Foundation For Scientific Research Research Articles

Changes in scientific process skills and reflective thinking skills towards problem-solving of gifted students: a summer school practice

ABSTRACT The foundation of scientific research is solving a problem. As reflective thinking and problem-solving are closely related, teaching scientific research may have an impact on reflective thinking. The aim of this study is to investigate how the scientific process skills (SPS) and reflective thinking skills towards problem-solving (RTSPS) of gifted students change in a scientific research methods program used during a summer school. This article reports on a case study of 38 gifted students (aged 10-11) who participated in a summer school. Both qualitative and quantitative tools were used to determine the impact of the program. Focus group interviews were conducted both before and after the program as a means of qualitative data collection. Quantitative data collection tools such as the SPS scale and the RTSPS scale were used before and after the program. The analysis showed that the students’ SPS levels were low at the beginning and improved as the program progressed. Initially, the students showed good RTSPS in quantitative data, but were found to be deficient in qualitative data. By the end of the program, RTSPS had improved. In conclusion, this study has shown that summer schools for gifted students are effective in developing RTSPS and SPS.

Ethnophilosophical Understanding on the Existence of Ukraine: Methodological Principles

The article discusses the methodological foundations of Ukrainian studies, which take on significant existential importance for Ukraine in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war. It posits that each nation formulates its own methodology of nation-defensive type, crucial for preserving its identity and distinctiveness. In these circumstances, Ukrainian axiology embodies the triad of native land, native language, and native tradition, attaining a sacred significance. Within the context of hybrid information warfare, mechanisms for creating global terminology, carrying a worldwide ideological load, are uncovered. However, under the guise of «universal» values, they subtly impose themselves on the entire world. Ivan Franko already pointed to such information strategies at the beginning of the 20th century, emphasizing the importance of trusting national thinkers to navigate global traps. The domestic definitions of ethnicity and ethnoculture, ethnoreligion and ethnophilosophy are provided, the fundamental principles of the national-existential methodology are clarified. Using examples of polar social models and archetypal worldview-antagonistic algorithms based on the age-old dichotomy of «world» and «home», it is demonstrated that global and imperial methodologies are unsuitable for ethnological studies. The essence of the «foreign» and the «native» becomes explicitly understood through such algorithms. The methodological foundation for scientific research in the field of Ukrainian studies is proposed to be founded upon ethnophilosophy (the founder of which is considered to be Volodymyr Shayan) as the most appropriate philosophy of the nation-defense type.

Novel microwave dielectric ceramics based on CaO–MoO3–La2O3 pseudo‐ternary phase diagram and the design of patch antenna

AbstractIn this study, two novel microwave dielectric ceramics were designed and synthesized using the solid‐state reaction method based on the CaO–MoO3–La2O3 pseudo‐ternary phase diagram. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and Rietveld refinement results indicate that pure phase microwave dielectric ceramics (CaLa2(MoO4)4 and Ca3MoO6) can be produced with CaO, MoO3, La2O3 ratios of 1, 1, 4, and 3, 1, 0, respectively. CaLa2(MoO4)4 shows the potential value for application in Low Temperature Co‐fired Ceramic technology. In addition, the Phillips–van Vechten–Levine theory, infrared reflectance spectrum, and THz time‐domain spectrum are used further to study the structure‐property relationship of the two ceramics. Finally, a 5G patch antenna used in Sub‐6 GHz communication technology was successfully designed and manufactured. The study of the relationship between chemical bonds and dielectric properties of the two ceramics, along with the development of the patch antenna, establishes a foundation for scientific research and practical applications in related ceramic systems.

