Development of ELIP to Assess Physical Literacy for Emerging Adults: A Methodological and Epistemological Challenge.

Purpose: Following increased interest in physical literacy (PL), development of appropriate tools for assessment has become an important next step for its operationalization. To forward the development of such tools, the objective of this study was to build the foundations of the Évaluation de la Littératie Physique (ELIP), designed to help reduce existing tensions in approaches to PL assessment that may be resulting in a low uptake into applied settings. Methods: We followed two steps: (1) the development of the first version of ELIP by deploying a Delphi method (n = 30); and (2) the modification of items through cognitive interviews with emerging adults (n = 32). Results: The expert consensus highlighted four dimensions of PL to be assessed-physical; affective; cognitive; and social-with new perspectives, including a preference for broad motor tests over fitness. Conclusion: Results offer new insights into the assessment of emerging adults' PL, but ELIP still requires further work concerning validity, reliability, and sensitivity.

[Development and test of a new plantar pressure control device for foot unloading]. / Elaboration et validation d'un nouveau dispositif de surveillance des pressions plantaires: application à la décharge du pied.

OBJECTIVE: To validate a new plantar pressure control device able to detect excessive plantar pressure on-line and to improve the subject's awareness of the gait pattern in order to correct and optimize the load distribution patterns. The aim of this study was to verify the feasibility of a deliberate and partial unload of the first metatarsal head. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eight healthy subjects were equipped with the plantar pressure sensors integrated in customized insoles. They were told to unload the first metatarsal head of the right foot by 5%. During the trials, the auditory and visual signals inform the subject of an excessive, insufficient or correct unload. RESULTS: Five subjects over eight succeeding in modifying significantly their gait pattern and in unloading by 5% the first metatarsal head. The unload is effective in 70.7% of the trials. However, the subjects were spontaneously inclined to reduce peak pressure under the first metatarsal head beyond the critical peak plantar pressure threshold (48.2% of the trials). DISCUSSION - CONCLUSION: The results showed the feasibility of a partial and deliberate foot unloading in using biofeedback device but emphasized the subject's difficulty to control a discriminated and accurate unload of the first metatarsal head. That points out the necessity of learning period. The baropodometric biofeedback rehabilitation focuses on the subject's capacities to modify its own locomotor pattern. It would be used as primary and secondary prevention means of diabetic foot ulceration.

Step-to-step reproducibility and asymmetry to study gait auto-optimization in healthy and cerebral palsied subjects.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to compare plantar pressure asymmetry and step-to-step reproducibility in both able-bodied persons and two groups of hemiplegics. The relevance of the research was to determine the efficiency of asymmetry and reproducibility as indexes for diagnosis and rehabilitation processes. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study comprised 31 healthy young subjects and 20 young subjects suffering from cerebral palsy hemiplegia assigned to two groups of 10 subjects according to the severity of their musculoskeletal disorders. The peaks of plantar pressure and the time to peak pressure were recorded with an in-shoe measurement system. The intra-individual coefficient of variability was calculated to indicate the consistency of plantar pressure during walking and to define gait stability. The effect size was computed to quantify the asymmetry and measurements were conducted at eight footprint locations. RESULTS: Results indicated few differences in step-to-step reproducibility between the healthy group and the less spastic group while the most affected group showed a more asymmetrical and unstable gait. CONCLUSION: From the concept of self-optimisation and depending on the neuromotor disorders the organism could make priorities based on pain, mobility, stability or energy expenditure to develop the best gait auto-optimisation.

Stroke frequency and arm coordination in front crawl swimming.

This study aims to determine whether the arm coordination observed at different stroke rates (SR, number of arm stroke cycles per minute) differs according to the level of expertise. Thirteen non-expert (G(NE)) and 14 expert (G(E)) swimmers swam crawl five 25-m lengths at five stroke rate values: 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 cycles.min(-1). Results show that the pattern of 45 % of G(NE) switched from the catch-up (a lag time is performed between the propulsive phases of the two arms) to the superposition coordination mode (both arms pushing simultaneously during a short period of the cycle) between 45 and 50 cycles.min(-1). Patterns of 62.4 % of G(E) switched in the same way between 50 and 55 cycles.min(-1). Significant differences in coordination patterns were found between G(NE) and G(E) only when SR was set at 45 cycles.min(-1). As non-expert swimmers seldom produce the superposition mode, but adopt this pattern when required to swim at high stroke rate values, it is suggested that this coordination mode is an emergent property of the movement.

Immune type glomerulonephritis induced by HgCl2 in the Brown Norway rat.

HgCl2 chronically injected in the Brown-Norway rat induced a biphasic renal disease. The first stage was characterized by anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies. The second stage by the appearance of immune complexe type deposits in the glomerular tufts and in the small renal arteries. These immune complexes were constituted of a basement membrane component and anti-basement membrane antibodies. Other immune complexes were perhaps involved. In most of the rats, a proteinuria and a nephrotic syndrome appeared, as a consequence of this immune disease. No abnormalities were observed in Lewis rats, suggesting a role for a genetic control of this immune response.

[Immunofixation in agarose gel for the identification of monoclonal immunoglobulins]. / Apport de l'immunofixation en gel d'agarose pour l'identification des immunoglobulines monoclonales.

Immunoelectrophoresis is the usual method for identifying abnormal bands detected by zone electrophoresis. In the last few years, a new technique has appeared, that of immunofixation. This method involves an antibody-antigen precipitation reaction in an electrophoretic strip. The aim of the present study was to compare immunofixation (IFX) and immunoelectrophoresis (IEP) of 101 sera with one or more homogeneous bands upon serum protein electrophoresis: among them 97 bands were subsequently characterized by IFX on agarose gel, and only 50 by IEP. IF appears to be a more sensitive technique for characterizing M-components, especially those with multiple bands. While more rapid than IEP, this new procedure does not seem appropriate for routine use.