Space Center Research Articles

Tridimensional Evaluation of Condyle-Fossa Relationship in Mexican Population Using CBCT

Background: This study aims to compare the condylar position in Mexican population with the values of Ikeda Spatial Condyle Analysis with different sagittal skeletal pattern, age and sex using a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Objective: To evaluate the condyle-fossa relationship in patients with skeletal patterns and sex using Ikeda Spatial Condyle Analysis assessed with CBCT. Materials and Methods: An observational analytical cross-sectional study, 86 condyles CBCT images were used for this study (August 2023- December 2024). The patients were divided into 3 groups according to 3 criteria: age (12-60 years old with intervals of 5 years); sex (female and male); and skeletal pattern as ANB classification (Class I, Class II, and Class III). Temporomandibular joint space (TMJS): (SAS, sagittal anterior space; SSS, sagittal superior space; SPS, sagittal posterior space; CMS, coronal medial space; CLS, coronal lateral space and CCS, coronal central space) were measured and compared. Statistical analyses were performed using two-sample T test, Mu Test, and Anderson- Darling probability test (p<0.05). Results: The mean age of the participants (n = 43) was 30.9 ± 10.9 years (62.7% female). Differences in condyle-fossa relationships were significantly different between Mexican population and Ikeda Condyle Analysis values (p < 0.05). The mean values showed no statistical differences according to sex or sagittal skeletal pattern. The sagittal measurements showed the mean ratio of SAS (2.1+/- 0.6), SSS and SPS (2.5+/-0.7) and (1.8+/- 0.5), respectively. The coronal measurements showed the mean ratio of CMS (2.3+/- 0.7), CCS and CLS (2.5+/- 0.8) and (2.1+/- 0.6), respectively. Conclusions: The Mexican tridimensional condylar position showed significant differences compared with the Ikeda condylar position. These results can be associated to racial anatomical differences. The condyle-fossa relationship values for skeletal pattern; Left / Right condyles and sex, showed ..

An efficient CO2 air-to-water heat pump central space heating system in cold regions: a case study

An efficient CO2 air-to-water heat pump central space heating system in cold regions: a case study

Chemical heat derived from rocket-borne WADIS-2 experiment

AbstractChemical heating rates were derived from three of the most significant reactions based on the analysis of common volume rocket-borne measurements of temperature, atomic oxygen densities, and neutral air densities. This is one of the first instances of the retrieval of nighttime chemical heat through the utilization of non-emissive observations of atomic oxygen concentrations, obtained through in situ measurements, performed at the Andøya Space Center (69°N, 16°E) at 01:44:00 UTC on 5 March 2015. Furthermore, we determine the heating efficiency for one of the most significant reactions of atomic hydrogen with ozone and illustrate the methodology for such calculations based on known atomic oxygen and temperature. Subsequently, using ozone values obtained from satellite observations, we retrieved odd-hydrogens and total chemical heat. Finally, we compared the retrieved chemical heat with the heat from turbulent energy dissipation. Our findings reveal that the vertically averaged chemical heat is greater than the heat from turbulent energy dissipation throughout the entire mesopause region during nocturnal conditions. The heating rates of turbulent energy dissipation may exceed the chemical heating rates only in narrow peaks, several hundred meters wide. Graphical Abstract

A Study on the Differences in Perception of Central Space

A Study on the Differences in Perception of Central Space

Framework for cross-border governance: from cross-border critical factors to sustainable development

ABSTRACT Cross-border regions became a central discussion space regarding political stability and global sustainability. In this context, cross-border governance (CG) proposes interdependency management to achieve better results. Our research aims to identify the critical factors for CG and proposes theoretical/practical tools for helping border regions advance towards sustainable development (SD). To do so, we conducted a systematic literature review and interviews with experts. The data resulted in a framework with 12 critical factors in four CG dimensions – Territorial, Resources, Institutional, and Political-Regulatory, and a CG model that can help political cooperation for integrated regional programmes towards SD.

