Intersectional work and precarious positionings: Black middle-class parents and their encounters with schools in England

This paper reports on data drawn from a study exploring the educational strategies of 62 Black Caribbean heritage middle-class parents. In this paper, we consider the respective roles of race and class in the shaping of parents’ educational strategies, deploying an analysis that focuses on their intersection and seeks to hold both race and class in productive tension. Drawing on empirical data, we illustrate how parents’ classed and raced identities shape their interactions with school staff.     

Design and optimization of a double-enzyme glucose assay in microfluidic lab-on-a-chip

An electrokinetic driven microfluidic lab-on-a-chip was developed for glucose quantification using double-enzyme assay. The enzymatic glucose assay involves the two-step oxidation of glucose, which was catalyzed by hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, with the concomitant reduction of NADP⁺ to NADPH. A fluorescence microscopy setup was used to monitor the different processes (fluid flow and enzymatic reaction) in the microfluidic chip. A two-dimensional finite element model was applied to understand the different aspects of design and to improve the performance of the device without extensive prototyping. To our knowledge this is the first work to exploit numerical simulation for understanding a multisubstrate double-enzyme on-chip assay. The assay is very complex to implement in electrokinetically driven continuous system due to the involvement of many species, which has different transport velocity. With the help of numerical simulation, the design parameters, flow rate, enzyme concentration, and reactor length, were optimized. The results from the simulation were in close agreement with the experimental results. A linear relation exists for glucose concentrations from 0.01 to 0.10 g l⁻¹. The reaction time and the amount of enzymes required were drastically reduced compared to off-chip microplate analysis.     

A double win: practice and participation in an action learning facilitators’ set

This account of practice shares insights from past and present members of a self-facilitating action learning set, where each of the members is an action learning facilitator. Motivations for joining the set encompassed the opportunity to ‘practice what you preach’ by being a set member as well as a facilitator, the potential to refine and develop facilitation practices in a safe environment and space for personal development.     

Volunteers in Australian archives

Why do volunteers choose to contribute thousands of unpaid hours per week to Australian archives? This paper presents the results of a nationwide web survey that provides insight into the demographics, motivations and experiences of volunteers in Australian archives. The findings provide a representative overview of formal volunteers in Australian archives, determining ‘who’ they are, the value of the contributions they provide and the level of training and support offered to them. This study is a continuation of existing discussions about volunteers in Australian archives and represents an opportunity for the development of stronger relationships with Australian archival volunteers and, through them, the communities our archives serve.     

Independent Olympic Athletes and the Legitimacy of the International Olympic Committee in Resolving International Conflicts

Abstract

Over the last three centuries (nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first) humanity has been facing huge political and ideological conflicts, especially wars. For these reasons, it was seen how necessary it was to create global institutions that aimed to promote peace and reduce or stop conflicts of this magnitude. Therefore, an international institution had already brought on its premises the principles of international peace and reconciliation through sport: the International Olympic Committee (IOC). However, despite bringing together nations around peaceful ties in an international competition, the IOC and the Olympic Games event have always been affected by constant conflicts along their path in the twentieth century, emphasizing issues involving nationalities. Thereby, in a mediator posture of international conflicts and in an effort to reduce the subversions that surrounded it, the IOC, in the 1990s, created the delegation of Independent Olympic Athletes. Such a delegation consists of athletes who cannot represent their respective nationalities at the Olympics due to political factors and/or armament conflicts. This proposal of the IOC demonstrates its posture to avoid, minimize, and even cease ideological and political events that might interfere with the Olympics Games or the athletes participating in them.     

Improved determination of dynamic balance using the centre of mass and centre of pressure inclination variables in a complete golf swing cycle

Golf requires proper dynamic balance to accurately control the club head through a harmonious coordination of each human segment and joint. In this study, we evaluated the ability for dynamic balance during a golf swing by using the centre of mass (COM)–centre of pressure (COP) inclination variables. Twelve professional, 13 amateur and 10 novice golfers participated in this study. Six infrared cameras, two force platforms and SB-Clinic software were used to measure the net COM and COP trajectories. In order to evaluate dynamic balance ability, the COM–COP inclination angle, COM–COP inclination angular velocity and normalised COM–COP inclination angular jerk were used. Professional golfer group revealed a smaller COM–COP inclination angle and angular velocity than novice golfer group in the lead/trail direction (P < 0.01). In the normalised COM–COP inclination angular jerk, the professional golfer group showed a lower value than the other two groups in all directions. Professional golfers tend to exhibit improved dynamic balance, and this can be attributed to the neuromusculoskeletal system that maintains balance with proper postural control. This study has the potential to allow for an evaluation of the dynamic balance mechanism and will provide useful basic information for swing training and prevention of golf injuries.