Pertactin-Deficient Bordetella pertussis with Unusual Mechanism of Pertactin Disruption, Spain, 1986-2018

Bordetella pertussis not expressing pertactin has increased in countries using acellular pertussis vaccines (ACV). The deficiency is mostly caused by pertactin gene disruption by IS481. To assess the effect of the transition from whole-cell vaccine to ACV on the emergence of B. pertussis not expressing pertactin in Spain, we studied 342 isolates collected during 1986-2018. We identified 93 pertactin-deficient isolates. All were detected after introduction of ACV and represented 38% of isolates collected during the ACV period; 58.1% belonged to a genetic cluster of isolates carrying the unusual prn::del(-292, 1340) mutation. Pertactin inactivation by IS481 insertion was identified in 23.7% of pertactin-deficient isolates, arising independently multiple times and in different phylogenetic branches. Our findings support the emergence and dissemination of a cluster of B. pertussis with an infrequent mechanism of pertactin disruption in Spain, probably resulting from introduction of ACV.This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund “A Way to Achieve Europe” (Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases, grant no. FIS PI18/00703) and by the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas), the Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (grant no. CB21/13/00054). A.M.C. is supported by the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya at Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (Ajuts per a la Contractació de Personal Investigador FI, grant no. 2020FI_B2_00145) and by the Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (grant no. RD16/ 0016/0003). A.M.M. is supported by a grant from the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria at Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (Contratos Predoctorales de Formación en Investigación, grant no. FI19/00315).S

Clinical evaluation of a disposable amperometric magneto-genosensor for the detection and identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae

15 p.-3 fig.-2 tab.A disposable PCR-based amperometric magneto-genosensor for detection and identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae was evaluated. ROC curve analysis used to determine optimal signal cutoff values yielded a sensitivity of 91 % and a specificity of 90 %. The method was also tested for the direct detection of pneumococci in clinical samples.This work was funded by a grant from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (IPT-2011-1337-010000). CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES) is an initiative of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. The financial support of the AVANSENS Program from the Comunidad de Madrid (S2009PPQ-1642) is gratefully acknowledged.Peer reviewe

Clonal Differences among Erythromycin-Resistant Streptococcus pyogenes in Spain

The aim of this study was to determine whether the high levels of erythromycin resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes found in Spain are due to the introduction and spread of one or more clones. Phenotypic and genotypic techniques were used to characterize all erythromycin-resistant S. pyogenes (ErR) isolated in Gipuzkoa, Spain, in the last 10 years and 128 ErR isolated in Vitoria and Madrid during 1996. Of 437 ErR, 97% had the M phenotype; all 283 of the strains studied had the mefA determinant of resistance. After biotyping, T serotyping, emm typing, and genotyping, four major clones were detected. Clones B (biotype I, type T4, emm4, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE] II) and D (biotype V, type T8.25, emm75, PFGE IV) comprised 78.8% of all ErR. The resistance of S. pyogenes to erythromycin was mainly due to an efflux mechanism of resistance (M phenotype); few clones were responsible for it

Characterization of the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains causing ventilator-associated pneumonia

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the virulence of P. aeruginosa ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) strains (cases) in terms of biofilm production and other phenotypic and genotypic virulence factors compared to P. aeruginosa strains isolated from other infections (controls). Methods: Biofilm production was tested to assess biomass production and metabolic activity using crystal violet binding assay and XTT assay, respectively. Pigment production (pyocyanin and pyoverdine) was evaluated using cetrimide agar. Virulence genes were detected by conventional multiplex PCR and virulence was tested in an in vivo model in Galleria mellonella larvae. Results: We did not find statistically significant differences between VAP and no-VAP strains (p > 0.05) regarding biofilm production. VAP strains had no production of pyocyanin after 24 h of incubation (p = 0.023). The distribution of virulence genes between both groups were similar (p > 0.05). VAP strains were less virulent than non-VAP strains in an in vivo model of G. mellonella (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The virulence of VAP-Pseudomonas aeruginosa does not depend on biofilm formation, production of pyoverdine or the presence of some virulence genes compared to P. aeruginosa isolated from non-invasive locations. However, VAP strains showed attenuated virulence compared to non-VAP strains in an in vivo model of G. mellonella

Políticas, prácticas e investigación en tecnología educativa

Resumen tomado de la publicaciónAnaliza las interconexiones que aparecen entre políticas, investigación y prácticas educativas en el ámbito universitario. Se toma como referencia el proceso del EEES y el discurso que domina con respecto a las propuestas de innovación de la enseñanza y la integración de las tecnologías en ella. Además se examina cómo las políticas son contestadas, interpretadas y resueltas en una gran variedad de terrenos prácticos y cómo las retóricas, textos, y comprensiones de los políticos no siempre pueden traducirse directa y obviamente dentro de las prácticas institucionales.CataluñaBiblioteca de Educación del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Calle San Agustín 5 -3 Planta; 28014 Madrid; Tel. +34917748000; [email protected]

Interaction of contaminated sediment from a salt marsh with estuarine water: evaluation by leaching and ecotoxicity assays and salts from leachate evaporation

Purpose Wastes from a former Portuguese steel plant were deposited between 1961 and 2001 on the riverbank of a tributary of the Tagus River creating a landfill connected to the river, posing a potential contamination risk to the Tagus estuary ecosystem. This study aims to assess the transfer of chemical elements from contaminated sediments to the estuarine water from cycles of sediment leaching so as to evaluate the ecotoxicity of the leachates, and to analyze the solid phases crystallized from those leachates. Materials and methods Landfill sediment and estuarine water samples were collected during low tide. Sediment samples were analyzed for pH, electric conductivity (EC), C-org, NPK, and iron oxides. Leaching assays (four replicates) were done using estuarine water (200 cm(3)/replicate) and 1.5 kg of sediment per reactor. Each reactor was submitted to four leaching processes (0, 28, 49, and 77 days). The sediment was kept moist between leaching processes. Sediment (total (acid digestion) and available fraction (diluted organic acid extraction- Rhizo)) elemental concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma-instrumental neutron activation analysis (ICP/INAA). Leachates, and estuarine and sediment pore waters were analyzed for metals/metalloids by ICP/mass spectrometry (MS) and carbonates/sulfate/chloride by standard methodologies. Ecotoxicity assays were performed in leachates and estuarine and pore waters using Artemia franciscana and Brachionus plicatillis. Aliquots of the leachates were evaporated to complete dryness (23-25 degrees C) and crystals analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Results and discussion Sediment with pH=8 and high EC and Corg was contaminated with As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn. The element concentrations in the available fraction of the sediment were low compared to the sediment total concentrations (<1 % for Rhizo extraction). The concentrations of potentially hazardous elements in the estuarine water were relatively low, except for Cd. Concentrations of hazardous elements in the leachates were very low. Calcium, K, Mg, Na, and chloride concentrations were high but did not vary significantly among the four leaching experiments. Total concentrations of carbonate were much higher in leachates than in estuarine water. Both estuarine water and leachates showed negligible toxicity. Crystals identified in the solids obtained from the leachates by evaporation were halite, anhydrite, epsomite, dolomite, and polyhalite. Conclusions The sediment showed the capacity to retain the majority of the potentially hazardous chemical elements. Remobilization of chemical elements from sediment by leaching was essentially negligible. The variation of total concentrations of Ca, carbonate, and sulfate in leachates indicates that the sediment contained reactive sulfides. Due to its composition, the sediment seems to be a dynamic system of pollution control, which should not be disturbed

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P &lt; 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)