Virtual Reality in Anatomy: A Pilot Study Evaluating Different Delivery Modalities

Technologies such as virtual reality are used in higher education to develop virtual learning resources (VLRs). These VLRs can be delivered in multiple modalities, from truly immersive involving wearable devices to less immersive modalities such as desktop. However, research investigating perceptions of VLRs in anatomy has mainly focused on a single delivery modality and a limited-demographic participant cohort, warranting a comparison of different modalities and a consideration of different cohorts. This pilot study aimed to compare perceptions of highly immersive and less immersive VLR deliveries among anatomy students and tutors and evaluate the impact of prior university experience on students' perceptions of VLRs. A skull anatomy VLR was developed using the Unity^® gaming platform and participants were voluntarily recruited to assess highly immersive stereoscopic and less immersive desktop deliveries of the VLR. A validated survey tool was used to gather perceptions of both deliveries. Most participants agreed that both VLR deliveries were interesting and engaging and provided an immersive experience. Anatomy students perceived the stereoscopic delivery to be significantly more useful for understanding (P = 0.013), while anatomy tutors perceived the desktop delivery as more useful. A degree of physical discomfort and disorientation was reported by some participants for both deliveries, although to a greater extent for the stereoscopic delivery. The stereoscopic delivery was also found to be more mentally taxing than desktop delivery. These results suggest that desktop VLR delivery may minimize the risk of discomfort and disorientation associated with more immersive modalities while still providing a valuable learning experience.     

Praktiken der produktiven Aneignung von Medien als Ressource spontaner Bildung

This paper is based on empirical findings concerning juveniles' film reception in late adolescence (18–22 years old) and discusses one reconstructed reception practice amongst others—a productive appropriation—against the background of questions of actual educational theory regarding the transformation of habitual rooted orientations. It is special about the practice of productive appropriation that by means of this habitual rooted mode of reception in the course of a mimetic-aesthetic experience habitual rooted orientations are modified. Thereby, shortcomings of Bourdieu’s habitus theory caused by his strong focus on social reproduction can be solved in the context of media and audience studies. This is possible without denying a specific “sens pratique” in favour of the presupposition of an unbound identity design in self-reflection or the assumption of a local, interactive negotiation of identities.     

Injury rate,mechanism, and risk factors of hamstring strain injuries in sports: A review of the literature

Hamstring strains are one of most common sports injuries. The purpose of this literature review is to summarize studies on hamstring strain injury rate, mechanism, and risk factors in the last several decades with a focus on the prevention and rehabilitation of this injury. Hamstring injury commonly occurs in sporting events in which high speed sprinting and kicking are frequently performed, such as Australian football, English rugby, American football, and soccer. Basic science studies have demonstrated that a muscle strain injury occurs due to excessive strain in eccentric contraction instead of force, and that elongation speed and duration of activation before eccentric contraction affect the severity of the injury. Hamstring strain injury is likely to occur during the late swing phase and late stance phase of sprint running. Shortened optimum muscle length, lack of muscle flexibility, strength imbalance, insufficient warm-up, fatigue, lower back injury, poor lumbar posture, and increased muscle neural tension have been identified as modifiable risk factors while muscle compositions, age, race, and previous injuries are non-modifiable risk factors. The theoretical basis of some of these risk factors, however, is lacking, and the results of clinical studies on these risk factors are inconsistent. Future studies are needed to establish the cause-and-effect relationships between those proposed risk factors and the injury.     

The effects of psoas major and lumbar lordosis on hip flexion and sprint performance

In this study, we analyzed the correlations between hip flexion power; sprint performance, lumbar lordosis (LL) and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the psoas muscle (PM). Ten young adults performed two sprint tests and isokinetic tests to determine hip flexion power. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine LL and PM CSA. There were correlations between hip flexion power, sprint performance, and PM CSA, but LL showed no correlation with any parameter The impact of hip flexion power and LL on sprint stride pattern efficiency was considered. Hip flexion might not have a simple role in the passive knee replacement of the stride pattern; instead, it may be an active parameter. Other investigations are needed to determine the influence of pelvic architecture on sprint performance.     

Institut Superieur de Technologie: Institution of Higher Technical Education of the Grand‐Duchy of Luxemburg

This paper gives an overview of the Institut Superieur de Technologie (Institution of Higher Technical Education of the Grand‐Duchy of Luxemburg): history, aims, courses, set‐up, external relations and R&D.