bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Old age in Byzantine society
Authors: GILLEARD CHRIS 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the status afforded old age in the Byzantine Empire. Frequently neglected in accounts of state formation or comparative history, this Christian imperial state transformed the moral ordering of the lifecourse. In contrast to both classical Greek and Roman society, old age acquired a distinct moral authority in Byzantine society. This status was not confined to a few members of the elite as in Sparta or Rome. The economic vulnerability, physical frailty and social marginality accompanying old age conferred an equal moral claim upon society that the state actively addressed. A mix of institutionalised and individual charities created a prototype ‘welfare state’ within which provision for old age played a significant part. Despite its neglect by most social historians of old age, the Byzantine Empire is of considerable historical significance in the development of the contemporary constructions of old age. Just as the Byzantine Empire helped erode the practice of slavery that had been widespread in the ancient Greek and Roman societies, so too did it help to create a prototype welfare state in which individual enterprise was tempered by a collective sense of inclusive Christian responsibility. The consideration extended by Byzantine society, to old age, to its weakness as well as to its wisdom and authority, instituted a step change from earlier classical traditions.
Does gradual retirement have better outcomes than abrupt retirement? Results from an Australian panel study
Authors: DE VAUS DAVID , WELLS YVONNE , KENDIG HAL , QUINE SUSAN 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTConventional wisdom promotes gradual retirement rather than an abrupt end to the working life. This paper compares the outcomes of abrupt and gradual retirement one and three years after the transition to retirement began using data from an Australian panel study. The outcomes included changes in health, positive and negative affect, wellbeing and marital cohesion. For many outcomes there was no difference between gradual and abrupt retirements, but those who retired abruptly were more likely to rate their health as having deteriorated and more likely to report better adjustment to retirement. Control over retirement decisions was also explored; it emerged as a more important factor in retirement wellbeing than whether the transition was gradual or abrupt. The absence of interaction or additive effects between the retirement pathway and the level of control over the process confirmed this result. Thus there is no simple answer to the question in the title. Retiring gradually allows time for people to make changes to their lifestyle, but having control over the timing and manner of leaving work had a greater positive impact on psychological and social wellbeing, and this persisted three years after retirement. The findings suggest that policies and employment practices that promote employees' control of their retirement decisions will enhance wellbeing in later life and facilitate longer workforce participation.
Becoming and being gendered through the body: older women, their mothers and body image
Authors: CLARKE LAURA HURD , GRIFFIN MERIDITH 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTFollowing West and Zimmerman's (1987) theoretical understanding of how gender identities are created and maintained, this paper examines the ways in which older women learned from their mothers how ‘to do gender’ through their bodies and specifically their physical appearances. Extracts from semi-structured interviews with 44 women aged 50 to 70 years have been drawn upon to identify and discuss the ways in which women perceive, manage and present their bodies using socially-constructed ideals of beauty and femininity. More specifically, three ways that women learned ‘to do gender’ are examined: from their mothers' criticisms and compliments about their appearance at different stages of the lifecourse; from their mothers' attitudes towards their own bodies when young and in late adulthood; and from the interviewees' own later-life experiences and choices about ‘beauty work’. Interpretative feminism is employed to analyse how the women exercised agency while constructing body-image meanings in a social context that judges women on their ability to achieve and maintain the prevailing ideal of female beauty. The study extends previous research into the influence of the mother-daughter relationship on young women's body image. The findings suggest that mothers are important influences on their daughters' socialisation into body-image and beauty work, and exert, or are perceived to exert, accountability across the life-course.
Development of a new buffing robot manipulator for shoes
Authors: Choi Hyeung-Sik , Hwang Gyu-Deuk , You Sam-Sang 
Published: August 2007

