MiR-137 promotes TLR4/NF-κB pathway activity through targeting KDM4A, inhibits osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and aggravates osteoporosis.

Purpose: As the global population ages rapidly, osteoporotic fractures have become an important public health problem. Previous studies have suggested that miR-137 is involved in the regulation of bone formation, but its specific regulatory mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the expression, role, and regulatory mechanism of miR-137 in the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs).

Rational Fabrication of Ag Nanocone Arrays Embedded with Ag NPs and Their Sensing Applications.

Colloidal lithography is used to design and construct a high-performance plasmonic sensor based on Ag nanocone arrays embedded with Ag NPs. The surface plasmon polariton (SPP) of the Ag nanocone array and the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Ag NPs inside the nanocones can both couple incident photons. Sharp reflectance troughs are considerably enhanced by coupling the SPPs and LSPR, which is made possible by carefully tuning the nanocone sizes.

A bone substitute composed of polymethyl-methacrylate bone cement and Bio-Gene allogeneic bone promotes osteoblast viability, adhesion and differentiation.

Background: Increasing reports on new cement formulations that address the shortcomings of PMMA bone cements and various active components have been introduced to improve the biological activity of PMMA cement.

Objective: Evaluating the biological properties of PMMA cements reinforced with Bio-Gene allogeneic bone.

Methods: The MC3T3-E1 mouse osteoblast-like cells were utilized to determine the effects of Bio-Gene + PMMA on osteoblast viability, adhesion and differentiation.

Down-regulation of FTX promotes the differentiation of osteoclasts in osteoporosis through the Notch1 signaling pathway by targeting miR-137.

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) is one of the commonly seen bone diseases with low bone mineral densities and trauma fractures. Accumulative studies have demonstrated that the occurrence of OP is closely related to osteoclasts differentiation. LncRNA FTX has been demonstrated to inhibit the development of some human cancers.

High-performance light-emitting diodes encapsulated with silica-filled epoxy materials.

Packaging materials have a great impact on the performance and reliability of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In this study, we have prepared high performance LED devices through encapsulating LEDs by epoxy materials incorporated with filler powders. A set of evaluation methods have also been established to characterize the reliability of LED devices.

Novel quaternized poly(arylene ether sulfone)/Nano-ZrO₂ composite anion exchange membranes for alkaline fuel cells.

A series of composite anion exchange membranes based on novel quaternized poly(arylene ether sulfone)/nanozirconia (QPAES/nano-ZrO₂) composites are prepared using a solution casting method. The QPAES/nano-ZrO₂ composite membranes are characterized by FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX). The ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, swelling ratio, hydroxide ion conductivity, mechanical properties, thermal stability, and chemical stability of the composite membranes are measured to evaluate their applicability in fuel cells.

Synthesis and properties of anion conductive ionomers containing tetraphenyl methane moieties.

A series of anion conductive aromatic ionomers, poly(arylene ether)s containing various polymer backbones and quaternary ammonium basic group functioned tetraphenyl methane moieties, were synthesized via nucleophilic substitution polycondensation, chloromethylation, quaternization, and the subsequent alkalization reactions. The structures of poly(arylene ether)s (PAEs), chloromethylated poly(arylene ether)s (CMPAEs), and quaternizated poly(arylene ether)s (QPAEs) ionomers were confirmed by (1)H NMR technique. Their thermal stabilities were evaluated by thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA).

Effect of mesoscopic fillers on the polymerization induced viscoelastic phase separation at near- and off-critical compositions.

We have investigated the effect of mesoscopic fillers on the polymerization induced viscoelastic phase separation of thermoplastic modified thermosets at near- and off-critical concentrations using optical microscopy, time-resolved light scattering, dynamic mechanical analyses, and rheological instrument. Mesoscopic fillers including sepiolite and nanosized silica showed a significant enhancement effect in viscoelastic phase separation, and resulted in pronounced differences in the phase structures at all concentrations of polyetherimide modified epoxy resins with dynamic asymmetry. For blends near critical concentration, the introduction of fillers led to much finer phase structure with smaller characteristic length scale.

Modular approach for synthesis of vicinal diamines containing axial chiral 1,1'-binaphthyl from 1,2-diaminoethane by Pd-catalyzed N-arylation reactions.

A very convenient and efficient modular approach for the synthesis of vicinal diamines containing axial chiral 1,1'-binaphthyl from 1,2-diaminoethane by Pd-catalyzed N-arylation reactions has been developed. The resulting chiral diamines could be easily converted into NHC precursors, imidazole salts, in good yields.

The diffusion mechanism of water transport in amine-cured epoxy networks.

In the present work, time-resolved attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, and generalized two-dimensional (2D) correlation analysis were used to investigate water diffusion processes and the state of water molecules in six different epoxy resins. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) experimental results and IR results suggested that water diffusion is controlled by local chain reorientation and bond dissociation of water molecules from epoxy networks. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results of glass transition temperatures of epoxy resins after immersion in hot water correlated well with the PALS and IR results.

Polymerization-induced viscoelastic phase separation in polyethersulfone-modified epoxy systems.

The polymerization-induced phase-separation process of polyethersulfone (PES)-modified epoxy systems was monitored in situ continuously on a single sample throughout the entire curing process by using optical microscopes, time-resolved light scattering (TRLS), scanning electronic microscopes (SEM), and a rheometry instrument. At specific PES content a viscoelastic transformation process of phase inversion morphology to bicontinuous was found with an optical microscope. The rheological behavior during phase separation corresponds well with the morphology development.

Formation of fibril structures in polymerizable, rod-coil-oligomer-modified epoxy networks.

This paper describes the in situ preparation of fibrils in epoxy networks in which the fibril-like structures are cured polymerizable rod-coil oligomers. The epoxy-terminated alpha,omega-modified PEO oligomers, which are ABA rod-coil-rod oligomers with a poly(ethylene oxide) coil unit and two aromatic azomethine liquid-crystalline rod units, were synthesized and then further blended with an epoxy precursor. Uniform nanoscale columnar structures were observed in the neat rod-coil oligomers as well as in the crosslinked liquid-crystalline state.