In this paper, electrically conductive composites comprised of silicone rubber and titanium diboride (TiB₂) were synthesized by conventional mixing methods. Fine particles of TiB₂ (in micron size) and 10 parts per hundred parts of rubber (phr) proportion of carbon black (XC-72) were used to make the composites with HTV silicone rubber. The composites were cured at appropriate temperature and pressure and the effect on the electrical properties was studied. The resistance of the silicone rubber is ~ 10¹⁵Ω which decreases to 1–2 kΩ in case of composites with negligible effect of heat ageing. The hardness increases by ~ 35% simultaneous to the decrease of ~ 47% in the tensile strength. Morphological characterization indicates the homogeneous dispersion of the fillers in the composite.

Prepolymers containing isocyanates must be prevented from curing when exposed to moisture, which can be achieved by blocking the isocyanate groups with a suitable agent. The study carefully examines several blocking agents, including methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO), caprolactam, and phenol, and concludes that methyl ethyl ketoxime is the best choice. Spectroscopic and thermal analyses, as well as oven curing studies, are conducted with various blocking agents and isocyanate prepolymer to castor oil ratios, revealing MEKO to be the most effective blocking agent which gets unblocked at higher temperatures.

Tropical dry forests are complex and fragile ecosystems with high anthropogenic intervention and restricted reproductive cycles. They harbor unique richness, structural, physiological and phenological diversity. This research was carried out in the upper Magdalena valley, in four forest fragments with different successional stages. In each fragment, four permanent plots of 0.25 ha were established and the light habitat associated with species richness, relative abundance and rarity was evaluated, as well as the forest dynamics that included mortality, recruitment and diameter growth for a period of 5.25 years. In mature riparian forest, species richness was found to be higher than that reported in other studies for similar areas in the Cauca Valley and the Atlantic coast. Values of species richness, heterogeneity and rarity are higher than those found in drier areas of Tolima. Forest structure, diversity and dynamics were correlated with light habitat, showing differences in canopy architecture and its role in the capture and absorption of radiation. The utilization rate of photosynthetic effective radiation in the forest underlayer with high canopy density is low, which is related to the low species richness, while the underlayer under light is more abundant and heterogeneous.

The flipped classroom (FC) model has long brought significant benefits to higher education, secondary, and elementary education, particularly in improving the quality and effectiveness of learning. However, the implementation of FC model to support elementary students in developing self-learning skills (autonomous learning, independent study, self-directed learning) through technology still faces numerous challenges in Vietnam due to various influencing factors. Data for the study were collected through direct questionnaires and online surveys from 517 teachers at elementary schools in Da Nang, Vietnam. Based on SEM analysis, the study identified factors such as perceived usefulness, accessibility, desire, teaching style, and facilitating conditions. The research findings indicate that factors like the perceived effectiveness of the model, teaching style, and facilitating conditions have a positive correlation with the decision to adopt the FC model. Therefore, to encourage the use of the FC model in teaching, it is essential to raise awareness of the model’s effectiveness, improve teaching styles, and create favorable conditions for implementation.