The Caspian Fault as an Indicator of Global Geopolitical Processes

A new stage of the “Big Game” in the Eurasian space is unfolding with the participation of an alliance of states, the so-called collective West. The goals and scope of the confrontation are not limited to Central Asia, but cover the entire Eurasian arc of instability. The area of the Caspian region is considered as the axial zone of the Eurasian continent, on which the geopolitical interests of the leading economies are focused and a new space of world economic development is being formed.Aim. To analyze the current geopolitical situation in the area of the Greater Caspian region, including the Central Asian space from the point of view of Russia’s national interests.Task. To identify the role of the Russian Federation and to substantiate the state of developmen t of geopolitical processes in the space of the Eurasian arc of instability.Methods. The work uses general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, system and project approaches, analytical, descriptive and monographic methods, models and mechanisms of spatial development.Results. At the present stage of world economic development, the motivation s of humanity are being formed in the context of creative development and the alignment of geopolitical processes in the vector of creating a more just and multipolar world. A special mission of the awakening process is assigned to Russia, which is a civilizational leader for the self-consc iousness of the peoples of the world of the objective need for a global creative reset. In the area of the Greater Caspian region, the outlines of a new model of the world order are being formed based on the consolidation of the efforts of the system-forming and interconnected international organizations of the SCO, CICA and BRICS.Conclusions. The strengthening of the role of the new world economic duo of Russia and China is accompanied by global trends of positive development in the world as the process of forming a “new integral world economic order” has begun.

ARCHITECTURAL AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MİMAR SİNAN MOSQUES: A CLASSIFICATION STUDY

With the conquest of Istanbul, the Ottoman Empire synthesized the building culture of Islam and the Seljuks with Byzantine architecture and built magnificent structures. The domed central space is an important element of Turkish mosque architecture, and many original attempts were made in this direction. In the 16th century, when Ottoman architecture reached its most glorious age, the idea of creating a clear space was put into practice in the Ottoman period by removing the closed courts shaped around the central dome used in Seljuk architecture in terms of plan construction. The centralist fiction developed with Mimar Sinan and reached its highest point with the Selimiye Mosque. The subject of this study is the domed mosques built by Mimar Sinan. Within the scope of the research, first, a list of mosques designed and built by Mimar Sinan was prepared, and a literature review was conducted. These buildings were evaluated typologically in terms of their construction dates, plan types, last congregation features, number of minarets and minaret balconies, and construction materials. These buildings' structural features and transition elements to the dome were also classified. In this way, it is aimed to associate the mosques designed and built by Mimar Sinan typologically.

Application Of The Green Building Concept In Children's Libraries

There is a low rate of literacy in Indonesian society. The poor interest in reading among Indonesians makes this worse. One of the key facilities for enhancing the caliber of human resources is the library. A venue for the dissemination of knowledge is the library. Global developments are significantly influenced by fast-evolving knowledge and technology. As much as 70% of Indonesian pupils, according to a 2018 assessment by the Program for International Pupils Assessment (PISA), have poor reading skills and are unable to identify the main idea of a brief paragraph. With these circumstances, Indonesian libraries are unable to sustain the country's population's desire in reading. To develop reading skills from an early age, this paper will undertake green building research in kid-friendly apartment complexes and libraries and investigate design approaches that utilize these concepts to boost user comfort and productivity. The process involves examining library resources found in both online and print scientific journals. This research develops a green building design concept with several applications, such as integrating green open space on the building site into a central green open space in an exemplary garden, integrating each floor of the building into green open space, maximizing daylight for building lighting during the day, using solar panels to store energy from sunlight, and using filtered rinse water to water plants. Keywords: children's library, green building, literacy

Sustainable site planning for new launch facilities at spaceports

The New Space industry not only demands expanded spaceport capacity but also careful consideration of the environmental impact of ground infrastructure development. Focusing on the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil (CEA - Centro Espacial de Alcântara), a data-driven site selection framework is presented, emphasizing cost-effectiveness and environmental compliance. When applied to the CEA case, this framework incorporates expert preferences and aligns Geographic Information System-Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (GIS-MCDA) with the development of launch site infrastructure and the assessment of environmental impact. The real case application results in robust ranking outcomes, despite some level of divergence amongst the experts. Contributions include expert clustering for sensitivity analysis, insights into spaceport impact on surrounding communities, and the proposal of an easily deployable decision-making process. The framework exhibits flexibility and can be adapted to different variations of the spaceport locational problems. Recommendations include the implementation of advanced geotechnical assessment protocols, enhanced quantification methodologies for environmental variables, and the utilization of comprehensive risk assessment techniques. These measures hold the potential to provide valuable insights for research and regulatory efforts within this rapidly evolving domain.

