Point Of Convergence Research Articles

Validation of OpenMC Code for Low-cycle and Low-particle Simulations in the Neutronic Calculation

Validation of Low-Cycle and Low-Particle OpenMC Simulation Codes for Neutronics Calculations has been conducted. This study validates OpenMC, an evolving open-source neutron analysis code. Validation of Low-Cycle and Low-Particle Codes is crucial as it allows for effective calculations with minimal computational resources. Determining the convergence point of cycles and minimum particles in low-cycle and low-particle calculations enables maintaining calculation accuracy, thus providing sufficiently accurate results. This study demonstrates that a minimum of 15,000 particles, 100 cycles (30 inactive, 70 active), is required for low-cycle simulations. A comparison of k-eff calculation results with the SRAC code for MSR FUJI-12 at 7 burnup points (0-27 MWd/ton) yields a maximum error of 0.7%. These results validate the effectiveness of OpenMC in achieving accurate neutronic calculations with limited computational resources

Capturing the situated, dynamic nature of EMI-lecture listening comprehension in real time

Abstract English-medium instruction (EMI) potentially offers pedagogical efficiency by simultaneously providing access to academic content and English affordances. EMI’s efficacy and effectiveness, however, remain unproven with questions concerning students’ language proficiency unresolved. As listening to lectures holds a central role in tertiary education and the development of language skills is founded on second-language listening ability, key concerns for stakeholders are knowing how much of an EMI lecture students can understand and what factors impact their lecture listening comprehension. Current methodologies used to capture listening comprehension data, such as tests, surveys, summaries, and transcript markings do not capture the idiosyncratic, volatile, and multifaceted reactions to aural text phenomena that learners encounter during a lecture. This study, therefore, uses an innovative foot switch mechanism to capture comprehension data in real time as students participated in an EMI lecture. These data were then used to guide a stimulated recall. The data showed learners failing to comprehend extensive sections of the lecture while deeper analysis identified sections of the lecture where issues concerning prior taught knowledge, top-down schema building, lexical, and bottom-up identification of sounds coincided for multiple learners. Extrapolating from these points of convergence, pedagogical recommendations are provided.

Integration of mathematics in the pedagogy licensure: analysis of the course at IFTO Porto Nacional

The methodology employed in this study followed a qualitative approach, as per Gil's (2017) guidelines, using descriptive and interpretative analysis. The Pedagogical Project of the Pedagogy Degree Program (PPC) of the Porto Nacional Campus, the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), and Resolution CNE/CP No. 1 of May 15, 2006, were examined. The research aimed to understand and contextualize the curricular guidelines of the course in light of the educational policies established by the BNCC and Resolution CNE/CP No. 1/2006. Detailed readings and comparative analyses of the documents were conducted to identify points of convergence and divergence. The analysis of the results highlighted that the Pedagogy Degree Program at the Porto Nacional Campus - IFTO provides comprehensive training aligned with national curricular guidelines. Graduates are prepared theoretically and practically to work in various professional contexts, including teaching Mathematics, demonstrating ethical commitment and an understanding of students' needs. The course's Fundamentals and Methodologies of Mathematics Teaching discipline addresses the necessary content and methods for effective Mathematics teaching in the early years of Elementary Education, following BNCC guidelines. The course promotes students' engagement and commitment to their professional development, reflecting in the effectiveness of graduates' training.

Parallels between Maximus the Confessor and Vladimir Soloviev (1853-1900)

The philosophical thought of Vladimir Soloviev (1853-1900) does not appear to significantly abstain from the wholeness of humanity and the deification of human being that Maximus synthesises. In Maximus’ writings Christology is strongly bounded to love, under the soteriological meaning of Christ’s Incarnation. In Soloviev’s philosophical thought love plays the role of the cosmic power which, by transcending the historical process, leads the humanity to the deification. This paper aims at the exegesis of the three-fold nature of love (love for one’s brothers, and self-love) in Maximus’ works, while discussing the points of convergence with Soloviev’s ontology of love in Smysl lyubvi (The Meaning of Love) (1892-1894).

