Tracking progress on antimicrobial resistance by the quadripartite country self-assessment survey (TrACSS) in G7 countries, 2017-2023: opportunities and gaps.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses serious challenges to the healthcare systems worldwide. Multiple factors and activities contribute to the development and spread of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms. Monitoring progress in combating AMR is fundamental at both global and national levels to drive multisectoral actions, identify priorities, and coordinate strategies. Since 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) has collected data through the Tracking AMR Country Self-Assessment Survey (TrACSS). TrACSS data are published in a publicly-available database. In 2023, 71 (59.9%) out of 177 responding countries reported the existence of a monitoring and evaluation plan for their National Action Plan (NAP) on AMR, and just 20 countries (11.3%) the allocation of funding to support NAP implementation. Countries reported challenges including limited financial and human resources, lack of technical capacity, and variable political commitment. Even across the Group of Seven (G7) countries, which represent some of the world's most advanced economies, many areas still need improvement, such as full implementation of infection prevention and control measures, adoption of WHO access/watch/reserve (AWaRe) classification of antibiotics, effective integration of laboratories in AMR surveillance in the animal health and food safety sectors, training and education, good manufacturing and hygiene practices in food processing, optimising pesticides use and environmental residues of antimicrobial drugs. Continuous and coordinated efforts are needed to strengthen multisectoral engagement to fight AMR.

Nitrous acid production and uptake by Zea mays plants in growth chambers in the presence of nitrogen dioxide.

Nitrous acid (HONO) photolysis is an important atmospheric reaction that leads to the formation of hydroxyl radicals (OH), the main diurnal atmospheric oxidants. The process of HONO formation remains unclear, and comparisons between field measurements and model results have highlighted the presence of unknown HONO sources. HONO production on plant surfaces was recently suggested to contribute to atmospheric HONO formation, but there is limited information on the quantification of HONO production and uptake by plants. To address this gap in the existing knowledge, the current study investigated HONO exchange on living Zea mays plants. Experiments were conducted in growth chambers under controlled experimental conditions (temperature, relative humidity, NO2 mixing ratio, light intensity, CO2 mixing ratio) at temperatures ranging between 283 and 299 K. To investigate the effect of drought on HONO plant-atmosphere exchanges, experiments were carried out on two sets of Zea mays plants exposed to two different water supply conditions during their growth: optimal watering (70% of the field capacity) and water stress (30% of the field capacity). Results indicated that the uptake of HONO by control Zea mays plants increased linearly with ambient temperature, and was correlated with CO2 assimilation for temperatures ranging from 283 to 299 K. At 299 K, HONO production on the leaves offset this uptake and Zea mays plants were a source of HONO, with a net production rate of 27 ± 7 ppt h-1. Deposition velocities were higher for HONO than CO2, suggesting a higher mesophyll resistance for CO2 than HONO. As water stress reduced the stomatal opening, it also decreased plant-atmosphere gas exchange. Thus, climate change, which may limit the availability of water, will have an impact on HONO exchange between plants and the atmosphere.

Nitrous acid formation on Zea mays leaves by heterogeneous reaction of nitrogen dioxide in the laboratory.

Nitrous acid (HONO) is of considerable interest because it is an important precursor of hydroxyl radicals (OH), a key species in atmospheric chemistry. HONO sources are still not well understood, and air quality models fail to predict OH as well as HONO mixing ratios. As there is little knowledge about the potential contribution of plant surfaces to HONO emission, this laboratory work investigated HONO formation by heterogeneous reaction of NO2 on Zea mays. Experiments were carried out in a flow tube reactor; HONO, NO2 and NO were measured online with a Long Path Absorption Photometer (LOPAP) and a NOx analyzer. Tests were performed on leaves under different conditions of relative humidity (5-58%), NO2 mixing ratio representing suburban to urban areas (10-80 ppbv), spectral irradiance (0-20 W m-2) and temperature (288-313 K). Additional tests on plant wax extracts from Zea mays leaves showed that this component can contribute to the observed HONO formation. Temperature and NO2 mixing ratios were the two environmental parameters that showed substantially increased HONO emissions from Zea mays leaves. The highest HONO emission rates on Zea mays leaves were observed at 313 K for 40 ppbv of NO2 and 40% RH and reached values of (5.6 ± 0.8) × 109 molecules cm-2 s-1. Assuming a mixing layer of 300 m, the HONO flux from Zea mays leaves was estimated to be 171 ± 23 pptv h-1 during summertime, which is comparable to what has been reported for soil surfaces.