The ‘breakthrough generation’ as the bearer of the idea of a European federation

Abstract The term ‘breakthrough generation’ was coined by the German philosopher Hugo Fischer (1897–1975) in 1930, at the very beginning of the Great Depression. This structural notion represents a timeless, emancipation oriented ideal that effectively integrates the relevant positive qualities and abilities of modern and critically thinking man, which he has potentially picked up in the course of his historical development towards a higher humanity as a European and realist, and which he actually possesses as qualities and norms. This complex ethos is intended to form the initial basis on which the modern idea of a European federation is consciously realised. The purpose of this paper is not only to creatively point to these concrete and supporting motivational starting points and qualitative-historical assumptions of the modern European and to place them in a functional framework of intelligibility, but also to recall the important historical-philosophical fact that Fischer’s specifically grasped and developed idea of the formation of post-war Europe is very closely linked to the thinking of T. G. Masaryk, whom Fischer admired and respected as a philosopher and statesman and whose democratizing idea of a ‘new’ Central European space fundamentally inspired him in many ways.

Enhancing Urban Riverside Greenways through Post-Occupancy Evaluation: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Greenway in Wuhan

In today's commitment to achieving the goal of double carbon and advocating low-carbon life, the riverside greenway, as an important ecological public space in the urban center, plays an important role in improving the quality of life of residents, optimizing the urban transportation structure, restoring the water environment ecology, and further building a low-carbon city. Based on the post-occupancy evaluation of the built environment, this paper takes the Wuchang Greenway, Qingshan Greenway and Hongshan Greenway on the Yangtze River in Wuhan as the research objects, comprehensively evaluates the built environment of the three greenways from the aspects of user behavior characteristics and post-use satisfaction, compares and analyzes the advantages and shortcomings of the three greenways according to the evaluation results, and proposes some optimization strategies for the design of urban riverside greenways.

Novel high temperature tritium blanket designs for confined spaces in spherical tokamak fusion reactors

Tritium self-sufficiency is one of the fundamental challenges for commercially viable deuterium–tritium nuclear fusion power stations. The combination of key high temperature radiation shielding materials that possess dense, high neutron absorption cross-section, and moderation properties, and tritium breeding materials could involve interesting design spaces for the central column challenge in spherical tokamaks. Potential tungsten alloys can be used for two functions: radiation shielding and structural material, providing a new design space window for spherical tokamak central column breeding space. In this paper, we present two novel high temperature concepts for the inboard side of the breeder blanket in a confined space, such as a spherical tokamak. A tungsten–rhenium–hafnium-carbide lithium-based design was found to offer the best TBR given a parameter optimisation based on shielding and thermal requirements. A silicon-carbide lead-lithium breeder design was also investigated. The highest TBR was found to be 0.135 in a 3D neutronics calculation with a W-24.5Re-2HfC (structural and shielding, wt%), Li (90% Li-6 enriched breeder), and tungsten pentaboride (W2B5) (shielding) option. Although this TBR is lower than unity, it will contribute to the reactor’s global TBR.

Development on Master Plan for Community Learning Centers in Public Area

Objectives: The objectives of the study are: (1) to study, survey, collect, analyze and design land plot of the area (2) to apply the King’s philosophy for area utilization into the master plan and (3) to develop a prototype of area utilization and suggestions on architectural design with the model of public area usage. Theoretical Framework: The proposed master plan is developed by two theoretical frameworks: (1) the five steps of master plan development process and (2) King’s philosophy which consists of two main concepts: “sufficiency economy” and “new theory agriculture”. Method: The methodology is designed based on the five steps of masterplan development as follows: (1) setting the public hearing through community forum. (2) Studying information from documents and electronic resources. (3) Studying and data analyzing on (a) the land users; organization, and the users’ behavior (b) the project elements; area requirement, function diagram, and circulation chart (c) site location, site specification and site analysis (d) data on system work and building structure system; electrical system, lighting, water supply system, sanitation system and surface irrigation drainage system for agriculture. (4) Developing the master plan of community learning centers by brainstorming of the development ideas and summarizing of the master plan. (5) Proposing the master plan to the local agencies to apply the results in practice appropriately. Results and Discussion: The results and discussion of the study is shown that the local agencies accepted to use the area identified in the master plan as the following centers: (1) The King’s Philosophy center (2) Wisdom Conservation, Local Arts and Cultural learning center (3) Cultural Tourism learning center (4) Academic and Professional Services learning center (5) Nature and Environmental Conservation Research Center (6) Resort accommodation for ecotourism and rural tourism (7) Convention, Seminar and Banquet Center and (8) Green spaces, nature, parks for recreations, sports and traditional activities. Research Implications: The implications of the study recommended that the area stakeholders should be mindset changed that focusing on development of self-reliance, create good interactions in communities, houses, temples, schools, create agricultural networks and exchange agricultural knowledge as well as support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Originality/Value: The value of the study is presented as the guidelines for development of the learning centers which should be driven by three principles: (1) driven by farmers networks in the local area (2) driven by farmers’ group supported by government organizations, and (3) driven by the integration of educational institutions (Phranakhon Rajabhat University and Srinakharinwirot university) and Nakhon Nayok province and would be practical used for the province’s policy through public hearing.

