User satisfaction on virtual reality taekwondo training material

This study focuses on the design and development of Virtual Taekwondo Training Environment (VT2E) prototype as a supplementary material for self-directed Taekwondo training. Even though there are varieties of supplementary Taekwondo training materials available, most of them have limitations in supporting self-directed training. The results of the preliminary study clearly indicated the importance of self-directed Taekwondo training among the trainees and they are facing problems while performing self-directed training at home since they do not have proper supplementary training materials to guide them. Thus, the research aims to propose the VT2E prototype as a supplementary material for self-directed Taekwondo training which incorporates Virtual Reality (VR) and Motion Capture (MoCap) technologies which is to study the trainees’ satisfaction in terms of Engaging, Presence, Usefulness and Ease of Use. The methodology of this study consists of three phases, namely; information gathering, prototype design and development and evaluation which is adapted from Vaishnavi and Kuechler (2008). In providing a useful and effective training material, the prototype incorporates the Constructivist Theory and Theory of Flow. Perception, Pearson Correlation and Regression analyses were used to determine the effects of Engaging, Presence, Usefulness and Ease of Use on trainees’ Satisfaction in using the VT2E prototype. The results provided empirical support for the positive and statistically significant relationships between usefulness and ease of use on trainees’ satisfaction. However, Engaging and Presence did not have positive and significant relationships with satisfaction. As for the conclusion, this study has looked into the possibility of introducing a new approach of training through the use of the two technologies. It is hopeful that this prototype can be a guide for self-directed Taekwondo training in enhancing the skills and performances and indirectly fullfil the trainees’ satisfaction

Virtual Taekwondo Training Environment Prototype: Development and Evaluation

Taekwondo is one of the traditional Korean martial arts and it is now a modern international sport. Basically, the conventional method of Taekwondo training is to join a training class together with other trainees which are conducted with a trainer. Besides that, supplementary materials are used whenever the trainees wanted to practice certain particular movements as well preparing for the test in the absence of the trainer. This paper introduces a Virtual Taekwondo Training Environment (VT2E) prototype as a supplementary material for self-directed Taekwondo training which integrates Virtual Reality (VR) and Motion Capture (MoCap) technologies. The aim of the VT2E prototype is to provide a proper and sophisticated supplementary material which will assist the Taekwondo trainees to practice outside the classroom. Quantitative research was employed for evaluating the following measurements; Satisfaction, Presence, Engaging, Ease of Use and Usefulness. The results of user evaluation indicated that the trainees agreed with all the measurements

Development of the Virtual Taekwondo Training Environment Prototype for Self-Directed Taekwondo Training

Taekwondo is a martial art that has been practised by over 50 million people all over the world, and this number is increasing which makes Taekwondo more popular. Normally, Taekwondo training is conducted in a hall or large open spaces in the presence of a trainer. However, this approach has some limitations in supporting self-directed training. Even though there are several supplementary materials for Taekwondo training, they have many limitations. This paper introduces Virtual Reality and Motion Capture technologies as an alternative to the existing Taekwondo training approaches. The main advantage of these technologies for self-directed training is that they are able to imitate the trainer’s movement and provide three-dimensional displays of body movements which can be viewed from any angles. This enables the trainees to understand and follow the movements without assistance from the real trainer. This paper presents the design and development of the Virtual Taekwondo Training prototype as supplementary material for self-directed Taekwondo training based on Virtual Reality and Motion Capture technologies. This prototype aims to provide a new approach to supplementary material that can provide trainees’ satisfaction while doing selfdirected Taekwondo training

Development of the Virtual Taekwondo Training Environment Prototype for Self-Directed Taekwondo Training

Taekwondo is a martial art that has been practised by over 50 million people all over the world, and this number is increasing which makes Taekwondo more popular.Normally, Taekwondo training is conducted in a hall or large open spaces in the presence of a trainer.However, this approach has some limitations in supporting self-directed training.Even though there are several supplementary materials for Taekwondo training, they have many limitations.This paper introduces Virtual Reality and Motion Capture technologies as an alternative to the existing Taekwondo training approaches.The main advantage of these technologies for self-directed training is that they are able to imitate the trainer’s movement and provide three-dimensional displays of body movements which can be viewed from any angles. This enables the trainees to understand and follow the movements without assistance from the real trainer. This paper presents the design and development of the Virtual Taekwondo Training prototype as supplementary material for self-directed Taekwondo training based on Virtual Reality and Motion Capture technologies.This prototype aims to provide a new approach to supplementary material that can provide trainees’ satisfaction while doing selfdirected Taekwondo training

Characteristics and outcomes of an international cohort of 600 000 hospitalized patients with COVID-19

