Effects of racket moment of inertia on racket head speed, impact location and shuttlecock speed during the badminton smash.

How the racket properties impact performance of the badminton smash is relatively unknown, and further insight could help players/coaches select the most appropriate racket. Three-dimensional position data of the racket and shuttlecock were collected (500 Hz) for 20 experienced badminton players performing a series of forehand smashes with five swingweight ([Formula: see text]) perturbed rackets, ranging from 85-106 kg·cm. [Formula: see text] was calculated using a balance board and simple pendulum method, and modal analysis was performed using laser vibrometry to capture the fundamental frequency and distal node location for each racket.

Kinetic and kinematic determinants of shuttlecock speed in the forehand jump smash performed by elite male Malaysian badminton players.

Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world with smash speeds reaching over 111 m/s (400 kph). This study examined the forehand jump smash in badminton using synchronised force plates and full-body motion capture to quantify relationships to shuttlecock speed through correlations. Nineteen elite male Malaysian badminton players were recorded performing forehand jump smashes with the fastest, most accurate jump smash from each player analysed.

Effect of racket-shuttlecock impact location on shot outcome for badminton smashes by elite players.

A logarithmic curve fitting methodology for the calculation of badminton racket-shuttlecock impact locations from three-dimensional motion capture data was presented and validated. Median absolute differences between calculated and measured impact locations were 3.6 [IQR: 4.

Nerve injury drives a heightened state of vigilance and neuropathic sensitization in .

Injury can lead to devastating and often untreatable chronic pain. While acute pain perception (nociception) evolved more than 500 million years ago, virtually nothing is known about the molecular origin of chronic pain. Here we provide the first evidence that nerve injury leads to chronic neuropathic sensitization in insects.

Personal protective equipment solution for UK military medical personnel working in an Ebola virus disease treatment unit in Sierra Leone.

The combination of personal protective equipment (PPE) together with donning and doffing protocols was designed to protect British and Canadian military medical personnel in the Kerry Town Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) in Sierra Leone. The PPE solution was selected to protect medical staff from infectious risks, notably Ebola virus, and chemical (hypochlorite) exposure. PPE maximized dexterity, enabled personnel to work in hot temperatures for periods of up to 2h, protected mucosal membranes when doffing outer layers, and minimized potential contamination of the doffing area with infectious material by reducing the requirement to spray PPE with hypochlorite.