SUMMARYThis paper presents analysis and experimental verifications of a new robot manipulator with five degrees of freedom developed for the buffing operation of shoes. First, the forward and inverse kinematics are analyzed. Next, an analytic closed-form solution is rigorously derived for the joint angles corresponding to the position and orientation of the end-effector in Cartesian coordinates. A control system, including input/output interfaces and the related electronic system, is designed for the control of the mechanical structure of the buffing robot. Then, peripheral systems integrated with the conveyer, transfer device, and fixture device are designed for the sequential buffing process of shoes. Also, a graphic user interface (GUI) program including the forward/inverse kinematics, control algorithm, and communication program to interact the robot with the peripheral systems is developed by using visual C++ language. A new flexible toolholder (FTH) is proposed to compensate for the excessive applied force between deburring tools and shoes. Finally, the test results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Ancestral roles of glia suggested by the nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Heiman Maxwell G. , Shaham Shai 
Published: August 2007

AbstractThe nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has a simple nervous system with glia restricted primarily to sensory organs. Some of the activities that would be provided by glia in the mammalian nervous system are either absent or provided by non-glial cell types in C. elegans, with only a select set of mammalian glial activities being similarly provided by specialized glial cells in this animal. These observations suggest that ancestral roles of glia may be to modulate neuronal morphology and neuronal sensitivity in sensory organs.
The Arabidopsis ALDP protein homologue COMATOSE is instrumental in peroxisomal acetate metabolism
Authors: Hooks Mark A. , Turner James E. , Murphy Elaine C. , Johnston Katherine A. , Burr Sally , Jarosławski Szymon 
Published: August 2007

The Arabidopsis acn (acetate non-utilizing) mutants were isolated by fluoroacetate-resistant germination and seedling establishment. We report the characterization of the acn2 mutant. Physiological analyses of acn2 showed that it possessed characteristics similar to those of the mutants cts (COMATOSE)-1 and pxa [peroxisomal ABC (ATP-binding-cassette) transporter]1. The acn2 locus was mapped to within 3 cM of the CTS gene on the bottom arm of chromosome IV using CAPS (cleavage amplification polymorphism) and SSLP (simple sequence-length polymorphism) markers. Crossing acn2 and cts-1 failed to restore the fluoroacetate-sensitive phenotype, suggesting that these mutations were allelic. Sequencing of the ACN2 locus revealed a C→T nonsense mutation in exon 13, which would have resulted in the elimination of the C-terminal hemitransporter domain of the encoded protein. Neither the full-length CTS protein nor the truncated protein was detected on immunoblots using either C-terminal- or N-terminal-specific anti-CTS antibodies respectively, demonstrating the absence of the entire CTS protein in acn2 mutants. Emerged seedlings of both cts-1 and pxa1 alleles displayed increased resistance to FAc (monofluoroacetic acid) compared with the corresponding wild-type seedlings. Complementation studies showed that mutation of the CTS gene was responsible for the FAc-resistant phenotype, as when the wild-type protein was expressed in both the cts-1 and pxa1 mutant lines, the strains became FAc-sensitive. Feeding studies confirmed that both acn2 and cts-1 mutants were compromised in their ability to convert radiolabelled acetate into soluble carbohydrate. These results demonstrate a role for the ABC protein CTS in providing acetate to the glyoxylate cycle in developing seedlings.
Western diet, but not high fat diet, causes derangements of fatty acid metabolism and contractile dysfunction in the heart of Wistar rats
Authors: Wilson Christopher R. , Tran Mai K. , Salazar Katrina L. , Young Martin E. , Taegtmeyer Heinrich 
Published: August 2007

