Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Huy H. Pham, Quyen T. Dang, Hue N. Nguyen, Cam T. Tran, Quan T. Pham, Ben W. Mol, Vinh Q. Dang
Summary: This study evaluated the effectiveness of Paraffin oil versus Mineral oil for day-5 embryo culture in couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). The results showed that Paraffin and Mineral oil resulted in a comparable live birth rate.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Peter J. Hansen
Summary: The embryo produced by in vitro techniques has significant potential for genetic improvement and is a crucial component in various technologies. Overcoming technical obstacles and optimizing culture conditions are necessary for fully utilizing the opportunities offered by in vitro-produced embryos.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Peter J. Hansen
Summary: The embryo produced through in vitro oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryonic development is a valuable resource for genetic improvement and has the potential to enhance female fertility and produce offspring with superior health and production ability. It is also essential in various technologies such as gene editing, somatic cell nuclear cloning, stem cell technologies, and in vitro gamete generation. However, implementation of an embryo transfer program faces technical obstacles that need to be overcome for cost-effective implementation. Therefore, research goals include increasing the supply of oocytes from genetically elite females, improving the proportion of transferrable embryos, enhancing pregnancy establishment after transfer, reducing pregnancy wastage, and optimizing postnatal phenotype through culture conditions.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Lee D. Spate, Jie Yin, Lauren Sammel, Randall S. Prather, Bethany K. Redel
Summary: COVID-19 has had a significant impact on abattoirs worldwide, resulting in a critical loss of pig material for research. Commercial sources of pig oocytes are expensive and already operating at maximum capacity. This study presents an alternative source of oocytes that can produce live, healthy piglets.
REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(2023)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Miguel A. Velazquez
Summary: The nutritional status of oocyte donors plays a significant role in the efficiency of in vitro embryo production (IVEP) in cattle. Moderate body condition score and supply of maintenance nutritional requirements seem to be enough to provide bovine oocyte donors with a good chance of producing embryos in vitro.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Severine Le Gac, Marcia Ferraz, Bastien Venzac, Pierre Comizzoli
Summary: Conservation breeding and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are crucial for saving endangered wild animal species. Microfluidic devices developed for human or domestic animal reproductive medicine can be beneficial for wildlife ART success, but dedicated efforts are needed to customize them for specific conservation needs. Integration with other approaches is essential for impactful wildlife reproduction management.
TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Wjdan S. Bafleh, Haia M. R. Abdulsamad, Sally M. Al-Qaraghuli, Riwa Y. El Khatib, Rawdah Taha Elbahrawi, Azhar Mohamud Abdukadir, Shaima M. Alsawae, Zakia Dimassi, Hamdan Hamdan, Junaid Kashir
Summary: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes in various fields, including society, law, economics, science, and medicine. The use of mRNA-based vaccines has been approved for the first time by drug regulatory authorities to combat the outbreak. While this represents a novel application of mRNA technology in vaccination medicine, the introduction of RNA into cells to produce molecules is not a new concept. It has been commonly practiced in research to manipulate oocytes and embryos and has potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications in combating infertility. This article describes the potential clinical applications, advantages, and limitations of mRNA-based platforms, and discusses how recent advances driven by the pandemic can benefit infertility treatment. Future directions for enhancing RNA therapeutics in reproductive biology, specifically in oocyte and embryo delivery, are also presented.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Antonella Mastrorocco, Ludovica Cacopardo, Letizia Temerario, Nicola Antonio Martino, Federico Tridente, Annalisa Rizzo, Giovanni Michele Lacalandra, Domenico Robbe, Augusto Carluccio, Maria Elena Dell'Aquila
Summary: In conventional assisted reproductive technologies, oocytes are cultured in vitro under static conditions. This study investigated a millifluidic in vitro oocyte maturation (mIVM) system, integrated with 3D printed supports, which better mimicked the physiological in vivo environment. Computational fluid dynamics and oxygen convection-reaction-diffusion models were used to model the system. The results showed that dynamic mIVM significantly reduced the maturation rate of oocytes and led to impaired mitochondria distribution and activity. However, when using specific 3D printed supports with alginate filling, oocyte maturation and mitochondria pattern were preserved, and bioenergetic/oxidative status was improved.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Longsen Han, Yujia Chen, Ling Li, Chao Ren, Haichao Wang, Xinghan Wu, Juan Ge, Wenjie Shu, Minjian Chen, Qiang Wang
Summary: This study reveals the important role of mtDNA mutation in oocytes in controlling epigenetic reprogramming and gene expression during embryogenesis. Fetal growth retardation and placental dysfunction were observed in post-implantation embryos derived from Polg(m) oocytes. The deficiency in DNA methylation and dysregulation of gene expression were found in Polg(m) oocytes, and cytoplasmic factors were responsible for this epigenetic remodeling deficiency. Additionally, a reduction in alpha-ketoglutarate (alpha KG) level was identified in oocytes from Polg(m) mice. Supplementation of alpha KG restored DNA methylation state and transcriptional activity in Polg(m) embryos, preventing developmental defects.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Juan Ge, Congyang Li, Hongzheng Sun, Yongan Xin, Shuai Zhu, Yuan Liu, Shoubin Tang, Longsen Han, Zhenyue Huang, Qiang Wang
Summary: Maternal obesity leads to telomere shortening and defective telomeres in oocytes and early embryos, which in turn affects the development of embryos.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Jingwen Qu, Huiru Hu, Haoyuan Niu, Xiaomei Sun, Yongjun Li
Summary: With the increase in women's age, the reproductive capability of female mammals decreases dramatically due to age-related oxidative stress, leading to a decline in the ovarian reserve and the quality and quantity of oocytes. Melatonin, an effective antioxidant and antiaging substance, has been found to protect oocytes from oxidative stress during ovulation. This study aimed to explore the potential mechanism of melatonin in improving oocytes maturation and early embryonic development. The results showed that melatonin supplementation significantly improved the maturation quality of oocytes, fertilization rate, and blastocyst formation rate by restoring mitochondrial function and increasing ATP and total GSH levels. This study provides a potential strategy to improve the quality of oocytes from aged women and the efficiency of assisted reproductive technologies.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
A. Togola, A. Desmarchais, O. Teteau, C. Vignault, V Maillard, C. Buron, S. Bristeau, F. Guerif, A. Binet, S. Elis
Summary: The majority of human embryo culture media assessed contained bisphenol S, while no release of bisphenols by plastic consumables was detected under routine conditions. Further studies are needed to investigate a greater number of ART media to identify less potentially harmful ones in terms of bisphenol content.
