Initial Degree Research Articles

A Hybrid Opinion Formation and Polarization Model.

The last decade has witnessed a great number of opinion formation models that depict the evolution of opinions within a social group and make predictions about the evolution process. In the traditional formulation of opinion evolution such as the DeGroot model, an agent's opinion is represented as a real number and updated by taking a weighted average of its neighbour's opinions. In this paper, we adopt a hybrid representation of opinions that integrate both the discrete and continuous nature of an opinion. Basically, an agent has a 'Yes', 'Neutral' or 'No' opinion on some issues of interest and associates with its Yes opinion a support degree which captures how strongly it supports the opinion. With such a rich representation, not only can we study the evolution of opinion but also that of support degree. After all, an agent's opinion can stay the same but become more or less supportive of it. Changes in the support degree are progressive in nature and only a sufficient accumulation of such a progressive change will result in a change of opinion say from Yes to No. Hence, in our formulation, after an agent interacts with another, its support degree is either strengthened or weakened by a predefined amount and a change of opinion may occur as a consequence of such progressive changes. We carry out simulations to evaluate the impacts of key model parameters including (1) the number of agents, (2) the distribution of initial support degrees and (3) the amount of change of support degree changes in a single interaction. Last but not least, we present several extensions to the hybrid and progressive model which lead to opinion polarization.

Degree of polymerization of fibers from Wikstroemia bark vs. the durability of Kaihua paper

In order to determine the influence of bast fibers isolated from Wikstroemia bark on the durability of paper, self-made paper was prepared using bagasse pulp mixed with Wikstroemia bark pulp using Kaihua paper manufacturing technology. The durability properties of the paper obtained with different proportions of Wikstroemia bark pulp were measured and analyzed. The results showed that Wikstroemia bark can lower the acidity, improve the mechanical strength, and delay the aging of paper. The mechanical strength showed an exponential relationship with the amount of Wikstroemia bark pulp added to the paper pulp. There was a linear positive correlation between the initial polymerization degree of the paper and the amount of Wikstroemia bark pulp, while the molecular fracture rate of the paper with Wikstroemia bark pulp was considerably reduced. Wikstroemia bark fibers are long fibers with high strength. At the same time, Wikstroemia bark fibers differ greatly in length, so the uniformity can meet the requirements. The durability of the paper made from only bagasse pulp was poor, but the overall strength and polymerization degree of the paper improve after being mixed with Wikstroemia bark pulp.

Analysis of damage characteristics and energy evolution of salt rock under triaxial cyclic loading and unloading

The gas injection, water-soluble excavation, and gas recovery process in the gas storage salt cavern can be regarded as the loading and unloading process of the surrounding rock stress. By conducting triaxial loading and unloading tests on salt rock samples, several findings are presented: 1) The failure formed in the rock sample is a shear failure mode when confining pressure is below 15 MPa, and after confining pressure exceeds 15 MPa, it is bulging in the middle part of sample. The scientific strain is proved to be more suitable for describing the deformation of salt rock sample than the engineering strain. 2) During the unloading-reloading process, the produced stress difference is small at the beginning of unloading, while the rock undergoes more stress loss in the post-peak stage than that in other stages. 3) When the strain increases to reach a specific value, the dissipative energy difference increases with higher confining pressure. 4) Higher confining pressure improves the initial damage degree to the sample. But under different confining pressures, the damage variable has a similar evolution trend, which reaches a steady growth stage with the loading/unloading cycles gradually.

Thermal quantum memory, Bell-non-locality, and entanglement behaviors in a two-spin Heisenberg chain model

This paper explores thermal quantum memory-assisted entropic uncertainty, Bell-non-locality, and entanglement in a two-qubit Heisenberg XXX chain with x-directional Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) and Kaplan-Shekhtman-Entin-Wohlman-Aharony (KSEA) interactions in thermal equilibrium. We find this crucial that the initial degree of nonlocality and entanglement in the two-qubit state entirely depends upon the temperature, orientation, and strength of the DM and KSEA interaction of the magnetic field. Among many other situations, the magnetic field characterized by DM interaction with minimal temperature, exchange coupling strength, and KSEA interaction is the most reliable for generating and maintaining maximal nonlocality and entanglement while completely suppressing entropic uncertainty. On the other hand, repeated revivals and non-Markovian dynamics have been observed when the magnetic field is characterized by exchange coupling constant, DM and KSEA interaction with a higher temperature limit. Except for temperature-based magnetic fields, we show that maximal entanglement and nonlocality are generated and preserved in the two qubits with zero-order entropic uncertainty, which we believe is a better result than previous studies.

Strength Estimation of Damaged Rock Considering Initial Damage Based on P-Wave Velocity Using Regression Analysis

High dispersion of rock mass strength causes significant difficulties in strength prediction. This study aims to investigate experimentally the strength prediction model for brittle damaged rock with multiscale initial damage based on P-wave velocity using regression analysis. Intact dolomitic limestone was collected from a deep metal mine in Southern China. Rock specimens with different initial damage degrees were prepared through the application of uniaxial compressive stress. Both intact rock and damaged rock specimens were tested for P-wave velocity and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS). The test results indicate that the method of prefabricating initial damage to the rock mass through uniaxial compressive stress is feasible. The UCS values of the damaged rock specimens were correlated with the square of the P-wave velocity (linearly positive) and the initial damage (linearly negative). The parameters of the new strength prediction model have a physical significance, and its results are within the upper and lower limits of the 95% confidence interval of the UCS. The strength prediction model considering multiscale initial damage based on P-wave velocity could reasonably predict the strengths of brittle rock masses.

Designing flipped learning in initial teacher education: The experiences of two teacher educators

The move to online learning triggered by COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 necessitated a rapid movement to effectively design synchronous digital learning environments. In such environments research suggests that a flipped approach to teaching and learning is most appropriate in learning environments mediated by technologies. This article examines the experiences of two teacher educators in dealing with online learning environments in a time of change and examines the shift to a flipped approach in teaching literacy units that are part of a postgraduate initial teacher education degree at a university in Melbourne, Australia. The article presents a collaborative autoethnography of the experiences of the teacher educators, shared as a set of curated narrative vignettes, and analyses the thinking that supports the implementation of flipped learning. These practice narratives are understood through the lens of collaborative learning theory which emphasises negotiated meanings and knowledge creation within groups. In post-COVID times this article points to future possibilities for a flipped learning approach in hybrid or mixed learning environments and offers a conceptual process model for designing learning in response to change. Implications for practice or policy: Teacher educators may need to reconsider learning design for online and hybrid environments. Universities may need to be more open to student-centred pedagogies such as flipped learning. Leaders and policymakers in higher education should give more attention to student agency and active learning in educational delivery.

