bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Touhy and Quincke needles on intravascular injection rate in lumbar transforaminal epidural block: a randomized prospective trial
Authors: Soh Hyojung , Jeong Yujin , Kim Eung Don 
Published: May 2021

BackgroundTransforaminal epidural steroid injection is widely used in clinical practice to effectively deliver injectate into the ventral epidural space. Complications associated with intravascular injection such as spinal cord infarction and paraplegia can occur during transforaminal epidural steroid injection. To improve the safety of the procedure, avoidance of intravascular injection is crucial, for which appropriate needle selection is important. The primary aim of this study was to compare intravascular injection rates during transforaminal epidural steroid injection between commonly used Quincke and Tuohy needles.MethodTwo hundred and four transforaminal epidural steroid injection cases were randomly assigned to one of two needle groups (22-gage Quincke needle or 22-gage Tuohy needle). Intravascular injection was evaluated using digital subtraction angiography. Spread of contrast medium to the ventral and medial epidural spaces was evaluated. Procedure time was compared between the two needle types.ResultsThe overall incidence of intravascular injection was 7.8%. The rate of intravascular injection was significantly lower in the Tuohy needle group than the Quincke needle group (2.9% vs 12.7%, p=0.009). The ventral and medial epidural spread rates of the Tuohy needle group were 92.2% and 95.1%, respectively, significantly higher than those of the Quincke needle group. The procedure time was shorter in the Tuohy needle group than in the Quincke needle group (97.4 (19.3) seconds vs 117.8 (31.9) s; mean difference −20.40 (95% CI −34.35 to −6.45), p=0.005).ConclusionsIn conclusion, Tuohy needles had a lower intravascular injection rate and higher medial and ventral epidural spreading rates than Quincke needles.Trial registration numberKCT0002095.
Impact of manure and biochar additions on annual crop growth, nutrient uptake, and fate of 15N-labelled fertilizer in two contrasting temperate prairie soils after four years
Authors: Hangs R.D. , Schoenau J.J. , Knight J.D. 
Published: May 2021

Liquid hog manure (LHM) and solid cattle manure (SCM) co-applied with biochar could beneficially influence soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) dynamics. A split-plot design was used at two sites (Brown and Black) in Saskatchewan to assess LHM and SCM (100 kg N·ha−1) applied alone or in combination with biochars (8 Mg carbon·ha−1) produced using slow or fast pyrolysis. Crop growth and nutrient uptake, along with fertilizer 15N recovery, were followed over four years in a cereal–oilseed rotation. Crop growth on the Brown soil was more responsive to the treatments than the Black soil, reflecting lower fertility of the Brown soil. The manure and biochar, applied alone or in combination, had little impact on available soil P. Manure and biochar effects on crop growth and nutrient uptake were attributed to temporal effects on soil N immobilization–mineralization influencing plant-available soil N. A negative impact of the fast pyrolysis biochar on growth and plant uptake was observed and attributable to its greater labile-carbon content, which likely promoted soil N immobilization. Synergism observed between SCM and the slow pyrolysis biochar may reflect enhanced net SCM-N mineralization and increased water-holding capacity. The majority (55%–80%) of plant 15N recovery occurred during the first year, with 86% of fertilizer 15N conserved within the soil–plant system after four years. Greater (40%) plant 15N recovery without biochar addition, coupled with increased (38%) soil 15N recovery with added biochar, suggests biochar-related immobilization and (or) sorption in the biochar-amended soils.
Acheulian artefacts and tephra from Upland Western Maharashtra (Deccan Volcanic Province), Peninsular India
Authors: Deo Sushama G. , Baptista Andre , Rajaguru Sharad N. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
The two Early Acheulian sites of Bori and Morgaon in the Deccan Volcanic Province in Upland Maharashtra, India bear some association with an acidic tephra deposit in a fluvial context. Acheulian artefacts in association with tephra were first reported in India from the Bori site and numerous efforts to date this tephra have since been undertaken. These efforts employed various dating methods and produced a total of 10 absolute dates ranging from the Early Pleistocene with a maximum age of 1.4 Ma to the Late Pleistocene with a minimum age of 23.4 ± 2.4 ka. However, field observations and a typo-technological analysis strongly suggests that these Early Acheulian artefacts occur in a semi-primary context, and thus contest the Late Pleistocene age of the tephra and redeposition of the artefacts as argued by some scholars.
At Morgaon, the Acheulian artefacts have been recovered from basal fluvial sediments that contain clasts of laterite. These sediments are capped by two low-energy clay facies that are separated by high-energy gravel lenses. The tephra at Morgaon has been reported from the upper clay facies and has produced absolute dates ranging from the Matuyama period (>0.78 Ma) to the Late Pleistocene (41 ka).

