, mediante un análisis espacial de su impacto y distribución a escala de ciudad entre 2008 y 2018. Este ejercicio se hace con el fin de visibilizar un proceso al cual no se le ha prestado la suficiente atención, en razón de las características particulares de su proceder. Para ello se procesa información geográfica a nivel predial y se realiza una autocorrelación espacial, en la que se tiene en cuenta la variable de área de suelo urbano modificado bajo esta dinámica, en relación con su localización. Los resultados evidencian la dimensión de este tipo de transformación y las distintas variaciones que presenta. Finalmente, el articulo aporta reflexiones en dos vías: por un lado, propone la necesidad de realizar aproximaciones locales desde la morfología, lo que incluye variables físicas, sociales, económicas y culturales; y por otro, plantea un cambio en los abordajes disciplinares y profesionales frente a la intervención de la ciudad construida.