Bélgica: bibliotecas públicas en la comunidad flamenca de Bélgica

La publicación recoge una visión general de la situación de las bibliotecas públicas en Flandes así como de sus bibliotecarios. El plan de trabajo incluía visitas a siete bibliotecas públicas de diferentes dimensiones y características, visitas a bibliotecas filiales, una visita al VCOB (Agencia Flamenca de Bibliotecas Públicas) y una breve entrevista con la responsable de los contactos internacionales en lo relativo a materias culturales de la Sección de Educación de Adultos y Bibliotecas del Ministerio Flamenco

Emerging, non-PCV13 serotypes 11A and 35B of Streptococcus pneumoniae show high potential for biofilm formation in vitro

Background: Since the use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines PCV7 and PCV13 in children became widespread, invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has dramatically decreased. Nevertheless, there has been a rise in incidence of Streptococcus pneumoniae non-vaccine serotypes (NVT) colonising the human nasopharynx. Nasopharyngeal colonisation, an essential step in the development of S. pneumoniae-induced IPD, is associated with biofilm formation. Although the capsule is the main pneumococcal virulence factor, the formation of pneumococcal biofilms might, in fact, be limited by the presence of capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Methodology/Principal Findings: We used clinical isolates of 16 emerging, non-PCV13 serotypes as well as isogenic transformants of the same serotypes. The biofilm formation capacity of isogenic transformants expressing CPSs from NVT was evaluated in vitro to ascertain whether this trait can be used to predict the emergence of NVT. Fourteen out of 16 NVT analysed were not good biofilm formers, presumably because of the presence of CPS. In contrast, serotypes 11A and 35B formed >45% of the biofilm produced by the non-encapsulated M11 strain. Conclusions/Significance This study suggest that emerging, NVT serotypes 11A and 35B deserve a close surveillance

ANTONIO CARO, NICOLÁS DE RUEDA Y LA RETABLISTA BARROCA EN LA IGLESIA DE SAN PEDRO DE MURCIA

A series of unpublished documents concerning the facture of the main retable in St. Peter's church in Murcia (an incomplere part of in still persists today), offers us a material to study this piece. We also pay attention to the reasons which motivated the substitution of a former heredos made by Antonio Caro from 1702 onwards, and to this former reredos itself. The typologic answer given by the author, Nicolás de Rueda, constitutes one of the examples of late baroque schemes, which cannot be understood without the presence of the imafronte. We also compile the bibliography on the chapel patronage by rhe Saavedra family.A series of unpublished documents concerning the facture of the main retable in St. Peter's church in Murcia (an incomplere part of in still persists today), offers us a material to study this piece. We also pay attention to the reasons which motivated the substitution of a former heredos made by Antonio Caro from 1702 onwards, and to this former reredos itself. The typologic answer given by the author, Nicolás de Rueda, constitutes one of the examples of late baroque schemes, which cannot be understood without the presence of the imafronte. We also compile the bibliography on the chapel patronage by rhe Saavedra family

Disease isolates of Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae and non-typeable S. pneumoniae presumptively identified as atypical S. pneumoniae in Spain

We aimed to obtain insights on the nature of a collection of isolates presumptively identified as atypical Streptococcus pneumoniae recovered from invasive and non-invasive infections in Spain. One-hundred and thirty-two isolates were characterized by: optochin susceptibility in ambient and CO2-enriched atmosphere; bile solubility; PCR-based assays targeting pneumococcal genes lytA, ply, pspA, cpsA, Spn9802, aliB-like ORF2, and a specific 16S rRNA region; multilocus sequence analysis; and antimicrobial susceptibility. By multilocus sequence analysis, 61 isolates were S. pseudopneumoniae, 34 were pneumococci, 13 were S. mitis, and 24 remained unclassified as non-pneumococci. Among S. pseudopneumoniae isolates, 51 (83.6%) were collected from respiratory tract samples; eight isolates were obtained from sterile sources. High frequency of non-susceptibility to penicillin (60.7%) and erythromycin (42.6%) was found. Only 50.8% of the S. pseudopneumoniae isolates displayed the typical optochin phenotype originally described for this species. None harbored the cpsA gene or the pneumococcal typical lytA restriction fragment length polymorphism. The Spn9802 and the specific 16S rRNA regions were detected among the majority of the S. pseudopneumoniae isolates (n = 59 and n = 49, respectively). The ply and pspA genes were rarely found. A high genetic diversity was found and 59 profiles were identified. Among the S. pneumoniae, 23 were capsulated and 11 were non-typeable. Three non-typeable isolates, associated to international non-capsulated lineages, were recovered from invasive disease sources. In conclusion, half of the atypical pneumococcal clinical isolates were, in fact, S. pseudopneumoniae and one-fourth were other streptococci. We identified S. pseudopneumoniae and non-typeable pneumococci as cause of disease in Spain including invasive disease

Fluoroquinolone resistance in penicillin-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae clones, Spain

