Abstract: The purpose of this article is to analyze the coverage of the Paralympics in the New York Times (NYT) from the first appearance of the term Paralympics in 1955 up to 2012. We analyzed a) the textual imagery (not imagery intrinsic to pictures) of the Paralympics and its athletes, b) the representation of views and hopes of Paralympians and c) the visibility of the Paralympics and Paralympians within the NYT. We found that NYT coverage of the Paralympics and Paralympians is minimal and often portrays Paralympic athletes in stereotypical ways, such as being supercrips or suffering entities. In regards to the portrayal of therapeutic assistive devices of Paralympic athletes in the NYT, four themes are evident: a) the advancement of technology, b) the hierarchy between different therapeutic assistive devices, c) the relationship between the device and the athlete and d) the affordability of the device. We submit that the portrayal of the Paralympics, as evident in the NYT, for the most part does not help to further the discussion around a) the future of the Paralympics and its role within society, b) the relationship between the Paralympics and the Olympics and c) barriers of sport participation faced by athletes with disabilities on all levels, from recreational to competitive sport.
Abstract: This paper highlights the utility of an expanded ableism concept beyond how it is used in disability studies; expanding the concept of ableism so it connects with all aspects of societies and making ableism applicable to many academic fields. It introduces this expanded form of ableism as a new angle of cultural research and suggests it to be one possible venue for disability studies scholars to escape the ghettoization of their impact.
Abstract: A comprehensive understanding of the experiences of post secondary students with diverse abilities is needed. The ways in which 'disabled' postsecondary students make meaning of their experiences in postsecondary education was explored. Eight participants (self-identified disabled post secondary students) were recruited from post secondary institutions in Calgary, Alberta. Five themes (hegemonic voice, voice of the body, voice of silence, voice of assertion, voice of change) were identified within a body-social-self framework. Findings demonstrate a continued need for critical examination of higher education policy and its capacity to address differences in ability. The concept of ableism (hegemonic ability preferences which inaugurate the norm) is presented and is demonstrated to be of utility as an analytical lens. Findings are highly anticipated to address existing literature gaps and to be of importance to policymakers, researchers, and ability-diverse student populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Abstract: Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To ascertain the impact of therapeutic bodily assistive devices that enable beyond-the-normal body abilities on sport in general and the Paralympics and Olympics in particular.
DESIGN:
Cross-sectional survey.
SETTING:
Online.
PARTICIPANTS:
Members of the National Council on Rehabilitation Education (United States). Distribution of online survey link to membership.
ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS:
The survey used a combination of 37 simple yes or no, Likert scale, and opinion rating scale questions. This article is based on 4 of the 37 questions that focus on the impact of therapeutic enhancements on various aspects of sport.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Whether respondents felt that there is an impact of therapeutic bodily assistive devices that enable beyond-the-normal body abilities on the participation of people with disabilities in sport of all levels and the self-identity of athletes with disabilities. Secondary outcome measure was what the respondents felt the impact may be.
RESULTS:
The respondents indicated that therapeutic bodily assistive devices, which enable beyond-the-normal body abilities, will have an impact on participation of people with disabilities in sport at all levels and on the self-identity of athletes with disabilities.
CONCLUSIONS:
Given the result that the respondents felt that therapeutic enhancements will impact various aspects of sport, it may be prudent to initiate a broader discourse around therapeutic enhancement and to revise codes of ethics so that they give guidance on this topic.
Abstract: so far, the meaning of health and therefore treatment and rehabilitation is benchmarked
to the normal or species typical body. Therapeutic interventions increasingly have the
potential to generate beyond the ânormalâ bodily abilities (therapeutic enhancements) The
field of rehabilitation, the desire for certain especially beyond species-typical body abilities and
the direction and governance of science and technology are becoming increasingly interrelated.
How we judge and deal with bodily abilities, or the lack of them, among others influences
the direction and governance of science and technology processes, products and
research and development and influence the meaning and scope of health and rehabilitation,
the identity and job description of health and rehabilitation professionals, the desires of health
and rehabilitation clients. This paper presents the results of an exploratory, non-probability
survey of National council of rehabilitation educators (UsA) members seeking their views on
issues of bodily enhancement and their impact on health and rehabilitation professions. The
majority surveyed perceived human enhancements beyond the ânormalâ and the attached
changes as unavoidable. The results indicate that it is high time that the enhancement discourse
moves outside the ethics realm and that impact analysis of beyond the normal enhancement
is performed that includes so far mostly invisible health and rehabilitation
professionals, their clients and disability policy scholars.
