The aim of this explorative study was to determine the key inertial measurement unit-based wheelchair mobility performance components during a wheelchair tennis match. A total of 64 wheelchair tennis matches were played by 15 wheelchair tennis players (6 women, 5 men, 4 juniors). All individual tennis wheelchairs were instrumented with inertial measurement units, two on the axes of the wheels and one on the frame. A total of 48 potentially relevant wheelchair tennis outcome variables were initially extracted from the sensor signals, based on previous wheelchair sports research and the input of wheelchair tennis experts (coaches, embedded scientists). A principal component analysis was used to reduce this set of variables to the most relevant outcomes for wheelchair tennis mobility. Results showed that wheelchair mobility performance in wheelchair tennis can be described by six components: rotations to racket side in (1) curves and (2) turns; (3) linear accelerations; (4) rotations to non-racket side in (4) turns and (5) curves; and finally, (6) linear velocities. One or two outcome variables per component were selected to allow an easier interpretation of results. These key outcome variables can be used to adequately describe the wheelchair mobility performance aspect of wheelchair tennis during a wheelchair tennis match and can be monitored during training.
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Background Wheelchair tennis, a globally popular sport, features a professional tour spanning 40 countries and over 160 tournaments. Despite its widespread appeal, information about the physical demands of wheelchair tennis is scattered across various studies, necessitating a comprehensive systematic review to synthesise available data. Objective The aim was to provide a detailed synthesis of the physical demands associated with wheelchair tennis, encompassing diverse factors such as court surfaces, performance levels, sport classes, and sexes. Methods We conducted comprehensive searches in the PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus databases, covering articles from inception to March 1, 2023. Forward and backward citation tracking from the included articles was carried out using Scopus, and we established eligibility criteria following the Population, Exposure, Comparison, Outcome, and Study design (PECOS) framework. Our study focused on wheelchair tennis players participating at regional, national, or international levels, including both juniors and adults, and open and quad players. We analysed singles and doubles matches and considered sex (male, female), sport class (open, quad), and court surface type (hard, clay, grass) as key comparative points. The outcomes of interest encompassed play duration, on-court movement, stroke performance, and physiological match variables. The selected study designs included observational cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intervention studies (baseline data only). We calculated pooled means or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and employed a random-effects meta-analysis with robust variance estimation. We assessed heterogeneity using Cochrane Q and 95% prediction intervals. Results Our literature search retrieved 643 records, with 24 articles meeting our inclusion criteria. Most available information focused on international male wheelchair tennis players in the open division, primarily competing in singles on hard courts. Key findings (mean [95% CI]) for these players on hard courts were match duration 65.9 min [55.0–78.8], set duration 35.0 min [28.2–43.5], game duration 4.6 min [0.92–23.3], rally duration 6.1 s [3.7–10.2], effective playing time 19.8% [18.9–20.7], and work-to-rest ratio 1:4.1 [1:3.7–1:4.4]. Insufficient data were available to analyse play duration for female players. However, for the available data on hard court matches, the average set duration was 34.8 min [32.5–37.2]. International male players on hard court covered an average distance per match of 3859 m [1917–7768], with mean and peak average forward speeds of 1.06 m/s [0.85–1.32] and 3.55 m/s [2.92–4.31], respectively. These players executed an average of 365.9 [317.2–422.1] strokes per match, 200.6 [134.7–299.0] per set, 25.4 [16.7–38.7] per game, and 3.4 [2.6–4.6] per rally. Insufficient data were available for a meta-analysis of female players’ on-court movement and stroke performance. The average and peak heart rates of international male players on hard court were 134.3 [124.2–145.1] and 166.0 [132.7–207.6] beats per minute, and the average match heart rate expressed as a percentage of peak heart rate was 74.7% [46.4–100]. We found no studies concerning regional players or juniors, and only one study on doubles match play. Conclusions While we present a comprehensive overview of the physical demands of wheelchair tennis, our understanding predominantly centres around international male players competing on hard courts in the open division. To attain a more comprehensive insight into the sport’s physical requirements, future research should prioritise the inclusion of data on female and quad players, juniors, doubles, and matches played on clay and grass court surfaces. Such endeavours will facilitate the development of more tailored and effective training programmes for wheelchair tennis players and coaches.
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In redesigning its curriculum and learning environment, the HU Business School focuses on improving student engagement. In its turn, this should improve the academic success rates. Moreover, challenging honours students in regular courses is also an aim of the redesign. With this in mind, we developed a pilot course in which students are offered five different options of coaching and tuition from the lecturer. This approach was called “The tuition Pentagon”. The five options are designed to match different levels of motivation, competence and ambition. Students reflect on their motivation, competence and ambition and choose their preferred option. An option with extra assignments offers a challenge for honours students.