Efficacy and safety of Treamid in the rehabilitation of patients after COVID-19 pneumonia: a phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BackgroundMany patients who recovered from COVID are still suffering from pulmonary dysfunction that can be persistent even for months after infection. Therefore, treatment to prevent irreversible impairment of lung function is needed. Treamid (bisamide derivative of dicarboxylic acid, BDDA) was shown to have anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects in animal models of pulmonary fibrosis. This study was designed to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of Treamid in the rehabilitation of patients after COVID pneumonia. The aim was to establish whether Treamid could be effective in ameliorating post-COVID sequelae.MethodsThe phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was done at 8 medical centers in Russia. Patients with a diagnosis of COVID in the past medical history (with the first symptoms of COVID appear no earlier than 2 months before screening) and having fibrotic changes in the lungs, decreased lung function (percentage of predicted FVC and/or DLCO < 80%), and moderate or severe dyspnea according to mMRC scale were enrolled and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio (stratified by the initial degree of lung damage, age, and concomitant chronic diseases) by use of interactive responsive technology to peroral administration of Treamid 50 mg or placebo once a day for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who achieved clinically significant improvement in FVC and/or DLCO (defined as a relative increase in FVC of ≥ 10% or a relative increase in FVC in the range of ≥ 5 to < 10% plus a relative increase in DLCO of ≥ 15%) at week 4 compared with baseline. Secondary endpoints included changes from baseline in dyspnea scoring evaluated by the modified Borg and mMRC scales, pulmonary function (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC ratio, DLCO, TLC, FRC), 6-min walk distance, the overall score of the KBILD questionnaire, and the proportion of patients with a reduction in the degree of lung damage assessed by CT scores. This trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04527354). The study was fully funded by PHARMENTERPRISES LLC.Results12 out of 29 patients (41%) in Treamid group achieved clinically significant improvement in FVC and/or DLCO compared to 5 out of 30 patients (17%) in placebo group (p = 0.036). There was a significant decrease of dyspnea according to modified Borg scale observed in the Treamid group (− 0.9 ± 0.7 vs. − 0.4 ± 0.8, p = 0.018). No significant differences in the adverse events were noted. Exploratory analysis of the female population indicated superiority of Treamid over placebo by decreasing dyspnea and the extent of lung damage as well as increasing TLC.Conclusions4 weeks oral administration of 50 mg Treamid was associated with clinically significant improvement in the post-COVID patients, evident by an increase in FVC and/or DLCO as well as decreasing dyspnea. Treamid was well tolerated and can be safely administered to patients discharged after COVID. Treamid was more effective in women visible by superior improvement of COVID sequalae after 4 weeks treatment. Considering that female gender is a risk factor associated with the development of post-COVID symptoms, Treamid might offer a pharmacological treatment for long-term sequalae after COVID and supports further investigation in future clinical trials in post-COVID patients.

Freezing–thawing curves of earthen bricks with dielectric measurement: Insight into the influence of pore structure and initial moisture content

Under cold climate, poral water of building materials can be exposed to freezing–thawing (F–T) cycles that induce severe frost damage and jeopardize their durability. The F–T curve (variation in ice or unfrozen liquid content with negative temperatures) is a key property to examine and predict the behavior of porous materials under freezing temperatures. However, there is a lack of adapted procedures to evaluate the F–T curves of unsaturated earthen bricks. To fill this gap, this study proposes an experimental protocol, based on time domain reflectometry (TDR), to quantify the remaining liquid water in unsaturated earthen building materials at different temperatures from ＋10 °C to −20 °C. The validity of the device developed to determine F–T curves was verified with low temperature calorimetry (LTC). The dielectric measurement with TDR provides consistent quantification of remaining liquid water content with freezing temperatures. In this study, the influence of initial moisture conditions was investigated through both normal and pathological humid situations of earthen buildings. The normal service situation in winter season was studied with samples conditioned at relative humidity (RH) of RH75% and RH95% which lead to initial liquid saturation SL0 lower than 35% in the tested materials. The moisture pathological case was investigated with initial liquid saturation degrees of 75%, 85% and 95%. The necessary condition of water freezing in earthen materials, in function of their initial saturation ratio or conditioning relative humidity, was examined through a microstructural analysis. This approach also brought understanding about the dependency of the remaining unfrozen water with the freezing temperature.

Structure of networks that evolve under a combination of growth and contraction.

We present analytical results for the emerging structure of networks that evolve via a combination of growth (by node addition and random attachment) and contraction (by random node deletion). To this end we consider a network model in which at each time step a node addition and random attachment step takes place with probability P_{add} and a random node deletion step takes place with probability P_{del}=1-P_{add}. The balance between the growth and contraction processes is captured by the parameter η=P_{add}-P_{del}. The case of pure network growth is described by η=1. In the case that 0<η<1, the rate of node addition exceeds the rate of node deletion and the overall process is of network growth. In the opposite case, where -1<η<0, the overall process is of network contraction, while in the special case of η=0 the expected size of the network remains fixed, apart from fluctuations. Using the master equationand the generating function formalism, we obtain a closed-form expression for the time-dependent degree distribution P_{t}(k). The degree distribution P_{t}(k) includes a term that depends on the initial degree distribution P_{0}(k), which decays as time evolves, and an asymptotic distribution P_{st}(k) which is independent of the initial condition. In the case of pure network growth (η=1), the asymptotic distribution P_{st}(k) follows an exponential distribution, while for -1<η<1 it consists of a sum of Poisson-like terms and exhibits a Poisson-like tail. In the case of overall network growth (0<η<1) the degree distribution P_{t}(k) eventually converges to P_{st}(k). In the case of overall network contraction (-1<η<0) we identify two different regimes. For -1/3<η<0 the degree distribution P_{t}(k) quickly converges towards P_{st}(k). In contrast, for -1<η<-1/3 the convergence of P_{t}(k) is initially very slow and it gets closer to P_{st}(k) only shortly before the network vanishes. Thus, the model exhibits three phase transitions: a structural transition between two functional forms of P_{st}(k) at η=1, a transition between an overall growth and overall contraction at η=0, and a dynamical transition between fast and slow convergence towards P_{st}(k) at η=-1/3. The analytical results are found to be in very good agreement with the results obtained from computer simulations.