The concept of System-Adaptive Approach (SAA) as a new approach to ensuring business continuity

Subject. This article deals with the issues of the current concept of internal control at enterprises and organizations. Objectives. The article aims to derive a qualitatively new paradigm that meets the current challenges that companies have to deal with, by revealing the evolution of internal control models, as well as taking into account the accumulated world experience of risk orientation, and also determine the role assigned to such a structure as internal audit, based on the author-developed concept of the system-adaptive approach (SAA). Methods. For the study, we used case-study and chronological analyses, historical approach, scientific abstraction, comparison, and generalization. Results. The article identifies a qualitatively new nature of modern threats faced by companies, and presents a paradigm of the author-developed system-adaptive approach, which can help adapt to risks and carry out effective re-engineering of business processes. Conclusions and Relevance. The concept of the system-adaptive approach, as a new approach as opposed to the risk-oriented one, is designed to adapt the activities of organizations to the challenges that they have to involuntarily accept through correctly placed accents. The results summarized in the article can be successfully implemented in the theory and practice of internal control, used in the construction of an integrated risk management system, be a reliable basis for improving the approaches practiced in internal audit, and also serve as a solid foundation for further scientific research.

Age at menopause and all-cause and cause-specific dementia: a prospective analysis of the UK Biobank cohort.

Are there associations between natural or surgical menopause and incident dementia by age at menopause? Compared to age at menopause of 46-50 years, earlier natural menopause (≤40 and 41-45 years) was related to higher risk of all-cause dementia, while a U-shape relationship was observed between age at surgical menopause and risk of dementia. Menopause marks the end of female reproductive period. Age at menopause reflects the length of exposure to endogenous estrogen. Evidence on the association between age at natural, surgical menopause, and risk of dementia has been inconsistent. A population-based cohort study involving 160080 women who participated in the UK Biobank study. Women with no dementia at baseline, and had no missing data on key exposure variables and covariates were included. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs on the association of categorical menopause age with incident all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD). Restricted cubic splines were used to model the non-linear relationship between continuous age at natural, surgical menopause, and risk of dementia. In addition, we analyzed the interaction effect of ever-used menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) at baseline, income level, leisure activities, and age at menopause on risk of dementia. Compared to women with age at menopause of 46-50 years, women with earlier natural menopause younger than 40 years (1.36, 1.01-1.83) and 41-45 years (1.19, 1.03-1.39) had a higher risk of all-cause dementia, while late natural menopause >55 years was linked to lower risk of dementia (0.83, 0.71-0.98). Compared to natural menopause, surgical menopause was associated with 10% higher risk of dementia (1.10, 0.98-1.24). A U-shape relationship was observed between surgical menopause and risk of dementia. Women with surgical menopause before age 40 years (1.94, 1.38-2.73) and after age 55 years (1.65, 1.21-2.24) were both linked to increased risk of all-cause dementia. Women with early natural menopause without ever taking MHT at baseline had an increased risk of AD. Also, in each categorized age at the menopause level, higher income level or higher number of leisure activities was linked to a lowers risk of dementia. Menopausal age was based on women's self-report, which might cause recall bias. Women who experienced natural menopause or had surgical menopause at an earlier age need close monitoring and engagement for preventive health measures to delay the development of dementia. This work was supported by the Start-up Foundation for Scientific Research in Shandong University (202099000066), Science Fund Program for Excellent Young Scholars of Shandong Provence (Overseas) (2022HWYQ-030), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82273702). There are no competing interests. N/A.

Intranasal administration of convalescent plasma protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection in hamsters.

Convalescent plasma (CP) transfusion is an early option for treating infections with pandemic potential, often preceding vaccine or antiviral drug rollout. Heterogenous findings from randomized clinical trials on transfusion of COVID-19 CP (CCP) have been reported. However, meta-analysis suggests that transfusion of high titer CCP is associated with a mortality benefit for COVID-19 outpatients or inpatients treated within 5 days after symptom onset, indicating the importance of early administration. We tested if CCP is an effective prophylactic against SARS-CoV-2 infection by the intranasal administration of 25μL CCP/nostril (i.e. 0.01-0.06mg anti-RBD antibodies/kg) in hamsters exposed to infected littermates. In this model, 40% of CCP treated hamsters were fully protected and 40% had significantly reduced viral loads, the remaining 20% was not protected. The effect seems dose-dependent because high-titer CCP from a vaccinated donor was more effective than low-titer CCP from a donation prior to vaccine rollout. Intranasal administration of human CCP resulted in a reactive (immune) response in hamster lungs, however this was not observed upon administration of hamster CCP. We conclude that CCP is an effective prophylactic when used directly at the site of primary infection. This option should be considered in future prepandemic preparedness plans. Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) and the Foundation for Scientific Research of the Belgian Red Cross Flanders.