After more than two decades of investigation at these sites, the number of absolute dates procured through methods such as electron spin resonance (ESR),
39
Ar–
40
Ar, U–Th and palaeomagnetism, although encouraging, are inconclusive. This paper is therefore an attempt to gauge the nature of the palaeolandscapes that most probably existed during the Early Quaternary. This will be achieved by studying local geomorphological variability between the two sites, along with a preliminary analysis of lithic morphology.
Whitening Efficacy of 3% Carbamide Peroxide Gel Activated by Lactoperoxidase
Authors: Khemiss Mehdi , Kallel Ines , Zouaghi Hela , Ben Khelifa Mohamed , Bagga Sana 
Published: May 2021

Objective. The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a whitening toothpaste containing 3% carbamide peroxide and lactoperoxidase. Materials and methods. Participants were instructed to brush their teeth using an enzymatic-activated dentifrice following a particular procedure for three weeks. Color was recorded before and after treatment using a VITA Easyshade spectrophotometer. Differences in L

∗

(tooth color lightness), a

∗

(displacement along the red-green axis), and b

∗

(displacement along the yellow-blue axis) were measured before and after treatment using the paired t and the Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Color changes (ΔE) were calculated using the obtained measurements. Results. Thirty-four volunteers were included. ΔE was 4.03. For the set of 348 teeth, a greater tendency towards green (lower a

∗

) and blue (lower b

∗

) was observed (

p

< 0.05). There were no significant differences in lightness after treatment. Mandibular central incisors showed a greater tendency towards green (lower a

∗

) and blue (lower b

∗

). Bleaching effectiveness was observed in both the upper and lower central incisors and in the lateral mandibular incisors. Conclusion. Based on these results, it may be concluded that brushing with an enzymatic-activated dentifrice is effective for whitening teeth.
Gut Microbiota–Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids Promote Prostate Cancer Growth via IGF1 Signaling
Authors: Matsushita Makoto , Fujita Kazutoshi , Hayashi Takuji , Kayama Hisako , Motooka Daisuke , Hase Hiroaki , Jingushi Kentaro , Yamamichi Gaku , Yumiba Satoru , Tomiyama Eisuke , Koh Yoko , Hayashi Yujiro , Nakano Kosuke , Wang Cong , Ishizuya Yu , Kato Taigo , Hatano Koji , Kawashima Atsunari , Ujike Takeshi , Uemura Motohide , Imamura Ryoichi , Rodriguez Pena Maria D.C. , Gordetsky Jennifer B. , Netto George J. , Tsujikawa Kazutake , Nakamura Shota , Takeda Kiyoshi , Nonomura Norio 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Excessive intake of animal fat and resultant obesity are major risk factors for prostate cancer. Because the composition of the gut microbiota is known to change with dietary composition and body type, we used prostate-specific Pten knockout mice as a prostate cancer model to investigate whether there is a gut microbiota–mediated connection between animal fat intake and prostate cancer. Oral administration of an antibiotic mixture (Abx) in prostate cancer–bearing mice fed a high-fat diet containing a large proportion of lard drastically altered the composition of the gut microbiota including Rikenellaceae and Clostridiales, inhibited prostate cancer cell proliferation, and reduced prostate Igf1 expression and circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) levels. In prostate cancer tissue, MAPK and PI3K activities, both downstream of the IGF1 receptor, were suppressed by Abx administration. IGF1 directly promoted the proliferation of prostate cancer cell lines DU145 and 22Rv1 in vitro. Abx administration also reduced fecal levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced by intestinal bacteria. Supplementation with SCFAs promoted tumor growth by increasing IGF1 levels. In humans, IGF1 was found to be highly expressed in prostate cancer tissue from obese patients. In conclusion, IGF1 production stimulated by SCFAs from gut microbes influences the growth of prostate cancer via activating local prostate MAPK and PI3K signaling, indicating the existence of a gut microbiota-IGF1-prostate axis. Disrupting this axis by modulating the gut microbiota may aid in prostate cancer prevention and treatment.

