Predictors of superior performance in coaches – the role of A-trait

Anxiety represents a multifaceted response that can hinder or help performance. Anxiety experienced at high intensity and in the long term is a noxious phenomenon. However, moderate anxiety can lead to improved performance, stimulating on-task effort. The aims of our study are to determine the pattern of anxious reactions in coaches with superior results in competition and to identify which facet of anxiety is a better predictor of sports performance. A total of 57 coaches (19 women and 38 men) participated in the research. We assessed four facets of trait anxiety using the Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales. The results highlight significantly lower scores in successful coaches compared to novice coaches for anxiety in new situations and in separation conditions. When talking about anxiety in physically dangerous and sociallyevaluative circumstances, no significant differences were found between the two groups of coaches (successful and beginner ones). After performing two separate binomial logistic regressions, we can argue that the scores for anxiety in separation conditions are a better predictor of sports performance than anxiety in new situations, the model explaining 30% of the variance in international or national performance and correctly classifying 75.4% of cases. The conclusions of our study represent valuable resources for sports psychologists, future (and current) coaches and researchers who are eager to better understand the impact of A-trait on sports performance, in the case of coaches.

Recovery of Pure Pd(II) from Spent Electroplating Solutions by Solvent Extraction with Ionic Liquids from Sulfuric Acid Leaching Solution of Cemented Pd

Palladium (Pd) electroplating is widely practiced in the manufacture of advanced electronic devices. The Pd(II) present in spent electroplating solutions is treated by cementation with zinc (Zn) metal powder. In order to recover pure Pd from the cemented Pd, a process that consisted of leaching followed by solvent extraction was investigated. For this purpose, solvent extraction experiments using synthesized ionic liquids (ILs) with organic and inorganic anions were performed to find separation conditions at which selective extraction of Pd(II) over Zn(II) from synthetic H2SO4 leaching solutions is possible. The concentration of sulfuric acid was varied from 0.5 to 9 M. The complete separation of Pd(II) over Zn(II) by ILs such as ALi–CY301 (N-methyl-N,N,N-trioctylammonium bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) dithiophosphinic), ALi–SCN (N-methyl-N,N,N-trioctylammonium thiocyanate), ALi–I (N-methyl-N,N,N-trioctylammonium iodide) and ALi–Br (N-methyl-N,N,N-trioctylammonium bromide) depends on H2SO4 concentration, while ALi–LIX63 (N-methyl-N,N,N-trioctylammonium 5,8-diethyl-7-hydroxydodecane-6-oxime) and ALi–LIX84 (N-methyl-N,N,N-trioctylammonium 2-hydroxy-5-nonylacetophenone oxime) can completely separate Pd(II) irrespective of H2SO4 concentration. Additionally, the mixture of HCl and thiourea, aqua regia solution, NH3 solution and the mixture of NH4Cl and NH3 are powerful stripping agents for Pd(II) from the loaded ALi–LIX63/ALi–LIX84, ALi–CY301, ALi–Br/ALi–I and ALi–SCN, respectively. However, application of the separation conditions to the real 5 M sulfuric acid leaching solutions of cemented Pd indicated that it was difficult to separate the two ions by extraction with ALi–LIX63 and ALi–LIX84. Use of NaClO as an oxidizing agent during the sulfuric acid leaching of real cemented Pd resulted in an enhancement of Zn(II) extraction by ALi–LIX63 and ALi–LIX84. Therefore, removal of chloride ions from the sulfuric acid leaching solutions is necessary to apply the separation conditions obtained from synthetic sulfuric acid leaching solutions.

Reply to the ‘Comment on “Techno-economic analysis of capacitive and intercalative water deionization”’ by S. K. Patel, L. Wang and M. Elimelech, Energy Environ. Sci., 2021, 10.1039/D0EE03321A

This reply provides updated energy consumption estimates at clearly defined separation conditions for electrochemical desalination concepts.

Predicting Differential Ion Mobility Behaviour in silico using Machine Learning

Although there has been a surge in popularity of differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) within analytical workflows, determining separation conditions within the DMS parameter space still requires manual optimization. A means...