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Clinical evidence has established that concomitant traumatic brain injury (TBI) accelerates bone healing, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. This study shows that after TBI, injured neurons, mainly those in the hippocampus, release osteogenic microRNA (miRNA)-enriched small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), which targeted osteoprogenitors in bone to stimulate bone formation. We show that miR-328a-3p and miR-150-5p, enriched in the sEVs after TBI, promote osteogenesis by directly targeting the 3′UTR of FOXO4 or CBL , respectively, and hydrogel carrying miR-328a-3p-containing sEVs efficiently repaires bone defects in rats. Importantly, increased fibronectin expression on sEVs surface contributes to targeting of osteoprogenitors in bone by TBI sEVs, thereby implying that modification of the sEVs surface fibronectin could be used in bone-targeted drug delivery. Together, our work unveils a role of central regulation in bone formation and a clear link between injured neurons and osteogenitors, both in animals and clinical settings. Concomitant traumatic brain injury accelerates bone healing, but the mechanism is unclear. Here, the authors show that injured neurons, mainly those in the hippocampus, release osteogenic miRNA-enriched small extracellular vesicles, which targete osteoprogenitors to stimulate bone formation.

BackgroundThe aberrant expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is found in various types of cancers and also showed its association with the occurrence and development of gastric cancer (GC). We found lncRNA COL1A1-014 was frequently upregulated in GC.MethodsThis study investigated COL1A1-014 for its biological function at both cellular and animal levels, using MTT, flow cytometry, colony formation and transwell assays. The expression levels of COL1A1-014 and other genes were detected by RT-PCR and western blot. Luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the potential binding of miR-1273h-5p to COL1A1-014 and CXCL12.ResultsWe found that COL1A1-014 was frequently upregulated in GC tissues as well as cells. COL1A1-014 increased cell proliferation, colony forming efficiency, migration ability, invasion ability, and weight and volume of grafted tumors, while reduced cell apoptosis. Overexpression of COL1A1-014 increased the mRNA expression of chemokine (CXCmotif) ligand (CXCL12) and high levels of CXCL12 and CXCR4 proteins in GC cells. The levels of miR-1273h-5p showed an inverse correlation with COL1A1-014 and CXCL12 in GC cells transfected with miR-1273h-5p. The mRNAs of wild-type COL1A1-014 and CXCL12 showed reduction in HEK293 cells transfected with miR-1273h-5p. This suggested that COL1A1-014 functions as an efficient miR-1273h-5p sponge and as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to regulate CXCL12. The proliferative activity of COL1A1-014 on GC cells was blocked by CXCL12-CXCR4 axis inhibitor AMD-3100.ConclusionsThese findings demonstrated that COL1A1-014 play an important regulatory role in GC development by functioning as a ceRNA in regulating the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis via sponging miR-1273h-5p.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between endometrial echo and pregnancy outcome in patients undergoing thawed embryo transfer and explore the effect of different endometrial preparation schemes on endometrial echo.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 2910 patients who underwent freeze-thaw embryo transfer (FET)-assisted pregnancy in the reproductive medicine centre of our hospital from January 2019 to March 2024. Based on the endometrial echo on the transplantation day, the patients were divided into two groups: the endometrial echo uniform group and the endometrial echo uneven group. Based on the endometrial preparation protocol, they were divided into the natural cycle (NC) group, hormone replacement cycle (HRT) group, and downregulated combined HRT (GnRHa+HRT) group. The general data, pregnancy outcome and endometrial echo of those undergoing different endometrial preparation protocols were compared.ResultsThe clinical pregnancy rate in the homogeneous endometrial echo group was significantly higher than that in the non-homogeneous endometrial echo group. The equalisation rate of endometrial echo in the NC group and GnRHa+HRT group was significantly higher than that in the HRT group (p<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that homogeneous endometrial echo was associated with a significantly improved clinical pregnancy rate of patients with FET. After adjusting for confounding factors, we found that compared with the HRT endometrial preparation protocol, NC and GnRHa+HRT endometrial preparation protocol significantly improved homogeneous endometrial echo.ConclusionNon-homogeneous endometrial echo on the transplantation day was associated with a decreased clinical pregnancy rate of FET. The endometrial preparation protocol of the NC and GnRHa+HRT cycle can improve homogeneous endometrial echo. In FET, clinicians should develop a personalised endometrial preparation protocol based on patients’ situations.

