Caracterización de aislamientos de Ralstonia Solanacearum Raza 2, agente causal de Moko de plátano, en el Valle del Cauca, Colombia = Characterizing Strains of Ralstonia Solanacearum Race 2, Causal Agent of Moko of Plantain, In Valle Del Cauca, Colombia

Moko is a bacterial wilt of plantain and banana, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum race 2. It is the most important disease of these crops in Colombia, affecting 125,000 families. R. solanacearum has a wide range of hosts, geographical distribution, and pathogenicity. This study aimed to isolate R. solanacearum from infected plant tissue, using SMSA medium, real-time PCR with specific TaqMan probe Mus 20P and primers Mus 20F and Mus 20RP, and duplex PCR. We then evaluated the strains pathogenicity levels. A total of 93 samples of infected plant tissue from pseudostems, rachis, and petioles of selected plantain and banana plants were obtained in Valle del Cauca. Samples were amplified with duplex PCR and real-time PCR, with specific TaqMan probe Mus 20P and specific primers Mus 20F and Mus 20RP. The strains, identified by PCR as R. solanacearum, were inoculated into plantain plants of Dominico Hartón (Musa cv. AAB). As the positive check, the pathogenic strain R. solanacearum CIAT 078 was used. An analysis of variance was carried out for the variable AUDPC with minimum significant difference (MSD; = 5%) to separate the strains into three groups of pathogenicity. Seventy-five strains were positive for real-time PCR with Ct value 25, which corresponded to the pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum. For 61 of the 75 strains obtained, the fragment was located in a gene related to chemotaxis protein, which is used to identify the strains as R. solanacearum phylotype II, measuring 500 bp, which was amplified with primers 93F/93R and 5F/5R

Perception of risk to climate change as a threat to human health, Taganga, Santa Marta, 2014

La Organización Mundial de la Salud considera el cambio climático o calentamiento global un problema de salud pública. De esta manera, se hace necesario conocer la percepción del riesgo al cambio climático en las diferentes comunidades para proponer acciones de adaptación y mitigación al cambio climático; pero esa percepción del riesgo puede variar en las diferentes poblaciones. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue observar la percepción de riesgo sobre el cambio climático como una amenaza para la salud humana en Taganga, Santa Marta, 2014. A nivel metodológico se encuestaron 484 personas de la comunidad de Taganga, mediante un muestreo por conglomerado. Se les aplicó el instrumento validado, a nivel internacional y nacional, mediante el alfa de Cronbach y el coeficiente de Kuder-Richardson 20. Entre los índices se aplicó la correlación de Spearman. Como resultados se observó una correlación estadísticamente significativa entre las acciones políticas frente al cambio climático y el índice de percepción de riesgo; y también entre el índice de voluntad para actuar y los índices de percepción de riesgo, conocimiento sobre los efectos en la salud por causa del cambio climático y las acciones políticas frente al cambio climático. En este estudio se concluye que existe una asociación entre el índice de voluntad para actuar y la percepción de riesgo, conocimiento sobre los efectos en la salud por el cambio climático y las acciones políticas frente al cambio climático; igualmente, una asociación entre las acciones políticas frente al cambio climático y la percepción de riesgo.The World Health Organization considers climate change or global warming a problem of public health. Thus it is necessary to know the perception of risk to climate change in different communities to generate actions for adaptation and mitigation to climate change; but that perception of risk may vary in different populations. The objective of this study was to observe the risk perception on climate change as a threat to human health in the town of Taganga, Santa Marta, 2014. In methods, it was surveyed 484 people in Taganga, through a cluster sampling. It was applied the validated instrument, internationally and nationally, through Cronbach's alpha and Kuder-Richardson formula 20. Spearman's correlation was applied. In results, statistically significant correlation was observed between political action on climate change and risk perception index; and also between the index will to act and indices of risk perception, knowledge about the health effects due to climate change and political action on climate change. This study concludes that was observed an association between the index of willingness to act and risk perception, knowledge about the health effects of climate change and political action on climate change; also an association between political action on climate change and risk perception

Detection of Ralstonia solanacearum phylotype II, race 2 causing Moko disease and validation of genetic resistance observed in the hybrid plantain FHIA-21

Vascular wilt of banana and plantains, also known as Moko disease, is caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) phylotype II, and is the main bacterial disease affecting these crops in the Americas. Upon comparative sequence analysis of 44 Rs genomes we developed an improved PCR protocol based on the nucleotide sequence of a gene coding for a hypothetical DUF3313 domain protein. Next, we tested the detection protocol with two Rs inoculation methods to validate field resistance reported in the hybrid plantain genotype FHIA-21, previously identified as susceptible to Moko disease in greenhouse experiments in which wounds were caused to the roots prior to inoculation. By using an inoculation method without causing wounds to the roots, we confirmed resistance of FHIA-21 to Moko disease (no Rs was detected by PCR in inoculated plants). In contrast, the field-susceptible genotype Dominico Hartón developed severe symptoms of Moko disease, regardless of the inoculation method used. FHIA-21 showed an area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) close to zero, while Dominico Hartón plants showed AUDPC values ranging from 65.8 to 88.4. The availability and analysis of genomic data facilitates the development of improved pathogen detection tools that together with the availability of improved inoculation methods and tolerant genotypes to Moko disease will be of great use in Musa breeding programs

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality