RAS Dataset: A 3D Cardiac LGE-MRI Dataset for Segmentation of Right Atrial Cavity.

The current challenge in effectively treating atrial fibrillation (AF) stems from a limited understanding of the intricate structure of the human atria. The objective and quantitative interpretation of the right atrium (RA) in late gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-MRI) scans relies heavily on its precise segmentation. Leveraging the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for RA segmentation presents a promising solution. However, the successful implementation of AI in this context necessitates access to a substantial volume of annotated LGE-MRI images for model training. In this paper, we present a comprehensive 3D cardiac dataset comprising 50 high-resolution LGE-MRI scans, each meticulously annotated at the pixel level. The annotation process underwent rigorous standardization through crowdsourcing among a panel of medical experts, ensuring the accuracy and consistency of the annotations. Our dataset represents a significant contribution to the field, providing a valuable resource for advancing RA segmentation methods.

Daurisoline inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis, and enhances TRAIL sensitivity of breast cancer cells by upregulating DR5.

Daurisoline (DS) is an isoquinoline alkaloid that exerts anticancer activities in various cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanisms through which DS affects the survival of breast cancer cells remain poorly understood. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the potential anticancer effect of DS on breast cancer cells and reveal the mechanism underlying the enhanced tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis by DS. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay were used to evaluate the ability of cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was selected to examine the cell cycle distribution. TUNEL assay was used to detect the cell apoptosis. The protein expression was measured by Western blot analysis. DS was found to reduce the cell viability and suppress the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells by causing G1 phase cell cycle arrest. DS could trigger apoptosis by promoting the cleavage of caspase-8 and PARP. The phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38MAPK was upregulated clearly following DS treatment. Notably, SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) pretreatment significantly abrogated DS-induced PARP cleavage. DS inactivated Akt/mTOR and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway and upregulated the expression of ER stress-related proteins. Additionally, DS amplified TRAIL-caused viability reduction and apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Mechanismly, DS upregulated the protein level of DR4 and DR5, and knockdown of DR5 attenuated the cotreatment-induced cleavage of PARP. Inhibition of JNK could block DS-induced upregulation of DR5. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of DS inhibiting cell proliferation, triggering apoptosis, and enhancing TRAIL sensitivity of breast cancer cells.

G-triplex/hemin DNAzyme mediated colorimetric aptasensor for Escherichia coli O157:H7 detection based on exonuclease III-assisted amplification and aptamers-functionalized magnetic beads.

Escherichia coli O157: H7 (E. coli O157: H7) is one of the most common foodborne pathogens and is widespread in food and the environment. Thus, it is significant for rapidly detecting E. coli O157: H7. In this study, a colorimetric aptasensor based on aptamer-functionalized magnetic beads, exonuclease III (Exo III), and G-triplex/hemin was proposed for the detection of E. coli O157: H7. The functional hairpin HP was designed in the system, which includes two parts of a stem containing the G-triplex sequence and a tail complementary to cDNA. E. coli O157: H7 competed to bind the aptamer (Apt) in the Apt-cDNA complex to obtain cDNA. The cDNA then bound to the tail of HP to trigger Exo III digestion and release the single-stranded DNA containing the G-triplex sequence. G-triplex/hemin DNAzyme could catalyze TMB to produce visible color changes and detectable absorbance signals in the presence of H2O2. Based on the optimal conditions, E. coli O157: H7 could be detected down to 1.3 × 103 CFU/mL, with a wide linear range from 1.3 × 103 to 1.3 × 107 CFU/mL. This method had a distinguished ability to non-target bacteria, which showed good specificity. In addition, the system was successfully applied to detect E. coli O157: H7 in milk samples.

A Nanograss Boron and Nitrogen Co-Doped Diamond Sensor Produced via High-Temperature Annealing for the Detection of Cadmium Ions.

