Analysis of refill curve shape in ultrasound contrast agent studies

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135021/1/mp9534.pd

'The teacher could correct me without being there': Adapting distance education approaches to promote physical activity during lockdown

Despite the impossibility of face-to-face teaching during the covid-19 pandemic lockdown, many physical education teachers used remote activity pedagogical monitoring (PM) to keep students engaged in physical activity (PA). The aim of this study was to explore students’ experiences of remote PM practices during lockdown to engage in PA. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used, with a qualitative investigation (students’ experience of PM) informed by a quantitative investigation (relationship between PA and PM as a function of diligence). First, 644 French students (16.32 ± 1.01 years) participated in a longitudinal survey to collect retrospective data about their reported PA levels during a typical week before lockdown and four weeks after. A second step consisted of identifying clusters, based on how PA emerged in participants and diligence in PM. Five clusters were identified from which eight paragons accepted to be interviewed. Interviews were conducted with paragons from each cluster to understand their different lived experiences during PM. Results showed a significant decrease in PA during lockdown, with PM serving to limit the drop-out from PA. Positive experiences in PA engagement were associated with: (a) family and video support, (b) variety in the PA program, (c) requests for work, (d) provision of feedback, and (e) use of personalised training. Results are encouraging in terms of developing hybrid pedagogical practice which includes face-to-face activity and use of PM. Further research is needed to ensure these pedagogical principles lead to positive experiences of PA engagement at a distance

Preclinical imaging methods for assessing the safety and efficacy of regenerative medicine therapies

Regenerative medicine therapies hold enormous potential for a variety of currently incurable conditions with high unmet clinical need. Most progress in this field to date has been achieved with cell-based regenerative medicine therapies, with over a thousand clinical trials performed up to 2015. However, lack of adequate safety and efficacy data is currently limiting wider uptake of these therapies. To facilitate clinical translation, non-invasive in vivo imaging technologies that enable careful evaluation and characterisation of the administered cells and their effects on host tissues are critically required to evaluate their safety and efficacy in relevant preclinical models. This article reviews the most common imaging technologies available and how they can be applied to regenerative medicine research. We cover details of how each technology works, which cell labels are most appropriate for different applications, and the value of multi-modal imaging approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of the responses to cell therapy in vivo

ALFAC (“Aquatic Literacy For All Children”): A European Project to protect and engage children in the aquatic environment for a long-term

International audience417POSTER 218ALFAC ( “Aquatic Literacy For All Children”): A European Project to protectand engage children in the aquatic environment for a long-termLéa Mekkaoui1, François Potdevin1, Kristine De Martelaer2, Ilka Staub3 , Susana Soares4,ALFAC Consortium*51Univ. Lille, Univ. Artois, Univ. Littoral Côte d’Opale, ULR 7369—URePSSS—Unité de RecherchePluridisciplinaire Sport Santé Société, Lille, France. 2Department of Movement and Sport Sciences,Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium. 3Instituteof Professional Sport Education and Sport Qualifications, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne,Germany. 4Center of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport and Porto BiomechanicsLaboratory, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. 5ALFAC, Lille, FranceAquatic activities (AA) are promoted for their health benefits (1-4), and the fact that positive childhood experienceshave a significant impact on lifelong engagement (5) should encourage educators to provide maximum pleasure andconfidence to children who discover this aquatic environment in a water safe manner.However, these benefits can be tragically overshadowed if children are not empowered with protective skills againstdrowning. This “dark side” of aquatic recreation is partly responsible for the deaths of about 37,000 lives lost inEurope every year (6). Identified as the second leading cause of death among children, the school-age populationappears particularly vulnerable when being active in, on and around the water. According to the WHO, this terribleobservation is not a fatality and could be greatly reduced by a series of measures such as improving the quality ofswimming education from an early age. This appears to be a key for better protecting children while equippingthem with the water competencies that will enable them to safely engage in aquatic environments (7).To tackle this dual aquatic issue, a partnership has been built between researchers, educators, and stakeholders fromEurope around the ALFAC (Aquatic Literacy For All Children) project, co-funded by the European Commission.The goal is to improve the quality of aquatic education while increasing the Aquatic Literacy (AL) levels of childrenaged 6-12, to better protect them from the dangers of being active in the water, while motivating them to engagein AA in the long-term. For that reason, the consortium aims to create diagnostic and pedagogical tools to raise theAL level of children through a collaborative project.The ten full partners come from seven countries with different drowning accident rates and are involved in theeducation or organizing swimming. In each country, a network has been formed to be as close as possible to thepedagogical, cultural, and structural issues.This intersecting view between scientific research and practitioners’ feedbacks around the topic of AL, presents anexample of a collaborative project that addresses the issue of promotion of AA while preventing drowning amongyoung Europeans