bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The relative effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policies in promoting Egypt’s output growth: an empirical investigation using an ARDL approach
Authors: El Husseiny Israa A. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractThe relative effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policies in promoting economic growth is not sufficiently examined at the empirical level for developing countries, including Egypt in particular. Hence, this paper is the first attempt to empirically examine the relative effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policies in promoting Egypt’s output growth utilizing a time-series data set over the time-period (1960–2019). The study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bounds testing approach to cointegration to investigate the long run and short run effects of fiscal and monetary policies on Egypt’s output growth under a modified version of the St. Louis equation model. The study finds that both monetary and fiscal policies have a positive impact on the economic activity in the long run. However, while monetary policy seems to be more effective than fiscal policy in stimulating the growth rate of nominal GDP, fiscal policy tends to have a larger, more predictable and faster impact than monetary policy on the real economic activity. Accordingly, Egypt’s policymakers are advised to follow the Keynesian’s prescription in terms of increasing the reliance on fiscal policy compared to monetary policy to achieve macroeconomic stability in both the short run and long run.
Toxicological response and bioaccumulation of strontium in Festuca rubra L. (red fescue) and Trifolium pratense L. (red clover) in contaminated soil microcosms
Authors: Srikhumsuk Phatchani , Peshkur Tatyana , Renshaw Joanna C. , Knapp Charles W. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractPotentially toxic elements (PTE) from industrial activities remain a global concern for their environmental hazards. In particular, strontium is found in drinking water and food, primarily from contamination from the nuclear industry, petroleum extractions, fireworks, and electronics. Its carbonate form is bioavailable and closely resembles calcium; thus, it has become a health concern, and phytoremediation has often been considered for Sr2+. We toxicologically determined Sr2+ tolerance in Festuca rubra (red fescue) and Trifolium pratense (red clover), and their ability to bio-accumulate strontium was compared to the sorption capacity of the soils. These plants were chosen for their ubiquity and as primary colonisers in soils. Experimentally uncontaminated farm soils from Lanarkshire, Scotland, were used, along with these two common plants. Further, seed-germination and plant-growth assays demonstrated that strontium chloride exposures impact both species (0–40mM; p < 0.05). Moreover, translocation factors suggest that T. pratense more efficiently accumulated strontium, and F. rubra has the potential to be the excluder species, which restricts strontium to the roots. This knowledge is relevant to how strontium contamination may be phytoremediated, and suggests using clover during the early stages of ecological succession to sequester strontium from soils.
Antitumor effects of erlotinib in combination with berberine in A431 cells
Authors: Cuan Xiangdan , Yang Xingying , Zhu Weiwei , Zhao Yue , Luo Rui , Huang Yanping , Wang Xuanjun , Sheng Jun 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Background
First-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), such as erlotinib, have been shown to target tumors with L858R (exon 21) and exon 19 deletions, resulting in significant clinical benefits. However, acquired resistance often occurs due to EGFR mutations. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of patients with EGFR-positive tumors are needed. Berberine (BBR) is an active alkaloid extracted from pharmaceutical plants such as Coptis chinensis. Berberine has been shown to significantly inhibit EGFR activity and mediate anticancer effects in multiple preclinical studies. We investigated whether combining BBR with erlotinib could augment erlotinib-induced cell growth inhibition of EGFR-positive cells in a mouse xenograft model.

Methods
We examined the antitumor activities and potential mechanisms of erlotinib in combination with berberine in vitro and in vivo using the MTT assay, immunoblotting, flow cytometry, and tumor xenograft models.

Results
In vitro studies with A431 cells showed that synergistic cell growth inhibition by the combination of BBR and erlotinib was associated with significantly greater inhibition of pEGFR and pAKT, and inhibition of cyclin D and Bcl-2 expression compared to that observed in response to BBR or erlotinib alone. The efficacy of the combination treatment was also investigated in nude mice. Consistent with the in vitro results, BBR plus erlotinib significantly reduced tumor growth.