Obesity and diabetes are associated with increased fatty acid availability in excess of muscle fatty acid oxidation capacity. This mismatch is implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiac contractile dysfunction and also in the development of skeletal-muscle insulin resistance. We tested the hypothesis that ‘Western’ and high fat diets differentially cause maladaptation of cardiac- and skeletal-muscle fatty acid oxidation, resulting in cardiac contractile dysfunction. Wistar rats were fed on low fat, ‘Western’ or high fat (10, 45 or 60% calories from fat respectively) diet for acute (1 day to 1 week), short (4–8 weeks), intermediate (16–24 weeks) or long (32–48 weeks) term. Oleate oxidation in heart muscle ex vivo increased with high fat diet at all time points investigated. In contrast, cardiac oleate oxidation increased with Western diet in the acute, short and intermediate term, but not in the long term. Consistent with fatty acid oxidation maladaptation, cardiac power decreased with long-term Western diet only. In contrast, soleus muscle oleate oxidation (ex vivo) increased only in the acute and short term with either Western or high fat feeding. Fatty acid-responsive genes, including PDHK4 (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4) and CTE1 (cytosolic thioesterase 1), increased in heart and soleus muscle to a greater extent with feeding a high fat diet compared with a Western diet. In conclusion, we implicate inadequate induction of a cassette of fatty acid-responsive genes, and impaired activation of fatty acid oxidation, in the development of cardiac dysfunction with Western diet.
TLP18.3, a novel thylakoid lumen protein regulating photosystem II repair cycle
Authors: Sirpiö Sari , Allahverdiyeva Yagut , Suorsa Marjaana , Paakkarinen Virpi , Vainonen Julia , Battchikova Natalia , Aro Eva-Mari 
Published: August 2007

A proteome analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana thylakoid-associated polysome nascent chain complexes was performed to find novel proteins involved in the biogenesis, maintenance and turnover of thylakoid protein complexes, in particular the PSII (photosystem II) complex, which exhibits a high turnover rate. Four unknown proteins were identified, of which TLP18.3 (thylakoid lumen protein of 18.3 kDa) was selected for further analysis. The Arabidopsis mutants (SALK_109618 and GABI-Kat 459D12) lacking the TLP18.3 protein showed higher susceptibility of PSII to photoinhibition. The increased susceptibility of ΔTLP18.3 plants to high light probably originates from an inefficient reassembly of PSII monomers into dimers in the grana stacks, as well as from an impaired turnover of the D1 protein in stroma exposed thylakoids. Such dual function of the TLP18.3 protein is in accordance with its even distribution between the grana and stroma thylakoids. Notably, the lack of the TLP18.3 protein does not lead to a severe collapse of the PSII complexes, suggesting a redundancy of proteins assisting these particular repair steps to assure functional PSII. The ΔTLP18.3 plants showed no clear visual phenotype under standard growth conditions, but when challenged by fluctuating light during growth, the retarded growth of ΔTLP18.3 plants was evident.
Is subcutaneous local anesthesia in shoulder magnetic resonance arthrography necessary?
Authors: Koivikko M. P. , Koskinen S. K. 
Published: August 2007

Background: Magnetic resonance arthrography is a well-established diagnostic method in degenerative and traumatic disorders of the shoulder. Some radiologists prefer to apply a local anesthetic to the skin prior to performing the joint puncture. However, no information regarding the efficacy of local anesthetics exists. Purpose: To assess patient discomfort in arthrography injection. Material and Methods: A patient survey ( n = 74) utilizing a visual analog scale (VAS) measured the intensity of pain in arthrography injection by those receiving local anesthetics ( n = 36) versus those who did not ( n = 38). Results: Mean VAS scores were 20.8 (median 10.5, SD 24.3) for those receiving local anesthetics versus 19.3 (median 13.0, SD 20.7) for those who did not ( P = 0.83, Mann-Whitney U test). Conclusion: Routine use of local anesthesia of the skin in arthrography injection is unnecessary.
Analysis of the origin of the right inferior phrenic artery in 178 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated by chemoembolization via the right inferior phrenic artery
Authors: Kimura S. , Okazaki M. , Higashihara H. , Nozaki Y. , Haruno M. , Urakawa H. , Koura S. , Shinagawa Y. , Nonokuma M. 
Published: August 2007