Database as method: Exposing ‘data’ about educational technology through a design intervention

Ubiquitous datafication of children and families in educational and everyday settings is both a result of and catalyst for power asymmetries between digital platforms and their users. These platforms seek to know their users by extracting and analysing various streams of personal information, often discreetly. However, the users are rarely equipped to do the same to the platforms as information about these platforms is often obscured, convoluted, or simply unavailable. This article explores the possibilities of reversing such power imbalance via the design intervention of an Australia-focused educational technology (EdTech) database developed by the authors of this article. Employing a design intervention method, the database is a collection of publicly available information about EdTech companies and products that target young children and their parents or educators in Australia. This alternate commentary article presents and discusses the ongoing processes of developing the database to reflect on what it says about the power relations between EdTech providers and their users. It demonstrates how the database works as a pedagogical space where people learn how to critically unpack and think about contemporary EdTech platforms. The database is positioned as a point of convergence for different actors involved in children's digital learning to collectively understand what needs to be done to enact and protect children's digital rights in education.

Experimental and simulated evaluation of inverse model for shallow underground thermal storage

This study employs an inverse grey-box (IGB) modeling approach, which combines measured data and the physics of systems to predict the performance of shallow underground thermal energy storage (UTES) with top and side insulation. A simplified IGB model of the shallow UTES was developed using thermal network analysis. Experimental studies were conducted for shallow vertical and horizontal UTES configurations. Detailed models representing the field experiments were developed using the TRNSYS simulation tool and calibrated with the measured data from the experimental setup. The 4 Resistance 2 Capacitance (4R2C) IGB model was trained and tested in MATLAB using field experimental data and the data from the calibrated TRNSYS model. In comparing experimental data with the TRNSYS model for UTES, the prediction of outlet water temperature showed good agreement, with root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of variation of RMSE (CVRMSE) values of 0.94 °C and 3.16 % for vertical, and 0.99 °C and 2.97 % for horizontal configurations. The IGB model also aligned well with the experimental data, showing CVRMSE of 7.91 % and 3.17 % for vertical and horizontal systems, respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed that model performance improves with longer training durations and closer testing times to training periods. However, a convergence point of 20 weeks of training data was achieved for making long-term performance predictions.

Infrastructural politics: A conceptual mapping and critical review

The notion of infrastructural politics has been increasingly used in urban studies as it helps to explore urbanisation processes, the urban condition and urban life. Given its relevance, this article maps out and critically reviews the main analytical strands that inform its meanings, namely, conventional and popular infrastructural politics. These strands reveal the current tendency to demarcate infrastructural politics as two separate, antagonistic domains that associate the notion with particular hegemonic and subaltern actors, practices and processes. The article problematises this tendency and proposes a broader understanding of infrastructural politics as an ordinary and contentious political arena where diverse actors develop politico-infrastructural repertoires that co-exist in multifaceted, conflictive ways rather than as separate domains. Drawing on political ethnographic understandings of politics, infrastructural politics is conceived as a point of convergence where conventional and popular infrastructural politics meet and mesh. This suggests the possibility of cross-fertilising conversations between infrastructure studies and political ethnography that can refine our understanding of infrastructural politics, first, by promoting a more nuanced examination of the overlaps and interdependencies between hegemonic and subaltern politico-infrastructural actors and practices, and second, by addressing the critical role of infrastructures in enabling and materialising such overlaps and interdependencies.

Exploring High School English Teaching Strategies for Continuation Writing based on Discourse Cohesion Theory

As a new type of question under the background of the new college entrance examination, continuation writing requires the writer to continue the article based on the context provided in the previous text, supplemented by the situational context of the article, and ensuring the logical coherence of the content. Discourse cohesion theory focuses on the coherence of grammar and vocabulary in discourse organization, aiming to construct a complete and coherent discourse text. The cohesive means under this theory can help writers to produce a well-structured, logically clear, and coherent article to a certain extent. Starting from the concept and existing problems of continuation writing, this article analyzes and explores the points of convergence between discourse cohesion theory and continuation writing, and proposes several teaching strategies to better guide writing teaching and improve students' writing ability. From the perspective of discourse cohesion theory, teachers can guide students to select appropriate referencing methods, plan the overall layout, pay attention to smooth connections, maintain logical clarity, and skillfully use substitution and ellipsis to refine language, making the writing process more efficient.

