bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Catalytic activity of the Bin3/MePCE methyltransferase domain is dispensable for 7SK snRNP function in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Palumbo Ryan J , Yang Yuan , Feigon Juli , Hanes Steven D 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Methylphosphate Capping Enzyme (MePCE) monomethylates the gamma phosphate at the 5′ end of the 7SK noncoding RNA, a modification thought to protect 7SK from degradation. 7SK serves as a scaffold for assembly of a snRNP complex that inhibits transcription by sequestering the positive elongation factor P-TEFb. While much is known about the biochemical activity of MePCE in vitro, little is known about its functions in vivo, or what roles—if any—there are for regions outside the conserved methyltransferase domain. Here, we investigated the role of Bin3, the Drosophila ortholog of MePCE, and its conserved functional domains in Drosophila development. We found that bin3 mutant females had strongly reduced rates of egg-laying, which was rescued by genetic reduction of P-TEFb activity, suggesting that Bin3 promotes fecundity by repressing P-TEFb. bin3 mutants also exhibited neuromuscular defects, analogous to a patient with MePCE haploinsufficiency. These defects were also rescued by genetic reduction of P-TEFb activity, suggesting that Bin3 and MePCE have conserved roles in promoting neuromuscular function by repressing P-TEFb. Unexpectedly, we found that a Bin3 catalytic mutant (Bin3Y795A) could still bind and stabilize 7SK and rescue all bin3 mutant phenotypes, indicating that Bin3 catalytic activity is dispensable for 7SK stability and snRNP function in vivo. Finally, we identified a metazoan-specific motif (MSM) outside of the methyltransferase domain and generated mutant flies lacking this motif (Bin3ΔMSM). Bin3ΔMSM mutant flies exhibited some—but not all—bin3 mutant phenotypes, suggesting that the MSM is required for a 7SK-independent, tissue-specific function of Bin3.
Chinese experts’ consensus guideline on preimplantation genetic testing of monogenic disorders
Authors: Yan Liying , Cao Yunxia , Chen Zi-Jiang , Du Jie , Wang ShuYu , Huang Hefeng , Huang Jin , Li Rong , Liu Ping , Zhang Zhe , Huang Yu , Lin Ge , Pan Hong , Qi Hongbo , Qian Weiping , Sun Yun , Wu Lingqian , Yao Yuanqing , Zhang Bo , Zhang Cuilian , Zhao Shuyun , Zhou Canquan , Zhang Xue , Qiao Jie 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Recent developments in molecular biological technologies and genetic diagnostic methods, accompanying with updates of relevant terminologies, have enabled the improvements of new strategies of preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic (single gene) disorders (PGT-M) to prevent the transmission of inherited diseases. However, there has been much in the way of published consensus on PGT-M. To properly regulate the application of PGT-M, Chinese experts in reproductive medicine and genetics have jointly developed this consensus statement. The consensus includes indications for patient selection, genetic and reproductive counseling, informed consent, diagnostic strategies, report generation, interpretation of results and patient follow-ups. This consensus statement serves to assist in establishment of evidence-based clinical and laboratory practices for PGT-M.
Temporal and cellular analysis of granuloma development in mycobacterial infected adult zebrafish
Authors: Luo Geyang , Zeng Dong , Liu Jianxin , Li Duoduo , Takiff Howard E , Song Shu , Gao Qian , Yan Bo 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Because granulomas are a hallmark of tuberculosis pathogenesis, the study of the dynamic changes in their cellular composition and morphological character can facilitate our understanding of tuberculosis pathogenicity. Adult zebrafish infected with Mycobacterium marinum form granulomas that are similar to the granulomas in human patients with tuberculosis and therefore have been used to study host–mycobacterium interactions. Most studies of zebrafish granulomas, however, have focused on necrotic granulomas, while a systematic description of the different stages of granuloma formation in the zebrafish model is lacking. Here, we characterized the stages of granulomas in M. marinum–infected zebrafish, including early immune cell infiltration, nonnecrotizing granulomas, and necrotizing granulomas, using corresponding samples from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis as references. We combined hematoxylin and eosin staining and in situ hybridization to identify the different immune cell types and follow their spatial distribution in the different stages of granuloma development. The macrophages in zebrafish granulomas were shown to belong to distinct subtypes: epithelioid macrophages, foamy macrophages, and multinucleated giant cells. By defining the developmental stages of zebrafish granulomas and the spatial distribution of the different immune cells they contain, this work provides a reference for future studies of mycobacterial granulomas and their immune microenvironments.