Conclusion
Our data supported use of BBR in combination with erlotinib as a novel strategy for treatment of patients with EGFR positive tumors.
“You are Cursed by the God YHW:” an early Hebrew inscription from Mt. Ebal
Authors: Stripling Scott , Galil Gershon , Kumpova Ivana , Valach Jaroslav , van der Veen Pieter Gert , Vavrik Daniel 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
In December 2019, an expedition on Mt. Ebal to examine the discarded material from Adam Zertal’s 1982–1989 excavation yielded a small, folded lead tablet. The east dump pile, from which the object emerged, contained the discarded matrix from two structures that he interpreted as altars dated to the Late Bronze Age II and Iron Age I. The earlier and smaller round altar lay underneath the geometric center of the later and larger rectangular altar. The tablet could not be opened without damaging it. A team of scientists performed X-ray tomographic measurements with different scanning parameters. The tomographically reconstructed data were subjected to advanced processing to reveal the hidden text. Epigraphic analysis of the tomographic data revealed a formulaic curse written in a proto-alphabetic script likely dating to Late Bronze Age II. The inscription falls within the literary genre of Chiastic Parallelism and predates any previously known Hebrew inscription in Israel by at least 200 years.
Long-term slow slip events with and without tremor activation in the Bungo Channel and Hyuganada, southwest Japan
Authors: Hirose Hitoshi , Matsushima Takeshi , Tabei Takao , Nishimura Takuya 
Published: May 2023

AbstractSlow slip events (SSEs) lasting for approximately 1 year occur every 6–8 years around the Bungo Channel in the southwest Japan subduction zone. The slip time evolution of the latest Bungo Channel SSE that occurred in 2018–2019 has been studied; however, the detailed spatial and temporal relationship between the slip process and other nearby phenomena, such as tectonic tremors and SSEs, is not well understood. Moreover, the migration of such long-term SSEs from Hyuganada to Shikoku through the Bungo Channel has been suggested, but a slip process connecting the SSEs has not been observed. In this study, we utilized 21 continuous global navigation satellite system (GNSS) stations around the Bungo Channel and Hyuganada that have been installed by us since 2014 in addition to GNSS Earth Observation System (GEONET) stations to improve the spatial resolution of such interplate slip. Based on these data, we estimate the spatial and temporal slip evolutions of the major SSE in 2018–2019, which was accompanied by tremor activity in the deep episodic tremor and slip (ETS) zone, and a smaller SSE in 2015–2016 without tremor activity. We show that the slip area of the major SSE overlaps the ETS zone, whereas that of the smaller SSE does not. This strongly suggests that synchronized tremor activity with an SSE requires a slip close to or overlapping the ETS zone. We also show two distinct slip propagation paths from the Oita area during the 2018–2019 sequence: one is a southward propagation to the Miyazaki area, leading to an SSE around the Miyazaki Plain, and the other is an eastward propagation to an area close to Cape Ashizuri, where “invading slip” is proposed to propagate from the ETS zone to a shallower megathrust source area. These slip propagations may be two of fundamental slip modes that connect slow-slip patch-like areas around the Bungo Channel and Hyuganada.
Graphic Abstract
Sigmoid colon schwannoma difficult to distinguish from peritoneal dissemination 13 years after pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor surgery
Authors: Suzuki Kazunobu , Shiraishi Takuya , Shioi Ikuma , Ozawa Naoya , Okada Takuhisa , Osone Katsuya , Sano Takaaki , Araki Kenichiro , Ogawa Hiroomi , Sano Akihiko , Sakai Makoto , Sohda Makoto , Shirabe Ken , Saeki Hiroshi 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Background
Schwannoma, which clinicians sometimes struggle to diagnose, is a tumor arising from Schwann cells of peripheral nerves, often in the soft tissues and rarely in the gastrointestinal tract. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET) is rare among pancreatic tumors, and recurrence can occur long after resection. Here, we were presented with a case where a sigmoid colon schwannoma was difficult to distinguish from a postoperative recurrence of PNET and was diagnosed after laparoscopic resection.