Hydrophobicity of graphene as a driving force for inhibiting biofilm formation of pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the surface and wettability characteristics and the microbial biofilm interaction of graphene coating on titanium. METHODS: Graphene was deposited on titanium (Control) via a liquid-free technique. The transfer was performed once (TiGS), repeated two (TiGD) and five times (TiGV) and characterized by AFM (n=10), Raman spectroscopy (n=10), contact angle and SFE (n=5). Biofilm formation (n=3) to Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans was evaluated after 24h by CV assay, CFU, XTT and confocal microscopy. Statistics were performed by one-way Anova, Tukey's tests and Pearson's correlation analysis at a pre-set significance level of 5 %. RESULTS: Raman mappings revealed coverage yield of 82 % for TiGS and ≥99 % for TiGD and TiGV. Both TiGD and TiGV presented FWHM>44cm-1 and ID/IG ratio<0.12, indicating multiple graphene layers and occlusion of defects. The contact angle was significantly higher for TiGD and TiGV (110° and 117°) comparing to the Control (70°). The SFE was lower for TiGD (13.8mN/m) and TiGV (12.1mN/m) comparing to Control (38.3mN/m). TiGD was selected for biofilm assays and exhibited significant reduction in biofilm formation for all microorganisms compared to Control. There were statistical correlations between the high contact angle and low SFE of TiGD and decreased biofilm formation. SIGNIFICANCE: TiGD presented high quality and coverage and decreased biofilm formation for all species. The increased hydrophobicity of graphene films was correlated with the decreased biofilm formation for various species.

Graphene onto medical grade titanium: an atom-thick multimodal coating that promotes osteoblast maturation and inhibits biofilm formation from distinct species.

The time needed for the osseointegration of titanium implants is deemed too long. Moreover, the bacterial colonization of their surfaces is a major cause of failure. Graphene can overcome these issues but its wet transfer onto substrates employs hazardous chemicals limiting the clinical applications. Alternatively, dry transfer technique has been developed, but the biological properties of this technique remain unexplored. Here, a dry transfer technique based on a hot-pressing method allowed to coat titanium substrates with high-quality graphene and coverage area >90% with a single transfer. The graphene-coated titanium is cytocompatible, did not induce cell membrane damage, induced human osteoblast maturation (gene and protein level), and increased the deposition of mineralized matrix compared to titanium alone. Moreover, graphene decreased the formation of biofilms from Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis and even from whole saliva on titanium without killing the bacteria. These findings confirm that coating of titanium with graphene via a dry transfer technique is a promising strategy to improve osseointegration and prevent biofilm formation on implants and devices.

Combination of Chimneys and Fenestrated Endografts in the Treatment of Complex Aortic Aneurysms.

PURPOSE: To present early results of fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) combined with chimney grafts in a high-volume center. METHODS: From July 2011 to July 2016, 45 patients (mean age 73.0±8.8 years; 39 men) with complex aneurysms who were poor candidates for open repair and anatomically ineligible for standard or custom-made FEVAR were treated with chimney FEVAR (chFEVAR). Eight (18%) cases were treated in emergency. In all, 130 target vessels (2.9/patient) were addressed using 21 scallops, 42 open/18 covered chimneys, and 27 custom-made/22 homemade fenestrations. RESULTS: Successful aneurysm exclusion, successful reconstruction, and technical success rates were 97.8% (44/45), 98.2% (107/109 vessels excluding the scallops), and 93.3% (42/45). Six (13.3%) patients died within 30 days (5 in hospital). Estimated overall survival, freedom from aneurysm-related death, and freedom from aneurysm-related reintervention were 85.9%, 88.5%, and 59.2%, respectively, at 12 months. The target vessel patency rate was 96.0%. At latest follow-up, 1 type Ia and 3 type II endoleaks were present. Sac shrinkage occurred in 18 (54%) patients. CONCLUSION: Combined chFEVAR showed good technical feasibility and could be an effective approach in emergent settings and highly selective cases when FEVAR is not feasible. Thirty-day mortality, target vessel patency, and type Ia endoleak rates were acceptable.