Abstract: Perception of what is waste and wasteful, as well as what kind of waste one can and is willing to produce or
not produce has changed over time and continues to change and, the author submits, is linked to cost benefit
analysis undertaken by the entities that judge something as waste or wasteful. This paper introduces
footprint/ableism as a cost benefit framework. Footprints (e.g. water, carbon, energy, ecological) are
measures linking the creation and consumption of manufacturing products and the use of services to certain
costs. Ableism is the sentiment that certain abilities are seen as essential. The author submits that ability desires
and preferences are a main dynamic that influences whether costs are seen as acceptable and leads to the
classification of certain products and actions as waste and wasteful and others not
Abstract: Science and technology, including nanoscale science and technology, influences and is influenced by various discourses and areas of action. Ableism is one concept and ability expectation is one dynamic that impacts the direction, vision, and application of nanoscale science and technology and vice versa. At the same time, policy documents that involve or relate to disabled people exhibit ability expectations of disabled people. The authors present ability expectations exhibited within two science and technology direction documents from Asia, as well as in two policy documents generated and influenced by disabled people from Asia. As well, the authors discuss the impact of the ability expectations exhibited in these four documents with respect to the relationship between science and technology and disabled people.
Abstract: Citizenship education has been debated for some time and has faced various challenges over time. This paper introduces the lens of âableismâ and ability expectations to the citizenship education discourse. The author contends that the cultural dynamic of ability expectations and ableism (not only expecting certain abilities, but also perceiving certain abilities as essential) was one factor that has and will continue to shape citizenship and citizenship education. It focuses on three areas of citizenship education: (a) active citizenship; (b) citizenship education for a diverse population; and (c) global citizenship. It covers two ability-related challenges, namely: disabled people, who are often seen as lacking expected species-typical body abilities, and, advances of science and technology that generate new abilities. The author contends that the impact of ability expectations and ableism on citizenship and citizenship education, locally and in a globalized world, is an important and under-researched area.
Abstract: Resolution A/HRC/RES/16/2 adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 8 April 2011 declared access to safe drinking water and sanitation a human right. However many people around the globe including people with disabilities do not have access to safe drinking water, hygiene or sanitation facilities. Inaccessibility of clean water sources, hygiene and sanitation facilities negatively impacts among others health, education, the ability to work, and the ability to partake in social activities. This paper looks at the benefits of, and access barriers to, clean water and sanitation for people with disabilities.
Abstract: People increasingly can and want to obtain and generate health information themselves. With the increasing do-it-yourself sentiment comes also the desire to be more involved in oneâs health care decisions. Patient driven health-care and health research models are emerging; terms such as participatory medicine and quantified-self are visible increasingly. Given the health consumerâs desire to be more involved in health data generation and health care decision making processes the authors submit that it is important to be health policy literate, to understanding how health policies are developed, what themes are discussed among health policy researchers and policy makers, to understand how ones demands would be discussed within health policy discourses. The public increasingly obtains their knowledge through the internet by searching web browsers for keywords. Question is whether the âhealth consumerâ to come has knowledge of key terms defining key health policy discourses which would enable them to perform targeted searches for health policy literature relevant to their situation. The authors found that key health policy terms are virtually absent from printed and online news media which begs the question how the âhealth consumerâ might learn about key health policy terms needed for web based searches that would allow the âhealth consumerâ to access health policy discourses relevant to them.
Abstract: The problems associated with climate change, energy scarcity, water and sanitation insecurity and severe natural disasters are at the forefront of both national and international policy agendas. Increasingly, people with disabilities are those most critically affected by these environmental challenges; however, literature addressing the implications for people with disabilities remains scarce. The well-being of people with disabilities is threatened by this invisibility. Here, we present survey results that suggest how women, children, people with disabilities, indigenous people, ethnic minorities, and industry in both high and low income countries are perceived to experience these environmental challenges. Respondents ranked people with disabilities between first and third in regards to experiencing climate change impact, energy scarcity and water and sanitation insecurity. Our results emphasize the need to make the impacts of climate change, energy scarcity and water and sanitation insecurity experienced by people with disabilities a priority for local and global discourses, public policy formation and academic research.
