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In Their Words: COVID-19 Experiences of the Vuntut Gwitchin
No full textYukon University and the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation (VGFN) explored emerging issues during the COVID-19 pandemic within the community of Old Crow. This community-based participatory research project took place in Old Crow, Yukon and sought to hear the perspectives of citizens of the community during the pandemic. Using a strengths-based approach grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and doing, participants described the impacts of COVID-19 in the northern Village of Old Crow on intergenerational trauma, mental wellness, social divisions created by vaccine uptake, and social isolation in an already isolated community. We also sought to learn how the health and wellness of the Vuntut Gwitchin citizens was impacted, including but not limited to, gender, the effects of COVID-19, vaccine confidence, social divisions generated through personal vaccine decisions, mental health and substance use, and the impact of long COVID. We heard how the community mobilized and reacted to the pandemic through policies and decisions, as well as programs and support offered to citizens. This project identified the lessons learned in the response to COVID-19 that could guide the response to subsequent pandemics or health emergencies that are culturally safe and strengthen the capacity of the community, as well as the health and wellness of the citizens. The participants’ perspectives reflected their resiliency, self-determination, strong sense of community, and traditional ways of knowing and being. The uniqueness of their experiences may provide insights that can support other communities that are Indigenous, rural and remote in dealing with future pandemics
SOUTH AFRICAN USERS’ FUNCTION AND EXPERIENCE WITH A MAGNETORHEOLOGICAL MICROPROCESSOR KNEE: A MIXED METHODS STUDY
No full textBACKGROUND: Microprocessor knees (MPKs) support safe and confident prosthetic walking. Their cost often prohibits prescription in low-and middle- income settings like South Africa. Funding of high-end prosthetic products in South Africa is dependent on justifications that explain why the component is prescribed, and how it can improve the user`s function. There is little local evidence to support these justifications.
OBJECTIVE: To explore and describe South African users’ function and experience with the Rheo XC microprocessor knee (MPK).
METHODOLOGY: An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used. A pre-test, post-test study was followed by a descriptive qualitative study to explore and explain the observed outcomes. In the pre-test phase, baseline data were collected while participants used their regular non-microprocessor knees (e.g., mechanical or hydraulic joints). Post-test data were collected after a two-week trial with the Rheo XC knee joint. Data were collected from 16 consecutively sampled participants, using a self-developed functional level scale and the L-Test. Nine (56.3%) participants had a transfemoral amputation, six (37.5%) had a knee disarticulation and one (6.3%) had bilateral amputations (transtibial and transfemoral). Baseline and follow-up data were paired for each participant and analyzed with the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test. The descriptive qualitative study explored six purposively sampled participants’ experiences of the trial knee through semi-structured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was done.
FINDINGS: The time to complete the L-Test decreased on average 7.5 s between baseline (35.4 s) and post-test (27.9 s) data. L-Test Wilcoxon Singed-rank findings showed a significant increase in walking speed (p < 0.001). Mean functional level scores increased by an average of 12.7 points (p < 0.001) with improvements observed across all activities except running, for which scores remained unchanged. Two themes emerged from the qualitative data. Theme 1: Acceptance of the MPK showed enthusiasm for the MPK. However, Theme 2: Real-world limitations of the MPK cautioned that the MPK is not suitable for everybody.
CONCLUSION: This study provides context specific scientific evidence that may support funding decisions for MPKs in South Africa. However, it is not suitable for everyone, and a trial period to assess appropriateness is advised before prescription. The test period in this study was short, and further research over longer durations is recommended.
Layman\u27s Abstract
Prosthetic knees with computer-controlled systems help users walk more safely and confidently; however, they are expensive and not commonly used in low- and middle-income countries such as South Africa. Medical aids and other private funders sometimes cover the cost based on justifications that explain why the prosthesis is prescribed and how it can improve the user\u27s function. Currently prosthetists have little evidence to support these justifications. This study assesses South African users’ function and experiences with one such knee, the Rheo XC knee. Sixteen participants tried the Rheo XC knee for two weeks. Before they started the trial period, they completed questions on their function and a timed walk test while using their own non-microprocessor knees (e.g. mechanical or hydraulic joints). After the two-week trial of the Rheo XC knee, they repeated the same tests to determine if their function or walking speed improved. Nine (56.3%) participants had an above knee amputation, six (37.5%) had a through knee amputation and one (6.3%) had bilateral amputations (below and above the knee). Baseline and follow-up data were paired for each participant and analyzed with a statistical test. Interviews were conducted with six selected participants to learn about their experiences using the Rheo XC knee. Participants walked on average 7.5 s faster with the Rheo XC knee than with their usual knee. They also had higher function scores for all activities except running, which remained the same. Although participants liked the Rheo XC knee, its length and weight posed challenges for certain individuals. The findings of this study may help justify funding for the Rheo XC knee in South Africa. However, it is recommended that the Rheo XC knee be prescribed only after a trial period has been completed to ensure it is an appropriate choice for the specific user. The test period used in the study was short, and further research over longer duration is recommended.