Clinical Features and Outcomes of Invasive Fusariosis in Pediatric Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): A Case Series in a Single Tertiary Center in North-Eastern Mexico
Authors: Vaquera-Aparicio D , Peña-Alvarez I , Castillo-Bejarano J , Mascareñas-de los Santos A , Cisneros-Saldaña D 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Background
Fusariosis is a pathology that is of great clinical concern in certain at-risk patient groups. Pediatric patients with ALL are in the greatest at-risk population as they are frequently in a post-chemotherapy state. The diagnosis for IFIs can be carried out by the criteria established in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) and the notable intrinsic resistance of the Fusarium species to most of the antifungal agents available lead to high mortality rates in immunocompromised patients. Starting in 2002, the use of voriconazole was approved as empiric monotherapy as a first line therapy for the treatment of disseminated fusariosis. Other options are liposomal amphotericin B (LAB), Posaconazole or Isavuconazole. There are a few reports combined antifungal treatment in a pediatric population. In pediatric patients, the empirical and specific antifungal treatment is mostly inferred from clinical experience in adult patients.

Methods
We identified six patients with culture-proven fusariosis at a tertiary healthcare center in North-Eastern Mexico from May 2018- August 2021. We reported six cases of fusariosis categorized according to the EORTC/MSG. B cell ALL diagnosis was defined as a positive result in a B-cell leukemia panel. In terms of the descriptive statistics, continuous variables were reported as medians and [Interquartile range], while categorical variables were described via counts, frequencies, and (prevalence).

Results
The median age was 8 [6-12], 2 of the patients were female. All of the included patients were in the remission induction phase of their therapy and all patients had a confirmed B cell ALL and all patients presented with neutropenia. Four patients had a central venous catheter present, 3 of patients had a bacterial co-infection (E. coli, S. pneumoniae, Klebsiella blee). LAB was given as empirical therapy in 3 of patients while one patient received a combination of amphotericin B and voriconazole and the remaining patient received voriconazole monotherapy. Five patients had resistance to LAB, two patients showed voriconazole resistance. The definitive treatment was LAB plus Voriconazole in 5 (83.3%) patients. Five (83.3%) patients survived.

Conclusions
There are no clearly established guidelines for treatment options for fusariosis in pediatric patients. The majority of our reported patients presented with LAB-resistance and the combination of LAB with voriconazole has been used to control this pathology. There is still much more to explore and further research is needed into the indicated treatment plan and the susceptibility and therapeutic strategy for this specific population.
Association of Viral Control and Maternal Antibody Titers in Congenital Zika Virus Infection
Authors: Schwartz Jessica , Krabbe Nick , Mitzey Ann , Razo Elaina , O’Connor David H , Golos Thaddeus , Mohr Emma L 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Background
Exposure to Zika virus (ZIKV) in utero can result in a wide spectrum of outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic to severe neurological defects or fetal demise. The presence of virus in the fetus or in the mother’s blood for a prolonged period of time may lead to worse outcomes, which means that limiting the duration of fetal exposure to virus may improve outcomes. One factor that may be related to control of maternal viremia and presence of virus in the fetus is the maternal IgG antibody response. We utilized a rhesus macaque model of prenatal ZIKV to quantify the viral RNA present in the maternal blood and maternal-fetal interface (MFI) tissues and determine the association of viral RNA loads with maternal IgG antibody titers over time.