Rate of forgetting is independent from initial degree of learning across different age groups.

It is well established that the more we learn, the more we remember. It is also known that our ability to acquire new information changes with age. An important remaining issue for debate is whether the rate of forgetting depends on initial degree of learning. In two experiments, following the procedure used by Slamecka and McElree (Exp 3), we investigated the relationship between initial degree of learning and rate of forgetting in both younger and older adults. A set of 36 (Exp 1) and a set of 30 (Exp 2) sentences was presented four times. Forgetting was measured via cued recall at three retention intervals (30 s, 1 hr, and 24 hr). A different third of the original sentences was tested at each delay. The results of both experiments showed that initial acquisition is influenced by age. However, the rate of forgetting proved to be independent from initial degree of learning. The conclusion is that rates of forgetting are independent from initial degree of learning.

The Impact of Human Resource Development towards Efficiency of Workers from the Perspectives of Islamic Creative Management Strategies: A Preliminary Study

The study aimed to identify and analyze the impact of human resources development towards the efficiency of workers from the perspectives of Islamic creative management strategies, based on the descriptive analytical approach. The study found out that human resource development increases productivity and efficiency, as well as reduces the accident rate among employees. The aspect of training, motivation, and performance appraisal are considered as the most important processes practiced by human resources management. At the same time, creative management is an important entry point in developing organization’s strategies and directing it towards achieving the highest degree of initiative and flexibility, the ability to solve problems and innovation in providing solutions and treatments. The study recommends holding several training courses to meet the different needs of employees in institutions, and to provide justice and objectivity when judging an individual's competence, while providing various incentives, both material and moral.

Effect of ultra-high lateral strain capability on the performance of damaged concrete strengthening with PET-FRP: Test and modeling

The lateral confinement of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) has a significant impact on the deformability, strength, and energy dissipation of core concrete, especially for damaged concrete. To address the performance of damaged concrete strengthened with the large rupture strain of FRP (LRS-FRP), the effects of damage degree, confinement stiffness, and loading rate were analyzed. Results show that the strain efficiency factor of LRS-FRP made of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be stabilized at a high value of 0.87 even with a high damage degree when used for strengthening cylinders, which is larger than other FRP (BFRP and CFRP) and agrees with PET confined undamaged concrete reported in existing papers. The test results indicated that the increased initial damage degree result in a slight decrease in ultimate strain and ultimate strength. The loading rates will improve the initial compressive strength of core concrete, this result in the increase of the reflection point stress of LRS-FRP confined concrete from the elastic stage to the enhancement stage. But, the tangent modulus of the enhancement stage is hardly affected by loading rates even though the core concrete is under different initial damage conditions. One strength model with good performance after evaluation and a continuous integrable and derivable model are incorporated into this new work, which predicts the performance of damaged concrete strengthening with LRS-FRP.

Self-reported unsafe medication behaviour among clinical nurses in China: A nationwide survey.

