We developed and standardized an efficient and cost-effective in-house RT-PCR method to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We evaluated sensitivity, specificity, and other statistical parameters by different RT-qPCR methods including triplex, duplex, and simplex assays adapted from the initial World Health Organization- (WHO) recommended protocol. This protocol included the identification of the E envelope gene (E gene; specific to the Sarvecovirus genus), RdRp gene of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (specific for SARS-CoV-2), and RNase P gene as endogenous control. The detection limit of the E and the RdRp genes were 3.8 copies and 33.8 copies per 1 µL of RNA, respectively, in both triplex and duplex reactions. The sensitivity for the RdRp gene in the triplex and duplex RT-qPCR tests were 98.3% and 83.1%, respectively. We showed a decrease in sensitivity for the RdRp gene by 60% when the E gene acquired Ct values > 31 in the diagnostic tests. This is associated with the specific detection limit of each gene and possible interferences in the protocol. Hence, developing efficient and cost-effective methodologies that can be adapted to various health emergency scenarios is important, especially in developing countries or settings where resources are limited.

Debido a la gran cantidad de especies y a las dificultades en su identificación morfológica, muchos estudios taxonómicos actuales de tardígrados se basan en el uso de técnicas genéticas y moleculares. En Colombia son necesarios estudios enfocados en esta disciplina que permitan complementar la información morfológica; por consiguiente se analizaron siete secuencias del gen COI en el género de tardígrado Paramacrobiotus de la cuenca baja del río Manzanares, en Santa Marta, y se compararon con las secuencias del mismo género presentes en la base de datos de GenBank a través de un análisis de divergencia específica y análisis de vecino más cercano (NJ). Las secuencias obtenidas en el estudio mostraron una clara diferenciación de las secuencias de GenBank y una baja distancia intraespecífica, obteniéndose el código de barras genético correspondiente a una sola especie. Las diferencias de los resultados con el análisis morfológico reflejan la eficacia de técnicas moleculares como los códigos de barras y evidencian la importancia de la integración de técnicas moleculares a los estudios taxonómicos de los tardígrados.

Background: Pediatric asthma is a multifactorial condition influenced by environmental, biological, and social determinants. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new variables that may have affected the severity and management of asthma in children and adolescents, particularly through changes in healthcare access, treatment adherence, and exposure to environmental risk factors. Objective: To evaluate the association between asthma severity and various factors including nutritional status, corticosteroid use, COVID-19 vaccination, and pollutant exposure before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in a pediatric population. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using 307 medical records of patients aged 3 to 17 years. Data collected included sociodemographic characteristics, nutritional indicators, history of corticosteroid use, vaccination status against COVID-19, and exposure to environmental pollutants. Asthma severity was assessed using the pulmonary score, and multiple statistical analyses, including logistic regression using the Bayesian Logistic Regression Model (BLRM), were employed to identify significant associations. Results: The analysis revealed a statistically significant impact of the pandemic on hospitalization rates (p = 0.0187) and the use of corticosteroids (p = 0.009), indicating changes in asthma management during this period. Notable differences were observed in the geographic distribution of mild versus severe asthma cases prior to the pandemic, associated with nutritional status and gender (p = 0.018). During the pandemic, breastfeeding history, body weight, and hospitalization emerged as significant predictors of asthma severity (p < 0.05). In addition, breastfeeding in young children (aged 3 to 6 years) and hospitalization were strongly associated with pulmonary scores, with significance values of 0.022 and 0.012, respectively, as identified by the BLRM. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the pandemic context influenced both the clinical course and management of pediatric asthma. Preventive strategies should consider individual and environmental factors such as nutrition, early-life health practices (e.g., breastfeeding), and equitable access to appropriate asthma care and vaccination. Tailoring pediatric asthma management to these variables may improve outcomes and reduce disparities in disease severity.

Background: Excess body adiposity has pandemic dimensions, and is the main risk factor for the increased prevalence of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and various cancers around the world. Therefore, overweight and obesity were included in the World Health Organization's sustainable development goals for 2030. In this context, a growing body of basic experimental and clinical evidence suggests that the expression of CAV1 and the caveolin-1 protein in adipose tissue would be associated with the development of adipogenesis and obesity. However, the available evidence about CAV1 expression in human obesity appears controversial because it has not been analyzed in the context of environmental risk factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Proportionally stratified probability sampling. The main objective was to evaluate associations between transcriptional expression of CAV1 in blood serum of adults from Cartagena in states of normal-weight, overweight, and obesity, by severity of obesity, and comorbidities with dietary quality, dietary patterns, smoking, alcoholism, physical activity, blood biochemistry, and with cardiovascular risk (CVR) by anthropometry, and CVR by the Framingham International and Colombia scales. Models by Multiple Linear Regression, and Multiple Logistic Regression were applied in search of associations. Results: CAV1 is overexpressed in all groups, with a tendency to increase with increasing BMI. A good-quality diet, weekly alcohol intake, and moderate-intensity physical exercise were associated with reduced CAV1 expression, while poor- and regular-quality diets, and Western and Mediterranean dietary patterns were associated with increased CAV1 expression. Conclusions: The degree of transcriptional expression of CAV1 in blood serum of adults from Cartagena, would be determined in part by the delicate balance between the increase and decrease of each specific dietary component consumed, represented as dietary pattern and dietary quality, as well as determined by other environmental factors such as physical activity, alcoholism, which together would contribute to the generalized adipogenesis, and finally, excess body adiposity.