Abstract: More than 1 billion people in the world lack access to
clean water, and 2.6 billion to sanitation. Halving the
number of people without access to water and sanitation
is a Millennium Development Goal. According to a DFID
research project description, 60 million physically
disabled people have difficulties related to water supply,
use, and sanitation. However, access to clean water and
sanitation and other water related problems disabled
people face are not mentioned and dealt with in high
level policy documents such as the three existing editions
of the world water report, the memorandum for a World
Water Protocol (MWWP) or the Human Development
Report 2007/2008 âFighting climate change: human
solidarity in a divided worldâ which covered water scarcity
and floods. Disabled people are invisible in these
documents and although all of these documents mention
other marginalized groups such as indigenous peoples,
women in developing countries, the rural poor and their
children, young people workers/peasantsâ, âthe poorâ,
farmers and displaced people. This paper submits that
certain forms of ableism are responsible for the invisibility
of disabled people in various water discourses.
Abstract: Social determinants of health (SDH) are an important public health policy discourse and the concept and scope of SDH is debated within and outside of the public health field. This article concerns itself with the visibility of people with disabilities in existing SDH discourses. It employed a frequency analysis of Google and Google Scholar search hits obtained with the phrase âsocial determinants of healthâ in combination with various social groups and looked at the visibility of people with disabilities within key SDH documents, the Millennium Development Goals and some contemporary SDH such as energy, water and climate change security. It found that people with disabilities are much less visible than other social groups despite the major impact SDH have on this population.
Abstract: The time is near where âtherapeuticâ bodily assistive devices, developed to mimic species-typical body structures in order to enable normative body functioning, will allow the wearer to outperform the species-typical body in various functions. Although such devices are developed for people that are seen to exhibit sub species-typical abilities, many âtherapeutic enhancementsâ might also be desired and used by people that exhibit species-typical body abilities. This paper presents the views of members of the World Federation of the Deaf on potential beyond species-typical abilities enabling therapeutic assistive devices (i.e. related to hearing). Survey respondents showed support for the development and uptake of beyond normal hearing enabling devices. The views of survey respondents as clients affect hearing-enabling professions (such as audiologist and speech pathologists). The paper analyzes what guidance code of ethics of hearing enabling professions give in regards to beyond normal hearing enabling devices. This paper suggests that people labeled impaired and the professions that serve them should more involved in the enhancement discourse.
Notes: open access through the generosity of the University open access fund
Abstract: Health promotion according to the 1986 Ottawa Charter of the first global health promotion conference "is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, an individual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment". In this commentary, I explore three powerful challenges to the spirit of the Ottawa Charter and to global health. The first challenge is the departure from the WHO definition of health; the second challenge relates to the appearance of the transhumanist/enhancement model of health which includes human performance enhancement beyond species-typical boundaries as part of the concept of health. The third challenge consists of the limited involvement and understanding of disabled people with their different models of 'disability/impairment' (medical, social, transhumanist/enhancement) in the discourse of global health and health promotion. Not dealing with these challenges impairs the ability of health promotion to deal with global health problems, the 'health' needs of marginalized groups--in particular, disabled people--and the Millennium Development Goals.
Abstract: The paper by Dr. Gregor Wolbring addresses the issue of genetic discrimination from disabled people's rights perspective asking a) what the interpretation of genetic discrimination and the scope of Anti Genetic discrimination laws and law proposals is and b) whether the scope and interpretation of genetic discrimination and Anti Genetic discrimination laws and law proposal lead to more protection for-or increased discrimination against- disabled people"
Notes: DA - 20050418 IS - 1134-7708 LA - eng PT - Journal Article SB - E SB - IM
Abstract: The paper by Dr. Gregor Wolbring addresses the issue of genetic discrimination from disabled people's rights perspective asking a) what the interpretation of genetic discrimination and the scope of Anti Genetic discrimination laws and law proposals is and b) whether the scope and interpretation of genetic discrimination and Anti Genetic discrimination laws and law proposal lead to more protection for-or increased discrimination against- disabled people"
Abstract: CC-4047 (Actimid) and CC-5013 (Revimid) belong to a class of thalidomide analogs collectively known as the immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), which are currently being assessed in the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma and other cancers. IMiDs potently enhance T cell and natural killer cell responses and inhibit tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 beta, and IL-12 production from LPS-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. However, the molecular mechanism of action for these compounds is unknown. Herein, we report on the ability of the IMiDs to up-regulate production of IL-2 from activated human CD4+ and CD8+ peripheral blood T cells, production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma from T helper (Th)1-type cells, and production of IL-5 and IL-10 from Th2-type cells. Elevation of IL-2 production from Jurkat T cells was observed as early as 6 h poststimulation and correlated with an increase in IL-2 promoter activity that was dependent upon the proximal but not the distal AP-1 binding site. The IMiDs enhanced AP-1-driven transcriptional activity 2- to 4-fold after 6 h of T cell stimulation, and their relative potencies for AP-1 activation correlated with their potencies for increased IL-2 production in Jurkat T cells and in CD4+ or CD8+ human peripheral blood T cells. The most potent of these IMiDs, CC-4047, had no effect on nuclear factor of activated T cells transcriptional activity, calcium signaling, or phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1/2, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, or c-Jun/Jun D in Jurkat T cells. These data suggest that IMiDs increase T cell cytokine production by potentiating AP-1 transcriptional activity.