Unsafe medication behaviour was the direct cause of medication error, while the current status of unsafe medication behaviour among Chinese clinical nurses remains uncertain. To investigate unsafe medication behaviour among Chinese nurses and to analyse its associated factors. A cross-sectional online study was conducted in 31 provinces and municipalities of mainland China. The electronic self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from July-August 2020, including demographic information (age, gender, initial degree, ultimate education degree, hospital levels, unit nature, professional position, duty, departments, working years and working regions) and an adapted nurse unsafe medication behaviour scale measuring self-reported nurse unsafe medication behaviour (SR-NUMB). A generalized linear mixed model was applied to determine the influencing factors. A total of 10,153 Chinese nurses responded online, and 7,873 responses that met the time control requirements were included finally. It turned out that 80.49% of Chinese nurses had SR-NUMB. Specifically, 72.81% of them had unsafe medication behaviours in the process of medication administration, followed by medication monitoring (53.09%), medication preservation and dispensing (47.42%), and medical order processing (44.53%). A generalized linear mixed model demonstrated that male nurses and nurses who work in secondary hospitals or general hospitals, those who have higher professional positions or duties, those who have been working for 5-10 years, and those who are working in emergency and intensive critical units may have higher level of SR-NUMB compared to other nurses. Suboptimal SR-NUMB among Chinese nurses was identified in our findings. Associated factors, such as gender, hospital levels, unit nature, professional position, duty, working years and departments, should be targeted in future prevention and intervention efforts for safe medication management among Chinese nurses.

Theoretical Analysis of Rock Blasting Damage in Construction of Tunnels Closely Under-Passing Sewage Box Culverts

With the large-scale construction of urban traffic tunnels in China, it has become common to underpass existing buildings and structures such as sewage box culverts and pipelines using the drilling-blasting method. How to analyze accurately the blasting damage of surrounding rock and reasonably determine the safe distance between tunnel and box culvert or pipelines is an urgent issue to be solved. In this paper, the Cowper-Symonds plastic kinetic hardening model was improved using both rock initial damage degree and damage modification coefficient considering rock residual strength. The proposed model was implemented into LS-DYNA. The proposed damage model was used to evaluate the blasting construction of rock tunnels closely under-passing sewage box culverts. The results of numerical simulation using the proposed damage model shows that the blasting damage range of rock with a damage degree of more than 0.5 very significantly reduces from 1.0 m to 0.3 m as the spacing between the box culvert and the tunnel increases from 1.0 m to 4.0 m, and the evolution process of rock blasting damage can be well-presented. Moreover, the safe distance between tunnel and box culvert in blasting construction can be reasonably determined to be no less than 4.0 m. The findings in this paper could be significant for guiding the blasting construction of rock tunnels closely under-passing sewage box culverts.

Matrix metalloproteinases in the oral fluid as a characteristic of inflammatory-destructive process in periodontal tissues

The study of the imbalance between the activity of matrix metalloproteinases and their regulation markers in the oral fluid of patients with generalized periodontitis is necessary for creation of effective methods for early diagnosis and preventive treatment of the disease. The aim of the research was to examine the oral fluid of persons with healthy periodontal tissues, patients with chronic diffuse gingivitis and generalized periodontitis for concentrations of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitor, anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines, markers of bone metabolism and to compare obtained results. 90 persons aged 32-45 years were examined, including 30 persons with intact periodontal tissues, 30 patients with chronic diffuse catarrhal gingivitis and generalized periodontitis of the initial degree and 30 ones with chronic generalized periodontitis of I-II degrees. Periodontal status was assessed using clinical indices and bone mineral density according to computed tomography data. The method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the concentration of matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-13, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases TIMP-1, interleukins-1β, -6 and -4, bone metabolism markers – tartrate-resistant acidic phosphatase and bone alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin in the oral fluid. The initiation of the inflammatory-destructive process in the periodontal tissues was characterized by an increase levels of MMP and pro-inflammatory IL-1β and IL-6 (р&lt;0.05), a decrease in the concentration of TIMP-1 (р&gt;0.05) and anti-inflammatory IL-4 (р&lt;0.05), against the background of the absence of dynamics of bone metabolism markers in the oral fluid. The progression of the process at the І-II degrees of periodontitis was accompanied by a further increase in the concentration of pro-inflammatory interleukins, an increase in the activity of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and a decrease in bone alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin (р&lt;0.05) in the oral fluid, while the content of MMP did not change (р&gt;0.05). The expression of MMP is important for the preventive diagnosis of generalized periodontitis, but it is not indicative for determining the severity of the disease. The imbalance of MMP and TIMP-1 in the early stages of the pathological process indicates the greatest expediency of using MMP inhibitors in the treatment of patients with gingivitis and periodontitis of the initial degree.