Reaction of O(3P) with C3H6: Yield of the Reaction Products as a Function of Temperature.

Reaction of oxygen atoms with propene is an important step in combustion processes particularly affecting the profiles of intermediate species and flame speed. The relative importance of different pathways of this multichannel reaction at different temperatures represents significant theoretical interest and is essential for modeling combustion systems. In the present work, we report the first experimental investigation of the products of the O(3P) + C3H6 reaction over an extended temperature range (298-905 K). By using a low pressure flow reactor combined with a quadrupole mass spectrometer, the yields of the five reaction products, H atom, CH3, C2H5, CH2O and OH were determined as a function of temperature between 298 and 905 K: 0.0064 × (T/298)2.74 exp(765/T), 1.41 × (T/298)-1.0 exp(-335/T), 0.92 × (T/298)-1.41 exp(-381/T), 0.17 × (T/298)0.165 exp(-36/T), and 0.0034 × (T/298)2.34 exp(788/T), respectively (corresponding to the variation of the respective yields between 298 and 905 K in the ranges 0.08-0.31, 0.46-0.32, 0.26-0.12, 0.15-0.19, and 0.05-011), independent of pressure in the range 1-8 Torr of helium. For the yields of the minor reaction products, H2 and CH3CHO the upper limits were determined as 0.2 and 0.05, respectively. These results are compared with the experimental data and theoretical calculations available in the literature.

Monocentric Evaluation of Chimney Versus Fenestrated Endovascular Aortic Repair for Juxtarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: With approval of on-label fenestrated (F-) endovascular aortic repair (EVAR), concerns regarding long-term patency and endoleaks (ELs) after chimney graft (CG)-EVAR were raised. To add supportive data on the value of this technique, we chose to report the midterm results of CG-EVAR in a single center with standardized methods and to compare them to F-EVAR. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospectively gathered data from January 2010 to January 2015 was conducted, and patients with excessive comorbidities for open repair treated by CG-EVAR or F-EVAR were included. RESULTS: Ninety patients were treated by F-EVAR (88 men, 198 targets vessels) and 31 by CG-EVAR (26 men, 39 targets vessels, 12.9% treated in emergency; P = 0.001). Mean age was significantly higher in the CG group (71.3 ± 8.2 years in the FG group vs. 75.3 ± 6.6; P = 0.02), and there were significantly more patients suffering from preoperative chronic kidney disease (CKD) (13 [14.4%] treated by F-EVAR vs. 12 [38.7%]; P = 0.009). Target vessels were successfully reconstructed in 99.0% (196/198 target vessels) vs. 97.4% (38/39 target vessels) of cases (P = 0.3). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher after CG-EVAR (3.3% vs. 16.1%; P = 0.03). Incidence of acute kidney injury and CKD did not differ significantly between both groups. At 12 and 24 months, overall survival was 91.4% after F-EVAR vs. 82.1% and 81.8% vs. 69.0% (P = 0.4), estimated freedom from aneurysm related reintervention was 93.3% vs. 82.1% and 84.9% vs. 82.1% (P = 0.6), and target vessel's primary patency rate was 97.5% vs. 89.9% (P = 0.06), respectively. Freedom from type I EL's survival was significantly higher after F-EVAR at 12 and 24 months (100% vs. 89.0% and 97.7% vs. 89.0%; P = 0.01), but aneurysm maximum transverse diameter decrease did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: There are potential advantages to CG-EVAR with off-the-shelf availability, versatility, and low-profile devices. In this series, patients treated by CG-EVAR showed promising and durable midterm results compared with F-EVAR. CG-EVAR and F-EVAR should not be apprehended as opposed strategies but more as complementary ones, while the best indications for CG-EVAR are clarified.

Reaction of O(3P) with C2H4: Yield of the Reaction Products as a Function of Temperature.

