The WIGGUM gene is required for proper regulation of floral meristem size in Arabidopsis

The study of cell division control within developing tissues is central to understanding the processes of pattern formation. The floral meristem of angiosperms gives rise to floral organs in a particular number and pattern. Despite its critical role, little is known about how cell division is controlled in the floral meristem, and few genes involved have been identified. We describe the phenotypic effects of mutations in WIGGUM, a gene required for control of cell proliferation in the floral and apical meristem of Arabidopsis thaliana. wiggum flowers contain more organs, especially sepals and petals, than found in wild-type flowers. This organ number phenotype correlates with specific size changes in the early floral meristem, preceding organ initiation. Genetic studies suggest that WIGGUM acts on a similar process but in a separate pathway than the CLAVATA1 and CLAVATA3 genes in meristem size regulation, and reveal interactions with other genes affecting meristem structure and identity. Analysis of double mutant phenotypes also reveals a role for WIGGUM in apical meristem function. We propose that WIGGUM plays a role in restricting cell division relative to cellular differentiation in specific regions of the apical and floral meristems

Treatment of Liver Metastases in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors of Gastroesophageal and Pancreatic Origin

Well-to-moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of gastroesophageal and pancreatic origin (GEP-NETs) with liver metastasis are a heterogeneous group of malignancies for which a range of therapeutic options have been employed. Surgical resection of hepatic metastases or hepatic artery embolization may be beneficial in patients with hepatic-predominant metastatic disease. Patients with “carcinoid” syndrome and syndromes associated with functional pancreatic NET (PNET) can be effectively treated with somatostatin analogs. On the other hand, the efficacy of systemic chemotherapy for these patients is limited. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, prospective, and randomized study showed that octreotide LAR improves progression-free survival in patients with advanced midgut functional “carcinoids.” In patients with advanced pancreatic NET, randomized, placebo-controlled studies have recently demonstrated that treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib or with mTOR inhibitor everolimus is associated with improved progression-free survival. Based on these studies, octreotide LAR, sunitinib, or everolimus are now considered as first-line therapeutic options in patients with advanced NET. Future studies will likely further define the role of these agents in patients with carcinoid liver metastasis and pancreatic NET liver metastasis

Does strengths of a positive direct antiglobulin test predicts the need for phototherapy and duration of phototherapy? – a single center, retrospective study

BackgroundUse of Direct Antiglobulin test (DAT) in management of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is conflicting.Objectivewhether strength of positive DAT predicts the need for phototherapy, duration of phototherapy and need for major interventions.MethodsWe retrospectively collected data on all DAT positive neonates with birth gestational age ≥32 weeks over six years (2014–2019). Data regarding blood group, DAT and clinical details were obtained from a hospital database. We also collected data on serial hemoglobin and other relevant laboratory parameters. We also collected data on infants receiving major interventions such as exchange transfusion, in-utero transfusion, immunoglobulins, and postnatal transfusion for the duration of the study period. All of these infants were electronically followed up for a period of 6 weeks. This study was approved by institutional audit authority. All the statistics were performed using SPSS software.ResultsOut of 1285 DAT tests performed, only 91 infants were positive (7%), and 78 DAT positive infants were available for analysis. There were 54 infants with DAT (1+), 15 infants with DAT (2+), 7 infants with DAT (3+) and 2 infants with DAT (4+). There was no significant statistical difference in terms of need for phototherapy, duration of phototherapy, need for major interventions and hemoglobin levels at different time points between the groups (DAT 1+ Vs DAT ≥2+; DAT ≤2+ Vs DAT >2). A Total of 10 infants received major intervention, with one infant receiving all three interventions (DAT 3+ with significant maternal antibodies), 2 additional infants (both DAT1+) received exchange transfusion, 6 additional infants received immunoglobulin (2 infants: DAT 2+; 4 infants: DAT 1+) and one additional infant (DAT 1+) with significant maternal antibodies received a postnatal transfusion.ConclusionStrength of a DAT did not predict the need for phototherapy, duration of phototherapy, and the need for major hemolysis related intervention in the first 6 weeks of life

Concert recording 2013-04-18a

[Track 01]. Concerto for trombone, I. Moderato assai ma molto maestoso, II. Quasi una leggenda / Launy Grondahl -- [Track 02]. Conversation for tenor and bass trombone / Charlie Small -- [Track 03]. Elegie op. 3, no. 1 / Sergei Rachmaninoff -- [Track 04]. Marietta\u27s Lied from Die tote Stadt / Erich Wolfgang Korngold -- [Track 05]. Concerto for trombone, I. Adagio ; [Track 06]. II. Allegro assai / Georg Christoph Wagenseil

Life-Threatening Adenovirus Infections in the Setting of the Immunocompromised Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Patients

A single institution case series of adenovirus infections after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is presented to highlight the consideration for adenovirus infections as an etiology in patients with rapid hepatic or other sudden organ deterioration in the setting of apparent GVHD stabilization. The series also highlights that survival is limited with these infections often due in part to concomitant opportunistic infections. In addition, the pathophysiological events, such as GVHD and hepatic dysfunction, may complicate the clinical picture and delay therapy of an opportunistic infection. This is particularly true for adenoviral infections as they also have a distinct clinical picture in immunocompromised patients when compared to immune competent patients. Adenovirus infections also have the additional challenge that its treatment, cidofovir, has associated toxicities that can delay its administration. Recent developments has yielded an assay that can be used in the early detection and for serial determinations of adenovirus in patients with advanced GVHD, as well as a new therapeutic agent currently undergoing clinical trials

A connection between stress and development in the multicelular prokaryote Streptomyces coelicolor

Morphological changes leading to aerial mycelium formation and sporulation in the mycelial bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor rely on establishing distinct patterns of gene expression in separate regions of the colony. sH was identified previously as one of three paralogous sigma factors associated with stress responses in S. coelicolor. Here, we show that sigH and the upstream gene prsH (encoding a putative antisigma factor of sH) form an operon transcribed from two developmentally regulated promoters, sigHp1 and sigHp2. While sigHp1 activity is confined to the early phase of growth, transcription of sigHp2 is dramatically induced at the time of aerial hyphae formation. Localization of sigHp2 activity using a transcriptional fusion to the green fluorescent protein reporter gene (sigHp2–egfp) showed that sigHp2 transcription is spatially restricted to sporulating aerial hyphae in wild-type S. coelicolor. However, analysis of mutants unable to form aerial hyphae (bld mutants) showed that sigHp2 transcription and sH protein levels are dramatically upregulated in a bldD mutant, and that the sigHp2–egfp fusion was expressed ectopically in the substrate mycelium in the bldD background. Finally, a protein possessing sigHp2 promoter-binding activity was purified to homogeneity from crude mycelial extracts of S. coelicolor and shown to be BldD. The BldD binding site in the sigHp2 promoter was defined by DNase I footprinting. These data show that expression of sH is subject to temporal and spatial regulation during colony development, that this tissue-specific regulation is mediated directly by the developmental transcription factor BldD and suggest that stress and developmental programmes may be intimately connected in Streptomyces morphogenesis