Background: No previous report has described the level of the origin of the right inferior phrenic artery (RIPA) based on an analysis of the relationships between the level of the RIPA, the celiac artery (CA), the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), and the right renal artery (RRA) in a series of cases. Purpose: To evaluate the origin of the RIPA by retrospectively analyzing angiographic findings in 178 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) via the RIPA. Material and Methods: In patients treated with intraarterial chemoembolization for HCC, additional superselective chemoembolization of the RIPA branches was necessary in 178 cases. We analyzed the level of the origin of the RIPA in these patients according to the relationships between the level of the origin of the RIPA, the CA, the SMA, and the RRA on angiography. Results: Among the 178 cases, the RIPA arose from 1) the aorta directly in 102 cases (57%), 2) the CA in 53 (30%), 3) the left gastric artery (LGA) in three (2%), 4) the dorsal pancreatic artery (DPA) in one (1%), and 5) the RRA in 19 (11%). The level of the origin of the RIPA that originated directly from the aorta was supraceliac in 56 cases (32%), between the CA and the SMA in 31 (17%), and between the SMA and the RRA in 15 (8%). Conclusion: In our study, the RIPA originated from the aorta between the CA and the SMA directly in 17% of cases. When it is difficult to identify the origin of the RIPA, we must keep in mind that the RIPA may originate from the right part of the aorta within the small distance between the SMA and the CA.
Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma by placing a temporary catheter via the subclavian route
Authors: Liang Huei-Lung , Huang Jer-Shyung , Lin Yi-Huei , Lai Kwok-Hung , Yang Chien-Fang , Pan Huay-Ben 
Published: August 2007

Background: A permanent reservoir implantation is considered mandatory for hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Since treatment sessions of HAIC may be limited for these end-staged patients, a simple alternative technique for this treatment is desirable. Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of placing a temporary catheter for HAIC in advanced HCC patients. Material and Methods: 25 advanced HCC patients underwent HAIC with drugs delivered from a temporary catheter which was placed percutaneously by puncturing the left subclavian artery under ultrasound guidance. A course of chemotherapy consisted of five consecutive daily infusions of 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, mitomycin C, and leucovorin. The catheter was removed on the 6th day. Therapy was repeated every 4–6 weeks with maximal number of courses of up to six. The total courses of HAIC in each patient, the catheter-placed-related complications, tumor response rate, and median survival of the patients were registered. Results: A total of 77 courses of HAIC were performed with 100% technical success of catheter placement (1–6 courses in each patient, average 3.1 courses). The overall response rate was 20%, with complete response in two patients and partial response in three patients. Eleven (55%) of the 20 non-responders died within 5 months (mean HAIC, two courses). None of the patients experienced complications such as catheter occlusion, hepatic arterial thrombosis, cerebral infarction, or local infection. Conclusion: With fewer catheter-related complications, HAIC by temporary catheter placement via subclavian puncture could be a treatment option.
Treatment of acute ischemic brain infarction with the assistance of local intraarterial thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator
Authors: Poncyljusz W. , Falkowski A. , Kojder I. , Cebula E. , Sagan L. , Czechowski J. , Walecka A. 
Published: August 2007

Background: Cerebral infarction is usually due to arterial occlusion. Prompt treatment with thrombolytic drugs can restore blood flow and improve recovery from an infarct. Purpose: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of local intraarterial thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rtPA) in patients with acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarctions within 6 hours of the onset of symptoms. Material and Methods: Sixteen patients (10 females and six males) aged from 42 to 61 years, with acute MCA territory infarcts were selected for treatment with local i.a. rtPA up to 6 hours after the onset of symptoms. Patient selection was based on clinical examination, computed tomography (CT), and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). A clinical evaluation was performed before treatment, at the time of discharge, and 90 days post-procedure on the basis of modified Rankin and NIHSS scores. Controls ( n = 16, nine females and seven males) aged from 51 to 70 years were treated only with intravenous anticoagulation using i.v. heparin infusion. The control group was evaluated with multidetector CT (MDCT) angiography performed on entry to the study and at 2–4 hours afterwards. Results: Eight patients (50%) achieved a modified Rankin score of 2 or less as the primary outcome after 90 days follow-up. The secondary clinical outcome at 90-day follow-up was as follows: NIHSS score ⩽1, three (19%) of the patients; NIHSS score ⩾50% decrease, nine (56%) of the patients. A recanalization rate of 75% was achieved in 12 of the 16 treated patients, but only 12.5% in two of the 16 patients in the control group. Intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in two (12.5%) of the patients in the treatment group, but in only one patient (6%) in the control group. There were no deaths in the treated group after thrombolysis up to the time of discharge; however, during the 90-day follow-up, two patients died compared to three patients in the control group (19% vs. 12.5% mortality rate). Conclusion: Patients with cerebral infarction who were treated within 6 hours of onset using intraarterial rtPA thrombolysis had a significantly improved clinical outcome 90 days after the procedure compared to patients treated only with intravenous anticoagulation.
The place of computed tomography as a guidance modality in percutaneous nephrostomy: analysis of a 10-year single-center experience
Authors: Egilmez H. , Oztoprak I. , Atalar M. , Cetin A. , Gumus C. , Gultekin Y. , Bulut S. , Arslan M. , Solak O. 
Published: August 2007