O razvitii russkogo yazykoznaniya v Kitae v XXI v. na osnove nacional'nyh proektov, finansiruemyh Fondom social'nyh nauk

The national project funded by the Social Sciences Foundation of China is the most advanced project of the Foundation for Scientific Research in Philosophy and Social Sciences in China. This article analyzes the relevant data of national projects to study the direction of the development of Russian linguistics, to determine trends and the fulcrum of research in China.

Consumer Time Budgets and Grocery Shopping Behavior

We study whether and how the availability of incremental time associated with retirement and unemployment affects the types of products households buy. For this, we develop a new theoretical model of the composition and size of the grocery shopping basket subject to money and time constraints. We construct a novel household panel data set that combines purchase records for grocery goods with information on labor market status and other demographics. We use the data to document that, in line with predictions from the model, consumers buy more varieties and generally shift their spending into products that take more time to turn them into consumption experiences. This paper was accepted by Eric Anderson, marketing. Funding: B. J. Bronnenberg and Y. Xu acknowledge financial support from the Netherlands Foundation for Scientific Research (NWO) under a Vici grant. Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4763 .

Gambling disorder and other behavioral addictions: mechanisms, recognition and treatment

AbstractGambling disorder was reclassified as a first behavioral addiction in the DSM-5 in 2013. In 2018, gaming disorder was included in the ICD-11. In this presentation, research findings regarding the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms in gambling disorder and other behavioral addictions are highlighted. Specifically, neural and behavioral responses regarding reward expectation, reward outcomes, and the role of specific mechanisms in gambling like near wins, and in gaming, like lootboxes are highlighted. Besides the recognition of gambling disorder, the broader perspective of gambling harms is highlighted and related to psychosocial, financial, and health consequences. The perspective of interaction between human design factors (e.g. psychological and neurobiological mechanisms, such as decision making, reward processing) and gambling design factors (e.g. near wins, multiline betting) is reviewed. Evidence with regard to psychological and pharmacological interventions are discussed and future directions for research perspectives are discussed.Disclosure of InterestA. Goudriaan Grant / Research support from: Anna Goudriaan received grants from the Dutch Foundation for Scientific Research (NWO and ZonMw) and from VCVGZ Foundation

Chelating the valley of death: Deferoxamine's path from bench to wound clinic.

There is undisputable benefit in translating basic science research concretely into clinical practice, and yet, the vast majority of therapies and treatments fail to achieve approval. The rift between basic research and approved treatment continues to grow, and in cases where a drug is granted approval, the average time from initiation of human trials to regulatory marketing authorization spans almost a decade. Albeit with these hurdles, recent research with deferoxamine (DFO) bodes significant promise as a potential treatment for chronic, radiation-induced soft tissue injury. DFO was originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1968 for the treatment of iron overload. However, investigators more recently have posited that its angiogenic and antioxidant properties could be beneficial in treating the hypovascular and reactive-oxygen species-rich tissues seen in chronic wounds and radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF). Small animal experiments of various chronic wound and RIF models confirmed that treatment with DFO improved blood flow and collagen ultrastructure. With a well-established safety profile, and now a strong foundation of basic scientific research that supports its potential use in chronic wounds and RIF, we believe that the next steps required for DFO to achieve FDA marketing approval will include large animal studies and, if those prove successful, human clinical trials. Though these milestones remain, the extensive research thus far leaves hope for DFO to bridge the gap between bench and wound clinic in the near future.