Significance:
These results suggest that intestinal bacteria, acting through short-chain fatty acids, regulate systemic and local prostate IGF1 in the host, which can promote proliferation of prostate cancer cells.
The Costs and Benefits of Risk Stratification for Colorectal Cancer Screening Based On Phenotypic and Genetic Risk: A Health Economic Analysis
Authors: Thomas Chloe , Mandrik Olena , Saunders Catherine L. , Thompson Deborah , Whyte Sophie , Griffin Simon , Usher-Smith Juliet A. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Population-based screening for colorectal cancer is an effective and cost-effective way of reducing colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Many genetic and phenotypic risk factors for colorectal cancer have been identified, leading to development of colorectal cancer risk scores with varying discrimination. However, these are not currently used by population screening programs. We performed an economic analysis to assess the cost-effectiveness, clinical outcomes, and resource impact of using risk-stratification based on phenotypic and genetic risk, taking a UK National Health Service perspective. Biennial fecal immunochemical test (FIT), starting at an age determined through risk-assessment at age 40, was compared with FIT screening starting at a fixed age for all individuals. Compared with inviting everyone from age 60, using a risk score with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.721 to determine FIT screening start age, produces 418 QALYs, costs £247,000, and results in 218 fewer colorectal cancer cases and 156 fewer colorectal cancer deaths per 100,000 people, with similar FIT screening invites. There is 96% probability that risk-stratification is cost-effective, with net monetary benefit (based on £20,000 per QALY threshold) estimated at £8.1 million per 100,000 people. The maximum that could be spent on risk-assessment and still be cost-effective is £114 per person. Lower benefits are produced with lower discrimination risk scores, lower mean screening start age, or higher FIT thresholds. Risk-stratified screening benefits men more than women. Using risk to determine FIT screening start age could improve the clinical outcomes and cost effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening without using significant additional screening resources.

Prevention Relevance:
Colorectal cancer screening is essential for early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer, but implementation is often limited by resource constraints. This work shows that risk-stratification using genetic and phenotypic risk could improve the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of screening programs, without using substantially more screening resources than are currently available.
Mantids (Insecta: Mantodea) of Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: Yadav Ramesh Singh , Painkra G.P. 
Published: May 2021

Several surveys of mantid fauna from eastern Uttar Pradesh, India were carried out during the period 2017–2019. The collected materials include 21 species of 17 genera from six families and nine subfamilies. The Family Mantidae contributed the highest numbers of mantid fauna. In total, 10 species of mantis are reported for the first time from the present Uttar Pradesh (after division of the state) while Tenodera costalis (Blanchard, 1853) is recorded for the first time from the country.
The diversity of small mammals in Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Terengganu, Malaysia
Authors: Baqi Aminuddin , Azhar Isham , Chen Ean Wee , Anwarali Khan Faisal Ali , Lian Chong Ju , Nelson Bryan Raveen , Kumaran Jayaraj Vijaya 
Published: May 2021

Islands are generally rich in marine biodiversity, but it also often hides unique and endemic terrestrial wildlife. The data of terrestrial wildlife in Malaysian islands are still severely lacking, notably from small islands. Hence, this study was conducted to survey and update the small mammal diversity (bats and non-volant small mammals) in Pulau Perhentian Kecil, a tourist destination famous for its magnificent, diverse marine life and white sandy beaches. Despite their touristic popularity, very few information is known about the faunal diversity in this island compare to their more massive neighbouring island, Pulau Perhentian Besar. The survey was carried out from 21 to 30 May 2014 recorded 56 individuals encompasses eight species of bats and five species of non-volant small mammals that were captured using mist nets, harp traps, and cage traps. The survey recorded 10 new species locality records for the island in which, five species were never recorded in Pulau Perhentian Besar. Hipposideros dyacorum, Tylonycteris fulvida, T. malayana, Rattus exulans, and Sundamys annandalei are also new distribution records for the Malaysian East Coast islands highlighting the importance of protecting island biodiversity. Nonetheless, it is hoped that this study not only highlights the species diversity on the island but also serve as a data for sustainable island tourism management planning, which will be crucial for the sustainable development and management of this ecologically sensitive area.
Reappearance of Dhole Cuon alpinus (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) in Gujarat after 70 years
Authors: Kazi A.A. , Rabari D.N. , Dahya M.I. , Lyngdoh S. 
Published: May 2021

