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Automated coronary angiography assessment requires precise vessel segmentation, a task complicated by uneven contrast filling and background noise. Our research introduces an ensemble U-Net model, SE-RegUNet, designed to accurately segment coronary vessels using 100 labeled angiographies from angiographic images. SE-RegUNet incorporates RegNet encoders and squeeze-and-excitation blocks to enhance feature extraction. A dual-phase image preprocessing strategy further improves the model's performance, employing unsharp masking and contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization. Following fivefold cross-validation and Ranger21 optimization, the SE-RegUNet 4GF model emerged as the most effective, evidenced by performance metrics such as a Dice score of 0.72 and an accuracy of 0.97. Its potential for real-world application is highlighted by its ability to process images at 41.6 frames per second. External validation on the DCA1 dataset demonstrated the model's consistent robustness, achieving a Dice score of 0.76 and an accuracy of 0.97. The SE-RegUNet 4GF model's precision in segmenting blood vessels in coronary angiographies showcases its remarkable efficiency and accuracy. However, further development and clinical testing are necessary before it can be routinely implemented in medical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 has been reported as a psychobiotic to improve mental health through the gut–brain axis in experimental animal models. To explore its mechanism of action in the gut, this study aimed to analyze the effects of L. plantarum PS128 ingestion on naïve and loperamide (Lop)-induced constipation mice. We found that, in the two mouse models, the weight, number, and water content of feces in the L. plantarum PS128 group were higher than those in the vehicle control group. Histological observation revealed that L. plantarum PS128 increased the level of colonic mucins including the major mucin MUC2. In addition, the charcoal meal test showed that L. plantarum PS128 significantly increased the small intestine transit in naïve mice, but not in the Lop-treated mice. Since intestinal serotonin has been found to modulate motility, we further analyzed the expression of genes related to serotonin signal transduction in the small intestine of naïve mice. The results showed that L. plantarum PS128 significantly altered the expression levels of Tph1, Chga, Slc6a4, and Htr4, but did not affect the expression levels of Tph2, Htr3a, and Maoa. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry revealed that L. plantarum PS128 significantly increased the number of serotonin-containing intestinal cells in mice. Taken together, our results suggest that L. plantarum PS128 could promote intestinal motility, mucin production, and serotonin signal transduction, leading to a laxative effect in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a unique dataset composed of comprehensive transaction data from Taiwan futures markets, we are able to unambiguously classify all investors into individuals, domestic institutions, and foreigners, and examine the price discovery and price leadership for these three groups. We find that, despite the relatively low trading volume of futures contracts by foreigners, such trades make a significant contribution to price discovery, particularly on the market index futures. Moreover, intraday analysis shows that foreigners' correlated trades can positively predict concurrent and future price movements of futures contracts. After controlling for the momentum effect, the finding is robust that foreigners exhibit superior return predictability than domestic institutions and individuals. The empirical result indicates that foreigners have an information advantage in Taiwan futures markets. In contrast to foreigners, individuals make the least contribution to price discovery and their correlated trades negatively predict the following price movements, suggesting that individuals have an information disadvantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of gabapentin on lower urinary tract dysfunction focusing on urethral activities and cystitis-induced hyperalgesia in a mouse model of painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC). The electromyography (EMG) of external urethral sphincter (EUS) was difficult to obtain, but contained useful information to examine the drug effect in mice.Methods: Female C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally (ip) administration with either saline or 200 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide (CYP) 48 h before experimental evaluation. Cystitis mice were treated with administration of gabapentin (25 or 50 mg/kg, ip). Cystometry and EUS EMG were obtained and analyzed during continuous bladder infusion. The visceral pain-related visceromotor reflex (VMR) was recorded in response to isotonic bladder distension.Results: Cystitis mice showed shorter inter-contraction intervals and increased occurrence of non-voiding contractions during bladder infusion, with increased VMR during isotonic bladder distension, indicating cystitis-induced bladder hyperalgesia. Gabapentin (50 mg/kg) suppressed effects of CYP on cystometry, but not on EUS EMG activity, during bladder infusion. The effect on urodynamic recordings lasted 4 h. VMR was significantly reduced by gabapentin.Conclusions: The present study showed that CYP-induced cystitis in mice is a model of visceral hyperalgesia affecting detrusor contractions, not urethral activations. The technique of using EUS EMG to evaluate the drug effects on urethral activities is novel and useful for future investigations. Gabapentin can be as a potential treatment for detrusor overactivity and PBS/IC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fip-gts, a fungal immunomodulatory protein (Fip) isolated from Ganoderma tsugae (gts), has been reported to possess therapeutic effects in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease. To cost-effectively produce Fip-gts and bypass the bottleneck involved in its time-consuming purification from G. tsugae, in this study, we incorporated the SP secretion signal into recombinant baculovirus for expressing glycosylated and bioactive rFip-gts in baculovirus-infected insect cells and Trichoplusia ni larva. This is the first study to employ the aerosol infecting T. ni larva with recombinant baculovirus for economical and high-level production of foreign proteins. In this study, one purification could yield 10 mg of rFip-gts protein merely from ∼100 infected T. ni larvae by aerosol inoculation, corresponding to 5 L (5 × 10 cells) of the infected Sf21 culture. In addition, the rFip-gts purified from T. ni larvae could induce the expression of interleukin-2 in murine splenocytes with an immunoresponsive level similar to that induced by LZ-8 (a known potent immunomodulatory protein purified from Ling zhi, Ganoderma lucidum). Thus, our results demonstrated that the larva-based baculovirus expression system can successfully express rFip-gts with the assembling capability required for maintaining immunomodulatory and anticancer activity. Our approach will open a new avenue for the production of rFip-gts and facilitate the immunoregulatory activity of rFip-gts available in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]