Do you see what I mean? charting changing representations and receptions of the disabled body in contemporary and pop cultural performance

The meaning of the body emerges through acts of seeing, looking and staring in daily and dramatic performances. Acts that are, as Maike Bleeker argues1, bound up with the scopic rules, regimes and narratives that apply in specific cultures at specific times. In Western culture, the disabled body has been seen as a sign of defect, deficiency, fear, shame or stigma. Disabled artists – Mat Fraser, Bill Shannon, Aaron Williamson, Katherine Araniello, Liz Crow and Ju Gosling – have attempted, via performances that co-opt conventional images of the disabled body, to challenge dominant ways of representing and responding such bodies from within. In this paper, I consider what happens when non-disabled artists co-opt images of the disabled body to draw attention to, affirm, and even exoticise, eroticise or beautify, other modalities of or desires for difference. As Carrie Sandahl has noted2, the signs, symbols and somatic idiosyncrasies of the disabled body are, today, transported or translated into theatre, film and television as a metaphor or "master trope" for every body’s experience of difference. This happens in performance art (Guillermo Gomez-Pena’s use of a wheelchair in Chamber of Confessions), performance (Marie Chouinard's use of crutches, canes and walkers to represent dancers’ experience of becoming different or mutant during training in bODY rEMIX /gOLDBERG vARIATIONS), and pop culture (characters in wheelchairs in Glee or Oz). In this paper, I chart changing representations and receptions of the disabled body in such contexts. I use analysis of this cultural shift as a starting point for a re-consideration of questions about whether a face-toface encounter with a disabled body is in fact a privileged site for the emergence of a politics, and whether co-opting disability as a metaphor for a range of difference differences reduces its currency as a category around which a specific group might mobilise a politics.

Effect of cold water immersion after exercise in the heat on muscle function, body temperatures, and vessel diameter

Cold water immersion (CWI) is a popular recovery modality, but actual physiological responses to CWI after exercise in the heat have not been well documented. The purpose of this study was to examine effects of 20-min CWI (14 degrees C) on neuromuscular function, rectal (T(re)) and skin temperature (T(sk)), and femoral venous diameter after exercise in the heat. Ten well-trained male cyclists completed two bouts of exercise consisting of 90-min cycling at a constant power output (216+/-12W) followed by a 16.1km time trial (TT) in the heat (32 degrees C). Twenty-five minutes post-TT, participants were assigned to either CWI or control (CON) recovery conditions in a counterbalanced order. T(re) and T(sk) were recorded continuously, and maximal voluntary isometric contraction torque of the knee extensors (MVIC), MVIC with superimposed electrical stimulation (SMVIC), and femoral venous diameters were measured prior to exercise, 0, 45, and 90min post-TT. T(re) was significantly lower in CWI beginning 50min post-TT compared with CON, and T(sk) was significantly lower in CWI beginning 25min post-TT compared with CON. Decreases in MVIC, and SMVIC torque after the TT were significantly greater for CWI compared with CON; differences persisted 90min post-TT. Femoral vein diameter was approximately 9% smaller for CWI compared with CON at 45min post-TT. These results suggest that CWI decreases T(re), but has a negative effect on neuromuscular function.

Understanding body image disturbance in the promotion of mental health : a discourse analytic study

Health care interventions in the area of body image disturbance and eating disorders largely involve individual treatment approaches, while prevention and health promotion are relatively underexplored. A review of health promotion activities in the area of body image in Australia revealed three programmes, the most extensive and longest standing having been established in 1992. The aims of this programme are to reduce body image dissatisfaction and inappropriate eating behaviour, especially among women. Because health promotion is concerned with the social aspects of health, it was hypothesized by the authors that a social understanding of body image and eating disorders might be advanced in a health promotion setting and reflected in the approach to practice. In order to examine approaches to body image in health promotion, 10 health professionals responsible for the design and management of this programme participated in a series of semi-structured interviews between 1997 and 2000. Three discursive themes were evident in health workers' explanations of body image problems: (1) cognitive-behavioural themes; (2) gender themes; and (3) socio-cultural themes. While body image problems were constructed as psychological problems that are particularly experienced by women, their origins were largely conceived to be socio-cultural. The implications of these constructions are critically discussed in terms of the approach to health promotion used in this programme.

Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the regenerative potential of osteoblasts versus bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells in the reconstruction of critical sized segmental tibial bone defects in a large animal model

This thesis is about the use of different cells for bone tissue engineering. The cells were used in combination with a novel biomaterial in a large tibial bone defects in a sheep model. Furthermore this study developed a novel cell delivery procedure for bone tissue engineering. This novel procedure of cell delivery could overcome the current problems of cell-based tissue engineering and serve as a baseline for the translation of novel concepts into clinical application.

Shadows : Re-visualising the shark. Developing a framework for hybrid photography in the illumination of nonhuman animal and ecological perspectives at Heron Island and Gladstone, Great Barrier Reef

This study investigated how and to what degree “hybrid photography”—the simultaneous use of indexical and fictional properties and strategies— innovates the representation of animals within animalcentric, ecocentric frameworks. Design theory structured this project’s Practice-led, Visual research methodology framework. Grounded theory processes articulated emerging categories of hybrid photography through systematically and comparatively treating animal photography works for reflexive analysis. Design theory then applied and clarified categories, developing practice that re-visualised shark perspectives as new ecological discourse. Shadows, a creative practice installation, realised a full-scale photographic investigation into shark and marine animal realities of a specific environment—Heron Island and Gladstone, Great Barrier Reef—facing ecological crisis from dredging and development at Gladstone Harbour. Works rendered and explored hybrid photography’s capacity for illuminating nonhuman animals, in particular, sharks, and comprise 65% of this project’s weighting. This exegetical paper offers a definition, strategies and evaluation of hybrid photography in unsettling animal perspectives as effective ecological discourse, and comprises 35%.

Perceiving the interactive body in dance: Enhancing kinesthetic empathy through art objects

Through a consideration of audience experience of embodiment in contemporary dance performance, this project used kinesthetic empathy as a theoretical construct to inform choreographic decision-making. The research outcome challenged the traditional performer/audience relationship through an interactive dance performance work entitled Planets. This acted as a platform that allowed both audience and performer to collaboratively listen to, process and form movement in a shared kinesthetic state. This connection was enabled through the distribution of interactive art objects, which responded to the shifting proximity between performer and audience. The performance was thus experienced through following a shared goal as instigated by the interactive technology. Through practice-led research, knowledge from kinesthetic empathy, embodied cognition and the mirror neuron system were used to develop the project’s aim in encouraging interactive audiences to engage in movement. This aim influenced studio explorations of movement through an enquiry into the kinesthetic self in dance. Investigations used movement quality, tension, mobility and acceleration to access a familiar movement vocabulary appropriate for a broad interactive audience. This informed the role of the researcher as performer. Planets was developed as a collaborative project between Michael Smith and interactive visual designer Andy Bates and performed over three nights at the Ars Electronica Festival 2014 in Linz, Austria. Supported by documented footage from Planets and audience responses to the performances, this paper draws together the theoretical underpinnings behind the development of the work and includes the experiential perspective of the performer.

Segmental bioelectrical impedance in the assessment of body composition of Sri Lankan children

Abstract: Over the years bioelectrical impedance assay (BIA) has gained popularity in the assessment of body composition. However, equations for the prediction of whole body composition use whole body BIA. This study attempts to evaluate the usefulness of segmental BIA in the assessment of whole body composition. A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Professorial Paediatric Unit of Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo, involving 259 (M/F:144/115) 5 to 15 year old healthy children. The height, weight, total and segmental BIA were measured and impedance indices and specific resistivity for the whole body and segments were calculated. Segmental BIA indices showed a significant association with whole body composition measures assessed by total body water (TBW) using the isotope dilution method (D2O). Impedance index was better related to TBW and fat free mass (FFM), while specific resistivity was better related to the fat mass of the body. Regression equations with different combinations of variables showed high predictability of whole body composition. Results of this study showed that segmental BIA can be used as an alternative approach to predict the whole body composition in Sri Lankan children.