L-Theanine, a natural amino acid found in green tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves, is known for its diverse psychotropic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of L-theanine on melanin production and uncover its regulatory mechanism. We evaluated the anti-melanogenic activities of L-theanine in vitro and in vivo. In B16F10 murine melanoma cells induced by α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, melanin content and intracellular tyrosinase activity were determined, and melanogenesis-related protein expression and signaling pathways were analyzed by Western blotting. Melanin reduction was further assessed using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) test. L-Theanine reduced the intracellular tyrosinase activity and melanin content of B16F10 cells. It also attenuated the expression of melanogenesis-related proteins, such as microphthalmia- associated transcription factor, tyrosinase (TYR), TYR-related protein-1, and dopachrome tautomerase. L-Theanine modulated the protein kinase A (PKA), cAMP responder element binding protein (CREB), phosphorylation of/protein kinase B (Akt), glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), and β-catenin. The antimelanogenic activity of L-theanine (<2 mg/mL) was further confirmed using zebrafish larvae. L-Theanine inhibited melanogenesis by downregulating the PKA/CREB and Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathways. In summary, L-theanine shows potential as a skin-whitening compound, warranting further investigation for its possible applications in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.

The incorporation of supramolecular macrocycles into porous organic polymers may endow the material with enhanced uptake of specific guests through host−guest interactions. Here we report a solvent and catalyst-free mechanochemical synthesis of pillar[5]quinone (P5Q) derived multi-microporous organic polymers with hydrophenazine linkages (MHP-P5Q), which show a unique 3-step N 2 adsorption isotherm. In comparison with analogous microporous hydrophenazine-linked organic polymers (MHPs) obtained using simple twofold benzoquinones, MHP-P5Q is demonstrated to have a superior performance in radioactive iodomethane (CH 3 I) capture and storage. Mechanistic studies show that the rigid pillar[5]arene cavity has additional binding sites though host−guest interactions as well as the halogen bond (−I⋯N = C−) and chemical adsorption in the multi-microporous MHP-P5Q mainly account for the rapid and high-capacity adsorption and long-term storage of CH 3 I. Incorporation of supramolecular macrocycles into porous organic polymers can increase uptake of guest molecules through host−guest interactions. Here the authors report a pillar[5]quinone derived multi-microporous organic polymer, which show a superior performance in radioactive iodomethane capture and storage.

Geometries and properties of (GaP)n (n = 1–38) nanocages are systematically investigated at the B3PW91 level. Particularly, the inner spaces, HOMO–LUMO gaps, and charge-transfers of the stable (GaP)n are generally increased as the sizes of (GaP)n being extended. The (GaP)n geometries undergo a structural variation with the size of clusters being increased. The medium size clusters present the hollow globular forms with large surface effect, based upon the calculated fragmentation energies and averaged atomic binding energies. The relative stabilities of (GaP)n nanoclusters are discussed. The stable (GaP)6 and (GaP)12 clusters are predicted, which can self-assemble 2D bilayer GaP nanosheets with possible stronger quantum efficiencies for optoelectronic devices or energy nanomaterials. The calculated energy gaps of (GaP)n show they are obviously width energy gap nanoclusters and have size dependent absorption wavelengths. The ionic bonds in (GaP)n are discussed and dominate gradually chemical bonding as the size of (GaP)n being increased, indicating that large-sized (GaP)n prefer to capture CO2 molecules and have properties of ionic semiconductors.

