Impairment of oocyte quality caused by gut microbiota dysbiosis in obesity.

Obesity poses risks to oocyte maturation and embryonic development in mice and humans, linked to gut microbiota dysbiosis and altered host metabolomes. However, it is unclear whether symbiotic gut microbes have a pivotal role in oocyte quality. In mouse models of fecal microbiota transplantation, we demonstrated aberrant meiotic apparatus and impaired maternal mRNA in oocytes, which is coincident with the poor developmental competence of embryos.

The association of inhibitor of Growth 4 with its prognostic value in osteogenic sarcoma.

Background: Osteosarcoma is one of the first two cause of cancer-related death in children and young adolescents. Inhibitor of Growth 4 (ING4) is a member of the ING tumor suppressor family and play an important role in many cellular processes. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between expression and the prognosis of osteosarcoma patients.

Transport of alignment active particles in funnel structures.

We study the transport of alignment active particles in complex confined structures (an array of asymmetric funnels). It is found that due to the existence of the multiple pathways, the alignment interaction can enrich the transport behavior of active particles. In an array of asymmetric funnels, the purely nematic alignment always suppresses the rectification.

Transport of underdamped active particles in ratchet potentials.

We study the rectified transport of underdamped active noninteracting particles in an asymmetric periodic potential. It is found that the ratchet effect of active noninteracting particles occurs in a single direction (along the easy direction of the substrate asymmetry) in the overdamped limit. However, when the inertia is considered, it is possible to observe reversals of the ratchet effect, where the motion is along the hard direction of the substrate asymmetry.

Rectification and diffusion of self-propelled particles in a two-dimensional corrugated channel.

Rectification and diffusion of noninteracting self-propelled particles is numerically investigated in a two-dimensional corrugated channel. From numerical simulations, we obtain the average velocity and the effective diffusion coefficient. It is found that the self-propelled particles can be rectified by the self-propelled velocity.

Current control in a two-dimensional channel with nonstraight midline and varying width.

Transport of overdamped Brownian particles in a two-dimensional channel with nonstraight midline and narrow varying width is investigated in the presence of an asymmetric unbiased external force. In the adiabatic limit, we obtain the analytical expression of the directed current. It is found that the current is manipulated by changing the phase shift between the top and bottom walls of the channel.

Hydrodynamically enforced entropic Brownian pump.

Transport of overdamped Brownian particles in a finite hydrodynamical channel is investigated in the presence of the ac driving force and the pressure-driven flow. The system is bounded by two particle reservoirs. With the help of the Fick-Jacobs method, we obtain the directed current of Brownian particles and the pumping capacity of the system.