The high-performance determination of heavy metal ions (Cd2+) in water sources is significant for the protection of public health and safety. We have developed a novel sensor of nanograss boron and nitrogen co-doped diamond (NGBND) to detect Cd2+ using a simple method without any masks or reactive ion etching. The NGBND electrode is constructed based on the co-doped diamond growth mode and the removal of the non-diamond carbon (NDC) from the NGBND/NDC composite. Both the enlarged surface area and enhanced electrochemical performance of the NGBND film are achievable. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) were used to characterize the NGBND electrodes. Furthermore, we used a finite element numerical method to research the current density near the tip of NGBND. The NGBND sensor exhibits significant advantages for detecting trace Cd2+ via DPASV. A broad linear range of 1 to 100 µg L-1 with a low detection limit of 0.28 µg L-1 was achieved. The successful application of this Cd2+ sensor indicates considerable promise for the sensitive detection of heavy metal ions.

Structural stability and electronic and mechanical properties of nitrogen- and boron-doped fluorinated diamane.

In this work, the structural, electronic and mechanical properties of fluorinated diamane (F-diamane) with N and B dopants are systemically investigated using first-principles calculation. The N atom tends to stay in the external substituted site without F saturation, while the B-doped structure of the substituted external site with F saturation is the most stable. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations confirm the thermal stability. The band structures of stable doped structures are similar to that of pristine F-diamane, due to the slight contribution of the dopant to the band edges. In addition, after the introduction of the B dopant, the formation energy reduces, and the transition barrier of graphene bilayers into diamane is smaller, indicating the feasibility of graphene bilayer fluoridation. Furthermore, we find that these doped structures have mechanical stability with isotropic elastic constants, Young's modulus, shear modulus and Poisson's ratio. Our work would promote the synthesis and development of two-dimensional diamane.

Comparative proteomics reveals the antibiotic resistance and virulence of Cronobacter isolated from powdered infant formula and its processing environment.

Cronobacter species are opportunistic foodborne pathogens that can cause neonatal meningitis, sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis. In this genus, certain level strains have high mortality to infant (Cronobacter sakazakii and Cronobacter malonaticus) and antibiotic tolerance. Cronobacter has strong environmental tolerance (acid resistance, high temperature resistance, UV resistance, antibiotic resistance, etc.) and can survive in a variety of environments. It has been isolated in various production environments and products in several countries. However, the relationships between Cronobacter antibiotic tolerance and virulence remain unclear, especially at the molecular level. In this study, 96 strains of Cronobacter were isolated from powdered infant formula and its processing environment and screened for antibiotic tolerance, and proteomic maps of the representative strains of Cronobacter with antibiotic tolerance were generated by analyzing proteomics data using multiple techniques to identify protein that are implicated in Cronobacter virulence and antibiotic resistance. The increase in antibiotic tolerance of Cronobacter had a certain increase in the production of enterotoxin and hemolysin. Only triple tolerated Cronobacter sakazakii decreased the utilization of sialic acid. A total of 16,131 intracellular proteins were detected in eight representative strains, and different proteomes were present in strains with different antibiotic tolerance, including 56 virulence-related proteins. Multiple virulence proteins regulated by unknown genes were also found in the eight isolated representative strains.

Evaluation of multiple satellite precipitation products and their potential utilities in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin.

Hydrological modeling in the Third Pole remains challenging due to the complex topography and scarcity of in-situ precipitation observations. In this study, we assessed five satellite precipitation products (SPPs) including TRMM3B42, PERSIANN-CDR, GPM-IMERG, CMORPH, and GSMaP, and simulated daily streamflow in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin (YZRB) with VIC model. The performance of SPPs was evaluated by CC, RB, RMSE, POD and FAR, to compare with daily observations. Overall, all SPPs showed decreasing trends of precipitation from east to west compared to 10 km rainfall data. PERSIANN had the highest values of POD (0.65), RB (91.6%) and FAR (0.59) but worst performed in streamflow. CMORPH, GPM and TRMM fit well with the observations annually but overestimate the precipitation in the southeast during wet seasons. Simulation from GPM and CMORPH yield satisfactory results (NSE of 0.86 and 0.82, RE of - 20% and - 13%, respectively), while TRMM outperformed GPM in modeling runoff with smaller relative error. Results indicated the potential of GPM and CMORPH in providing alternative rainfall information in YZRB. Accurate evaluation of multi-source SPPs and their hydrological utility in YZRB would benefit further hydrometeorological studies and water resources management in this area.

Study and application status of the nonthermal effects of microwaves in chemistry and materials science - a brief review.

