By using sub-wavelength resonators, metamaterial absorber shows great potential in many scientific and technical applications due to its perfect absorption characteristics. For most practical applications, the absorption bandwidth is one of the most important performance metrics. In this paper, we demonstrate the design of an ultra-broadband infrared absorber based on metasurface. Compared with the prior work [Opt. Express22(S7), A1713-A1724 (2014)], the proposed absorber shows more than twice the absorption bandwidth. The simulated total absorption exceeds 90% from 7.8 to 12.1 um and the full width at half maximum is 50% (from 7.5 to 12.5 μm), which is achieved by using a single layer of metasurface. Further study demonstrates that the absorption bandwidth can be greatly expanded by using two layers of metasurface, i.e. dual-layered absorber. The total absorption of the dual-layered absorber exceeds 80% from 5.2 to 13.7 um and the full width at half maximum is 95% (from 5.1 to 14.1 μm), much greater than those previously reported for infrared spectrum. The absorption decreases with fluctuations as the incident angle increases but remains quasi-constant up to relatively large angles.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a large class of endogenous non-coding RNAs that function as regulators in various cells and tissues. Here, the function and mechanism of circRNA8073 (Circ-8073) on endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) and the development of endometrial receptivity were investigated in dairy goats. Circ-8073 could bind to and inhibit miR-449a activity. Circ-8073 binding to the target site of miR-449a had a negative feedback relationship. Centrosomal protein55 (CEP55) was a direct target gene of miR-449a, and Circ-8073 could increase the expression levels of CEP55 by sponging miR-449a in EECs in vitro. Circ-8073/miR-449a/CEP55 could promote EECs proliferation via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In addition, CEP55 could regulate the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) in EECs, which contributed to the development of endometrial receptivity. These findings showed that Circ-8073 regulated CEP55 by sponging miR-449a to promote EEC proliferation via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, suggesting that it could function as a regulator in the development of endometrial receptivity in dairy goats.

Background Recent studies have revealed that noncoding RNAs play important regulatory roles in the formation of endometrial receptivity. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a universally expressed noncoding RNA species that have been recently proposed to act as miRNA sponges that directly regulate expression of target genes or parental genes. Results We used Illumina Solexa technology to analyze the expression profiles of circRNAs in the endometrium from three goats at gestational day 5 (pre-receptive endometrium, PE) and three goats at gestational day 15 (receptive endometrium, RE). Overall, 21,813 circRNAs were identified, of which 5,925 circRNAs were specific to the RE and 9,078 were specific to the PE, which suggested high stage-specificity. Further analysis found 334 differentially expressed circRNAs in the RE compared with PE ( P < 0.05). The analysis of the circRNA-miRNA interaction network further supported the idea that circRNAs act as miRNA sponges to regulate gene expression. Moreover, some circRNAs were regulated by estrogen (E2)/progesterone (P4) in endometrial epithelium cell lines (EECs) and endometrial stromal cell line (ESCs), and each circRNA molecule exhibited unique regulation characteristics with respect to E2 and P4. Conclusions These data provide an endometrium circRNA expression atlas corresponding to the biology of the goat receptive endometrium during embryo implantation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40104-019-0339-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to play important functional roles in epigenetic regulation under certain physiological and pathological conditions. However, knowledge of circRNAs during the development of receptive endometrium (RE) from pre-RE is limited. In the RE of dairy goats, higher circRNA-9119 levels, with lower miR-26a and higher prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) levels, were detected. Further study showed that circRNA-9119 decreased levels of miR-26a by acting as a microRNA sponge, and that miR-26a downregulated the expression of PTGS2 via the predicted target site in endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) of dairy goats in vitro. In this way, circRNA-9119 functioned as a competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) that sequestered miR-26a, thereby protecting PTGS2 transcripts from miR-26a-mediated suppression in dairy goat EECs in vitro. Furthermore, PTGS2 participated in the regulation of some protein markers for endometrial receptivity in dairy goat EECs in vitro. Thus, a circRNA-9119-miR-26a-PTGS2 pathway in the endometrium was identified, and modulation of circRNA-9119-miR-26a-PTGS2 expression in EECs may emerge as a potential target to regulate the development of RE.

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Circular RNAs (circRNAs) in various tissues and cell types from mammalian sources have been studied. However, present knowledge on circRNAs in the development of pre-receptive endometrium (PE) in dairy goats is limited. In the pre-receptive endometrium of dairy goats, higher circRNA3175 (ciR3175) levels, lower miR-182 levels and higher Testin (TES) levels were detected. And ciR3175 could decreased the miR-182 levels by acting as a miRNA sponge, and miR-182 could down-regulated the expression level of TES via the predicted target site in endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) in vitro. Via this way, ciR3175 functioned as a competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) that sequestered miR-182, thereby protecting TES transcripts from miR-182-mediated suppression in EECs in vitro. Further, TES inhibited EECs apoptosis by decreasing the expression level of BCL-2/BAX via the MAPK pathway. Thus, a ciR3175-miR182-TES pathway in the endometrium was identified in EECs, and the modulation of which could emerge as a potential target in regulating the pre-receptive endometrium development in dairy goats.

microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important for endometrial receptivity establishment and embryo implantation in mammals. miR‐34a and miR‐34c are highly expressed in caprine receptive endometrium (RE). Herein, the functions and mechanisms of miR‐34a/c in caprine endometrial epithelial cell (CEEC) apoptosis and RE establishment were investigated. miR‐34a/c downregulated the expression level of centrosomal protein 55 (CEP55) and were sponged by circRNA8073 (circ‐8073), thereby exhibiting a negative interaction in CEEC. miR‐34a/c induced CEEC apoptosis by targeting circ‐8073/CEP55 through the regulation of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK and phosphoitide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Positive and negative feedback loops and cross‐talk were documented between the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways. miR‐34a/c regulated the levels of RE marker genes, including forkhead box M1, vascular endothelial growth factor, and osteopontin (OPN). These results suggest that miR‐34a/c not only induce CEEC apoptosis by binding to circ‐8073 and CEP55 via the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways, but may also regulate RE establishment in dairy goats.

Despite the fact that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play roles in almost all biological processes, little is known about their biological function in the endometrium during the formation of endometrial receptivity. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of lncRNAs in goat endometrial tissues on Day 5 (prereceptive endometrium, PE) and Day 15 (receptive endometrium, RE) of pregnancy was performed by using RNA-Seq. As a result, 668 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were found between the PE and RE. Further study showed that lncRNA882, regulated by estrogen (E2) and progestin (P4), could act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) for miR-15b, which inhibited the expression of transforming growth factor-b-activated kinase 1 binding protein 3 (TAB3) and then indirectly regulated the level of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). This was helpful for the formation of endometrial receptivity in dairy goats. In conclusion, we elucidated the endometrium lncRNA profiles of PE and RE in dairy goats; lncRNA882 acted as a ceRNA for miR-15b and then indirectly regulated the level of LIF in goat endometrial epithelium cells. Thus, this study helped us to better understand the molecular regulation of endometrial receptivity in dairy goats. K E Y W O R D Sleukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), endometrial epithelium cells (EECs), long noncoding RNA 882 (lncRNA882), miR-15b