Article PDF Link: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/45286/33986
How To Cite: Visagie S, Theron B. South African users’ function and experience with a magnetorheological microprocessor knee: A mixed methods study. Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2025; Volume 8, Issue 1, No. 5. Https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v8i1.45286
Corresponding Author: Surona Visagie, PhDAffiliation: University of Stellenbosch, Division of Disability and Rehabilitation Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, South Africa.E-Mail: [email protected] ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4575-479
Probe: Pope Francis’ 2025 Autobiography, and Walter J. Ong’s Thought
No full textProbe: Pope Francis’ 2025 Autobiography, and Walter J. Ong’s Though
Issues of Representation in Canada
No full textThis article examines the issue of inadequate representation in the Canadian government through the analysis of party politics and the electoral system. Descriptive and substantive representation are touched upon to highlight the underrepresentation of women and marginalized groups, and how party politics have a role in shaping factors such as the selection of candidates, party loyalty, and the impacts these have on Members of Parliament and Senators. Overall, although proportional representation in the country is difficult to achieve and carries its set of risks, a nuanced approach is necessary to ensure representation in Canada’s government
Hypocritical Usage: A Recipe for Global Injustice
No full textState sovereignty is integral to the international system; without it, there would be no nation-state. In this paper, I analyse the current condition of state sovereignty and the way it is used selectively by powerful states to proceed with foreign policies that often violate international law. This selective usage gives rise to a phenomenon I call “hypocritical usage.” Hypocritical usage refers to the significant role of state sovereignty in allowing powerful states to invade while also avoiding jurisdiction over multilateral institutions (e.g., the UN, the ICJ). To prove this phenomenon, I have decided to use a case analysis of two cases: the US-Iraq invasion and the Russia-Ukraine invasion. I break down hypocritical usage into four stages: initiation, justification, violations, and avoidance. After conducting this analysis, I discuss the implications of hypocritical usage on the international scale, highlighting it as a hindrance to international law’s legitimacy and a growing concern in a polarized world
The Red Legacy: Examining the Political Efficacy of Chinese Canadian Immigrants who have Endured the Cultural and Communist Revolutions
No full textThis paper delves into the personal experiences individuals had during the Chinese Communist and Cultural Revolutions, and how these experiences have shaped the political efficacy of Chinese immigrants in Canada. The study is qualitative and is based on three interviews, designed to explore the backgrounds of these immigrants and assess how their historical experiences influence their current political beliefs and behaviors. The findings suggest that their past led to a profound impact on their political integration within the Canadian context. The interviewees notably reported a heightened appreciation for the democratic values and freedoms available in Canada, yet they expressed apprehension about engaging in overt political activities. The respondents also highlighted a unique form of political efficacy that underscores expressive rather than instrumental actions within the framework of Canadian democracy. Ultimately, the study suggests that these immigrants may not begin their political endeavors in Canada with a blank slate; rather, they carry an inherent history that influences their participation in their new country’s political sphere
Muses at the Margins: The Odalisque and Beautiful Jewess as Objects of Cultural Domestication
No full textThe Odalisque is a 19th century painting genre depicting a reclining woman, often nude, who is implied to be a member of a Middle Eastern harem, part of an environment of “oriental” material luxury. The paintings brought the Odalisque into domestic European spaces where she—and her Eastern surroundings, including the harem—are recreated. The Beautiful Jewess is an 18th/19th century literary trope whose ‘primitivism,’ inaccessibility, and blend of exoticism and familiarity appeal to the desires of a European Christian male viewer. Examining the tropes of the Odalisque and the Beautiful Jewess in light of each other, this paper argues that these representations of female bodies and minds in European art and literature play a significant role in allowing the European Christian male audience to possess, domesticate, and consume the ‘Other.’ It argues that the liminality of these characters functions to allow European consumers both to assert their superiority and to neutralize the threatening Otherness of the Orient to make it something absorbable and exploitable