Communal Palaces in the Venetian Territorial State (15th-16th Centuries): The Case of Treviso

Beginning in the 15th century, the reconstruction of Venetian state communal palaces, which served as the institutional seats of the city councils and judiciaries, was often seen as an opportunity for civic magistrates, along at times with Venetian officers, to develop plans to renovate their cities. These projects often led to the enlargement of central districts and to the transformation of cities’ roads and squares. I look at communal palaces from across the Venetian territorial state, focusing on Treviso, which clearly elucidates how the modification of public buildings often led to a redefinition of central urban space. An array of mostly unpublished drawings proposing urban redevelopment projects that were not always realised are key to reconstructing the city’s history, demonstrating better than other documents how communal palaces have enhanced its fabric.

Based on Finite Element Simulation: Optimization of Microneedle Structure and Mechanical Performance Analysis

Abstract Microneedles, as an innovative drug delivery technology, demonstrate great potential for application due to their superior performance in transdermal drug delivery. Compared with traditional injection needles, microneedles can reduce pain and the risk of infection after insertion into the skin, and have the potential to organically combine with other external technologies to further enhance the effectiveness of drug delivery and therapeutic effect. However, to achieve efficient drug delivery, the design and optimization of microneedles must comprehensively consider their mechanical properties and penetration depth. This study systematically analyzes the mechanical performance of microneedles by using finite element software to simulate the skin insertion process of single microneedles, dual microneedles, and microneedle arrays. Firstly, a simplified skin model and a two-dimensional axisymmetric model were established to simulate the penetration force and stress variations during the insertion of a single microneedle into the skin. Subsequently, the relationship between penetration force and depth for double and nine-needle arrays under different spacing conditions was studied. The simulation results show that the spacing between microneedles significantly affects their penetration performance: as the spacing increases, the penetration depth and force gradually decrease, but this effect diminishes when the spacing exceeds 500 μm. Ultimately, a centre spacing of 600 μm was determined to be the optimal spacing for the microneedle arrays. This study not only confirms the validity of the theoretical analysis but also provides an important basis for the design and optimization of microneedle structures.

Depopulation and its Socio-Economic Consequences. Romania Case Study

Depopulation is a characteristic phenomenon for the Central and Eastern European space that gained in amplitude especially after 1990 in the context of political-ideological changes that affected the states of this region and that also led to changes in demographic behavior. These consisted, on the one hand, in the abolition of pro-natalist policies from the communist period and, on the other hand, in the intensification of emigration flows in connection with the economic and social discrepancies and the free movement of persons. In this context, the paper analyzes the evolution of Romania’s population in a global and European context, the factors that determined its sharp population decline, as well as its economic and social consequences. Also, the demographic characteristics of Romania and future trends regarding the peculiarities and dynamics of the Romanian population are highlighted.

Modelling of Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort in Passive Buildings Subjected to External Warm Climate Conditions

Air renewal rate is an important parameter for both indoor air quality and thermal comfort. However, to improve indoor thermal comfort, the air renewal rate to be used, in general, will depend on the outdoor air temperature values. This article presents the modelling of indoor air quality and thermal comfort for occupants of a passive building subject to a climate with warm conditions. The ventilation and shading strategies implemented for the interior spaces are then considered, as well as the use of an underground space for storing cooled air. The indoor air quality is evaluated using the carbon dioxide concentration, and thermal comfort is evaluated using the Predicted Mean Vote index. The geometry of the passive building, with complex topology, is generated using a numerical model. The simulation is performed by Building Thermal Response software, considering the building’s geometry and materials, ventilation, and occupancy, among others. The building studied is a circular auditorium. The auditorium is divided into four semi-circular auditoriums and a central circular space, with vertical glazed windows and horizontal shading devices on its entire outer surface. Typical summer conditions existing in a Mediterranean-type environment were considered. In this work, two cases were simulated: in Case 1, the occupation is verified in the central space and the four semi-circular auditoriums and all spaces are considered as one; in Case 2, the occupation is verified only in each semi-circular auditorium and each one works independently. For both cases, three strategies were applied: A, without shading and geothermal devices; B, with a geothermal device and without a shading device; and C, with both shading and geothermal devices. The airflow rate contributes to improving indoor air quality throughout the day and thermal comfort for occupants, especially in the morning. The geothermal and shading devices improve the thermal comfort level, mainly in the afternoon.