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Yiran Wei, Muhammad Idrees, Tabinda Sidrat, Myeondon Joo, Lianguang Xu, Jonghyeok Ko, Ilkeun Kong
Summary: The study demonstrates that the addition of exosomes derived from bovine oviductal epithelial cells (BOEC-Exo) into in vitro maturation media significantly enhances bovine oocyte maturation and early embryo development, reducing apoptosis and improving blastocyst implantation potential.
Review
Cell Biology
Allison K. Tscherner, Angus D. Macaulay, Chyna S. Ortman, Jay M. Baltz
Summary: The period after ovulation is crucial for the healthy development of embryos, as they are sensitive to cell volume perturbations. Early embryos possess unique mechanisms of cell volume control using glycine and betaine, which undergo major changes post-ovulation. These mechanisms are critical for the normal development of embryos.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Lorena Fernandez-Gonzalez, Valeria Kozhevnikova, Eugeny Brusentsev, Stefanie Jaensch, Sergei Amstislavsky, Katarina Jewgenow
Summary: By supplementing the culture medium with IGF-I and GM-CSF, the production of embryos in a single-culture system was improved, especially increasing the maturation rate of feline oocytes and the morula and blastocyst rates of embryos. This enhancement is particularly significant for wild felids with limited oocytes and embryos available.
Article
Mechanics
Hayden Tronnolone, Yvonne M. Stokes, Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2017)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Anthony Miller, Yvonne Stokes
JOURNAL OF HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
(2017)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
J. M. Hill, Y. M. Stokes
Article
Mechanics
Brendan Harding, Yvonne Stokes
Article
Mechanics
Hayden Tronnolone, Yvonne M. Stokes
Article
Mechanics
Yvonne M. Stokes, Jonathan J. Wylie, M. J. Chen
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2019)
Article
Mechanics
Brendan Harding, Yvonne M. Stokes, Andrea L. Bertozzi
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2019)
Article
Mechanics
D. J. Arnold, Y. M. Stokes, J. E. F. Green
Article
Mechanics
Josef A. Giddings, Yvonne M. Stokes, Kyle J. Bachus, Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem
Article
Mechanics
Brendan Harding, Yvonne M. Stokes
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2020)
Article
Mechanics
Yvonne M. Stokes
Summary: Capillary collapse experiment can be used to determine the viscosity or surface tension of silica glasses, with practical significance. The study finds that a 2-D model can determine both the surface tension and viscosity from a single experiment, offering significant advantages.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Biology
J. R. Reoch, Y. M. Stokes, J. E. F. Green
Summary: This paper presents a mathematical model that investigates the mechanical behavior of biological gels by taking into account cell-gel interactions and osmotic pressure. The results show that the composition of the gel and the strength of cell traction forces can lead to different behaviors, including oscillations between gel swelling and contraction. The study also considers the effects of physical parameters such as drag and viscosity on gel evolution.
JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Gagani P. Ranathunga, Yvonne M. Stokes, Michael J. Chen
Summary: Mathematical modeling was used to examine the unsteady problem of heating and pulling a cylindrical glass tube to form tapers with a near uniform bore and small wall thickness at the tip. The study demonstrated the feasibility of producing such emitters and analyzed the influence of process parameters on the geometry. The research has wider implications for the manufacture of other devices.
Letter
Mechanics
Rahil N. Valani, Brendan Harding, Yvonne M. Stokes
Summary: Particles suspended in fluid flow can focus to specific locations in a closed duct due to hydrodynamic forces. The balance between inertial lift and drag forces determines the particle focusing in curved ducts. Bifurcations of particle equilibria occur as the bend radius varies, and these bifurcations can be used to achieve efficient separation in spiral ducts with a square cross section.
Article
Mechanics
Brendan Harding, Yvonne M. M. Stokes
Summary: We investigate the impact of Dean number on the inertial focusing of suspended spherical particles in curved microfluidic ducts. Our model extends the existing one by considering a moderate Dean number while keeping the particle Reynolds number small. The results show that variations in the Dean number can alter the stable equilibria of certain particle sizes and enhance lateral separation in practical scenarios.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2023)