The Dhole Cuon alpinus used to be the meso carnivore of the forests throughout Indian subcontinent; however, habitat loss, low prey biomass, and human disturbance exterminated the species from India’s 60% historic range, and the numbers are less than 1,500 individuals in wild. Following the same shrinking trend, Dholes were extirpated from Gujarat. A few doubtful sightings and inevident reportings generated ambiguity of Dhole presence in Gujarat. We conducted a study in Vansda National Park with 15,660 trap nights at 30 trap locations, and have confirmed the rediscovery of Dholes in Gujarat after 70 years. We estimated the Dhole’s minimum home range as 13.7km2 and also analyzed relative abundance index of other mammals. The future retention of Dholes requires detailed range, diet, and adaption studies along with conservational efforts to reduce re-extinction probabilities.
Mating behavior of Eastern Spotted Skunk Spilogale putorius Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Mephitidae) revealed by camera trap in Texas, USA
Authors: Avrin Alexandra C. , Pekins Charles E. , Allen Maximilian L. 
Published: May 2021

Eastern Spotted Skunks Spilogale putorius are an understudied Vulnerable small carnivore. Here we report a novel capture of Eastern Spotted Skunks mating via a camera trap in central Texas. This detection adds to the minimal natural history knowledge of the species and highlights the utility of camera traps for documenting rarely observed behaviors.
A new species of shieldtail snake (Squamata: Uropeltidae: Uropeltis) from the Bengaluru uplands, India
Authors: Ganesh S.R. , Punith K.G. , Adhikari Omkar D. , Achyuthan N.S. 
Published: May 2021

A new species of shieldtail snake, Uropeltis jerdoni, is here described based on eight specimens from Devarayana Durga and Nandi Durga that are under-researched hills near Bengaluru in southern India. The new species is a member of the Uropeltis ceylanica group that can be distinguished from related taxa as follows: a truncate and flattened caudal shield with a circumscribed concave disc; part of rostral visible from above subequal to its distance from frontal; rostral partially separating nasal scales; 17: 17: 17 dorsal scale rows; 140–148 ventral scales; 7–9 pairs of subcaudals; dark blackish-grey above, powdered with minute yellow specks, yellow lateral stripes on neck and tail; ventrolateral region with yellow mottling; venter black. This new species is currently known only from two ranges Devarayana Durga and Nandi Durga but judging by the presence of similar, adjacent massifs, is hypothesized to be present in nearby hillocks surrounding Bengaluru City.
Assessing spatio-temporal patterns of human-leopard interactions based on media reports in northwestern India
Authors: Chauhan Kaushal , Srivathsa Arjun , Athreya Vidya 
Published: May 2021