قرآن کی سائنسی تفسیر اور دعوت الی اللہ: ’’کتاب زندگی‘‘ کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

The scientific revolution has left the world in awe and laid the foundation for scientific evidence-based research. It has also provided the premise for religious scholars to incorporate scientific precepts into their learning and interpretation of the Quran. This idea was proposed by early Muslim Scholars like Ghazali and Razi. However, this field has become increasingly important in the contemporary era as Muslim researchers seek to inspire western scholars and attract their attention to the miraculous nature of the Quran. In this context, this article provides a critical analysis of Sultan Bashir's Quran's scientific interpretation of Surah Fatihah and Baqarah to highlight his efforts in this regard and to guide future research in this area of study.

Review of Scientific Research Conducted in Horseshoe Island Where Potential Place for Turkish Antarctic Base

The Antarctic Continent, which has the most challenging environmental-field conditions such as high cost logistics needs, extreme weather events, and natural elements that makes impossible to live for most of the living things including humans, in terms of to carry out scientific research, has hosting scientific projects of Turkish scientists in recent years. Turkish Antarctic Expeditions, continuing since 2017, have concentrated on Horseshoe Island, located in the Marguerite Bay on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, where ice melts are recorded the most due to global climate change. Since Turkey plans to establish a scientific station in the upcoming years on Horseshoe Island, reviewing all disciplines in the literature of polar research that have been done and can be done on the island is of great importance in the national polar strategy and in laying the foundation of scientific research to be carried out in the future. In this study, the researches of especially British and Turkish scientists in the region were reviewed: it was seen that many interdisciplinary studies and social science projects were also carried out. Despite the many scientific projects completed, it is seen among the results of this study that many polar research disciplines that can be applied and can give direction to world science can still be conduct on the region.

Real-Time Integrated Learning and Decision Making for Cumulative Shock Degradation

Problem definition: Unexpected failures of equipment can have severe consequences and costs. Such unexpected failures can be prevented by performing preventive replacement based on real-time degradation data. We study a component that degrades according to a compound Poisson process and fails when the degradation exceeds the failure threshold. An online sensor measures the degradation in real time, but interventions are only possible during planned downtime. Academic/practical relevance: We characterize the optimal replacement policy that integrates real-time learning from the online sensor. We demonstrate the effectiveness in practice with a case study on interventional x-ray machines. The data set of this case study is available in the online companion. As such, it can serve as a benchmark data set for future studies on stochastically deteriorating systems. Methodology: The degradation parameters vary from one component to the next but cannot be observed directly; the component population is heterogeneous. These parameters must therefore be inferred by observing the real-time degradation signal. We model this situation as a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) so that decision making and learning are integrated. We collapse the information state space of this POMDP to three dimensions so that optimal policies can be analyzed and computed tractably. Results: The optimal policy is a state dependent control limit. The control limit increases with age but may decrease as a result of other information in the degradation signal. Numerical case study analyses reveal that integration of learning and decision making leads to cost reductions of 10.50% relative to approaches that do not learn from the real-time signal and 4.28% relative to approaches that separate learning and decision making. Managerial implications: Real-time sensor information can reduce the cost of maintenance and unplanned downtime by a considerable amount. The integration of learning and decision making is tractably possible for industrial systems with our state space collapse. Finally, the benefit of our model increases with the amount of data available for initial model calibration, whereas additional data are much less valuable for approaches that ignore population heterogeneity. Funding: This work was supported by the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg [Grant AFR-12451704] and Philips. The work of C. Drent is supported by the Data Science Flagship framework, a cooperation between Eindhoven University of Technology and Philips. The research of M. Drent is supported by the National Research Fund of Luxembourg. J. Arts thanks the Netherlands Foundation for Scientific Research for funding this research. The work of S. Kapodistria is supported by the NWO Gravitation Project NETWORKS of the Dutch government. Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.1149 .