Assessing Brain Processing Deficits Using Neuropsychological and Vision-Specific Tests for Concussion.

Since verbal memory and visual processing transpire within analogous cerebral regions, this study assessed (i) if a visual function can predict verbal memory performance. It also hypothesized whether neurocognitive (e.g., ImPACT) tests focusing on the Visual Memory and Cognitive Efficacy Index will predict Verbal Memory scores and (ii) if vision metrics and age can identify individuals with a history of concussion. Finally, it also hypothesized that King-Devick and near point of convergence scores alongside age considerations will identify candidates with a prior reported history of concussion. This observational cohort assessed 25 collegiate ice hockey players prior to the competitive season considering age (19.76 ± 1.42 years) and BMI (25.9 ± 3.0 kg/cm2). Hypothesis 1 was assessed using a hierarchical (sequential) multiple regression analysis, assessing the predictive capacity of Visual Memory and Cognitive Efficacy Index scores in relation to Verbal Memory scores. Hypothesis 2 utilized a binomial logistic regression to determine if King-Devick and near point of convergence scores predict those with a prior history of concussion. Hypothesis 1 developed two models, where Model 1 included Visual Memory as the predictor, while Model 2 added the Cognitive Efficacy Index as a predictor for verbal memory scores. Model 1 significantly explained 41% of the variance. Results from Model 2 suggest that the Cognitive Efficacy Index explained an additional 24.4%. Thus, Model 2 was interpreted where only the Cognitive Efficacy Index was a significant predictor (p = 0.001). For every 1 unit increase in the Cognitive Efficacy Index, Verbal Memory increased by 41.16. Hypothesis 2's model was significant, accounting for 37.9% of the variance in those with a history of concussion. However, there were no significant unique predictors within the model as age (Wald = 1.26, p = 0.261), King-Devick (Wald = 2.31, p = 0.128), and near point of convergence (Wald = 2.43, p = 0.119) were not significant predictors individually. The conflicting findings of this study indicate that baseline data for those with a history of concussion greater than one year may not be comparable to the same metrics during acute concussion episodes. Young athletes who sustain a concussion may be able to overcompensate via the visual system. Future prospective studies with larger sample sizes are required using the proposed model's objective metrics.

Interplay of Light and ABA signaling to modulate plant development.

The exogenous light cues and the phytohormone Abscisic acid (ABA) regulate several aspects of plant growth and development. In recent years, the role of the crosstalk between the light and ABA signaling pathways in regulating different physiological processes has become increasingly evident. This includes the regulation of germination and early seedling development, control of stomatal development and conductance, growth and development of roots, buds, branches, and regulation of flowering. Light and ABA signaling cascades have various convergence points at both DNA and protein levels. The molecular crosstalk involves several light signaling factors like HY5, COP1, PIFs and BBXs that integrate with ABA signaling components like the PYL receptors and ABI5. Especially, ABI5 and PIF4 promoters serve as key "hotspots" for the integration of these two pathways. Plants acquired both light and ABA signaling pathways before they colonized land almost 500 million years ago. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in the interplay of light and ABA signaling regulating plant development and provide an overview of the evolution of these two pathways.

Motor difficulties in 16p11.2 copy number variation.

