Granite desalination using electromigration. Influence of type of granite and saline contaminant

We describe the results of electromigration desalination of two soluble salt-contaminated Galician granites. The efficacy of electromigration, which had not been previously applied to granite, was assessed for two types of granite contaminated with a 20% NaCl solution and seawater. Desalination effectiveness was evaluated as follows: (1) analysis of anode and cathode ion content during testing; (2) analysis of ions at different distances from the electrodes after testing; (3) pH assessment of the stone surfaces; and (4) evaluation of colour changes. Results were very satisfactory; by the end of testing, chloride was reduced by almost 100% in both the NaCl and seawater contaminated samples. Sulfate reduction was also significant, despite this ion's lower mobility. The granite pH values remained close to neutral and colour changes were minimal. The difference in effectiveness of the process for the two types of stone was associated with their dissimilar pore structure.     

Developing participation opportunities for young people with disabilities? Policy enactment and social inclusion in Australian junior sport

Abstract

Interventions aimed at increasing the participation of young people with disabilities in recreational sport have had mixed success. The authors draw on in-depth interviews with representatives from State Sporting Associations, local government officers and volunteers within community sports clubs in Victoria, Australia, to examine why some sports clubs are unable or unwilling to translate policy ambitions into practice. The findings indicate how by framing disability provision as ‘too difficult’, ‘not core business’ and antithetical to competitive success, community sports clubs are able to resist policy ambitions to modify existing structures and develop more inclusive practice. Greater priority needs to be given to transformational inclusion objectives and challenging ableism if clubs are to structurally progress the development of participation opportunities for young people with disabilities.     

A qualitative investigation of design knowledge reuse in project-based mechanical design courses

ABSTRACT

The interpretation and reuse of previous design solutions, or precedents, is central to design. This paper describes qualitative research conducted over three years at two institutions, aimed at investigating the role of design knowledge re-use in project-based mechanical design courses. Research data were collected through participant observation, student interviews, anonymous questionnaires, and website analytics. The paper identifies challenges that must be addressed in order to support novice engineers in rehearsing the types of knowledge required to successfully reason about and engage with design precedents. Two categories of design precedents are identified: concept precedents and detail precedents. Providing students with access to the latter is identified as a particular challenge, as is providing students with access to engineering communities of practice. Approaches to addressing these challenges are discussed.     

Gendered inequalities in competitive grant funding: an overlooked dimension of gendered power relations in academia

ABSTRACT

Research grant funding influences the organisation of academic work and academic careers. We problematise general approaches to gender bias in research grant funding and argue that it fails to include the wider structures of inequality and the unequal gendered power relations in academia. Approaching the subject with gender budgeting we challenge assumed gender-neutral practices. The objective is to illuminate how the gendered funding system and (the previous and subsequent) gendered structures of academia are maintained. The whole grants scheme is assessed, drawing on statistical data collected on the whole population of a medium-size, comprehensive research and educational institution in Iceland, and two types of competitive grants. The data is measured against the pool of applicants and comparisons within and between fields and ranks are made. By including the structures of inequality and the gendered power relations, the results show how the funding system is biased not only in favour of men, but towards the male-dominated and culturally masculine positions and fields. This approach illustrates the need to address the whole academic system in order to challenge the norms that maintain and reproduce gender inequalities.     

Reference power values for the jump squat exercise in elite athletes: A multicenter study

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to provide reference values for lower-limb muscle power assessed during the incremental jump squat (JS) test in elite athletes (i.e., professional athletes competing at international level). We pooled data from all JS tests performed by elite athletes of different sports in two high-performance centres between 2015 and 2019, and computed reference values (i.e., terciles) for mean power (MP), mean propulsive power (MPP), and peak power (PP). Reference values were obtained from 684 elite athletes (458 male and 226 female) of 16 different sports (boxing, judo, karate, fencing, taekwondo, wrestling, basketball, soccer, futsal, handball, rugby union, badminton, tennis, long distance running, triathlon, and sprinting). Significant differences (p < 0.001) were found between male and female athletes for MP (7.47 ± 1.93 and 6.15 ± 1.68 W·Kg^?1, respectively), MPP (10.50 ± 2.75 and 8.63 ± 2.43 W·Kg^?1), and PP (23.64 ± 6.12 and 19.35 ± 5.49 W·Kg^?1). However, the velocity at which these power measures was attained seemed to be independent of sex (~0.95, 1.00 and 2.00 m·s^?1 for mean, mean propulsive, and peak velocity, respectively) and homogeneous across different sport disciplines (coefficient of variation <10%). These data can be used to classify athletes’ power capabilities, and the optimum velocity ranges provided here could be useful for training purposes.     

An Approach for Doctoral Students Conducting Context-Specific Review of Literature in IT,ICT, and Educational Technology

Since 1980s the rate of technological change has been phenomenal, creating an impact on the information-seeking behaviors of doctoral students and other researchers. When searching the three fields of Information Technology (IT), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Educational Technology (EdTech), it is like opening a Pandora's Box; the variation in terminology is obvious. This makes searching, managing, and evaluating sources in these interdisciplinary fields challenging, and doctoral students trying to classify and analyze technology related studies can easily be overwhelmed. We offer a systematic, practical approach for reviewing and categorizing the literature by providing key search terms, a list of e-Journals, and an organizational structure for naming and framing studies. Doctoral students navigating their way through the literature review may find our resourcesa table-of-contents, an overview of the technology-related literature, and an annotated excerpt of an examined thesis—useful for writing a critical review.     

The Public Library System as an Element in the 2007 and 2015 Electoral Programs of Spain's Political Parties in the Region of Castilla-La Mancha

To assess the relevance of the Public Library System in the political agenda, programs presented by the Political Parties competing in Regional and Local elections in the Spanish Region of Castilla-La Mancha were analyzed and the proposals about these library institutions were identified.

All Regional programs were collected and also an ample sample from the Municipalities for the 2007 and 2015 elections, trying to find the differences influenced by the impact of the financial crisis and recession on the public-library policies.

The conclusion arrived at was that, although the Public Libraries may be reasonably present in the studied programs, there is a low awareness by the Political Parties of the main problems.     

Due diligence: Recognizing the role of patent research in the start-up life cycle

ABSTRACT

This article examines the role that business librarians can play in conveying the importance of thorough patent research in the start-up life cycle. It provides a summary of the components of the start-up life cycle and due diligence research as it pertains to entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. An overview of patent research resources and locations is provided, with particular focus on PatentsView, a web-based patent data visualization and analysis tool.