Background: Percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) has been established as an effective technique for urinary decompression or diversion. This procedure may be performed with the guidance of fluoroscopy, ultrasonography, a combination of fluoroscopy and ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging. Purpose: To retrospectively review experience with CT-guided PCN over a 10-year period in a single center. Material and Methods: All CT-guided PCN procedures performed in adults at our institution between 1995 and 2005 were evaluated. In 882 patients, 1113 nephrostomy catheters were inserted. Interventional radiologists or radiology residents under direct attending supervision inserted all catheters. During the PCN procedure, bleeding, sepsis, and injuries to adjacent organs were regarded as major complications. Clinical events requiring nominal therapy with no sequelae were regarded as minor complications. Results: PCN procedures were performed via 1–3 punctures in patients with grades 0–1 and 2 hydronephrosis, and via 1–2 punctures in patients with grade 3 hydronephrosis. They were carried out with a procedure time ranging from 9 to 26 min. All PCNs were considered as technically successful, and no major complications were observed. There were minor complications including transient macroscopic hematuria (28.6%, 19.9%, and 4.9% in patients with hydronephrosis grades 0–1, 2, and 3, respectively) and perirenal hematomas in a total of eight patients. No patient required additional intervention secondary to complications of the PCN procedure. Conclusion: CT-guided PCN is an efficient and safe procedure with major and minor complication rates below the accepted thresholds. It can be used for the management of patients requiring nephrostomy insertion in inpatient settings, and might be a preferable procedure in patients with minimal or no dilatation of the renal pelvis.
Acceleration of primary liver tumor growth rate in embolized hepatic lobe after portal vein embolization
Authors: Hayashi S. , Baba Y. , Ueno K. , Nakajo M. , Kubo F. , Ueno S. , Aikou T. , Komokata T. , Nakamura N. , Sakata R. 
Published: August 2007

Background: Portal vein embolization (PVE) is now widely accepted as a useful preoperative procedure in selected patients undergoing extended hepatectomy. However, the effect of PVE on the growth of liver tumors has not been fully elucidated. Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the effects of PVE on the growth of liver tumors in the embolized lobes. Material and Methods: Eight patients with a primary liver tumor, six hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and two cholangiocellular carcinomas (CCC), were studied. The growth rates of the tumors in the embolized lobes and non-embolized liver parenchyma were calculated using the computed tomography (CT) volume values at the time of tumor identification, and before and after PVE. Result: The median tumor growth rate was 0.59 cm3/day (range 0.22–6.01 cm3/day) before PVE and 2.37 cm3/day (range 0.29–13.97 cm3/day) after PVE ( P = 0.018). The tumor growth acceleration ratios ranged from 1.50 to 7.46 (median 2.65) in the six HCCs, and were 1.00 and 1.32 in the two CCCs. There was no apparent correlation between the tumor growth rate after PVE and the growth rate of non-embolized liver parenchyma (median 6.00 cm3/day, range 1.24–11.0 cm3/day). Conclusion: Liver tumor growth in an embolized lobe accelerates after PVE, in patients with HCC.