The rare genetic variants 16p11.2 duplication and 16p11.2 deletion have opposing effects on brain structure and function, yet are associated with broadly similar clinical phenotypes that include autism, intellectual impairment, psychiatric illness, and motor difficulties. In recent years, studies have identified subtle distinctions between the phenotypic effects of 16p11.2 duplication and 16p11.2 deletion with respect to patterns of autism, intellectual impairment, and psychiatric illness. However, although divergent phenotypic findings in some motor domains have been reported, no study has yet made a comprehensive comparison of motor difficulties between 16p11.2 deletion and 16p11.2 duplication carriers to elucidate points of convergence and divergence. We sought to make such a comparison in a group of 133 16p11.2 deletion carriers, 122 duplication carriers, and 388 familial controls, hypothesizing that motor impairment would overall be greater in deletion than duplication carriers. In a series of regression models, we found that 16p11.2 deletion status tended to predict greater impairment along indices of gross motor function, but less impairment along indices of fine motor function. These findings point to a potential pattern of performance difficulties that could be investigated in future studies. Elucidating motor differences between 16p11.2 duplication and 16p11.2 deletion carriers may help in understanding the complex effect of 16p11.2 copy number variation and other rare genetic causes of autism.

Role of supranational bodies in regulating water cooperation: Central Asian experience

AbstractGrowing environmental problems in recent decades have made the water issue one of the most important agenda items in relations between the countries of the Central Asian (CA) region. Because water is a strategic resource and, at the same time, the foundation of social and economic development in CA, it is possible to assume that the settlement of water allocation problems will become a driving force for the development of regional interaction. The study aims to analyze the importance of supranational bodies in regulating water cooperation between the states of the CA region. The methodological basis of the study was built based on a combination of such theoretical methods of cognition as historical, structural‐functional, forecasting, and political and legal analysis, as well as an institutional approach. The main study results consist of assessing the efficiency of water resources use in the CA region, formulating areas of cooperation between the states in this sector after independence and up to the present, analyzing the role of functioning and under‐construction hydropower facilities in stimulating the resolution of water and energy challenges, and formulating initiatives of the countries of the region in solving existing water problems. In addition, it identified points of convergence in transboundary water use, analyzed steps to further deepen cooperation in water allocation among CA countries, and assessed the activities of supranational bodies in regulating water cooperation. The work can be applied in research and applied areas: It can be useful for scientists whose interests include water management issues in the CA region, as well as for government officials in the CA countries who implement policies in this area.

Research on the Teaching Reform of “Curriculum Ideology and Politics” for English Majors under the Background of the “New Liberal Arts Construction”

In recent years, curriculum ideological and political education has become a hot topic in educational reform. The concept of curriculum ideological and political education provides a new convergence point for the integration of subject teaching and ideological and political education. Its purpose is to infiltrate the core content of ideological and political education in subject teaching, organically integrate ideological and political curriculum teaching with the subjects, and implement the fundamental task of cultivating students’ morality. In the process of English teaching, cultivating students’ firm political stance is particularly important, especially in cultural comparison and dissemination, nurturing students to “tell a good Chinese story”, spreading excellent traditional Chinese culture, and demonstrating cultural confidence. Further exploration is needed. In the context of the integrated reform of ideological and political education in universities, middle and primary schools, the research on curriculum ideological and political education in subject teaching is not yet in-depth and extensive. Based on the curriculum standards for morality and the rule of law, as well as the correlation between students’ core literacy and socialist core values, this article proposes the necessity of integrating ideological and political education into English majors, and actively explores effective strategies and approaches in order to provide useful ideas and references for the ideological and political education reform of English majors.

Spontaneity and Control: Friedrich Hayek, Stafford Beer, and the Principles of Self-Organization

Friedrich Hayek, the Austrian economist, and Stafford Beer, best known for engineering socialist Chile's CYBERSYN project, met exactly once, at the 1960 Symposium on the Principles of Self-Organization, hosted by the Biological Computer Laboratory at the University of Illinois. Independently, in the decade that followed, Beer and Hayek each sought to apply the principles of self-organization to the design of economic institutions. They were joined in the belief that the full enjoyment of human liberty would require a self-organizing world economy. To understand why, this article delves into the explanatory logic and intellectual history of “self-organization.” I use points of convergence between Beer's thought and Hayek's to reframe a key moment in the history of neoliberalism.