Abstract: Photoreceptor guanylyl cyclase (ROS-GC), converting GTP into cGMP and pyrophosphate, is a key enzyme in the regulation of the visual transduction cascade. ROS-GC requires GC-activating proteins (GCAPs) and low free [Ca] for full activity. We found that when choline or potassium were the major cations present, light caused a 70% inhibition of stimulated ROS-GC in native unstripped membranes. In the presence of sodium ions, however, no inhibition was observed. ROS-GC activity of ROS membranes, stripped of transducin and other components, was not affected by light when reconstituted with GCAP1 only. However, when stripped ROS membranes were reconstituted with both GCAP1 and either transducin (T alpha beta gamma) or the T beta gamma-subunits, the inhibition of ROS-GC by light was restored. The T alpha-subunit alone was ineffective. These results suggest that under saturating light conditions, ROS-GC may be regulated by T beta gamma and cations, providing a possible mechanism of desensitization and light adaptation.
Abstract: beta 2-Adrenergic receptors expressed in Sf9 cells activate endogenous Gs and adenylyl cyclase [Mouillac B., Caron M., Bonin H., Dennis M. and Bouvier M. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 21733-21737]. However, high affinity agonist binding is not detectable under these conditions suggesting an improper stoichiometry between the receptor and the G protein and possibly the effector molecule as well. In this study we demonstrate that when beta 2-adrenergic receptors were co-expressed with various mammalian G protein subunits in Sf9 cells using recombinant baculoviruses signalling properties found in native receptor systems were reconstituted. For example, when beta 2AR was co-expressed with the Gs alpha subunit, maximal receptor-mediated adenylyl cyclase stimulation was greatly enhanced (60 +/- 9.0 versus 150 +/- 52 pmol cAMP/min/mg protein) and high affinity, GppNHp-sensitive, agonist binding was detected. When G beta gamma subunits were co-expressed with Gs alpha and the beta 2AR, receptor-stimulated GTPase activity was also demonstrated, in contrast to when the receptor was expressed alone, and this activity was higher than when beta 2AR was co-expressed with Gs alpha alone. Other properties of the receptor, including receptor desensitization and response to inverse agonists were unaltered. Using antisera against an epitope-tagged beta 2AR, both Gs alpha and beta gamma subunits could be co-immunoprecipitated with the beta 2AR under conditions where subunit dissociation would be expected given current models of G protein function. A desensitization-defective beta 2AR (S261, 262, 345, 346A) and a mutant which is constitutively desensitized (C341G) could also co-immunoprecipitate G protein subunits. These results will be discussed in terms of a revised view of G protein-mediated signalling which may help address issues of specificity in receptor/G protein coupling.
Abstract: Guanylyl cyclases (GC, EC 4.6.1.2) serve as receptors that produce cGMP in response to ligand binding. The production of cGMP is essential for the ability of retinal photoreceptor cells to restore the dark state after photoexcitation. GC activity is enhanced in rod outer segments (ROS) by a decrease in the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration. We recently developed a new real-time assay to measure initial rates of ROS GC activity with much improved precision [Wolbring, G. & P. P. M. Schnetkamp (1995) Biochemistry 34, 4689-4695]. With this assay we examined the Ca2+ sensitivity of ROS GC, and we report here that protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation and Na+ cause significant shifts in the IC50 for Ca2+ of the particulate guanylyl cyclase from bovine retinal rod outer segments. The IC50 for Ca2+ ranged between 30 and 270 nM Ca2+ dependent on the presence of Na+, choline, cAMP, cGMP, 8-bromo-cAMP, 8-bromo-cGMP, or the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A.