Efficacy and safety of switching from intravenous to oral antibiotics (amoxicillin–clavulanic acid) versus a full course of intravenous antibiotics in neonates with probable bacterial infection (RAIN): a multicentre, randomised, open-label, non-inferiority trial

Switching from intravenous antibiotic therapy to oral antibiotic therapy among neonates is not yet practised in high-income settings due to uncertainties about exposure and safety. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of early intravenous-to-oral antibiotic switch therapy compared with a full course of intravenous antibiotics among neonates with probable bacterial infection. In this multicentre, randomised, open-label, non-inferiority trial, patients were recruited at 17 hospitals in the Netherlands. Neonates (postmenstrual age ≥35 weeks, postnatal age 0-28 days, bodyweight ≥2 kg) in whom prolonged antibiotic treatment was indicated because of a probable bacterial infection, were randomly assigned (1:1) to switch to an oral suspension of amoxicillin 75 mg/kg plus clavulanic acid 18·75 mg/kg (in a 4:1 dosing ratio, given daily in three doses) or continue on intravenous antibiotics (according to the local protocol). Both groups were treated for 7 days. The primary outcome was cumulative bacterial reinfection rate 28 days after treatment completion. A margin of 3% was deemed to indicate non-inferiority, thus if the reinfection rate in the oral amoxicillin-clavulanic acid group was less than 3% higher than that in the intravenous antibiotic group the null hypothesis would be rejected. The primary outcome was assessed in the intention-to-treat population (ie, all patients who were randomly assigned and completed the final follow-up visit on day 35) and the per protocol population. Safety was analysed in all patients who received at least one administration of the allocated treatment and who completed at least one follow-up visit. Secondary outcomes included clinical deterioration and duration of hospitalisation. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03247920, and EudraCT, 2016-004447-36. Between Feb 8, 2018 and May 12, 2021, 510 neonates were randomly assigned (n=255 oral amoxicillin-clavulanic group; n=255 intravenous antibiotic group). After excluding those who withdrew consent (n=4), did not fulfil inclusion criteria (n=1), and lost to follow-up (n=1), 252 neonates in each group were included in the intention-to-treat population. The cumulative reinfection rate at day 28 was similar between groups (one [<1%] of 252 neonates in the amoxicillin-clavulanic acid group vs one [<1%] of 252 neonates in the intravenous antibiotics group; between-group difference 0 [95% CI -1·9 to 1·9]; pnon-inferiority<0·0001). No statistically significant differences were observed in reported adverse events (127 [50%] vs 113 [45%]; p=0·247). In the intention-to-treat population, median duration of hospitalisation was significantly shorter in the amoxicillin-clavulanic acid group than the intravenous antibiotics group (3·4 days [95% CI 3·0-4·1] vs 6·8 days [6·5-7·0]; p<0·0001). An early intravenous-to-oral antibiotic switch with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid is non-inferior to a full course of intravenous antibiotics in neonates with probable bacterial infection and is not associated with an increased incidence of adverse events. The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, Innovatiefonds Zorgverzekeraars, and the Sophia Foundation for Scientific Research.

Non-linearity between referencing behavior and citation impact: A large-scale, discipline-level analysis

References formulate the foundation and endorsements of scientific research. Using articles published in 2005 covered by Microsoft Academic Graph, the current paper defines and calculates five indicators of references, i.e., the number of references, the number of citations of references, the age of references, the number of nodes in a reference cascade (a multi-generation reference network), and the density of bibliographic coupling networks by references, and investigates their relations with the citation impact of the focal publication. A non-linear relationship is shown in all the five indicators; specifically, we observe two types of patterns, namely inverted-L and -U relations, both presenting the existence of critical points. We further explore the discipline-level differences of such a relationship and how it relates to the characteristics of the discipline itself. Among all five indicators, the effect of disciplinary academic “environments” is universally identified. We believe that the current paper provides insightful views to the discussion regarding the significance of a reference list.