Case presentation
A 51-year-old man was diagnosed with PNET (NET G2) after a distal pancreatectomy (DP) 13 years ago. The patient underwent hepatectomy due to liver metastasis 12 years after initial radical surgery. The follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after hepatectomy showed pelvic nodules, and laparoscopic surgery was performed for both diagnosis and treatment because peritoneal dissemination of PNET could not be ruled out. Since the tumor was in the sigmoid colon, a partial colon resection was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was a schwannoma, and the patient was discharged on the seventh postoperative day.

Conclusions
We experienced a case of sigmoid colon schwannoma that was difficult to differentiate from peritoneal dissemination of PNET and was later diagnosed after laparoscopic resection. In addition, this case involved a long-term postoperative recurrence of PNET that was amenable to radical resection, further establishing the importance of long-term imaging follow-up.
Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from hospital sewage flowing through community sewage system and discharging into the Indian Ocean
Authors: Seguni Nemganga Z. , Kimera Zuhura I. , Msafiri Frank , Mgaya Fauster X. , Joachim Agricola , Mwingwa Anthony , Matee Mecky I. 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Background
Hospital sewage is a significant reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and genes that pose a huge public health threat. In this study, we determined the occurrence of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in sewage flowing from a referral hospital through the urban sewage system to the point of discharge in the Indian Ocean.

Results
A total of 400 sewage samples were collected, yielding 517 isolates. Of these, 32.3% (167/517) were from hospital sewage, while 67.7% (350/517) were from the community. E. coli was the most common isolate (44.5% (230/517)), followed by K. pneumoniae at 27.3% (141/517), and other gram-negative bacteria constituted 28.2% (146/517) of the isolates. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was seen in 80.9% (186/230) E. coli and 71.6% (101/141) K. pneumoniae. Of the MDR isolates, 27.2% (78/287) were resistant to four different classes of antibiotics, while 6.9% (20/287) exhibited resistance to eight classes. The most frequent MDR pattern was PEN/CEP/TET/QNL/SUL, seen in 14.2% (38/287) of the isolates. The isolation frequency of MDR E. coli and K. pneumoniae at different sampling sites was high, being 47.6% in hospital chambers, 62.0% in hospital ponds, 58.1% in the treated hospital wastewater, and 55.6% in the community stream draining into the Indian Ocean. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase production was observed in 40% (92/230) of E. coli and 36.2% (51/141) of K. pneumoniae isolates. Resistance to quinolones among E. coli was 54.8% (126/230) and was 39.7% in K. pneumoniae (56/141). Carbapenem resistance in E. coli was 39.6% (91/230), while among K. pneumoniae isolates was 32.6% (46/141).