Reaction of oxygen atoms with ethylene is an important step in the combustion process particularly affecting the profiles of intermediate species and flame speed. Currently, the relative importance of different pathways of this multichannel reaction at different temperatures is not fully established and determination of the branching ratios for different reaction channels as a function of temperature remains essential for modeling combustion systems. In the present work, the products of the O(3P) + C2H4 reaction have been studied over an extended temperature range (297-900 K) using a low pressure flow reactor (1-8 Torr) combined with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The yields of the three main reaction products, H atom, CH3 radical, and CH2O, were determined to be 0.31 ± 0.05, 0.53 ± 0.09, and 0.17 ± 0.03, respectively, independent of pressure and temperature under experimental conditions of the study. For the yields of the minor reaction products, H2 and CH4, the upper limits were determined as 0.05 and 0.02, respectively. These results are compared with the experimental data and theoretical calculations available in the literature.

Thermal Decomposition of Isopropyl Nitrate: Kinetics and Products.

Kinetics and products of the thermal decomposition of isopropyl nitrate (IPN, C3H7NO3) have been studied using a low pressure flow reactor combined with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The rate constant of IPN decomposition was measured as a function of pressure (1-12.5 Torr of helium) and temperature in the range 473-658 K using two methods: from kinetics of nitrate loss and those of reaction product (CH3 radical) formation. The fit of the observed falloff curves with two parameter expression [Formula: see text] provided the following low and high pressure limits for the rate constant of IPN decomposition: k0 = 6.60 × 10-5exp(-15190/T) cm3 molecule-1 s-1 and k∞ = 1.05 × 1016 exp(-19850/T) s-1, respectively, which allows one to determine (via the above expression) the values of k1 (with 20% uncertainty) in the temperature and pressure range of the study. It was observed that thermal decomposition of IPN proceeds through initial breaking of the O-NO2 bond, leading to formation of NO2 and isopropoxy radical (CH3)2CHO, which rapidly decomposes forming CH3 and acetaldehyde as final products. The yields of NO2, CH3, and acetaldehyde upon decomposition of isopropyl nitrate were measured to be (0.98 ± 0.15), (0.96 ± 0.14), and (0.99 ± 0.15), respectively. In addition, the kinetic data were used to determine the O-NO2 bond dissociation energy in isopropyl nitrate, 38.2 ± 4.0 kcal mol-1.

A terrestrial planet candidate in a temperate orbit around Proxima Centauri.

At a distance of 1.295 parsecs, the red dwarf Proxima Centauri (α Centauri C, GL 551, HIP 70890 or simply Proxima) is the Sun's closest stellar neighbour and one of the best-studied low-mass stars. It has an effective temperature of only around 3,050 kelvin, a luminosity of 0.15 per cent of that of the Sun, a measured radius of 14 per cent of the radius of the Sun and a mass of about 12 per cent of the mass of the Sun. Although Proxima is considered a moderately active star, its rotation period is about 83 days (ref. 3) and its quiescent activity levels and X-ray luminosity are comparable to those of the Sun. Here we report observations that reveal the presence of a small planet with a minimum mass of about 1.3 Earth masses orbiting Proxima with a period of approximately 11.2 days at a semi-major-axis distance of around 0.05 astronomical units. Its equilibrium temperature is within the range where water could be liquid on its surface.

Graphene oxide-based substrate: physical and surface characterization, cytocompatibility and differentiation potential of dental pulp stem cells.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity and differentiation potential of a graphene oxide (GO)-based substrate using dental pulp stem cell (DPSC). METHODS: GO was obtained via chemical exfoliation of graphite using the modified Hummer's method and dispersed in water-methanol solution. 250µL of 1.5mg/mL solution were added to a cover slip and allowed to dry (25°C, 24h). GO-based substrate was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, AFM and contact angle. DPSC were seeded on GO and glass (control). Cell attachment and proliferation were evaluated by polymeric F-actin staining, SEM and MTS assay for five days. mRNA expression of MSX-1, PAX-9, RUNX2, COL I, DMP-1 and DSPP were evaluated by qPCR (7 and 14 days). Statistical analyses were performed by either Mann-Whitney, one or two-way Anova followed by and Tukey's post hoc analysis (α=0.05). RESULTS: Peaks at 1587cm(-1) and 1340cm(-1) (G and D band) and ID/IG of 0.83 were observed for GO with Raman. AFM showed that GO was randomly deposited and created a rougher surface comparing to the control. Cells successfully adhered on both substrates. There was no difference in cell proliferation after 5 days. Cells on GO presented higher expression for all genes tested except MSX-1 and RUNX2 for 7 days. SIGNIFICANCE: GO-based substrate allowed DPSC attachment, proliferation and increased the expression of several genes that are upregulated in mineral-producing cells. These findings open opportunities to the use of GO alone or in combination with dental materials to improve their bioactivity and beyond.

