Lavender improves sleep through olfactory perception and GABAergic neurons of the central amygdala.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The use of lavender as sleep aid or hypnotic agent can be traced back as early as ancient Romans and Greeks. Yet, objective experimental data on whether and how lavender enhances sleep duration or/and sleep quality remain lacking.

Aim Of The Study: We aimed to characterize the sleep-wake regulating effects of lavender in the mouse and to demonstrate the brain targets and neural circuits involved.

Risk factor analysis and nomogram for predicting gastroparesis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: The incidence of gastroparesis is higher in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) compared to the healthy individuals. Our study aimed to explore the risk factors for gastroparesis in T2DM and to establish a clinical prediction model (nomogram).

Methods: Our study enlisted 694 patients with T2DM from two medical centers over a period of time.

Development and Validation of a Risk Nomogram Model for Predicting Constipation in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Purpose: Constipation is a common complication of diabetic patients, which has a negative impact on their own health. This study aims to establish and internally validate the risk nomogram of constipation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to test its predictive ability.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study included 746 patients with T2DM at two medical centers.

A Nomogram for Predicting Risk of Thromboembolism in Gastric Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

The aims of this study were to develop and validate a novel nomogram to predict thromboembolism (TE) in gastric cancer (GC) patients receiving chemotherapy and to test its predictive ability. This retrospective study included 544 GC patients who received chemotherapy as the initial treatment at two medical centers. Among the 544 GC patients who received chemotherapy, 275 and 137 patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2014 to March 2019 were enrolled in the training cohort and the validation cohort, respectively.

Nomogram Model for Prediction of Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis After Splenectomy: A Retrospective Analysis of 2 Independent Cohorts.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to establish and validate an easy-to-use nomogram to predict portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with cirrhosis after splenectomy and to test its predictive ability. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study included 315 patients with cirrhosis who underwent splenectomy at 2 high-volume medical centers. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method was used to select the predictors in the training cohort, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to establish the predictive nomogram model.

The Anti-Tumor Effect of Nab-Paclitaxel Proven by Patient-Derived Organoids.

Background: Nab-paclitaxel has been widely used in treating breast cancer and pancreatic patients for its low toxicity and high efficiency. However, its role in gastric cancer (GC) remains ambiguous. The aim of our study was to test the anti-tumor activity of nab-paclitaxel using GC patient-derived organoids.

LncRNA DANCR Promotes Lung Cancer by Sequestering miR-216a.

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a new class of cancer regulators. Here, we aimed to investigate the diagnostic and therapeutic values of an lncRNA, differentiation antagonizing noncoding RNA (DANCR), in lung cancer.

Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to compare DANCR levels in normal and cancerous lung tissues as well as lung cancer cells.

LncRNA PCAT-1 promotes tumour growth and chemoresistance of oesophageal cancer to cisplatin.

Oesophageal cancer (OC) is one of the most fatal malignancies in the world, and chemoresistance restricts the therapeutic outcome of OC. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) was reported to play roles in multiple cancer types. Yet, the function of lncRNA in chemoresistance of OC has not been reported.

Identification of Laying-Related SNP Markers in Geese Using RAD Sequencing.

Laying performance is an important economical trait of goose production. As laying performance is of low heritability, it is of significance to develop a marker-assisted selection (MAS) strategy for this trait. Definition of sequence variation related to the target trait is a prerequisite of quantitating MAS, but little is presently known about the goose genome, which greatly hinders the identification of genetic markers for the laying traits of geese.

Endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1 confers TKI-resistance by mediating EGFR and MET pathways in non-small cell lung cancer cells.

Mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) rendering it constitutively active is one of the major causes for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and EGFR-targeted therapies utilizing tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are often used clinically as the first-line treatment. But approximately half of NSCLC patients develop resistance to these therapies, where the MET proto-oncogene is amplified by EGFR through the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α. Here we report that endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1 (EPAS1), with 48% sequence identity to HIF-1α, specifically binds to TKI-resistant T790M EGFR, but not to wild-type EGFR, in NSCLC cell lines.

Genetic variants in ABCA1 promoter affect transcription activity and plasma HDL level in pigs.

Excess accumulation of cholesterol in plasma may result in coronary artery disease. Numerous studies have demonstrated that ATP-binding cassette protein A1 (ABCA1) mediates the efflux of cholesterol and phospholipids to apolipoproteins, a process necessary for plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) formation. Higher plasma levels of HDL are associated with lower risk for cardiovascular disease.

[Change of cytochrome c in postconditioning attenuating ischemia-reperfusion-induced mucosal apoptosis in rat intestine].

The present study aimed to investigate the change of cytochrome c in postconditioning-attenuated ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced mucosal apoptosis in rat intestine compared with ischemic preconditioning (IPC). Using rat model of intestine I/R injury, male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 220-250 g were divided into 4 groups which were Sham operation group, I/R group, IPC group and ischemic postconditioning (IPOST) group. In these groups, I/R procedure was performed by the occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 1 h.

[Perindopril, amlodipine and telmisartan improve arterial stiffness in patients with hypertension].

Objective: To investigate the effect of perindopril, amlodipine and telmisartan on improving the artery stiffness in patients with hypertension.

Methods: Patients with primary hypertension were randomly assigned to perindopril (4 mg/day), Amlodipine (5 mg/day) and telmisartan (80 mg/day) regimen for 3 months (n = 34 each). Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured by an automatic brachial ankle pulse wave velocity device before the treatment, one-month and three-month after the treatment.

Protection of preconditioning, postconditioning and combined therapy against hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Objective: To study the protective effect of ischemic preconditioning (I-pre) and ischemic postconditioning (I-post) against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rat's liver.

Methods: Using rat model of hepatic segmental I/R injury, rats were divided into 5 groups: Group A (sham group), Group B (I/R injury), Group C (I-pre group), Group D (I-post group) and Group E (combined treatment of I-pre and I-post). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in hepatic tissues were determined, respectively.