Conclusions
We found high proportions of multidrug-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae in the wastewater flowing from the hospital through the community sewage system to the point where it enters the Indian Ocean. Biological treatment did not significantly reduce the proportion of resistant bacteria, posing a very serious public health threat. The release of these highly resistant pathogens into the Indian Ocean is of international concern.
Endophytic fungi related to the ash dieback causal agent encode signatures of pathogenicity on European ash
Authors: Rafiqi Maryam , Kosawang Chatchai , Peers Jessica A. , Jelonek Lukas , Yvanne Hélène , McMullan Mark , Nielsen Lene R. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractTree diseases constitute a significant threat to biodiversity worldwide. Pathogen discovery in natural habitats is of vital importance to understanding current and future threats and prioritising efforts towards developing disease management strategies. Ash dieback is a fungal disease of major conservational concern that is infecting common ash trees, Fraxinus excelsior, in Europe. The disease is caused by a non-native fungal pathogen, Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Other dieback causing-species have not previously been identified in the genus Hymenoscyphus. Here, we discover the pathogenicity potential of two newly identified related species of Asian origin, H. koreanus and H. occultus, and one Europe-native related species, H. albidus. We sequence the genomes of all three Hymenoscyphus species and compare them to that of H. fraxineus. Phylogenetic analysis of core eukaryotic genes identified H. albidus and H. koreanus as sister species, whilst H. occultus diverged prior to these and H. fraxineus. All four Hymenoscyphus genomes are of comparable size (55–62 Mbp) and GC contents (42–44%) and encode for polymorphic secretomes. Surprisingly, 1133 predicted secreted proteins are shared between the ash dieback pathogen H. fraxineus and the three related Hymenoscyphus endophytes. Amongst shared secreted proteins are cell death-inducing effector candidates, such as necrosis, and ethylene-inducing peptide 1-like proteins, Nep1-like proteins, that are upregulated during in planta growth of all Hymenoscyphus species. Indeed, pathogenicity tests showed that all four related Hymenoscyphus species develop pathogenic growth on European ash stems, with native H. albidus being the least virulent. Our results identify the threat Hymenoscypohus species pose to the survival of European ash trees, and highlight the importance of promoting pathogen surveillance in environmental landscapes. Identifying new pathogens and including them in the screening for durable immunity of common ash trees is key to the long-term survival of ash in Europe.
Association between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and cardiac perfusion and function on gated myocardial perfusion SPECT
Authors: Nasr Hatem , Alsomali Hoda , Saad Ibrahim , AbdElaal Asmaa , Mohamadien Nsreen 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Background
Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a recognized biomarker that keeps track of long-term blood sugar levels. Some studies revealed that even a modest elevation of blood glucose levels was linked to a higher chance of developing CAD. In this study we aim to test the impact of HbA1c level on perfusion and function metrics derived from myocardial perfusion gated SPECT (MPGS) imaging.

Results
Two hundred patients were recruited in this study (mean age 58.21 ± 11.53 years; 51% males), of whom 132 patients (66%) were diabetic. Diabetic patients had a higher mean HbA1c of 7.92 ± 1.99 versus 6.05 ± 0.99 in non-diabetics (p < 0.001). HbA1c% was negatively correlated to LVEF% (r = − 0.262; p < 0.001) and HDL (r = − 0.316; p < 0.001), though, it was positively correlated to ESV (r = 0.221; p = 0.002) and EDV (r = 0.291; p < 0.001). Patients with HbA1c% > 6.5 compared to ≤ 6.5%, had lower LVEF% of 53.17 ± 14.55 vs. 57.8 ± 12.61 (p = 0.017), lower HDL of 1.046 ± 0.262 vs. 1.196 ± 0.295 (p < 0.001), more LVEF < 50% (30% vs. 15.6%; p = 0.017), ESV > 44 ml (38.2% vs. 20%; p = 0.005), and WMA (24.5% vs. 12.2%; p = 0.027), hypertension (77.3% vs. 54.4%; p = 0.001) and dyspnea (27.3% vs. 15.6%; p = 0.047), however, with less chest pain (70.9% vs. 83.3%; p = 0.039). Diabetic patients with HbA1c% > 7.5 had lower LVEF% (52.0 ± 14.59 vs. 57.6 ± 11.55; p = 0.018) and HDL (1.005 ± 0.239 vs 1.148 ± 0.273; p < 0.002), more LVEF < 50% (33.3% vs. 14.5%; p = 0.011), ESV > 44 ml (41.3% vs. 20.3%; p = 0.009), WMA (30.2% vs. 11.6%; p = 0.008), and EDV > 100 ml (34.9% vs. 18.8%; p = 0.037). No significant relation was found between HbA1c% and perfusion variables.