A Chlamydia trachomatis strain with a chemically generated amino acid substitution (P370L) in the cthtrA gene shows reduced elementary body production

Background Chlamydia (C.) trachomatis is the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide and the leading cause of preventable blindness. Genetic approaches to investigate C. trachomatis have been only recently developed due to the organism’s intracellular developmental cycle. HtrA is a critical stress response serine protease and chaperone for many bacteria and in C. trachomatis has been previously shown to be important for heat stress and the replicative phase of development using a chemical inhibitor of the CtHtrA activity. In this study, chemically-induced SNVs in the cthtrA gene that resulted in amino acid substitutions (A240V, G475E, and P370L) were identified and characterized. Methods SNVs were initially biochemically characterized in vitro using recombinant protein techniques to confirm a functional impact on proteolysis. The C. trachomatis strains containing the SNVs with marked reductions in proteolysis were investigated in cell culture to identify phenotypes that could be linked to CtHtrA function. Results The strain harboring the SNV with the most marked impact on proteolysis (cthtrAP370L) was detected to have a significant reduction in the production of infectious elementary bodies. Conclusions This provides genetic evidence that CtHtrA is critical for the C. trachomatis developmental cycle.

Maternal pregravid body mass index and child hospital admissions in the first 5 years of life: results from an Australian birth cohort

Objectives: To examine the association of maternal pregravid body mass index (BMI) and child offspring, all-cause hospitalisations in the first 5 years of life. Methods: Prospective birth cohort study. From 2006 to 2011, 2779 pregnant women (2807 children) were enrolled in the Environments for Healthy Living: Griffith birth cohort study in South-East Queensland, Australia. Hospital delivery record and self-report baseline survey of maternal, household and demographic factors during pregnancy were linked to the Queensland Hospital Admitted Patients Data Collection from 1 November 2006 to 30 June 2012, for child admissions. Maternal pregravid BMI was classified as underweight (<18.5 kg m−2), normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg m−2), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg m−2) or obese (30 kg m−2). Main outcomes were the total number of child hospital admissions and ICD-10-AM diagnostic groupings in the first 5 years of life. Negative binomial regression models were calculated, adjusting for follow-up duration, demographic and health factors. The cohort comprised 8397.9 person years (PYs) follow-up. Results: Children of mothers who were classified as obese had an increased risk of all-cause hospital admissions in the first 5 years of life than the children of mothers with a normal BMI (adjusted rate ratio (RR) =1.48, 95% confidence interval 1.10–1.98). Conditions of the nervous system, infections, metabolic conditions, perinatal conditions, injuries and respiratory conditions were excessive, in both absolute and relative terms, for children of obese mothers, with RRs ranging from 1.3–4.0 (PYs adjusted). Children of mothers who were underweight were 1.8 times more likely to sustain an injury or poisoning than children of normal-weight mothers (PYs adjusted). Conclusion: Results suggest that if the intergenerational impact of maternal obesity (and similarly issues related to underweight) could be addressed, a significant reduction in child health care use, costs and public health burden would be likely.

