The Role of T-box Proteins in Vertebrate Germ Layer Formation and Patterning

All of the tissues in triploblastic organisms, with the exception of the germ cells, arise from the three germ layers, ectoderm, mesoderm and the endoderm. The identification of the genes that underlie the differentiation of these layers is crucial to our understanding of development. T-box family proteins are DNA-binding transcriptional regulators that play important roles during germ layer formation in the early vertebrate embryo. Well-characterized members of this family, including the transcriptional activators Brachyury and VegT, are essential for the proper formation of mesoderm and endoderm, respectively. To date, T-box proteins have not been shown to play a role in the promotion of the third primary germ layer, ectoderm. In this study, we have identified two T-box proteins, Tbx2 and Tbx3, as important players in the development of the vertebrate embryo with majority of our work focused on Tbx2. Our studies indicate that the T-box factor Tbx2 is both sufficient and necessary for ectodermal differentiation in the frog Xenopus laevis. Tbx2 is expressed zygotically in the presumptive ectoderm, during blastula and gastrula stages. Ectopic expression of Tbx2 represses mesoderm and endoderm, while loss of Tbx2 leads to inappropriate expression of mesoderm- and endoderm-specific genes in the region fated to give rise to ectoderm. Misexpression of Tbx2 also promotes neural tissue in animal cap explants, suggesting that Tbx2 plays a role in both the establishment of ectodermal fate and its dorsoventral patterning. Our studies demonstrate that Tbx2 functions as a transcriptional repressor during germ layer formation, and suggest that this activity is mediated in part through repression of target genes that are stimulated, in the mesendoderm, by activating T-box proteins. In addition to Tbx2, we also identified Tbx3, another T-box transcription factor, whose expression begins early in development. Our data indicate that Tbx3 is expressed in the animal pole of Xenopus laevis embryos, where it functions to repress mesodermal and endodermal genes. Taken together, our results point to a critical role for T-box proteins in limiting the potency of blastula-stage progenitor cells during vertebrate germ layer differentiation

Cultural Health Moments: A Search Analysis During Times of Heightened Awareness to Identify Potential Interception Points with Digital Health Consumers

Year after year whenever someone who is considered “high profile” discovers that they have some sort of sickness or if they pass away due to a sickness, there seems to be a heightened interest in that person. At the same time however, there is a heightened awareness of the type of sickness that the person had. Finding the moments in which there is a heightened sense of awareness towards a specific topic can be something of high value to various agencies and organizations. The objective of this study was to explore the moments in which people start to do some initial search queries when there is a high-profile health moment. Once it is understood when this moment occurs, further research can be done to understand where the search behavior shifts to searches of awareness, signs, symptoms, and introspection over time

PERFORMANCE OF FIELD ORIENTED CONTROLLED OPEN-END WINDING INDUCTION MOTOR DRIVE USING NEAREST SUB-HEXAGONAL CENTER PWM TECHNIQUES

In this article, performance of field oriented controlled open-end winding induction motor drive (FOCOEWIMD) using nearest sub-hexagonal centre PWM (NSHCPWM)technique is proposed. In the proposed work, two 2-level inverters are used on either side of OEWIM drive to obtain the three-level output voltage. To generate the control signals for the two inverters, NSHCPWM technique is used. In the proposed method reference vector is realized with two components, based on the tip of the reference vector location nearest sub-hexagonal centre is identified, which is one of the switching vector used to generate the control signals for inverter-I and the other component is realized using inverter-II by mapping into the inner sub-hexagon. So that one inverter is used as switching inverter and the other is as clamping inverter. Ripples in torque and stator current are also reduced in the proposed work over conventional SVPWM techniques. Proposed work is analyzed theoretically and the same can be realized using MATLAB/SIMULINK and the corresponding results are presented for different modulation index

Evaluation of the prognostic utility of the combination of platelet count with mean platelet volume as a prognostic indicator in head and neck cancer.

The combination of platelet count to mean platelet volume (COP-MPV) has been recently reported as a prognostic indicator of oral cavity cancer and other cancer sites. The aim of the present study was to validate the utility of the COP-MPV as a prognostic indicator in all head and neck cancer (HNC) sites. The clinicopathological characteristics of the COP-MPV with HNC were also investigated. This is a retrospective cohort study that recruited consecutively treated patients at a tertiary level academic hospital. Clinicopathological characteristics were recorded, including the COP-MPV scores. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis, as well as multivariate Cox Proportional Hazards regression. COP-MPV was not associated with the survival outcome in univariate or multivariate analysis. In the multivariate model, tumor differentiation, tumor stage, nodal stage, surgical margins and hemoglobin were revealed to be significantly associated with survival. The results demonstrated that the COP-MPV is not a suitable prognostic factor for HNC

Clinical Perspective on Midgut Nonrotation in Adults: A Clinical Case Report and Review of the Literature

Sameer Kumar Majety,1 Nafisa Alam,1 Nayeem Omar,1 Ayushi Rusia,1 Prabath Vihari Teegala,1 Gopichand Muppana2 1Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Internal Medicine, National Pirigov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia, UkraineCorrespondence: Gopichand Muppana, Department of Internal Medicine, National Pirigov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia, Ukraine, Email [email protected]: To present a case of intestinal nonrotation in a 26-year-old Indian male and conduct a detailed review of 16 additional cases from the PubMed database.Case Presentation: A 26-year-old male presented with acute right lower quadrant abdominal pain and vomiting. He had a similar episode seven years prior that self-resolved. Physical examination revealed generalized abdominal tenderness, guarding, and mild distention. Imaging studies, including abdominal ultrasound and CECT, confirmed midgut volvulus due to nonrotation. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy and Ladd’s procedure, leading to an uneventful recovery and discharge on postoperative day seven.Material and Methods: A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted for case reports on midgut nonrotation in adults. 15 relevant cases were selected, and including the present case, 16 cases were reviewed.Results: The mean age at presentation was 55.19 years (range: 26– 86), with a slight male predominance (56.2%). The most common symptoms were acute abdominal pain (50%) and vomiting (31.25%). Notably, 50% of cases were identified incidentally during evaluations for unrelated conditions or procedures. CT scans confirmed diagnoses in 87.5% of cases. Positional anomalies included right-sided small bowel and left-sided colon in 37.5% and reversed SMA/SMV relationships in 33%. Ladd’s procedure was performed in 25% of cases.Conclusion: Midgut nonrotation, resulting from abnormal embryonic bowel rotation, can occur at any age, more commonly in males. It may present as a surgical emergency due to bowel obstruction and volvulus or remain asymptomatic throughout life. CT imaging and surgical intervention, particularly Ladd’s procedure, are effective management strategies. The frequent incidental discovery of cases suggests that asymptomatic nonrotation may be more prevalent than clinically recognized.Keywords: case report, nonrotation and midgut, malrotation and midgut, Ladd’s procedure, gastroenterology, congenital disorder