Astaxanthin: A Potential Therapeutic Agent in Cardiovascular Disease

Astaxanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid present in microalgae, fungi, complex plants, seafood, flamingos and quail. It is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties and as such has potential as a therapeutic agent in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Synthetic forms of astaxanthin have been manufactured. The safety, bioavailability and effects of astaxanthin on oxidative stress and inflammation that have relevance to the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, have been assessed in a small number of clinical studies. No adverse events have been reported and there is evidence of a reduction in biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation with astaxanthin administration. Experimental studies in several species using an ischaemia-reperfusion myocardial model demonstrated that astaxanthin protects the myocardium when administered both orally or intravenously prior to the induction of the ischaemic event. At this stage we do not know whether astaxanthin is of benefit when administered after a cardiovascular event and no clinical cardiovascular studies in humans have been completed and/or reported. Cardiovascular clinical trials are warranted based on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties, the safety profile and preliminary experimental cardiovascular studies of astaxanthin

A scoping review of flipped learning research conducted in K-12 and university physical education settings

Background/Purpose: The use of digital technology in education continues to grow rapidly. Flipped learning (FL) is a popular format used across subjects that leverages digital technology to deliver instruction to students prior to face-to-face classes. In physical education (PE), FL uses asynchronous digital instruction to expand learning and physical activity opportunities beyond the school day to prime students for upcoming face-to-face classes where they engage in guided movement experiences designed to extend prior learning (Osterlie et al., in press). The format of FL and use of digital instruction represents a departure from traditional pedagogical approaches in PE, however the potential of FL to support positive PE outcomes has been documented (Killian et al., 2016; Killian et al., 2019). Recent efforts to identify evidence from FL research independently from broader online PE.literature was limited to non-university students (Gosalbez-Carpena et al., 2022). Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to extend this review by presenting results from studies on FL in K-12 and higher education PE settings. This study also synthesized common factors of FL implementation as an initial, evidence-based constitution of FL in PE. Method: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were used to guide the review process. Peer-reviewed studies were included when they related to the use of FL within K-12 and higher education physical education contexts. Full-text studies and articles were evaluated against a priori inclusion criteria and unrelated articles were excluded from this review. Analysis/Results: A total of 82 peer-reviewed studies were considered for inclusion. Only 16 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and qualified for this review. Most studies were conducted in K-12 settings, in Europe, using quantitative methods. Lesson content of FL studies was broad and mainly on fitness related information and non-traditional activities like orienteering, parkour, and korfball. Sample sizes varied widely across studies, with a majority of studies focusing on student motivation and learning outcomes. Overall, the use of FL had an inconsistent but generally positive impact on these variables. Student autonomy and time spent in motor learning were also generally positively impacted across several studies. School approved learning management systems were most commonly used to deliver FL instruction in included studies. Length of FL implementation ranged mostly between three and six lessons and was mainly applied promote learning for the key aspects of lesson material. Conclusions: The results of this review suggest that research on FL in PE is still in its early stages, but is gaining attention from researchers globally. Use of the FL approach in PE appears to benefit students when compared to the use of traditional pedagogies. This review showed FL has potential to improve student motivation and support student learning. Currently, there is limited inquiry related to important PE outcomes like physical activity, motor learning and socioemotional learning. Further research is necessary to develop a stronger evidence-base for practice. Expanded methodologies should be applied to better understand phenomena related to FL implementation across all grade-levels and varied contents