Trends in Research of Prenatal Stress From 2011 to 2021: A Bibliometric Study.

BackgroundMaternal stress during pregnancy can raise the risk of mental disorders in offspring. The continuous emergence of clinical concepts and the introduction of new technologies are great challenges. In this study, through bibliometric analysis, the research trends and hotspots on prenatal stress (PS) were explored to comprehend clinical treatments and recommend future scientific research directions.MethodsStudies on PS published on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database between 2011 and 2021 were reviewed. Bibliometric analysis was conducted according to the number of publications, keywords, journals, citations, affiliations, and countries. With the data collected from the WoSCC, visualization of geographic distribution; clustering analysis of keywords, affiliations, and authors; and descriptive analysis and review of PS were carried out.ResultsA total of 7,087 articles published in 2011–2021 were retrieved. During this period, the number of publications increased. Psychoneuroendocrinology is the leading journal on PS. The largest contributor was the United States. The University of California system was leading among institutions conducting relevant research. Wang H, King S, and Tain YL were scholars with significant contributions. Hotspots were classified into four clusters, namely, pregnancy, prenatal stress, oxidative stress, and growth.ConclusionThe number of studies on PS increased. Journals, countries, institutions, researchers with the most contributions, and most cited articles worldwide were extracted. Studies have mostly concentrated on treating diseases, the application of new technologies, and the analysis of epidemiological characteristics. Multidisciplinary integration is becoming the focus of current development. Epigenetics is increasingly used in studies on PS. Thus, it constitutes a solid foundation for future clinical medical and scientific research.

Methodological importance of information for the development of crime prevention measures in the information society system

The formation of the information (digital) society of Ukraine is a manifestation of a global trend, the historical inevitability of which is due to the objective logic of civilization. A characteristic feature of these processes is the growing demand for scientific theories, the use of which in practice will ensure social progress and protection of universal values.&#x0D; The purpose of the article is to improve on the basis of a systematic approach to crime prevention measures, the task - to determine the methodological functionality of information for the development of crime prevention measures in the information society.&#x0D; Methodology is rightly considered the theoretical foundation of effective scientific research. At the same time, there is currently no consensus among experts on the content of this category. The definition of methodology as a system of methods of cognition and transformation of reality is offered. It is argued that due to the acceleration of scientific and technological progress and the increase in the amount of information processed, the number of alternative methodological theories will continue to increase significantly.&#x0D; It is pointed out that the fundamental principles of the methodology lie beyond our knowledge and cannot yet be definitively established. Therefore, experts are forced to use methodological concepts, largely based on faith in them. However, each new fact that becomes known to scientists will either confirm or refute substantiate the basic principles of the applied methodology.&#x0D; It is claimed that the information component provides the system functionality of objects and processes in two aspects:&#x0D; 1. Information as a coordinating component of the system (management and one-level coordination). Guidance means providing information to perform mandatory actions. Reconciliation can be defined as the sharing of information to achieve a coordinated outcome.&#x0D; 2. Information as a resource of systemic activity. A resource is an object intended for further processing with a certain result of the system state.&#x0D; In both cases, it is a question of the functionality of the connections between the elements of the system, which understand the interdependence of the existence of phenomena separated in space and time.&#x0D; It is pointed out that in the field of practical activity of the subjects of crime prevention, information is, firstly, a component of coordination processes, and secondly, a resource through which their competence is realized. This is seen in relation to all entities that, in accordance with Art. 2 of the Law of Ukraine "On State Protection of Court Employees and Law Enforcement Bodies" have the status of law enforcement agencies.&#x0D; It is concluded that the system approach as a promising methodology of theory and practice of law enforcement. It is argued that further improvement of crime prevention measures should take into account the information component of systemic activities in this area (information as a resource and coordination component).