Energy gap in the aetiology of body weight gain and obesity: A challenging concept with a complex evaluation and pitfalls

The concept of energy gap(s) is useful for understanding the consequence of a small daily, weekly, or monthly positive energy balance and the inconspicuous shift in weight gain ultimately leading to overweight and obesity. Energy gap is a dynamic concept: an initial positive energy gap incurred via an increase in energy intake (or a decrease in physical activity) is not constant, may fade out with time if the initial conditions are maintained, and depends on the 'efficiency' with which the readjustment of the energy imbalance gap occurs with time. The metabolic response to an energy imbalance gap and the magnitude of the energy gap(s) can be estimated by at least two methods, i.e. i) assessment by longitudinal overfeeding studies, imposing (by design) an initial positive energy imbalance gap; ii) retrospective assessment based on epidemiological surveys, whereby the accumulated endogenous energy storage per unit of time is calculated from the change in body weight and body composition. In order to illustrate the difficulty of accurately assessing an energy gap we have used, as an illustrative example, a recent epidemiological study which tracked changes in total energy intake (estimated by gross food availability) and body weight over 3 decades in the US, combined with total energy expenditure prediction from body weight using doubly labelled water data. At the population level, the study attempted to assess the cause of the energy gap purported to be entirely due to increased food intake. Based on an estimate of change in energy intake judged to be more reliable (i.e. in the same study population) and together with calculations of simple energetic indices, our analysis suggests that conclusions about the fundamental causes of obesity development in a population (excess intake vs. low physical activity or both) is clouded by a high level of uncertainty.

Seasonal variations in the body composition of lightweight rowers

OBJECTIVE To monitor the seasonal body composition alterations in 18 lightweight rowers (six females, 12 males) across a rowing season incorporating preseason, early competition, competition, and postseason. METHODS Subject age was 23.1 (SD 4.5) years, height 170.8 (5.6) cm (female, 23.5 (3.5) years, 180.5 (2.7) cm (male). Body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass (FFM) were assessed using dual energy x ray absorptiometry (DXA-L Lunar) and skinfold techniques. Weight control techniques were documented before major regattas by a questionnaire. RESULTS Female body weight was reduced from 61.3 (2.9) to 57.0 (1.1) kg (5.9%), while male body weight was reduced from 75.6 (3.1) to 69.8 (1.6) kg (7.8%) preseason to competition season respectively. These body weight reductions were mirrored by a significant reduction in fat mass as indicated by the sum of skinfolds [female seven sites: 80.9 (8.1) to 68.2 (11.8) mm; male eight sites: 54.2 (8.7) to 41.8 (4.8) mm], percentage body fat [female 22.1 (1.0) to 19.7 (2.4)%; male 10.0 (0.9) to 7.8 (0.8)%], and total fat [female 12.5 (5.2) to 10.9 (1.4) kg; male 7.3 (1.9) to 5.6 (1.8) kg] (DXA). In contrast, no changes were observed in FFM despite a season of intensive rowing training. Seasonal body weight control was achieved through reduced total energy and dietary fat intakes. Acute body weight reductions were achieved by exercise in 73.3% of participants, food restriction in 71.4%, and fluid restrictions in 62.9%. CONCLUSIONS Seasonal body weight alterations in lightweight rowers are in response to a significant reduction in fat mass. However, the weight restrictions appear to be limiting an increase in FFM which could be beneficial to rowing performance.

Diaryl dihydropyrazole-3-carboxamides with significant in vivo antiobesity activity related to CB1 receptor antagonism: Synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular modeling in the homology model

A number of analogues of diaryl dihydropyrazole-3-carboxamides have been synthesized. Their activities were evaluated for appetite suppression and body weight reduction in animal models. Depending on the chemical modification of the selected dihydropyrazole scaffold, the lead compoundsthe bisulfate salt of (±)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid morpholin-4-ylamide 26 and the bisulfate salt of (−)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid morpholin-4-ylamide 30showed significant body weight reduction in vivo, which is attributed to their CB1 antagonistic activity and exhibited a favorable pharmacokinetic profile. The molecular modeling studies also showed interactions of two isomers of (±)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid morpholin-4-ylamide 9 with CB1 receptor in the homology model similar to those of N-piperidino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-3-pyrazole-carboxamide (rimonabant) 1 and 4S-(−)-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-N-methyl-N‘-[(4-chlorophenyl)-sulfonyl]-4-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamidine (SLV-319) 2.

