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OBJECTIVE: The function of MDR3 is important in bile acid transport. The miRNAs can suppress the expression of gene through combining mRNA of target gene. The regulation about MDR3 mediated by FXR or PPARα in cholestasis is clear, but the mechanism through miRNA is hardly reported. We aimed to find out the miRNA, which could suppress MDR3 expression and the significance of this connection in cholestasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We measured hsa-miR-378a-5p expression level in liver tissues from 20 patients with cholestasis and 15 patients without cholestasis by quantitative PCR. We also tested the level of clinical features of the same group. HepG2 cell lines were performed experiments to discover the connection between hsa-miR-378a-5p and MDR3, including transient transfection, RNA and protein extraction, qPCR, Western blotting and luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: A significant decrease of miR-378a-5p was observed in obstructive cholestasis patient liver tissues compared to control group. We also find that the miR-378a-5p expression is correlated to several clinical features, which are important biomarkers in cholestatic liver injury. Then we predicted that MDR3 may be the target gene of miR-378a-5p through miRanda v3.3a. We programed the transient transfection of mimics and inhibitor on HepG2 cell lines, and detected the mRNA and protein expression of MRP2, MRP3 and MDR3. The results suggested that miR-378a-5p could negatively regulate MDR3 expression in both mRNA and protein expression level, and this regulation is specific. We didn't find same regulation in MRP2 and MRP3. Dual luciferase assays proved this regulation is mediated by a direct binding between miR-378a-5p and CDS of MDR3. CONCLUSIONS: We found that hsa-miR-378a-5p expression was down-regulated in cholestatic liver tissues, compared to control liver tissues. Transient transfection and luciferase reporter assay in HepG2 cell lines results suggest that hsamiR- 378a-5p can directly combine MDR3 mRNA and suppress MDR3 protein expression. The down-regulated hsa-miR-378a-5p may cause a protective alteration through up-regulating MDR3 expression in cholestasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009 the USDA-NRCS asked the Urban Bee Lab at the University of California, Berkeley if urban bee-flower knowledge could be used to attract native bees to farms in Brentwood, Contra Costa Co. in Northern California. The overarching question was, could native bees play a role in supplementing honey bees by providing pollination services for crop flowers? If so, how many native bee species were visiting farms and how frequently did they occur? Eight small farms (4-60 ha) were selected to investigate this question; four were control and four were treatment farms where bee habitat gardens were constructed. Habitat gardens were stocked with native and non-native ornamental plants known to attract native bees (and honey bees). Bees were monitored yearly in spring at each farm from 2010-2016 to evaluate species richness and abundance, which yielded several findings: I. Farms near urban areas and a creek were consistently more attractive to diverse and abundant bee species II. Inconsistent bee garden maintenance and major changes in farm operations in other farms resulted in consistently lower measurements of bee richness and abundance III. Over the seven-year monitoring period, 144 bee species were recorded among all farms IV. Nearby urban areas had most of the same species as the agricultural areas, suggesting a relationship of bees moving between two areas V. A total of 23 diverse native bee species were recorded from apple, berry, and cherry flowers, and many of them in substantial numbers, indicating that native bees were providing pollination services Finally, maintaining frequent professional contact with growers was considered crucial in conducting research over the long term. These contacts were also critical in designing outreach packages to growers who expressed interest in applying our native bee findings to their farming operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: MiRNAs have been considered to participate in many processes of various cancers, including gastric cancer (GC). However, the significance of miRNAs in the progression prognosis of GC is largely unknown. The goal of this study was to determine the expression level of miR-1236-3p in GC and its clinical association. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical specimens from GC patients were obtained to quantify the expression level of miR-1236-3p using quantitative Real-time PCR. The correlation between the miR-1236-3p levels and the clinicopathological factors of the GC patients was analyzed. The association between miR-1236-3p expression and overall survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The significance of different variables with respect to survival was analyzed using the univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: We found that miR-1236-3p was significantly downregulated in GC tissues compared to non-tumor gastric tissues (p < 0.01). The levels of miR-1236-3p expression were associated significantly with clinical stage (p = 0.002), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.000) and distant metastasis (p = 0.017). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients in the high miR-1236-3p expression group had better overall survival than those in the low miR-1236-3p expression group (p = 0.0039). Moreover, we confirmed that miR-1236-3p was an independent poor prognostic factor for GC patients through univariate and multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide evidence that miR-1236-3p expression is frequently decreased in GC tissues, and its low expression may be a significant prognostic factor for poor survival in GC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clicker training is an animal training technique derived from mechanized laboratory-based studies of animal learning. However, clicker training in the real world often takes place with a human trainer in an environment that is not as well controlled as a laboratory. Attempts to empirically evaluate applied clicker training techniques using testing protocols adapted from laboratory-based studies have been largely unsuccessful in replicating the learning benefits seen in laboratory animals. One proposed explanation for these inconsistencies is that methods used in the scientific evaluation of clicker training, and methods used by trainers in the industry, are not the same. The purpose of the present study was to determine what clicker training is, why people use it, and what methods are considered best practice in the context of applied dog training. A total of 586 dog owners and dog training professionals completed an online questionnaire. The results suggest that individuals do neither restrict the definition of clicker training with training using a clicker device but also include alternative signals such as verbal markers. Overall, individuals reported that clicker training was successful but acknowledged that certain handler skills need to be mastered before a person should begin clicker training with a dog. Survey respondents also showed substantial methodological variety in how they believed clickers should ideally be used. Systematic investigation into these methodological differences, along with empirical assessment of purported benefits, is now required so that evidence-based best practice recommendations in clicker training can be developed. Closer alignment between scientists and practitioners is likely to benefit both groups and the many animals that are currently trained for companion and working roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the clinical application value of high-frequency ultrasound-guided breast mass biopsy in the diagnosis of breast diseases. Materials and Methods: Two hundred patients with breast mass diagnosed clinically and by ultrasound underwent regular color Doppler ultrasound examination on the breast mass and bilateral axillary parts. Then needle biopsy was performed under the guidance of ultrasound and the biopsy tissues were sent to the Department of Pathology for pathological examination. Results: Each patient received biopsy smoothly with a successful puncture rate of 100% under the guidance of ultrasound. No complications occurred, 95% (190/200) of the patients were clearly diagnosed, and 5% (10/200) were orientedly diagnosed. The biopsy examination results were completely consistent with the surgical pathological results in 170 patients, accounted for 85%. Among them, invasive carcinoma in malignant lesions achieved the highest diagnosis coincidence rate (90.1%, 118/131). Conclusion: High frequency ultrasound-guided breast mass biopsy is safe and practical. Its successful rate is high and its pathological results are in high coincidence with the surgical pathological results. Thus, it can provide strong evidence for the diagnosis and identification of benign and malignant breast tumors and for choosing the correct operation scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for capturing knowledge in the digital form in design, process planning, production, and inspection has increasingly become an issue in manufacturing industries as the variety and complexity of product lifecycle applications increase. Both knowledge and data need to be well managed for quality assurance, lifecycle impact assessment, and design improvement. Some technical barriers exist today that inhibit industry from fully utilizing design, planning, processing, and inspection knowledge. The primary barrier is a lack of a well-accepted mechanism that enables users to integrate data and knowledge. This paper prescribes knowledge management to address a lack of mechanisms for integrating, sharing, and updating domain-specific knowledge in smart manufacturing (SM). Aspects of the knowledge constructs include conceptual design, detailed design, process planning, material property, production, and inspection. The main contribution of this paper is to provide a methodology on what knowledge manufacturing organizations access, update, and archive in the context of SM. The case study in this paper provides some example knowledge objects to enable SM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we measured the concentrations of trace metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb and Hg) in typical cultured animals (crabs, clams, and shrimps) and sediments from aquaculture ponds nearby mangrove wetlands in Zhangjiang estuary, China. The contents of Cr, Cu, Cd, and Pb in mangrove sediments were significantly higher than those in pond sediments, while an inverse distribution was observed for Zn, As, and Hg. Significantly higher concentrations of trace metals were found in clams from the mangrove mudflats compared to those from the aquaculture ponds. The sources of trace metals in the clams were primarily from organic fertilizer, whereas those in the shrimp were from contaminated sediment. The results of geo-accumulation index and the ecological risk assessment indicated that the aquaculture ponds near the mangrove wetlands in this subtropical estuary posed a special risk of endogenous and exogenous trace metal pollution to nearby systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]