An Experimental Examination into the History and Perception of Two Nineteenth Century Military Lower-Limb Prostheses with a Biomechanical Analysis of their Functionality and Long-Term Effects

The role of experiment within archaeological research has become an important mechanism through which we can explore past cultures, their traditions, architecture, material culture and skill sets (Mathieu, 2001). However, the experimental process has not been used to the same extent in archaeological experiments to investigate artefacts and inform us about the past experiences of physically impaired individuals. This thesis explores nineteenth-century lower-limb amputation and prostheses, using a combination of documentary, artefactual and experimental approaches, to gain insight into the lived experiences of impaired individuals and the identities they possessed. Concentrating on military amputation and the artificial appliances they may have used post-injury, this research explores the design, construction and social implications of prostheses, through the documentary analysis and detailed study of existing artifactual evidence. This is followed by a reconstruction of two appliances intended for different groups of people; the Box-leg, a peg-leg variation generally intended for working-class soldiers and the Anglesey leg, the first articulated design reserved for the wealthy. Their efficiency is also explored through biomechanical analysis, and comparisons are drawn regarding their kinetics and possible gait complications. In undertaking this research, the importance of the techniques and approaches used here are demonstrated, and the unique and novel dataset produced offers us a fascinating glimpse into the lived experiences of amputees during the nineteenth century and how status affected these experiences, socially and physically. These findings offer an insight into the importance of experimental techniques and how these could be developed to further expand upon our understanding of disability history and their connected artefacts

Статеві особливості метаболізму міокарда в динаміці розвитку експериментального гіпертиреозу

В экспериментах на половозрелых самцах и самках крыс исследовано активность перекисного окислення липидов, антиоксидантной защиты и энергообразования в динамике развития тироксиновой кардиомиопатии, которую моделировали введением L-тироксина (500 мг/кг, внутрижелудочно, ежедневно). В миокарде желудочков через 5, 10 и 15 дней с начала эксперимента определяли содержание диеновых и триеновых коньюгат (ДК, ТК), ТБК-активных продуктов (ТБК-АП), активность супероксиддисмутазы (СОД), каталазы, глутатионпероксидазы (ГП) и глутатионредуктазы (ГР), сукцинатдегидрогеназы (СДГ), цитохромоксидазы (ЦО). Установили, что гипертироксинемия визывала накопление в миокарде желудочков крыс ДК, ТК и ТБК-АП, что в самок было более существенным, чем у самцов, несмотря на большую активность ГП та ГР. Недостаточная протекторная эффективность ферментов системы глутатиона была результатом значительного угнетения активности СОД и каталазы, что свидетельствовало о существенном накоплении активных форм кислорода. Активность энергообразования в таких условиях уменьшалась, о чем свидетельствовало угнетение активности СДГ, которое было аналогичным в самцов и самок, и ЦО, что было более существенным в самок. Полученные результаты свидетельствуют о том, что развитие тироксиновой кардиомиопатии вызывает существенный метаболический дисбаланс в миокарде желудочков самок крыс, что разрешает ожидать болем интенсивные структурные нарушения.Lipid peroxidation, antioxidant protection and energy production were studied in adult male and female rats with thyroxin cardiomyopathy, which simulated by introduction of L-thyroxine (500 mg / kg, intraperitoneally, daily). In the myocardium of the ventricles after 5, 10 and 15 days from the start of the experiment determined the content of diene and triene conjugate (DC, TC), TBA-active metabolits (TBA-am), activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GP) and glutathione reductase (GR), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), cytochrome oxidase (CO). Found that hyperthyroxinemia caused accumulation in myocardium of the ventricles DC, TC and TBA-am mostly in females despite the higher activity of GP and GR. Lack of protective effects of glutathione system enzymes resulted from significant inhibition of SOD and catalase, indicating a significant accumulation of reactive species of oxygen. Activity of the energy production in these conditions decreased. That was proved by the inhibition of SDH in myocardium both sex animals and CO mostly in females. We conclude that the development of thyroxin cardiomyopathy causes metabolic disbalance in myocardium of the ventricles mostly in female rats, which can results in more intense structural damage

