This research, with a qualitative approach, is based on a literature review and a press analysis related to mergers, acquisitions and dissolutions of Higher Education Institutions in South America. Our findings evidence a gap in the academic literature for analyzing and understanding these processes. The literature on the subject is scarce; however, the press has recorded them in a constant way. While in the past this phenomenon was mainly among public universities, currently it is a fundamentally private trend. The main reasons to carry out this process by Higher Education Institutions are those related to geographic expansion or positioning (for merger processes), absorption and concentration of institutions by groups of interest (for merger processes, acquisition) and, the crisis resulting from the financial-administrative management of the institutions, as well as the non-compliance with national and international quality standards designed by accreditation agencies and institutions (for dissolution processes). On the contrary of some literature results, in any of the processes the search for prestige or reputation by the institutions was detected as a reason.

The use of porous media to simplify the thermohydraulic of a nuclear reactor is the topic of recent research. As a case study, the rector of 200 kW installed at Missouri University of Science and Technology is modeled in this paper. To help this objective, a fundamental CFD examination was completed to supplement the neutronics investigation on the present reactor. Characteristics of thermal energy removal from a typical research reactor are modeled by numerical thermal transport in porous media. The neutron flux is modeled by the nodal expansion method. For the thermo-hydraulic part, a three-dimensional governing equation is solved by an iterative method to find the steady-state solution of fluid flow and temperature in loss of coolant condition where the heat produced in the reactor core is removed by free convection. The profiles of heat flux for various power levels are benchmarked. Pressure, temperature, and velocity contours in the power passage were assessed at 300 kW and 500 kW power levels. To reduce the computational cost, a porous media approach for the whole geometry was utilized. The numerical results agree with the experimental results. The developed model can be used for safety and reliability analysis for various loss of coolant accidents.

Heat transfer augmentation procedures, such as Heat Transfer Enhancement and Intensification, are commonly used in heat exchanger systems to enhance thermal performance by decreasing thermal resistance and increasing convective heat transfer rates. Swirl-flow devices, such as coiled tubes, twisted-tape inserts, and other geometric alterations, are commonly used to create secondary flow and improve the efficiency of heat transfer. This study aimed to explore the performance of a heat exchanger by comparing its performance with and without the use of twisted-tape inserts. The setup consisted of a copper inner tube measuring 13 mm in inner diameter and 15 mm in outer diameter, together with an outer pipe measuring 23 mm in inner diameter and 25 mm in outer diameter. Mild steel twisted tapes with dimensions of 2 mm thickness, 1.2 cm width, and twist ratios of 4.3 and 7.2 were utilised. The findings indicated that the heat transfer coefficient was 192.99 W/m² °C when twisted-tape inserts were used, while it was 276.40 W/m² °C without any inserts. The experimental results closely aligned with the theoretical assumptions, demonstrating a substantial enhancement in heat transfer performance by the utilisation of twisted-tape inserts. The study provides evidence that the utilisation of twisted-tape inserts resulted in a nearly two times increase in the heat transfer coefficient, hence demonstrating their efficacy in augmenting heat transfer.

In the dynamic landscape of modern education, the integration of vocational education and intelligent technologies has emerged as a pivotal strategy for fostering lifelong learning. This essay delves into the synergistic relationship between vocational education and the era of intelligent education, highlighting their collective potential to empower individuals with skills that transcend traditional boundaries.

This paper aims to investigate local communities’ participation in eco-tourism projects by using the community of Situ Cisanti located in Tarumajaya Village, West Java as a case. Data were gathered through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation analysis. Observations and in-depth interviews were conducted simultaneously for two months, from September to October 2021. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 informants from the elements; village government officials of Tarumajaya, Perhutani, and local communities who participated in the Situ Cisanti eco-tourism project, which was completed through a documents analysis. According to the findings, local community participation in Situ Cisanti eco-tourism consists of conservation and economic participation. Conservation participation is demonstrated by their participation in restoration and greening activities such as reforestation, etc. in Situ Cisanti and its surroundings, whereas economic participation is demonstrated by the establishment of stalls, culinary, coffee, souvenir, and homestay businesses as a result of Situ Cisanti eco-tourism. Furthermore, the existence of this eco-tourism has empowered women because new business opportunities that arise are not only run by men but also by women. As a result, this study implies that the participation of local eco-tourism communities not only has an impact on empowering conservation knowledge and economics, but it can also imply women empowerment.