Lateral bone density variations in the scoliotic spine

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is the most common deformity of the spine, affecting 2-4% of the population. Previous studies have shown that the vertebrae in scoliotic spines undergo abnormal shape changes, however there has been little exploration of how AIS affects bone density distribution within the vertebrae. Existing pre-operative CT scans of 53 female idiopathic scoliosis patients with right-sided main thoracic curves were used to measure the lateral (right to left) bone density profile at mid-height through each vertebral body. This study demonstrated that AIS patients have a marked convex/concave asymmetry in bone density for vertebral levels at or near the apex of the scoliotic curve. To the best of our knowledge, the only previous studies of bone density distribution in AIS are those of Périé et al [1,2], who reported a coronal plane ‘mechanical migration’ of 0.54mm toward the concavity of the scoliotic curve in the lumbar apical vertebrae of 11 scoliosis patients. This is comparable to the value of 0.8mm (4%) in our study, especially since our patients had more severe scoliotic curves. From a bone adaptation perspective, these results suggest that the axial loading on the scoliotic spine is strongly asymmetric.

Lateral bone density variations in the scoliotic spine

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is the most common deformity of the spine, affecting 2-4% of the population. Previous studies have shown that the vertebrae in scoliotic spines undergo abnormal shape changes, however there has been little exploration of how scoliosis affects bone density distribution within the vertebrae. In this study, existing CT scans of 53 female idiopathic scoliosis patients with right-sided main thoracic curves were used to measure the lateral (right to left) bone density profile at mid-height through each vertebral body. Five key bone density profile measures were identified from each normalised bone density distribution, and multiple regression analysis was performed to explore the relationship between bone density distribution and patient demographics (age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), skeletal maturity, time since Menarche, vertebral level, and scoliosis curve severity). Results showed a marked convex/concave asymmetry in bone density for vertebral levels at or near the apex of the scoliotic curve. At the apical vertebra, mean bone density at the left side (concave) cortical shell was 23.5% higher than for the right (convex) cortical shell, and cancellous bone density along the central 60% of the lateral path from convex to concave increased by 13.8%. The centre of mass of the bone density profile at the thoracic curve apex was located 53.8% of the distance along the lateral path, indicating a shift of nearly 4% toward the concavity of the deformity. These lateral bone density gradients tapered off when moving away from the apical vertebra. Multi-linear regressions showed that the right cortical shell peak bone density is significantly correlated with skeletal maturity, with each Risser increment corresponding to an increase in mineral equivalent bone density of 4-5%. There were also statistically significant relationships between patient height, weight and BMI, and the gradient of cancellous bone density along the central 60% of the lateral path. Bone density gradient is positively correlated with weight, and negatively correlated with height and BMI, such that at the apical vertebra, a unit decrease in BMI corresponds to an almost 100% increase in bone density gradient.

The effect of insertion time on the axial pullout strength of anterior vertebral body screws

Top screw pullout occurs when the screw is under too much axial force to remain secure in the vertebral body. In vitro biomechanical pullout tests are commonly done to find the maximum fixation strength of anterior vertebral body screws. Typically, pullout tests are done instantaneously where the screw is inserted and then pulled out immediately after insertion. However, bone is a viscoelastic material so it shows a time dependent stress and strain response. Because of this property, it was hypothesised that creep occurs in the vertebral trabecular bone due to the stress caused by the screw. The objective of this study was therefore to determine whether the axial pullout strength of anterior vertebral body screws used for scoliosis correction surgery changes with time after insertion. This study found that there is a possible relationship between pullout strength and time; however more testing is required as the sample numbers were quite small. The design of the screw is made with the knowledge of the strength it must obtain. This is important to prevent such occurrences as top screw pullout. If the pullout strength is indeed decreased due to creep, the design of the screw may need to be changed to withstand greater forces.