A composite membrane based on zinc oxide (ZnO) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is proposed to enhance the dye removal efficiency of materials in wastewater treatment. Firstly, this study introduces the structure and properties of zinc oxide, which serve as the basis for fabricating the ZnO-PAN composite membrane. Secondly, ZnO powder is prepared via hydrothermal reaction and furnace cooling. Moreover, spinning solutions with different mass fractions are prepared by dissolving PAN powder in N, N-dimethylformamide, and PAN nanofiber films are obtained through heating and stirring. Subsequently, the composite membrane’s electrochemical performance, electrocatalytic performance, and dye removal capability are thoroughly investigated through experiments to validate its potential for improving water purification. The study reveals significant findings: (1) The electrocatalytic properties of M-10 membranes vary at different voltages. Notably, at 30 V, the membrane achieves the highest removal rate, reaching 99%. (2) In the electrocatalytic stability test, the initial organic contents of Congo Red (CR), Rhodamine B (Rh B), Yellow Sunset (YS), Methyl Orange (MO), and Methylene Blue (MB) dye solutions are 28.53 mg/L, 14.89 mg/L, 9.62 mg/L, 11.47 mg/L, and 13.16 mg/L, respectively. After 10 h of electrocatalysis, the organic content in the filtrate of different dye solutions is reduced by 90%. (3) Within 1 h after a 5-minute electro-cleaning process, the composite membrane exhibits a remarkable recovery rate of 85% for permeate flux. These research findings demonstrate the excellent performance of the ZnO-PAN composite membrane in enhancing water purification, with the removal rate of various dyes by the composite membrane reaching up to 90%. (4) The composite membrane demonstrated excellent mechanical stability throughout the electrocatalytic process. The membrane modification substantially decreased concentration polarization, leading to a 16% reduction in the fouling rate during long-term use and significantly enhancing its anti-fouling capability. Consequently, this membrane presents strong potential for industrial wastewater treatment applications, offering a noteworthy advancement in dye removal efficiency. This study significantly advances dye removal efficiency and highlights the substantial potential of ZnO-PAN composite membranes in water treatment technology. These findings are expected to drive further advancements in wastewater treatment technology.

In this paper, the scenario of noncanonical warm inflation with nonminimal derivative coupling is introduced, and its primordial non-Gaussianity of perturbations on uniform energy density hypersurfaces is systematically analyzed. The total non-Gaussianity has two complementary components: the three-point correlation denoted by f NL int , and the four-point correlation denoted by f NL δ N . The three-point correlation dominates, and it comes from the intrinsic non-Gaussianity of the inflaton field. In contrast, the four-point correlation is a slow-roll suppressed quantity, which originates from the four-point correlation function of the major Gaussian-part inflaton perturbation and is determined by the background dynamics. These two components of non-Gaussianity are analytically calculated under slow-roll conditions within the noncanonical warm inflation framework with nonminimal derivative coupling. The combined effects of nonminimal derivative coupling, noncanonical kinetic structure, and thermal dissipation crucially determine the non-Gaussian signature, revealing a distinct interplay absent in either cold or minimal warm inflation models. Additionally, comparisons and discussions of these components and the total non-Gaussianity are presented.

Cemented paste backfill (CPB), a mixture of tailings, binder, and water, is widely and extensively used for the recovery of mineral resources, the prevention of ground subsidence, and the management of mine waste. When installed, the CPB is subjected to complex environmental conditions such as water content, temperature, and power, which have a significant impact on its efficiency. Thus, this study conducts a series of laboratory programs, including investigation of moisture, temperature, stress-strain relation, and microstructure to show the effect of curing humidity on the CPB behaviors. The results obtained indicate that ambient humidity can have a dramatic effect on CPB in terms of its macro performance of internal relative humidity, temperature and strength, as well as the micro expression. Typical examples of these effects on CPB include an increase in curing humidity, which favors binder hydration, and then an increase in hydration materials, temperature and peak stress in the CPB. The results obtained will lead to a better understanding of CPB’s responses to various environmental conditions.

Ferroelectrics are essential in memory devices for multi-bit storage and high-density integration. Ferroelectricity mainly exists in compounds but rare in single-element materials due to their lack of spontaneous polarization in the latter. However, we report a room-temperature ferroelectricity in quasi-one-dimensional Te nanowires. Piezoelectric characteristics, ferroelectric loops and domain reversals are clearly observed. We attribute the ferroelectricity to the ion displacement created by the interlayer interaction between lone-pair electrons. Ferroelectric polarization can induce a strong field effect on the transport along the Te chain, giving rise to a self-gated ferroelectric field-effect transistor. By utilizing ferroelectric Te nanowire as channel, the device exhibits high mobility (~220 cm 2 ·V −1 ·s −1 ), continuous-variable resistive states can be observed with long-term retention (>10 5 s), fast speed (<20 ns) and high-density storage (>1.92 TB/cm 2 ). Our work provides opportunities for single-element ferroelectrics and advances practical applications such as ultrahigh-density data storage and computing-in-memory devices. Authors find room-temperature ferroelectricity in single element Te nanowires, highlighting that reducing dimensions to 1D in low-dimensional piezoelectric materials with chain structures is an effective strategy to induce ferroelectricity absent in their 2D form.