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Many lithographically created optical components, such as photonic crystals, require the creation of periodically repeated structures [1]. The optical properties depend critically on the consistency of the shape and periodicity of the repeated structure. At the same time, the structure and its period may be similar to, or substantially below that of the optical diffraction limit, making inspection with optical microscopy difficult. Inspection tools must be able to scan an entire wafer (300 mm diameter), and identify wafers that fail to meet specifications rapidly. However, high resolution, and high throughput are often difficult to achieve simultaneously, and a compromise must be made. TeraNova is developing an optical inspection tool that can rapidly image features on wafers. Their product relies on (a) knowledge of what the features should be, and (b) a detailed and accurate model of light diffraction from the wafer surface. This combination allows deviations from features to be identified by modifying the model of the surface features until the calculated diffraction pattern matches the observed pattern. This form of microscopy—known as Fourier microscopy—has the potential to be very rapid and highly accurate. However, the solver, which calculates the wafer features from the diffraction pattern, must be very rapid and precise. To achieve this, a hardware solver will be implemented. The hardware solver must be combined with mechatronic tracking of the absolute wafer position, requiring the automatic identification of fiduciary markers. Finally, the problem of computer obsolescence in instrumentation (resulting in security weaknesses) will also be addressed by combining the digital hardware and software into a system-on-a-chip (SoC) to provide a powerful, yet secure operating environment for the microscope software.
Met huidige opleidings- en trainingsprogramma’s kan niet worden voldaan aan de groeiende vraag naar vakbekwame medewerkers op gebied van kunstmatige intelligentie (AI). Europa heeft daarom een innovatieve Europese AI-strategie nodig, die de bijscholing van werkenden kan versnellen om aan deze steeds toenemende vraag te voldoen. Doel Het project ondersteunt het Europese Pact for Skills door een strategie op het gebied van AI skills te ontwikkelen. Deze strategie moet leiden tot impact op het terugdringen van tekorten, hiaten en mismatches in skills op de arbeidsmarkt, en zorgen voor passende kwaliteit en niveaus van skills. Resultaten Verwachte resultaten en impactHet project omvat: de oprichting van een lange termijn partnerschap voor een innovatieve Europese alliantie voor AI; het ontwerpen en uitrollen van een innovatieve en duurzame strategie voor AI-skills op korte en lange termijn; het ontwikkelen, testen en uitrollen van opleidingscurricula in acht proeflocaties (5 universiteiten/hogescholen en 3 mbo-aanbieders); de aanpassing van programma's en kwalificaties aan de nieuwste marktbehoeften. het koppelen van micro-credentials aan het opleidingsaanbod Voordelen op lange termijnDe AI-skills strategie en de opleidingscurricula zullen, nadat ze zijn ontworpen en grondig getest in de praktijk, beschikbaar worden gesteld om te worden aangepast en opgeschaald in heel Europa. Op deze manier kan worden voldaan aan de huidige en toekomstige skills-behoeften van de AI-sector en kan de groei van AI-talent in Europa worden gestimuleerd. Looptijd 01 juni 2022 - 30 juni 2026 Aanpak Het project wordt als volgt uitgevoerd in negen werkpakketten: 1 – Projectbeheer en coördinatie 2 – Behoeftenanalyse 3 – Strategie voor AI-skills 4 - Ontwikkeling van een innovatief leerplan en trainingsprogramma 5 - Ontwikkeling van een certificeringssysteem 6 – Pilots in verschillende EU-landen 7 – Verspreiding en communicatie 8 – Duurzaamheid op lange termijn 9 – Kwaliteitsborging Inhoudelijk start het project met de behoeftenanalyse, waarin de skills mismatch op Europees niveau wordt geanalyseerd door o.a. de behoefte aan skills op basis van vacatures en beschikbaar relevant AI opleidingsaanbod te onderzoeken. Meer over ARISA Het vierjarige onderzoeksproject ARISA wordt gefinancierd door de Europese Unie via een Erasmus+ programma. Meer informatie vind je op de ARISA website, de ARISA Twitter en de ARISA LinkedIn. Lees ook dit artikel (ENG) over de start van ARISA.
Met huidige opleidings- en trainingsprogramma’s kan niet worden voldaan aan de groeiende vraag naar vakbekwame medewerkers op gebied van kunstmatige intelligentie (AI). Europa heeft daarom een innovatieve Europese AI-strategie nodig, die de bijscholing van werkenden kan versnellen om aan deze steeds toenemende vraag te voldoen.