Gas-Phase Reaction of Hydroxyl Radical with p-Cymene over an Extended Temperature Range.

The kinetics of the reaction of OH radicals with p-cymene has been studied in the temperature range of 243-898 K using a flow reactor combined with a quadrupole mass spectrometer: OH + p-cymene → products. The reaction rate constant was determined as a result of absolute measurements, from OH decay kinetics in excess of p-cymene and employing the relative rate method with OH reactions with n-pentane, n-heptane,1,3-dioxane, HBr, and Br2 as the reference ones. For the rate coefficient of the H atom abstraction channel, the expression k1b = (3.70 ± 0.42) × 10(-11) exp[-(772 ± 72)/T] was obtained over the temperature range of 381-898 K. The total rate constant (addition + abstraction) determined at T = 243-320 K was k1 = (1.82 ± 0.48) × 10(-12) exp[(607 ± 70)/T] or, in a biexponential form, k1 = k1a + k1b = 3.7 × 10(-11) exp(-772/T) + 6.3 × 10(-13) exp(856/T), independent of the pressure between 1 and 5 Torr of helium. In addition, our results indicate that the reaction pathway involving alkyl radical elimination upon initial addition of OH to p-cymene is most probably unimportant.

Reaction of limonene with F2: rate coefficient and products.

The kinetics of the reaction of limonene (C10H16) with F2 has been studied using a low pressure (P = 1 Torr) and a high pressure turbulent (P = 100 Torr) flow reactor coupled with an electron impact ionization and chemical ionization mass spectrometers, respectively: F2 + Limonene → products (1). The rate constant of the title reaction was determined under pseudo-first-order conditions by monitoring either limonene or F2 decay in excess of F2 or C10H16, respectively. The reaction rate constant, k1 = (1.15 ± 0.25) × 10(-12) exp(160 ± 70)/T) was determined over the temperature range 278-360 K, independent of pressure between 1 (He) and 100 (N2) Torr. F atom and HF were found to be formed in reaction 1 , with the yields of 0.60 ± 0.13 and 0.39 ± 0.09, respectively, independent of temperature in the range 296-355 K.

Experimental study of the reactions of limonene with OH and OD radicals: kinetics and products.

The kinetics of the reactions of limonene with OH and OD radicals has been studied using a low-pressure flow tube reactor coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer: OH + C10H16 → products (1), OD + C10H16 → products (2). The rate constants of the title reactions were determined using four different approaches: either monitoring the kinetics of OH (OD) radicals or limonene consumption in excess of limonene or of the radicals, respectively (absolute method), and by the relative rate method using either the reaction OH (OD) + Br2 or OH (OD) + DMDS (dimethyl disulfide) as the reference one and following HOBr (DOBr) formation or DMDS and limonene consumption, respectively. As a result of the absolute and relative measurements, the overall rate coefficients, k1 = (3.0 ± 0.5) × 10(-11) exp((515 ± 50)/T) and k2 = (2.5 ± 0.6) × 10(-11) exp((575 ± 60)/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), were determined at a pressure of 1 Torr of helium over the temperature ranges 220-360 and 233-353 K, respectively. k1 was found to be pressure independent over the range 0.5-5 Torr. There are two possible pathways for the reaction between OH (OD) and limonene: addition of the radical to one of the limonene double bonds (reactions 1a and 2a ) and abstraction of a hydrogen atom (reactions 1b and 2b ), resulting in the formation of H2O (HOD). Measurements of the HOD yield as a function of temperature led to the following branching ratio of the H atom abstraction channel: k2b/k2 = (0.07 ± 0.03) × exp((460 ± 140)/T) for T = (253-355) K.