Methods
Dams were infected with either African lineage ZIKV-DAKAR (n=9) or Asian lineage ZIKV-PRVABC59 (PR, n=10) isolate in the first trimester, then all fetal and MFI tissues were removed either 7 or 14 days post-infection (dpi) and viral RNA loads were measured. Maternal plasma was tested for viral RNA and IgG throughout pregnancy.

Results
A greater proportion of animals infected with the DAKAR isolate had viral RNA present in the MFI tissues compared with the animals infected with the PR isolate, at both 7 and 14 dpi. DAKAR animals also tested positive for ZIKV-specific IgG at 14 dpi or earlier, while IgG was typically negative at 14 dpi for PR animals. Viral RNA was detected in the fetal and MFI tissues in a higher proportion of dams that still had ZIKV RNA positive plasma at 14 dpi had viral RNA. We found no difference in IgG antibody titers between dams that were ZIKV positive or negative at 14 dpi.

Conclusions
The presence of ZIKV in the MFI tissues and earlier detection of ZIKV-specific maternal IgG responses were both associated with the DAKAR isolate, suggesting that it may be a more virulent isolate. A higher proportion of dams that had virus in their plasma at 14 dpi also had virus present in the fetal and MFI tissues, but there was no difference in long term IgG response within either isolate between animals that tested positive or negative at 14 dpi. This suggests that the dam clearing viral RNAfrom their plasma by 14 dpi may impact whether or not the virus infects the MFI tissues, but that maternal IgG response likely does not play a role in this difference.
Comparison of external dose estimates using different retrospective dosimetry methods in the settlements located near Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, Republic of Kazakhstan
Authors: Stepanenko Valeriy , Shinkarev Sergey , Kaprin Andrey , Apsalikov Kazbek , Ivanov Sergey , Shegay Peter , Ostroumova Evgenia , Kesminiene Ausrele , Lipikhina Alexandra , Bogacheva Viktoria , Zhumadilov Kassym , Yamamoto Masayoshi , Sakaguchi Aya , Endo Satoru , Fujimoto Nariaki , Grosche Bernd , Iatsenko Vladimir , Androsova Alla , Apsalikova Zukhra , Kawano Noriyuki , Hoshi Masaharu 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
For correct assessment of health risks after low-dose irradiation, calculation of radiation exposure estimates is crucial. To verify the calculated absorbed doses, instrumental methods of retrospective dosimetry are used. We compared calculated and instrumental-based estimates of external absorbed doses in the residents of Dolon, Mostik and Cheremushki villages, Kazakhstan, affected by the first nuclear weapon test performed at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) on August 29, 1949. The ‘instrumental’ doses were retrospectively estimated using the Luminescence Retrospective Dosimetry (LRD) and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) methods. Correlation between the calculated individual cumulative external absorbed whole-body doses based on typical input data and ESR-based individual doses in the same people was strong (r = 0.782). It was even stronger between the calculated doses based on individual questionnaires’ input data and the ESR-based doses (r = 0.940). Application of the LRD method is useful for validation of the calculated settlement-average cumulated external absorbed dose to air. Reconstruction of external exposure can be supplemented with the data from later measurements of soil contamination with long-lived radionuclides, such as, 137Cs. Our results show the reliability of the calculational method used for the retrospective assessment of individual external doses.