Abstract: cGMP and Ca2+ are intracellular messengers in vertebrate rod photoreceptors. cGMP is the excitatory messenger, while intracellular free Ca2+ has been implied to be (one of) the messenger(s) in the process of light adaptation in vertebrate rod photoreceptors. The enzyme guanylyl cyclase (GC, EC 4.6.1.2.) catalyzes the reaction GTP-->cGMP + PPi. Bovine retinal rod outer segments (ROS) contain a particulate GC which is inhibited by an increase in free Ca2+ in the submicromolar range, although the precise molecular mechanism underlying this inhibition is unclear. We have developed an optical enzyme-coupled assay to study regulation of the particulate GC endogenous to bovine ROS. The particulate GC exhibited a Ca(2+)-inhibited (IC50 83-144 nM) activity of 13-23 nmol of PPi/(min-(mg of rhodopsin)). ATP increased the maximal velocity of GC by about 2-fold, and this increase was inhibited by the specific PKC inhibitors chelerythrine and the pseudosubstrate-based peptide inhibitor PKC R10-31N. When the factor that mediated the ATP-dependent increase in GC rate was removed by washing, the ATP-dependent increase in GC rate could be reestablished by addition of purified, constitutively active PKC.
Abstract: Tyrphostins are a group of organic compounds which are widely used as a tool to specifically inhibit protein tyrosine kinases (Yaish, P., Gazit, A., Gilon, C., and levitzki A. (1988) Science 242, 933-935; Gazit, A., Yaish, P., Gilon, C., and Levitzki A. (1989) J. Med. Chem. 32, 2344-2352; Lyall, R. M., Zilberstein, A., Gazit, A., Gilon, C., Levitzki, A., and Schlessinger J. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14503-14509; Osherov, N., Gazit, A., Gilon, C., and Levitzki, A. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 11134-11142). We report here that members of the tyrphostin family inhibit the GTPase activity of transducin and the enzymatic activities of other GTP-utilizing proteins in retinal rod outer segments, such as guanylyl cyclase or fructose-6-phosphate kinase. In contrast, ATP-utilizing enzymes such as hexokinase or rhodopsin kinase were not effected.
Abstract: A rapid FPLC procedure for the purification of protein kinase C from bovine rod outer segments is described. The enzyme is essentially homogeneous after purification and exhibits a molecular mass of approximately 85 kDa, as determined by SDS/PAGE. From its chromatographic behaviour on hydroxyapatite, and from Western-blotting experiments using isoenzyme-specific antibodies, we were able to identify the bovine rod outer segment protein kinase C as being of the alpha or type-III form. The purified protein kinase C has a specific activity of 1066 nmol 32P.min-1.mg protein-1, and shows a 30-fold activation upon the addition of the effectors Ca2+, PtdSer and 1,2-diacylglycerol. Arachidonic acid and linoleic acid were also found to enhance significantly the activity of the purified enzyme.
Abstract: The K(+)-dependence of the rod photoreceptor sodium-calcium exchanger was investigated using the Ca2(+)-sensitive dye arsenazo III after reconstitution of the purified protein into proteoliposomes. The uptake of Ca2+ by Na(+)-loaded liposomes was found to be greatly enhanced by the presence of external K+ (EC50 approximately 1 mM) in a Michaelis-Menten manner, suggesting that one K+ ion is involved in the transport of one Ca2+ ion. We also found a minimal degree of Ca2+ uptake in the total absence of K+. Other alkali cations, notably Rb+ and, to a lesser extent, Cs+, were also able to stimulate Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange. We also investigated the K(+)-dependence of the photoreceptor Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger by determining the effects of electrochemical K+ gradients on the Na(+)-activated Ca2+ efflux from proteoliposomes. We found that, under conditions of membrane voltage clamp with FCCP, inwardly directed electrochemical K+ gradients (i.e., K0+ greater than Ki+) inhibited, whereas an outwardly directed electrochemical K+ gradient (i.e., Ki+ greater than K0+) enhanced, Na(+)-dependent Ca2+ efflux, consistent with the notion that K+ is cotransported in the same direction as Ca2+. The investigation of the reconstituted exchanger at physiological (i.e. Ki+ = 110 mM, K0+ = 2.5 mM) potassium concentrations revealed that the Na(+)-dependence of Ca2(+)-efflux was highly cooperative (n = 3.01 from Hill plots), indicating that at least three, but possibly four, Na+ ions are exchanged for one Ca2+ ion. Under these conditions the reconstituted exchanger showed a Km for Na+ of 26.1 mM, and a turnover number of 115 Ca2+.s-1 per exchanger molecule. Our results with the purified and reconstituted sodium-calcium exchanger from rod photoreceptors are therefore consistent with previous reports (Cervetto, L., Lagnado, L., Perry, R.J., Robinson, D.W. and McNaughton, P.A. (1989) Nature 337, 740-743; Schnetkamp, P.P.M., Basu, D.K. and Szerencsei, R.T. (1989) Am. J. Physiol. 257, C153-C157) that the sodium-calcium exchanger of rod photoreceptors cotransports K+ under physiological conditions with a stoichiometry of 4 Na+:1 Ca2+, 1K+.