Elementary Students’ Understanding about How Convex Lenses Affect Light Propagation

In the present study, K-3 and K-4 students’ understanding of the effects that convex lenses have on light propagation is investigated. Specifically, the study examines the extent to which these students are able to construct a scientifically accepted explanation for the role convex lenses play in converging rays of light and creating inverted images in the case of both self-luminous and hetero-luminous objects. Eight students from two primary schools run by the Municipality of Piraeus in the region of Attica (Greece), took part in the survey. They were divided into groups of two. The research was conducted using the teaching experiment method, which combines elements of the clinical interview and formal teaching. According to the results, students of this age recognise the convergence of light as a process that takes place through a convex lens. However, they have difficulty attributing the aforementioned convergence to the light refraction that takes place during the interaction of the light beams with the converging lens. At the same time, while they can easily ascertain that light beams continue along the same straight line after the convergence point, they find it difficult to relate this conclusion to the creation of an inverted image of a hetero-luminous object.

The coming decade of digital brain research: A vision for neuroscience at the intersection of technology and computing

Abstract In recent years, brain research has indisputably entered a new epoch, driven by substantial methodological advances and digitally enabled data integration and modelling at multiple scales—from molecules to the whole brain. Major advances are emerging at the intersection of neuroscience with technology and computing. This new science of the brain combines high-quality research, data integration across multiple scales, a new culture of multidisciplinary large-scale collaboration, and translation into applications. As pioneered in Europe’s Human Brain Project (HBP), a systematic approach will be essential for meeting the coming decade’s pressing medical and technological challenges. The aims of this paper are to: develop a concept for the coming decade of digital brain research, discuss this new concept with the research community at large, identify points of convergence, and derive therefrom scientific common goals; provide a scientific framework for the current and future development of EBRAINS, a research infrastructure resulting from the HBP’s work; inform and engage stakeholders, funding organisations and research institutions regarding future digital brain research; identify and address the transformational potential of comprehensive brain models for artificial intelligence, including machine learning and deep learning; outline a collaborative approach that integrates reflection, dialogues, and societal engagement on ethical and societal opportunities and challenges as part of future neuroscience research.

Cellular geometry and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity intersect with PIEZO1 in breast cancer cells.

Differences in shape can be a distinguishing feature between different cell types, but the shape of a cell can also be dynamic. Changes in cell shape are critical when cancer cells escape from the primary tumor and undergo major morphological changes that allow them to squeeze between endothelial cells, enter the vasculature, and metastasize to other areas of the body. A shift from rounded to spindly cellular geometry is a consequence of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, which is also associated with changes in gene expression, increased invasiveness, and therapeutic resistance. However, the consequences and functional impacts of cell shape changes and the mechanisms through which they occur are still poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that altering the morphology of a cell produces a remodeling of calcium influx via the ion channel PIEZO1 and identify PIEZO1 as an inducer of features of epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity. Combining automated epifluorescence microscopy and a genetically encoded calcium indicator, we demonstrate that activation of the PIEZO1 force channel with the PIEZO1 agonist, YODA 1, induces features of epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity in breast cancer cells. These findings suggest that PIEZO1 is a critical point of convergence between shape-induced changes in cellular signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in breast cancer cells.

Postnatal hypofunction of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors alters perforant path synaptic plasticity and filtering and impairs dentate gyrus-mediated spatial discrimination.

Transient hypofunction of the NMDA receptor represents a convergence point for the onset and further development of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Although the cumulative evidence indicates dysregulation of the hippocampal formation in schizophrenia, the integrity of the synaptic transmission and plasticity conveyed by the somatosensorial inputs to the dentate gyrus, the perforant pathway synapses, have barely been explored in this pathological condition. We identified a series of synaptic alterations of the lateral and medial perforant paths in animals postnatally treated with the NMDA antagonist MK-801. This dysregulation suggests decreased cognitive performance, for which the dentate gyrus is critical. We identified alterations in the synaptic properties of the lateral and medial perforant paths to the dentate gyrus synapses in slices from MK-801-treated animals. Altered glutamate release and decreased synaptic strength precede an impairment in the induction and expression of long-term potentiation (LTP) and CB1 receptor-mediated long-term depression (LTD). Remarkably, by inhibiting the degradation of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), an endogenous ligand of the CB1 receptor, we restored the LTD in animals treated with MK-801. Additionally, we showed for the first time, that spatial discrimination, a cognitive task that requires dentate gyrus integrity, is impaired in animals exposed to transient hypofunction of NMDA receptors. Dysregulation of glutamatergic transmission and synaptic plasticity from the entorhinal cortex to the dentate gyrus has been demonstrated, which may explain the cellular dysregulations underlying the altered cognitive processing in the dentate gyrus associated with schizophrenia.