EPOCHS VI: the size and shape evolution of galaxies since z ∼ 8 with JWST Observations
Authors: Ormerod K , Conselice C J , Adams N J , Harvey T , Austin D , Trussler J , Ferreira L , Caruana J , Lucatelli G , Li Q , Roper W J 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT
We present the results of a size and structural analysis of 1395 galaxies at 0.5 ≤ z ≲ 8 with stellar masses log (M*/M⊙)&gt; 9.5 within the James Webb Space Telescope Public CEERS field that overlaps with the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey EGS observations. We use GALFIT to fit single Sérsic models to the rest-frame optical profile of our galaxies, which is a mass-selected sample complete to our redshift and mass limit. Our primary result is that at fixed rest-frame wavelength and stellar mass, galaxies get progressively smaller, evolving as ∼(1 + z)−0.71 ± 0.19 up to z ∼ 8. We discover that the vast majority of massive galaxies at high redshifts have low Sérsic indices, thus do not contain steep, concentrated light profiles. Additionally, we explore the evolution of the size–stellar mass relationship, finding a correlation such that more massive systems are larger up to z ∼ 3. This relationship breaks down at z &gt; 3, where we find that galaxies are of similar sizes, regardless of their star formation rates and Sérsic index, varying little with mass. We show that galaxies are more compact at redder wavelengths, independent of sSFR or stellar mass up to z ∼ 3. We demonstrate the size evolution of galaxies continues up to z ∼ 8, showing that the process or causes for this evolution is active at early times. We discuss these results in terms of ideas behind galaxy formation and evolution at early epochs, such as their importance in tracing processes driving size evolution, including minor mergers and active galactic nuclei activity.
Eschatology and Peasant Visions in Moldovan Folk Religion
Authors: Kapaló James A. 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
This chapter explores the relationship between folk eschatology and the formation of new religious movements and their sacred texts. In twentieth-century Moldova, folk beliefs and vernacular texts about the end of days played an important role in the formation of two related millenarian religious movements, Inochentism and Archangelism. Folk legend and apocryphal apocalypses informed the way that time and historical events were experienced during the Russian revolutionary period and the subsequent incorporation of Moldova (formerly called “Bessarabia”) into Romania. Through an exploration of the texts published by the Moldovan peasant visionaries Alexandru and Grigore Culiac, this chapter illustrates how new sacred texts were crafted drawing on oral legends and vernacular manuscript traditions in order to animate the events of an unfolding eschaton. Archangelism continued its underground existence throughout the Soviet era, which illustrates the enduring significance of eschatological folk legend for understanding the roots of contemporary new religious movements.
The Centrality of the Tyranny of the Contemporary to Intergenerational Ethics
Authors: Gardiner Stephen M. 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The future is subject to a basic standing threat, a severe collective action problem called the tyranny of the contemporary. This chapter sets out a paradigm case, provides an illustrative example, and highlights the flexibility of the concept. It then responds to four basic complaints, roughly: that the basic model is unrealistic, that it is rendered obsolete by an invisible hand, that it does not account for motivational ties, and that it embraces a toxic conception of the self. The chapter goes on to defend the centrality of the tyranny of the contemporary to intergenerational ethics by contrasting it with its major rival: the non-identity problem.
Adult Recollections of Early Childhood Musical Experiences
Authors: Custodero Lori 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
This chapter draws from the autobiographies of music education graduate students collected over a twenty-year period to examine what they recalled from their early childhood years. Musical memories were closely associated with specific people, most often family members including grandparents, parents, and siblings; they took place in homes, cars, and faith-based settings. The development of autobiographical thinking involves the ability to reflect on the social contexts in which memories occur, and the opportunities to initiate activity on our own. Recollections most commonly focused on the social and environmental resources available, the impact of beginning formal instruction, and the powerful feelings that were so easily conjured from the past. The value of music teacher reflection—looking back in order to make sense of the present and project into the future—is discussed.
Media Messages Surrounding Parents and Music
Authors: Koops Lisa Huisman 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
This chapter presents an ethnographic content analysis of media messages surrounding parents and music drawn from popular press books and common parenting websites in the United States. Contributor Lisa Huisman Koops examined the explicit and implicit messages about parenting and music and how these messages may have influenced social pressures on parents. Based on analyses of the media sources, she arrived at six themes, organized into three dialectical tensions. First, there is a tension between the recognition of benefits of music set against the idea of children being “over-scheduled.” Second, a tension exists between relying on experts for music instruction, as opposed to viewing music as a part of daily life apart from experts. Third, a tension exists between viewing music as a luxury versus viewing music and musical study as accessible to all children. These tensions provide a lens to consider the complexity of the messages that families receive from the media.