Among 2,882 Streptococcus pneumoniae sent to the Spanish Reference Laboratory during 2002, 75 (2.6%) were ciprofloxacin-resistant. Resistance was associated with older patients (3.9% in adults and 7.2% in patients > or =65 years of age), with isolation from noninvasive sites (4.3% vs. 1.0%), and with penicillin and macrolide resistance. Among 14 low-level resistant (MIC 4-8 microg/mL) strains, 1 had a fluoroquinolone efflux phenotype, and 13 showed single ParC changes. The 61 high-level ciprofloxacin-resistant (MIC > or =16 microg/mL) strains showed either two or three changes at ParC, ParE, and GyrA. Resistance was acquired either by point mutation (70 strains) or by recombination with viridans streptococci (4 strains) at the topoisomerase II genes. Although 36 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns were observed, 5 international multiresistant clones (Spain23F-1, Spain6B-2, Spain9V-3, Spain14-5 and Sweden15A-25) accounted for 35 (46.7%) of the ciprofloxacin-resistant strains. Continuous surveillance is needed to prevent the dissemination of these clones

Nationwide trends of invasive pneumococcal disease in Spain (2009-2019) in children and adults during the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era.

Introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) has shown a marked reduction in the disease caused by vaccine serotypes in children providing herd protection to the elderly group. However, the emergence of non-vaccine serotypes is of great concern worldwide. This study includes national laboratory data from invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) cases affecting pediatric and adult population during 2009-2019. The impact of implementing different vaccine strategies for immunocompetent adults comparing Spanish regions using PCV13 vs regions using PPV23 vaccine was also analyzed for 2017-2019. The overall reductions of IPD cases by PCV13 serotypes in children and adults were 88% and 59% respectively during 2009-2019 with a constant increase of serotype 8 in adults since 2015. IPD cases by additional serotypes covered by PPV23 increased from 20% in 2009 to 52% in 2019. In children, serotype 24F was the most frequent in 2019 whereas in adults, serotypes 3 and 8 accounted for 36% of IPD cases. Introduction of PCV13 or PPV23 in the adult calendar of certain Spanish regions reduced up to 25% and 11% respectively the IPD cases by PCV13 serotypes, showing a decrease of serotype 3 when PCV13 was used. Use of PCV13 in children has shown a clear impact in pneumococcal epidemiology reducing the burden of IPD in children but also in adults by herd protection although the increase of serotype 8 in adults is worrisome. Vaccination with PCV13 in immunocompetent adults seems to control IPD cases by PCV13 serotypes including serotype 3.This work was supported by Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) [grant SAF2017-83388] and internal funding fromS

Decrease of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in adults after introduction of pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine in Spain

A prospective laboratory-based multicenter study that collected all adult invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) episodes from 6 Spanish hospitals before (2008-2009) and after (2012-2013). The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) licensure was conducted in order to analyze the impact of PCV13 introduction for children on adult IPD. A total of 1558 IPD episodes were detected. The incidence of IPD decreased significantly in the second period by-33.9% (95% CI,-40.3% to-26.8%). IPD due to PCV7 serotypes (-52.7%; 95% CI,-64.2% to-37.5%) and to PCV13 additional serotypes (-55.0% 95% CI, -62.0% to-46.7%) significantly decreased whereas IPD due to non-PCV13 serotypes remained stable (1.0% 95% CI,-12.9% to 17.2%). IPD due to all PCV13 additional serotypes significantly declined with the exception of serotype 3 (-11.3%; 95% CI-35.0% to 21.1%). IPD due to two non-PCV13 serotypes varied: serotype 6C that rose (301.6%; 95% CI, 92.7% to 733.3%, p<0.001), related to the expansion of ST386(6C), and serotype 8 that decreased (-34.9%, 95% CI,-57.1 to-1.2, p = 0.049), related to a decline of the ST63(8). The recombinant clone ST6521(11A) (variant of ST156(9V)) increased in frequency. The decrease of serotype 19A IPD was linked to a fall in those antibiotic susceptible clones. In the last period, rates of penicillin-and cefotaxime-resistance remained under 10% and 4%, respectively. Adult IPD decreased after the PCV13 introduction in Spain due to herd protection. The spread of multidrug resistant clones (ST386(6C), ST6521(11A)) related to non-PCV13 serotypes needs further surveillance

Long-Term In Vitro System for Maintenance and Amplification of Root-Knot Nematodes in Cucumis sativus Roots

Los nematodos (gusanos del suelo) son parásitos de las plantas que producen grandes pérdidas en las cosechas. Los nematodos representan una de las plagas agrícolas más importantes en todo el mundo. Después de la infección, provocan en la raíz estructuras hinchadas llamadas agallas que contienen sus células de alimentación. Entre las técnicas de control más eficientes para esta plaga están las estrategias basadas en la biotecnología que requieren de un profundo conocimiento de los procesos de biología molecular y celular existentes en la interacción planta-nematodo. Estas técnicas biotecnológicas requieren condiciones experimentales asépticas (sin contaminación), debido a que la contaminación no detectada con otros microorganismos podría comprometer la interpretación de los resultados obtenidos. Aquí, presentamos un método sencillo, eficaz y de largo plazo para la amplificación de nematodos en raíces de pepino en asepsia. Con éste método se ha conseguido una amplificación de 40 veces la población inicial. Además, el método fue verificado para tres especies distintas de nematodos (Meloidogyne javanica, Meloidogyne incognita y Meloidogyne arenaria), produciendo gusanos viables para su estudio en diferentes plantas de aplicación agronómica tales como tomate, patata y tabaco; así como, posibilitar el mantenimiento y amplificación de las poblaciones para cada una de las especies de nematodos estudiadas