Simulation and Experiments on Optimization of Vortex-Induced Vibration Power Generation System Based on Side-by-Side Double Blunt Bodies

In order to improve the utilization efficiency of converting low-flow current energy into electric energy for Reynolds number 10,000 ≤ Re ≤ 40,000, this paper proposes a vortex-induced vibration power generation system based on a side-by-side double blunt body. In this system, the side-by-side double blunt body structure is used in the current energy capture part to enhance the collection of low-flow current energy; the permanent magnet linear motor is used in the electric energy conversion part to improve the efficiency of electric energy conversion; and a laboratory device is constructed for testing. The effects of the blunt body structure parameters and the center spacing ratio on the energy harvesting performance of the system are qualitatively explained by constructing a simulation model. Compared with the single blunt body energy capture structure, the side-by-side double blunt body structure increases the vibration amplitude by 1.04 times and the lift by 1.14 times at the center spacing S/D = 2.4. Meanwhile, energy harvesting can be realized at a lower flow velocity, increasing the vortex-induced vibration’s energy capture range. Finally, the power generation system was experimentally verified in the laboratory, and the results showed that the vibration amplitude of the double blunt body structure was increased by 1.12 times compared to the single blunt body. The maximum output power of the generator is 10.55 W when the water velocity is 0.7 m/s. The energy conversion efficiency of the power generation system can reach a maximum of 52.93%, which is 12.33% higher than that of a single blunt body structure, which proves that the system has a higher power conversion efficiency than that of a conventional single conversion system.

Individualized functional magnetic resonance imaging neuromodulation enhances visuospatial perception: a proof-of-concept study.

This proof-of-concept study uses individualized functional magnetic resonance imaging neuromodulation (iNM) to explore the mechanisms that enhance BOLD signals in visuospatial perception (VP) networks that are crucial for navigation. Healthy participants (n = 8) performed a VP up- and down-direction discrimination task at full and subthreshold coherence through peripheral vision, and superimposed direction through visual imagery (VI) at central space under iNM and control conditions. iNM targets individualized anatomical and functional middle- and medial-superior temporal (MST) networks that control VP. We found that iNM engaged selective exteroceptive and interoceptive attention (SEIA) and motor planning (MP) networks. Specifically, iNM increased overall: (i) area under the curve of the BOLD magnitude: 100% in VP (but decreased for weak coherences), 21-47% in VI, 26-59% in MP and 48-76% in SEIA through encoding; and (ii) classification performance for each direction, coherence and network through decoding, predicting stimuli from brain maps. Our findings, derived from encoding and decoding models, suggest that mechanisms induced by iNM are causally linked in enhancing visuospatial networks and demonstrate iNM as a feasibility treatment for low-vision patients with cortical blindness or visuospatial impairments that precede cognitive decline.This article is part of the theme issue 'Neurofeedback: new territories and neurocognitive mechanisms of endogenous neuromodulation'.

Analysis of fly-around mission with spinning tether system for space station observation

This paper presents the mission scenarios of using spinning tether system to conduct space stations fly-around mission and validates its feasibility. The main challenge of fly-around mission lies in the difficulty of balancing low fuel consumption and long-term fly-around observation. To deal with this problem, a novel spinning tether system is proposed. Firstly, the fly-around process with spinning tether system is introduced, and the tether system is modeled based on Newton-Euler method with a novel description of spinning motion. Secondly, Given the unique structural limitations of space stations, two fly-around schemes and referenced fly-around trajectories are detailed. Thirdly, a backstepping controller is proposed for tracking the reference motion of fly-around satellites, and the fuel consumption among different fly-around schemes is compared and analyzed. In the end, numerical results validate that under the proposed control strategy, the spinning tether system can maintain a stable fly-around configuration in both the planar and vertical plane, the symmetrical formation configuration prevents the central space station from being affected by the motion of fly-around satellites. Moreover, energy consumption analysis indicates that tethered system can save 62.8 % of impulse compared to traditional schemes when flying in the planar plane, making it the most energy-efficient option.