Effects of Diazepam on Hematological and Histological Parameters in Rats / in Vivo and Unbiased Stereological Investigation

Abstract Diazepam-based drugs are widely used today in human treatment. Diazepam may be a primary drug aimed at treating neurological diseases or an associated drug in the treatment of other diseases in the purpose of symptomatic therapy. The sedative effect of diazepam characterizes it as a drug that people usually use on their own and without a doctor’s supervision. Directly, but also through influencing the nervous system, diazepam disrupts proper functioning of all body organs. The purpose of this paper was to examine the effects of diazepam on blood and cytohistological parameters of rats in an in vivo experiment. Mallory-Azan and immunochistochemical staining methods BLX-CX and Survivin tissues of liver, kidney and spleen of rats were used to achieve the set goal. Cytometric analysis of rats detected cells in apoptosis and measurements of stereological parameters were made using a system according to Cavalier’s principle. Results of analysis of hematological and histological parameters indicate a detrimental effect of diazepam on blood parameters, as well as on structure and functioning of the liver, kidneys and spleen of rats. This paper is a foundation for further detailed scientific research with the aim of elucidating all harmful effects that diazepam has on all organs in the body of rats. This data could serve as a starting point for future studies in clinical pharmacology on therapeutic protocols for usage of diazepam-based sedatives.

Comparative perspectives and experience of conflict resolution based on separatist movements in the Kingdom of Spain

The relevance is the major feature of the European continent, which is characterised by the fact that most countries in the region have defined borders that are following national or ethnic features. However, based on the investigation of existing separatist movements in Europe, it can be stated that in states with a single national characteristic, different groups with a distinct national identity can develop. Such a situation exists in the Kingdom of Spain, particularly in the Basque Country and Catalonia. The purpose of the presented scientific research is the historical analysis, comparative characteristics and ways of resolving conflict situations that occurred during the separatist processes in the Kingdom of Spain. The main scientific method that was used in writing the presented scientific research is discourse analysis, which allowed, the use of a set of analytical methods of interpreting various texts or statements, identifying the main preconditions, basic characteristics, and distinctive and common features of separatist movements in the Kingdom of Spain. The main results of this research are: analysis of the root causes and identification of crucial features of separatist processes in Spain; generalisation of ways to resolve conflicts based on separatist movements in the state; modelling of further dynamics and options for the development of separatism in the Kingdom. The results of the presented research, and the conclusions that were obtained during this work, can be used as a foundation for future scientific research on this issue; in addition – as a foundation for scientific research in areas relevant to the subject presented in the research. Additional fields of science and areas where the presented results and conclusions can be used in the future are: diplomatic service – in the study of the history of the emergence and ways of resolving conflicts based on separatism in Europe; higher education – in the fields of history, political science, conflict studies – as a historical example of the emergence and resolution of ethnic disputes; for other researchers of the presented subjects

High-Precision Registration of Lunar Global Mapping Products Based on Spherical Triangular Mesh

Lunar global mapping products provide a solid data foundation for lunar scientific research and exploration. As the widespread geometric inconsistencies among multi-source mapping products seriously affect the synergistic use of the products, high-precision registration of multiple lunar global products is critical, and it is highly challenging due to large coverage and complex local geometric inconsistencies. In this research, we propose a spherical triangular-mesh-based method for high-precision registration of lunar global mapping products, which involves four steps: data preprocessing, feature point extraction and matching, spherical Delaunay triangulation, and geometric correction with spherical barycentric coordinates. This global registration method avoids map projection distortions by using spherical coordinates directly, and achieves high precision by confining the geometric models to spherical triangular facets. Experiments are conducted using two groups of different types of mapping products to verify the proposed method quantitatively and qualitatively. The results show that the geometric inconsistencies are reduced from hundreds of pixels to sub-pixel level globally after the registration, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method.