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In this systematic umbrella review we aggregate the current knowledge of how virtual and augmented reality technologies are applicable to and impact remote learning in higher education; specifically, how they impact such learning outcomes as performance and engagement in all stages of higher education from course preparation to student evaluation and grading. This review was done as part of a state wide research effort of Latvia, to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and specifically to provide a framework for a technological transformation of education in this context. In this work we search the Scopus and Web of Science databases for articles describing the use of virtual and/or augmented reality technologies in remote learning for higher education and their impact on learning outcomes. We identified 68 articles from which, after multiple screening and eligibility phases, nine review articles were left for extraction phase in which 30 structural elements with corresponding interventions and measured effects were extracted. Of these, 24 interventions had a measured effect on student performance (11 positive, seven negative, six no impact) and six interventions had a measured effect on student engagement (all six positive).

Static balance and dynamic balance are crucial to an athlete's motor skills and are pivotal determinants of performance in team sports (TS) players. Training to enhance balance prevents falls and reduces the incidence of sports-related injuries. However, the existing literature presents conflicting data regarding the impact of an athlete's sex on balance performance and the potential associations between static and dynamic balance characteristics. The aims of our study were: 1) to assess and compare the static and dynamic balance performance between TS players and the control group (CG) and 2) to examine and analyze sex differences in static and dynamic balance tests within both the TS players and CG. A total of 97 subjects who were 19-24 years of age participated in the study. The participants were categorized into two groups: 1) TS players (males: n = 30, females: n = 25), with a mean weekly training duration of 10.1 ± 1.5 h, including sport-specific balance exercises twice per week for 15 min, and training experience in football, basketball, or volleyball averaging 9.7 ± 3.3 years and 2) a CG (males: n = 17, females: n = 25) engaged in regular physical activity for at least 2-3 h per week. The stork stand static balance test was employed to measure static balance, revealing no significant differences between TS players and their same-sex counterparts in the CG (p > 0.05). However, males exhibited higher static balance values overall than females (p < 0.01). Dynamic balance assessment, conducted using the Y-lower body dynamic balance test, showed that TS players of both sexes displayed significantly higher normalized leg reach distances (anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral) and composite scores compared to the CG (p < 0.001). Notably, the dynamic stability normalized results did not differ significantly between males and females within the TS players and CG, respectively (p < 0.01). No significant correlation existed between static and dynamic balance test results in any participant groups (p > 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a review on the phenomenon of unintentional finger action seen when other fingers of the hand act intentionally. This phenomenon (enslaving) has been viewed as a consequence of both peripheral (e.g., connective tissue links and multifinger muscles) and neural (e.g., projections of corticospinal pathways) factors. Recent studies have shown relatively large and fast drifts in enslaving toward higher magnitudes, which are not perceived by subjects. These and other results emphasize the defining role of neural factors in enslaving. We analyze enslaving within the framework of the theory of motor control with spatial referent coordinates. This analysis suggests that unintentional finger force changes result from drifts of referent coordinates, possibly reflecting the spread of cortical excitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the popularity and complexity of WSN devices and IoT systems are increasing, the testing facilities should keep up. Yet, there is no comprehensive overview of the landscape of the testbed facilities conducted in a systematic manner. In this article, we provide a systematic review of the availability and usage of testbed facilities published in scientific literature between 2011 and 2021, including 359 articles about testbeds and identifying 32 testbed facilities. The results of the review revealed what testbed facilities are available and identified several challenges and limitations in the use of the testbed facilities, including a lack of supportive materials and limited focus on debugging capabilities. The main contribution of this article is the description of how different metrics impact the uasge of testbed facilities, the review also highlights the importance of continued research and development in this field to ensure that testbed facilities continue to meet the changing needs of the ever-evolving IoT and WSN domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many suggest that switching from shod running to barefoot running decreases injury risk and makes running more natural. Scientists have reported biomechanical differences in shod and barefoot running, with a number of differences related to increased injury risk. Our research is focused on investigating the acute differences when switching to barefoot running for the first time. Twenty long distance runners were subjected to an experiment as part of this research. The subjects ran 5 trials across two force plates both in shod and barefoot conditions. The ground reaction force (GRF) was recorded for each subject. The stance time, the initial impact loading rate (LR), the impact maximum (IM), the time when the IM was reached, the thrust maximum, the average vertical GRF, and the decay rate (DR) were calculated from the obtained GRF. The results show that the mean LR and DR were greater by 42.191 BW/s (p=0.006) and 5.922 BW/s (p<0.001) respectively in barefoot running compared to shod running. The mean stance time and the time to IM was greater by 10.15 ms (p=0.013) and 5.00 ms (p=0.017) respectively in shod running compared to barefoot running. IM and LR had a significant correlation in shod running condition only (r=0.842, p<0.001). Both conditions, however, had significant correlation between LR and time to IM (shod: r=-0.646, p=0.002; Bare: r=-0.741, p<0.001). According to our data, the responses of the subjects to barefoot running were not unambiguous and in some cases not less traumatic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this systematic umbrella review we aggregate the current knowledge of how virtual and augmented reality technologies are applicable to and impact remote learning in higher education; specifically, how they impact such learning outcomes as performance and engagement in all stages of higher education from course preparation to student evaluation and grading. This review was done as part of a state wide research effort of Latvia, to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and specifically to provide a framework for a technological transformation of education in this context. In this work we search the Scopus and Web of Science databases for articles describing the use of virtual and/or augmented reality technologies in remote learning for higher education and their impact on learning outcomes. We identified 68 articles from which, after multiple screening and eligibility phases, nine review articles were left for extraction phase in which 30 structural elements with corresponding interventions and measured effects were extracted. Of these, 24 interventions had a measured effect on student performance (11 positive, seven negative, six no impact) and six interventions had a measured effect on student engagement (all six positive). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signal loss models are frequently utilized by wireless communication researchers and engineers to predict received signal strength, optimize system parameters, and conduct feasibility studies. However, novel communication methods such as Body-Coupled Communication (BCC) that are suitable for Body Area Networks formed by wearable devices currently lack readily available signal propagation models. In this data article, we present a galvanic-coupled BCC signal loss and bioimpedance dataset, which serves as a foundation for building such models. This extensive dataset consists of experimental data recorded from 30 volunteer test subjects. The experimental setup involves a tunable signal generator transmitting continuous wave signals, along with two oscilloscopes recording the transmitter-side and receiver-side voltages. From these measurements, we compute the signal loss over the body, and the transmitter-side impedance. The transmitted signal frequencies range from 50 kHz to 20 MHz, with discrete steps. The primary application of this dataset is to enable empirical-data-supported modeling in the human body as a BCC signal propagation medium, which will help to explore how the properties of the human body, the measurement locations, and the signal frequency impact the signal loss., (© 2023 The Author(s).)