Study on the detonation wave propagation of shaped charge with three-layer liner and its driving characteristics to liner

With the continuous improvement of various armor protection technologies, the armor protection performance has increased significantly, and then the damage performance requirements of armor-piercing ammunition have also increased. In order to improve the penetration ability of the liner, a new three-layer liner structure is designed in this paper. The jet forming process was simulated by AUTODYN software. The mechanism of shaped jet forming of three-layer liner was studied. The reason why the penetration depth of three-layer liner was higher than that of ordinary liner was explained. The influence of three-layer liner on the propagation of detonation wave and the change of pressure when detonation wave acted on liner were found, which provided a new idea for improving the penetration depth of jet. The influence of liner material, cone angle and stand-off on jet forming and penetration was also studied by orthogonal optimization experiment, and the structural parameters with the best penetration performance were obtained. The results show that the pressure at the convergence point increases first and then decreases during the formation of the jet of the three-layer liner. The pressure at the convergence point when the three-layer liner material is from low impedance to high impedance from the outside to the inside is much larger than the pressure at the convergence point from high impedance to low impedance. When the three-layer liner material is Al 2024-Copper–Tantalum from the outside to the inside, the pressure at the convergence point of the three-layer liner at different times is higher than that of the double-layer liner and the single-layer liner. Reasonable matching of different impact impedance materials in the three-layer liner can greatly improve the pressure value of the detonation wave acting on the cone liner. The maximum pressure at the convergence point on the axis is 39.10 GPa, which is 22.00% higher than that of the double-layer liner at the convergence point, and 53.03% higher than that of the single-layer liner at the convergence point. The orthogonal design test scheme is simulated and analyzed. The penetration depth is taken as the observation index, and the range analysis is adopted. The results show that the material matching of the three-layer liner has the greatest influence on the depth of the jet penetrating the target plate, followed by the cone angle of the three-layer liner. Relatively speaking, the stand-off has the least influence on the result. Reasonable matching of materials with different impact impedances in the three-layer liner can maximize the penetration depth of the jet into the target plate.

Evaluation of convergence, accommodation and fusional vergence in pre-presbyopes with asthenopia

Background: Pre-presbyopes may suffer from ocular symptoms such as asthenopia of near work.Aim: This study aimed to evaluate near points of convergence, amplitudes of accommodation, and fusional vergence among pre-presbyopes with asthenopia symptoms.Setting: The study was conducted at El-Walidain Eye Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan in 2022.Methods: The study was a hospital-based prospective, including 107 pre-presbyopes aged 35–40 years who complained of asthenopia symptoms. Clinical examinations included an assessment of amplitude of accommodation, near point of convergence and fusional vergence.Results: The findings showed receded in near points of convergence and a decrease in the accommodation was highly significantly associated with increased age among emerging presbyopes with asthenopia symptoms (p = 0.0001). Conversely, positive and negative fusional vergence amplitudes were not significantly correlated with age with p = 0.109 and p = 0.355, respectively. Positive and negative fusional amplitudes were not significantly different between males and females (p ˃ 0.05). Esophoria was more common in pre-presbyopia 62 (57.4%) and exophoria 45 (43.6) with p = 0.503.Conclusion: The pre-presbyopes presented with low accommodation amplitude and receded near point of convergence, but without significant changes in positive and negative fusional vergence amplitudes.Contribution: This study added by demonstrating how early presbyopia altered accommodation amplitude and near point of convergence significantly while having no significant impact on amplitudes of positive and negative fusional vergence.