Microwaves (MWs) are widely known and used in human life and production activities based on their thermal effects. In contrast, their nonthermal effects are still under debate. Fortunately, the nonthermal effects of MWs have been investigated by an increasing number of researchers and have shown great potential in industrial production. In this review, typical studies that demonstrate the nonthermal effects of MWs in chemistry and materials science are introduced and discussed, and the applications of and the harms that are caused by these effects are summarized to facilitate the safe use of these MW effects. The mechanisms of the nonthermal effects of MWs that have been proposed by researchers with various backgrounds are presented. Because some researchers did not detect nonthermal effects of MWs, four typical relevant studies are identified and introduced. Various types of MW reactors (single-mode and multimode reactors and reactors without a MW cavity) are summarized and compared. Finally, possible directions for future research on the nonthermal effects of MWs are proposed.

Farmers' Adaptive Behaviors to Heavy Metal-Polluted Cultivated Land in Mining Areas: The Influence of Farmers' Characteristics and the Mediating Role of Perceptions.

Heavy metal pollution in cultivated land poses a serious threat to environmental health and farmers' livelihoods. As the direct user of cultivated land, understanding farmers' adaptive behavior to heavy metal pollution, and its influencing factors, can provide insight and information relevant for decision-making, so as to better manage the hazards and risks of heavy metal pollution. We proposed a conceptual framework of "farmers' characteristics-perceptions-adaptive behaviors". Factor analysis and mediation effect analysis were used to explore the influence of characteristics and perceptions on adaptive behaviors. The data of 278 farmers in a typical mining area in Daye, China, show that local farmers perceive the hazards of heavy metal pollution, but their adaptive behaviors are hindered to a certain extent. The results of the mediation effect analysis show that perceptions of health impact, self-efficacy, and adaptive cost play a partial mediating role in the impact of characteristics on adaptive behaviors. In addition, the influence of the "factor of dependence on farmland" and the "factor of obstacles to action" on adaptive behavior have no significant relationship with perception levels. By comparing the influencing factors, we found that although farmers' perceptions have mediating effects between characteristics and adaptive behaviors, characteristics still play a decisive role in adaptive behaviors.

SENP1 inhibition suppresses the growth of lung cancer cells through activation of A20-mediated ferroptosis.

Background: Ferroptosis is a type of cell death driven by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation, which is involved in the pathogenesis of various tumors. Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-specific protease 1 (SENP1) is a critical SUMO-specific protease, which controls multiple cellular signaling processes. However, the roles and mechanisms of SENP1-mediated protein SUMOylation in the regulation of cell death and ferroptosis remain unexplored. Methods: The gene expression of SENP1 and ferroptosis-related genes in samples of lung cancer patient and cells were determined by immunohistochemical staining, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot. The association of gene expression with the survival rate of lung cancer patients was analyzed from public database. The erastin and cisplatin was used to induce ferroptosis, and cell ferroptosis were determined by evaluated lipid-reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell viability and electron microscopy. The protein interaction was determined by immunoprecipitation (IP) and shotgun proteomics analysis. An in vivo tumor transplantation model of immunodeficient mice was used to evaluate the effect of SENP1 on tumor growth in vivo. Results: SENP1 is aberrantly overexpressed in lung cancer cells and is associated with the low survival rate of patients. SENP1 inhibition by short hairpin RNA transduction or a specific inhibitor suppressed the proliferation and growth of lung cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. SENP1 overexpression protected lung cancer cells from ferroptosis induced by erastin or cisplatin. Transcriptome and proteomics profiles revealed the involvement of SUMOylation regulation of the inflammation signal A20 in SENP1 inhibition-induced ferroptosis. Functional studies proved that A20 functions as a positive inducer and enhances the ferroptosis of A549 cells. A20 was shown to interact with ACSL4 and SLC7A11 to regulate the ferroptosis of lung cancer cells. Conclusions: SENP1 was identified as a suppressor of ferroptosis through a novel network of A20 SUMOylation links ACSL4 and SLC7A11 in lung cancer cells. SENP1 inhibition promotes ferroptosis and apoptosis and represents a novel therapeutic target for lung cancer therapy.