Персоніфікований вибір дозових режимів і тривалості застосування вітаміну D при ювенільному ідіопатичному артриті

Purpose - to increase the effectiveness of prevention and correction of D hypovitaminosis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) by optimizing the algorithms of dosage regimens and duration of vitamin D supplementation. Materials and methods. A clinical and laboratory examination of 118 children aged 3 to 18 years with a diagnosis of JIA was carried out. Vitamin D status was assessed by the concentration of 25(OH)D in the blood serum using a Reader ER 500 enzyme immunoassay photoelectric analyzer. All patients in the complex of therapeutic measures were prescribed vitamin D3 preparations according to the developed algorithms, taking into account the presence of trigger factors for reducing the supply of this vitamin to the body, existing world recommendations and the initial level of 25(OH)D in blood serum. Results. The use of vitamin D3 preparations according to the scheme of 4000 IU/d for two months, followed by continuation at a dose of 2000 IU/d for one month, contributed to the achievement of sufficient concentrations of 25(ОH)D (36.7-47.5 ng/ml) in the blood serum in all patients. When taking vitamin D at a dose of 4000 IU/d for one month, and then for another two months at 2000 IU/d, the optimal concentrations of 25(OH)D in the blood serum (31.55-45.14 ng/ml) were achieved only in 52.9% children. Maintenance therapy in the future for 6 months at a dose of 1000 IU/d provided sufficient concentrations of vitamin D in 61.86% of children, and in 38.14% there was a tendency to reduce the content of 25(OH)D (26.83±2.99) ng/ml, which indicated the insufficiency of the specified maintenance dose of vitamin D for children with chronic progressive inflammation and the presence of comorbid pathology and the impact on adverse risk factors that affect the body’s supply of this vitamin. Conclusions. In JIA, the dose of saturation (4000-6000 IU/d) with vitamin D preparations should be determined depending on the initial degree of its insufficiency in the body, the characteristics of the clinical course and treatment of the underlying disease, and the presence of factors that contribute to a decrease in the supply of vitamin D to the body. Maintenance therapy at a dose of 2000 IU/d for 6 months makes it possible to maintain the optimal concentration of 25(OH)D in the body with a high probability. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Effect of initial damage state on static and dynamic fracture of concrete with different sizes: An experimental study

This paper presents a systematic experimental investigation to evaluate the effect of the initial damage degree on static and dynamic compressive/splitting-tensile failure behaviors of concrete cubes with various structural sizes. The experimental parameters involve three initial compressive damage degrees (0%Pmax,s, 40%Pmax,s, and 80%Pmax,s), two loading strain rates (ε̇ = 10−5/s and 10−2/s), and five geometric dimensions (side length 75, 100, 150, 200, and 300 mm). Test results indicate that as the initial damage degree increases, both static and dynamic nominal strength are reduced. The influence of initial damage degree on dynamic failure strength is more significant than that on static strength. Compared to dynamic compressive strength, the initial damage degree has a more significant influence on dynamic splitting tensile strength. The influence of geometric dimension on nominal strength is weakened with the increasing loading strain rate. The increasing initial damage can enhance the influence of geometric dimension on nominal strength, resulting in a more obvious size-effect.

Toward a transdisciplinary educational method Draft-visualization: a didactic methodology

The predominance of an epistemological paradigm that remains linked to the linear, cumulative, and reductionist form of science highlights the delay with which transdisciplinarity spreads in the educational world.&#x0D; The debate on the need for a global education reform fails to materialize, which, despite its long-term existence, views the same operators/teachers as only partially aware of the need for change; however, they are never sufficiently involved to give force to this change. The system remains paralyzed due to a dead end for which students are paying.&#x0D; Therefore, this study proposes a teaching methodology (Draft-Visualization©®). If adopted as a collegiate tool, it is capable of allowing the students to independently work in a transdisciplinary sense regardless of the initial degree of involvement of teachers. Finally, the general operating scheme of a method is proposed (Vetas-Educando©®) as a result of direct experience, which is inspired by the theory of complexity and organized in the principles of transdisciplinarity. The study believes that each educational reality must be capable of conducting its work without renouncing the rigor of a method that enables it to verify and measure results. In this manner, a classic error of the school world is avoided, that is, its self-referentiality.