Conclusions
Elevated HbA1c% was associated with multiple abnormal MPGS function parameters including lower LVEF, greater ESV, and more WMA. The same was observed in the diabetic group, together with greater EDV. No significant relation was detected between HbA1c% and perfusion parameters. The effect of impaired glycemic control on cardiac function parameters, even in absence of significant effect on perfusion, could be an alarming sign, while interpreting MPGS studies, both in known diabetic patients and in those with probably insulin resistance but not known to be diabetic. Such findings may be calling for further investigations, to uncover the true mechanisms behind cardiac dysfunction and the possibility of associated microvascular disease.
An RBD bispecific antibody effectively neutralizes a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant
Authors: Yuan Mengqi , Zhu Yanzhi , Liu Guanlan , Wang Yujie , Wang Guanxi , Zhang Guozhong , Ye Lilin , Qian Zhaohui , Liu Pinghuang 
Published: May 2023

AbstractPotent neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 are a promising therapeutic against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the continuous emergence of neutralizing antibody escape variants makes it challenging for antibody therapeutics based on monospecific nAbs. Here, we generated an IgG-like bispecific antibody (bsAb), Bi-Nab, based on a pair of human neutralizing antibodies targeting multiple and invariant sites of the spike receptor binding domain (RBD): 35B5 and 32C7. We demonstrated that Bi-Nab exhibited higher binding affinity to the Delta spike protein than its parental antibodies and presented an extended inhibition breadth of preventing RBD binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the cellular receptor of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, pseudovirus neutralization results showed that Bi-Nab improved the neutralization potency and breadth with a lower half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) against wild-type SARS-CoV-2, variants being monitored (VBMs) and variants of concern (VOCs). Notably, the IgG-like Bi-Nab enhanced the neutralizing activity against Omicron variants with potent capabilities for transmission and immune evasion in comparison with its parental monoclonal antibody (mAb) 32C7 and a cocktail (with the lowest IC50 values of 31.6 ng/mL against the Omicron BA.1 and 399.2 ng/mL against the Omicron BA.2), showing evidence of synergistic neutralization potency of Bi-Nab against the Omicron variants. Thus, Bi-Nab represents a feasible and effective strategy against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.
How to Improve Cancer Patients ENrollment in Clinical Trials From rEal-Life Databases Using the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Oncology Extension: Results of the PENELOPE Initiative in Urologic Cancers
Authors: Kempf Emmanuelle , Vaterkowski Morgan , Leprovost Damien , Griffon Nicolas , Ouagne David , Breant Stéphane , Serre Patricia , Mouchet Alexandre , Rance Bastien , Chatellier Gilles , Bellamine Ali , Frank Marie , Guerin Julien , Tannier Xavier , Livartowski Alain , Hilka Martin , Daniel Christel 
Published: May 2023

PURPOSE To compare the computability of Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP)–based queries related to prescreening of patients using two versions of the OMOP common data model (CDM; v5.3 and v5.4) and to assess the performance of the Greater Paris University Hospital (APHP) prescreening tool. MATERIALS AND METHODS We identified the prescreening information items being relevant for prescreening of patients with cancer. We randomly selected 15 academic and industry-sponsored urology phase I-IV clinical trials (CTs) launched at APHP between 2016 and 2021. The computability of the related prescreening criteria (PC) was defined by their translation rate in OMOP-compliant queries and by their execution rate on the APHP clinical data warehouse (CDW) containing data of 205,977 patients with cancer. The overall performance of the prescreening tool was assessed by the rate of true- and false-positive cases of three randomly selected CTs. RESULTS We defined a list of 15 minimal information items being relevant for patients' prescreening. We identified 83 PC of the 534 eligibility criteria from the 15 CTs. We translated 33 and 62 PC in queries on the basis of OMOP CDM v5.3 and v5.4, respectively (translation rates of 40% and 75%, respectively). Of the 33 PC translated in the v5.3 of the OMOP CDM, 19 could be executed on the APHP CDW (execution rate of 58%). Of 83 PC, the computability rate on the APHP CDW reached 23%. On the basis of three CTs, we identified 17, 32, and 63 patients as being potentially eligible for inclusion in those CTs, resulting in positive predictive values of 53%, 41%, and 21%, respectively. CONCLUSION We showed that PC could be formalized according to the OMOP CDM and that the oncology extension increased their translation rate through better representation of cancer natural history.