Large carnivores in human-use areas make for sensational print media content. We used media reports to examine human-leopard interactions in Rajasthan, India. We extracted news reports on leopard-related incidents from January 2016 to December 2018. Incidents (n= 338) were categorized, mapped, and analysed to understand their nature and extent. We found leopard-related news from 26 of 33 districts; a majority of these were in the eastern region of the State. Most of the reported interactions appeared to be non-negative, despite losses to both leopards and people. Our results provide a synthesis of spatio-temporal patterns of leopard-related incidents, which could help wildlife managers in better addressing negative interactions. The study also demonstrates how news reports could be useful for examining human-wildlife interactions across large spatial scales.
Linguistic Dating of the Book of Qohelet: A New Angle
Authors: Samet Nili 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
This paper proposes a new linguistic method for dating the Book of Qohelet. While linguistic methods employed in previous studies of Qohelet led to the conclusion that it is a post-exilic book, they could not yield a more accurate dating. The methodology proposed here identifies calques in Qohelet that reflect Aramaic phrases of uneven distribution—i.e., phrases that occur only in the Aramaic dialects of a specific period. Two Aramaic calques serve as test cases: בשל אשר and כצל אשר. Tracing the inner-Aramaic development and distribution of their Aramaic equivalents, I conclude that these phrases evolved in Aramaic in the Hellenistic period, thus excluding a Persian-period dating of the relevant calques. The paper then briefly refers to the implications of these findings for the contextualization and interpretation of the Book of Qohelet.
Freedom of Thought in the United States: The First Amendment, Marketplaces of Ideas, and the Internet
Authors: Francis John Gregory , Francis Leslie 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Freedom of thought is not directly protected as a right in the United States. Instead, US First Amendment law protects a range of rights that may allow thoughts to be expressed. Freedom of speech has been granted especially robust protection. US courts have extended this protection to a wide range of commercial activities judged to have expressive content. In protecting these rights, US jurisprudence frequently relies on the image of the marketplace of ideas as furthering the search for truth. This commercial image, however, has increasingly detached expressive rights from the understanding of freedom of thought as a critical forum for individual autonomy. Indeed, the commercialisation of US free speech doctrine has drawn criticism for “weaponising” free speech to attack disfavoured economic and regulatory policies and thus potentially affecting freedom of thought adversely. The Internet complicates this picture. This paper argues that the Supreme Court’s expansion of the First Amendment for the benefit of commercial actors lies in the problematic tension with the justification for individual freedom of thought resting in personal self-direction and identity.
Origin of Sustained Continuous Measurements of Surface Wind and Upper-Ocean Current and Temperature on the Pacific Equator: EQUA Project
Authors: Halpern David 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn 1976, a pilot experiment, called first Equatorial Mooring (EQUA-1), tested an innovative technique for anchoring a taut-line surface mooring at 0°, 150°W where the water depth is 4.5 km. The 36-day deployment contained a wind recorder and fixed-level current meters at 50 and 100 m in the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC). The following year, in a second pilot experiment, named EQUA-2, a similar mooring was deployed at 0°, 125°W for 99 days. EQUA-2, with current meters at 10, 50, 100, 150, and 200 m, recorded a surge in EUC transport during April 1977 when 3-day-averaged eastward current speeds at 50-m depth reached 2 m s−1. The associated eastward transport per unit meridional width over the 50–200-m layer was 190 m2 s−1. Based on observations recorded in April 1980, the EQUA-2 pulse would correspond to a total EUC transport surge of about 38 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) and would represent an equatorially trapped first-mode baroclinic Kelvin wave. This paper describes EQUA Project observations and why and how I created the high-risk-of-failure opportunity to record pioneering time series measurements at the equator. The enduring legacy of the EQUA Project is the sustained maintenance of in situ surface wind and upper-ocean current and temperature measurements at numerous sites in the equatorial oceans, starting in the Pacific to improve forecasts of the El Niño and La Niña phenomenon. For example, the 40-yr records of surface wind and upper-ocean current and temperature measurements at 0°, 110°W and 0°, 140°W are some of oceanography’s longest time series recorded far from land.
Improving WRF-Chem meteorological analyses and forecasts over aerosol polluted regions by incorporating NAAPS aerosol analyses
Authors: Carson-Marquis Brittany N. , Zhang Jianglong , Xian Peng , Reid Jeffrey S. , Marquis Jared 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWhen unaccounted for in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, heavy aerosol events can cause significant unrealized biases in forecasted meteorological parameters such as surface temperature. To improve near-surface forecasting accuracies during heavy aerosol loadings, we demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating aerosol fields from a global chemical transport model as initial and boundary conditions into a higher resolution NWP model with aerosol-meteorological coupling. This concept is tested for a major biomass burning smoke event over the Northern Great Plains region of the United States that occurred during summer of 2015. Aerosol analyses from the global Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) are used as initial and boundary conditions for Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) simulations. Through incorporating more realistic aerosol direct effects into the WRF-Chem simulations, errors in WRF-Chem simulated surface downward shortwave radiative fluxes and near-surface temperature are reduced compared with surface-based observations. This study confirms the ability to decrease biases induced by the aerosol direct effect for regional NWP forecasts during high-impact aerosol episodes through the incorporation of analyses and forecasts from a global aerosol transport model.