Background: We describe demographic features, treatments and clinical outcomes in the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) COVID-19 cohort, one of the world's largest international, standardized data sets concerning hospitalized patients. Methods: The data set analysed includes COVID-19 patients hospitalized between January 2020 and January 2022 in 52 countries. We investigated how symptoms on admission, co-morbidities, risk factors and treatments varied by age, sex and other characteristics. We used Cox regression models to investigate associations between demographics, symptoms, co-morbidities and other factors with risk of death, admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Results: Data were available for 689 572 patients with laboratory-confirmed (91.1%) or clinically diagnosed (8.9%) SARS-CoV-2 infection from 52 countries. Age [adjusted hazard ratio per 10 years 1.49 (95% CI 1.48, 1.49)] and male sex [1.23 (1.21, 1.24)] were associated with a higher risk of death. Rates of admission to an ICU and use of IMV increased with age up to age 60 years then dropped. Symptoms, co-morbidities and treatments varied by age and had varied associations with clinical outcomes. The case-fatality ratio varied by country partly due to differences in the clinical characteristics of recruited patients and was on average 21.5%. Conclusions: Age was the strongest determinant of risk of death, with a ∼30-fold difference between the oldest and youngest groups; each of the co-morbidities included was associated with up to an almost 2-fold increase in risk. Smoking and obesity were also associated with a higher risk of death. The size of our international database and the standardized data collection method make this study a comprehensive international description of COVID-19 clinical features. Our findings may inform strategies that involve prioritization of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who have a higher risk of death

Paediatric COVID-19 mortality: a database analysis of the impact of health resource disparity

Background The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric populations varied between high-income countries (HICs) versus low-income to middle-income countries (LMICs). We sought to investigate differences in paediatric clinical outcomes and identify factors contributing to disparity between countries.Methods The International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium (ISARIC) COVID-19 database was queried to include children under 19 years of age admitted to hospital from January 2020 to April 2021 with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Univariate and multivariable analysis of contributing factors for mortality were assessed by country group (HICs vs LMICs) as defined by the World Bank criteria.Results A total of 12 860 children (3819 from 21 HICs and 9041 from 15 LMICs) participated in this study. Of these, 8961 were laboratory-confirmed and 3899 suspected COVID-19 cases. About 52% of LMICs children were black, and more than 40% were infants and adolescent. Overall in-hospital mortality rate (95% CI) was 3.3% [=(3.0% to 3.6%), higher in LMICs than HICs (4.0% (3.6% to 4.4%) and 1.7% (1.3% to 2.1%), respectively). There were significant differences between country income groups in intervention profile, with higher use of antibiotics, antivirals, corticosteroids, prone positioning, high flow nasal cannula, non-invasive and invasive mechanical ventilation in HICs. Out of the 439 mechanically ventilated children, mortality occurred in 106 (24.1%) subjects, which was higher in LMICs than HICs (89 (43.6%) vs 17 (7.2%) respectively). Pre-existing infectious comorbidities (tuberculosis and HIV) and some complications (bacterial pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and myocarditis) were significantly higher in LMICs compared with HICs. On multivariable analysis, LMIC as country income group was associated with increased risk of mortality (adjusted HR 4.73 (3.16 to 7.10)).Conclusion Mortality and morbidities were higher in LMICs than HICs, and it may be attributable to differences in patient demographics, complications and access to supportive and treatment modalities

Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital with and without respiratory symptoms

Background: COVID-19 is primarily known as a respiratory illness; however, many patients present to hospital without respiratory symptoms. The association between non-respiratory presentations of COVID-19 and outcomes remains unclear. We investigated risk factors and clinical outcomes in patients with no respiratory symptoms (NRS) and respiratory symptoms (RS) at hospital admission. Methods: This study describes clinical features, physiological parameters, and outcomes of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, stratified by the presence or absence of respiratory symptoms at hospital admission. RS patients had one or more of: cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose or wheezing; while NRS patients did not. Results: Of 178,640 patients in the study, 86.4 % presented with RS, while 13.6 % had NRS. NRS patients were older (median age: NRS: 74 vs RS: 65) and less likely to be admitted to the ICU (NRS: 36.7 % vs RS: 37.5 %). NRS patients had a higher crude in-hospital case-fatality ratio (NRS 41.1 % vs. RS 32.0 %), but a lower risk of death after adjusting for confounders (HR 0.88 [0.83-0.93]). Conclusion: Approximately one in seven COVID-19 patients presented at hospital admission without respiratory symptoms. These patients were older, had lower ICU admission rates, and had a lower risk of in-hospital mortality after adjusting for confounders

ISARIC-COVID-19 dataset: A Prospective, Standardized, Global Dataset of Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19

The International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) COVID-19 dataset is one of the largest international databases of prospectively collected clinical data on people hospitalized with COVID-19. This dataset was compiled during the COVID-19 pandemic by a network of hospitals that collect data using the ISARIC-World Health Organization Clinical Characterization Protocol and data tools. The database includes data from more than 705,000 patients, collected in more than 60 countries and 1,500 centres worldwide. Patient data are available from acute hospital admissions with COVID-19 and outpatient follow-ups. The data include signs and symptoms, pre-existing comorbidities, vital signs, chronic and acute treatments, complications, dates of hospitalization and discharge, mortality, viral strains, vaccination status, and other data. Here, we present the dataset characteristics, explain its architecture and how to gain access, and provide tools to facilitate its use

The value of open-source clinical science in pandemic response: lessons from ISARIC

International audienc