Effects of irradiation on nano-pore phenol-formaldehyde resin infiltrated IG-110 graphite

• The PF filler in pores of IG-110 shrinks after irradiation. • The irradiated densified isostatic graphite has smaller change ratio of L a . • The irradiation behavior depends on the initial graphitization degree of graphite. Iso-molded nuclear graphite (IG-110) was infiltrated with phenol–formaldehyde (PF) resin to get the densified isostatic graphite with different bulk density (IG-110-PF, 1.86 g/cm 3 and IG-110-PF-D, 1.91 g/cm 3 ). The IG-110-PF and IG-110-PF-D samples were irradiated with 7 MeV Xe 26+ to study their surface topography and microstructure evolution. The impregnation process of PF resin affects the initial graphitization degree of graphite, which lead to the difference in irradiation behavior. Due to the irradiation-induced graphitization, the PF filler (carbonized products of PF resin infiltrated into pores) in pores of IG-110 shrinks after irradiation, which confirmed by the smaller change ratio of crystallite size along the a-axis direction (L a ) in IG-110-PF and IG-110-PF-D after irradiation than IG-110. L a of IG-110-PF-D decreased with the dose increase, resulting from the introduction of irradiation-induced in-plane defects, which is similar to IG-110.The increase in L a of PF filler in IG-110-PF and decrease of increase rate in dislocation density after irradiation with surface irradiation dose of 0.02–0.11dpa, provide supporting evidence for the change of PF filler. The difference in irradiation behavior confirms that disordered structure of PF filler and initial crystallinity play an important role in microstructure evolution.

Provenance Response to Rifting and Separation at the Jan Mayen Microcontinent Margin

The Eocene-Miocene successions recovered at DSDP sites on the Jan Mayen Ridge (NE Atlantic) and on the adjacent East Greenland margin provide a sedimentary record of the rifting and separation of the Jan Mayen Microcontinent from East Greenland. A combination of palynology, conventional heavy mineral analysis, single-grain major and trace element geochemistry and radiometric dating of amphibole and zircon has revealed a major change in sediment provenance took place at the Early/Late Oligocene boundary corresponding to a prominent seismic reflector termed JA. During the Eocene and Early Oligocene, lateral variations in provenance character indicate multiple, small-scale transport systems. Site 349 and Kap Brewster were predominantly supplied from magmatic sources (Kap Brewster having a stronger subalkaline signature compared with Site 349), whereas Site 346 received almost exclusively metasedimentary detritus. By contrast, Late Oligocene provenance characteristics are closely comparable at the two Jan Mayen sites, the most distinctive feature being the abundance of reworked Carboniferous, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Eocene palynomorphs. The Site 349 succession documents an evolution in the nature of the magmatic provenance component. Supply from evolved alkaline magmatic rocks, such as syenites, was important in the Middle Eocene and lower part of the Early Oligocene, but was superseded in the later Early Oligocene by mafic magmatic sources. In the latest Early Oligocene, the presence of evolved clinopyroxenes provides evidence for prolonged magmatic fractionation. Initial low degrees of partial melting led to generation of alkaline (syenitic) magmas. The extent of partial melting increased during the Early Oligocene, generating basaltic rocks with both subalkaline and alkaline compositions. Towards the end of the Early Oligocene, the amount of partial melting and magma supply rates decreased. In the Late Oligocene, there is no evidence for contemporaneous igneous activity, with scarce magmatic indicator minerals. The provenance change suggests that the hiatus at the Early/Late Oligocene boundary represents the initiation of the proto-Kolbeinsey Ridge and separation of the Jan Mayen Microcontinent from East Greenland.