Singing and Musical Traditions in Icelandic and Estonian Childhoods
Authors: Gudmundsdottir Helga R. , Kiilu Kristi 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Childhood singing in Iceland and Estonia is the main focus of this chapter. As the background histories of the two countries are recounted, the role of societal structures in forming children´s musical and educational environment is explored. Highlights from early childhood music research in the wider region of the Nordic, Scandinavian, and Baltic countries until this date are summarized in the chapter, ranging from research in spontaneous singing and music-making to meticulously constructed music programs in preschools, as well as methods for encouraging musical parenting. Interestingly, Estonia developed under Soviet rule, while Iceland was affected by Western influences. Comparisons between the two countries indicate that family policies and cultural traditions play a strong role in forming the appearance of childhood singing and traditions. A final conclusion is that singing seems fundamental to childhoods across cultures albeit variable in its expression.
Music and Early Childhood in Asylum Seeking Centers
Authors: Kenny Ailbhe 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
This chapter explores the socio-musical worlds of young children living within asylum seeking accommodation centers. A macro overview is provided alongside micro “on-the-ground” findings about how young children living within asylum seeking systems make, learn, consume, and share music individually and collaboratively, often forming communities of musical practice. Insights are drawn from across two country case studies, Ireland and Germany, not as a comparative analysis but rather to offer expanded understandings from cross-country research about music and early childhood in asylum seeking centers. Four themes are presented for discussion: a musical space, musical preferences, music “from home,” and music “at school.” The importance of creating and facilitating musical spaces for young children within temporary, communal asylum seeking accommodation settings is highlighted.
Section Introduction
Authors: Preti Costanza , Shoemark Helen 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The use of live music has become a regular feature in children’s hospitals across Europe, the United States, and Australia. This is an emerging field that is primarily based on practice and still needs significant research and theory to inform its development. The chapters in the section discuss various current aspects of music in hospitals. The case study of Musique et Santé, a leading organization that has shaped the practice of live music in pediatric hospitals in Europe, argues for the importance of addressing children’s cultural needs while in hospitals, through a cultural action that lies at the intersection of music performance, music as informal education, and music as health. The importance of the role of professional musician is discussed through in-depth case studies, highlighting how family and hospital staff become part of the musical interaction. Finally, the roles of the musician in hospital and the music therapist are clarified through an analysis of the many layers of music interventions and the different domains of practice for music in hospitals.
Section Introduction
Authors: Shoemark Helen , Abad Vicky 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Music is often seen as a positive experience for children, especially those facing social or medical issues. However, when working with vulnerable children, even music must be used with caution. Qualified music therapists understand the fragility of these children and work to provide a safe and positive experience. This section explores the use of music therapy in situations such as supporting newborn infants in pain, sustaining medically complex infants’ abilities to interact with their caregivers, constructing attachment where it has been disrupted, supporting rehabilitation, and aiding in moments of a child’s death. Each chapter shares the stories of how music therapy provides support for infants, children, and their families while dealing with complex medical situations.
Voice as the Platform for Intimate Moments in the NICU
Authors: Shoemark Helen 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
This chapter provides a detailed analysis of musicality as part of interplay to facilitate the expressive capabilities of medically complex newborn infants in NICU. While therapeutic interventions emulate naturally occurring successful interplay between adults and infants, they are constructed by the music therapist. This manipulation of the musical elements in interplay known as contingent singing is not spontaneous but devised to create change in the infant’s experience and their emerging capabilities. Drawing on a micro-analysis of contingent singing, this chapter presents detailed descriptions of both infant and therapist behaviors, illuminating the core aspects of active and quiet interplay and working with silence. This use of music in the NICU emphasizes that the therapist always involves the infant’s family, promoting the opportunity for the parent to create the music that supports an emerging relationship with their infant.