Antioxidative and Chemopreventive Properties of Vernonia amygdalina and Garcinia biflavonoid

Recently, considerable attention has been focused on dietary and medicinal phytochemicals that inhibit, reverse or retard diseases caused by oxidative and inflammatory processes. Vernonia amygdalina is a perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family. Extracts of the plant have been used in various folk medicines as remedies against helminthic, protozoal and bacterial infections with scientific support for these claims. Phytochemicals such as saponins and alkaloids, terpenes, steroids, coumarins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, xanthones, anthraquinones, edotides and sesquiterpenes have been extracted and isolated from Vernonia amygdalina. These compounds elicit various biological effects including cancer chemoprevention. Garcinia kola (Guttiferae) seed, known as “bitter kola”, plays an important role in African ethnomedicine and traditional hospitality. It is used locally to treat illnesses like colds, bronchitis, bacterial and viral infections and liver diseases. A number of useful phytochemicals have been isolated from the seed and the most prominent of them is the Garcinia bioflavonoids mixture called kolaviron. It has well-defined structure and an array of biological activities including antioxidant, antidiabetic, antigenotoxic and hepatoprotective properties. The chemopreventive properties of Vernonia amygdalina and Garcinia biflavonoids have been attributed to their abilities to scavenge free radicals, induce detoxification, inhibit stress response proteins and interfere with DNA binding activities of some transcription factors

Experimental Reconstruction of a Nineteenth Century Lower Limb Prosthetic Peg Leg – The Box Leg

Scientific attempts to understand early prosthesis manufacturing techniques are rare. The academic research of artificial limbs has been limited to the historical analysis of documentary sources. This area still remains a fairly under-researched topic even under the more recent developments of disability studies (Childress, 1985). There may be many reasons for this; the organic materials used in manufacturing limbs such as wood and leather, mean few prostheses survive archaeologically in situ, and disability was until more recent times hidden or not spoken of (Sweet, 2016). Our understanding of the early artificial limb manufacturing industry, has been based primarily on drawings, patent applications and rudimentary manufacturing methodologies. However, that all societies (past and present) follow a single technological trajectory just at different rates of progress would be an inaccurate assumption (Pfaffenberger, 1992). Therefore, the employment of experimental methods can aid the exploration of technological questions surrounding consumer networks, use and discard patterns, craft specialisation and workforce requirements

Patient and caregiver factors in ambulatory incident reports: a mixed-methods analysis.

ObjectivesPatients and caregivers are the primary stakeholders in ambulatory safety, given they perform daily chronic disease self-management, medication administration and outpatient follow-up. However, little attention has been given to their role in adverse events. We identified themes related to patient and caregiver factors and challenges in ambulatory safety incident reports from a Patient Safety Organization.MethodsWe conducted a mixed-methods analysis of ambulatory incident reports submitted to the Collaborative Healthcare Patient Safety Organization, including 450 hospitals or clinic members in 13 US states. We included events that had patient and/or caregiver behavioural, socioeconomic and clinical factors that may have contributed to the event. Two members of the team independently coded patient/caregiver factors, with dual coding of 20% of events. We then conducted a 'frequent item set' analysis to identify which factors most frequently co-occurred. We applied inductive analysis to the most frequent sets to interpret themes. Our team included a diverse stakeholder advisory council of patients, caregivers and healthcare staff.ResultsWe analysed 522 incident reports and excluded 73 for a final sample of 449 events. Our co-occurrence analysis found the following three themes: (1) clinical advice may conflict with patient priorities; (2) breakdowns in communication and patient education cause medication adverse events and (3) patients with disabilities are vulnerable to the external environment.ConclusionsAmbulatory safety reports capture both structural and behavioural factors contributing to adverse events. Actionable takeaways include the following: improving clinician counselling of patients to convey medical advice to elicit priorities, enhanced education regarding medication adverse events and expanding safety precautions for patients with disabilities at home. Ambulatory safety reporting must include patients in reporting and event review for better mitigation of future harm